Texas Hill Country Ranches

West of Austin and north/northwest of San Antonio lies the Texas Hill Country, true to its namesake with rolling hills and deep valleys. Settled in the 1800s, the Hill Country offers a diverse yet rural population who enjoy living the way things used to be. Many of the early settlers were liberal minded Germans who were fleeing after the Revolution of 1848 and with them they brought Old World tastes and traditions that one can enjoy by pulling into town. Towns like Fredericksburg offer beer gardens, markets and restaurants that celebrate this diverse populace. Their stalwart rock homes of the 1800s pepper the countryside and it's much en vogue in recent years to restore these old settlements. Many of the ranch owners can trace back to these settlers and can be seen working their fields and livestock during the day and enjoying the fine dining in the evenings, true of so many of the small towns that bustle with energy. This energy has supported the establishment of extensive wineries across the region known as the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail, leading the New York Times to rank the Hill Country as the #1 travel destination and comparing it to Tuscany and the south of France. The Texas Hill Country has also been named the fastest growing wine destination by travel site away.com.

The richness in culture, heritage and Old World charm is unique in that it is only minutes from two of the largest cities in Texas: San Antonio and Austin. In fact, many CEOs and businessmen now call their ranches home and commute to their jobs in the city. Many of the area's most impressive architecture lies in the mansions and compounds built on Hill Country ranches. Local airports and landing strips make it possible for the who's who to live comfortably amongst the grand landscapes and clear, spring-fed rivers. This easy proximity to town is also the reason for the Hill Country and the ranches therein becoming fodder for recreation rather than actual ranching. Streams have been developed into large lakes for fishing and boating, exotics have been imported from Asia and Africa and hunting has become big business.

The region is exceptional for children and many children's camps have supplied the fantastic memories that feed the urge for many of these CEOs turned ranchers and city dwellers turned country-folk to have made the transition. Second only to Florida for retirees, Texas can thank the Hill Country for providing a safe-haven for everlasting youth, vigor and happiness that can only be found in the beautiful foothills and lush valleys of this spectacular region.

John Nisbet is a third generation ranch ranch broker with Nisbet Ranch Sales, LLC living in San Antonio, Texas and specializing in Texas Hill Country ranches.

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Kissimmee, Florida: Real Estate and a Little History

Kissimmee, Florida

The village of Kissimmee(pronounced "kiss- emmy) is linked to one of Florida's least-known tribes, the Jororo Tribe. Other names through the years were Atissimi, Jizimi and Tisimi. In 1752, a Spanish map called this area "Cacema" which eventually became known as "Kissimmee."

First founded in the mid-19th century as Allendale, it became "Kissimmee" when it was incorporated in 1883. A man by the name of Hamilton Disston started a two-million acre drainage operation. Mr. Disston contracted with the State of Florida to drain the southern lands of Florida. This deal made Disston the largest single landowner in the United States. The business progressed to develop a steamboat industry which transported people and goods along the newly developed waterways. At the same time, the South Florida Railroad came into being and extended travel from Sanford, Florida to Kissimmee making Kissimmee a transportation hub for Central Florida. On February 12, 1885, the Florida Legislature incorporated the "Kissimmee City Street Railway."

By 1950, Kissimmee had a population of 4,310. Citrus and ranching were the mainstay businesses. By 1971, Walt Disney World opened and created the current tourism industry and cattle ranching was replaced for the most part. In southern Osceola County, there are still a few ranches remaining, but tourism has become the #1 industry in the area.

Today, the City of Kissimmeehas a population of about 62,632. From its meager beginnings, the area has grown in leaps and bounds. There are two major hospitals in the area (Florida Hospital Kissimmee and Osceola Regional Medical Center) as well as two other major medical centers in Orlando, short drive north. Nearby and recently opened is the UCF Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona, a state-of-the-art complex for medical and biomedical education and research center. This medical community is building a strong partnership with the surrounding medical and local community. The developing life sciences community at Lake Nona will transform the Central Florida economy. By 2017, UCF is expected to create more than 30,000 jobs and have a projected annual economic impact of $7.6 billion.

