Annual deck maintenance will forestall major repairs, protect your investment, and boost your enjoyment of your deck.

If water beads up on your deck, the sealant is in good shape. If water soaks in, you need to wash and reseal it. Image: Wolman Deck Stain/Rust-Oleum Corporation

 

Because decks are exposed to the harshest elements, they require annual maintenance. Most decks should be cleaned and sealed every year to protect wood components; even decks made of composite or vinyl decking should be washed annually. Also, every deck should be checked regularly for signs of rot and to ensure structural integrity.

 

Because a deck is a particularly good investment—returning more than 80% of its original cost, according to Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Survey—it’s a good idea to establish a routine of upkeep that’ll protect your deck and prevent expensive repairs. Here’s a simple maintenance schedule to help keep your deck safe, sound, and looking great.

 

 

Late spring: Wash the deck

Aside from general dinginess, one of the sure signs a deck needs washing is a film of mold and grunge. Left unchecked, mold and dirt and can trap moisture and cause rot.

Begin cleaning your deck by removing debris from between deck boards using a putty knife. (For a makeshift extension that’s a real knee-saver, try pushing the handle of your putty knife into a length of 1¼-inch PVC pipe. Some putty knives squeeze right in.)

 

Or, buy a pole-type groove and crevice cleaner. Pay special attention to the areas where deck boards cross the joists—the structural members underneath the decking. Thoroughly sweep the deck.
 
For a wood deck, use a standard deck cleaner—about $20 for 250 sq. ft. coverage. Or, make your own with a half bleach, half water solution. Choose a cloudy day when the decking is cool and the sun won’t evaporate the cleaner. Protect all shrubs and plantings with plastic sheeting. Apply the cleaner according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Once the decking is cleaned, tackle the railing. Working from the bottom up, apply the cleaner, scrub, and then rinse. Working from the top down splatters the cleaning solution onto dry wood where it can double-bleach the surface, leaving marks that don’t go away when the lower area is washed. Working from the bottom up means you’ll be splattering onto a wet surface where the cleaner is diluted, leaving no marks.

For composite decks, use a cleaner specifically formulated for use on composite material. Scrub with a soft brush. Do not use a pressure washer—it can permanently damage the decking and will void any warranty. Remove rust and leaf stains with a deck brightener containing oxalic acid. Attack grease and oil stains with a commercial degreaser and detergents. Mold and mildew can be kept under control with the use of a deck wash solution twice a year.

For vinyl (cellular PVC) decking—the closest thing to a maintenance-free material—you’ll only need to use warm water and a mild soap to remove mold, mildew, and dirt. Scrub in a circular motion using a stiff broom, then rinse thoroughly.

 

Late spring: Seal the deck

The finish on your deck may be so woebegone that it’s obvious it needs resealing, but if you have doubts, try the water test. Splash some water onto the deck. If it beads up, all’s well. If it soaks in, it’s time to wash and reseal the deck.

Wash the deck as described above and allow it to dry for 48 hours before sealing. Use a pole sander equipped with 80-grit paper to remove any furriness caused by washing.

Sealers and stains are available at home improvement centers for about $30/gallon—enough to cover 250 sq. ft. of decking. Your finish options include:

 

• Clear sealer that lets the wood’s natural grain and color show through
• Toner that adds a bit of color but fully reveals the grain and provides some protection against sunlight (ultraviolet or UV light)
• Semi-transparent stain that tints the wood, but lets some grain show
• Solid stain and opaque color that seals weathering damage and completely covers the grain

Expect to recoat clear sealers and toners annually. Recoat stain finishes as needed (every other year is a good routine), using the same or a slightly darker color. Be sure to wear gloves, a safety mask, and eye protection when applying stain and sealers. Use a roller to apply the sealer to the decking, covering three or four boards at a time. Use brushes and small rollers for railings, planters, and benches.

Some composite decking can be stained to restore its color. Be sure the product is intended for composites. Don’t expect the same density of color that you would achieve with wood. Deck sealants aren’t required or recommended.

 

Midsummer: Inspect and repair your deck

When the weather is warm and dry, it’s a good time to give your deck’s structure a close inspection. Pay particular attention to any areas within 6 inches of the ground or close to sources of water, such as downspouts and planters.

