Susan Heavner Real Estate Blog

Plants Do More than Look Pretty in a Home

Susan Heavner — Sun, 20 May 2012 11:04:37 +0000

Not only do plants make a beautiful addition to your homes décor but they are also beneficial in oxidizing and refreshing the air you breathe. Oxygen producing plants can be used to both produce oxygen as well as remove harmful chemicals in the air. Not only do plants clean the air we breathe but they also have been proven to reduce our heart rate and blood pressure and reduce muscle tension related to stress.

There are so many different plants that you can bring into your home to help clean the air. Here is a list of just a few.

A popular clean air plant that removes toxins like benzene, trichloroethylene, exylene and toluene from the air is Warneck Dracena. Another good air cleaning plant that is easy to take care of is the Peace Lilly. The Money Plant releases oxygen in the air while removing formaldehyde, this is commonly released by cigarette smoke and adhesives with wood furnishings. The Snake plant also known as Mother-in-Laws Tongue converts CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen) at night making it an ideal bedroom plant. Other plants to try are Philodendron, English Ivy, or a Spider Plant.

While the plants are busy purifying the air in your home, they also provide a therapeutic effect with their color green. The color green has a soothing green effect and helps people to feel at ease. Here is a quote from plantforlife.info “It may sound surprising but as little as 2 or 3 minutes in the company of plants and trees or natural environments can be enough to provide measurable stress relief!” What a small investment for something that can bring so much beauty and health to your home.

Single-Family – Holliston, MA 01746 is now new to the market!

Susan Heavner — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:00:35 +0000

This property is being sold “as-is” and does need work but what a great opportunity to get into Holliston at this price. The house offers a living room, kitchen, office and 2 bedrooms. In addition to the house there is a detached garage. The property is situated on a pretty lot in a commuter convenient area of town (just minutes to the commuter rail). A great opportunit for a buyer willing to renovate. Holliston is well known for it’s school system and charming downtown.

This is a Ranch/Bungalow style home and features 5 total rooms, 1 full bath, 2 bedrooms, 0.80 Acres, and is currently available for $162,000.

For complete details click here.

Open house at Holliston, MA 01746

Susan Heavner — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:11:07 +0000

View Photos
Starts: 5/20/2012 11:30:00 AM
Ends: 5/20/2012 1:30:00 PM
For Directions: click on the map image or feel free to contact me.
For more information: click here for the full details

This lovely home has so much to offer! First floor has beautifully updated kitchen & bath; open floorplan includes LR, DR and FR; master BR w/ walk-in closet & half bath; 2 BRs cleverly converted to 2-room suite. Lower level is walk-out w/ full sized windows & door; den w/ fireplace; BR; lots of cabinets for storage; cedar closet. Workshop/craft room has seperate entrance; beautiful grounds, storage shed and wood shed. Full service RV hookup on side. So much to offer

Single-Family – Holliston, MA 01746 is now new to the market!

Susan Heavner — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:00:23 +0000

This is a Split Entry style home and features 9 total rooms, 1 full bath, 2 half baths, 3 bedrooms, 0.56 Acres, and is currently available for $349,900.

For complete details click here.

What is Old Can be New

Susan Heavner — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:05:08 +0000

Is clutter taking over your life? There is a way to take your life back from the piles of junk collecting in your home and it doesn’t involve all of your things ending up in the landfill.

Here are just a few smart and frugal ideas for repurposing old stuff…

For Decorating

Use old hardware from dresser drawers to hang curtains.

Use junk CDs and DVDs as drink coasters.

For Organizing

Use oatmeal containers and coffee tins to store flour, sugar and mixes.

Use old doorknobs to make a coat rack.

For Outside

Use egg cartons, old jars, tins and yogurt cartons to make functional seed starters.

Use old wooden ladders as part of your landscaping, allowing ivy and other vine plants to climb them.

Use CDs to scare birds away from your berry garden. Hang CDs from a tree near your berry bushes. The shiny, moving objects will frighten birds, keeping them away from your sun-ripened berries.

Use Cooking Spray as an ice repellent. Spray both sides of a plastic or metal shovel with cooking spray and the ice will slide right off.

Repurposing items is easy if you start by changing the way you look at things. Next time you think something is trash, stop and think “how can I repurpose this?”

Transform Your Home in Minutes

Susan Heavner — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:05:16 +0000

Does your house need a new look? Do you think changing the look will take too much time or money? Using small changes can often have a big effect.

