• ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  Better Judgements eZine
  Terria Judge, Realtor
  CRS, ABR, GRI, Broker Associate
  
  Better Judgements is a nwsletter on home matters, from Terria
  Judge, your Garden City, KS real estate agent!
  
  Contact Terria Judge at 620-271-2129
  
  Terria Judge
  Coldwell Banker, The Real Estate Shoppe, Inc.
  John P. Judge, Broker
  1135 College Dr. Suite E
  Garden City, KS 67846
  
  1-877-275-7497 x 223
  620-275-7421 x 223
  http://terriajudge.com
  http://gardencityksrealestate.com
  http://gardencityrentals.com
  
  Terria@TerriaJudge.com
  
  Subscription Management at end of newsletter.
  
  Thanks for your subscription to Better Judgements, the
  newsletter from your Garden City Kansas Realtor, Terria Judge.
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  In this Issue
  =============
  
  1. Home Repair: Improve Your Kitchen With Better Lighting
  2. Mortgage Tips: How to Save Thousands on Your Home Mortgage
  3. Cutting Costs: 10 Ways To Cut Your Cost of Living
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  Improve Your Kitchen With Better Lighting by Lee Dobbins
  
  
  When we think about home improvement projects we often think of
  changing or adding to a room but one of the most important
  improvements you
  
  can make in the kitchen is to make sure you have the proper
  lighting. You need to make sure that the room is not only
  illuminated, but that
  
  you have enough light to work, no matter which area of the
  kitchen you are in. Here are some tips on how to plan for
  perfect kitchen
  
  lighting.
  
  Overhead Lighting
  
  Many kitchens, and especially older ones, only have one type of
  lighting or even worse, perhaps only one light! You may be
  thinking that a
  
  big light centered in the middle of the ceiling will serve your
  need effectively, but it is rarely enough. If you do go with one
  overhead
  
  light, make sure that you plan to incorporate enough reflection
  to let the light bounce into every part of the room so that it
  is lit
  
  properly..
  
  One thing to consider if you only have room or resources for
  lighting on the ceiling is track lighting. This type of lighting
  will allow you
  
  to direct the light to specific areas of the kitchen. You can
  install a light or point a light to each work area as well as
  your stove and
  
  kitchen table. Or, try using track kitchen lighting for the work
  area and then install additional lighting over the table or
  island areas.
  
  Counters And Work Areas
  
  Typically, one big light in the middle of the room will be
  inadequate for proper task lighting. It is problematic since
  when you are
  
  standing at the counter with your back to the light you will be
  casting a shadow right on the area you want to illuminate. Task
  lighting is
  
  important for proper food prep and will make your kitchen chores
  much easier.
  
  For great task lighting consider kitchen lights that are
  installed on the bottoms of the cabinets that overhang your
  kitchen countertops.
  
  You'll be able to easily see while you are chopping vegetables
  and preparing meals. This lighting is soft enough to provide the
  right amount
  
  of light and can be easily turned off as needed or leave just
  one light on at night as a "night light" of sorts.
  
  Island And Table Lighting
  
  You'll also want to consider how you light the island and table
  areas. Here is where you will want to insure that lighting is
  adequate, and
  
  looks great with the style of your kitchen.
  
  For eat in islands, the most popular type of lighting is lights
  that hang down from the ceiling. The length of your islands
  dictates how
  
  many lights you will need. The table lighting should be chic and
  is most practical if you can get lighting on a dimmer. Typically,
  you would
  
  want some sort of chandelier for right above the table but be
  sure to match the style to your kitchen decor.
  
  
  About the Author
  Lee Dobbins writes for www.dailynewz.info where you can find out
  more about home improvement and renovation.
  
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  
  NEW LISTING!!
  =============
  706 E Thompson--Check it out; this home won't last long. A very
  well cared for home with 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, 2 car garage,
  fenced
  
  backyard--plus all appliances stay! Extras includechest freezer
  and piano. Dryer can be gas or electric. Call Terria today! See
  photo online
  
  at http://terriajudge.com/featuredlistings.html
  
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  
  How to Save Thousands on Your Home Mortgage by Harvey Berman
  
  
  Most people spend more than they need to on their home loan.
  They overlook attractive mortgage options in favor of costly
  mortgage mistakes.
  
  What can a home buyer do to make a money-smart mortgage
  decision? There are three keys to successful mortgage shopping -
  learn the basics,
  
  gather mortgage information, and analyze loan options.
  
