Planning to buy your first house?

Be prepared and avoid excess stress with these tips

Get Help Hire a real estate pro to help you find the right property and close a deal.

Be Open to Concessions You might not be able to afford to check off every item on your wish list.

Define Your Finances Get a loan pre-approval, budget for closing costs and dont spend beyond your means.

Take Your Time Weigh the pros and cons of each house you view, and fight the urge to rush your decision.

Buying your first home can be a challenge. But it should be exciting, not overwhelming.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you have or plan to have children, you want them to have a bright future and to be successful and financially secure. That may mean that you hope (or expect) that they will obtain a college degree. With tuition and other costs steadily climbing every year, many parents worry that they won’t be able to afford to pay for their children’s college education.

Set Clear Priorities
Before you start saving for college, you need to get your finances in order in other areas. Make sure you have an emergency fund with enough money to cover at least three months’ worth of expenses in case you suffer an illness or injury or lose your job. It’s also important to set aside enough money for your own retirement. You won’t be doing your kids a favor if you’re too old or ill to work, don’t have enough saved to support yourself, and have to rely on them when they’re starting out in their own careers and are not yet financially secure.

Lower Current Expenses
Find ways to cut your expenditures to make room for college savings in your budget. If you have any high-interest credit cards or loans, pay them off, or at least get the balances under control before you start setting aside money for your children’s future education. Consolidating credit card balances to lower your interest rates and refinancing your mortgage or other loans can save you money each month.

Eating out less often and reducing your spending on clothing and entertainment are other ways to lower expenses. These changes could allow you to save money for college without having a major impact on your current quality of life.

Ways to Save for College
Once your own financial situation is secure, you can begin to save money for your children’s college education. The earlier you start, the better. Because of compounded interest, even a small amount, when consistently set aside each month and left to accrue interest, can grow into a sizable nest egg.

You might want to open a 529 savings account to set aside funds for college costs. You can even establish an account in your own name before a child is born and then transfer it to your child’s name later. Another option is to put money in an IRA to be used for your own retirement or for your children’s college education. Discuss your options and tax implications with a financial advisor.

Be Ambitious, but Realistic
With higher education costs soaring, the key to building a substantial amount of savings is to start early. The more you set aside, and the longer it can collect interest, the better off your children will be when they’re ready to enter college. If you can’t save as much as you would like, remember that grants, scholarships and loans may be available to help. Make your own retirement and your family’s current financial security your first priorities as you save for college.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

No matter how much of a critter lover you may be, pests in your kitchen is never fun. But many consumers are also disinclined to spread poison all over their culinary arena. Below are a handful of natural, poison-free ways to keep those creepy crawlies outside where they belong.

Vinegar and oil. No, youre not making a salad dressing. By mixing water, vinegar and essential oil in a small spray bottle, you can spray your counter tops, window sills and nooks and crannies to help ban bugs. Use a mix of half white vinegar, half water and 10 drops of lavender oil.

Lemon juice. Like the vinegar mix, lemon juice can act as a natural deterrence. Cut it with water and sprinkle it around your counters, the backs of your shelves and anywhere you see bugs infiltrating.

Diatomaceous earth. This soft rock powder sounds like a mouthful, but really works to help keep critters outside. Simply sprinkle it in the cracks of your home where pests are likely to infiltrate.

Coffee grounds. Yet another wonderful gift from the coffee plant. This trick works outside rather than inside"sprinkle coffee grounds around the foundation of your home to deter bugs from climbing in.

Dish soap. While not completely natural, this is likely something you already have hanging around your home. Mix a bit of soap with water and rub it along your baseboards, window sills and door jambs.

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Flooding can happen anytime, anywhere. And damages are generally not included in your homeowners policy. But two devices can flood-proof your home: a backflow valve, and a sump pump.

Both control floodwaters by redirecting them.

A backflow valve directs overflow to an outside receptable – a sump pump directs overflow to a storm drain or well.

Both of these should be installed by a professional, and inspected by a service technician.
If you do it yourself, you could cause more damage, or void your warranty.

If flooding occurs, contact a professional as soon as possible, and only when safe to do so.
If left unattended, floodwaters can be harmful to your home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you’re revamping your interior design scheme, you may be considering a new color palette. Should you go with earthy hues? Vibrant jewel tones? Cool blues and grays? Below are five ways to pick a color scheme that will work for you.

Choose from what you have. If you’re not revamping with an entirely new furniture set, then you may want to pick a color from what you already have. A boldly patterned sofa or floor rug can serve as a jumping off point.

Start with three. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with options, choose three colors you love and keep it to there, with one as your main color, another as your secondary and a third for accents. (Four if you count white, which is more of a neutral).

Base with black. If you can tie black into your color scheme, you’ll always have something easy (and versatile) to return to. No need to get macabre"think black appliances in the kitchen, black end and coffee tables in the living room, and black cabinetry in the bathroom.

Decorate with 60-30-10. This rule, used by many interior designers, gives you a mathematical breakdown of how much of each color you should use to give your space balance. Go with 60 percent of your main color (like, your walls), 30 percent your secondary (hello, furniture) and 10 percent that pop of accent"light sconces, art, throw pillows, blankets, etc.

Move from dark to light. So, you have your chosen colors"now what? A top designer tip when adding color to your home is to place the darkest colors low, like the carpet, floor or furniture, and then move to medium shades for the walls and art, and the lightest hue on the ceiling.

Published with permission from RISMedia.