The Silberman Team

Thanksgiving weekend officially ends today. Like many of you, I bravely ventured out this weekend to purchase gifts for the up coming holidays. As I worked my way through the mob of people I felt myself getting stressed and frustrated and starting to resent the holidays.

Thankfully, when I finally made it home, I had some time to recover. Then I began to think about how fortunate Keith and I are to have a successful business which enables us to purchase gifts, especially in these difficult times. I thought about how fortunate we are to have had the opportunity to share in the lives of our friends and clients. I thought about how much I enjoy spending time and celebrating with family and friends. I thought about how much I enjoy reconnecting with people (in person) that I haven't seen in a long time. I thought about how fortunate we are to have two wonderful children who make every day a new adventure.

It made me realize how important it is to exemplify the meaning of the holidays to our children so that they understand that these special holidays should not be focused around material objects, but rather around spending time with the people in our lives who are important to us and helping those less fortunate.

Sincerely,

2010 marks the bottom of the downturn, according to a monthly report by Fannie Mae economists. Although total housing sales in 2010 are expected to be down about 8 percent from last year, there is good news on the horizon. The economic outlook from Fannie Mae’s Economics and Mortgage Market Analysis Group is fairly upbeat looking into 2011 and beyond.

Georgia housing prices fared almost a half percent better than the national average. While prices across the nation dropped 2.79 percent in September, metro Atlanta home prices were down only 2.34 percent.

2011 is shaping up to be a positive year. Although housing sales will continue to be depressed in the final quarter of this year due to foreclosures, sales for 2011 are expected to increase by about 3 percent, says Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan.

According to the Fannie Mae report, “Improving financial conditions and recent encouraging signs from the labor market should set the stage for an above-par growth trend by mid 2011.” Mr. Duncan cautions that “… the pace of recovery will be largely determined by labor conditions. If hiring improves at a faster pace than expected, home sales will likelysee a stronger gain in 2011 and visa versa.”

January, and all of its famous resolutions, is right around the corner! Aside from losing weight, the most common resolution is to get organized. While there are plenty of areas where people need help, such as paper flow and storage, as well as general clutter control, one of the biggest issues people contend with today is time management.

Time management is comprised of two elements. The first element is knowing what to do and when to do it. Using a calendar system consistently will go a long way toward simplifying your life. Whether you choose a paper system or an electronic system, using only one calendar is vital.

The second element is understanding time. How many times have you responded to someone’s request with, “I’ll be there in a minute”? And it’s never a minute! Do you know exactly how long it takes you to take a shower, go to the grocery, attend to a typical day’s emails, get your family out the door, or even eat a meal? Maybe you think you do, but try guessing how long any of these activities take and then actually time yourself. You may be surprised at the difference between your perception and the reality. Are you always running late? Perhaps you will benefit from this exercise in time estimation. A closer estimate of an activity’s duration will allow you to plan your day more effectively and realistically. It is advisable to allocate twice as much time for tasks in an office environment to accommodate for interruptions and other distractions.

This article was provided courtesy of Michelle Grey. Michelle is a Certified Professional Organizer, member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, and founder of AIP Organizing Solutions. Michelle and her associates have been working with small businesses and residential clients to help them reach their full potential by becoming more efficient and productive. AIP’s goal is to develop personalized easily maintained organizational systems for each client.

AIP Organizing Solutions conducts workshops, weekly seminars, Lunch and Learn Information sessions and corporate presentations on several organizing topics including Time Management. They also work one on one with clients in their own environment to set up systems and guidelines to become and stay more organized.

For years, man has staked his claim in the home, his “Man Cave”. The man’s retreat: where you may find a home theater system, dark leather furniture, and maybe a card table laden with cigar ashes.

Recent trends show that mom wants a place of her own, and no, it’s not the kitchen. Try to tell her that and you’re likely to get a quick punch in the stomach and couch duty for a week.

It’s fair. After all, moms take care of everyone in the family, but rarely take care of themselves. The mom cave is the perfect place to allow her to break away from life’s never ending emergencies.

Mom caves may be created out of an unused corner of a room, an unused closet (if there is such a thing), an attic space, or a guest room. Any space that mom can carve out for herself will work. The best locations have a door that can be closed.

Decorating the mom cave will depend on how mom chooses to use her cave. Some moms use their cave as their hobby room, while others need a quiet place to work or read a book.

When designing your own mom cave, consider these 5 tips.

1. Remember you mom cave is your Zen-like refuge.

2. Choose a comfortable chair or chaise and a cozy blanket or throw for relaxing and reading.

3. Bring a small stereo or iPod for some tranquil music.

4. Choose colors that calm you or make you feel happy.

5. Surround yourself with things that relax you, such as photos albums, candles or flowers.

No matter what the décor, mom deserves a place of her own.

