Let's Talk About a New Home

Moving Day

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Since I'm currently in the process of moving, I thought it would be the perfect time to write a post and share some tips and tricks to a more stress free move. Because come on, we know it's never going to be completely stress free.

Hiring Movers:

Can I just say that hiring professional movers can be a god send? If you have the ability to budget in professional movers, I highly recommend it. Look at reviews, use a reputable company, and ask around before you jump on the first option you find. Beware of companies that give you an estimate over the phone without looking at all your stuff first, and don't feel shy to ask any and all questions you have about their process, fees, and licensing/insurance information. Do not use a company that can not provide you with proof they are insured to cover any damage to your belongings.

Tips:

• Use color coordinated tape as box labels, and then put the same colors above the rooms they will go in at the new place. The movers can easily see which items go in which room.
• Pack overnight bags with things you'll need right away, like toiletries, clothes, and phone chargers. That way you have everything you need and don't have to hunt through boxes.
• Speaking of an overnight bag that you keep with you, pack your expensive tablets, laptops, ipods, and so on, in that bag if you can. Then the most expensive and easily damaged or stolen things are with you at all times and you'll know for sure that they're safe.

Moving Yourself:

I loath cardboard boxes. They're expensive, prone to damage, and they're a huge waste since they're usually used once or twice and then tossed. I've found that there are a few different options that keep your things safer, are more hassle free, and easier on your wallet.

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You can go to Target and get the most inexpensive of the big plastic storage containers for just a little more than buying cardboard boxes, but then you can use them for storage at the new place. They're heavy duty and stack incredibly well, and they stack in themselves so you can tuck them into the garage and use them as you will over the years. If you find that a lot of them are in very good condition at the end of the move, return them! Or place an ad on Craigslist to sell them to someone else.

Ikea sells these huge blue bags at about 60¢ a piece, and they can hold so much stuff! They're also surprisingly strong, although they're not going to be very sturdy when it comes to stacking. Use these to move clothes, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals... Anything that takes up a lot of space or is awkward for a box.

If you're moving locally, there are starting to be companies popping up that you can rent durable plastic boxes from. They drop them off, you use them to pack and move, and then they pick them up from your new place. It's not always an option for many yet, but it seems to be a trend that could pick up steam, so keep that in mind for future moves.

Packing Tips:

• Use clean clothing to wrap your dishes, and clean socks to wrap glasses and stemware.
• Put saran wrap on the top of soap or toiletry bottles, then screw the cap on over it. 
• Buy some Glad press and seal, it'll seal up or keep together so many little things in drawers.
• Put any hardware for furniture in ziplock bags and label them.
• Use blankets to wrap furniture and electronics like your TV. 

I hope some of these tips come in handy for you, although I'd never curse my worst enemy with the burden of moving... Good luck, and keep me in your thoughts this weekend!

~Kelly Cranmer Valadez

An Honest Approach to Why You Should Own a Home

Owning property has been a part of the American Dream since before we even started calling it "The American Dream". For most of history it has just been generally accepted that you finish school, get married, buy a home, and have children, but these days young people are questioning, more than ever before, whether that is the right choice for them. While I don't think I can (or want to) change your mind on any of the other big milestones in life, I can have a talk with you about why owning your home might be the right decision for you.

Now, I know there are a thousand articles out there about why you should buy a home, I've checked a few out for the making of this post, and they're either boring you with "Capitol gain exclusion" info and the economy or telling you what you'll feel (proud) with this huge purchase on your back. I don't want to write those articles. I don't want to trick you at all, or pressure you into a decision, or leave you more confused and less informed feeling than before you read my post. I want to have an open and honest discussion about why buying a home can be a great thing, and all the possible reasons it may or may not be a good idea for you.

I can't afford it!

This is a huge point for a lot of people, but especially for young millennials who are just entering the workforce or are just starting to get ahold of their financial situation. What is it that you think you can't afford, the down payment or the mortgage? If it's a down payment, there are SO many programs to help you qualify for extremely low down payments, and you'd be surprised by how easy the requirements might be. Here's a website with more information about federally funded programs to help new home buyers: Home Loan Learning Center. 

If it's the mortgage, you may also be surprised to learn that paying a mortgage can actually be just as inexpensive or LESS expensive than renting in your area. For example, my son and daughter-in-law are renting right now, but they'd love to own because they would be able to afford more home for their money in their area. Right now especially is a great time to buy because rates are a little less than 4%, much lower than it's been in a long time.

What about replacing and fixing things myself?

This is a good point, when you're renting you don't pay a dime to have the heater fixed or the dishwasher replaced. When you own your home, you own all of those types of expenses too, but like I said, your mortgage might be significantly lower than the rent you were paying, which means these extra purchases might bring you to the breaking even point. Since you have all the extra perks of owning anyway, why not? Another good point; some people like to have particular features or looks to their appliances and when you rent you can't easily change those things out. You might find it worth your piece of mind to know that you have the brand or style you trust and love.

Why do people keep telling me its an investment? I just put money into it and, who knows, the market might crash someday.

