Hey Everyone!
I hope you are having a great week so far and are ready for another Wednesdays With Wendy Newsletter!
As my friend/client, I value your opinion! So, please let me know what you think! All comments and constructive criticisms are welcome!
Don't forget to check out my BLOG at http://wilmingtonncinfo.blogspot.com/
If you recall, in the last couple of newsletters I have been writing about the "Home Organizing" series and have shared some helpful tips and ideas on how to de-clutter/organize your home, e-mail inbox and Mudroom, Laundry Room, & Garage!
I hope you are having a great week so far and are ready for another Wednesdays With Wendy Newsletter!
As my friend/client, I value your opinion! So, please let me know what you think! All comments and constructive criticisms are welcome!
Don't forget to check out my BLOG at http://wilmingtonncinfo.blogspot.com/
If you recall, in the last couple of newsletters I have been writing about the "Home Organizing" series and have shared some helpful tips and ideas on how to de-clutter/organize your home, e-mail inbox and Mudroom, Laundry Room, & Garage!
The topic I will be sharing with you today is "Clutter-Busting Secrets of the Pros! "
Please feel free to email me with your own home organizing tips and I will share them in the next post!
4 Clutter-Busting Secrets of the Pros-
Clutter-Buster: Act Like You're Moving
Say you had to uproot and relocate. What would you take with you? You don't actually have to pack anything up — just set aside the few things that you love and use and see what's left over. "Chances are, you use only 20 percent of your stuff regularly," says Sally Allen, owner of A Place for Everything, an organizing service in Golden, Colorado. Try this with your cookbooks: Pull out the ones that are tenderly tattered due to years of use, then look at the ones still on the shelf. Ask yourself if you would pay someone to haul away those you've been keeping because they were gifts or because you felt ambitious when you bought them (From now on, Thai food every Tuesday night!). If not, sell them to a used-book store or donate them.
Say you had to uproot and relocate. What would you take with you? You don't actually have to pack anything up — just set aside the few things that you love and use and see what's left over. "Chances are, you use only 20 percent of your stuff regularly," says Sally Allen, owner of A Place for Everything, an organizing service in Golden, Colorado. Try this with your cookbooks: Pull out the ones that are tenderly tattered due to years of use, then look at the ones still on the shelf. Ask yourself if you would pay someone to haul away those you've been keeping because they were gifts or because you felt ambitious when you bought them (From now on, Thai food every Tuesday night!). If not, sell them to a used-book store or donate them.
Toss-It Tips
- Envision your home as a prospective buyer might: Uncluttered spaces make the best first impression. They're also a lot easier to keep clean and dust-free.
- Imagine the potential buyer (or worse, a relative) going through your closets or drawers. What would you not want him or her to see?
- Buy containers and baskets only after you've decided what to keep. This way you'll have a much better sense of the kind of storage you need.
Why It Works
- You don't have to get rid of things you love or need — you just have to determine what those things are.
- If you've ever packed and paid for a move, the motivation for paring down your possessions will be all too clear.
- Walk through your house with a pen and a notebook, writing down the activities that take place in each room and the items associated with those activities. "Then ‘purpose’ your space," says Vicki Norris, president of Restoring Order, an organizing company in Portland, Oregon. "Note your desired use for each room, even if you are not using it that way currently." Remove anything that doesn't relate to your proposed activity for that space. If you want to use your bedroom only for sleeping and getting dressed, relocate anything that doesn't relate to that: documents stored in the closet, a trade journal you've been meaning to read, sewing supplies, or anything else that distracts you from the main purpose of the room.
Clutter-Buster: Assess Your RoomsToss-It Tips
- Start with one room, but keep the whole house in mind.
- Think of rooms that have multiple purposes as several smaller areas, so it's clear where items should be returned if they stray. If gift-wrapping is the designated activity for a certain part of the study and you find a spool of ribbon in the kitchen, you'll know exactly where it belongs, and so will other family members.
Why It Works
- This strategy lays the foundation for long-term change. "By taking an `aerial view' of your entire home, you'll see how certain activities and their supplies are strewn throughout the home — like paperwork, memorabilia, or toys," Norris explains.
- Tackling clutter without knowing your priorities can be counterproductive. "People who take a `tidy up' approach are actually rearranging rather than organizing," Norris says. "Sooner or later, the space relapses to its original condition."
Clutter-Buster: Clean Out for a Worthy Cause
Getting rid of things will be easier if you can picture someone else benefiting from them (instead of how they just signify wasted money for you). Pick an organization to donate to, and learn as much as you can about it. Read the literature, check out the web-site, and visit the facility, if possible.
Toss-It Tips
- Don't just leave your stuff outside the charity's storefront or in a donation bin, to be ruined by the elements. Deliver it in person, or find out if the organization will arrange a pickup from your home.
- See if there are specific items the charity needs; this will make those things easier to give up. If it doesn't accept certain items — such as that combination NordicTrack/clothes hanger — ask if it knows of a group that does.
