Tag Archives: jodyfinucan

Why Did My Credit Score Drop?

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Credit Score - Good to Know

Why Did My Credit Score Drop?

If you’ve seen a change in your credit score recently, you may be wondering why. There are a number of factors that contribute to a dropping credit score and it is important to know what may be causing that! When buying a home, it is important to maintain your credit and not make any major purchases that could impact your score. Here are the top 5 reasons for a drop in credit:

YOU MADE A LATE PAYMENT

Accounting for about 30% of your total rating, your payment history has a big impact on your credit score. If you make a loan or credit card payment more than a month after the due date, it could cause your credit score to drop. A payment 60-90+ days late will have an even greater impact on your score.

YOU MADE A LARGE PURCHASE

Your credit utilization ratio can largely impact your credit score. Your ratio is how much of your credit you use in relation to your total available credit. The goal is to have a lower ratio so if you’ve been using more of your available credit lately, you may see a drop in your score. If for any reason your credit limit is lowered, it can impact your credit utilization ratio and impact your score.

AN ACCOUNT GOES TO COLLECTION

Timely payments on all accounts is an important part of your credit journey. Late payments on credit cards, loans, to medical facilities, student loans and utilities can be sent to a collection agency, which could in turn show up in your credit report.

YOU OPENED A NEW LINE OF CREDIT

When you apply for new credit, you are giving lenders the permission to access a copy of your credit report, which is known as a hard inquiry on your credit. If your credit report indicates that you’ve applied for multiple new credit lines in a short period of time, your credit score may be impacted.

YOU CLOSED A CREDIT LINE

Closing a card means losing available credit, which could increase your credit utilization ratio. As a result, your credit score may drop. If closing a card helps you stop spending, it may be a good idea. Otherwise, it is usually wise to keep lines of credit open. The length of time you’ve had accounts open shows that you have a solid payment history, so that could be another reason to keep that card you’ve had awhile open if you are using it wisely!

Great Lakes Home Team is here to help you with your real estate questions or needs. We have helped so many families sell their home or find their dream home. Do you want to know how much is your home worth is worth, Click here?
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Who Doesn’t Love An Organized Pantry?

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With more people staying at home and avoiding crowds, a lot of homeowners are turning to home prepping to cut back on trips to the store and avoid shortages. Unfortunately, many people find themselves overwhelmed. Sometimes it is hard to know exactly what to stock up on. And once the pantry is fully stocked and prepped, maintaining it, and finding what you need among all the other things, can be difficult. Organization is a key part of successful prepping, so if you want to have an effective pantry, here are a few organizational tips to keep in mind.

What Should You Store?

First things first: What should you store in your pantry? Obviously, you want things that are shelf-stable and will last a while. Pick up or prepare staples like canned vegetables, canned fruits, crushed tomatoes and dry goods like pasta, rice, and beans. Add cooking supplies like cooking oil, flour, and cornmeal, plus sweeteners such as sugar and honey. Beyond that, round things out according to your family’s tastes. This is where you add your taco shells, your pasta sauces, cereals, popcorn, condiments and dressings, canned meats, and anything else that you know your family uses regularly. If you have pets, you can also set aside a section of your pantry for pet food as well.

Organizing for Easy Access

When you start organizing your pantry, do not just stick things wherever you can find a space for it. Take everything out, clean the area so that you are starting fresh, then put things back in a reasonable and organized way. Group similar items, like different types of canned vegetables, together so that everything is easy to find. Avoid just shoving a bunch of things together to make more room, since that will cause confusion and make some of your items a lot harder to find when you are looking for them.

Label Everything

Place labels on your shelves once you have everything organized so you will know what goes where in the pantry. That does not mean that you must micromanage and label each individual type of item, of course; create categories like “Jelly” and “Vegetables” to simply mark the general area where those items go. If you want to be really efficient with your labeling, take the time (or recruit family members to help) and place an easy-to-read sticker or label on the top or front of each item, and write the expiration date on it for reference.

