1. Get out there and shovel, or pay a neighborhood kid to do it! It’s the greenest and most effective way to remove snow. Using an ergonomic shovel, shovel early and often before it builds up and ices over.

2.  Sand does not melt snow, but it is a natural way to provide traction. Use sparingly to avoid clogging sewers.

3. Use an ice breaker or hoe to break up ice. If you must use ice melt, avoid sodium chloride (rock salt).

Salt will melt the ice but……it’s not so eco-friendly.

• Salt can leach heavy metals which can end up in our water supplies
• Salt can hurt our pets if it gets lodged in their paws
• Salt residue prevents plants from absorbing moisture and nutrients. Salt kills our flowers and grass.
• Salt is corrosive and can damage cars, leading to reduced sustainability of vehicles.
• It will also damage bridges and any other concrete surfaces it comes in contact with.
• Salt run off  from sidewalks and streets can increase salinity in local bodies of water, causing long-term damage.

Don’t use ash and kitty litter

• They don’t melt the ice. They do provide traction only on the surface of the snow.
• They can adversely affect vegetation and get into waterways.
• Can be messy once spring hits.

THE DO’S OF SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL

1. Use an ergonomic shovel to protect your back from injury.
2. Use an ice breaker and some muscle to chop up the ice.
3. Shovel more and use sand less.  Get out there and shovel early and often. Clear away as much snow and ice as possible and the need for anything additional will diminish.
4. Use sand if traction is all that is needed.  Use sparingly because it can clog up sewers and lower air quality in areas that use a lot of it. It can also ruin hardwood floors if tracked inside.
5. Use an eco-friendly ice melt product when needed-but use sparingly.  When choosing anenvironmentally friendly ice melt, take the time to read the ingredient list.  Make sure all the ingredients are safe for you, your kids, your pets and the environment.

*Ingredient info: Magnesium chloride is salt, a safer and less corrosive salt than the more common sodium chloride, but still salt.

Tips for selling your home over the holiday season:

1. Deck the halls, but don’t go overboard.
   Homes often look their best during the holidays, but sellers should be careful not to overdo it on the decor. Adornments that are too large or too many can crowd your home and distract buyers. Also, avoid offending buyers by opting for general fall and winter decorations rather than items with religious themes.
2. Seek out motivated buyers.
   Anyone house hunting during the holidays must have a good reason for doing so. Work with your agent to target buyers on a deadline, including people relocating for jobs in your area, investors on tax deadlines, college students and staff, and military personnel, if you live near a military base.
3. Price it to sell.
   No matter what time of year, a home that’s priced low for the market will make buyers feel merry. Rather than gradually making small price reductions, many real estate agents advise sellers to slash their prices before putting a home on the market.
4. Make curb appeal a top priority.
   When autumn rolls around and the trees start to lose their leaves, maintaining the exterior of your home becomes even more important. Bare trees equal a more exposed home, so touch up the paint, clean the gutters and spruce up the yard. Keep buyers’ safety in mind as well by making sure stairs and walkways are free of snow, ice and leaves.
5. Take top-notch real estate photos.
   When the weather outside is frightful, homebuyers are likely to start their house hunt from the comfort of their homes by browsing listings on the Internet. Make a good first impression by offering lots of flattering, high-quality photos of your home. If possible, have a summer or spring photo of your home available so buyers can see how it looks year-round.
6. Create a video tour for the Web.
   You’ll get less foot traffic during the holidays, thanks to inclement weather and vacation plans. But shooting a video tour and posting it on the Web may attract house hunters who don’t have time to physically see your home or would rather not drive in a snowstorm.
7. Give house hunters a place to escape from the cold.
   Make your home feel cozy and inviting during showings by cranking up the heat, playing soft classical music and offering homemade holiday treats. When you encourage buyers to spend more time in your home, you also give them more time to admire its best features.

Step One: Fix Your Credit

The first step toward buying a home takes place months before walking into your lender’s office. It’s crucial to check your credit score at least three to six months ahead of your mortgage application, says Rod Griffin, director of Public Education at Experian. You can request a free copy of the report from each of the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) at annualcreditreport.com.