Kissimmee is also the spring-training home of the Houston Astros where they practice at the Osceola County Stadium. Numerous amateur baseball teams play at the stadium as well as the Triple Crown Sports, World Baseball Federation and Promotion Sports. Since 1994, the Jim Evan's Academy of Professional Umpiring is also located in the stadium. There are 18 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, and 7 high schools in the Kissimmee area. One of the high schools offers the International Baccalaureate Program. There are 3 private schools. The Osceola Campus of Valencia State Collegeis located nearby as well as Florida Christian College.

Homes range from $103,981 to $210,446. The Atlantic Ocean (including Daytona Beach) is about 50 miles east of Kissimmee. Other attractions are the new Amway Center, home of the Orlando Magic. Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World are also a short drive from Kissimmee. There is always something to do in Central Florida.

Looking for a safe, secure place to live that is near everything, visit Kissimmee Florida soon. There is something for everybody.

-Andy C Rivera-bjk

Note this is an original article that was posted on our website favoritebroker.com

Call us today at: 407- 252-5526. At Infinity Real Estate Group, we can help you with finding a Kissimme home or selling a Kissimmee home. When you call Infinity you get professional full service treatment from your search to your closing.

Our home site is: http://www.favoritebroker.com/

Kissimmee, Florida homes for sale: http://www.favoritebroker.com/results.aspx?keyword=kissimmee

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Why Moving To Toronto's Leaside Neighbourhood Is A Good Idea

This Toronto neighbourhood is named after the first family who arrived in the area. In 1819, the Lea family left Lancashire, England, and arrived in what is now known as Leaside. When John Lea Sr. passed away in 1854, his son William Lea built an octagonal home on the acreage, and he named it Leaside.

The Ontario and Quebec Railway purchased a few acres from William Lea for the line to Peterborough, and Ottawa. The junction that's now used today for the residents was originally built in 1894! The Ontario and Quebec Railway was later purchased by the Canadian Pacific, and this is when the neighbourhood became a name and location on the Toronto map. The Leaside Station was Toronto's busiest station for the next 75 years.

In 1927, the Leaside Viaduct (a high level bridge) was built across the Don Valley. After the bridge, an underpass was built below the Canadian Pacific Railway. Finally the construction of residential houses took place from 1930's and continued to the 1950's.

In 1967, the Leaside area first joined with the East York community, and became the Borough of East York. In 1997, this entire area joined the City of Toronto, allowing Toronto become the megacity it is today. This is when the Leaside neighbourhood officially received its name, while being a Toronto district.

Today, this neighbourhood is one of the most popular districts in Toronto. The average house here features:

beautiful wood trimhardwood floorsa warm fireplacea large lotprivate drivewaya garage

There's a nice variety of houses available in Leaside, these include: two-story detached homes, bungalows, semi-detached houses, and new custom designed homes.

The Leaside neighbourhood is in high demand for upper middle income families, whose ideal neighbourhood would help with goals, such as: raise children, enjoy quiet streets, offer a variety of education opportunities, has large shopping districts, and easy access to public transit.

In the 1990's, there was more construction in the neighbourhood. Many exclusive condominiums, and townhouse projects were built due to the high demand of people.

For local residence there's three main shopping areas:

Bayview Avenue - this district features: many different shops and restaurants, antique shops, specialty stores, and local pubs that attract customers from all over Toronto.
Eglinton Avenue - this district features: small Toronto shops, and all your local services.
The Leaside Centre - this building features: a collection of large national retailers all in one convenient area.

Depending on your needs, you may be able to check out all the above shopping areas before you know it!

For education opportunities, the residents have plenty to choose from. In the area, you can choose from four local public schools, two secondary schools, and two colleges. No matter what your current level is, you can find education opportunities for children, teens, and adults.