- If an item is truly worthless or beyond repair, don't make the organization deal with it. Find out the proper way to junk it instead.
- Get your kids involved, too, so they can see what it's like to give.
Why It Works
- Discarded items will most likely be used, worn, or appreciated a lot sooner in someone else's hands than they would in yours.
- You can earn a tax deduction for donated goods. But you are responsible for keeping track of donations, determining their worth, and itemizing them on your tax return.
Clutter-Buster: "Edit" Your Rooms
Start in the upper left-hand corner of one wall and start "reading" from left to right and from top to bottom. "The room is a book, a dresser is a chapter, each drawer is a paragraph, the boxes or trays or Ziploc bags in the drawers are the sentences, and the things in the containers are the words," says Alice Winner, an organizing consultant in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. "Get rid of the extra words — things — that are making your life more complicated and unmanageable."
Toss-It Tips
- Any time you feel your attention straying to another part of the room or house, take a break or simply repeat, "Left to right, left to right."
- Resist the urge to skip "chapters." If you jump around the room, dealing with a pile here and a pile there, the room might still look cluttered after a three-hour session.
- Find a motivator for your work. Tack up an image from a magazine or book of a room you'd like to emulate.
Why It Works
- It's difficult to determine the best place to plunge into an organizing project. This eliminates that problem: Just go straight to the upper left-hand corner of one wall. It also curtails aimlessness, because you always know what to tackle next.
- You provide yourself with a prototype as you go. Say you're editing your filing cabinets, and you feel your focus flagging as you encounter another overstuffed folder labeled “Miscellaneous.” Look at the drawer you've just completed for a visual reminder of what all the drawers will look like when you're done.
I hope that you will find this information helpful for your own "Clutter Busting!"
Please e-mail me at Wendy@SeaCoastRealty.com if you would like to share your tips, ideas, or success stories!
Wendy's Featured Property-
7214 Haskell Ct., Wilmington, NC 28411
Come check out this charming home located on a cul-de-sac in the Jacobs Ridge neighborhood! This split floor plan, 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom home offers vaulted ceilings in the living room, an eat-in kitchen, patio with a nice wooden pergola, fenced backyard, and a one car garage. Also included in the purchase price is the washer, dryer, refrigerator, and stove. The front yard and community common areas are all maintained by the home owners association for a low maintenance neighborhood! Jacobs Ridge is located off of North Market St. towards Ogden. It is close to many shopping centers, including the new and exciting Mayfaire Town Center off of Military Cutoff Rd! The upscale shopping center includes a movie theatre, a great lineup of retailers and specialty boutiques, several great restaurants, the Hilton Garden Inn, and plenty of seasonal events. The home is also located just 7 miles to Wrightsville Beach! Come see this great house today, you won't be disappointed!
Contact me or visit my website for more information on this great home!!
7214 Haskell Ct., Wilmington, NC 28411
Come check out this charming home located on a cul-de-sac in the Jacobs Ridge neighborhood! This split floor plan, 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom home offers vaulted ceilings in the living room, an eat-in kitchen, patio with a nice wooden pergola, fenced backyard, and a one car garage. Also included in the purchase price is the washer, dryer, refrigerator, and stove. The front yard and community common areas are all maintained by the home owners association for a low maintenance neighborhood! Jacobs Ridge is located off of North Market St. towards Ogden. It is close to many shopping centers, including the new and exciting Mayfaire Town Center off of Military Cutoff Rd! The upscale shopping center includes a movie theatre, a great lineup of retailers and specialty boutiques, several great restaurants, the Hilton Garden Inn, and plenty of seasonal events. The home is also located just 7 miles to Wrightsville Beach! Come see this great house today, you won't be disappointed!
| Single Family Home | |
| Bedrooms: | 3 |
| Bathrooms: | 2 |
| Square Feet: | 1,188 |
| Year Built: | 2002 |
| MLS Number: | 420642 |
Contact me or visit my website for more information on this great home!!
First Time Home Buyer Federal Tax Credit Info-
As part of the “Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008” that was recently signed into law, Congress has created a new, temporary federal income tax credit to provide an incentive for first-time homebuyers. The highlights of this federal tax credit are as follows:
• The amount of the federal tax credit is for 10% of the cost of the home, up to a maximum credit of $7,500. In essence, this is an interest-free loan that enables consumers to receive a tax credit on a dollar-for-dollar basis on their personal income tax return in the calendar year following the year of closing on their home. They begin paying the tax credit back the year after that and make equal installments during the next 15 years. If the homeowner sells the home at any point during the 15-year payback period, then the remaining amount is recaptured, unless they sell the home at a loss, at which point the balance is forgiven.
o e.g., If a home costs $65,000, the allowable credit would be $6,500. If a home costs $120,000, then the allowable credit would be $7,500.
• Eligibility is for first-time homebuyers only. In this case, a first-time homebuyer is defined as an individual who has not owned a primary home at any time during the past three years, but who may have done so previously. Although certain income limits do apply, the amount of the credit is the same for all taxpayers, married or single.