Tired of looking at your old drab kitchen, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg renovating?  Here are a few ideas to make the waiting less painful without breaking the bank.

1) Brighten up your kitchen with a fresh coat of paint. There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint on walls and trim to make any space look clean, new and inviting.

2) Why stop at the walls and trim when you can bring new life to your old kitchen cabinets? Painting cabinets can be a good DIY project, but you will want to follow our tips in the article "How To Properly Paint Your Cabinets.

3) Replace the pulls on your cabinets and drawers. This simple change can make a country kitchen look modern or vice versa. You can order custom pulls off the internet or take a trip to your local home improvement center. 

4) Replace your kitchen faucet. A new faucet can have a huge effect on the look of your kitchen and it can completely change the functionality. If you have a shallow sink, consider purchasing a goose neck faucet. This will not only add style, but it will allow you to easily fill and clean those tall pots. If your kitchen sink is in rough shape, you may want to consider replacing it as well. If you've never replaced a sink, you may want to get hire an experienced handyman, or hire a licensed plumber.

5) Light it up. Bringing more light into any room will help it feel alive. This is especially true in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have sufficient task lighting. You can purchase inexpensive under cabinet lights at a home improvement center. These kits are easy to install and many simply plug into an existing outlet so there is no need for special wiring or switches.  Installing recessed lights and pendant lights are a great way to update your kitchen as well. It is recommended that you use a licensed electrician when adding or replacing fixtures. A licensed electrician can determine if your electrical system needs to be upgraded or modified to handle the increased load and they can ensure that all wiring is done safely and to code.

6) Update your backsplash. Low cost with high impact. This DIY project is not only a great way to dress up your kitchen, it will also protect your walls from stains and even fires. There are a number of products you can choose from. If you think installing tile is too difficult, you may want to check out some of the alternatives, such as peel-and-stick metal tiles.

7) Renew your old appliances. Buying new appliances may not be in the budget, but a fresh coat of black, or silver paint on your old refrigerator or dishwasher can give them a brand new look. Check out Krylon's Epoxy Appliance Paint or Stainless Steel Paint available at your local home improvement center. Make sure to read the directions and warnings carefully. 

8) Replace your old doors and drawer fronts. If you live in an older home, the boxes that make up your cabinets may in fact be built better than many of the cabinet boxes that are constructed today. If you are not planning to reconfigure your kitchen then updating the front of the cabinet boxes and replacing the doors may be just what your kitchen needs. There are a number of cabinet refacing companies to choose from. The refacing company will remove your old cabinet doors and hardware, reface the front of the boxes with a finish of your choosing, construct and finish new doors in a style and finish of your choosing, and install the doors and hardware. Typically the cost for refacing is approximately half that of a complete cabinet replacement. Also, if your countertop is in good shape you can avoid the expense of replacing it as well. 

If you are handy, you may be able to save additional money by simply ordering new cabinet doors and hardware. You can order the materials to reface your existing cabinet boxes, and have the doors finished at the factory. If you have the time, patience, and expertise you can have new looking cabinets for about 1/4 to 1/3 the price of full cabinet replacement. 

9) Top it off. Install a new countertop. There are many different choices when it comes to countertops. Perhaps the easiest and least expensive is to replace it with a pre-cut laminate countertop. These come in standard lengths and 90 degree angles. If you want to take on a more creative project you might consider reusing your existing laminate countertop as a base for tile. You can even choose granite tile to give your countertop an upscale look. If you are really brave you might want to try building your own concrete countertop. Buy a DIY kit at concreteexchange.com. You'll get everything you need to cast, polish, and install your own counters, including a customizable mold and detailed instructions.

The mortgage interest deduction allows homeowners to take a tax deduction for interest paid on home loans. The current limits allow deductions for interest paid on the first $1,000,000 for primary residence, the first $100,000 for home equity lines of credit provided the money is used for home improvements, and the first $100,000 for second homes.

In one of three tax plans offered up by the co-chairs of President Obama’s fiscal deficit commission, the mortgage interest deduction on primary-home mortgages would be limited to $500,000 and the deductibility on second homes and home equity loans would be eliminated completely.

 It is estimated that the mortgage interest deduction accounts for more than $131 Billion in lost federal tax revenue each year. The mortgage interest rate deduction which began in 1913 to help boost home ownership has long been a topic of debate. Many argue that the deduction benefits primarily the upper middle class whose mortgages make up a large portion of their spending and wealthier Americans who mortgage expensive homes. It has also been criticized for its inequitable benefit, meaning that those who receive the largest benefit are those who purchase more expensive homes, which in turn means those earning greater incomes.