Here are some low-effort and low-cost ideas that can quickly transform your space:

1. Switch out lampshades and/or finials or change a chandelier

2. Reframe or rearrange artwork

3. Have favorite photos printed on canvas and hang them front and center

4. Swap throws and/or pillows

5. Change a rug or pull it up to expose hardwood or tile floors

6. Take out “high-hat” light in living room for a more ambient atmosphere

7. Give your bookcase a makeover

8. Clear the clutter

9. Switch out bar stools

10. Change drawer knobs and/or cabinet handles

11. Put new towels and/or mats in the bathroom

12. Add a hanging pot holder in the kitchen

13. Sew a fabric band to bottom of shower curtain

14. Change the draperies

15. Add flowers or plants

16. Add accessories like vases, sculptures, candles or photos

17. Lean your artwork rather than hanging it for a way to easily move it later

18. Change slipcovers

19. Use sisal rugs, which are inexpensive and in style

20. Put a decorative plate or bowl in the corners of kitchen counters (where tile meets wall) to increase flow and tie a space together

The Benefits of Homeownership

Susan Heavner — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:04:02 +0000

The past few years the news has been inundated with bad press about the housing market but the facts remain the same it is still better to own a home. In fact, there are more reasons than ever to buy a home. If you are on the fence about buying you will want to take note of some of the benefits of homeownership.

Pride of Ownership
It belongs to you! That’s right, renovate, update, paint, and decorate to your heart’s desire and you don’t need to ask permission or waste money improving something that you do not own. Your home is your own so plant trees, install a pool, put up a fence, expand the patio, redo the basement or do anything you want. Owning something feels good.

Equity
Homeownership is about building long-term wealth. It may seem that buying a home has a lot of upfront costs but historically homes appreciate by about 4 to 6 percent a year. When you purchase a home, you build equity with each payment. Equity is the difference between what the home is worth and what is owed. Equity can be used to build wealth, save for retirement and even to secure a loan. For example, an $800/month rent payment equals out to be $48,000 over five years with no financial gain to you.

Tax Benefits
Homeownership has huge tax benefits. In the early years of a loan, mortgage interest is the largest part of your mortgage payment. Mortgage interest is fully deductible on your tax return. For example, a homeowner in a 28% federal tax bracket could lower their borrowing costs by almost a third.

Better Living
Studies have shown that owning a home can actually make you healthier, and is better for your family too. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report: says “Homeowners accumulate wealth as the investment in their homes grows, enjoy better living conditions, are often more involved in their communities, and have children who tend on average to do better in school and are less likely to become involved with crime. Communities benefit from real estate taxes homeowners pay, and from stable neighborhoods homeowners create”.

The National Association of Realtor’s Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing reports homeowners experience:

-Higher educational performance and better behavior of children
-Lower community crime rates
-Lessened welfare dependency among households
-More household participation in civic affairs
-Better household health

Bottom line, it’s a great time to buy! Interest rates are at historic lows; homes are more affordable so go ahead and invest in a safer, healthier, better future for you and your family today.

Help for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

Susan Heavner — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:03:56 +0000

When a homeowner first buys their home foreclosure is probably the furthest thing from their mind. Today’s economy has forced millions of homeowners into a potential foreclosure situation.

There are many reasons why people go into foreclosure. Some of those reasons include:

Job loss
Unexpected death, illness or medical emergency
Adjustable rate mortgage increase
Unexpected home maintenance expense

There are ways to avoid foreclosure. The best way to avoid foreclosure is to prevent the filing of a Notice of Default. If a home owner knows they are unable to pay their mortgage they should immediately call their lender.

Lenders do not want to foreclose. They may be willing to work with the home owner but it is important that the home owner doesn’t ignore contact from the lender.

The lender may propose several options:

Forbearance
- Lenders may agree to a repayment plan before taking legal action
Debt Forgiveness
- Very rarely the lender might give you a break and waive your obligation.
Repayment plan
- The lender may agree to spread the payments out over a longer loan term.
Modification
- In some cases, the lender may agree to freeze the interest rate of an adjustable rate loan or extend the amortization period.
Refinance
- Adding payments to an existing loan balance may be an option if the homeowner has sufficient equity and meet the lender’s guidelines for refinance.
Partial Claim
- Certain government loans may contain provisions that allow the homeowner to apply for another loan to pay back missed payments.

Preventing the Notice of Default filing is the best way to prevent foreclosure. If none of the above options have worked there are still some options a homeowner can leverage. Once the Notice of Default is filed, the homeowner only has a small time frame to reinstate the loan by bringing the payments current and pay the costs of filing the foreclosure.

