TOP 5 EASIEST FOODS TO GROW AT HOME

Top 5 Easiest Foods to Grow at Home

Want to join the grow-your-own food movement but just don’t know where to start? Why not begin with foods that are nearly fail-proof? Here are my top 5 foods to grow at home whether you have a lot of space or just a sunny window. A spot with six hours or more of sunlight is all you need to Do Your Part for fresher foods.

1) Tomatoes
Did you know that tomatoes are the most popular piece of produce to grow at home? Besides being delicious, tomatoes are fairly simple to grow. There are thousands of varieties to choose from. You can grow tomatoes in containers, raised garden bed, upside down, or in a traditional garden.

2) Herbs
Talk about instant gratification! Herbs are fast growing so you can experience their flavors in no time. Herbs such as parsley, mint, basil, chives, and more can be grown in a sunny window indoors. They also thrive outdoors in containers and are attractive when mixed with potted flowers.

3) Lettuce
Lettuce will get you the biggest bang for your buck plus it’s super simple to grow. Think about it. If you spend a couple bucks to plant lettuce, you’ll make that money back the first time you make a salad from your garden. Lettuce is a cool season crop and needs just six inches of soil to grow.

4) Strawberries
Strawberries are the perfect fruit to grow at home and will return year after year without a whole lot of work. Just remember a few things with strawberries. They need regular watering and fresh fertilizer every few weeks. Strawberries grow best in the spring or late fall.

5) Peas & Beans
There are many options when it comes to peas and beans. Think green beans, snow peas, sugar peas, wax beans, and so many more. Peas are a cool season crop and most bean varieties are warm season crops but both grow on vines. This makes them perfect for a small space because you can train them to grow up a trellis, stakes and string, or a fence.

There are many reasons to grow foods at home. You’ll know exactly what went into growing them and you’ll be saving money—all at the same time. But best of all are the tasty rewards enjoyed with family and friends.

 Reshared by Michelle Cannon

Cannon Realty & Associates

BE A GREEN BEACH BUM THIS SUMMER!

Be a Green Beach Bum this Summer

Are you one of millions who will enjoy some of the summer sun at the beach? Did you know that some of the choices we make at home and while on vacation can actually contaminate the very same waters we can’t wait to get in? Do Your Part and become a greener beach bum this year.

It All Starts at Home
Even if you live hundreds and hundreds of miles away from the beach, you could still be polluting our oceans. That’s because what you let go down the drain, or put on your lawn and garden can actually wind up in the ocean. So what’s a beach lover to do? First, don’t let household hazardous waste get in our water supply. It could be by keeping motor oil out of storm drains, properly disposing of our pets’ waste, and making sure grease doesn’t go down the sink. All those things lead to contamination in our waterways. Excess nutrients are another major source of contamination. When we use too much fertilizer on our yard, the excess is picked up by stormwater runoff and dumped right into our waterways. This nutrient overload causes algae to bloom which removes oxygen from the water. That literally chokes the life from vital water creatures that help improve the water’s quality.

Be Informed About Your Beach
Do you know how dirty—or clean—your favorite beach is? You might feel a little seasick once you find out how your beach ranks in terms of water quality. High amounts of bacterial pollution actually accounted for more than 24,000 beach closings and advisories in 2010. Bacterial pollution in our beach waters is a major health concern because it can give swimmers everything from pink eye to hepatitis. Keep track of what is going on at your vacation destination by checking out the National Resource Defense Council’s updated guide or the EPA’s online quality reports.

Take Care while You’re There
Taking care of our beautiful beaches doesn’t end once we arrive. My beach trick is to pack a picnic basket for my family. I fill it with snacks in reusable containers and reusable water bottles. When we’re done for the day, I toss it all back in the basket and bring it back home. No need to worry about taking items to the trash or leaving them behind. If you must go the disposable route, find cutlery and cups made from recycled plastic. The critical thing is that all the items get disposed of properly and nothing winds up in the water where it can hurt marine life and water quality.

A beach vacation can be a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of the real world. Make sure you Do Your Part before you go and while you’re there to keep our water clean and healthy. It’s good for you, your family, and our planet.