Remember FIFO

Where a lot of people run into problems is rotating stocked items as new items are bought or made. Keep the FIFO principle in mind as you restock your pantry: First In, First Out. New items should always go to the back, allowing the older items in the front to be used first. As you take items out of the pantry, move up the items behind them so that they are closer to the front and you have room to place things behind them later.

Shelving and Storage Additions

If you need to add shelving or other storage types to your pantry area, try to do so in a way that makes stocking and access easier. Standalone shelves that you can walk behind or rollout shelves that you can pull toward you make it a lot easier to place new items at the back, while sliding shelves or rotating units make it easy to reach stored items that otherwise might be hard to get to.

Emergency Storage

In general, your pantry should be filled with items that you are going to use and that will be rotated out over time. You should check expiration dates at least once or twice a year and move items about to expire to your main pantry, or use them for activities such as camping trips, hiking excursions or other adventures.

Great Lakes Home Team is here to help you with your real estate questions or needs. We have helped so many families sell their home or find their dream home. Do you want to know how much is your home worth is worth, Click here?
Get your FREE Booklet – 10 Things Every Homebuyer Needs to Know. Get started on the correct path to finding your Dream Home!

 

 

Home Entertainment For the Whole Family

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Homeentertainment

Home Entertainment For The Whole Family!!

One of the best things that we can do right now to protect both ourselves and our friends and neighbors is to stay home. Unfortunately, there are only so many times that you can watch Tiger King or listen to your kids sing along with Elsa on Disney+. You need something new to do, and it needs to be something that the whole family can enjoy while you’re all staying safe at home.

There are some unique opportunities available right now that may never be available again once this is all over. They provide experiences that the whole family can enjoy that aren’t just the same old TV shows. Though this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are a few activities that you might consider that would give your family some new things to do.

A Virtual Reunion

With record numbers of people working and doing schoolwork at home, more people are using video conferencing services like Zoom, GoToMeeting and Microsoft Teams than ever before. These services aren’t just for work, however. You can use them to get in touch with family from around the country, and even schedule a “virtual reunion” to catch up and check in with each other. This can be a recurring event, letting you stay connected with loved ones throughout the pandemic. You may even grow closer as a family despite the distance.

Museum and Zoo Tours

Even though museums and zoos are currently closed to the public, a number of high-profile museums and zoos have started offering virtual online tours for free. You can go online and view great works of art, watch animals relaxing during their downtime, and even see unique things like puppies getting to run wild in an aquarium. On top of these custom experiences, many zoos and similar facilities have webcams focused on specific exhibits that you can check out throughout the year.

Learn Something New

To help families pass the time, many online learning platforms are offering extended free trials so that people can pick up new skills or learn interesting things while in self-isolation. On top of that, some teachers and experts are streaming free courses on Zoom and other platforms as well. There is a wide range of content available for both kids and adults, meaning that there’s something for everyone to learn and enjoy.

Start (or Join) a Book Club

Reading is a great way to pass the time, and you can share that with the family by starting a family book club. The premise is simple: Everyone picks out a book, and once a week you get together and discuss what you’re reading. Even younger children can participate; let them pick out a book that they want you to read, and at the meet-up you can let them show off the book and tell everyone about it.

If you want a bit more social interaction with your book club, you can also look into online book clubs that are a bit closer to traditional book club offerings. These can have members from across the nation or around the world. Some of them operate on dedicated websites, and others use social media groups. Either way, there should be options available for most readers.

Listen to a Story

Even if you don’t feel like doing all of that reading, there are a good number of authors and celebrities doing podcasts and videos in which they read a variety of books or stories. Quite a few of these are aimed at children, but some of them are more tailored to adults as well. Levar Burton (of Reading Rainbow fame) has even recently launched a video version of his podcast Levar Burton Reads with a wide range of content.

A Night in at the Movies

Under ordinary circumstances, you’d be able to take the family out to see some of the many movies that would be in theaters right now. But that’s not possible now that all the theaters are closed. So instead, movie theaters are adapting. Special digital rentals are now available for recent box-office hits that ordinarily wouldn’t be available for rental yet, so that a wider audience can enjoy them. And some movies that were scheduled for early summer release, such as Trolls World Tour, are also making their debut via digital rental. So pop some popcorn and enjoy these new and recent blockbusters all from the privacy and safety of your own home.

