Staging Your Living Room

1. Create a Fcal Point--possibly in the most visible corner put a large silk plant with a spotlight
2. Be sure the furniture is positioned for conversation as well as entertainment
3. Get rid of carpet dents
4. Accent Special Features
5. Invoke the Outdoors--cuttings, flowers, dried flowers, whatever will work

Call Billings Real Estate Professionals for all your real estate needs 248-4409

RENT OR BUY A HOME

1. What will monthly costs be, and can I afford the payments?
2. What other debt do I have?
3. What is my credit score? Can I qualify for a good interest rate?
4. How much will taxes, monthly maintenance, or other fees cost?
5. How many years will I stay here?

Call Billings Real Estate Professionals for all your real estate needs 248-4409

NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY

Interest rates could not be lower and the housing selection is great. Contact Billings Real Estate Professionals to start the process of purchasing your home.

RENT VS. BUY

There are many advantages to buying a home versus renting one. View these advantages in the Buy vs. Rent Comparison Chart:
http://www.ginniemae.gov/rent_vs_buy/rent_vs_buy_calc.asp?section+YPTH

Your income, savings and monthly expenses play an important role in determining how large amortgage you can afford. to figure out the amount you can afford, please check affordability: http://www.ginniemae.gov/2_prequal/intro_questions.asp?section+YPTH

If you are thinking of buying a home this is a great time to do so. Give Billings Real Estate Professionals a call for all your real estate needs.

7 Tips for Fall Tree Maintenance

1. Hydrate
2. Plant for all seasons, and for your region--protect young trees from animals
3. Remove troublemakers--trees next to foundation, path, fence, or along sewer or utility line should be removed.
4. Prune
5. Remove fallen leaves--be certain that the base of tree can "breathe"
6. Spray--if an insect is attacky a tree, fall is the best time to spray
7. Fertilize

Call Billings Real Estate Professionals for all your real estate needs.

Preparing Your Home for the Fall Season

1. Check all window and door locks for proper operation
2. Make sure there are working nightlights at the top and bottom of stairs
3. Have a heating professional check your heating system every year
4. Replace your furnace filter
5. Run all gas-powered lawn equipment until the fuel tank is empty
6. Have a certified chimney sweep inspect and clean the flues
7. Remove bird nests from chimney flues and outdoor electrical fixtures
8. Make sure the caulking around doors and windows is adequate to reduce heat loss

Call Billings Real Estate Professionals for all your real estate needs.

FHA GIVES HOME BUYERS 1 MONTH WINDOW

FHA is giving homeowners and buyers until October 4, 2010, to lock in a low monthly insurance premium according to Gibran Nickolas, Chairman of the CMPS Institute, an organization that trains and certifies mortgage bankers and brokers. After October 4, the monthly insurance premiums on FHA loans will increase by over 63%.

What does this mean for home buyers?
A home buyer purchasing a $200,000 home using a $193,000 FHA mortgage before October 4 would pay an insurance premium $88.46 per month. If the same home buyer waits until after October 4, the insurance premiums would jump to $148.01.

"In this example, the home buyer would lose $59.55 per month, or $7,146 over a 10-year timebframe," Nicholas said. "Althought the upfront mortgage insurance premium is going down after October 4, the real impact to the home buyer is actually a net increase in their out of pocket costs because the monthly premium is going up by 63%. Remember, sellers can pay the upfront premium or it can be financed into the loan amount, so home buyers rarely pays the upfront premium out of pocket. On the other hand, the increase in the monthly premiums wil be paid right out of the home buyer's pocket with their mortgage payment each month."

Home buyers considering an FHA loan give Larry or Jo Ann Thomas, Billings Real Estate Professionals and Laurel Real Estate Professionals a call at 628-2903 and let's start looking for your new home.