The neighbourhood has plenty of parkland in area. If you enjoy the outdoors, you will be able to spend a full day, taking a stroll and enjoying nature at any of the following parks: Serena Gundy Park, David A. Balfour Park, Moore Park Ravine, Flemingdon Park, and that's just to name a few of the local favorites. There's over eight parks within five minutes of Leaside!

The residents often do their recreation, and physical activies at the Leaside Memorial Community Gardens, which is a multi-recreational complex that includes:

an indoor ice arenaan indoor swimming poola curling rinkan auditorium

You can also enjoy nature and fitness together, at one of the eight parks. In the area you can find: great picnic and hiking spots, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, exercise trails, an outdoor natural ice rink (only available during the winter), horseback riding (in the summer), and of course snack bars are available throughout certain parks to quench your thirst and hunger.

Public transit is available to ensure locals quick and easy access to anywhere in Toronto. The bus service winds through the heart of Leaside, and there are two subway stations available for public use. It takes approximately 10 minutes to get to downtown Toronto.

Aeriol Nicols is a Real Estate & Mortgage Broker in the Greater Toronto Area. She specializes in the sale of unique properties such as Lofts, Victorian and Georgian style homes. Aeriol also works with experienced real estate investors to build their income producing portfolio. Aeriol has helped hundreds of families over the years to invest in Toronto and York Region Real Estate. She can be contacted through her website at Toronto Real Estate and Mortgage or thru her office at 416-443-0300. Aeriol is with Royal Le Page Signature Realty Brokerage in the and also with DLC - Edge Financial Service. Her mortgage license is M08008390.

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Understanding The Process of Buying a Manufactured Home

Buying a manufactured home can be a great experience or it can be quite confusing, frustrating and expensive if you don't understand the unique nature of the home buying process. This article is designed to give consumers the important information they can use to make wise decisions when buying a factory built home.

When buying a manufactured home there are some basic things to understand about the industry that varies significantly from the site built home buying experience. Generally speaking, when you buy a site built home new, you work with the developer and/or builder of the home, they have a real estate agent on site and you are offered the opportunity to use their suggested lenders or to work with your own lender. Buying a new factory built home is quite different.

In the manufactured housing industry, most builders do not sell their homes direct to the public. More often than not, these home builders work with a network of dealers or authorized sellers. Your dealer will help you select a home and choose options that you are interested in. They will place an order with the builder for your home and coordinate with you on the installation process.

Another important difference between buying a site built home versus buying a manufactured home is that the person you interface with in a site built development is typically a real estate agent that works for the builder. Dealers do not work for manufactured home builders and their services vary.

Some dealers will help you select your new home and place an order for your home and then provide you with a referral to a competent and licensed installer, typically a general contractor. Other dealers may offer sales and installation under one roof. Others still may offer sales, financing and installation services. It's important to understand what your dealer offers you so you can weigh the pros and cons of working with one dealer over another.

While a manufacturer may believe that the home you ultimately buy is the most important piece of the puzzle in the purchasing game, in reality, consumers need to feel good about their dealer, have a good understanding of the buying and installation process and be well versed in exactly what services their dealer offers to make sure they are happy with their decision for the long haul. Visit multiple retailers before making your decision. You may like a specific manufactured home, but the cost to acquire from one retailer over another and the services they each provide can vary significantly.

Luca Brammer is the Director of Business Development for Hallmark-Southwest Corporation. Hallmark-Southwest is a builder of California manufactured homes specializing in energy efficient home design and Net-Zero energy efficiency.

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Land Surveyor: What He Can Do for You

People often overlook the importance of getting their real estate properties surveyed. Some of the good excuses are, they got the property from a mortgage/lender company, or it is a waste of time and is expensive. Well, let us discuss why you must have the property surveyed by a land surveyor if you plan to purchase.

