6 Tips to Save $$ and Reduce Energy Costs : Tip 2

2. Wash only full loads in your dishwasher (yet another reason to learn to pack them efficiently!), and if you have time, let them air dry by turning off the drying cycle manually—this can save 20% of your dishwasher's total electricity usage.

Garden Tip

Wait to fertilize spring-flowering shrubs and trees until after they have finished blooming. Early fertilization will promote green growth that hides blooms.










Information Courtesy of the NC Cooperative Extension





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A Plan for Homeowners in Financial Despair

A new plan has been put forth by the government to help homeowners in need. The big change is that this time it is not merely aimed at those who are facing foreclosure (approximately 7 million people) but homeowners who owe more on their home than it is worth (approximately 11 million people). Funding for the plan will not come from increased taxes but from the "Troubled Asset Relief Program" which already has funds set aside.

Read the full article here: New York Times

Go to www.BrittainMehler.com to search for properties across North Carolina!

Easy Solutions for an Organized Kitchen

Let's face it. Everyone wants a gourmet kitchen with all of the bells and whistles. In real estate it is something so frequently sought after and rarely discovered. But, click on the link below to see a few tips (provided by local chef Reto Biaggi to the News & Record) on how to have a functional kitchen even if your kitchen won't be gracing the pages of Southern Living.

7 Reasons to Buy Your Own Home

1. Tax breaks. The U.S. Tax Code lets you deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage, your property taxes, as well as some of the costs involved in buying your home.

2. Appreciation. Real estate has long-term, stable growth in value. While year-to-year fluctuations are normal, median existing-home sale prices have increased on average 6.5 percent each year from 1972 through 2005, and increased 88.5 percent over the last 10 years, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. In addition, the number of U.S. households is expected to rise 15 percent over the next decade, creating continued high demand for housing.

3. Equity. Money paid for rent is money that you’ll never see again, but mortgage payments let you build equity ownership interest in your home.

4. Savings. Building equity in your home is a ready-made savings plan. And when you sell, you can generally take up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) as gain without owing any federal income tax.

5. Predictability. Unlike rent, your fixed-mortgage payments don’t rise over the years so your housing costs may actually decline as you own the home longer. However, keep in mind that property taxes and insurance costs will increase.

6. Freedom. The home is yours. You can decorate any way you want and benefit from your investment for as long as you own the home.

7. Stability. Remaining in one neighborhood for several years gives you a chance to participate in community activities, lets you and your family establish lasting friendships, and offers your children the benefit of educational continuity.

Online resources: To calculate whether buying is the best financial option for you, use the “Buy vs. Rent” calculator at www.GinnieMae.gov.

5 Common Mistakes Made By First Time Home Buyers

1. They don’t ask enough questions of their lender and end up missing out on the best deal.

2. They don’t act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house.

3. They don’t find the right agent who’s willing to help them through the homebuying process.

4. They don’t do enough to make their offer look appealing to a seller.

5. They don’t think about resale before they buy. The average first-time buyer only stays in a home for four years