Posted by & filed under Home Buying.

If you’re like the vast majority of Americans, your children attend public schools. It’s bad enough that when you move, your children are uprooted from their current schools, but then it’s your job to make sure you move into a school district with the best schools for your children.

Fortunately, there is a lot of information online, but to really get a feel for the schools, you have to do some legwork. Here’s how:

List Your Best Schools Priorities

Do your children have specific interests, such as art, music, sciences, or math? Do you want them attending a diverse school? Are they academically gifted, or are there specific challenges you feel need to be addressed? Are your children athletic, bookworms, or both?

A school might look fantastic on paper, but that school with the strong science and math programs might not be a fit for your musical genius. If you have a star basketball player, high test scores are great, but a ranking based on college basketball scholarships might be more appropriate.

Don’t let looks deceive you. Some of the roughest looking schools have incredibly high graduation rates and college acceptance rates. Sites like Great Schools list parent reviews. They rate public, private and charter schools.

 

Talk to Your Realtor

Choose a Realtor who’s local to your target area. They should be an expert on the schools. They should also know the boundaries surrounding good schools. Don’t rule out schools in transitional areas. You never know where you’ll find the most dedicated teachers.

Check the School Out

Once you’ve narrowed down your picks, spend some time there. Sit in on classes. If the school won’t let you, that’s a bad sign. When you do sit in, observe everyone in the class. Are the children interested or do they have glazed looks in their eyes? Does the teacher involve them?

Don’t feel that you have to send all of your children to the same school. Sure, it might be inconvenient, and sometimes prohibitive, for you to spend that much time carpooling. If you can work it out, though, you might find that separate schools allow your children to focus on their strengths and interests.

Remember that no school is perfect and with a little help at home, well-educated and well-rounded people can come from sub-par schools.

Featured image by Linda LaBonte Britt via Hanscom Air Force Base.

kids moving day

Posted by & filed under Getting Ready to Move, Long-Distance Moving.

It’s moving day. Kids moving day can be even tougher. Moving and children aren’t generally a good mix, so if you can, get them out of the house for a few hours while the movers do their thing.

What should the kids do?

If your children are under around 12, you probably don’t want them out on their own, but that doesn’t meant they have to stick around the house. Make your children’s last day in what’s probably the only home they’ve known a great one by sending them out for a day of fun.

Hire a babysitter

For young children, you’ll want to hire a babysitter or ask a family member to watch them. Once you hire a babysitter, here are some activities your children will enjoy:

  • Go to the zoo
  • See a movie
  • Go to a children’s museum
  • Go to a playground
  • Send them to an art class
  • Create DIY projects for your new home
  • Say goodbye to each of their friends, with goodbye presents — something as simple as cookies and a homemade card can mean the world
  • Take the dog for a walk
  • Have a picnic
  • Go to IKEA to pick out new bedroom decorations — your kids can send you pictures
  • Play miniature golf
  • Do a treasure hunt
  • Play in the backyard
  • Go to a kid-friendly restaurant
  • Take a children’s yoga class
  • Paint their own pottery
  • Go to the beach
  • Play a sport
  • Make cookies
  • Take a hike

Before leaving for activities, make sure you ask the movers how long they expect to be at your old home. If you are moving long distance, you obviously can’t meet at your new home, but the shock of an empty home could be frightening to small children. Instead, pick them up at a neutral place like the babysitter’s home or a relative’s home. Perhaps you can even join them for a little of the kids moving day fun.

Featured image via af.mil

 

gig mover

Posted by & filed under Moving Estimates.

Is a gig mover right for you? The moving industry, like most these days, has a lot of options. There are small, independent movers, there are brokers. There are major van lines and there are plenty of hybrid movers, who are sometimes independent and sometimes brokers and sometimes, they work with van lines.

It’s a gig economy, though, and the gig economy is hitting the moving industry. Thanks to Craigslist and apps like TaskRabbit, you have yet another option.

The way apps like TaskRabbit work is you describe your need and they show you a list of service providers, with pictures, hourly rates and a link to reviews. You can book right on the site, so you never have to talk to anyone. When I posted that I was looking for moving services, TaskRabbit had a warning that in California, a mover had to have a license to operate a moving truck.

California law requires a license when using vehicles to perform residential moves. Taskers are unable to perform residential moves by vehicle through the platform. Please continue for hauling, office moves, loading/unloading, packing/unpacking.

