Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

  Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties The Benefits of a Hardship Plan If you’re buried in credit card debt, there’s a reasonable solution that your credit card company may allow you to use, but only if you ask about it. A hardship plan, also known as a credit card payment plan, can help dig you out of debt and ultimately improve your credit score. A hardship plan can also save you money in interest payments and reduce your monthly credit card bill. Don’t be scared if you think a hardship plan is the same thing as the debt management plans you see on TV commercials. Those require you to pay a fee to a credit counseling agency to negotiate debt repayment terms with each of your lenders. All of the debts are paid through a single monthly payment that the counseling agency collects from you. The credit counselor is the liaison between you and your debt collectors. A hardship plan, however, doesn’t have an intermediary or m...

  Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties Common Natural Cleaning Products Found in Homes Many home cleaning products can be expensive and include harmful chemicals. With just a little extra elbow grease, you can save money by using some natural cleaning products you may already have around the house. Here are some common and cheap items that are free of artificial ingredients and can make house cleaning simpler: Baking Soda Baking soda can be used for many other things than refreshing the smell of a refrigerator. For a dollar or so, a small box of baking soda can go a long way in cleaning up spills. For a carpet stain, cover it with baking soda and spray it with a mixture of half white vinegar and half water. The baking soda will foam up, then let it set for three hours before scrubbing. Let it dry overnight and vacuum the baking soda up the next day. Baking soda can also be used to help clean dirty pans; deodorize musty ...

  Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How to Extend the Life of Your Carpet Whether you adore your new carpet or can’t afford to replace it every few years, below are a handful of ways to extend the life of your carpet—even if you have kids and pets. 1. Lay down a rug in high traffic spots.   It may seem weird to lay a rug over your carpet, but in places that see a ton of foot traffic—like by the bed, couch or doorways—adding an extra layer of protection in the form of a rug or mat can seriously prolong your carpet’s life. 2. Vacuum frequently.  Make sure you vacuum once a week to pull up damaging dirt and dander that can wear down your carpet overtime. 3.  Take off your shoes.  By enforcing a “no shoes inside” policy in your home, you will reduce the amount of dirt that gets tracked in. Add a shoe rack by the front door to help make it easy. 4. Act fast with spills . If you get a splash or spi...

Based on the current competition due to lower than normal inventories, it is possible for a seller to find themselves on the beneficiary side of a multiple offers.   Two or more parties may be trying to buy your home at the same time and because of the competition, they increase the purchase price, possibly, remove unnecessary contingencies and try to make their offer as attractive as possible. This can pleasantly result in you realizing higher-than-expected sales price and proceeds of sale.   While it may not materialize, it is good to understand what could happen and the best way to handle it.   Your real estate professional is positioned to offer you specific advice but the following are some things to consider. One tactic is to delay showings for a short period of time.   Some agents will create this by putting a sign on the property with a rider that indicates "coming soon" and depending on the local MLS rules, it may even be put in the system.   No sho...

  Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 7 Ways to Pay for Your Child's College Education As a parent, you’ve undoubtedly thought about your child’s college education—no matter what their current age is. And if you’re planning on paying their way, or at least helping them out, cost is certainly a factor. Unless you’ve got a huge sum of cash to plunk down when it’s time to pay, chances are you’ll need to find multiple ways to fund your child’s education. Here are seven options to consider: FAFSA Whether you or your child is paying, begin by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for any aid. The form allows you to receive financial aid such as federal grants, work-study grants, work-study opportunities, student loans and even some state- and school-based aid. Some colleges award this money on a first-come, first-serve basis, so it’s important to fill it out ...

In the Boy Scouts, a certification, called a Totin' Chip, is required for scouts to carry, and use woods tools like a knife, axe and a saw.   They must read and understand the use and safety rules from the scout handbooks and demonstrate the proper handling, care, and use of each. No such certification is required for homeowners but there are a lot of good reasons why it should be self-imposed.   Making minor repairs is part of the responsibility of owning a home that will save both time and money. A homeowner will certainly appreciate the need for such training the first time a call is made to a service company to fix their air conditioner that suddenly quit cooling.   When the repairman arrives, he has a checklist which includes verifying the unit is getting electricity.   If not, they go to the electrical panel to see if a breaker has been thrown. It can be very humbling and expensive to have to pay a service fee to have a repairman flip a breaker to get you...

  Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How to Spot an Investment Scam Before It's Too Late If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And when it comes to money, these words may be hard to remember if someone is offering a financial return that sounds too good to pass up. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), some of these types of investment fraud are called Ponzi schemes, where new money pays off early-stage investors to create the false appearance that investors are profiting from a legitimate business. Without a constant flow of money from new investors, Ponzi schemes eventually collapse. If someone approaches you with an investment, here are some red flags to be aware of: High rate of return that’s guaranteed with little or no risk.  Every investment has some degree of risk, and those with higher returns typically involve more risk. There is no such thing as a “guaranteed” rate...