The summer heat is starting to take its toll on you and your thirsty lawn. Homeowners spend hundreds of dollars every summer striving to grow healthy grass and keep it green. If you're sick of trying to maintain a manicured lawn, then you can go green another way. Install artificial turf. The Grass is Always Greener: Today's artificial grass is made out of polypropylene, nylon, or polyethylene threads that are sewn into a mesh backing that allows for water drainage. This is then usually laid on top of compacted gravel and tied down at the perimeter. Modern artificial lawns can mimic many varietals of grass and some even have a thatch layer to give it a more realistic look. Sick Of Maintenance: Homeowners have many reasons for wanting to be free of their demanding lawns, such as high sum... 07/10/2013

Winter may have taken a toll on your home's exterior this year. You've been noticing the cracking paint for months, but you don't want to shell out the big bucks to hire a professional painter. Don't fret! With the weather warming and the nice summer weekends, it's the perfect time to tackle that project of painting your home. While this might seem like an insurmountable task, especially if you have a multi-story home, it's not. It just takes the right tools and a bit of hard work. Below are step-by-step instructions to having the outside of your house looking shiny and new. Test For Lead: Homes built before 1978 could have used lead paint, so be careful if you have an older home. They make kits that test for lead paint. If your home tests positive, then ensure you take the necessary pr... 07/10/2013

What if you could accelerate the mortgage payment on your home so that you own your property several years earlier than your 15 or 30 year term? Making your final mortgage payment and owning your house is an incredibly good feeling and there is a simple way that you can bring about that rewarding day much sooner. By making one extra mortgage payment every year, you will be able to pay off your mortgage years earlier without putting a lot of stress on your present day finances. Although it might not seem like a lot, just one extra payment per year can help you to significantly reduce the length of your mortgage. For example, if you have a 30 year mortgage with a fixed rate, it could be possible to pay off your loan in 25 years instead of 30 when you make an extra payment per year. You wi... 07/10/2013

Imagine that you've found the perfect home and are ready to apply for financing. Your home loan approval amount comes back lower than you would have expected and at an interest rate significantly above what you have heard is available on the market. This could be because you have an average to poor credit score. Mortgage lenders base interest rates on many things, but your credit score plays a large part. Anything between 720 and 850 will typically qualify for better interest rates. A mediocre score is usually between 660 and 719, and a low score is 659 and under. If you have a lower score than you'd like, below are a few traits for you to follow of people who possess higher credit scores and secure the best home financing. They don't max out their cards. It's better to keep a low revol... 07/10/2013

You've got a new job offer across the country and you are planning to pack your things, buy a home and make the big move. However, when you tell your 17 year old daughter your plans, she lets out a mournful wail and cries that it is not fair. How can you possibly take her away from all of her friends, her favorite hangout spots and the cute boy she just started seeing? Moving is a difficult transition and it is often even more traumatic for teenagers. The teenage years are an important stage where young adults establish their individuality and independence and during this time their social circle is extremely important to them. Being removed from that against their will can make any teen feel sad, confused, angry and resentful. Also, fitting into a new social scene in a different locati... 07/10/2013

The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Indices for April indicate that the housing recovery gained ground. In April 2013 average home prices tracked in the Case-Shiller 10 and 20-city Composites increased by 11.60 and 12.10 percent year-over-year. On a month-to-month basis, the Composites increased by 2.60 and 2.50 percent respectively. According to David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the S&P Dow Jones Indices' Index Committee, the 10-and 20- City Composites experienced their largest month- to- month gains since their inception: "Thirteen cities posted month- to-month gains of two percent or more, with San Francisco leading with a month-to-month gain of 4.90 percent." The 10-and-20 City Indices reported the highest year-over-year gains in home prices since 2006.  Cities where home prices gained more... 07/10/2013

Paying off the mortgage on your home faster means that you will not only have the satisfaction of owning your own home sooner, you will also have the benefit of paying much less in interest over the years. The faster you pay off your mortgage, the more money you can save, so here are some tips to accelerate your payment schedule. Pay Your Mortgage Every Other Week (Bi-Weekly): Did you know that if you take your monthly mortgage payment and divide it in half and then pay it every two weeks that you will end up making a full extra month of payments every year? This is called a bi-weekly payment program which has been around for a long time, and it's still a good idea today! You likely won't notice the difference since the extra half payments occur in long months with bigger paychecks, but... 07/10/2013