The disclaimer is a bit unclear. Yes, the operator would need a driver’s license, but he or she would also need a residential moving license from the Public Utilities Commission.

Despite the disclaimer, it was clear that several people jumped right through the loophole that allowed customers to redefine their move as an office move. Then it’s technically legal, at least on paper. Is it ethical? We’ll let you decide.

The pros of a gig mover

One giant pro to apps like TaskRabbit (although not for Craigslist), is the at the “taskers” are thoroughly vetted and rather than seeing a company’s reviews, the reviews are on the people who will be coming to your home.

If you only want packing, or perhaps to move items with your own home, TaskRabbit could save you money.

There are cons to a gig mover, though

TaskRabbit taskers are not paid well. In many cases, according to taskers, they don’t even make the minimum wage. You may ask why you should care, but well-paid employees are happier employees. Happier employees take more pride in their work.

We’re not implying that there aren’t taskers who take a lot of pride in their work. There clearly are. It’s just easy to imagine a high burnout rate.

With rates ranging from about $30 to $60 per person per hour, though, things can start adding up quickly for you. TaskRabbit says they only take 15 percent of that, which certainly leaves taskers with more than the minimum wage. Other reports, though, say that TaskRabbit takes 30 percent.

A professional moving company charges around $120 an hour for two movers and a truck. Plus, they are licensed and have insurance. You can see how a gig mover might lose their appeal.

With a gig mover, it’s up to you to thoroughly describe the scope of the job. It’s very common for customers to underestimate the amount of things they have. A single tasker may not have the tools required and it could take hours longer than you imagined.

Conclusion

Whether you want a gig mover or professional mover is completely up to you, but if your move requires a truck, the laws in California and in many other states forbid anyone who’s not licensed for moving from using the roads.

Call a professional mover. Compare the rates and break them down by person and truck. You might find that the pro will save you money in the long-run. If, on the other hand, you are renting a truck, a gig mover might be exactly what you need.

Featured image license Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Mark Warner via Flickr.

Posted by & filed under Home Buying, Real Estate.

The Great Recession of 2008 is long over. We rarely hear about a housing crisis, except perhaps for the fact that it’s gotten really expensive. However, a report from last year shows that the number of people who can’t afford their homes is on the rise. If you are one of the people who are having trouble, there’s no shame. You’re in the same league with about 38 million other Americans. Fortunately, there are things you can do.

What to do if You Can’t Pay Your Mortgage

1. Refinance Your Mortgage

If you’re struggling to pay, the first call should be to a mortgage broker. They may be able to shave a good amount off your monthly payment. Just a one percent difference in your interest rate can save you hundreds. Beware, though, that a new mortgage might come with closing costs and lender fees, and they can be hefty. The other drawback is that a good credit score is still important when refinancing.

2. Check into Loan Modification

The Making Home Affordable Modification Program is a federal program designed to help people who are having trouble. You may qualify if:

  • your home is your primary residence
  • you owe less than $729,750
  • you got your mortgage before January 1, 2009
  • your payment on your first mortgage (including principal, interest, taxes, insurance and homeowner’s association dues, if applicable) is more than 31 percent of your current gross income; and
  • you can’t afford your mortgage payment because of a financial hardship, like a job loss or medical bills.

If you owe more on your home than it’s worth, you may have trouble qualifying for either of the above options.

3. Call Your Mortgage Company

Your mortgage company really doesn’t want to foreclose on you. It’s nothing but a costly headache. Still, we only recommend calling them as a last resort. You don’t want them to know there is something wrong until they need to. They probably won’t shave anything off your balance, but they might be willing to work out a temporary arrangement, called a forbearance. If, however, you expect your situation to be long-term, selling might be the best option. If you are under water on your loan, perhaps your lender will let you work something out on the balance, or allow for a “short sale,” in which they agree to accept less than the home’s value. Both short sales and foreclosures will damage your credit.

Featured image via Wikimedia.

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

Throughout the 20th century, newspapers’ classified ads were a one-stop place to sell your extra stuff, find a roommate and even find a new place to live. Placing ads with your local newspaper usually meant a hefty fee.

That all changed, though, when a man named Craig Newmark started an online classified ad site for virtually every part of the country. It was called Craigslist and it was nearly all free, both for users and advertisers. Now, Craigslist looks almost antiquated as other ad sites have taken birth.