Reshared by Michelle Cannon
Cannon Realty & Associates

COST-EFFICIENT WAYS TO IMPROVE HOME VALUE!

Cost-Efficient Ways to Improve Home Value

When it comes to reselling your property, you might find yourself scrambling to figure out what you can do to improve home value in the eyes of others. Unfortunately, a number of the home improvements you make to your home don’t even come close to increasing the value of your home enough to make up for what you spent.

Here’s a great home construction remodeling tip; instead of focusing on huge, expensive improvements to your home, consider small, simple ways to improve the appeal of your home, and increase what you can get for it as you try to sell.

Simple, Inexpensive Ways to Boost Curb Appeal

One of the best things you can do when it comes to boosting your home’s resale value, and encouraging potential buyers to feel good about your home, is to improve the curb appeal. Your home makes a first impression, and the way it looks when others pull up has a big impact on the perception of value. Your home is more likely to sell at a higher price if the first impression is one that encourages the thought that your home is really worth something.

You can boost your home’s curb appeal with a few simple and inexpensive home renovations:

• Neaten the yard: Keep the lawn mowed and cared for. Pull weeds. Trim the hedges. Plant a few flowers. Remove trash and toys.
• Add some paint: If you have a fence, touch up the paint. If the exterior looks dingy, pressure-wash the exterior, repaint, or update the siding (although doing the siding can get expensive).
• Replace the front door: According to Remodeling Magazine, you will recoup the entire cost (less than $1,300) of replacing your front door. Plus, it gives the home a neater, newer look when you have a new front door.

You’ll be amazed at what you can do with a little elbow grease to improve the look of your exterior.

Improve the Interior

Make small changes to the interior can also help. Have the carpets deeply cleaned. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do it yourself, hire someone to come and clean your carpet. It’s worth it to provide that clean look.

You can also add new paint to the walls. Clean scuffs off baseboards and touch up the paint. Try to avoid garish colors as you redo the paint, since you will be more likely to get more for your money with neutral colors.

Some areas where a cheap home upgrades can stand out are in the kitchens and bathrooms. You don’t have to go whole hog, but replacing old cabinets (or at least re-staining them) can help breathe fresh life into the kitchen. New tile around the tub, or a new sink, in the bathrooms can also make a difference. Small ways to improve the look of your kitchen and bathroom can go a long way toward increasing the chances of selling your home in a timely manner, and for a better price.

And, of course, when you are ready to sell, consider staging your home. A professional may cost some money, but staging your home in a way that makes it look spacious and inviting can help you sell faster, and increase the chances that you will get what you want.

Reshared by Michelle Cannon
Cannon Realty & Associates

CONSIDERING A LOAN MODIFICATION: THE LEGAL RAMIFICATION

Considering a Loan Modification: The Legal Ramification

Imagine this! You purchased your home and have been making your payments diligently every month for the last 4 years. The real estate market value in your area has dropped and you find yourself “upside down” in your loan. (You owe the bank more than what your home is worth). You also find out that the adjustable rate mortgage loan you obtained when you purchased your home has now kicked in and your mortgage payments will rise significantly. You’re afraid because you can’t afford the new monthly payments.

So what’s your next move? You can’t sell the home because no-one wants to purchase in your neighborhood additionally, you have no emergency funds to relocate. So you recently read an article about loan modifications where your lender will lower your monthly payments to an amount you can afford and you think you are saved. Unfortunately it’s not quite that simple.

There are legal ramifications to negotiating a loan modification with your lender. First and foremost most lenders will make you go through the process of proving to them that you can no longer make your payments because of financial hardships or other unexpected circumstances. If you obtained your loan through a “stated income” or “no doc”loan program more, then it’s likely your mortgage broker or lender slightly exaggerated your income to get you the best deal in the first place . Well now you’re going to have to provide your lender with hard proof that you can no longer make your payments which would include but is not limited to (Bank statements, pay stubs, tax returns, etc.) If it turns out that these documents don’t coincide with what you claimed on your loan application, this could possibly raise a red flag.

