Perk up and enjoy the day for the opportunities it presents to reset, recharge and make some memories!

Most all of us look forward to the weather continuing to warm up, all the spring things and getting back out in the sun.  Still, Pennsylvania has a way of getting us to pump our brakes a bit as rainy days beckon us to curl up inside and eagerly await the days ahead.  Today, March 24, 2021, happens to be just such a day.  Below are some great things to do in the meantime:

1. Plan Your Next Vacation

Take a look at the calendar, bust out a map and plan your next family (or solo) vacation!  Where will it be this year?  A cross-country road trip?  A flight to Spain?  Oooh, how about finally taking that trip to Italy? 

There are so many options and many that may be more budget-friendly than you think.  Now would be a great time to weigh those options!

2. Start a Side Hustle

In response to numerous cultural and economic shifts, many are taking advantage of opportunities now more readily available to establish added revenue streams.  What's something you're good at or could offer others in an exchange of value?  Are you an arts-and-crafts star waiting to make your Etsy debut?  Maybe you have decades of experience that could translate into a wealth of knowledge and resources to those less experienced.

Take a moment to do a little research or just start dropping ideas on paper.  

3. Unplug and Read a Book

Call us old school but there's still much to be said about flipping actual pages in a real book.  Shut down the electronics (these are known to trigger depression and anxiety anyhow) and key things down.  Grab a cup of coffee, tea or a warm cup of broth and enjoy a good book.  Be entertained.  Learn something new.  Just curl up on the couch or next to your favorite window and enjoy the invitation to just breathe.

4. Do a Social Media Cleanse

Again, SHUT IT DOWN!  You won't miss anything and you won't regret it!

5. Get Your Finances in Order

If you haven't already prepped things to file your taxes, now would be a good time to knock that out.  Beyond that, taking a moment to get finances organized and to do some solid financial planning can pay back in dividends.  Establish a plan to get out of debt, boost your savings or to make sure you're allocating resources in a way that most caters to your personal goals.

6. Donate Your Time

Put unexpected time to good use.  What are some needs around you that you can readily meet with something you can do today?

7. Reach Out to a Relative or An Old Friend

Life gets BUSY.  We all can fall into losing days, weeks and months to the craziness of trying to maintain that work-family-life balance.  (Is there really even such a thing or are we chasing unicorns here?)  

Take a moment to reach out to someone you haven't connected with in a while.  

8. Tackle Small Cleaning Projects

If you haven't already tackled your spring cleaning, that's okay.  Take a moment today to get one of those little projects knocked out.  It will feel like a victory for the day and come with the gift of knowing your spring clean to-do just got a little bit smaller.

9. Get organized

We all have that ONE drawer (or five) or that pantry, closet or nook that is just mad-disheveled and has become the black hole in which nothing going in may ever be found again.  Take an hour to pull things out, pitch what you don't really need to keep anyhow and get everything organized in that spot.

10. Cook It Up!

There is something incredibly therapeutic about getting in the kitchen, especially on a rainy day.  While many turn to baking cookies or muffins, there are many options that make a perfect fit.  A personal favorite here is to make up a pot of homemade vegetable soup and a fresh loaf of bread made from scratch.  There's something incredibly satisfying about the aroma of fresh baked bread rolling out of the kitchen and pairing with an incredibly nourishing bowl of soup - ESPECIALLY on a rainy day!

11. Tackle a DIY Project

You've been talking long enough about that bathroom needing a fresh coat of paint and the touch up work needing to be done in the kids' rooms.  How about the new shelves you meant to put up in the family room? 

Why not do it now?  Tomorrow you'll wake up feeling that sense of accomplishment that comes on the other side of a well done DIY. 

12. Play Games

Rainy days make the perfect backdrop for making memories with the family.  Scrabble?  Jenga?  What are some classic games you haven't played in a while but could bust out today?

13. Squeeze in a Workout

Movement is medicine!  Some days you want to hit it hard.  Some days the body appreciates light, intentional movement that allows you to get refocused on simply enjoying the gift of life and the abliity to move.  

14. Pamper Yourself!

Put on a mud mask and start a journal.  Soak your feet.  Go for the manicure or maybe a hot stone massage.  Taking a moment to enjoy a little self-care can work wonders for increasing your sense of joy and readiness to roll into the days ahead with energy and excitement.

So, how about it?  What will you be getting into on this rainy day?  Drop us a message or a comment.  We'd love to hear your favorite thing on this list or what you would add to it!

In addition, you will need to assess your needs and wants and decide what is most important in the home that you're purchasing.  You will need to consider the location where you want to live and investigate the schools and community offerings.  There are just so many things to consider!