As of November 22, 2010, according to the First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) there were 39,699 homes for sale priced at $500,000 or less as compared to 4698 homes for sale priced above $500,000. That means that 89.4% of homes listed for sale in the entire FMLS would be purchased with mortgages of $500,000 or less. When you consider that a buyer putting down 20% could purchase a home for $625,000 with a $500,000 mortgage that number rises to 92.7% of homes for sale today would conceivably be purchased with mortgages of $500,000 or less. The percentages also don't take into account that many buyers put down considerably more than 20% in order to stay out of the jumbo loan market, which in the metro area start at loan amounts above $417,000. It also doesn't account for the fact that a large percentage of homes purchased above the $2,000,000 mark are purchased for cash.

What does this proposed change mean for the Metro Atlanta housing market? When you consider that this proposed change would affect at most 6% to 10% of new home purchases, the expected effect on the overall metro market should be inconsequential. For homes priced above $600,000 one might expect a slight decrease in sales.

Trying to get the rock bottom interest rate is like buying a stock. We want to buy at the record low, but as we all know, you could buy the stock and the next day it could be lower. When locking in a mortgage interest rate, the point is to get a generally low rate relative to what has is going on in the market or compared to your existing rate if you are refinancing. Don’t fall prey to analysis paralysis. Since no one can predict where the absolute bottom will be, trying to achieve anything more than getting a good rate relative to the market will be frustrating and cause missed opportunities.
Whether refinancing or purchasing a new home, it is important to compare rates and closing costs with several lenders. Follow these 5 steps when comparing lenders to help ensure you get the best deal.

1. Always get estimates in writing and on the same day. Interest rates change daily, and sometimes even multiple times per day, so comparing estimates given on different days is like comparing apples and oranges.
2. There’s more to it than the rate. One lender may offer a lower rate, but it could cost you more in the long run. You must compare rates AND closing costs.
3. Decide how much money you are prepared to bring to closing. Rates and closing costs are like a seesaw; if one goes down, the other usually goes up. Depending on your situation, sometimes a slightly higher payment is more advantageous than bringing more money to the closing table.
4. Don’t be afraid to make lenders compete for your business. A reputable, experienced loan officer understands that they are there to serve you and your needs. Competing with other lenders is part of the job.
5. Always get a referral from someone you trust. It is more important than ever to choose a competent lender. The loan process has become very difficult with many new regulations in place. It doesn’t matter if the loan officer offers you the lowest rate if the deal falls apart at the last minute.

Now is an unprecedented opportunity to purchase or refinance! Interest rates and housing prices are at historic lows. Don’t miss your chance!

Give your cabinets a face lift by painting your cabinets and doors. This can be a good DIY project, but make sure you allow sufficient time to complete the task. To ensure quality results, make sure you take the following steps.

1. Remove the doors and all hardware. If you have a lot of doors with varying sizes you will want to number each door and/or keep them in order so that you can reinstall them in the proper place.

2. If you plan to replace the hardware, make sure you purchase your new hardware first. Fill in any holes with wood putty that will not be reused by the new hardware. Let the putty dry and sand until smooth. You may have to fill the holes and sand several times in order to hide the holes completely. You will also want to address any imperfections at this time by filling and sanding as appropriate.

3. Sand the doors and the front of the boxes to prepare for the new paint. Depending on the condition of the doors you may need to begin sanding with a course grit of 100 to 120. You will want to use a fine grit of 220 or higher for your final sand.

4. Clean and tack all surfaces to be painted. Use some mineral spirits sparingly to clean the surfaces and wipe clean with a tack cloth. All surfaces to be painted should appear dull or matte. There should not be any flakes of paint before priming.

5. Prime all surfaces to be painted. For best results, spray primer evenly on all surfaces to be painted. Examine the primed surface to make sure that the finish is smooth. If needed let dry completely and re-sand.

6. Apply your color coat. You can apply the color coat while the primer is tacky. If the primer is completely dry then the surface should be lightly sanded and tacked prior to the color coat application. For best results the color coat should be sprayed on evenly. The color coat may require two to three applications. Each new application should be applied while the previous coat is still a little tacky.

7. To complete the process and seal the paint completely a clear coat should be applied. Failure to apply a final clear coat may result in cabinet doors sticking to the cabinet boxes when closed. A possible work a round to this issue is to apply small felt cushions to the doors.

8. Let painted surfaces dry completely.

9. Install new hinges and hang doors. Do not close doors completely for 24hrs - 72hrs to allow all painted surfaces to cure.

10. Install new hardware and enjoy your “new” kitchen cabinets!