Saturday, September 12, 2009

"Looking Good During The Bad Times" Lessons In Debt, Credit And Home Ownership


"Looking Good During The Bad Times” is not a lesson in fashion, but one about making the most of what you have in regards to your largest investment – your home ! Your home may have dropped in value like your neighbors, but it doesn’t have to look like it. IF you have found more time on your hands due to employment cut backs, take advantage of the time. Structure a “To Do List”, every home owner should have one of these stuck on the refrigerator even during the best of times.

You’ve probably heard your Granny say, “No matter how broke you become, you can always be clean.” Old wives tales do hold a bit of wisdom in them. The fact remains, clean, shiny and pretty is better than dirty, ugly and unwanted. If you are facing any kind of financial crises at all, you must protect your largest asset. If any equity is to be realized, more will come from your home looking good than neglected and dirty.

It’s called ‘ROI’=Return On Investment. You can experience in the worse of times a positive ROI in your home by taking little actions that can produce big reactions and
profitability. Increase the curb appeal on your home by removing outside clutter. Sweep the walks and driveway. Cut grass and trim out dead wood in trees and bushes. Pressure wash your shutters, window sashes, and trim. Put a fresh coat of paint on the front door and perhaps a shiny new kick plate at the bottom. Clean the light fixture of birds nest and cobwebs.

Next walk through your home. Really look at it as if you were to buy it today. The stained flooring, the soiled wall paper, chipped paint, hand prints on the cabinets, broken tiles, hardware loose, uneven and cluttered pictures or wall hangings and all waiting to be put your ‘To Do List”. The biggest challenge is eliminating clutter. If you can’t bring yourself to make all of those tiny decisions, call in your toughest friend and give the ‘OK’ to be strong for you. The point of this lesson is to maximize what you have in time, and assets. You will feel good about your ‘ROI’ while making your house a more comfortable home. Clean is good and it’s affordable !

Spectrum Resources provides counseling in daily money management, providing education, resources and options to those seeking financial self sufficiency. Debt, credit and home ownership issues always comes back to you setting priorities that make a positive difference in your life. Only you can make the decisions which truly make a difference.
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