Eric Mitchell Real Estate

How to Prevent Allergy and Asthma Attacks at Home If you or someone in your family has allergies or asthma, HealthFinder.gov offers tips to help make your home a better place to breathe easier. Identify Triggers One major step is figuring out what causes yours or a family member’s allergy or asthma attacks. Different people will react to different allergens and irritants (things that can irritate the lungs). Consult a doctor about tests to learn what exactly is causing a reaction. Once you identify these triggers, you can take steps to get rid of or avoid those things in your home. Make Bedrooms Safer We all spend a lot of time in our bedrooms, so work to keep allergens and irritants out of yours. Cover your mattresses and pillows in “dust proof” or “allergen proof” covers to combat allergens, namely dust mites. Wash all bedding in very hot water (at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit) once a week. Go to a laundromat if the water in your home doesn’t get that hot. If you hav...

Should You Use Home Equity to Finance a Child's College Education? For many students and their parents, a college education is a top priority. With education costs continually rising, paying for a degree may seem difficult or impossible. Some parents consider using their home’s equity to obtain funds for college but aren’t sure if that would be a wise move. Benefits of Using Home Equity for Higher Education Home equity can be easier to access than a traditional loan. To obtain an educational loan yourself, or for your child to obtain one, a lender would require a lengthy application and credit check. If you already have a mortgage and make payments on time, you may find it much easier to secure a home equity loan. If you already have a home equity line of credit, you can simply write a check to your child’s university. Federal student loan programs limit the amounts that can be borrowed each year. If your child will attend an expensive university, you may not be able t...

4 Common Touch-Ups Your Home Likely Needs Regular maintenance is an ongoing process for every homeowner. Keeping up with smaller projects is essential if you want to avoid major problems down the road. With a little bit of preventative maintenance, you can ensure that your home remains beautiful and efficient for years to come. Here are four areas of your home that are likely in need of some attention: Roof A well-constructed roof should last for at least 30 years, but some of the shingles will need to be replaced well before that. Replacing damaged tiles is immediately going to improve the appearance of your home, and that simple project could help you avoid serious water damage. As a general rule, tiles and shingles need to be replaced if they’re curled, cracked or bent. You also need to replace any metal flashing that’s bent or warped. Exterior Walls Putting a fresh coat of paint on your home can have a huge impact on its curb appeal, especially if the home’s curre...

Affordable Upgrades to Get You Sold Home sellers are always seeking ideas to maximize the appeal of their house. There’s always something that can be done to bring things to the next level, and the good news is that it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. There are a lot of effective and financially-friendly ways to replace out-of-date and worn-out items throughout your home. With these simple upgrades, you can spruce up just about any room. Let there be light.  Overlooked rooms often have old lamps that are far from stylish or with shades that are dirty or even torn. You can buy brand-new table lamps and floor lamps, and you’ll be surprised at how affordable stylish new lamps can be. It’s best to buy a new lamp, as opposed to a used, antique one, this way you know it will function properly. Set the table:  After a while, end tables and coffee tables become unstylish. They also get stained from wet glasses and sometimes they’re wobbly. Investing in a new ta...

Money That Can Be Better Spent on a Down Payment One of the biggest obstacles for first-time homebuyers is saving for a down payment - it’s a nut that seems insurmountable to many. The first mistake new homebuyers make is believing that they must have 20 percent to put down on a home, when (depending on your credit and the loan terms) you can usually put down much less. The second mistake is believing you’ll never be able to save enough money. Here are 10 things you can stop spending money on right now. Collect what you would have spent on these items at the end of the week and put it into a savings account for your home-to-be. It will add up faster than you think! Books.  Get your library card renewed or (gasp!) get one for the first time, and start reading books for free. Coffee.  Treat yourself to a nice travel mug then fill up at home and skip the pricey coffee shop on the way to work. Gas.  Of course, this isn’t always possible, but when you can, opt t...

Is It Ever Wise to Tap into Retirement Savings? Books and countless articles have been written to underscore the folly of tapping into retirement savings. Withdrawing funds from a tax advantaged IRA or (401)k could trigger hefty taxes and penalties if you can’t repay them in a timely fashion, and saving money via these tax-advantaged plans may be the very best chance you have to safeguard the security of your senior years. But into each life occasionally fall dire emergencies - medical or funeral expenses, impending foreclosure, or a handful of similar hardships - and in such cases, the IRS may sanction a ‘hardship withdrawal.’ Without question, you risk retirement security if you take out the money and don’t repay it. But, point out the money experts at The Motley Fool, if you need funds to cover a true emergency, there are three reasons to consider a hardship withdrawal instead of taking out a personal loan: The loan process is simple -  Assuming your plan allows for...

Quick Tips for Keeping Your Home Looking Spotless Nobody likes to spend hours cleaning house–and, sometimes, there are few hours to spare. Yet some people seem to have a knack for keeping their homes looking spotless even when the time spent cleaning is minimal. Country Living Magazine polled home bloggers and other busy women to come up with several little tricks that help keep a home looking spiffy: Take your shoes off.  Shoes carry in dirt and germs. Train the family to remove them when coming in the door–and put up a cute sign in the entryway asking visitors to do the same. Make the bed.  Even if the bedrooms are not picture-perfect, a neat bed makes the space look pulled together. Squeegee the shower every time.  It only takes about 20 seconds, and it keeps the glass looking clean and bright. Clean the bathroom sink.  A quick swipe with a baby wipe will keep your sink sparkling. Keep the wipes handy under the sink. Wipe down kitchen counters...