7 Ways to Live Healthier

Keep your house clean and healthy with these natural tips for dealing with dirty work
Instead of opting for commercial cleaners -- which can be pricey and chemically dicey -- hit your pantry for more natural alternatives. Baking soda will absorb odors, clean counters, and even clear clogged drains when mixed with vinegar.Lemon juice can brighten your laundry, freshen drains, and polish metals. A mixture of vinegar and water cleans glass, mirrors, and hardwood floors.

Creating Openness

It's better to have fewer items on display when there's limited room to showcase them.Ask yourself if a piece adds beauty to your home or if it just adds clutter. Instead of hanging an assortment of random frames here and there, hang an oversize painting , like these homeowners did between the dining room and kitchen. Tips for Creating OpennessIn the living room, a comfortable sofa and one armchair provide seating. Both items have exposed legs which give the illusion of more floorspace. The furniture's neutral tones blend well with the wall color, a simple trick to open up the space. The coffee table is another example of visual trickery. The glass top has plenty of room for magazines or flowers, but the top disappears with minimal accessories, allowing a view of the hardwood floors below.

Creating Continuity

One of the easiest ways to create continuity in several areas is to use the same flooring.

Here, the homeowners chose to refinish the existing hardwood floors . The expanse of gleaming wood draws the eye from room to room.

Pale Palette..

A pale palette goes a long way toward visually enlarging the rooms.

Warm white paint on the walls brightens things up, making the most of natural light. White paint on the ceiling makes it seem even taller. If you're lucky enough to have high ceilings, enhance them by using tone-on-tone colors on the ceiling, walls, and trim. Even a tiny space feels larger when it has a lot of headroom. Texture keeps the color scheme interesting. Woven fabrics on the sofa, armchair, and dining chairs contribute to the casual but sophisticated look. Monochromatic hues work best when a color is used in all its varying tones. If you don't believe cream and taupe come in more than one tone, pick up a paint card at a home-improvement store.

Decorating,The Best Tricks for Small Spaces

Tricks for Small Spaces

Most new homeowners, seeking to add their own personal style to a house, find themselves rearranging furniture and repainting walls. Not so for the owners of the historic shotgun house. First, they had to make the structure habitable by putting in electricity and plumbing. They also wanted to alter the traditional layout -- a series of small rooms, one after the other -- into something more appropriate for modern living. The homeowners removed doors that closed off each room and had a wall torn down between the dining room and kitchen. Now, the long, open space is casual and comfortable, a perfect example of how to maximize minimal square footage . From the front door, visitors can see the dining area, kitchen, and even the back door.

Create a hidden retreat

See how one landscaper made every detail count in a tiny urban backyard.

Privacy on a small city lot is an all-too-elusive concept. But in a neighborhood of compact lots, this San Jose, Calif., backyard — which sits right up against two-story houses — includes a pergola-sheltered hot tub for long, slow soaks behind a curtain of vines. Landscape designer Cathy Drees managed to create a tranquil outdoor room thanks to a sophisticated color palette, a screen of greenery around the perimeter and a few artfully chosen accents.

At annual builders' show, small is in

Among the trends highlighted at the International Builders’ Show, more Americans are saying goodbye to McMansions and are buying 'right-sized' homes instead. There’s also high interest in green elements, organization, fewer luxuries and These days, a bigger home isn't always a better one: Recent research suggests that homes being built today are getting smaller.
The average size of homes started in the third quarter of 2008 was 2,438 square feet, down from 2,629 square feet in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Similarly, the median size of homes started in the third quarter was 2,090 square feet, down from 2,291. The statistics confirm what the housing industry has suspected for a while.
"We've been hearing for a long time 'Why is the home size not declining?'" said Gopal Ahluwalia, vice president of economic research for the National Association of Home Builders. He spoke about the trend at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas this week. Anecdotally, he had heard smaller homes were being built as housing prices tumbled and the economy began to weaken. Still, "we never had data to back it up," he said.practical appliances

How potlucks help home values

Strong neighborhoods nurture safe, happy families. They also keep real-estate prices stable. Here are 12 fun, proven tactics for connecting with thGreat neighbors are the answer to a lot of the questions life throws at you, whether you're tearing out your hair over speeding cars, scared of possible drug activity down the block or just need a cup of sugar or a back-fence friend.
"Realtors tell you, 'It's location, location, location.' But really, what makes a great location? Good housing stock, good schools nearby and a neighborhood where, when there's a problem, it's solved quickly by the people who live there, and it's a fun place to live," says Jay Walljasper, author of “The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking.” Great neighborhoods, Walljasper says, both support real-estate values and enrich lives.
The most visible benefits of close neighborhoods are strong property values, good schools and reduced crime. Dennis P. Rosenbaum, director of the Center for Research in Law and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says crime is lower where people say they feel more attached to the neighborhood, more social connectedness, more responsibility for what goes on around them and a greater willingness to intervene when they suspect criminal activity.e neighbors.

Is rent-to-own a scam?

The want ads practically shout from the pages of Craigslist: "Own a home for $699 a month," or "Rent to own! No background checks. No credit checks. No questions."
If you’re struggling either to sell a house or to qualify for a home mortgage, a lease-option or rent-to-own deal may sound tempting. In theory, both sides win. The seller gets a series of cash payments and the buyer immediately moves into his dream home, while gaining time to improve his credit score.
But before you consider a lease-option or rent-to-own agreement, make sure you understand the possible pitfalls. One misstep and your dream of homeownership could go up in smoke

How Much Can You Afford?

Shopping for a home but not sure how much you can spend? Here's how to figure out your price ra
How to Choose the Right Loan?Purchasing a home is the single largest expenditure you will make, so manage the financing with great care. Read more
Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs)An ARM is a mortgage in which the interest rate is adjusted periodically based on an index. Read more
What You Need to Know About Private Mortgage Insurance PMI lets you buy a house with less than 20 percent down -- in exchange for higher payments. Read more
Pulling Together a Down Payment When you venture into the housing market for the first time, you want to buy the best home you can afford. Read more
>> More Articlesnge. Read more

Don't waste your valuable time and money. Get matched with Lenders now!

Type of Loan: Purchase Refinance Home Equity Commercial Loan Home Description: Single family home Condo Townhome Multiple family dwelling Mobile home Property Type: Primary residence Second home / vacation property Investment Property Your Credit Profile: Excellent Good Fair Needs Improvement Poor

Mortgage Calculator
Enter Your Details & Click Calculate
Loan Amount $
Annual Interest Rate
%
Term of Loan
Years


Number of Payments
Monthly Payment $
Articles

How Much Can You Afford?Shopping for a home but not sure how much you can spend? Here's how to figure out your price range. Read more
How to Choose the Right Loan?Purchasing a home is the single largest expenditure you will make, so manage the financing with great care. Read more
Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs)An ARM is a mortgage in which the interest rate is adjusted periodically based on an index. Read more
What You Need to Know About Private Mortgage Insurance PMI lets you buy a house with less than 20 percent down -- in exchange for higher payments. Read more
Pulling Together a Down Payment When you venture into the housing market for the first time, you want to buy the best home you can afford. Read more
>> More Articles

Real Estate Guides on...

Top 10 Home Buying Mistakes:
Buying a house is the largest investment most people ever make, yet all too often it's a decision made in haste without adequate preparation. Read more >> Read all Buying Articles
Real Estate Commissions: What You Need to Know
Confused about real estate commissions? You're not alone. Here are some answers to a few of your most common questions. Read more >> Read all Selling Articles