PET-FRIENDLY REMODELING IDEAS

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 62 percent of U.S. households currently have a pet. In these households, pets are family members too, and a growing number of homeowners are remodeling their homes with their furry family members in mind. Here are a few of the latest pet-friendly design trends.

Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, which absorbs odors, traps pet hair and soaks up pet stains like a sponge. Instead choose ceramic tile or light or medium finish hardwood floor, which are much easier to clean after pet accidents and can hide scratches more easily.

Install a feeding drawer in your kitchen cabinetry that pulls out during meal time and closes to hide the food bowls when guests visit. Consider adding a small alcove with a comfortable bed so your pet can keep you company while you cook.

Keep the litter box in a separate storage area or inside a cabinet with access via a cat door to provide privacy and keep the smell and mess in a confined area.

Choose stain-resistant and washable fabrics to match your pet’s fur color, or choose patterns over solids to disguise pet fur on your sofa or bed. Fabrics like leather, Ultrasuede or Crypton — a synthetic fabric resistant to stains, odor and moisture — are the most durable and easy to clean.

When selecting paint finishes, choose satin or semi-gloss over flat. Scratches, streaks and dirt aren’t as noticeable and will be easier to clean after pet accidents.

Replace the standard showerhead in the bathroom with a detachable hand-held one to make it easier to bathe your pet. Or, if there is space, add a mudroom near an entry where you can get dirt off your pet before coming into the house.

This months joke:

Question: What is green, has four legs and two trunks?

FREE programs from me to you, including "How To Buy A Home In Orlando" booklet

KEEPING YOUR FINANCIAL HOUSE IN ORDER

Do you have difficulty managing your finances, paying bills on time or finding important receipts or documents when you need them? The Financial Fitness Association offers several guidelines that can help you keep your financial life in order.

Tax returns and their supporting documents should be kept at least three years. It may be helpful to set up file folders with different headings, such as 1099s, medical expenses, and business expenses. As you receive tax documents or pay an expense, put the accompanying document or receipt in the appropriate file.

Have a plan to keep important legal documents, such as wills, powers of attorney, birth certificates, marriage documents, divorce papers, child care orders, trust documents, business agreements and military records, permanently. Wills should be kept in an easily accessible place, and a copy should be kept in a safe deposit box and with your attorney. Note the location of the original will on the copies.

Some documents need to be kept only for as long as they are needed. For example, deeds and real estate documents should be kept for as long as you own a property, plus any additional period for tax purposes. Insurance policies, loan documents, investment information, receipts and warranty information on major purchases should also be kept for as long as you hold the policy, loan, investment or purchase.

Keep monthly bank statements for at least three years to document payments for important items. Cancelled checks may be discarded since the bank statement itemizes these payments, with the exception of those checks that support any tax deductions you might have. Credit card statements can be kept for a year to track expenses or to document a disputed charge.

Following a simple system to keep financial and legal documents organized enables you to find these items more easily, thus saving time and giving you some much-needed peace of mind.

Fast Facts >> >> >> >> >>

96 percent of first-time buyers who purchased a home in 2009 chose a fixed-rate mortgage.

Source:2009 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Energy Efficient Mortgages Program helps homebuyers and homeowners save money on utility bills by enabling them to finance the cost of adding energy-efficient features to new or existing homes as part of their FHA-insured home purchase or refinancing mortgage.
Source: hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/eem/energy-r.cfm

Approximately two-thirds of fourth-graders both nationally and in large city schools reported never using a calculator while taking mathematics tests or quizzes.
Source: http://nces.ed.gov

*DID YOU KNOW

According to the Insurance Information Institute, in the event of a fire or other disaster, a current, detailed home inventory can help you obtain enough insurance to replace the things you own, get claims settled faster, and substantiate any losses on your tax return.

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds recieved in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Have questions? email Risa at questions@risa.net or call her at 407-699-4901

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