Fortunately, one thing that you should never have to consider is whether or not your home will have a high resale value. Today's home owners are not the same as the people who owned homes twenty or fifty years ago.  Gone are the days when newly married couples purchased family homes that would remain in the family for many generations. Now that careers and family responsibilities are making families more transient, a large number of home buyers are purchasing a home only temporarily.  Therefore, a great resale value is one of the key attributes that these home buyers are seeking.

So, how do you determine whether a home has a resale value that will allow you to earn a moderate profit after living in a home for a relatively short period of time?  If you assume an 80% mortgage and live in the home for only 5 of 30 years in the mortgage period, you will need to be able to satisfy your mortgage from the sale proceeds. Anything remaining is considered to be the profit.  Making a profit after satisfying your mortgage is the ideal situation when you plan to upgrade to a more expensive home – or to any other home, for that matter.

Sometimes moves are not planned, as an out-of-state career change or some other event necessitates moving earlier than originally planned.  In that case, it is good to have thought about a home's resale value before the purchase was finalized.

Resale Considerations to Make BEFORE You Buy!

Size (Square Footage)

Size means different things to different people, and the ideal home size for a given area depends on the square footage of comparable homes in the local area.  In some locations, a 5,000-square-foot home is ideal, while in other areas a 2,500-square-foot is considered to be large. Some people assume that the largest home on the street will have the highest resale value, but that is not necessarily the case, given that the people who look for homes based upon location often want to have a home that is similar in size and style to all of the other standard homes in that area.

Here is another reason that buying the largest home in the neighborhood is not necessarily the way to guarantee high future value. When you own the largest home on a street of relatively small homes, those smaller homes will most likely appreciate in value more slowly than if all the homes had medium or large square footage.  If your home is nestled in that neighborhood, even though it is larger, you will also be subject to that slower rate of appreciation.  Therefore, considering the return on investment, it would actually have been more beneficial to have purchased a less expensive and smaller home in the same neighborhood.

...buyers have become more concerned about the number (and size!) of a home's bathrooms.  Some people will not even consider looking at a home with only one bathroom...

Consider the reverse situation, this time assuming that you are purchasing the smallest home in an area of large homes.  The large homes will be worth more and the value of those homes will appreciate at a faster rate.

Lot Size and Landscaping

A level lot that is relatively square carries a higher value than does an odd-shaped lot that is only slightly larger than the footprint of the home sitting on it.  The placement of the home on the lot is not critical in most cases, but if a home seems oddly situated in comparison with others in the area, buyers may be less interested and, consequently, pay significantly less than they otherwise would.  Try to find a home with a traditional street orientation on a normally shaped lot for the highest potential resale value.

Also, the useable space in the yard is something that will make a difference to most buyers.  A backyard swimming pool or play area is great when space allows, but if all the grass on your lawn comprises an area smaller than that of your kitchen, you probably will not find many buyers who are enthralled with your backyard.

Number of Bedrooms

In the past, three-bedroom homes were the most sought after.  However, today's families almost always want to purchase of a home with more bedrooms than occupants.  A fourth or fifth bedroom can make a very nice home office, and a sixth bedroom is wonderful guest space. There are tradeoffs for having such extra space. For example, consider the recent rise in heating costs.  Overall, you may find that the resale profit associated with those extra rooms will simply pay you back for the $700 monthly heating bills that you had to pay each winter while you lived in the home.

Number of Bathrooms

Again, the traditional home with one bathroom or even one bathroom plus a powder room, are not nearly as attractive to today's buyers as homes with one bathroom per bedroom, or sometimes per occupant.  In recent years, buyers have become more concerned about the number (and size!) of a home's bathrooms.  Some people will not even consider looking at a home with only one bathroom.

Kitchen

Kitchens are KEY.  If you purchase a home that you want to sell for a profit in just a few short years, you will need to pay particular attention to the kitchen.  You will also want to keep abreast of the hottest kitchen trends, so that when your home goes on the market it has the most updated kitchen in the area. There are other factors that come into play when thinking about resale value.  However, those mentioned above provide buyers with most of the features that they need and some that they want – in a fair and honest way.  When you are buying a home with plans to move in just five to ten years, you cannot afford to ignore the resale factors described above.

1. Set a Budget

It's no secret that relocating costs can get out of hand. When considering relocating, it's important to set a budget. This will help you to prioritize what is necessary and what isn't when relocating.

2. Create a Plan

Relocating can be overwhelming and chaotic. For these reasons, it's important to create a plan in advance – when you plan to relocating, how you are having your furniture and boxes moved and any other tasks that you feel are important for a smooth transition.

3. Create a Moving Checklist

To stay organized, create a checklist of all of the tasks that need completed before, during and after you've moved. This list will help you to stay on task and prevent you from forgetting any small, but important detail.

4. Declutter

It can potentially be a costly decision to wait to declutter your home until after you move. When you declutter prior to moving, you can possibly sell and make money off of the unwanted or unused items in your home. Decluttering also means you'll have less to move later!