Mashable has a list of seven new sites that take classified advertising into the 21st century.

eBay Classifieds

eBay is truly one of the internet pioneers. For years, the site has been known as a place for auctioning all sorts of items. Now, though, they’ve stepped further into Craigslist territory. You can now find everything from shoes to a place to live on eBay.

Pawngo

Pawngo, as the name implies, is an online pawnshop. You won’t find a place to live or a roommate, but you can unload some of that stuff that you really don’t want to move.

Recycler

Recycler is for buying and selling goods of all kinds.

U-Exchange

U-Exahnge is a bit different. It allows you to barter for goods or services.

Adoos

Adoos is a lot like Craigslist, but you can log in through Facebook, making it more automatically targeted to your location.

Hoobly

Hoobly is a bit like Craigslist, but users need to register, which helps prevent spam.

Oodle

Our favorite of all the above sites is Oodle. Oodle is an aggregator of all the other online ad sites, including Facebook. It’s truly a one-stop shop. They offer goods, services and homes. You can find a roommate on Oodle or you can find a new place to live.

Featured image via Wikipedia.org.

moving myths busted

Posted by & filed under Getting Ready to Move, Moving Estimates.

Moving Myths Busted!

Okay, we’ll be the first to admit, moving is not rocket science, but it’s more of a skill than you might imagine. Think of moving like solving a puzzle. Sure, nearly anyone can solve it eventually, but knowing exactly where to put every piece and doing it quickly takes a lot of practice, and yes, skill. It’s time to bust apart some moving myths.

When customers call moving companies, they have expectations that are based on their own past moving experiences. That’s fine, but most find that their lives have changed since they last moved and their moves also have to change. Here are just a few of the biggest moving myths, busted:

1. All I need is one guy and a truck

Even the tiniest move needs two movers, otherwise things are going to go dreadfully slow and will end up costing you more money. Two movers can move things quickly and efficiently and without breaking backs.

2. I can help

This isn’t exactly a myth, because you can help. However, most movers’ insurance companies won’t allow customers to help load the truck for liability reasons. If you really want to help save money, pack or move items that movers would have to pack, like pictures, mirrors, lamps and electronics.

3. Moving companies are expensive

When you first hear a moving company’s hourly rates, you might experience a tiny bit of shock, but if you think about it, it’s really a bargain. You should think about the fact that your time is worth money and it’s a moving company’s job to save you time, a lot of time.

4. I’m just moving a few houses down. I don’t need a truck

Even if you are moving within the same building, you need a truck. A truck is how movers are transported to the job, but even more importantly, a truck is what holds all the materials movers need to do their jobs. Trucks carry moving blankets, tape, boxes, dollies and everything needed for you to move down the street or down the hall.

5. My friend, who has the same sized house, only paid this much.

No two moves are alike. You might have more boxes or your house has a somewhat longer driveway or perhaps your furniture is bigger in scale. You should never base your move expectations (other than expecting great service) on the moves of your friends. Instead, you should have at least three estimates, where a moving estimator examines every detail of the job. This can be done in person and in some cases, via Skype.

6. I shouldn’t have to pay travel time. That’s like me being paid for my commute.

You are not paying a mover for his commute. The movers’ day starts long before the crew arrives at your home, or even before they leave the warehouse. Instead, you are paying for the truck, which is specifically needed for your move. You are not paying for the time spent preparing the truck for your move, though. That’s all on the moving company.

Featured image by 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) via Casey Fleser/Flickr

move out cleanup

Posted by & filed under After the move.

The seemingly endless process of packing and moving is finally over, but you aren’t done. Back at your old place there are dust bunnies, kitchen grease and who knows what that might have been lurking underneath and behind your furniture. It’s time to do your move out cleanup.

Depending on your budget, doing your move out cleaning can be as quick as picking up the phone and ordering a cleaning service, but that can be costly. If you want to do it yourself, fortunately, there are quick tips.

Best ways to do a move out cleanup

While a move out cleanup might look daunting, it’s not that bad if you are organized. Arm yourself with sanitizing wipes, a good floor cleaner,

1. Wipe down doors, doorknobs and switch plates.

A sanitizing wipe or a paper towel with an all-purpose cleanser is all you need.

2. Clean light fixtures and make sure all bulbs work

A quick wipe with a window cleaner and a paper towel should be all you need. If there are insects in the light fixtures, throw them away then wipe down the covers.

