House hunting during fall months might sound crazy to most people. Colder months often mean opting to stay at home, reading a good book, or doing whatever fall activities that you can enjoy at home - really anything at all as long as it means that you get to stay warm and toasty indoors. But this season could actually play to your advantage and here are some of the reasons why.
Motivated Sellers
By fall, sellers who were “testing the waters” with listing their home in spring are either eliminated or are now serious sellers. These motivated sellers often want to get their house sold before the end of the year so they can complete their own move before the holidays. The longer a house has been on the market, the more likely a seller is willing to negotiate on everything from price, to closing costs, to move-in dates.
Fewer Buyers
New inventory is appearing on the market, around this time of the year and there are fewer potential buyers after summer. And more often than not, sellers who put their house up for listing during the fall season need to move for a job and are eager to make a deal.
Easier Assessment
Colder months also bring about a more gloomy appearance to the surrounding area of homes. This will work to your advantage because it will give you a better idea of how the home’s interior looks like in low light. Another advantage-point is being able to see any flaws around a home’s exterior when there are no leafy trees and shrubs around that would otherwise hide anything that might need repairs.
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One of the most important things that you need to have when planning to buy a home is an emergency fund. What is an emergency fund? It's money that you have set aside to use for unexpected events and circumstances that life throws at you so you won't take a big hit for it and you can still maintain your normal lifestyle. Here are some tips on how you can get started on building your emergency fund.
Don't Get Overwhelmed: Start low on your initial target amount
Setting too high of a goal can easily make you disheartened to continue saving up. Start on a more reasonable amount of just $500 or $1000. That’s a goal that you can reach in just a few months (or even less if you’re in a good income situation) and yet it’s an amount that can make a huge difference when you have an emergency. Having you get to that initial goal will make you feel like you can continue saving up and feel even better about the idea of setting money aside.
What you'd want to do next is to break that goal down into smaller pieces. Set aside money on a weekly basis. This is money that you are not likely to miss, or money that you have extra from cutting back on splurges like lattes and other unnecessary purchases. You'll find yourself with an emergency fund with a bigger amount without you even noticing it. Say you save $25 a week, you will then have a $250 emergency fund in just ten weeks, so you can set that as your overall goal, or increase it to $40 a week, which would bring you to the $500 goal in three months.
Bottomline is, your goal amount should challenge you just a bit, but should not be a number that’s simply unreachable.
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Most people don't really have their car parked inside the garage, or if they do, there's barely little wiggle room left. The reason? There's too much stuff in it! Leaving your car out makes it vulnerable to sun damage, rain water damage and exposure to bird droppings and tree sap. So it looks like there's no arguing that your car will be much safer when it's stored inside the garage. Let us help you out with that. Get back your garage space with these garage organization ideas! Your car will thank you for this.
Getting Started: Clean it all out
It might look like quite a tall order to get started with the hardest part, but everything has to start somewhere right? The key here is to be organized, decisive and rational.
• Set aside at least a full day, or even a full weekend or two, to get the job done.
• Go through absolutely everything. Empty every box and bins that you have stored away.
• Sort all items into three piles: keep, donate or sell, and toss.
The nitty gritty
• What should you throw out? Let go off outgrown toys, items that are broken beyond repair, expired household chemicals, old paint, and anything you haven't used in two years or more.
• For the items that you will keep, sort them even further. They could be sports equipment, power tools, painting supply, etc. Store them in stackable clear-plastic bins for better...