  Learn the basics
  
  Most home buyers are unfamiliar with the mortgage market. To get
  the best deal, you need to know the basics - key cost factors,
  major
  
  methods of financing, pros and cons of different types of loans,
  etc. You need to understand the process well enough to ask
  probing
  
  questions of real estate professionals.
  
  Luckily, the mortgage market is not rocket science. You really
  can learn the basics in just a few hours. Two excellent options
  for
  
  self-study are:
  
  1. Online Mortgage Tutorial. MortgageMavin.com offers a free,
  easy-to-understand introduction to mortgage loans and mortgage
  analysis, as
  
  well as an excellent mortgage calculator.
  
  2. Mortgages for Dummies. This book is a comprehensive
  introduction for anyone considering a home mortgage.
  
  Gather mortgage info
  
  Lending institutions offer a wealth of information on home
  financing. This is where your new-found understanding of the
  mortgage market
  
  comes into play. Focus on factors that affect loan cost -
  mortgage type, interest rates, points, down payment, closing
  costs, private
  
  mortgage insurance (PMI), etc.
  
  Costs can vary from one lender to another, so you will want to
  compare costs from a number of different lenders. Also,
  mortgages come in
  
  many different flavors. For example, you can get a fixed-rate
  mortgage or an adjustable-rate mortgage . Therefore, you will
  want to get
  
  information on different kinds of mortgages. And interest rates
  may be influenced by the size of the down payment or whether you
  purchase
  
  discount points. So be sure to ask your lender about this.
  
  Analyze loan options
  
  Once you've learned about the mortgage market and you've
  collected information on different mortgage options, the next
  step is to analyze
  
  your options. The main goal of mortgage analysis is to compute
  total mortgage cost. In most cases, you will prefer the mortgage
  option that
  
  (duh) costs least.
  
  Fortunately, mortgage analysis is not hard. In fact, it is easy!
  With a good mortgage calculator, you can quickly compare mortgage
  options
  
  and identify the low-cost alternative. As you compare different
  options, be sure to consider the following factors.
  
  1. Time frame. Compute mortgage cost over the time period that
  you expect to own the home. For example, if you expect to live
  in your new
  
  home for 4 years, compute mortgage cost over a 4-year period; if
  you expect to live in your home for 30 years, compute mortgage
  cost over a
  
  30-year mortgage. You may find that Mortgage A is less expensive
  over a 4-year period; whereas, Mortgage B is less expensive over
  a 30-year
  
  period.
  
  2. Down payment. Typically, home buyers like to make small down
  payments; but small down payments can be a mixed blessing. The
  smaller the
  
  down payment, the greater the interest expense and the greater
  the cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI). Experiment with
  different down
  
  payments. See if savings from interest and PMI justify making a
  bigger down payment.
  
  3. Points. Often the home buyer can purchase discount points to
  get a lower interest rate. Sometimes, the savings from a lower
  interest rate
  
  are large enough to justify the expense of buying discount
  points. Be sure to check this out.
  
  4. Private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI protects the lender if
  the buyer defaults on the loan. Lenders often require the home
  owner to pay
  
  for PMI, until the loan balance falls below 80% of the fair
  market value of the home. Since different mortgages will reach
  the 80% level at
  
  different rates, the PMI expense will vary from one mortgage to
  the next.
  
  5. After-tax expenses. Some mortgage expenses (e.g., discount
  points and interest expense) may be deductible from the home
  owner's income
  
  tax. Therefore, when you compare mortgage options, you may want
  to compare after-tax costs.
  
  Although there are many free mortgage calculators online, few
  handle all of the factors listed above. One that does can be
  found at
  
  MortgageMavin.com.
  
  Conclusion
  
  Most home buyers do not do any analysis at all. They simply
  accept the first recommendation from their banker. Or they focus
  on one type of
  
  mortgage. That can be a costly mistake. The best course is to
  consider different mortgage options, evaluate each, and choose
  the one that
  
  best meets your personal and financial goals.
  
  
  About the Author
  Harvey Berman earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the Georgia
  Institute of Technology in 1984. He has developed two successful
  web sites:
  
  StatTrek.com and MortgageMavin.com. For fun, he plays golf and
  bridge, both badly.
  
