The Parrett Group

No one likes to sweat through the summer, but least of all do we like those high electricity bills that go with running the AC 24/7. We'd rather put that money towards some ski-do's or a great vacation rather than to Mr. Utility Company each month. Keeping that in mind, here's a fantastic article from SMART MONEY Magazine, "13 Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill." We think there are some great tips that you can do today to maximize your savings in your home for yourself and future owners.

Ah, but we wouldn't leave you with just the tease. Let's DO something about it! Clear your weekend schedule and head down to Home Depot for their next series of Improver Club Workshops. This weekend you can start chipping away at that electric bill by installing a programmable thermostat AND installing a ceiling fan. No need to hire a professional when you can do it yourself! Here are the details:

Home Depot in Grove City is located at 1680 Stringtown Road, or use the website to find a store closest to you.

Installing a Programmable Thermostat - Saturday, June 12^th, 19^th, and 26^th at 1 p.m.

Installing a Ceiling Fan - Sunday, June 13^th, 20^th, and 27^th at 1 p.m.

Be sure to call Home Depot at 614.539.4554 or go online to register for your spot in these free workshops.

There's one bug that everyone gets in the spring and that's the cleaning bug. Clean out the closets, the garage, the attic, the basement.... And what do you do with ALL that stuff? After all, one man's trash is another man's treasure! If eBay is too daunting and you haven't carted it off to your favorite charity yet, you might be waiting for the perfect weekend for a garage sale. If that's the case, we've got a few resources for you:

The "Yard Sale Queen" has an entire website dedicated to how to have a successful sale:

http://www.yardsalequeen.com/yardsale.htm

Or... maybe you and your neighbors want to band together and have a giant garage sale? Let the Parrett Group help you! We'll help you promote it and even set up a webpage to help you and your neighbors organize it. Just let us know what neighborhood you are in and the details you have so far.

Here are some additional tips on how to organize that Grove City community garage sale:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/community-garage-sale

(Just keep in mind that if you happen to have a home owners association, there may be bylaws preventing you from having a sale at your home. Double check to make sure that you are not in violation of your neighborhood rules first!)

Maybe your toss-aways are a little too nice to sell on the corner? Here are some tips on how to sell your good stuff through a consignment store:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2302292_sell-items-consignment-shops.html

Once you're done, breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy all your fresh new space! And if you're preparing to sell your home, you've done yourself a HUGE favor and just made your house more attractive to buyers who won't be distracted by all the extra clutter.

Memorial Day is just a few short days away and it seems as though if you're staying in town, there's an unwritten tradition amongst families to pick a room to paint during the long holiday. If that's your rub, we're right there with you knee deep in paint chips.

The Parrett Group loves a good wash of color to freshen up a room so we thought we'd share some resources that can help you plan ahead for your project. That way you'll still have a little time left over to enjoy the brats on the grill.

Check out this great page from Sherwin Williams. They've got a virtual book on how to tackle that interior paint project. From planning to prep, painting to cleaning up.

But if you're more the workshop kinda guy, you're in luck. Head over to the Grove City Home Depot at 1680 Stringtown Road on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for their free Interior Paint Workshop. Learn about interior painting techniques band how to protect those places you don't want to paint. They'll show you innovations in paint and primer, tools and supplies that make painting easier and affordable, and ways to prep and repair walls. You can even learn how to create striped walls with paint.

We're so there.

You know what it's like to drive through the neighborhood and you see "that" house on the street that has the perfect shade of green grass, that's always full and lush and begs you to grab your picnic basket and spew out on it for an afternoon. Well, maybe not that extreme, but there's always one guy in the strip who's got the best grass around and you want it. Here's how you too can be the lawn king of your street.

1) Choose the right grass. The right grass for your yard will depend on your climate, conditions, and soil. Talk to your nursery expert about the best choices. (In Grove City, we have a couple great nurseries to choose from: Straders 2625 W. London-Groveport Road, or Ehmann's 6001 Lambert Road, Orient OH 43146 - among others) In general, cool-season grasses survive harsh winters but tend to suffer during summer months; warm-season grasses thrive in summer sun but go dormant during the winter-and turn brown in below-freezing temperatures.

2) Water appropriately. It's better to water deeply to encourage root growth instead of watering frequently. There are not hard-and-fast rules about how often to water. When the surface soil feels dry to the touch, it's time to water.

3) Fertilize. Apply a nitrogen fertilizer in late spring and summer and be sure to water it in thoroughly. Fertilize cool-season grasses throughout fall and spring. Again, ask your local nursery person about specific recommendations.

4) Mow properly. Don't let the grass grow too long; mow when it reaches about one third taller than its optimum height.

Courtesy of Toro Wheel Horse Tractors & Riding Mowers

1. Do not make any major purchases that create debt of any kind. None. This includes cars, jewelry, vacations, weddings, electronic toys, appliances, rocket ships, etc.

2. Don't shuffle money between accounts or between banks. When your loan package goes in for approval, the lender is going to examine your source of funds and ask for financial statements for the past few months. It's very likely that the mortgage underwriter will ask for a paper trail of all the withdrawals and deposits which will include deposit receipts, cancelled checks, proof of transactions, etc. This is additional homework that can be quite time-consuming.

3. Change jobs. (If you are a salaried employee with no commissions or bonuses, then this does NOT apply to you. Or if you are an hourly employee and work without overtime, this shouldn't affect you either.) Here's why you don't want to change jobs if you fall into one of these categories:

1. Bonuses: Much like commissions, bonuses are averaged from the past two years when calculating your income. If you are switching jobs, they mortgage lender has no basis in which to forecast your future bonus with a new employer.
2. Commissions: mortgage lenders calculate your income by averaging your commission over the past two years. If you change jobs, it eliminates this history from that employer and the underwriter cannot say with confidence that your commissions will be equivalent.
3. Part-time and over-time: Much like with bonuses and commissions, the loan officer can average your earnings based on your job history if you are a part-time employee, or if you utilize a lot of over-time pay.
4. Self-employment: Because many self-employed individuals tend to expense many of their business costs, they are able to minimize their tax obligation to the IRS by showing very little income. While that may seem like a benefit, it also reduces their ability to qualify for a home loan. If you are a business owner and decide to change your company structure from say a sole proprietor to a partnership or a LLC for example, buy the house first.