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#greatlakeshometeam #KW1 #motherdaughterduo #homeentertainment

 

Six Tip to Staying Productive While Working At Home

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Creating A Productive Atmosphere While You #STAYHOME

workplace

In countless homes across the country and the world, there has been a major shift to working from home – even for students. If you are working from home and trying to manage your children being home and doing school work, you may be at a loss when it comes to ensuring productivity. With a television across the room and no boss or teacher hovering, distraction comes easily. Here are six tips to create a space that enables productivity!

1. Light up your space

Letting in as much natural light as possible to your at-home work space is the first step to making a better place to get things done. Your body works best with natural light because of circadian rhythms, which tell your brain to be awake and productive when natural light is around you. Natural light will help you feel alert and the vitamin D you will get from opening those windows will help boost your immune system.

2. Add minimalist decor

You don’t want to crowd your work space, but it is important to decorate your space in a way that you will enjoy. Having a clean, organized space with a few quirks that will make you smile – like a favorite photo. Make sure any items you will need, like pens and highlighters, are within reach, so you are more motivated to stay put!

3. Make your work space only a work space

It is important to train your brain to differentiate when it is time to work and when it is not. When we drive to work or school, it is natural for us to switch into ‘working’ mode, but when we work from home, it is hard to get into that mode. By only sitting in your work space when it is time to get things done, you will train your brain to be more productive when you are in that space. Keeping work related projects out of site will help reduce relax and recharge your batteries.

4. Manage your cell phone use

While you may need your phone to make work calls or check in with your teacher, it is important to set boundaries and stick to them. If you find yourself constantly wanting to scroll through social media instead of getting work done, try download an app that will limit your social media access each hour. If you don’t need your phone for work or school, try keeping it in a box across the room.

5. Manage your work hours

While you are working from home manage your work hours as you would at the office especially if you have a flexible schedule like us. Start you day at the same time, take a lunch at the same time and/or breaks and your end when you are supposed to. Go for a quick walk to stretch your legs.

6. Avoid feeling isolated

Utilize various communications to break up your day:

    • Phone
    • Zoom
    • Email,
    • Messenger
    • Facebook live
    • Bombbomb

This is different times with different rules, we all need to make sure we are staying positive, staying connected and we will get through this together!

We are here to help! If you have a real estate question or need…we are only a phone call away!

 

You’re Making Your Landlord Rich!

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While you’re fussing over your bills, did you realize you’re making your landlord rich? Rentals are the most lucrative business to get into. It turns ordinary people into multi-millionaires. The next time you’re afraid of committing to a mortgage, keep in mind that you’ve already committed to paying off the mortgage of someone else – every single month you rent. The only time home buying doesn’t make sense is if you’re still living with your parents rent-free. If you prefer to live in a home, or a condo, it always makes the most sense to buy.

Stop making your landlord rich and start building your own net worth. You can still enjoy owning a home – even if you don’t intend to stay in an area for long. You can always resell your home, most often for more money than you put in, or turn it into a lucrative side business by hiring a property management company to rent it out on your behalf. Whatever you decide, don’t be afraid of a mortgage commitment – you’re paying one regardless. Now ask yourself, do you want to make yourself money or make your landlord money? Contact us today at Great Lakes Home Team and get connected with a lender to learn more about home buying.

Lake County History – Average Sale Price Last 5 years by month.

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Avg Sale PriceClick on the link below to pull up a PDF – Lake County History of Average Sale Price per month.  If you are into statistics or even if you are not, you will likely find the information very interesting. Sale prices in Lake County have continued to increase month after month beginning 2016. The shortage of inventory and multiple offers has certainly been a factor in increasing prices.  If you have any questions or would like to know a particular area, please let me know. I am happy to help.