3. Walls and baseboards

Run a wet rag along all baseboards. Dust the walls and if there are marks, wipe them with an all purpose cleaner, but test the paint in a tiny corner first. If a cleaner damages the paint, lightly scrub with a magic eraser.

Blinds

If your home has blinds, vacuum them first. If there is still dirt, clean them with a mixture of vinegar and water. Clean one side of each slat and then turn the slat over and clean the other. Make sure all slats line up before you finish.

Patch holes

If you have nail holes in the wall, patch them with putty and paint over it.

Ceiling fan

Ceiling fans gather a lot of dust. You should clean them weekly, but make sure that they are thoroughly wiped down with a damp cloth after the move.

Stove and oven

If you have an automatic oven cleaner, begin that cycle right after the movers leave. If you do not have an automatic oven cleaner, use a spray cleaner. Make sure you wipe out any residue from the oven after it soaks. Wipe down the top of the stove. If there is built on grease, a solution of vinegar and baking soda should do the trick. If you have an electric stove, you may need to replace the drip pans. They are inexpensive and can be found at any hardware store. You should also clean your stove hood and underneath the oven drawer.

Counters

Wipe them thoroughly. Again, if there’s grease, use the vinegar/baking soda solution.

Cupboards and drawers

Remove all lining paper, wipe them down and reline the shelves and drawers.

Refrigerator

Clean all glass shelves with a window cleaner. Clean drawers in the sink. Thoroughly dry before putting back in the refrigerator. Wipe down the door. Be sure to wipe down the top of your refrigerator.

Windows

Clean all windows with a window cleaner or vinegar and water. Wipe down the window sills.

Bathtub or shower

The bathtub can be one of the most difficult things to clean. Use a strong bathtub cleaner, a magic eraser and a little elbow grease. Use a squeegee to dry it and ensure there are no streaks. Shine the faucet with a window cleaner and a paper towel.

Toilet

Wipe all around the toilet, under the seat and under the lid.

Sink

If the sink has hard water buildup, clean it like you did the bathtub. Wipe it thoroughly and shine the faucet.

Floors

Vacuum all carpet. Spot clean or rent a cleaner if necessary. Use a hardwood floor cleaner on hardwoods and a tile cleaner on the rest.

Viola! You’re done!

Featured image via Pixabay.

Posted by & filed under Long-Distance Moving.

If you’re moving cross country, and you have the time, make it a road trip. If you’re moving east, you can try the famous Route 66, legendary home of all things Americana. Is Route really all it’s cracked up to be, though?

Route 66 is among the oldest highways in the United States. It’s route takes you from just south of Los Angeles, through the Southwest and into Chicago.

Author John Steinbeck famously traveled Route 66 and coined its nickname, “the mother road.”

Not everything about Route 66 is romantic. A portion of it in Missouri was used during the forced Indian migration, in which thousands of Native Americans died, called the Trail of Tears. In another shameful reminder of our history, before the Civil Rights Act, many businesses along Route 66 discriminated against African-Americans.

Despite its checkered past, Route 66 is a nostalgic peek at an America of the past.

Here are some of the must-see sights along Route 66

California

Image courtesy of Mark Stephenson/Flickr

Route 66 is famous for its ghost towns. While most of them are further east, Calico is a ghost town right here in California.

Calico is located just north of Dagget and like so many California towns, it dates back to the Gold Rush. You can even tour a real mine. Unlike many of the Gold Rush towns in California, though, it died after the rush ended.

Arizona

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Arizona is full of sights along Route 66, but for a real glimpse of history — millions of years of history — stop by the Petrified Forest National Park, where dinosaurs roamed a mere 225 million years ago. While California has its redwoods, prehistoric Arizona had conifers that grew to 200 feet tall. That’s about the height of Los Angeles’ Cambria Hotel.

New Mexico

Image via Sylvain L/Flickr Creative Commons 2.0

For a taste of more recent history, stop by the 1940s era Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. They have a teepee shaped souvenir stand and a sombrero shaped restaurant. They even have rotary dial phones in the rooms.

Texas

Image via Wikimedia

Not surprisingly, the longest stretch of Route 66 is through Texas. Fill your tank at the original Phillips 66 in McLean, which looks more like a Tudor-style house than a gas station. For a look at cars past, visit the famous Cadillac Ranch in Bushland. Cadillac Ranch is an outdoor art installation showing 10 Cadillacs half buried in the dirt, wit their tailfins in the air for the world to see.