  
  
  
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  Sell Your Home
  ==============
  Need to sell your home? Terria could be your agent! Fill out the
  interest form online at
  http://terriajudge.com/marketevaluation.html
  
  
  
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  
  10 Ways To Cut Your Cost of Living by David Makanna
  
  
  As the cost of gas and life in general continues to climb more
  and more people are finding that they are left with more debt
  and less
  
  savings each month. The most common response is to seek more
  income, which is a great idea but is of course self limiting.
  
  There is simply a cap to how much any individual can earn (at
  least in the short term) if not you could just take the approach
  our
  
  government does and ask for more money. Given you and I live in
  the real world a more practical and immediate approach would be
  to do what
  
  our government should do, look to be more effective in reducing
  spending and improving the effectiveness of your existing
  income. Here are
  
  10 simple ways to cut your expenses and not give up any of your
  quality of life, in fact you may improve it!
  
  Cut the Cost of Home Phone Service and Utilities - Now I know
  every article about reducing expenses says this but there is a
  reason. This is
  
  a fundamental expense that most people simply can't do with out.
  Chances are good you can cut your local and long distance by up
  to 40% if
  
  you are still using one of the big phone companies. Check out
  smaller competitive carriers like Sage Telecom who offers
  residential local
  
  phone service in both metro and rural areas in 12 States.
  
  Look at your electric bill as well, in many states there is now
  competition allowed in the power industry. As and example here
  in Texas we
  
  have the option to use a competitor to our incumbent power
  company. We use Reliant Energy, the savings is not huge but it
  took only minutes
  
  to sign up and we now simply get a bill from a different company
  and right a smaller check. Check with your States Public Utility
  Commission
  
  to find out what utilities are open to competition in your
  state. Always look to cut bills for things you can't do without
  first it just
  
  makes sense to do so.
  
  Enjoy the Finer Things at a Discount - One of the biggest
  reasons people over spend is an attempt to feel better about
  life in general. No
  
  one likes to feel deprived and it is easy to justify extra
  spending (often with a credit card) by saying, "I work hard and
  deserve this". So
  
  look for ways to spoil yourself for less. For instance I enjoy
  fine wines which can be pricey but a website called 10 Dollar
  Wine offers
  
  reviews of great inexpensive wines under 10 dollars a bottle.
  Pick up a few steaks once or twice a week and a nice bottle and
  enjoy them at
  
  home. A similar meal in a family restaurant could be 80 dollars
  or more easily with this approach you can have a great time for
  about 20-30
  
  dollars. There are many such resources dig around and find the
  ones that cater to your interests. When you feel spoiled on
  ocassion you are
  
  less likely to justify poor impulse spending.
  
  Audit Your Insurance Premiums Annually - No one does this
  because it is about as boring as life can be! Nothing is more
  boring then
  
  insurance but remember address expenses you have to pay first.
  Check out websites like Gieco and Progressive to see if you are
  over paying
  
  on insurance or pick up the phone and call around. Just set
  aside two to three hours a year to check pricing on all your
  insurance premiums,
  
  it is almost always worth the time. Check everything too, life,
  auto, home, etc. don't leave any of it out of your annual
  audit.
  
  Buy Second Hand Books and CDs, Software etc. - CDs are expensive
  as are Software and Books, but did you know you can find just
  about all of
  
  them slightly used at a website called Half.com? It's true! Now
  you can't always find what you are looking for but it takes only
  seconds to
  
  search the site for any item you are looking for. Amazon and
  Barnes & Noble offer used items as well. Take the five seconds
  to search before
  
  you buy your next item, make it a habit for those who buy
  several books, a few CDs and perhaps one software pack a year
  the savings can
  
  easily reach a few hundred dollars.
  
  Use eBay - On the same note as the last point when ever you are
  going to buy anything run an eBay search first. Many items on
  eBay have a
  
  "buy it now" price meaning there is not need to bid you just
  click and buy like any site. Some think you need technical
  knowledge to use
  
  eBay, if you have the ability to get online to read this article
  you have all the technical ability required to use eBay. Check
  anytime you
  
  need to buy anything you never know what you will find and again
  running a search takes about 5 seconds.
  
  Switch Credit Card Companies Often - Assuming you have decent
  credit it is probable that you are bombarded almost daily with
  solicitations
  
  to get a new credit card many with a 0% interest rate at least
  for 3-6 months. What we do is get these cards, transfer any
  balance we have
  
  on sign up and immediately mark our calendar for the time with
  the 0% rate expires. Then a few weeks before the introductory
  rate expires we
  
  do it all over again. Its been over 3 years since we have paid a
  dime in interest on our short term credit card debt. That has
  saved us
  
  thousands, the key is always pay on time and keep track of when
  you need to switch.
  