Mortgage companies are wise enough to pass the responsibility to the buyer. They do not have the property surveyed before handing it to the buyer simply because they are aware of the significance of not including the survey matters in title insurance policies. Another reason is to refrain from claims of rights and possessions and encroachments, of course, this is to protect their interests and investments.

So the tendency is, once you purchased a property without a survey, problems such as claims of encroachments by a neighbor, or rights to easements by a service company likely arise at a later time after you have settled yourself and built your dream house on the property. This is a major headache! You will surely shell out big bucks even twice or three times the amount you would spend if only you consulted a land surveyor before anything else.

Here is a quick overview of what a land surveyor does for you to understand, in depth, why you must get one to survey your property. The most important part of their job description is to establish an official boundary of land, water or airspace. They do this by researching historical boundaries, and taking measurements. Since they establish boundaries, it is crucial that the measurements are accurate.

So you realize getting your property surveyed by a land surveyor will save you a fortune, after all having that peace of mind and peaceful living are priceless. In any cases that someone claims that your fence is encroached in a portion of their property, or a sewerage company claims rights to easements to access your property for a repair or maintenance, then you will have legal means to fight for your claim.

When your property is being surveyed by a professional land surveyor you will know the exact measurements and boundaries of your property area. You can do anything you want as long as you will don't go beyond your property's boundaries. So you will be confident enough to claim your rights to your property, after all a land surveyor does his job carefully and thoroughly.

So when you plan to purchase real estate property, make sure to consult a professional land surveyor. Here is another crucial thing, do not just hire someone who claims to be a land surveyor or you will get yourself enough problems! Look for a professional one, and someone who has a good reputation since you are dealing with something that can be disputed and legal, it would be best to be very careful with getting someone who will not get you into trouble.

It is surely worth the money you spend to be able to living peacefully with your neighbors and to be sure of the boundaries of the property you own.

Keith Maxwell is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor in Alabama. He is also a Certified Floodplain Manager and has consulted for over 25 years. His surveying and engineering firm completed residential and commercial surveys throughout Alabama and surrounding states. They have extensive experience with GPS Surveying and ALTA Land Title Surveys. Visit us today at Montgomery Land Surveying for more information on land surveying and engineering.

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Five Tips For Folks With Bad Credit Who Want Home Mortgage Loans

If you have bad credit, finding funds to finance your dream of home ownership will not be a walk in the park, but there are lenders out there who want to help you. Just be persistent and do not restrict yourself to one lender and then give up. Here are five tips when you start your quest for bad credit home mortgage loans.

Tip One: Find a Good Deal

Finding a property that already has some equity when you purchase could mean an easier path to financing with a bad credit home mortgage loan. Lenders may view it almost as favorably as a down payment. They may even consider the loan to value ratio of the property. Check with your broker to see if this might help you.

Tip Two: Be Creative

Creative financing could help your quest for a bad credit home mortgage loan. Maybe the seller would carry back a second mortgage on the property. For instance, you could set up a contract with the seller that would require you to make monthly payments of $150 on $10,000 of the price of the property as a second mortgage. Then make the agreement that the entire amount would be due within 10 years. That will allow you time to refinance and the seller will not feel permanently locked into a contract.

Tip Three: Down Payments

Even with bad credit, borrowers may qualify for 100% financing, but the interest rate could be considerably lower if you were able to put down between 3-5%. Save as much as possible for a down payment. Indeed, it may be advantageous to wait six months to get a home loan so you can build your down payment. Of course, if you cannot wait and do not have a down payment, you can aim for refinancing at a later date.

Tip Four: Shop Diligently

You may get a flat refusal from one broker and then turn around and get another broker who will end over backwards for you. Do not be led into the trap that if one broker cannot help you, no broker can. Indeed, brokers are different in the kind of deals they can execute. They may have a relationship with a flexible mortgage lender. Online brokers are a good venue for shopping by putting your need out there and waiting for the responses. This is good because your credit record only takes one hit for quotes from various lenders.