Oklahoma

As you’re passing through Oklahoma, be sure to stop by the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum in Elk City. It will tell you about all of the attractions behind and in front of you.

Kansas

You’ve visited the museum, now it’s time to see the ultimate Route 66 store. Nelson’s Old Riverton Store on the Oklahoma/Kansas star line. The owners have, for the most part, honored the store’s history. Its interior has barely changed since 1925. It’s still a grocery store/deli, and we know you’ll be hungry by that point.

Missouri

Image via Wikimedia

One of the absolute must-see places along Route 66 are the Meramec Caverns in Missouri. Take a tour of the limestone caves.

Illinois

Image via Wikimedia

Illinois may be one of the least interesting stretches of Route 66, but you can find the waterpower shaped like a ketchup bottle.

Posted by & filed under News.

Moving seems like one of the most straightforward businesses, and in many ways it is. Big problems can occur, though, when movers aren’t prepared. Any decent mover will be prepared for most situations. Trucks should be stocked with boxes of all sizes, blankets, tape, a ramp, dollies, etc. Things get a bit more dicey, though, when movers don’t know about a few items in advance.

1. Pianos

A piano might seem like just another piece of furniture, but pianos require special handling. If your mover knows in advance, he might arrange for a piano board and potentially an additional mover or two.

2. Safes

If you have a safe in your house that weighs more than most people, let your mover know. As with pianos, safes often require special moving boards and sometimes an extra crew member.

3. Stairs

A single flight of stairs, or perhaps even two, might not be such a big deal, but more than that and the mover has to know. If the mover isn’t prepared for stairs, the move could end up taking much longer, costing more money and there could be damages.

4. Long Carries

5. Time Restrictions

If you live in an apartment or in a community with a homeowner’s association, there might be time restrictions on your move. If possible, it’s best to arrange your move to start in the morning. Afternoon moves are far more difficult to precisely schedule because you may have to wait for movers to finish up their morning job. Also, you should check with your property manager to make sure you don’t have to reserve a particular date. It’s always best to get about three time options and coordinate one of those three with the movers.

6. Building Insurance Requirements

Every licensed mover must carry liability insurance in case of damage to driveways or buildings. Many apartment buildings require written proof called a Certificate of Insurance. Any mover should be able to supply the proof.

Featured image via Health.mil.

Posted by & filed under Home Buying.

Should you rent or buy?

Moving into a new home in a new town might seem risky. Deciding whether to rent or buy might seem even riskier. Everything is an unknown, and while you might have the time to do your due diligence if you’re buying in the neighborhood, it can be tough when you’re hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.

In the vast majority of circumstances, it’s better to rent than buy before you get your footing in a new city or state. Renting before hand gives you the opportunity to find out what neighborhoods you really like and you won’t be under such pressure to buy the first home you see.

There are exceptions when deciding whether to rent or buy

There are times, though, when buying might be a better alternative, even in a brand new city.

1. You have to reinvest

If you sold your old home and you made a considerable amount of capital gains (more than $250,000 for someone filing singly and $500,000 for someone filing jointly), you have only 45 days to reinvest that money before being hit with capital gains taxes. The good news is, you don’t have to reinvest it in a home. Talk to a tax professional about acceptable mutual funds or IRAs, or if perhaps you can roll it into your 401k.

2. You already know the area

If you grew up there, or if you have family there, you might be comfortable enough in a city to know exactly where you want to live. In that case, go ahead and buy. Be aware, though, that if you’ve spent a lot of time in a city as a tourist or as a business traveler, you probably haven’t gotten a good feel for what it’s like to live there. For example, you might love a particular neighborhood, but the schools aren’t quite up to par or the grocery stores aren’t that good. On the other hand, there might be a neighborhood you don’t even know about that suits all your needs.

3. It’s a buyer’s market

It seems forever since it’s been a buyer’s market, but real estate is cyclical. Just because it’s expensive right now doesn’t mean it will be expensive in two years. A temporary rental could buy you the time to find an affordable home, and one that you love. If it’s a buyer’s market right now, though, then by all means, buy.

4. You found the perfect house

If you find your dream house and you’ve researched the neighborhood (go there at night, as well as during the day, ask neighbors about their experiences, look at parking, find good schools, examine utilities), and you have a good deal, then by all means, buy it.

Overall, the decision over whether to rent of buy is deeply personal. Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith. Other times, it pays to wait.

Featured image via Joint Base Langley-Eustis