Look for signs of rot by probing structural members with a flat-blade screwdriver. Begin by checking stairs, especially where the stringers (the saw-tooth notched pieces that support the steps) meet the ground. Also check each perimeter post. If you can push the screwdriver a quarter-inch or more into a suspect area, you probably have rot.

Areas of rot that are no bigger than a silver dollar can be removed with a chisel and the hole can be treated with wood preservative. Larger areas may require the structural member to be replaced. Consult a professional carpenter or builder for an estimate for repairs.

If the underside of your deck is accessible, use a flashlight to inspect joists, posts, and beams. Pay special attention to the ledger—that all-important piece of framing that attaches the deck to the house. An estimated 90% of collapsed decks resulted from the failure of the ledger. However, not all decks have ledgers. Some are free-standing—a beam and posts located within a few feet of the house indicate a free-standing deck system.

The ledger should be attached with lag screws, not just nails. The flashing—the metal cap that covers the top of the ledger and prevents moisture from getting behind the siding—should be free of rust and holes. Check all the hardware underneath, especially joist hangers, and replace any that are seriously rusted. Probe for signs of rot on the posts and joists. If anything looks doubtful, call in a pro to provide an estimate for any needed repairs.
 
If a framing member can’t be easily removed and replaced, reinforce it. For example, if a joist shows areas of rot, you can add a splint of comparable pressure-treated lumber along side it, attaching the splint with two or three 3-inch deck screws every 12 inches. Then chisel away the rotten area and paint the raw wood with preservative.

Topside, look for cracked or rotten decking boards. Not all cracks are a structural threat, but they’ll get worse with time. If you find damage, replace the piece. Areas of cupping can be sanded down.

Give the railing a good shake to be sure posts are not loose or damaged—loose connections may be remedied by drilling pilot holes and adding galvanized lag screws. Look for cracks that, over time, may have developed around fasteners such as nails or screws. To remedy, remove the fastener and seal the crack with an exterior-grade adhesive. Then, drill a new pilot hole and add a new galvanized deck screw.

 

Early fall: Preventive measures

If the decking was nailed, you’ll likely find some nail heads popping out. A short-term solution is simply to pound them back in using a hammer and a thick nail set. For a longer lasting solution, pull out each protruding nail and drive in a deck screw slightly longer than the nail. (When pulling out the nail with a hammer or pry bar, use a scrap of wood as a fulcrum for greater leverage and to avoid damaging the deck.) If a nail only slightly protrudes, you may do more harm than good trying to pull it out. Pound it home.

To slow mold, moss, and rot, keep nearby bushes and trees cut back at least 12 inches from the deck. Don’t let leaves and other debris pile up in corners. Move planters, chairs, and tables occasionally to avoid discoloring the decking. Keep nearby gutters and downspouts in good repair.

Dave Toht has written or edited more than 60 books on home repair and remodeling, including titles for Better Homes & Gardens, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Reader’s Digest, and Sunset. A former contractor, Dave was editor of Remodeling Ideas magazine and continues to contribute to numerous how-to publications. He just added a composite deck to the front of his house.

 

Some of the most eco-friendly kitchen cleaners may already be in your pantry. Image: Andersen Ross/Getty Images

From meat juices to milk spills, the kitchen can be a messy place. But don’t reach for caustic cleaners or synthetic air sprays to give your countertops and appliances a fresher feeling. Many green cleaning products are just as effective at sanitizing your kitchen as conventional cleaners, and they get the job done without relying on harmful chemicals.

Not too long ago you had to scour the backroads of the Internet to find non-toxic alternatives, but no more: Many green cleaning products are now available at mainstream retailers. Looks for brands such as Method, Seventh Generation, and Holy Cow. What’s more, some of the greenest of green kitchen cleaners can probably already be found in your pantry—and cost a fraction of what you’d pay for commercial cleaners, whether conventional or eco-friendly.

Countertops

Toss out those anti-microbial wipes and sprays when you’re cleaning your countertops. Most contain chemicals like sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or ammonium chlorides, which are listed as hazardous to the health of humans and pets by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, says Gary Pien, an allergist and immunologist with Summit Medical Group in Berkeley Heights, N.J. “These chemicals can cause eye and skin irritation on contact, and if mixed with other cleaning products, can release toxic gases,” Pien says.