Even if you don’t have sterling credit (generally a FICO score of 720 or above), the most important thing to do is to take stock of what the figure means. “Every score is educational,” says Griffin. “It’s more about why the number is than what the number is.”

This is especially true since there are different proprietary scales used to gauge credit: the Vantage score, for instance, ranges from 501 to 990, while the FICO score runs from 300 to 850. Make sure to read the accompanying credit report to understand what your score actually means. It’s also important to check for errors in the report, which can have a negative effect on your credit, and ultimately, your mortgage rate. One in four reports has an error serious enough to prevent homebuyers from getting credit, according to the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups. So get your reports well in advance of the house hunt.

Step Two: Prepare for Down Payment & Closing Costs

A generation ago, it used to be the norm to put 20 percent down, but with the market in its current state of flux, many first-time homebuyers are finding ways to pay just 3 to 5 percent of the total cost upfront. Federal Housing Act (FHA) loans increasingly have become a popular option for first-time buyers, says Greg Herb, regional vice president of the National Association of Realtors. These competitively low-interest loans are ideal for buyers with less than perfect credit, and because the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) minimizes the risk of default for lenders on these loans, borrowers are only required to put down 3.5 percent of the cost–a far cry from the traditional 20 percent down payment.

Still, there are advantages to paying more at the start. A larger down payment ultimately means smaller monthly bills down the line. Also, if you purchase a conventional loan (i.e.: one that is not backed by a federal agency), paying 20 percent or more upfront will eliminate the need to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) charges. PMI is insurance for your lender that can be paid upfront or in monthly installments, and is designed to offset your lender’s risk in the case that you’ve paid less than 20 percent on your home. It can cost around $55 a month per $100,000 financed. While it’s important to note that FHA loans also carry mortgage insurance with a down payment of under 20 percent, their low barriers to own still make them a good choice for first-time buyers.

Continue Reading at AOL Real Estate

During the real estate boom in Portland, Maine, no one really cared about staging — the act of preparing a home before putting it on the market so it can sell quickly and for top dollar. Back then, homes practically sold themselves. Sellers would get their asking price (or in many cases MORE) even if the place was dirty or filled with clutter.

Today, staging has become especially important in this highly competitive Maine market, where traditional sellers are up against foreclosures and short sales (so-called distressed properties) that can offer rock-bottom prices for bargain hunters. And that’s what today’s buyers crave — a bargain.

But a nicely staged property offers that “move-in ready” appeal that buyers are willing to pay a bit more for. They want to see that the current owner is taking care of the home, not allowing it to fall apart, like the abandoned foreclosure down the street. If they see a fixer-upper, they’ll offer a fixer-upper price.

Luckily, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on home improvements or hire a professional stager to reap the benefits of a staged home. There are simple, inexpensive things you can do, including:

1) Clear out the clutter. If you don’t use it, sell it, give it away or throw it out. Hold a garage sale, donate it to Goodwill or post it on Craigslist. People are always looking for free or cheap stuff. If you simply can’t part with something that’s taking up a lot of space, like your winter clothes, pack it up and put it in storage.

2) Clean and repair. Cleaniness is next to godliness, especially in real estate. And be sure to fix what’s broken, including a squeaky cabinet door, leaky faucet or a torn screen door. If you like, replace outdated hardware and fixtures. They’re inexpensive and add that shiny new feel buyers love.

3) Make room and lighten up. Remove extra furniture or use a smaller couch or bed if they’re too big. Cramped rooms give buyers the impression that your house is small and lacks space. Store some of your clothes so your closets look bigger. Choose window treatments and lighting that brighten each room.

Information from HGTV

If you’re planning to sell your house any time soon, home improvements that build property value should be on your to-do list. In Portland, Maine it’s a buyer’s market, and between tighter purse strings and plenty of properties to choose from, shoppers want homes that are move-in ready and free of the need for home improvement projects that will add to their own bottom lines.

