SW Washington Real Estate

QR Codes: What are they and how to use them

2011-08-11T10:26:00.001-07:00

QR codes are square tags that many advertisers and retailers are using. The QR stands for “Quick Response”. Usually they are black with boxes in three corners and a bunch of scattered, tiny dots in a unique pattern to form a square. There is another type of QR code, called "Tag", which is Microsoft’s version. It uses multicolored triangles and dots. Both of these codes are scanned with a smart phone and return the advertiser’s website.
If you look closely, you can find QR tags on practically everything from products in the store to business cards and magazine ads. Realtors are also taking advantage of them. You can find them on For Sale signs and flyers to obtain instant information on a property or even view a virtual tour.
In order to scan the QR codes you must have a smart phone with a camera. Go to your phone’s app store and do a search on “QR”. You may need to download two apps, one for each type of QR code (squares and triangles). Run the app and point the smart phone camera at the code. If it doesn’t work right away you might try holding the camera at different angles and make sure the lighting is good. Once the code is scanned, it will instantly direct the phone to a website. Usually there is a history page so you can go back anytime and view the website again.
The advantage of QR codes is that they are easy to use and the websites load almost instantly. If you haven’t dived into the QR world, you should give it a try!

Tax Tips

2011-02-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Tax Saving

Does your withholding amount need to be adjusted? Use the Withholding Calculator at http://www.irs.gov/
Are you entitled to education or child care deductions?
Have you opened an IRA to save on taxed today and build for the future at the same time?
Are you a volunteer-PTA? Little League? Church? Record and deduct charitable mileage: you may be surprised at the miles you’ve chalked up.

Time Saving

Have one place to keep W-2’s, mortgage and interest statements and other tax-related forms as they arrive.
Use an electronic checkbook throughout the year. At tax time, reports in every category are at your fingertips.
Use tax preparation software. This step-by-step process catches almost every deduction or credit and does the calculating for you-error-free!
File early for a fast refund. E-file with direct deposit for a faster refund.
Take a minute today, save hours at tax time As you prepare your income tax return this year, get organized for future years. Are your files in disarray? Take a few minutes today and establish one spot to keep all tax deductable and tax reporting items. Label separate envelopes or folders to hold receipts for each category or account.
Are you required to track mileage or other expenses? Take a few minutes each month to add them up, and you will be less likely to overlook an important deduction. Having a dozen monthly subtotals will save hours of year-end calculating.

New Helpful Government Website

2009-04-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Government has recently published a new website to help homeowners. Below is an excerpt from their website, MakingHomeAffordable that explains what information it provides and how it can help you:

"The Obama Administration has introduced a comprehensive Financial Stability Plan to address the key problems at the heart of the current crisis and get our economy back on track. A critical piece of that effort is Making Home Affordable, a plan to stabilize our housing market and help up to 7 to 9 million Americans reduce their monthly mortgage payments to more affordable levels.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program gives up to 4 to 5 million homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac an opportunity to refinance into more affordable monthly payments. The Home Affordable Modification Program commits $75 billion to keep up to 3 to 4 million Americans in their homes by preventing avoidable foreclosures.

Our consumer website, MakingHomeAffordable, provides homeowners with detailed information about these programs along with self-assessment tools and calculators to empower borrowers with the resources they need to determine whether they might be eligible for a modification or a refinance under the Administration's program. Through this website, borrowers can also connect with free counseling resources to help with outstanding questions; locate homeowner events in their communities; find a handy checklist of key documents and materials to have ready when making that important call to their servicer as well as FAQs from borrowers in similar circumstances; and much more."

Ways to Avoid Foreclosure

2009-03-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

Darlene is now a Certified Distressed Property Expert, or CDPE. She is now able to offer advice to homeowners who are facing foreclosure or are unable to pay their mortgage and cannot sell their home due to the current market conditions.

If a homeowner has suffered a hardship —which could be anything from severe illness or death in the family to the loss of a job, increasing payments or military relocation — a CDPE- designated agent knows how to approach lenders, file the correct paperwork and, in many cases, negotiate a short sale for the distressed property.