While the whole topic of it being an investment is far too large for me to get into in this modest post, I can tell you one thing, you never know what happens in life. If you were to get seriously injured and had a huge medical bill, your home could save you. Borrowing against your home can be risky, but it can also be the backup you never thought of. Another example: Someone I know has aging parents, and they've come to the time in their lives where they need 24/7 care. This person is using a second mortgage to pay for their parents care, but is now paying half as much for the mortgage than they were renting in their area. If they hadn't had the home to borrow from, who knows what kind of care they could have afforded for them. 

I don't understand the process and it seems really complicated.

This is my area of expertise! When you work with a realtor to buy a home you are paying them for their time, but more importantly, you're paying for their knowledge. They have gone to school for this, they have put in countless hours studying everything they need to know to give you the best possible buying experience. Honestly, the way to make buying a home easy is by really knowing and trusting your realtor. You should be able to speak clearly and openly with this person, and you should feel like they really have your best interests at heart. If you meet with a realtor, and you're just not feeling it, don't work with them. Kindly and respectfully state that you've decided to go with a better fit. Our transaction is based so much on our relationship, that it really goes hand in hand. If you trust and genuinely like your realtor, you'll have so much more confidence in the process than you ever would if you brought home your own real estate text books and learned it all yourself. We are here to guide you through the WHOLE process, so you'll never get left dangling without knowing what to do next.

While these certainly aren't all the reasons why someone may be hesitant about buying a home, I hope I addressed some issues that I saw others weren't. Owning a home CAN make you feel proud and accomplished, it can make you feel more secure, it can give you the freedom to decorate and change anything you like, and it can be that big milestone you've always looked forward to. It can also be less daunting and out of reach than you thought possible, but the only way to find out is by talking to a realtor to see what options are available to you.

Please feel free to contact me with any and all questions you might have! You never know what you might learn or what options may be available to you that you never thought possible!

Have a great weekend everyone!
~Kelly Cranmer Valadez

Spring Cleaning: Tips and Tricks

It happens every year, you turn around and notice that there is a LOT of extra stuff laying around, and you decide it's time to get rid of it. The process can be daunting and seem insurmountable, but with a few tricks up your sleeves and a few helpers you can get the job done in no time. I've put together some of my favorite ideas, some ideas from friends, and some tips I found while scouring the Web, just in time for spring cleaning season.

Sit down and make a plan. Really think about how you want to feel in your home, and then about what style or layout will help you realize that dream. Sometimes you might want to refresh a whole room, one piece of furniture, or just get the stuff you already have organized and put out of sight. It can be helpful to actually write down a plan of action to guide you through the process.

If you're not interested in planning things out, you just want to do something, I have a different tip for you. If you've got certain projects to take care of, set a timer for 30 minutes or 1 hour, and take one project at a time. If you finish early you can take an early break or figure out the next project, and if you don't you can make yourself take a break (sometimes getting some space can give you new insight to a problem or project). You can do this a few times a day or space it out over a week or more to be able to really follow through over time.

Baskets and containers can be a huge help for making a space feel more de-cluttered and open. Placed on bookshelves, under coffee tables, in weird corners, on counter tops, inside cabinets... The possibilities are endless and really visually help to hide things that look or feel "cluttery".

Don't fight the flow. Sometimes there are places in your home that just always catch all the things that go in and out. Instead of constantly battling to keep the area free of debris, use containers to utilize it instead. A letter holder and a decorative bowl, or a coat rack with baskets underneath are both great ways to organize a place where things naturally build up.

One for one. Speaking of bringing things into the house, an easy way to make sure things don't get out of hand is to trade things out. When you buy something new for your closet, look for something that you haven't worn in at least 6 months. Another idea is to look at a piece and if you wouldn't buy it in a store right now, get rid of it. The same can go for other places in your house. Get a new side table? Get rid of that ottoman you're not really in love with. You can find just about anything to trade things out with, your home and your peace of mind will show the difference.

Lastly, when you're finally done decluttering your life, toss the trash but remember to donate anything usable. Local thrift stores or even many non profits take gently used old items of many kinds for their own fundraisers, so you're cleaning up, helping a cause, and keeping things out of the landfills. There's also a great non profit in San Rafael called Image for Success, that takes your gently used clothes for men, women, and children, and then give makeovers to people who are trying to become self reliant. You can visit their website here: Image for Success. There's a bigger and more worldwide program just for women called Dress for Success that has locations in San Francisco, and their website is here: Dress for Success San Francisco

Good luck on your projects, and have a great Friday!

~Kelly Cranmer Valadez

Saint Patrick's Day Parade, San Francisco

Regardless of whether or not you have Irish blood in you, Americans have always loved to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. If you're in the mood to have a great time next weekend, then San Francisco has an answer for you.

Their famous Saint Patrick's Day Parade has been around for 164 years(!), and has a huge festival to go with it. The parade itself is on Saturday March 14th at 11:30 am, starting on the corner of Second and Market and the festival is all day long from 10 am to 5 pm.

There are local Irish Dance groups and music, police and firefighters, public officials and more in the parade, sure to be a hit with kids. The festival though sounds like it's sure to be a show stopper. They'll have a petting zoo, face painting, crafts, children's rides, even horse rides! Along with many different food and beverage booths, this is sure to be a family Saint Patrick's Day to remember.

You can go check out the page for more information: SF Saint Patrick's Day

I highly recommend taking the Ferry in so you don't have to deal with all the traffic of getting out of there in the evening!

Happy Friday, have a great weekend!

~Kelly Cranmer Valadez