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve decided to continue its current policy of quantitative easing (QE) based on current economic conditions. The Fed currently purchases $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and $45 billion in Treasury securities monthly. Objectives for the QE program include: Keeping long term interest rates, including mortgage rates, low Supporting mortgage markets Easing broader financial conditions FOMC repeated its position of evaluating QE policy based on inflation, the unemployment rate and economic developments. Members of the FOMC determined that keeping the federal funds rate between 0.00 and 0.25 percent until the following conditions are met: National unemployment rate reaches 6.50 percent Inflation is expected not to exc... 07/02/2013

Are you buying a property as your second home? Perhaps you are looking for a small cottage or apartment where you can escape to for your vacations, or maybe you want to have another home closer to your relatives? Maybe you want to rent out your second property and make a steady income from your investment. Whatever the reason, a second piece of real estate can be a fantastic investment. However, sometimes getting a mortgage on your second home can present a challenge. Generally, a mortgage lender will have tougher standards for vacation home -- or second home -- loans than primary home loans. This is because usually when you are buying a second home your finances will be stretched thinner and you will have less money to spare due to already paying a mortgage on your primary home. This a... 07/02/2013

U.S. housing markets are gaining as demand for homes exceeds available supplies in many areas. The National Association of Home Builders/ Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for June increased by eight points over May's reading to achieve a positive reading of 52. This last happened in August-September of 2002, when HMI monthly readings also jumped by eight points. Any reading over 50 indicates that more builders consider housing market conditions positive than negative. June's reading was the first time the HMI reading surpassed a reading of 50 since April 2006. Limited Inventory Drives Sales Of New Homes: Rick Judson, NAHB Chairman, cited short supplies of existing homes as a factor driving sales of new homes. As demand for homes grows and inventories of available existing homes fa... 07/02/2013

Foreclosure actions increased by 2.0 percent in May from April's 75 month low point for foreclosure activity according to RealtyTrac's U.S. Foreclosure Market Report released June 11. However, the good news is that May 2013 foreclosure filings were still 28 percent below May 2012 filings. RealtyTrac reports that approximately one in 885 homes were in some stage of foreclosure in May. This does not mean that 1 in 885 homes was lost to foreclosure, but it does indicate that documents related to some phase of foreclosure (Notice of Default, Notice of Trustee Sale, and Bank Reposession) were filed. Actual lender repossessions (REO) increased by 11 percent in May, but were down by 29 percent as compared to May 2012. 33 states reported increases in REOs with North Carolina, Oregon and Wiscon... 07/02/2013

Find Out How Much Your Maple Grove MN Home Is Worth For Free Online... If you're going to sell your Maple Grove home in the next six to 12 months, what you do right now to prepare for the sale could make a difference of thousands of dollars. Now you can get a FREE online evaluation of your home's value and tips on how to prepare your home for sale. Click here to find out how much your Maple Grove MN home is worth Find out how much your house is worth compared to other homes in today's market. Find out how to get a FREE list of homes for sale and sold in Maple Grove in the last 12 months - so you have a good idea of what's been selling in your neighborhood. PLUS:  Receive a FREE guide on how to get your home ready to sell. The Jensen Team - Home Marketing Experts Keller Williams Classic ... 06/20/2013

Whenever a scene in a film or television show takes place in a private home, have you ever thought about who owns that property? Well, it could be you! The fact is that film and television production companies are always on the lookout for new locations where they can shoot their footage. If you advertise your property in the right way, your home could have its 15 minutes of fame as the set for a film or a television show episode. Many production companies have been gradually switching over the last few years into filming at 'authentic' private properties rather than in film sets and studios. You don't have to own a stunning mansion or a historic property to rent out your home as a film location. Film and TV location scouts are looking for a wide range of different homes, from small con... 06/17/2013