Combine equal parts vinegar and tap water to make your own non-toxic mix. Warm it in a glass bowl in the microwave to boost cleaning power. A 64-ounce bottle of food-grade vinegar costs about $4, so it’ll set you back a buck to stir up a 32-ounce batch of homemade countertop cleaner. You won’t have to dip too far into your pocketbook to buy a greener all-purpose cleaner. A 32-ounce bottle of Seventh Generation’s kitchen cleaner costs about $5, while the same size conventional cleaner costs about $4.50.

Refrigerators

If you have a stainless steel fridge, add a few drops of a natural dishwashing liquid such asMrs. Meyer’s ($4.49 for 16 ounces) or Method ($4 for 25 ounces) to warm water to wipe off greasy fingerprints instead of shelling out the $7-$10 a store-bought stainless cleaner will cost. And when you’re wiping, remember stainless steel has a grain, just like wood, and you need to clean in the same direction it runs, says Mary Findley, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Cleaning.”

On the inside, use the tried-and-true remedy for foul fridge smells: a box of baking soda. It costs about $1. Save even more by buying baking soda in bulk: a 12-pound bag costs about $7. For sticky spills, a vinegar and water mix should clean it right up, Findley says.

Sinks & drains

Liquid dishwashing soaps with bio-based ingredients like aloe and essential oils are a good bet here as well. You’ll pay a bit more than the $2-$3 the cheapest conventional soaps will cost, but when you consider this is what’s going onto the surfaces you eat off of, the potential health value outweighs the extra dollar or two. If nothing else at least skip synthetically scented cleaners, which can irritate the skin and respiratory tract, says Martin Wolf, director of research and development for Seventh Generation.

If your sink stinks, try cleaning your drain with a paste made of vinegar and baking soda. Give it time to work overnight. Drain cleaners are some of the nastiest chemicals around, and at $7 for a 32-ounce bottle, they’re not cheap. Enzyme-based cleaners like Nature’s Miracle are another option: Findley says they’ll eat away at odor-causing bacteria and any bits of food clogging the drain or disposal. Nature’s Miracle costs more at $12 for a 32-ounce bottle, but it has multiple uses beyond the kitchen. If neither approach works, sprinkle some baking soda on a halved lemon or orange and scrub out your sink basin, then toss the citrus in the disposal for a fresh scent.

Dishwashers

Many dishwasher detergents contain chemicals called phosphates that suck oxygen out of waterways, killing aquatic fish and plant life. Bio- and natural enzyme-based dishwasher detergents like Ecover get the job done without affecting water systems, and are comparable in cost: 25 Ecover tablets cost about $7, while 20 tablets of conventional cleaner cost about $6.50.

Stovetops & ovens

Baked-on stove stains can be a real pain. “Grease-cutting” cleaners may make your stove shine, but they have decidedly less attractive health effects. Most contain glycol ethers, which Wolf says have been implicated in health problems ranging from reproductive damage to eye and respiratory-tract irritation. Instead, start by cleaning your stovetop after every meal before food bits and sauces are baked on. If you don’t, you may have to combine some elbow grease with a homemade mix of vinegar and baking soda. Prefer a green grease fighter in a bottle? Go for Holy Cow. It’s comparable to conventional cleaners at about $3 for 32 ounces.

A baking soda-vinegar paste should do the job in the oven, as well. If you can, find a natural orange-based cleaner that contains no petroleum distillates like Earth Friendly Products Orange Plus ($6 for 32 ounces). According to Findley, mixing that with baking soda can give your green oven cleaner extra oomph. Just spread the baking soda mixture in the oven, and let it sit overnight. Re-wet it in the morning. A few hours later wipe it out. It beats shelling out the $6.50 for a fume-filled chemical cleaner.

Microwaves

To scrub stubborn microwave stains, just grab a super-absorbent sponge, wet it, and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. The steam from the sponge will soften the food bits, and the hot water inside it will make it easier to wipe off and disinfect your microwave’s interior, all for the cost of a single sponge.

Alyson McNutt English has written about the joy of green cleaning for publications like Pregnancy, Conceive, and BobVila.com. She buys her baking soda and vinegar in bulk and uses them liberally for everything from disinfecting laundry to soaking up her kids’ food stains.