Tip Five: Credit Scores

Some really simple acts can improve your credit scores without a lot of extra effort. All three of the major credit bureau - Experian, Equifax, TransUnion - have websites where you can dispute incorrect items on your credit report. It is an easy and quick process. Of course, keep all current bills on time. Keep your credit inquiries to a minimum since too many queries can make you look desperate. While you are in the process of landing financing, do not open any new credit cards, auto loans, or any other credit transaction.

Home Mortgage Bottom Line

Do not let bad credit squelch your quest for home ownership. With the right moves, you should be able to land a bad credit home mortgage loan.

Mary Wise is a personal loan consultant who has been associated with Bad Credit Loans and has more than thirty years of experience in finances. She has helped a lot of people to obtain Fast Unsecured Loans, and many other products regardless of their credit situation. If you want to learn more about Personal Loans you can visit her at BadCreditLoanServices.com

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Kid-Friendly Staging

Preparing your Summit NJ real estate property for sale can be a challenging task. When you add children to the mix it can seem nearly impossible. Keeping a home clean, uncluttered and ready for a showing is definitely tougher with little ones but there are some tricks and tools that can make it a little easier.

Laundry Baskets

This simple dollar store item can help keep your floors toy free. Pick up several of the nylon pop-up type at a discount store. These can be folded up when not in use and stored in a drawer or another unobtrusive place. Keep at least one in each room. Make sure there is a clear spot in each room's closet that matches the size of the basket. When your Summit NJ realtor calls asking for a sudden showing, you can sweep any toys, diapers or even actual laundry into the basket and into the closet. It's an instantly clean floor.

Secret Storage

Storage items can hide a multitude of sins. However, when you are staging your Summit NJ real estate agent has probably advised moving your larger pieces out of the home in order to better show off the space. Much of your storage can be lost. Secret storage items can return some of the clutter-busting space you so desperately need.

Storage ottomans are a great example. You can tuck away story books and blankies inside a stylish and comfortable piece of furniture. An ottoman takes up far less room than a cabinet or an armoire. However it can still impede traffic flow so be sure to use sparingly. You can also seek our coffee tables and other pieces with secret storage compartments.

Art Boards

Your kids shouldn't feel like their accomplishments and art are less important when you put your home in the Summit NJ listings. Your fridge may not the family gallery any more but they should still have a place to show off what they've made and done. Make an art board that can be slid under a bed when it's time for the open house. All you need is a large piece of foam core board. You can make it as fancy as you like by covering it with fabric, framing it or painting it or just leave it white and let the art take center stage.

Foam core is extremely lightweight so it can be hung on the wall with little more than poster putty. It can be purchased at any craft store at a very small cost. This small step will help keep you kids feeling "at home" even when you're selling the home.

Put these kid-friendly staging tips to use before your next open house.

Mailing Address:

Kristin Balsley
Claremont Realty Group
535 Springfield Avenue
Summit, NJ 07901
908-343-2122
http://www.kristinbalsley.com/

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The Differences Between Lenders And How They Affect Mortgage Rates

A first-time home-buyer can be confused by the loan process. With many types of loans and lenders who make commissions in differing ways, it can be daunting choosing the right provider for a home loan. Proper knowledge about mortgage rates is essential when researching where to go for a loan.

When an individual takes out a mortgage they use the house as collateral and the bank or lender provides the money (usually 80%). There a numerous different kinds of loans, many that should be avoided, and there are many kinds of lenders, who make commissions in many kinds of ways. Knowing how these lenders provide loans and make their money is an important thing to understand when shopping for a home loan.

Banks - By making a profit off a markup of the rates of loans sold to real estate investors, banks are the ultimate retail lender. Most banks will not negotiate over rates and fees with the average borrower. They simply do not have too. By making their money off of investors, the average consumer gets the standard treatment that is laid down in a procedures manual by the bank. The loan officer representing the bank either doesn't have the will or the authority to make any change to the rate other than raising it. Banks are not even required by law to disclose how they make their profits off of loans.

