With a baby most find it fairly simple to squeeze their workout routine in either during naptime, or after baby’s bedtime. Once naptimes are cut down and bedtime comes later it may be hard to find time to get exercise on a regular basis, and likewise ensure that one stays healthy. Rather than just giving up on a regular fitness routine there are a following health and fitness tips that may help.No matter how busy your day is, you need to make time for yourself. Call it mental health time, because without it you are likely to go a bit batty. Even if you don’t use it to exercise, taking a break from your motherly duties will help you recoup, and will make you a better mom. Use it to workout, read a book, or have a hot bath.Toddlers are always busy, and sometimes the best health and fitness tips we can offer you is to try to keep up with them. Run around at the park, take them for a nature walk, or if you really want to burn some major calories and tone up muscle, put them on your back. With a comfortable backpack you can carry around your little one until they are fifty pounds.We tend to spend so much time making meals and snacks for our toddlers that we end up snatching food for ourselves that isn’t very healthy. Try having foods and snacks that are easy to make and eat at hand. Items such as carrots sticks, whole grain breads and cereals, fresh fruit and yogurt make great snacks and can serve as lunch in a pinch. So the next time you reach for the cookies, get an apple and some cheese instead
Many investors find rental income property a good way to build wealth. As an investor, it is essential to have income producing properties as part of your portfolio. The idea of owning real estate is gaining popularity as investors tire of the stock market’s volatility. However, not everyone has what it takes to be a landlord. Correctly investing in rental income properties requires an effort to acquire knowledge which is crucial to your success. Don’t be completely dependent on so-called “experts” to make decisions for you. Remember, it’s your money, not theirs. Timing is a critical component because buying in an overheated market will require a bigger potential annual return to make up for that risk. You should also have a good idea regarding how long you plan to own a rental property. The longer you plan to own the property, the more you’ll probably need to invest in maintenance, repairs and improvements. A 20 year old property will require more money to maintain then a 5 year old property. Avoiding the expense of any major improvements will naturally result in a better investment.Lenders and their requirementsDuring the last 25 years as a mortgage banker, my career has evolved around lending, underwriting and approving loans to potential clients. Lenders look at any loan as an investment and the stability of that investment and the applicant seeking financing to is part of that approval. Potential investors should understand what and how lenders look at applicants and what it means. The better your credit rating, the better the chance of having your loan approved. This translates into the less credit card and other consumer debt you have, the better your prospects for getting a decent loan. Lenders also look at the down payment towards the purchase. A bigger down payment is an indication of strength as a borrower and that is important. Lenders look favorably on a large down payment because they see you as an investor that has the resources and ability to save by properly and efficiently managing your finances since the default ratio on investment property tends to be higher. The amount of cash reserve left over after buying a property is as important as the initial down payment. Lenders need to approve the borrower as well as the investment property. Know that the property will be thoroughly scrutinized before approval is given. It is extremely important to understand the Debt Coverage Ratio (DCR). It is also known as (DSCR). Debt Service Cover Ratio is a widely used benchmark which measures an the income producing property’s ability to cover the monthly mortgage payments. A debt coverage ratio of 1 to 1 or 1.0 indicates that the income generated by a property is insufficient to cover the mortgage payments and operating expenses. A DCR of.95 indicates of a negative income. A property with a DCR of 1.25 generates 1.25 times as much annual income. Let’s use the DCR of 1.25 as an example. The property creates 25% more net operating income (NOI) than is required to cover the annual debt service. It is imperative to get a good interest rate as the interest rate has a direct impact on the DCR. Verify the current interest rate given by your local lender on a similar property prior to your purchase. Start asking you lender what they prefer to lend on in terms of the DCR and down payment. This step will alleviate most of your problems early in the process and allow you to present the proper offer to meet your lender’s requirement.OverpayingKeep in mind that profit is made when you purchase the property, not when you sell it. It is important to spend some time researching the property and the area in which you are interested in buying. The rental real estate market is generally tougher on investors who overpay for an income producing property. This is not an emotional purchase. Successful investors look strictly at the numbers to see if their investments will pay off. If you pay too much for a rental property, don’t count on getting bailed out by another fool. Some investors tend to use a single formula to analyze their purchase such as a gross multiplier (GM), Net Multiplier (NM) or cap rate (CR). Others try to estimate what the property could be worth after needed repairs and upgrades. All that is fine but it is really not enough. The truly successful investor examines all of these factors and more in order to make a correct calculation. A comprehensive assessment achieves the desired result: a clear picture of your investment. The good news is that it’s never been easier to do just that. Such products are available to help with the analysis, Smart Property Analysis (SPA) provides a comprehensive system to analyze investment property. SPA (Smart Property Analysis) @ www.gozeezo.com/SPA It is also available as an application on the I Phone. If rental income is what you seek, this program is a must have.ExpenseAnalyzing the expense of any income property is tedious and can be an inaccurate presentation. The national average operating expense in the US is approximately 40 to 45% plus or minus 2% which includes