Welcome to CENTURY 21 Elevated Real Estate

Happy Holidays!!! It’s that time already!! The air is crisp, and that feeling is in the air! Yes…The Holiday season is upon us!! With Thanksgiving fast approaching and Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to share some ideas for making your home décor feel warm, personal, festive and inviting for the holidays!!

The Holidays should be an enjoyable time, spent with friends and family, but our lives are more and more rushed it seems and finding time to decorate your home for the holidays often seems like just another task. Here are some easy tips I hope will help make it easier and that use things you probably already have around the house! Here we go….

1)     Wreaths and Garland~

A few garlands of evergreens, a festive wreath in the window always make it feel like a home! Add some visual elements by incorporating natural things like pinecones, pretty ribbon, or bright seasonal berries, corn husks, wheat, dried grasses etc. These might be available and free…right in your own yard! Just look around and be creative with what you find!

You can hang lighted garland over doorways, drape in and around décor on shelves, or use as a centerpiece on your dining table. Even dressing up your existing picture frames with some sprig and berries. Whether you choose articificial or Live garland…you can’t go wrong, just spruce it up and make it personal to your taste and home!

2)     Soft Candlelight Can Light the Way:

 In simpler days gone by, before electricity… a candle in the window was a sign of hospitality and greeting.  Candles are an inexpensive way to always add ambiance and holiday warmth to a room!  Simply pairing candles with whatever holiday décor you have one hand… little pumpkins, corn husks, burlap material, Greenery, berries, Christmas tree ornaments etc., and creating a display on a something, such as a mirror or a silver tray, a plate or anything to contain the candles, then simply decorate around them with an assemblage of cherished mementos… nutcrackers, past holiday portraits, or antique (or new) ornaments will make a unique display!!

      **Hint: Silver trays, plates and candles from the dollar tree-for $1- are great for these displays!!

3)     Recycle and Reuse: Give older holiday decorations new life outside!!

Give older holiday decorations new life outside!! Use sprays of evergreens, berries and beautiful ribbon, ornaments, lights etc., and make all new décor by combining with found objects… like antlers, vintage skis, sleds, or snowshoes! Use your porch bench for a festive display…and look around your garden for small spaces to stage a winter display!! A basket of pine cones with a decorative tote full of cut wood, and a cozy blanket, will not only dress up an empty bench, but will also help you complete your gardening chores for the season

I hope these tips help you Enjoy decorating for the Holidays…Remember you can use a lot of the same basic décor and just change out a few things to take it through the whole season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas!! Enjoy this season and make the most of your cherished time with friends and family! Happy Holidays!!!

Buying can seem daunting, especially when there are so many little things to do. So, let’s talk about what to expect. Before you begin looking at homes, you will need to do 2 important things.

1) Talk to a Lender. A mortgage lender will run your credit against your income and tell you how much you qualify for.

2) Save your money!! You will need to make an investment in your future home. This up front fee is known as a downpayment, but there are other items you’ll want to pay for to make sure you’re buying the best home you can afford.

Once you have these two items, you can call a realtor to begin looking inside homes. When you go under contract (that means you’ve made an offer on a place that has been accepted), you will submit something called Earnest Money.

This is typically a couple thousand dollars written in a check, that gets held by the local title company. These funds apply toward your downpayment.

You’ll have two other upfront costs once you’re under contract and these are very important.

1) Home Inspection: In our area, a home inspection can run anywhere from $300-700 based on the square footage of your house. It’s a good idea to have at least $500 saved for this. And believe us, it’s always a wise idea to have a home inspection.

2) Appraisal: Your lender will order an appraisal, which is a report of valuation on your home. Depending on your type of loan and how big your down payment is, there will be a certain value your home needs to meet to close the loan. Expect to pay $750 for this report.

How much do I really need for a down payment?

Most first time home buyers qualify for FHA loans, which require 3.5% of purchase price as a down payment. So, on a $150,000 home, an FHA down payment would be $5,250. In our area, there is also a Rural Development loan that  you can qualify for with as little as 2% down. Every buyer has a unique financial map, so be sure to ask your lender about all of your options.

Now that you know what to expect, you should not make any huge changes while under contract. Changes such as getting married or divorced, quitting your job, buying a new car, or overdrafts on your bank accounts can all disqualify you from your home loan.

Once you’re prepared, the home buying process is less daunting, and you’ll impress your realtor. Happy hunting!