A short sale — the listing of a home below the mortgage value and negotiations with the lender to clear the mortgage for that sale price — avoids a lot of heartache and headaches all around.
A foreclosure, can show up on your credit report for five years or more. A short sale can lessen that to only a couple years. A foreclosure can also lower your FICO credit score more than 300
points, whereas a short sale alters the score 100 points or less. Foreclosures can also affect your chance of obtaining security clearances, which can be crucial to employment. A short sale has no affect in this area.

Darlene has compiled a booklet that addresses this topic. Click Here to Download Booklet. Darlene would be happy to assist you with any questions you may have.

Painting Tips & Ideas

2006-04-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Appealing or Peeling?
A Little Paint Goes a Long Way!

Painting your home may seem like a daunting job, but the rewards of a fresh coat of paint go a long way. Keeping up on the condition of your interior and exterior walls guarantees not only pleasant surroundings, but also less to worry about in the event of a sudden move.

No one says you have to repaint your whole house every year but it may be wise to consider refreshing one or two rooms each year on a rotational basis. This way, once you've finished the last room, it will be time to begin the cycle again. Or just maybe it could be time to move and start out fresh!

Either way, there's a vast array of paint colors and techniques available at your local builder's retailer or hardware store. In the meantime, here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Before You Start

Take down any wall hangings and remove the hangers. Be sure to fill the resulting hole with a little putty. Let the putty dry completely. Remove door stops and electrical outlet covers and switch plates, as well.
Wash walls thoroughly with a household cleaner and water. Be sure to let walls dry completely before starting to paint.
Cover any area that you don't want painted or splattered. Use a drop cloth to cover floors and furniture you can't move. Mask off walls and woodwork that aren't to be painted with painter's masking tape.
Always get the right type of brush for the paint you are using. Nylon brushes are best for latex and water-based paints.
You will need several sized brushes. Two inch brushes are good for painting trim, while a 1-inch brush is great for tighter spots. Four inch brushes are good if you are painting a small room where a roller is cumbersome.
Pads work well on smooth surfaces and rollers are best for flat surfaces. Rollers and pads will spread paint much faster than brushes. Always use a roller for larger areas.

Time to Paint

Start with your ceilings first. Don't worry about painting over the edges because when you paint the walls, you'll cut the corners in.
You'll want to paint in a sequence from the top to the bottom. Start by painting the corners, next paint the walls from floor to ceiling, then paint the doors and woodwork, and finally the baseboards.
You will need to wait at least three hours between coats of latex paint and 24 hours between coats of other types of paint. Be sure to check the instructions on the paint can as drying times may vary by manufacturer.

Clean Up

If you are using latex paint, immediately clean the brushes with warm soapy water. Rinse with clean water and hang brush up to dry.
If you are using other types of paint, soak brushes in paint thinner to remove excess paint and then rinse with clean water and hang to dry.
To clean rollers, scrape excess paint from the roller, and follow the same directions for brushes.

Some Popular Painting Techniques
Textures and Patterns

Sponging, rag-rolling, stippling and paneling are a few of the decorative paint techniques that can give your home unique charm and character. Beautiful dapple color effects can be achieved with minimal materials and the most basic instruction.

Broken Color Techniques with Glazes & Washes

Most specialty painting techniques involve "broken color," a term that means applying one or more colors in broken layers over a different base coat to create a mottled or textured effect.
Sponging Sponging On is a quick and simple technique that begins with the application of a solid base paint color. After the base coat dries, a wash or glaze is applied on top with a dampened sponge to create a mottled look.

Ragging and Rag Rolling

These techniques give walls the dramatic effect of crushed velvet, parchment, chamois leather, watered silk or brocade.
Stippling This technique achieves more subtle results than rag rolling or sponging and can be best described as suede-like. This process breaks up the wall color into a mass of very small dots, which lends richness to the finish.

This information is brought to you by Paint Quality Institute.

2006-03-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog. Here you will find interesting market statistics, helpful home buying/sellingadvice, useful tips for home maintenaince and miscellaneous information about the Pacific Northwest. If there is something you would like to see as a topic, please let me know!