Appraisers and real estate agents offer advice for curb appeal that preserves value and attracts potential buyers

Adding architectural numbers to the outside of your house gives it a distinct style. Image: CustomHouseNumbers.com

Curb appeal has always been important for homesellers. With the vast majority of today’s homebuyers starting their search on the Internet, the appearance of your property is more critical than ever. You only have a few seconds to catch their attention as they scroll through listings online to get them to stop and take a closer look.

But the role of curb appeal goes beyond just making a good first impression. The way your house looks from the street can impact its value. It can also shorten the time it takes to sell your house.

We asked real estate agents, appraisers, home stagers, landscape designers, and home inspectors which curb appeal projects offer the most value when your house is on the market, both in terms of its marketability and dollars. Here is what they told us:

1. Paint the house.

Hands down, the most commonly offered curb appeal advice from our real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it and appraisers will note it on the valuation.

“Paint is probably the number one thing inside and out,” says Frank Lucco, managing partner of Houston-based IRR-Residential Appraisers and Consultants. “I’d give additional value for that. If you’re under two years remaining life (on the paint job), paint the exterior because it tends to show wear badly.”  

Just make sure you stay within the range of accepted colors for your market. A house that’s painted a wildly different color from its competition will be marked down in value by appraisers.

2. Have the house washed.

Before you make the investment in a paint job, though, take a good look at the house. If it’s got mildew or general grunge, just washing the house could make a world of difference, says Valerie Torelli, a California real estate agent with a background in accounting.

Before she puts a house on the market, Torelli often does exterior makeovers on her clients’ homes, a service she pays for herself to get higher selling prices. Overall, she says her goal is to spend less than $5,000, with a goal of generating an extra $10,000 to $15,000 on the sale price.

Torelli specifies pressure-washing—a job that should be left to professionals. Pressure washing makes the house look “bright and clean in addition to getting rid of unsightly things like cobwebs, which may not be seen from the yard but will detract from the home’s cleanliness when seen up close,” she says.

The cost to have a professional cleaning should be a few hundred dollars—a fraction of the cost of having the house painted.

3. Trim the shrubs and green up the yard.

California real estate agent Valerie Torelli says she puts a lot of emphasis on landscaping, such as cutting down overgrown bushes and replacing them with leafy plants and annuals mulched with beautiful reddish-brown bark. “It runs me $30 to $50,” says Torelli. “Do you get a return on your money? Absolutely. It sucks people in.”

You also don’t want bare spots. Take the time to fertilize the yard, throw out some grass seed, and if need be, add some sod.

4. Add a splash of color.

It could be a flower bed of annuals by the mailbox, a paint job for the front door, or a brightly colored bench or an Adirondack chair. “You can get a cute little bench at Home Depot for $99,“ Torelli notes. “Spray paint it bright red or blue and set it in the yard or on the front porch.”

It’s not a bad idea, but don’t plan on getting extra points from an appraiser for a red bench, says John Bredemeyer, president of Realcorp in Omaha. “It’s difficult to quantify, but it does make a home sell more quickly,” Bredemeyer says. “Maybe yours sold a couple weeks faster than the house down the street. That’s the best way to look at these things.”

5. Add a fancy mailbox and house numbers.

An upscale mail box and architectural house numbers or an address plaque can give your house a distinctive look that stands out from everyone else on the block. Torelli makes them a part of her exterior makeovers “I’ve gotten those hand-painted mailboxes,” she says. “A nice one runs you $40 to $50.” Architectural house numbers may run as high as a few hundred dollars.

6. Repair or clean the roof.

Springfield, Va.-based home inspector and former builder Reggie Marston says the roof is one of the first things he looks at in assessing the condition of a home. He’ll look at other houses in the neighborhood to see if there are a lot of replaced roofs and see if the subject house has one as well. If not, he’ll look for curls in the shingles or missing shingles. “I’m looking at the roof for end-of-life expectancy,” he says.

You can pay for roof repairs now, or pay for them later in a lower appraisal; appraisers will mark down the value by the cost of the repair. That could knock thousands of dollars off your appraisal. According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2009-2010 Cost vs. Value Report, the average cost of a new asphalt shingle roof is more than $19,000.