Secondly, your lender is most likely going to give you a trial loan modification for say 3 -5 months. This is where they agree to take a lower payment for a few months to see if you will keep your word and are able to make payments on the remainder of the loan. The problem with this is now your loan is being reported as delinquent (since you are not making your full payment on time). This now puts your home in a state of technical default. This means the lender can, at any time during the loan modification process, still elect to foreclose on your home even if you are making the trial payments they requested. Additionally, after this trial period ends the lender can still deny your request for a loan modification. Now not only are you upside down on your home but you are in default as well.

Another legal ramification is you give up many of your rights and protections by accepting the loan modification. Going into default will effect your credit and even your ability to sell your property. Your lender may require you to pay them any profit you make from the sale or repay the amounts that were deducted from your payments. They may also demand a restriction be placed on the loan modification that prevents you from selling the property for a number of years.

A loan modification can only help you if it is for an extended term (say 30 years) with a fixed payment. But be sure to read all of the fine print in the disclosures your lender requires you to sign. The legal ramification of your loan modification could cause you to end up just paying your lender to rent your own home for a few months before they take it away from you.

TIPS FOR MAINTAINING INTERNET SAFETY IN YOUR HOME!

8 common sense tips for maintaining a safe Internet environment in your home.

1. Discussion. Discussion. Discussion.

Parents must have a good sense about what's going on in their kids' online worlds. Since Facebooking has become a daily routine for kids, it needs to be part of the daily conversation. The more open you are with your kids and facilitate a safe and non-judgmental environment for conversation, the more likely they are to tell you if they come across an issue. While the idea of openness and parenting sometimes seem like they shouldn't go together, imagine this: do you want to talk about things at the dining room table in a calm atmosphere or after something forces the issue?

2. Keep the Computer in a Common Area

Laptops, smart phones, and tablets have allowed us to overlook the cardinal rule of kids on the Internet-keep the communication vehicles in a common area where parents can monitor websites and time allocated to Internet activity. Making them mobile makes it even more difficult to monitor and manage. We all grew up without access to the Internet on our phones and still managed to survive. Your kids can too.

3. Manners for Texting, E-Mailing or Chatting Online

As you do in other aspects of your child's life, set the expectations for manners and appropriate behavior in their digital world. Coach them to be respectful and to think carefully before they put their thoughts into written words. Remember, typed communications are not the same as verbal communications. Typed communications can easily be forwarded along to others and can last forever.

4. Understand the Privacy Settings of Social Media Sites

While privacy settings can sometimes be difficult to find and hard to navigate, understanding the privacy settings can save you time and heartache down the road. They control what information people can and can't see and what information is sent out upon posting. Be certain that any settings are set to your preferences. Also remember that Facebook prohibits children under the age of 13 from even having a Facebook account.

5. Posting Pictures -- Interpretation is in the Mind of the Beholder

A picture posted online is not private. A photo sent between cell phones is not private. Make sure that your children are aware that mistakes do happen and so-called private messages go public, or that sometimes people you trust make mistakes in judgment. Once a photo hits Facebook it can be downloaded and reposted across the entire web within hours. Explain that on the Internet, nothing is really ever gone, and the consequences of an immature decision will be viewable for years to come.

6. Kids and Adults should not be Friends

You and your kids should be connected in social media so you can monitor their behavior. However, you may need to be careful with their connections to other adults because of the adult content that person and their friends can bring to your kids' social networks.

7. Teach children what to do if they get an offensive or threatening IM, e-mail, or chat room post

According to the National Crime Prevention Center, in 2010 over 40% of children were the victim of an online bully. Of that number, 90% never discussed the situation with their parents. The more conversations you have with your kids about what occurs online, the more likely they will be to talk to you about what's going on. Take every opportunity to teach them how to manage themselves in confusing situations.

8. If Your Child Has A Social Media Account, They Are At Risk.

No one can hide on the Internet. A social media account means that a child's personal information is available in a search engine. Be certain that content is managed appropriately. Performing a Google search every once in a while may be a good idea to make sure that you're aware of your kids' online presence.

Do You Know What HAMP Is And Who HARP Is?

73% of Consumers Don’t Know what a HAMP is and who an HARP is?

It doesn’t matter that the Obama Administration recently enhanced leading government programs to bail out more underwater homeowners and save others from foreclosure. Most consumers don’t even know these programs exist.