management fees, vacancy rate of 3 to 5%, operating expense, maintenance, property taxes, legal fees and so on. It is important to verify the information before you commit to the purchase of the property and all offers should be subject to proper verification and validation of the income and expense statement. If not properly verified, false information will skew the numbers and result in an incorrect analysis of the property. You also should know how repairs and improvements are treated for tax purposes. Understand that some improvements can also mean an addition to the amount you paid for the property to determine your tax basis when selling. The higher the basis, the lower your taxable profit. Any property income-expense statements prepared by the seller that typically show operating expense of around 30% or less is called the “Liar’s Statement”. An income property’s expense usually runs at 40% to 45% depending upon the age of the property. Many property buyers tend to ignore or overlook expenses such as vacancy, collection loss, managing the property (time that it takes you to manage the property has to have a value attached to it of about 6%), eviction fees, attorney cost replacement of capital such as ( water heaters, repairs, roofs), and other non common expenses. Utilize 40% to 45% as the percentage to use for calculating operating expenses, regardless of what the seller gives. Another option is to employ the percentage used by lenders in your area since it will probably be more accurate than the figures issued by the seller.InspectionAlthough property inspections are often thought of as being for owner-occupant purchasers of single-family homes, there is no reason not to use a home inspector, as well as other specialized inspectors, in the purchase of investment properties of all types. Such inspection will give you a better understanding of your potential investment. You should request a non biased third party to thoroughly inspect the property as part of your offer to purchase.ConclusionDetermining whether a property is giving you a cash flow or not depends on several factors. The seller of a particular property is not going to give you something for nothing, Investigate your options and be ready for a great ride. Most investors use appreciation to get most of the return on an investment. However, this is not the whole picture. A positive cash flow remains a priority when investing in an income producing property. Sustaining a negative cash flow for an undetermined period of time is neither safe nor smart. If investors are willing to accept a negative cash flow, then they must have better reasons to justify the negative cash. Most properties that are purchased without proper analysis will have the exact opposite effect on your cash flow and your cash will be held hostage while trying to feed that rental property. Negative cash flow properties require constant support or else will turn on you quickly. Whether you can afford the financial drain of your well earned cash depends on your ability to generate cash somewhere else. If depreciation of asset is your need to acquire the asset please note that assets depreciation is not to avoid paying taxes but a merely a deferment of the tax obligation. Upon the liquidation of your assets, all appreciation will be added back to your capital gain tax bill. Even in this depressed economy, investors stand to make good buys and profit if they are armed with the knowledge of what it takes.
Although there is what seems like an endless list of ways to earn extra money online, making money using the internet as a home-based operation is not always quick or easy. It can take a lot of dedication and hard work. Yes, you can find some quite easy jobs online to make a bit of side income, but if you really wish to make a good living from the money earned online, you will need to really put in the time and work at it.Your possible options for making money online might include working as a virtual assistant, data entry, completing offers, taking online surveys, etc. However, some of the popular and profitable options, although not the easiest ways to make money, include those mentioned below -Affiliate Marketing – making money through the various affiliate marketing networks is one of the oldest and a very effective way of earning money online. It effectively involves partnering up with an established company, from the largest marketplaces, such as Amazon and Wal-Mart to the small, one-shop independent stores, and advertising their products online. You get a commission in return for each item sold though your advertising links. Creating and marketing your own ecommerce store is often an effective way to earn using the various types of affiliate programs.eBay Selling – eBay is a vast marketplace which gives you the opportunity to sell almost anything imaginable, from new, old or re-conditioned items. A lot of people start out by selling old toys or clothes which are no longer wanted. If wishing to proceed from there, you can purchase ex-shop stock or large wholesale lots at discounted prices, which you can then sell as individual items at profit. Drop shipping items is another option, and if going this route, you won’t have to be concerned with storing stock or delivering items. A number of eBay users make a great living from home just by selling items on that website.Freelance Writing – one of the more popular methods for earning some extra cash online is by offering your writing services for a fee. If looking for a start-up opportunity without needing to invest money, then this might be it. There are literally hundreds of places online that you can go to offer and promote your writing abilities to potential clients. There is even a wide-range of websites that will pay you to writing unique content for their site. If you are a highly efficient writer then you can use this method to make some quick money online.
Whether you’re in the market for a major interior overhaul or you’re simply looking to give your home a quick and easy update, chances are you’ve spent some time online hunting for ideas and inspiration. That said, it can be pretty deflating to stumble upon a look you love only to discover the price to achieve it is well above your budget.
Fortunately, there are some killer home decorating blogs that show you how to refresh, revive, and fall in love with your home anew without breaking the bank. For a home that looks far more expensive than it costs to create, check out the following blogs for all of the interior inspiration and DIY tutorials you’ll ever need.