Mortgage Brokers - These providers offer many different wholesale loans to their clients. They do not provide the funds to back the loans. A mortgage broker is considered a retail lender because they make profits off of the markup of the national average mortgage rate that they sell to the borrower. The industry term for this is Yield Spread Premium. A YSP can easily be avoided if the borrower simply explains to any potential broker that they understand how YSP works and will not do business with a broker that practices that policy.

Many brokers have earned bad reputations by taking advantage of the YSP through unethical profit margins. By dealing with a UMB, or Upfront Mortgage Broker, a borrower can avoid any YSP traps. A UMB will specify a set fee for their services and that is all the borrower will pay.

Retail Lenders - There are many names for this type of lender including portfolio lenders, mortgage bankers and direct lenders. However, they all offer the same services and make commissions on markups of rates and extra processing fees. Many of the large companies have either individual lenders or entire divisions that sell loans and make money by marking up the average rate. Retail lenders do all the processing and underwriting and usually provide the funds to back-up the loan. The high overhead costs of operating this way, however, can lead to an increase in the mortgage rates of the loans sold.

Loan Officers - This type is simply a representative for a large lender or broker. Their employer usually has them track down potential borrowers. If the lead turns into a client for the broker or lender then the loan officer receives a commission on the sale.

With the proper research and information on mortgage loans, anyone can find a provider offering a low wholesale rate. By finding the right lender and knowing how they make their commissions, a potential borrower is prepared to negotiate reasonable mortgage rates. After tracking down the right lender, ask them for advice on the type of loan that best suits the situation.

Trying to find the best Toronto mortgage quote? Visit http://www.topcanadianmortgage.com/ where the mortgage specialists at Top Canadian Mortgage can help you with home loans, home refinancing and everything else you need to secure your mortgage.

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What Makes Mortgage Rates Rise and Fall?

The first place to start when trying to understand how mortgage rates rise and fall is where the money to fund mortgages comes from. Mortgage money comes from a variety of sources, including deposits at banks, but most of the funds come from investors through what is collectively known as "capital markets." Capital markets are where investors go to purchase securities like Treasury notes, corporate bonds, or Mortgage Backed Securities (a package of home loans bundled together into one asset).

Mortgage Backed Securities, the main funding source for home loans, compete against other long-term securities like bonds and treasury notes for the same investment dollars. Since Mortgage Backed Securities compete against these other securities, lenders will adjust homes loan rates to make the return on Mortgage Back Securities competitive relative to other securities. The gold standard of long-term investment securities is the US Treasury Note.

30 year mortgages are traditionally priced using the yield on 10 Treasury notes. The reason for this is simple. US Treasury notes are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States, so they are the benchmark for many securities, including Mortgage Backed Securities.

Since home loans are competing for investment dollars with Treasury notes, in most cases when the yield on Treasury notes increases, lenders must raise mortgage rates in order to keep Mortgage Backed Securities competitive with Treasury notes. The opposite happens when Treasury note yields fall; lenders lower mortgage rates.

So if mortgage rates typically go up when Treasury yields rise, and down when yields fall, what makes Treasury yields go up or down? This is where things get extremely complicated, and the easy answer is that there are a multitude of market factors that determine the movement of Treasury yields. But for the sake of this discussion, let's boil down those market factors and try to make sense of when and why mortgage rates move.

Because most investors don't hold bonds until they mature, the current market value of bonds affects the bond yield. As bond prices increase, the yield decreases. So as the bond market improves, and bond prices increase, the Treasury note yield goes down. Since 30 year loan rates are pegged to 10 year Treasury notes, when bond and Treasury yields go down, mortgage rates go down.

So what makes bond prices go up or down? One major factor affecting bond prices is inflation. As a general rule, when economic times are good and employment is high, inflation tends to rise. Inflation is the enemy of long-term bond holders. The reason for this is simple. Bond holders are paid yearly interest, but the true value of these interest payments is reduced by inflation.