If you are unable to make up the payments you still have a few options:

Sell your home
- If you have equity in your home a quick sale is probably the best option at this point. Your home will need the best exposure and marketing to achieve the quickest sale possible. A full marketing plan and the proper price positioning should get your home sold in time to avoid foreclosure.
Attempt a short sale
- If your home is worth less than the amount you owe, you might be a candidate for a short sale. A short sale is when you sell your home for less than what the amount owed. A short sale will affect your credit rating but not as bad as a foreclosure. A short sale is negotiated with the lender.
Deed in lieu
- The homeowner deeds the property back to the lender by giving the lender a properly prepared and notarized deed, and the lender forgives the mortgage.

For more information on how to prevent foreclosure visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development site to Avoiding Foreclosure. http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/avoiding_foreclosure

Spruce Up Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Susan Heavner — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:04:23 +0000

Did you know that a simple can of paint can spruce up your home’s curb appeal? According to this article from Benjamin Moore you can instantly give your home an eye-catching makeover with these fun and simple painting projects.

Anytime is a great time to enhance your home’s curb appeal—and paint color is an easy way to achieve an updated and refreshing new look. Although a house’s body color might be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about curb appeal, there are other ways to enhance the look of your property without repainting the entire house and spending a substantial amount of money.

The simple application of new paint color on the following architectural elements of your home can also produce amazing results:

Front door: A new coat of paint on your front door creates a visually pleasing focal point. It plants the seed of first impression that sets the tone for the rest of the house.

Porch: A porch boasting a new paint job is a sure-fire way to draw people’s attention to your property. A warm, welcoming look establishes your home’s personality.

Shutters: Whether blending to the body color or serving as a cosmetic accent to the overall color scheme of the house, freshly-painted shutters serve as instant exterior updates.

Trim: New trim paint beautifies the façade, highlights the design of your house, and gives special emphasis to its attractive architectural features.

Garage Doors: Another way to enhance curb appeal is to paint your garage doors to coordinate with the house body color—or make it standout by using a complementary hue. The former holds true for large doors, and the latter, for smaller ones.

Fences: The right fence color can underscore the architecture of your home and add character to your yard. Fences provide a color frame for your property and give the house a distinct personality.

Redecorate Your Teen’s Bedroom

Susan Heavner — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 11:04:11 +0000

Teen bedroom redecoration ideas should include your teen’s personality. Allow your teen to help when deciding how to redecorate his bedroom. Take into consideration whether or not you want to redecorate the room again once your teenager leaves home, or if you want to find a theme that will last for years. Here are some tips on what your teen will love from target="_blank">eHow.

Brightly Colored Walls

Let your teen express herself with hot, bright, loud, vibrant paint colors on her bedroom walls. Let your teen soak up the intensity of bright colors in her bedroom. For example, your teenage daughter might paint her bedroom hot pink, or your teenage son might paint his room a bright, vibrant yellow. These colors are just an example and are not gender specific. Include wild accent decorations in your teen’s room. A teen girl who paints her room hot pink might want black and white zebra accents, which will ensure your teen’s personality will radiate in her bedroom.

Soft Impressions

Surround your teen daughter with a bedroom softly and elegantly decorated. This redecoration ensures she does not outgrow the design. Incorporate pale lilac and pale lime green or aqua and peach colors within her bedroom, according to TLC.com. Leave her walls simple but elegant. Include floral fabrics, vines and dried flowers in her bedroom. For an added decorative effect, paint a floral border on her wall, and surround the painted wall border with dried vines.

Sophisticated Room

Redecorate your teen’s room from cute to mature. Paint your teen’s bedroom walls a neutral color, and incorporate leather or plaid accents. Arrange seating for your teen’s guests within the bedroom. Include a study area, and an entertainment area. Highlight your teen’s book collection with open-faced bookshelves. Clean, crisp colors and lines complement this design. Redecorating your teen’s room with a sophisticated theme ensures that you do not need to redecorate the room again after your teenager moves out of the home.

Themed Room

Convert your teen’s bedroom into a room that suits his hobbies and personality. If your teenage son loves video games, football, skateboarding or music, allow him to express himself in his bedroom. Paint his walls accordingly, and tape posters around his bedroom in the theme chosen for his redecoration. Accessories can make or break his room. For example, in a football room, do not include accessories non-football related. Allow your teen son the ability to fully express himself in his themed bedroom.