 

Lake County Ohio Sale Price Average

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Active Listings In Geauga County Ohio by Month – Last 5 years

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Active ListingsThe chart shows the number of active listings on the market in Geauga County by month over the last 5 years.  Click on the link below to see the entire chart.  While the market is moving quickly, it is still a great time to buy. Interest rates are still very good!  The process of selling your home or buying a new one can be made easier with the experience of agent. Let me help guide you or someone you know through the process.  Here is a little snippet for month of December over the last 5 years.

Month of December:

2013 – 1016 number of active homes on the market

2014 – 921 number of active homes on the market

2015 – 873 number of active homes on the market

2016 – 724 number of active homes on the market

2017 – 673 number of active homes on the market

Number of Active Listings in Geauga County

I will be sharing Lake and Cuyahoga county as well. Or if you would like some statistics by a particular northeast Ohio city, please let me know?

Looking to find out what your home is worth, let me provide you a free market analysis for your northeast Ohio home.

Great information for buyers – check it out my e-book 10 Things buyers need to know before they buy.

Search for homes on the market. Most accurate information available to buyers.

Jody Finucan 440 221-6383 jodyfinucan@gmail.com

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree at these Northeast Ohio Farms

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Cutting Christmas Tree   Are you looking to cut your own tree this holiday season? Listed below in alphabetic order by city are many located in Northeastern Ohio.  Have Fun!
NORTH CORNER FARM
13800 Butternut Road, Burton Township
440-785-3692
northcornerfarm.com
Open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

SOBUSTA FARMS
11380 Thwing Road, Chardon Township
440-357-8568 or 440-256-1768
soubustafarms.com
Open Nov. 24 through the weekend before Christmas on Fridays from 1 p.m. until dark and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to dark.

SUGAR PINES FARM
9500 Mulberry Road, Chester Township
440-729-1019
sugarpinesfarm.com
Open beginning Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (and the day after Thanksgiving); noon to 5:30 Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and noon to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

KATHY’S CHRISTMAS TREES
6861 Williams Road, Concord Township
440-352-8779
Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

MOUNTAIN CREEK TREE FARM
7185 Williams Road, Concord Township
440-354-8928
mountaincreektrees.com
Open Nov. 18 through Dec. 24. Open Saturdays and Sundays and the Friday after Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.

DIVENCENZO FAMILY TREE FARM
16101 Island Road, Grafton
440-926-3873
divichristmastree.com
Open on Saturdays and Sundays until Dec. 17, check the website for hours.

RHODES SISTER
12020 Clay St., Huntsburg Township
440-636-5498
Open starting Nov. 24 seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

SARNA’S TREE FARM
1137 E. Jefferson St., Jefferson
440-576-3450
Sarnastreefarm.com
Open beginning Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Monday. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays or by appointment.

BENDER TREE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
3381 Sheffield Road, Jefferson
440-944-5240
bendertree.com
Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

WILCOX TREE FARMS
17620 Diagonal Road, LaGrange
440-355-4027
wilcoxtreefarm.com
Open Nov. 24 through Christmas every day 10 a.m. until dusk.

EMERALD RIDGE CHRISTMAS TREES AND WREATHS
7000 Warner Road (Route 307), Madison Township
440-428-6132
ohiochristmastree.org/emerald-ridge
Open beginning Nov. 24 Fridays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays

WINTERGREEN TREE FARM
3898 Winchell Road, Mantua Township
330-221-3835
wintergreentreefarmohio.com
Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 19 seven days a week from 9 a.m. to nightfall.

PINEY PARADISE TREE FARM
1647 Snyder Road, Monroeville
419-668-9334
piney-paradise.com/index.html
Open Nov. 25 through Dec. 17 Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
677 S. Norwalk Road West, Norwalk
419-668-9334
Open starting Nov. 24 weekdays only from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

MANNERS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
780 Dodgeville Road, New Lyme Township
440-294-2444
Open seven days a week Nov. 24 through Dec. 23. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

KENNEDY LANDSCAPING & TREE FARM
320 Bowhall Road, Painesville Township
440-352-6769
kennedyco.com
Open starting Nov. 25 seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

GRAND RIVER VALLEY CHRISTMAS TREE FARM AND GIFT SHOPPE
3553 Laskey Road, Rome Township
440-563-1811
christmastreesohio.com
Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

MCKOSKY TREE FARM
14740 Leroy Center Road, Thompson Township
440-298-1412
Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Nov. 24

SPENCER’S TREE FARM
2611 Chenango Road, Wakeman
440-839-3018
Open starting Nov. 24 on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

TREASTER’S TREE FARM
13184 Gore Orphanage Road, Wakeman
440-965-7411
Open starting Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. until dark Fridays through Sundays.