Welcome back to the week 5 update for the One Room Challenge. Check out the blog posts and updates for week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 if you missed them. It’s crunch time now and I’ll be honest… I don’t know that this project will be completely wrapped up for the reveal date. The great thing is the reveal and hitting a deadline is not the only goal of reason for this challenge. Ultimately having a fully functional and hopefully beautiful bathroom is where we want to end up even it things are a bit delayed.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
When we left off last time the countertops had been templated, the trim was freshly painted and the hardware had been ordered. The hardware took about 1 week to arrive. We chose the Menlo Park 4″ pull from Schlub in chrome because I think the pull has the perfect mix of square and some rounded elements that make it a great transitional hardware option. We went with all pulls for the drawers and doors since the knob option in that line weren’t our favorite.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The quartz countertops are now installed and things can be put back together. Rectangle, undercount sinks were also purchased through the fabricator. The Marble look quartz from Pental and it is gorgeous with the warm gray veins running throughout. For the edge went for a flat polish eased edge for a clean, simple look.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
Two days after the quartz countertops were installed the tile installer came back to finish up tiling the niches, installing the tile base and grout everything.
Guest Bathroom Reno: Quartz Countertops and Grout – One Room Challenge Week 5
The electoral is being relocated for the new lights. There are some drywall and painting touch ups to do and plumbing fixtures to be hooked up. Plus adding all the finishing touches ???? All those little things like towel hooks, curtain rod, and accessories will bring this whole thing together.
It’s been too long since I’ve updated and even longer since this work has been started. This is me sharing remodel updates, mostly for myself (but also for my nagging family members). I’m sharing photos of the progress that has been made while also document the craziness that has gone on. This is just the beginning of the remodel.
Prior to moving in I had 3-4 weeks where my apartment lease overlapped with the possession of my townhome. This allowed me, with the amazing help of my family, to paint, tear-out carpet and somewhat put back together the upstairs portion of my place so that I could have a clean room to put a bed. At least one that wasn’t completely torn apart. One area that felt more livable that the rest. If you haven’t seen or don’t remember these are the before photos from when I took possession. To list it out here are the main things that I was tacking during those week prior to me moving in.
Phase 1 Remodel Projects
ripping out baseboard, carpet and tack strips upstairs and preparing for new hard surface flooring. (this flooring will go throughout minus the stairs and bathrooms/laundry)
installing flooring upstairs (one of my installers did this)
mostly gutting the master bathroom
installing a new tub and rough in plumbing for the master and powder bath
ordering and installing a rift white oak vanity for the master
Painting (and priming where needed) the ceilings and walls of the bedrooms. Caulking and painting the crown molding in the master
replacing and upgrading the baseboard heater in the master and patch the drywall
painting the hallway and down through the stairwell
adding skirt board to the stairs
installing new carpet and pad on the stairs (my carpet installer from work did this)
removing upper cabinets on the fridge side in the kitchen
partially demoing the wall diving the kitchen (prepare to move switches, outlets, heater and thermostat)
removing drywall on wall next to bar in dining area
painting the downstairs powder bath and removing vanity to prepare for a new floating vanity
Those were the main projects that took place and then I moved in the day after Thanksgiving. Getting rid of the original, nasty cat carpet and new flooring made a huge difference to the upstairs. Also neutralizing and lightening the paint made things feel so much more fresh. I still have no baseboards but I’ll get on that one day! For now here are some photos that I snapped along the way.
It’s been a while since been posting on here but I have some new updates and projects that I have been working on. Last summer into fall I was house hunting while knowing the lease on my apartment would be expiring end of the 2019. It felt a little crazy but was a fun process for me. After a bunch of searching I found and closed on a new home!
I was lucky enough to have a few weeks of overlap with my apartment (I ended up moving out 1 month early) so I was able to get started on projects and updates prior to moving in. I’ll share more about those in the coming weeks (there are still so many unfinished things!) but for now I think it’s best to start with some before photos. Also, follow along on Instagram where I post current project updates more often. The pictures show it in the state I bought it in. It’s a great first place to me and was functional as-is but as you might expect I’m here to make things my own by doing updates that I will enjoy while living here and that will also add value and functionality to the space down the line when I sell… or maybe even keep it as a rental. My dog, Nova, has been enjoying the space as well ???? There are a couple of things to miss about my Bothell apartment but I am very ready to have my own place and space.
In 2017 the guest bathroom was remodeled. You can see more photos and read about that here. Almost everything came out and all new things went back in. From emails and comments people have been asking for sources so I have rounded up what I could in this post to share paint colors, products and links that I could find for the bathroom.
Bathroom Sources and Details:
Wall color: BM Balboa Mist
Trim and door color: BM Chantilly Lace
Floor Tile: Pental Mark Chrome 12×24 matte
Shower tile: Jeffrey Court Weather Gray 4×12 gloss subway
Niche tile: Daltile clio mosaic
Bathtub: Maax Rubix tub
Cabinet: Spencer Cabinets – painted BM Cape May Cobblestone
Countertop: Pental Quartz Misterio polished 3cm
Cabinet hardware: Schaub Menlo Park Pull in chrome
Faucets: Hansgrohe Metris single handle in chrome
Shower trims: Kohler slide bar kit, wall mount supply and Hansgrohe tub spout in chrome
Mirrors: Homegoods
Towel Hooks: Delta Tolva robe hook in chrome