“Roofs are issues,” Lucco says. “You won’t throw money away on that job. You gotta have a decent roof.”

Stains and plant matter, such as moss, can be handled with cleaning. It’s a job that can often be done in a day for a few hundred dollars, and makes the roof look like new. It’s not a DIY project; call a professional with the right tools to clean it without damaging it.

7. Put up a fence.

A picket fence with a garden gate to frame the yard is an asset. A fence has more impact in a family-oriented neighborhood than an upscale retirement community, Bredemeyer says, but in most instances, appraisers will give extra value for one, as long as it’s in good condition. “Day in a day out, a fence is a plus,“ Bredemeyer says. Expect to pay $2,000 to $3,500 for a professionally installed gated picket fence 3 feet high and 100 feet long.

8. Perform routine maintenance and cleaning.

Nothing sets off subconscious alarms like hanging gutters, missing bricks from the front steps, or lawn tools rusting in the bushes. It makes even the professionals question what else hasn’t been taken care of.

“A house is worth less if the maintenance isn’t done,” Lucco says. “Those little things can add up and be a very big detractor. When people say, ‘I’d buy it if it weren’t for all thedeferred maintenance,’ what they’re really saying is, ‘I’d still buy it if you reduce the price.’”  

Georgia-based freelance writer Pat Curry has covered housing and real estate for consumer and trade publications for more than a decade, including covering new home sales and marketing for BUILDER, the magazine of the National Association of Home Builders. 

It’s an urban (and suburban) myth that proximity to public transportation systems decreases property values and increases crime rates. In fact, just the opposite is true.

Light rail systems such as this one in Pasadena, Calif., have shown to increase property values. Image: Metro ©2010 LACMTA

 

 

 

Increasingly, cities and towns are creating or expanding mass transportation to boost economic activity, provide convenient alternatives to costly highway systems, and dramatically reduce greenhouse emissions. In the past, homeowners feared that signs announcing construction of transit systems signaled lower property values, while serving as a virtual invitation to criminals. But studies show that properties near, but not directly adjacent to, mass transit actually increase in value, and crime rates aren’t influenced by transit options.

 

 

Riding the rail to increased property values

How much value does a close-by public transportation option add to a house? After looking at 41 studies of 15 rail systems across the county, researchers at California State-Fullerton concluded “…light rail transit has enhanced residential property values 2% to 18% in Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, and Santa Clara, with larger changes in cities with commuter rail systems.”

 

In San Diego, properties near commuter rail stops enjoyed consistent price premiums of 17% compared to properties further from public transit options, according to a study by the Urban Land Institute.

 

Light rail service in Dallas had an even bigger influence. Properties near stations increased an average of 39% more than comparable properties not on the rail lines, according to a study by the University of North Texas Center for Economic Development and Research.

Nearby transit can also help preserve home values during real estate downturns, according to a study of home sales activity in Chicago by RE/MAX Northern Illinois. During the first six months of 2009, while overall suburban Chicago home prices fell 19%, 32 Chicago suburbs served by Metra commuter trains saw the average price of a home decline by 15.2%.

However, not as many homes sold during the same time period in the Metra towns, perhaps an indication that home prices held steadier because owners refused lower purchase offers. On average, home sales were down 19.2% in the Metra towns, compared with a 15.6% drop in the suburbs as a whole. 

 

There’s also a difference between being close to public transportation and being right on top of it. A house that’s so close to a rail line that the homeowners hear and feel train noise and vibration may be difficult to sell—or sell for less than a similar property that’s within walking distance, but not right next to, public transportation.

 

“[N]ot all residences benefit equally,” the study found. “Properties located too near a station may suffer nuisance effects, and it appears that in California the largest premiums accrue to owners of multifamily residential properties.”

 

Homes located along the rail line, but far from a station, will also be negatively affected. They’ll suffer noise and vibration without gaining the benefit that homes within walking distance of a station will gain.

 

Will it bring crime?

Another stereotype about public transportation is that it brings criminals into the neighborhood. Research shows, however, that the existing socio-demographic makeup of the neighborhood is what drives crime, not its proximity to public transportation.

As the Department of Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Policy and Social Research found when it studied the issue, transit stations and surrounding neighborhoods in L.A. “are no more unsafe than other city streets. In fact, if we consider only serious crime, rail stations are safer than many city streets because of the higher rate of police deployment.”