Typically, as the economy improves bond prices goes down as investors begin pricing inflation into the value of bonds and treasuries. Remember that we learned earlier that bond prices and bond yields moves opposite of each other. When bond prices go down, yield prices go up. So if mortgage rates track the yield on US Treasuries, when bond prices go down, mortgage rates go up.

Other factors that affect mortgage rates are employment, homes sales, and consumer confidence. Mortgage rates are more susceptible to economic activity than treasuries, mainly because the average home buyer may lose their job or be unable to make their mortgage payment, while the US Treasuries are considered the safest investment in the market. For this reason, jobs reports, Consumer Price Index, Gross Domestic Product, Home Sales, Consumer Confidence, and other data on the economic calendar can move mortgage rates significantly.

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FHA 203k - 5 Tips to Make Your New Roof Last Longer

Whether it's home improvements or house repairs or full-on rehabilitation, the FHA 203k is a great option. The mortgage loan option covers new purchases OR refinancing. Let's take a quick look at what the FHA 203k is:

A home buyer can finance a house and many repairs, renovations or improvements right into the monthly payments, amortizing the work over the life of that home mortgage loan. The great thing is that with interest rates where they are right now, it will only add about $6 a month for every $1,000 in repairs or renovations you finance. That means a $10,000 roof will only add about $60 a month to the house payment. Then, when you decide to sell, that cost stays with the house.

Some of the work covered by the FHA 203k (Full or Streamline) includes these projects:

New roofNew deckWaterproofing the basementNew windowsNew kitchenInterior paint, wallpaper and flooringSeveral other projects

Let's get back the project of a roof. Whether it's simply replacing old shingles with new ones, or tearing apart the entire roof, wood and all, you'll want to make sure you get the most money out this new roof. After all, you wouldn't want to go through all the trouble again in 5 or 10 years. So here's a look at a few maintenance steps you can take every season to make that roof last longer after the FHA 203k work is done.

Keep the roof clean. Keep twigs, leaves and other debris off the roof. Be especially vigilant after a storm. Make sure no branches fell on the roof from surrounding trees. As these wither, they can damage the integrity of the shingles and wood underneath.
Clean your gutters. You can get out the ol' ladder in the spring and fall or find a gutter topping to keep stuff out. Either way, keeping those gutters clear and flowing will make sure no water gets backed up into your roof. Water in your gutters can make them heavy and rip them off your roof. It can also lead to leaks in your walls and water in the basement. I've even seen some houses with so much junk in the gutters, it looks like they're growing trees!
Speaking of trees... Trim them! This goes along with the previous tips. Keeping the trees trimmed will help keep the roof and gutters clean.
Get rid of the moss. Keep your roof dry and moss-free to help make sure the shingles and wood underneath stay good for a long time. A little bleach and water mixture usually helps get rid of the moss, or call a professional if it won't come clean
Where it snows - prevent ice dams. Preventing ice dams begins with keeping the gutters clean. When snow melts and has no where to go because your gutters are clogged, it build up, re-freezes and creates ice dams. So it goes back to keeping the gutters clean. Another way to help is to get a snow rake for the roof and keep the snow build-up to a minimum. You can also find snow melt cables that heat up and keep the snow and ice from building up (we do not endorse these products, because we're not part of the inspection team or safety crew that makes sure they won't catch anything on fire - but they sure look cool!).

Ready to learn more about the FHA 203k home improvement and repair mortgage option? Download the free eBook " Top 10 FHA 203k Topics " and see what the 203k covers.

As the Multimedia Marketing & Communications Specialist at AmeriFirst Home Mortgage, Dan is responsible for creating and editing the content in the http://blog.amerifirst.com/amerifirst-blog.

Concentrating on first time home buyers with several programs, and home improvement & renovation loans through the FHA 203k program, AmeriFirst Home Mortgage looks to bring the dream of home ownership to life in its communities.

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