• Individuals whose Form 1040 filing status is single (or head of household) are eligible for the tax credit if their income is no more than $75,000. Individuals who file a joint return may have no more than $150,000 in income.
• Individuals with incomes between $75,001 and 94,999 (single) or $150,001 and $169,999 (joint returns) are eligible for a partial tax credit.
• Individuals with incomes greater than $95,000 (single) or $170,000 (joint return) are not eligible for this tax credit.
• The federal income credit can be claimed on one’s individual or joint tax return for the purchase of any single-family home between April 9, 2008 through July 1, 2009. Individuals should consult a professional tax advisor for exact tax calculations.
o e.g., If an individual’s actual tax liability was $5,000, then after the tax credit is applied the purchaser would receive a total refund of $2,500. The refundable amount is the difference between the $7,500 tax credit and the amount of one’s tax liability.
o e.g., If an individual’s actual tax refund was $2,000, then after the tax credit is applied the purchaser would receive a total refund of $9,500.
• This tax credit is required to be repaid without interest in equal installments of 6.67% of the total credit each year for 15 years beginning the year after the tax credit is claimed.
o e.g., If a homebuyer claims the $7,500 credit in 2009 on their federal income tax return for a closing that occurred in 2008, then the credit is received in 2009, so repayment begins in 2010 with an annual repayment amount of approximately $500 a year.
For more information on Mortgage Rates and to see if you qualify, Please contact Kendee Blake with Alpha Mortgage at kendee.blake@alphamortgage.com or Office-(910) 686-0886, Mobile-(910) 612-0531
• The amount of the federal tax credit is for 10% of the cost of the home, up to a maximum credit of $7,500. In essence, this is an interest-free loan that enables consumers to receive a tax credit on a dollar-for-dollar basis on their personal income tax return in the calendar year following the year of closing on their home. They begin paying the tax credit back the year after that and make equal installments during the next 15 years. If the homeowner sells the home at any point during the 15-year payback period, then the remaining amount is recaptured, unless they sell the home at a loss, at which point the balance is forgiven.
o e.g., If a home costs $65,000, the allowable credit would be $6,500. If a home costs $120,000, then the allowable credit would be $7,500.
• Eligibility is for first-time homebuyers only. In this case, a first-time homebuyer is defined as an individual who has not owned a primary home at any time during the past three years, but who may have done so previously. Although certain income limits do apply, the amount of the credit is the same for all taxpayers, married or single.
• Individuals whose Form 1040 filing status is single (or head of household) are eligible for the tax credit if their income is no more than $75,000. Individuals who file a joint return may have no more than $150,000 in income.
• Individuals with incomes between $75,001 and 94,999 (single) or $150,001 and $169,999 (joint returns) are eligible for a partial tax credit.
• Individuals with incomes greater than $95,000 (single) or $170,000 (joint return) are not eligible for this tax credit.
• The federal income credit can be claimed on one’s individual or joint tax return for the purchase of any single-family home between April 9, 2008 through July 1, 2009. Individuals should consult a professional tax advisor for exact tax calculations.
o e.g., If an individual’s actual tax liability was $5,000, then after the tax credit is applied the purchaser would receive a total refund of $2,500. The refundable amount is the difference between the $7,500 tax credit and the amount of one’s tax liability.
o e.g., If an individual’s actual tax refund was $2,000, then after the tax credit is applied the purchaser would receive a total refund of $9,500.
• This tax credit is required to be repaid without interest in equal installments of 6.67% of the total credit each year for 15 years beginning the year after the tax credit is claimed.
o e.g., If a homebuyer claims the $7,500 credit in 2009 on their federal income tax return for a closing that occurred in 2008, then the credit is received in 2009, so repayment begins in 2010 with an annual repayment amount of approximately $500 a year.
For more information on Mortgage Rates and to see if you qualify, Please contact Kendee Blake with Alpha Mortgage at kendee.blake@alphamortgage.com or Office-(910) 686-0886, Mobile-(910) 612-0531
CARTUS RELOCATION - Referral Network
Did you know that I can help your family and friends buy or sell real estate anywhere in the United States!
Since Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty is affiliated with CARTUS- the world's largest relocation network -
I can connect your loved ones with a relocation expert ANYWHERE in the country!
So, the next time you know someone thinking of buying or selling, CALL ME!
I'll make sure they receive the same courteous and professional service I provide for my clients!
Did you know that I can help your family and friends buy or sell real estate anywhere in the United States!
Since Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty is affiliated with CARTUS- the world's largest relocation network -
I can connect your loved ones with a relocation expert ANYWHERE in the country!
So, the next time you know someone thinking of buying or selling, CALL ME!
I'll make sure they receive the same courteous and professional service I provide for my clients!
I hope you have enjoyed this newsletter! Have a FUN and SAFE weekend!
As always, if I can help with any of your real estate needs, please don't hesitate to call or email!
Cell - (910) 279-3983
Office - (910) 202-3627
Fax - (910) 795-4268
Wendy@SeaCoastRealty.com
WendyInWilmington.com
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