Here are the top 10 Home Improvements that pay you back.

1. Front Entry Doors: Curb appeal is the first step in a successful home sale, and installing a beautiful, high-quality entry door is a simple home improvement that delivers impact both in buyer drive-bys and online listings. A new entry door will also help lower home energy costs and stand up to weather extremes.

2. Attic Bedroom: Converting an attic into useful living space is a smart way to add value and attract those shopping for multigenerational family homes.

3. Decks: Building a deck is one of the least-expensive ways to extend your living space. Composite decking is a great low-maintenance option, and even building a deck from pressure-treated wood can bring a return on investment of up to 80 percent at the time of sale.

4. Siding: A tight, tidy home contributes to curb appeal and takes major home improvement worries off a potential buyer’s list. Spruce up your home’s exterior by repairing or replacing siding for an eye-catching, protective finish.

5. Kitchen: The kitchen is a major selling point for a home, and its appearance and layout can often be a deal-breaker. Improving your kitchen doesn’t have to be a huge investment, however: just replacing countertops, key appliances or cabinet hardware can transform a kitchen’s look and impact.

6. Windows: Installing replacement windows is a pre-sale home improvement that pays for everyone, with the seller earning valuable energy tax credits and the buyer enjoying lower home energy bills.

7. Additions: If done wisely and in a way that won’t price your home out of the local market, additions are valuable home improvements

8. Basement: Make the most of this bonus space by finishing it for use as an apartment, office or entertainment zone ─ more great ways to appeal to multi-generational households.

9. Bathroom: Along with kitchens, bathrooms tend to age easily, so neutralize potential design objections by replacing the vanity, installing efficient fixtures and choosing hardware that facilitates easy access for all.

10. Back-up Power Generator: With the aging electrical grid becoming less reliable, access to backup power is essential for a home. Gone are the days of bulky, smelly, portable gas-powered generators: You can now have a neat, compact standby generator installed outside that can repower most of your home within seconds of losing electricity from the utility.

Thought: Of course you want to be pleased with the way your home looks while you’re in it but you don’t want to put in things that are extremely personal. For instance, choose colors that are neutral. Not everything has to be beige and bland, but you don’t want to pick colors that the average person isn’t going to like.

Information from MSN Real Estate & Remodeling Magazine.

Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services, such as water, gas, electricity, or telephones were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away.
Families can and do cope with disaster by preparing in advance and working together as a team. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility. Learn more about Family Disaster Plans by contacting your local emergency management office or your local American Red Cross chapter.

☑ Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home’s vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind.

☑ Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hazard. In certain circumstances the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.

☑ Determine escape routes from your home and places to meet. These should be measured in tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles.

☑ Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact, so all your family members have a single point of contact.

☑ Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.

☑ Post emergency telephone numbers by your phones and make sure your children know how and when to call 911.

☑ Check your insurance coverage – flood damage is not usually covered by homeowners insurance.

☑ Stock non-perishable emergency supplies and a Disaster Supply Kit.

☑ Use a NOAA weather radio. Remember to replace its battery every 6 months, as you do with your smoke detectors.

☑ Take First Aid, CPR and disaster preparedness classes.

More information and a Family Emergency Plan worksheet for downloading available here: www.ready.gov

With a plan of attack, you can maintain a sparkling, show-ready house in under 20 minutes a day.

These room-by-room to-do lists will help you get the work done quickly so that your house is always in tip-top shape to welcome prospective buyers.

Kitchen, 4 1/2 minutes daily

Always start with the sink. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen’s benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep countertops, refrigerator doors and the stove top spick-and-span, too.

Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
Wipe down the stove top (1 minute).
Wipe down the counters (1 minute).
Sweep, Swiffer or vacuum the floor (2 minutes).

Bathroom, 2 minutes daily

Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don’t stop there. Get the most out of your pre-moistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.

Wipe out the sink (30 seconds). Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds).
Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds).
Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds).
Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds).
Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds).

Bedroom, 6 1/2 minutes daily

Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed will inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seem like a high priority as you’re rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.

