So, I’m 5 months into homeownership and my “To Do” list has somehow expanded as quickly as waistlines in the winter. I’ve had to learn to be realistic and learn to “trim the fat,” so to speak. Having been spoiled for years as a renter, I’m now realizing that changing the air filter, seasonal pest control, winterizing the doors and windows, putting those cover jobbies on the crawlspace vents, etc are responsibilities that now rest squarely on my shoulders. Not that I wasn’t aware of those responsibilities, I just didn’t realize how time-consuming it can become when the list begins to expand. I’ve had to learn to prioritize and make time for those pressing matters and schedule far in advance the seasonal things before they creep up on me. As for responsibilities, general maintenance seems lightweight in comparison to being a landlord.

The thought of my roommate no longer being just my roommate, but my renter can sometimes be a taxing proposition. Not that our relationship as friends has suddenly become more formal, but I’m now realizing that as my tenant her reasonable enjoyment and standard of living are my responsibility, as far as the roof over her head goes. If my water-heater goes out, I might be able to live for some time with cold water until I can get it fixed or work out some other solution. However, with a renter, I’m not the only one to consider. With her living under my roof, as my tenant, I’m now saddled with the responsibility of fulfilling contractual obligation to my tenant. As our agreement states

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Whether you are selling your home or staying put, chances are you have (or will have) a small space on your hands. Most of us are not lucky enough to have walk-in closets the size of kitchens, so what’s a girl (or boy) to do? Below are my top 5 tricks to making any room feel more spacious!

1. Large artwork will make small rooms appear bigger, so skip the random hanging of small prints and go for one sofa-sized painting or blow up a photograph using a site like Photogonia.
2. Monochromatic color schemes can be your best friend, especially when staging a home to sell. Using many different colors causes the eye to jump around and can visually break up a room. A monochromatic scheme (the use of various shades of the same color) encourages an ebb and flow appearance and makes even dark, small rooms less claustrophobic. For example, a bedroom could be visually enlarged by using a khaki-colored carpet, beige bedding and a neutral paint on walls (try Sherwin Williams’ ‘Trusty Tan’ or ‘Macadamia’).
3. Speaking of paint, a ceiling that is painted lighter than the walls

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I was driving down the road the other day with a friend of mine when I had one of my sudden, spastic “Oh crap, I forgot to…” moments.  It’s usually a quasi-voluntary reaction that often comes without explanation to those around.  This generally contributes to the hypothesis that I’m crazy.  Anyway, enough about my eccentricities, that’s a blog entry for another day.

My friend asked me what my little knee jerk was all about.  When I explained that I had forgotten to go to the Nichols Hills Town Hall on the 4th to file my homestead exemption he seemed confused.  My friend has owned his home for a few years and had never heard of the homestead exemption.  If he didn’t know what it means, I wonder how many others don’t know.  So, here’s an explanation in my own words:

A homestead exemption is basically a coupon for $1,000 off the assessed value of your home.  This can save you around $100 off your annual tax bill depending on the valuation of your home.  A hundred bucks may not seem like much, but hey, it’s dinner for you and 3 friends.  If you own more than one property, homestead can only be filed on your primary residence.  You only have to file once, unless you change your deed, or change your primary residence.  So, if you purchased a house in 2009 you have until March 15th to file for a discount on this year’s tax bill.  If it’s received after that date, it will kick in next year.  Either way, it’s not a bad return for 10 minutes of filling out a form.  There are other discounts available for those with low incomes as well.  Check with the Assessor’s Page for more information.

Happy Homeowning!

Fallon Brooks is the keeper of one mortgage and two cats… an avid tweeter, who bought her first home October 2009 and enjoys sharing what she learns with other soon-to-be home owners.

Unless you live under a rock (a well decorated one since you read Back Talk’s blog religiously!), you are no doubt being inundated with calls to make New Year’s Resolutions. Personally, I’ve never been a fan. Why make positive changes in your life just one time a year? But the call to action does have its benefits for homeowners who will be using January to kick off long-awaited projects. For my household, that means installing new trim and crown moulding. For you, the job may be much smaller or much more grand; either way, there has never been a better time to start creating a new look for your home. Why? Motivation is at an all-time high in January for everything from weight loss to quitting smoking. Why not use this universal momentum to get the master bedroom repainted? Additionally, prices on the items you will need for your home’s new look will be deliciously discounted as retailers try to make up for decreased profits during the holiday season. This is also the time of year when many home furnishings stores clearance out their inventory to make room for shipments that will soon arrive from market.

