After all of the excitement of the holidays, the sparkle of the lights and the overstimulation of decorations, the rest of winter can seem lackluster. Don’t let your home add to the dreariness of the season. Spruce up your curb appeal with the tips below and inspire your neighbors to create well-groomed street that will make driver’s passing through smile.

Tend The Plants
If you’re currently located in a winter wonderland, then dig up any dead plants that won’t grow back. Replace them with cold-loving flowers, such as snowberry or lambs ear. In warmer climates, this is the time for any landscaping changes you’d like to make. It will give your plants a chance to flourish by spring and have solid roots before the harsh heat of summer.

Light The Way
With…

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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in the news quite a bit over the past few years, so it’s a good time to do a refresher on who they are and what role they play in the Santa Cruz real estate market.

Who Are Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac?
Fannie Mae is the Federal National Mortgage Association. Freddie Mac is the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. They were originally created to raise homeownership levels and increase the availability of affordable housing.

Fannie and Freddie don’t sell mortgages directly to homeowners. They buy mortgages from lenders, so the lenders can use the money to issue new home mortgages.

In 2008, due to mismanagement resulting in billions of dollars of losses, Fannie and Freddie were taken over by the government.

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Have you made it your New Year’s resolution to find that perfect Santa Cruz home for you and your family? You might have thought that you needed to wait until spring to start house shopping, but the fact is that January is a great time to begin. Put on your winter jacket and get out there while the leftovers from the New Year’s party are still in the fridge – you’ll have the upper hand.

House hunting in January offers a number of advantages that will work in your favour. Here are some of the main reasons

Busy Social Calendars
First of all, most other people will be busy with parties, holidays and getting back to work after Christmas and they won’t want to venture out in the cold weather to go look at houses– so there will be fewer competition when…

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While the winter season isn’t necessarily the best time to list your home for sale, there are a few advantages. Fewer people want deal with the hassle of keeping their houses in order for showings this time of year, which means there will be less competition. So take advantage of the lagging market and implement the tips below to help sell your home this winter.

Price It Fairly
Buyers who are searching for a home during the busy holiday season are serious about finding a new place to live. So if you price your home fairly, a determined buyer will sniff out the deal quickly and be offering a bid before you know it.

Hire A Professional Photographer
Redfin posted last month “that homes with listing photos taken with DSLR cameras sell for $3,400 to…

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Your Santa Cruz home is your castle and its decor is a unique artistic expression of your tastes and aesthetic. In order to keep your home decor looking fresh and up to date rather than stale, it’s important to pay attention to the trends as they shift and change. This is especially important if you are selling your home, because outdated décor can make a negative first impression on the buyer. 

If you are planning to redecorate this year, what are the hottest trends when it comes to home décor in 2014?

A Breath Of Fresh Air
Benjamin Moore Paints has announced their 2014 Color of the Year, which is a powdery sky blue hue called “Breath of Fresh Air”. It’s a gentle pastel colour that works well with neutrals such as brown, grey and white and can also…

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One of the challenges you will face when deciding how much money to put down on your new home is whether to put down a larger down payment or to take a bit of money from your down payment and use it to pay "discount points" to lower your interest rate. There are pros and cons to doing both and each borrowers’ situation will be different so it's important to understand which option is best for your individual need.

Some factors you should consider include:

• Cost of borrowing - generally speaking, to lower your interest rate will mean you pay a premium. Most lenders will charge as much as one percent (one point) on the face amount of your loan to decrease your mortgage interest rate. Before you agree to pay discount points, you need to calculate the…

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Did you know that, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 10% of air leaks out of the average house through the windows? Also, an estimate by Energy Star states that homeowners could save an annual 7-15% on their energy bills by replacing their own windows with more efficient models.

If you live in an old home, it might not be possible to replace all of the windows in your home. However, there are still many simple and cheap things that you can do that will help to insulate your windows.

Apply Rubber Weather Sealing
At your local hardware store you will be able to find some inexpensive strips of rubber weather sealing that is self adhesive. You can cut a long strip down to fit your window and then peel it off and stick it to the frame in order…

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Interest rates fluctuate frequently, often depending on the news. If you are considering refinancing your Santa Cruz home, your loan officer may suggest locking in the interest rate on your loan. There are some valid reasons why this is a good idea including:

Saving Money Over The Long-term
Over the life of a loan, an increase of as little as one-quarter of a percent can cost thousands of extra dollars. Spending a small amount of money now to lock in a rate can save money over the life of the loan. Your loan officer will explain the difference in rate increases initially, over a year and over the life of the loan.

You May Not Qualify At Higher Rates
Whether you are considering refinancing your property or you are buying a new home, you may discover…

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Putting your home on the market during the holiday season might seem like you’re just inviting stress and frustration to come knocking on your door. However, December is a great time to sell because there are few homes on the market, buyers are serious and your house will be decorated to look nice and cozy. With the tips below, you can get your home ready to sell and ensure important family time by having the kids help out.

Hire A Real Estate Agent
Employing a professional will allow you to unload the worries that come along with selling a home. Your real estate agent will burden the pressure — and work — of finding the perfect buyer for your home. This will free up your time to enjoy the season with your family.

Get The Kids Involved
With your house…

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It’s that time of year again when the weather outside gets frightful but the holiday cheer is delightful. You’ve probably got a lot on your mind during these busy winter months, but make sure that you don’t neglect the roof of your [City] home. Taking care of your roof is an important part of home maintenance and you don’t want to suffer a leak or any other problem during the cold months. 

So how can you make sure that Santa and his sleigh have a solid and well maintained landing pad when they touch down at your house this year? Here are some tips that every homeowner should know:

Check Out Your Gutters
Your gutters are an important part of your roof, because they allow water to flow away from the roof surface before it causes rot and damage. During…

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