Archives for the month of: October2013

ClockIt’s almost that time for the clocks to be turned-back again, and to gain an extra hour of sleep!   This year, Daylight Saving ends on Sunday, November 3rd and the clocks turn back one hour from 2am PST to 1am PST.

If you’re like most of us and in bed asleep before that hour,  remember to change your clocks back one hour before you go to sleep. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on the extra hour lay-in!

If you’re looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current one, contact a NEW HOME RESOURCE professional Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Joanna Piette, Denise Moreno Thrasher, Evelyn “Beng” Kern, Jessica O’Brien and Lance Partin are at your service!

Fall leaves and lake

With over half of all homeowners planning to make some type of improvement to their home this year, the question is:  What exactly are they changing? Homeowners are choosing to wait until the high temperatures break and cooler weather hits to begin outdoor work, and home improvement companies are looking to unload new products to prepare for the new season, allowing homeowners to grab some great deals as autumn begins.

The most common fall home improvement projects include fencing, interior and exterior painting, window work, flooring, and roof repair, all of which are in preparation for the cold winter weather when home improvement projects are not at the top of your priority list. By getting these projects done before winter, you can put your home improvement projects to rest until spring without worrying about leaky roofs, cold air coming through cracks in the windows, and maintaining the value of your home with fencing and a fresh coat of paint.

“The cooler autumn temperatures make for the perfect time to focus more on the home and any remodeling projects,” says Jeremy Floyd of Fence Center. “Such projects like adding in bamboo or aluminum fencing, not only increases your family’s security, but the value of your home. Now that autumn is officially here, people are likely beginning to get these home improvement projects rolling.”    According to Floyd:

  • Projects such as flooring, such as wood, can only be done during certain months of the year because certain types of flooring employ adhesives that need temperatures inside the home to be within a certain range, usually between 70 and 80 degrees. Attempting to employ these types of flooring in the winter can make it difficult for the flooring to dry and bond, which will prove problematic down the road.
  • Fall offers the perfect time to increase the security of your home, particularly for fencing, as the ground is not too hard to work with.
  • Painting provides a pungent scent and sometimes toxic fumes, making fall the perfect time for painting. Without the humidity, paint can dry quickly, keeping the aromas of the paint to a minimum.

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home,  please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2013. All rights reserved.

Chasing_Dollar

5 Sure Ways to Waste Your Money

By Barbara Pronin

No matter how careful we are with money, everyone has holes in the budget: small indulgences or careless mistakes that end up costing big dollars. The finance experts at Kiplinger’s point out six common money-wasters it makes good sense to avoid:

Carrying a loan or credit card balance – This can cost hundreds of dollars each year in interest – and also costs you down the line in the form of lower credit scores that trigger higher interest rates on loans. If you can’t pay off balances each month, at least keep your balance to less than 25 percent of available credit.

Paying late fees on missed deadlines – It’s easy to miss a payment occasionally. But if you miss a credit card payment by even one day, you will pay a late fee of $25 ($35 if it’s the second time in six months) – and your credit score could also take a hit. A history of on-time payments accounts for 35 percent of your FICO credit score — more than any other factor. If you have a good payment record, you should call your card issuer and ask that a one-time late fee be waived.

Buying insurance you don’t need – Unless you have people financially dependent on you, you may not need as much life insurance as you are paying for. You can also probably do without credit-card insurance (use the premium to pay down debt), rental-car insurance (most auto policies carry some coverage) and mortgage life insurance (a regular term-life insurance policy is more comprehensive).

Overspending on gas and oil – Most cars do fine on regular gas. Be sure tires are properly inflated for best gas mileage – and most cars today require oil changes every five or six thousand miles, not every 3,000 as they once did. Check your owner’s manual regarding regular maintenance – and opt for a fuel-efficient car.

Keeping unhealthy habits – The average price per pack of cigarettes in the U.S. is $6.03, but health-related costs per pack are $35, according to the American Cancer Society. Over a year, those added costs can amount to $12,775 for a pack-a-day smoker. Another habit to quit: indoor tanning. There is a 10 percent  tax on indoor tanning services – and as with cigarettes, the true cost of tanning — one of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation — is higher than the price you pay per session.

 

Look to New Home Resource as your go-to Brokerage for all of your Las Vegas and Henderson real estate needs.   Call us today at 702-365-1000

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2013. All rights reserved

Halloween ghost

Planning the perfect Halloween can be pretty spooky, and it’s not just because of the ghosts and ghouls that run from door to door. Coordinating Halloween activities, planning a festive party and pulling off the perfect costume for each family member can be frightening. But with a few technology tricks, you’ll be rewarded with a lot of treats and plenty of fun to make this holiday one to remember.

Eerie e-vites set the tone for parties

Planning a Halloween party? Email invites are perfectly acceptable for a casual soiree. Send out e-vites a few weeks ahead of time to give friends and family plenty of notice. Be sure to mention that costumes are encouraged, and list any other important details, like if the party is potluck style. The best part of email invites is you’ll receive RSVPs electronically, so you can track responses and get the perfect amount of party supplies for all attendees. And if you have an Outlook.com email account, you can flag RSVPs to the top of your inbox for easy reference, and instantly chat with friends on Facebook, Skype or Gmail to firm up last minute details, right from your inbox.

Scary inbox? Organize email easily

If your inbox is a scary sight, it’s time to tap your magic wand for an organization transformation. With Outlook.com, it’s easy to sort through hundreds of messages in a few clicks. You can use the “sweep” feature to get rid of outdated emails you don’t need, like all those costume coupon deals that have expired.

Frightful or friendly, find the perfect costume

Whether young or old, Halloween is a time to let imaginations run wild and play pretend for the day. Finding the perfect costume for each member of the family can be a difficult and costly process. Track sales from your favorite Halloween supply stores and subscribe to email newsletters to get the latest alerts on costume trends and discounts. After Halloween is over, you can use Outlook.com’s one-click unsubscribe to get off all those emails lists with little effort.

Access the perfect trick-or-treat schedule

Hit the candy motherload and have fun with all the neighborhood kids and parents by plotting your trick-or-treat schedule ahead of time. Upload it to SkyDrive and everyone can access it while en route on any device. Then, all you have to do is get your flashlights, candy bags and giggles ready.

Share boo-tiful photos from the day’s festivities

Whether you love your smartphone or are a diehard digital camera guru, there are bound to be plenty of fun photos the group needs to exchange. Use Outlook.com and SkyDrive together to share all your Halloween snaps in one mail – the file size doesn’t matter – and they will arrive in slideshow format! There’s no limit to the number of photos you can share and, since they’re all stored on SkyDrive, you can access them on any device anywhere, anytime. Share with Grandma and Grandpa, or gather the kids and relive the Halloween fun over and over again.
All of us at New Home Resource wish you a safe and festive Halloween!!!

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2013. All rights reserved.