Is it April or May showers?  We’ve had a lot of both!  I’m definitely seeing the flowers start to bloom though – hope you’re stopping to smell the flowers along your way as well!  If you are like Owen and me, this spring has been full of gardening projects…so here’s hoping your May showers turn into beautiful flowers soon!

Consider the wheelbarrow: It may lack the grace of an airplane, the speed of an automobile, but its humble wheel marked out the path of what civilization we still have.  Particularly that phase of civilization which leads down Main Street, through the front gate, around the house into the back garden.” ~ Hal Borland, New York Times, 1947

Here are some All Time Favorite Tips for your gardening projects:

  • The secret to a care-free lawn that requires less water, fertilizer, and mowing is all at the roots. Work on improving the soil by aerating and using organic-base fertilizers and your grass roots will dig deep to find their own water and nutrients.

  • Don’t dig up and store your tender bulbs of glads, dahlias, and cannas. Try covering them with a tarp and a 6-inch mulch of leaves instead. This insulation will keep the moisture from rotting and the cold from freezing your tropical bulbs. In the spring, just roll back the protective tarp and watch for new growth.

  • Raise the beds, lower the maintenance. Raised beds warm up sooner in spring and you can sit on the edge to plant and harvest. (I always wondered about those raised beds … now I know ;)

  • Put the right plant in the right place. Any plant demanding more than its fair share of time deserves the shovel solution. Is wisteria swallowing the house? Are shrubs blocking the windows? Do roses need constant chemical treatments to keep healthy? Move ‘em or lose ‘em; you don’t have to stick with them – -no matter how pretty – -when they get out of control.

Hope you find these tips helpful!  As always, if you have any real estate related information I can provide you, your friends or family members, give me a call or send me a quick e-mail …I’m always happy to help!


News for Buyers

First Time Home Buyers Alert!

If you are a first time home buyer, know of someone considering buying for the first time OR if you have not owned a home in 3 or more years you may qualify to take advantage of the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer’s credit toward your down payment….this is great news!  (Make sure you talk to your tax advisor about how this might affect you)

HUD Secretary Announces Monetization of Tax Credit at NAR Real Estate Summit
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2009

Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said that the
Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow homeowners to use the $8,000 tax credit as a downpayment … read more

News for Sellers

In the Green Zone:
How Would Your Home Rate?
As a Member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) I keep track of current laws and/or potential laws that may affect us as homeowners.

Do you know what your home’s energy rating is? If this bill to require our homes to be “labeled” with an energy rating is passed how will it effect you?  How much would it cost to bring it up to a standard that would allow you to sell easily?  Or … would you lose thousands of dollars by having to disclose your rating at the time of sale?

Let me know what you think … you can read this article online in a recent issue of REALTOR Magazine.

I’ll be staying abreast of this potential change in law and keeping you informed as we are given more information.  I’d love to hear from you regarding this proposed bill!

Spring Home Projects

Cost vs. Value Online Report
This year’s Cost vs. Value report lays out the average return on investment on the most popular home improvement projects.  This is a valuable tool in helping you decide which projects to undertake and how much, on average, you’ll spend.

Hartman Home Inspections
Don Hartman, owner and certified inspector, has over twenty years of construction and residential remodeling experience. Hartman Home Inspections encourages their clients to use them as an ongoing resource for home maintenance and improvement questions after they move in!

Repair Cost Estimates
Here is an online tool that shows the estimated costs to upgrade or replace the major systems and components in a typical home.

I am always available to consult with you before you take on any home projects. Give me a call today!

If you are interested in knowing how the market is progressing in your neighborhood, or, if you have any friends, relatives and business associates with real estate needs, give me a call!

Happy Spring! 
(now if Mother Nature will just cooperate!)

~ Tracy