Many home buyers have found the perfect house, signed on the dotted line and may think they've watched enough home improvement shows to know if the home they're getting is in good shape. Unfortunately, some buyers make the mistake of skipping a home inspection in order to save a little cash. Even if a home has already stolen your heart and you're ready to pay for it as-is, you need to bite the bullet and hire a home inspector to let you know what repairs and financial repercussions await you. Why You Should Hire A Home Inspector: You might know a thing or two about home remodeling and repairs. However, most people are not experts on the inner workings of a home. That is why it's important to hire a professional to search for potential furnace issues, electrical wiring mishaps, plumbing ... 06/17/2013

Filing your taxes can be a complicated and confusing process. If you are a home owner you may have many different home tax deductions and credits to consider. Since we recently passed the filing date for 2012 taxes, it may be a good time to plan for next year and get your tax tracking systems in place. Check carefully to make sure that you are not making any of these common homeowner tax mistakes – which could cost you money or get you in trouble with the IRS. Miscalculating Your Home Office Tax Deduction: If you work from home, you will be able to deduct a percentage of your housing costs for your home office. However, most people don't know how to calculate this and don't realize that it also has to be recaptured when you eventually sell your home. You will only want to claim it if i... 06/17/2013

Goodbye post hole. Goodbye post hole digger. Goodbye worker bending over the hole. Goodbye two-man auger, and the gas that goes in it. Goodbye concrete mix. Goodbye wheel barrow. Goodbye sonotube, and the rebar inside it. Goodbye frost heave, and Goodbye heaved steps. Goodbye heaved footings, and Goodbye heaved decks. Goodbye to the homeowner cursing "what a mess". Goodbye waiting for concrete to cure. and Goodbye waiting for footing inspections. Goodbye old-school deck footings everywhere. OK, I don't really think standard footings are going to become a thing of the past just yet, but there's a cool new product in town that's making deck footings way faster and easier to install; it's called a Diamond Pier® Foundation System. A Diamond Pier is basically just a small piece of concrete w... 06/12/2013

The U.S. Department of Labor released its Non-Farm Payrolls and National Unemployment Rate reports Friday showing 175,000 jobs were added in May, which surpassed expectations of 164,000 new jobs and April's reading of 149,000 jobs added. The jobs added in May were largely from the private sector. However, the national unemployment rate for May was 7.60 percent, one-tenth of a percent higher than expectations and the April reading of 7.50 percent. The rise was attributed to more people entering the workforce as opposed to people losing jobs. 420,000 workers joined the workforce in May, which pushed the civilian participation rate in the labor market to 63.4 percent; the highest participation rate since October 2012. A rising participation rate suggests that more workers believe they can ... 06/11/2013

Imagine walking into your home and turning off the alarm, locking your doors, opening the windows and starting your coffee maker, all with a few taps of your finger on your smart phone? What if you had a home security camera that you could monitor from anywhere and a motion sensor that would send you an email when your kids come home from school? What if you could open your blinds or unlock your home for a visitor, even from halfway around the world? The technology that powers our home security systems is getting more and more sophisticated and in the future, our homes will be more responsive than we could ever imagine. Rather than a simple line of defense that keeps out burglars, it will be a completely integrated and custom designed automated system that responds intelligently to your... 06/07/2013

One of the important aspects of owning a home is having the knowledge of how to keep it maintained to avoid costly repairs and serious damage. Over the years weather and use will wear down both the interior and exterior of your property. If you are able to practice preventative care on your home, then you will prolong the life of all of its systems and components. At least every six months or so, you should be performing an inspection of your property so that you can ensure that it is still functioning properly and safely. What should you be looking for when it comes to preventative home maintenance? Here are a few important pointers to keep in mind: Pests and Insects: Check your home thoroughly for any insects and unwanted pests such as carpenter ants and termites. Make sure that there... 06/07/2013

One of the most common problems with decks in Minnesota is frost heave. Today I’ll explain how this works, why it matters, and what steps can be taken to help prevent damage from frost heave when building a deck. How Frost Heave Works When expansive soils freeze and expand, the earth rises. Wikipedia has a nice illustration of how this works, shown below. How much can soils heave?  It depends.  I once lived in a townhouse in Saint Louis Park with a patio that would heave about 4” during the winter; it got so bad that I could barely open my storm door during the winter. Damage Caused by Frost Heave Without a doubt, some of the worst frost heave I've come across has been here in Maple Grove. The photo below shows a Maple Grove deck that we recently inspected in the middle of an April snow... 06/05/2013