Make the bed (2 minutes).
Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (4 minutes).
Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds).

Family room, living room, foyer, 6 minutes daily

Start with the sofa because as long as it’s in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you’ve fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you’re halfway home. If you pop in a CD while you dust, you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.

Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (1 minute).
Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (2 minutes).
Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (1 minute).
Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos (2 minutes).

Voilà! You have a house ready for all those last minute showings. No more missed opportunities!

Timeline provided By Real Simple

Replacing drafty windows and exterior doors with energy-efficient new technologies often pays off immediately in the form of lower energy bills.  It can also provide a dramatic lift to your home’s curb appeal and market value.

According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2010-2011 Cost vs. Value Report, these projects delivered some of the highest returns of all moderately-priced home improvements.

New Windows and Doors Boost Curb Appeal & Make You Money

Nearly 1/3 of the energy used to heat or cool the typical American home escapes silently through windows and doors. Replacing drafty old models with energy-efficient designs is one project that pays off right away – and the savings are printed in black and white on a homeowner’s utility bills.

6 great reasons to replace older doors and windows

1 Superior Curb Appeal: Renovating with good-looking classic or modern styles can add architectural distinction or personality.

2 More Comfortable: New technologies reduce air flow between the interior and exterior which helps to maintain a more consistent temperature inside your home.

3 Lower Maintenance: Durable designs and modern materials minimize upkeep and may be covered by manufacturer warranties for many years.

4 Safe and Secure: Some models offer multiple-point locking systems and have been designed to resist forced entry.

5 Peace and Quiet: High performance windows can stifle some traffic sounds, commercial clatter or other types of noise from outside.

6 Higher Resale Value: All of these benefits may also appeal to potential buyers, so a significant portion of the cost could be recovered when the property is sold.

The front of your home is what neighbors, guests and buyers see first – - installing a new steel entry door or roll-up garage door is a relatively quick and easy project that can have a dramatic impact on the look of your home’s exterior.

Moderately priced window and door replacement projects produced some of the highest returns for home improvement investments in 2010.

Annual energy cost savings for homes with high performance windows

Heating Costs in Cold-Weather Climate Reduced up to 26%

Cooling Costs in Warm-Weather Climate Reduced up to 35%

Pick the Perfect Window to Frame Your View

When selecting new windows and doors, there are several key things to keep in mind.

• Choose a style that emphasizes your home’s character, including its overall design and other important architectural features.
• Try to match the general construction quality and the price point to that of the existing structure. It typically does not make financial sense to put high-end materials in an entry-level home or budget products in a luxury property.
• Choose frame materials and special features (such as upgraded glass, multiple panes or inert gas fillings) that are suited to the climate in your area.

Correct measurements and installation — including anchoring, insulating and sealing —are necessary to ensure the windows are airtight and waterproof. Make sure to use a knowledgeable dealer with plenty of experience and good references.

What You’ll Get for Your Money

$ Most Affordable— Products made of vinyl (or PVC) provide good insulation, require little maintenance and are resistant to moisture. Good-quality vinyl windows stand up to temperature extremes and are less likely to crack or warp.

$ $ More Costly — Fiberglass or composite window frames offer plenty of insulation and are highly durable. They are also dimensionally stable, since they generally do not swell or shrink as temperatures fluctuate. They can be textured, painted or stained to look like wood.

$ $ $ Priciest Options — The look of natural wood works well with the classic styling of traditional or upscale homes, but it can deteriorate due to moisture and insect damage. Today’s modern clad wood designs have wood on the inside and metal, vinyl or fiberglass on the exterior to maximize durability and reduce maintenance.

Learn the Lingo

U-Factor: a measurement of how well the window keeps warm or cool air from flowing between the inside and outside of the home; a lower number (typically between 0.20 and 1.20 ) means the window insulates better and is more energy efficient.

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): a ratio between 0.25 and 0.80 that indicates how well the window blocks heat caused by sunlight; a lower ratio is best in warm climates.