 

The study did find that the type of crime committed was influenced by the environment. Pick-pockets work in crowds, while car theives work park-and-ride lots.

 

What you can do

Use it or lose it. If you’d like to show your support for public transportation, start by using it whenever possible. Systems with high ridership numbers are better able to expand routes, upgrade services and technology, and qualify for government funding.

 

Spend less on gas. By riding public transit, not only will you reduce the size of your carbon footprint, you’ll save money. Transit riders spend about $1,500 less on gasoline per year than commuters who drive to work, and transit availability and use can annually save $8,400 in a household budget, according to PublicTransportation.org.

 

Contact government officials. Let local and federal officials know you support public transportation in your community. Voter support helps build political momentum for mass transit funding.

 

Get involved. There are any number of ways to actively support public transit. Need something small and easy? Wear a button supporting public transit. If you’re really dedicated, volunteer for your community’s transportation advisory board.

 

Sue Mellen is a longtime writer and editor who splits her time between a townhome in Massachusetts and a bungalow in Florida. She is a frequent rider on Boston’s MBTA commuter rail and Amtrak’s high-speed Acela Express.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More than 90% of consumers believe that the home buyer tax credits have helped both first-time home buyers and the U.S. housing market overall. Among consumers actually shopping for homes, 65% believe that the end of the tax credits will have little or no effect on their interest in purchasing a home.

 While consumers remain unsure about the direction of the housing market, the survey reveals that they are optimistic about real estate values with 46% of consumers expecting real estate prices in their area to increase over the next year. Just 12% expect prices will decline. Over the next five years, 79% expect real estate prices to increase, with 20% expecting prices to increase substantially

Survey respondents identified concerns about rising mortgage interest rates and unemployment as the most important factors affecting their decision to purchase a home, along with more stringent lending criteria and fewer mortgage-backed securities purchased by the Federal Reserve. The expiration of the tax credits placed lowest on their list of concerns. Among those who have recently purchased a home, 61% cited low mortgage interest rates as “very important” to their decisions – an amount greater than either the tax credit or even cheaper prices. The 66% expecting interest rates to rise underscores potential headwinds for the market.

 courtesy of Lowe's Realtor News

1. Research before you look. Decide what features you most want to have in a home, what neighborhoods you prefer, and how much you’d be willing to spend each month for housing.

2. Be realistic. It’s OK to be picky, but don’t be unrealistic with your expectations. There’s no such thing as a perfect home. Use your list of priorities as a guide to evaluate each property.

3. Get your finances in order. Review your credit report and be sure you have enough money to cover your down payment and closing costs. Then, talk to a lender and get prequalified for a mortgage. This will save you the heartache later of falling in love with a house you can’t afford.

4. Don’t ask too many people for opinions. It will drive you crazy. Select one or two people to turn to if you feel you need a second opinion, but be ready to make the final decision on your own.

5. Decide your moving timeline. When is your lease up? Are you allowed to sublet? How tight is the rental market in your area? All of these factors will help you determine when you should move.

6. Think long term. Are you looking for a starter house with plans to move up in a few years, or do you hope to stay in this home for a longer period? This decision may dictate what type of home you’ll buy as well as the type of mortgage terms that will best suit you.

7. Insist on a home inspection. If possible, get a warranty from the seller to cover defects for one year.

8. Get help from a REALTOR®. Hire a real estate professional who specializes in buyer representation. Unlike a listing agent, whose first duty is to the seller, a buyer’s representative is working only for you. Buyer’s reps are usually paid out of the seller’s commission payment.

Have you been asking yourself what the pros and cons of moving up or buying your first home are? Right now in our society, we are seeing record holding interest rates that are sure to rise in the coming months.  

Don't wait, TAKE action now! 

We are living in a time of historically low interest rates, hovering now at around 5%. 

Interest rates will go up.  There is no stopping it.  These historically low interest rates may be the most important reason for selling your existing home and buying the home you've always wanted.

Lower interest rates make it possible for more people to be able to buy your home.  They also make it possible for you to buy a more expensive home.

Call us today to find out how we can help you find the best home that suits your needs and get you a TERRIFIC interest rate.

*interest rates are determined by your credit rating, income, and debt to income ratio.*