  Consider a Home Equity Loan - We do use credit cards to carry
  short term debt (debt that can be paid in two years or less) but
  for long term
  
  debt even a 0% credit card may not make sense. First it is
  counts more against your credit then debt owed on real property
  and second it
  
  creates no tax deductions. Home equity debts are just like a
  mortgage payment so all interest is tax deductible. Consider
  converting
  
  unsecured credit card debt to a long term tax deductible debt
  secured by real property if you have a high credit card debt.
  Then keep a zero
  
  balance on your credit cards or at least a low amount you could
  pay in one of two payments if you had to. Credit card debt is
  always against
  
  things that never increase in value while real property almost
  always goes up in value year after year.
  
  Prepare Meals In Advance - Here is what happens about 1 million
  times a day in America. A family comes home and no one remember
  to take
  
  anything out that morning to defrost for dinner. Everyone is
  tired, mom and dad worked hard all day long after all so an
  impulse decision is
  
  made, "lets go out to eat". Next thing you know this unplanned
  event for a family of four winds up with a 75 dollar or more
  cost.
  
  Consider the family could have had a juicy steak, some shrimp on
  a skewer, a salad, bread and potatoes and a nice bottle of wine
  (for mom
  
  and dad of course) for about 30 bucks. Now consider the fact
  that for many people this scenario happens once a week! Simply
  taking some time
  
  on the weekend to prepare 2-3 meals for the week or even just
  grouping all the components together in the fridge can help stop
  this. Stop
  
  two impulse out to eat dinners a month and it can easily save
  600-1000 dollars a year.
  
  Leave the Kids at Home When Shopping - You know why store
  managers put the sugar filled cereal on the middle shelf and
  candy at the register
  
  don't you? Simple kids are the most reliable impulse shoppers on
  the planet. Never is it the case that two people shopping spend
  less money
  
  then one, when it is three people and two are children the total
  bill tends to go up exponentially! If you have a reliable
  neighborhood baby
  
  sitter available paying them for an hour of their time will
  probably save you far more then their fee and get you through
  your chore of
  
  shopping faster and less stressed out as well. If you think your
  kids don't get you to spend extra take notes in a writing pad
  next time you
  
  visit the store it may surprise you. In short never
  underestimate the "sales ability" of a five year old.
  
  Buy a House - Now wait how can buying something as expensive as
  a house "save money"? Trust me it does, first you get to deduct
  all the
  
  interest on your mortgage off your taxes as opposed deducting
  NOTHING from rental expenses. Second, rent never goes down, it
  always goes up!
  
  Even when property taxes cause a house payment to rise over time
  the buyer always beats the market, as the property value
  increases his
  
  expenses in comparison to the market around him go down. What I
  mean is simple, today you buy a house with 3 bedrooms and it
  will probably
  
  cost you more then renting a comparable apartment in most
  markets but if you shop right not much more even in the short
  term.
  
  However, 10 years later you have equity in the home because of
  payments you have made and the increase in the value of the
  property. The
  
  value increase is the big difference though, find anyone who has
  been in a home 10 years with out refinancing in any decent real
  estate
  
  market and a renter won't be able to rent half the apartment for
  the cost of the home owners mortgage payment. Of course when the
  home owner
  
  moves he should make a great profit on the home, the renter will
  simply have to pay for moving expenses and probably never even
  get back his
  
  deposit.
  
  So there you have it 10 ways to live the good life and still
  have more money both right away an long term. Don't try to do
  them all at once
  
  pick one, integrate it into your life then move on to the next.
  In time you will find yourself with more money to save a higher
  quality of
  
  life and hopefully a lot less stress as well.
  
  
  About the Author
  David Makanna is a lifestyle advisor and finincial consultant.
  
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  Get a heads up on open houses! CHeck out Terria's open house
  listings at http://terriajudge.com/calendar.html
  
  
  
  ---------BETTER JUDGEMENTS---------
  
  Thats it for this edition, folks. Thanks for being here, have a
  wonderful day !!
  
  
  
  This newsletter is compiled and published by Bright Idea
  Graphics, http://BIGad.org

  April 28th, 2006 at 1:08 pm

Powered By GetResponse Email Marketing