Low-Emissivity (Low-E) Glass: a metallic coating that lets in light but reflects UV rays, reducing the amount of heat that passes through the glass.

Energy Star-qualified: a product that meets certain performance standards and is labeled to specify which of the four U.S. climate zones (northern, north central, south central and southern) it’s most suited for, based on the listed U-factor and the SHGC.

Maine welcomed the first day of April with wet heavy snow, a cunning April Fools joke on all of us looking forward to warmer weather. Well played, mother nature, well played. Although it may not feel like spring just yet, many Mainers are sprucing up their homes and readying themselves for the Big Spring Clean. Whether you’re planning on fixing up, preparing to sell, remodeling a room, or redecorating for a “springy” feel, here are some ideas and tips to help you get started on your home projects.

Let’s start with the Big Clean! 10 essential tasks to help tidy up the interior of your home:
http://www.canpages.ca/blog/?p=2057

A continuation of the latter, this is a complete checklist to ensure you that your home exterior is up to date:
http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/a-few-tips-to-herald-the-arrival-of-spring/index.html

Having friends over for dinner? Still stumped on how to spruce up the dining room? 3 creative ideas to freshen up the decor:
http://ohmyapt.apartmentratings.com/3-ideas-for-spring-table-decorations.html

For homeowners looking to sell this season, this link provides pertinent info on staging your home that can significantly improve the sale price and reduce the time that it’s on the market. Learn all the tips on attracting potential buyers here:
http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2011/03/09/ready-set-sell-home-staging-tips-for-spring/

With all this talk about spring, we would be remiss not to mention gardening! Although it may be a bit early to plant seed, here is a handy guide to get your lawn ready and your green thumb back in action! Plenty of great links here!
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/spring-garden-tips-to-wake-up-the-garden.html

With warm weather weather on the way, we can finally look forward by saying so long to winter, and salutations to spring

Taking full advantage of the breaks you deserve may reduce your tax burden or get you a bigger refund from the IRS. Keep in mind that the sooner you file, the sooner the government can return your money.

The average tax refund was $2,994 in 2010.

Weigh the benefit of itemizing your deductions, such as those for interest payments on a home mortgage, property or sales taxes, and charitable donations, against the standard deduction.

Two out of three taxpayers take the standard deduction, but seven in ten homeowners with a mortgage choose to itemize.

Don’t overlook potentially valuable deductions for these common situations:

• If you are supplying housing or financial support for a struggling relative, you may be eligible to claim them as dependent or qualify for a more favorable head-of-household status.

• You can deduct medical bills that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI); only self-employed individuals who do not qualify for a workplace health plan can claim their insurance premiums.

• Certain college expenses up to $4,000 may count as a deduction if your income excludes you from the more generous education taxcredits offered for 2010.

• Money spent looking for a job in your current field may also qualify if miscellaneous deductions total more than 2% of your AGI. If the new position is more than 50 miles away, moving expenses can also be deducted—even if you don’t itemize.

• If you use a part of your home exclusively for business and can prove it is your principal office space, you may qualify to deduct a portion of your housing expenses.

- – - – - – - – - – -

Home Sweet Tax Shelter

If you responded to generous home-related tax incentives offered in 2009 and 2010, make sure you file the necessary forms and supporting documentation to collect your credit.

Homebuyer Tax Credit: First-time buyers, or others who have not owned a home in the previous three years, may collect up to $8,000 if they signed a contract by April 30 and closed by September 30, 2010. Move-up buyers who have owned their existing home for at least 5 years and purchased another property after November 6, 2009 can receive up to $6,500. In both cases, eligible homes must be purchased for $800,000 or less and as principal residences (not rental properties).

Energy-Saving Home Improvements: You can receive a credit of 30% of the cost, up to $1,500 max, if you made certain energy-efficient upgrades to your existing primary residence.

Eligible improvements may include appliances, water heaters, heating and cooling systems, windows and doors, insulation and roofing projects, among others.

Tax credits reduce your tax liability dollar for dollar and can really add to your bottom line.