KURTZ CHRISTMAS TREES
22350 Quarry Road, Wellington
440-647-3507
kurtzchristmastrees.com
Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, starting Thanksgiving Day.

LOG BARN FARM
8711 Stanhope Kelloggsville Road, Williamsfield Township
440-293-7330
logbarnfarm.com
Open daily Nov. 24 through Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

GREIG CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
35900 Eddy Road, Willoughby Hills
440-487-7158
Open starting Nov. 25 on weekends 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Storage Ideas For Small Bathrooms

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bathroom small spaces

Is your bathroom small? It’s the worst, isn’t it? Well, unfortunately, small bathrooms are very common, and are usually the smallest rooms in the house. I can almost bet that it almost always feels cramped and tight in there. Although the square footage doesn’t change, a change of organization and storage space can make a drastic change to how your bathroom feels. Here are a few tips and tricks to make your bathroom space feel more functional and spacious.

  •  Medicine Cabinet
    If you have a regular mirror, replacing it with one that includes a medicine cabinet and provide further storage space.

  • Shelving
    If you have free space above your toilet, vanity, or other another empty part of the wall, install shelving units. Purchase a few decorative baskets to maximize shelf space.

  • Hooks
    With a few decorative hooks, in a style of your preference, you can declutter by placing a couple on the back of the door to hang towels or robes. Perhaps one or two right next to each end of the shelving unit you just installed.

  • Towel Racks 
    A rack installed inside of you shower can save you space and convenience, also adding an additional shower bar above the original will work nicely. Another idea is installing a few racks a couple of feet above each other or right next on another. If you have an excessive amount of towels, store some of them away in the bedroom closet.

  • Vanity with Cabinet
    I have come across plenty of pedestal sinks in small bathrooms, but if you want save some space, add some storage, and upgrade the look of your bathroom at the same time, a vanity cabinet will definitely do the trick.

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The Incredible Joy of Owning Your Home

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LRE Social Blog

If you haven’t bought a home yet, you’re missing out on a wonderful feeling! That moment when you walk through your doors, throw your purse or keys on the floor, plop down on your couch and breathe a sigh of relief while thinking, “Finally, it’s ours (or mine)!” And the joy of looking at all of your boxes, getting to roll your eyes about why you buy so much stuff, then giving yourself a moment to take a nap because you worked hard to get here and earned it! Yes that’s a real feeling!

We often hear, and read, about the cost effectiveness of home ownership. The equity build-up, the freedom it can give us from finances in our retirement years, and a plethora of other ways owning a home can be a positive impact on your bottom dollar. But we don’t often hear about the emotional impact owning a home can have. Yes there will be days the fridge is acting silly and you need to call your home warranty, or days you have to get outside to mow your own yard, but nothing beats the pride and joy of owning a home.

There is a sense of security, and a sense of “this is mine and I worked my way up to this moment,” that provides moments of bliss. The ability to do with your home as you please, not pay a pretty penny for every member of your fur family, and the privacy it provides can’t be beat.

Home ownership also gives you the ability to put down some roots. And we mean that figuratively and literally. You get to build memories through the holidays and go through many milestones with your family, that leave a significant impact into the later years. You also get to build bonds with your neighbors, and grow in a community oriented neighborhood. With rentals, people come and go annually, but there are deeper roots planted with building relationships with those living next to you. Potlucks, 4th of July and New Year’s Eve spent lighting fireworks, and just the excitement of getting to know each other and build new relationships.

Buying a home isn’t about the dollars and cents for everyone, sometimes it’s just about the joy of owning your own place, and getting to build amazing memories in it. If you’ve been longing for this, get in touch with a real estate agent, and make it happen. You owe it to yourself to make your dreams come true!

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