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So as a first time homeowner, I have been learning how much things really cost. When I bought my home just a couple of months ago, I had this grandiose plan to gut the kitchen and put in granite countertops and all new appliances. I also planned to eventually put in new windows throughout the house. I had a lot of great plans, until I started to really put pen to paper and realize the real cost of my plans. When buying your first home it’s important to understand what the real, long term cost of your project is. For me, living in the house for a period of time, I’ve really begun to understand the nature of my neighborhood. Most of the homes in my neighborhood are not owner occupied, so to sink thousands into my kitchen would be a moot point. It’s always possible to overdo it with the renovations. Realistically, I should stick to mostly minor cosmetic changes in order to make the maximum profit when I sell later on.

So now my plans have changed to simply refacing the kitchen cabinets and installing new countertops and tile. It’s about 25% of the price of installing completely new cabinets: a price that’s appropriate for my neighborhood, and my house. So, in keeping with my newly laid out plan I’ve stuck to minor changes. For example,

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With networks such as TLC  and HGTV shoving DIY projects down our throats every hour of every day, one may easily be swept into the apparent charm of it all: “We made this tiny bathroom a master suite in 2 days with $500!” Every time I hear such claims on TV I want to yell into the unresponsive appliance, “Deceit! Deceit!”

Here’s the thing. As a professional interior decorator, my calendar stays full because people do not want to do it themselves, so I can’t speak against the movement entirely. What I can say is that more often than not my new clients come to be because they tried to do it themselves and they weren’t armed before jumping in with both feet. What the cameras don’t show is the number of behind-the-scenes craftsmen working on the project long after the TV personalities have gone home. They don’t tell you that many of the products purchased were done so at a large dicount or even donated by sponsors. They often won’t tell viewers if any money and time was required at any point to fix a mistake (as often happens during any given project).

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As you’re reading this I’ve been in my new house somewhere in the neighborhood of six weeks, and well, the honeymoon is over.  I’ve made quite a few changes, including: peeling enough layers of wallpaper to cover the White House, re-texturing the walls, painting every room, replacing nearly every single light fixture, installing a new front entry door, and replacing doorknobs one by one.

I’ve learned that a little corner of wallpaper sticking up can lead to another to do on the list.

It’s turning out beautifully.  While home ownership is by far the most rewarding thing I’ve put my heart (and wallet) to, the lessons learned have been manifold.

A few of my favorites:

• The day I shut off power to the entire house when I removed an old switch panel.  I was informed the switches had been bypassed when the new electrical panel had been added.  Wrong.  Luckily, I’m pretty calm under pressure and I’m not afraid to learn the hard way.  I rewired it in and voila! The lights came back on (it only took me four hours in the dark to figure it out).
• Just last week, my stove decided to breathe it’s last while I was preparing dinner for guests.
• About a week later, my refrigerator decided to take a vacation as well.

None of these compare to the sewer line incident. Somewhere in the middle of the third week in the new house, my sewer line backed up into my bathtub.  Stop. Soak that in. 

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If you’re like most people these days you love the idea of having a beautifully designed home for the holidays but a shortage of time (and patience) keeps your sugar-plum dreams at bay year after year.

DESIGNING DIVA INTERIORS KNOWS HOLIDAY DECORATING.

I also know that whether you’re selling your home or staying put this winter, the right decor makes all the difference. If your home is on the market, turning the residence  into Santa’s workshop is not something I would encourage.  And even if you’re comfy cozy and not going anywhere this winter, choosing the right decor is still important.

As with your year-round furnishings, you want your holiday adornments to

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Thanks to the first-time home buyer tax credit, first-timers everywhere are clamoring to get their closing date set before the November 30th deadline. As a first-time home buyer, the buying process was a big enough stressor for me, but actually filing for the credit can seem almost as confusing as understanding all those closing documents. Have no fear, It’s actually a pretty simple process and should only require about an hour of your time. You can choose to file for the tax credit on your 2009 taxes, or you can amend your 2008 taxes and get your refund a little faster, here’s how:

First, fill out form 5405.

Don’t let all the tax jargon and instructions fool you, read the instructions carefully. There’s not much clarity on what to send in with the 5405 Form, so I’ll break it down for you.

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Thinking of making some improvements to your home?

Making the right ones might yield you some big savings on Uncle Sam’s dime.

Truth is, going green is a matter of the heart for some, but for most, it’s a matter of the wallet.

Whether you’re going green, or getting green, you might be wondering what rebates and tax credits are currently available?