Nearly 73 percent of a group of Americans said they’d never heard of the two primary programs in the Obama Administration’s Making Home Affordable initiative – the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) –according to a survey by Survey Sampling International.

Recently updated to help additional millions of homeowners, the federal programs help make housing more affordable through mortgage modifications and special refinanced home loans, in both cases to bring down the cost of housing and help avoid foreclosure.

The study also found a large majority of those surveyed, more than 62 percent, unaware of new government programs that make home buying more affordable.

Since the housing crash, to make home buying more affordable, the federal government has cranked out a host of programs.

The Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Office of Veterans Affairs (VA), and even the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development program have all offered new or updated affordable home buying programs.

Rob Wyse, the spokesman for FreeScore.Com, which commissioned the survey, said the results could have been different if all those polled were homeowners or home buyers.

Wyse said the home ownership status of those surveyed is not known. Home ownership status was not a qualifying factor for the 300 Americans polled. Aged 18 to 65, they were randomly selected after they opted in to sit on the panel.

“If I did this study again, the first question I’d ask is ‘Are you in the market for a home.’ It’s like buying a car. You aren’t really aware of what’s in a car unless you are ready to buy a car,” Wyse said.

“A lot of people go shopping for homes and they don’t know their credit scores,” he added.

What is ‘HAMP,’ ‘HARP?’

• Available through Dec. 31, 2013, HAMP offers mortgage modifications for qualified homeowners with first and second mortgages and for qualified investors.

A mortgage modification occurs when the lender reworks the terms of an existing home loan, typically to lower payments and make the home more affordable. To get the payment down, mortgage modification lenders lower the interest rate, extend the loan term, reduce the principal or use any combination of those approaches.

• Also available through 2013, HARP allows qualifying homeowners to refinance Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac home loans to lower rates even if they owe more than the home is worth.

A refinance trades in an old mortgage for a new one and that can be a good deal with today’s lower rates. CoreLogic estimates more than 22 percent of homeowners nationwide are“underwater” owing more than their property is worth due, in part, to fast declining real estate values during the crash and buyers who over-leveraged their home buying deal before the crash.

10 TIPS TO A GREEN KITCHEN

10 Tips to a Green Kitchen

1. Use Healthy Eco-Friendly Cleaners
Many common household products contain toxins that could be affecting your family's health. Buying natural safe cleaning products will help eliminate any risk of unnecessary toxins in your home.

2. Curb Paper Towel and Napkin Use
2.5 million tons of paper towels fill up landfills annually. A great solution is to buy a set of cloth rags, bar towels and fabric napkins to wash and reuse. It may be an added expense up front, but it will pay off in the end.

3. Replace Antibacterial Hand Soaps
Studies have shown that antibacterial soaps are no more effective than simple soap and water. Antibacterial soaps can lead to stronger strains of bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics.

4. Plastic--- Just Say No!
The Wall Street Journal reported that Americans go through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually and making these bags requires an estimated 12 million barrels of oil. To reduce plastic bag consumption, use alternative options such as; reusable bags, paper bags, or even, no bag at all!

5. Replace the Sponge!
Sponges are bacteria incubators. Although a sponge seems like a great cleaning tool, it may not be the healthiest solution. Replace your sponge with dish rags!

6. Create a Recycling and Compost System
If you don't recycle, the best way to get into the habit is to set up a simple system. Get a second trash can for inside your home and put it next to the trash can and label it recycling. If you are ready to take it a step further, composting is a great way to turn your waste into soil like material that can be used in your lawn and garden.

7. Replace Nonstick Cookware
Nonstick cookware releases toxins when over high heat, has a short life-span (nonstick coating usually wears out in a year or two) and the nonstick coating can scratch off into food. Healthy alternatives include stainless steel, iron, copper and glass.

8. Buy In Bulk
Buying in bulk means less packaging and fewer trips to the store. You’ll also benefit from financial savings!

9. Update Kitchen Lighting
Kitchen lights are some of the most frequently used lights in the home. Energy efficient lights may be a high upfront cost but they use 75% less energy, generate 70% less heat and last up to 10 times longer.

10. Buy ENERGY STAR Appliances
If you are in the market for new appliances, choose one that has been proved more energy efficient. Many old appliances use a lot of unnecessary energy.