7 Moving Tips to Settle Into Your New Home

Moving to a new community and home, whether it’s 1,000 miles away or just across town; involves a lot of planning and attention to detail. Much attention goes into getting moved out, but getting moved in is just as important. Here are 7 moving tips to settle into your new home:

1: Unpack the essentials

With a little planning you can create an “open first” box that will have your essentials for the first few days. If you’re not moving everything yourself, plan for the possibility of arriving before your stuff does. Toiletries, medicine, a few changes of clothes, and basic kitchen items (such as a can opener, wooden spoon, cutting knife, one pot and one pan) are good examples of must-have items.

2: Help your pets acclimate

A move can leave pets excited and scared. If possible, do not leave them unattended in the yard. Staying in their presence will be calming and lessens the chance of runaways.

3: Get the kids settled

If your things have arrived, help each child set up their bed and unpack one box of toys. Otherwise, get them excited about “camping” in their new home. Make sure you have a bag with their few favorite toys, or for teens and pre-teens, some electronics and books or magazines.

4: Go to the grocery store

Consider eating out the first night, and buy essential groceries on the way home. Focus on easy-to-make foods and quick snack items. Buy any cleaning supplies that you need. If you have a pet, buy any food and supplies not already in your “essentials” box.

5: Cover the windows

If your home doesn’t yet have window coverings, hang sheets up to add privacy and security.

6: Set a finish line

Make a list specifying the order in which you will unpack and complete other moving-in tasks. Creating a list will help keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

7: Get the lay of the land

Walk through your new home to check the heating, air conditioning, and electricity, as well as all appliances. Take your family on a walk through the neighborhood to learn your surroundings, and if possible meet your neighbors.

Ready?

This is by no means everything you need to know about getting settled, but it’s a good place to start. Do you need to find a good plumber, a carpet layer, a painter and so on? Take a look at Wendy’s Resource List on wendycarson.com for her recommendations!

“Buyers and sellers take note! Gone are the days of a 30 day closing from purchase agreement acceptance to closing. Starting August 1st, the standard closing period will increase to 45-60 days from the purchase agreement. This makes it even more important for buyers and sellers to cooperate with lenders, realtors, and title companies to get them the information they need to finalize the sale on time.  Read the following article to understand how this will affect you as a buyer and seller.”

-Wendy Carson

This article was originally posted here. It was written by Robert Freedman on the Speaking of Real Estate blog. 

Understand the Aug. 1 Changes to HUD-1, Closing Process

The days of filling out the HUD-1 settlement form and getting a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) from the lender are winding down. On August 1, those two forms are going away. The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) disclosure form is going away, too. Replacing them are two new forms: the Closing Disclosure and the Loan Estimate. You can familiarize yourself with these new forms on the website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has taken over administration of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) from HUD. Just go to CFPB.gov and type in the name of the forms in the search box.

There are also new rules for the closing procedure. One rule requires all forms to be ready three days prior to closing. NAR is recommending you actually get everything ready seven days prior to closing, so when you go into the three-day period, you don’t have to make any changes. Because making changes as the clock winds down comes with a cumbersome  set of hurdles.

Closing Disclosure Details

What this means is, you and the other settlement service providers, including the lender and title agent, are under the gun to get everything squared away earlier than you have to today. And the buyers and sellers have to be cooperative as well, because if last-minute changes are made, a new three-day waiting period kicks in, at least in some cases.

The good news is, you have until August 1 to get familiar with the new forms and learn about the new closing procedures, and NAR is hosting a series of webinars on the topic. To learn when the next one is, go to Realtor.org/respa.

Loan Estimate Details

The video above, with Ken Trepeta of NAR Government Affairs, provides a concise overview of what to expect and also shares some tips on how to decrease the likelihood of snags in this new environment.

The CFPB’s goal in making these changes is to increase transparency for consumers. Start your education process by accessing the 5-minute video.

You landed your dream home! Now it’s time to decide what colors to paint your new spaces!
Why would red or yellow work great in your kitchen or dining room? What colors would give your home a feeling of luxury? Click on the link below to read more about the science behind colors, and what effect they have on human psychology.

Psychology of Color

Sources: paintersoflouisville.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/louisville-painter.html

http://www.clipartbest.com/clipart-4ib4Bdbig

Home Buyer Seminars are in full swing! Conducted one for Thomson Reuters yesterday! St. Kates and Hamline in March! Now is the time to buy while interest rates are low and housing prices are reasonable (they are on the rise)!

NEXT SCHEDULED HOME BUYERS SEMINAR:

When:

Saturday March 7th, 2015  10:00-11:30am

Where:

St. Catherine’s University

Mendel Hall, Room 101

2004 Randalph Avenue

Saint Paul, MN 55105

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR CLASS