5. Pack Early and Pack Efficiently

One question often asked is, how soon should you start packing before you move? The answer is always the same – as early as possible. The sooner you begin packing, the less stressful the process will be, especially if you're moving a long distance. Start with rarely-used house items and work your way to your common, everyday materials to prevent cutting corners at the end. This will help to reduce the chances for broken goods or misplaced items.

6. Label Every Box with its Destination and Contents

As you pack and seal up each box, write a brief list of its contents and the room they are intended for. This way, when you're moving in, you'll be able to deposit your boxes in the right room and you'll know exactly what is in each box.

7. Change Your Address & Transfer Utilities

Before you move, make sure to change your address and transfer all utilities at least two weeks prior to moving. This timeframe ensures your utilities will be transferred on time for your official move in date and allows for your address change to take effect, so you don't miss any important bills, statements, packages and other mail.

8. Pack a Moving Day Essential Box

Don't move to your new home without a moving day essential box or bag. This box should contain anything and everything you might need on moving day and the following few days. Essentials could include items like toothbrushes, medications, toiletries, trash bags, a tool kits or cleaning supplies.

1. Get a new mattress

A good night's rest may be as simple as getting a new mattress. If your mattress is too lumpy, hard or soft it will keep you up all night trying to get comfortable. There are many types of mattresses in the market, such as pillow, foam, adjustable, airbeds and more. Each type of bed has manufacturers who guarantee comfort and better sleep. Do your research and test out each mattress before deciding which one will suit you best.

2. Repaint in soothing colors

Bright and vibrant colors can be fun, but it's best not to use them in a bedroom. Colors such as blues, green and pastels all provide us with the peaceful, calming atmosphere needed to create your oasis. By using these colors in your bedroom, you can create the environment necessary to feel more relaxed and will, ultimately, provide a better night of rest.

3. Darken your room

Studies have been conducted which prove that our body's natural circadian rhythm follows a dark-light cycle. Therefore, the amount of light in your bedroom will affect your sleep. To reduce the amount of light in your bedroom consider using blackout curtains, putting phones in a drawer, using armoires to hide your bedroom TV and storing away any other light-emitting items you have in your bedroom.

4. Choose proper bedding

You spend a third of your life in your bed, which means it's just as important to pick bedding that best suits you. If you're a hot sleeper, you will want to choose bedding that allows your body to breathe at night. Or, if you find the idea of white bedding relaxing and comforting you might want to choose white bedding to find the relaxation and comfort you crave. Whatever your preferences, take the time to invest in the type of bedding that provides the best night's sleep for you.

Life Situation:

Owning a home not only takes a financial commitment, but a level of maturity to recognize problems, plan for a variety of situations and maintain the household in good order. Being a homeowner is a commitment and if you travel often, work late most nights or don't have the extra savings to properly repair needed fixes, owning a home may not be the right choice for you. In situations like these, it might be best to continue renting a property where you are not responsible for lawn care, maintenance or a large mortgage.

Cost:

While many people equate a mortgage payment to the price of rent, there are plenty of extra costs associated with owning a home than renting an apartment. You also need to take homeowners' insurance, property taxes, school taxes, utilities and possibly an HOA fee into consideration. In contrast to these extra costs, the wealth you'll be building up over time through equity development, good credit and property appreciation are important in establishing a sound financial future.

Commitment:

One of the benefits of renting is the lack of long-term commitment. Most leases are one year in length, giving you the option to easily adjust your living location for a new job, preferred area or just to get a change in scenery. When you buy a home, you are making a commitment to choosing a neighborhood, school district and location that you will be comfortable living in for several years while you build equity and recoup the cost of buying the house. Even though it can be hard to predict what your future will hold, having a rough idea of your five-year plan will help you determine whether investing in a home or continuing to rent is the best decision for you.

Cost:

According to a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the cost of a new home is roughly 30% more than the cost of a pre-existing home. While that may seem like a lot, you also need to consider the benefits that come with a new home. With an old home, you might pay less upfront, but you could be seeing that money go out the door through repairs and energy costs since old homes are often less energy-efficient.

Maintenance:

Buying a new home fitted with a brand-new hot water heater, HVAC and roof offers peace of mind that no major issues should pop up within the next decade. Should you decide to pursue an old home, keep in mind that some of these larger home systems and appliances may need repair or replacement within a few days, months or years of purchase. It is very important to conduct thorough home inspections prior to buying an older home so that you are aware of the potential out-of-pocket costs in the near future. If you don't have the savings in line to fund such repairs, it might be best to consider a new home that wouldn't require any immediate care.

Investment:

Buying a home is a huge investment and, as with all investments, there is a degree of gambling that goes into your decision making. With an old home, you have history and visual trends to see the ups and downs of the property value. Now, that's not to say it's a perfect predictor of what the future holds, but unlike with new homes, you have a good basis of approximate appreciation and value. New homes don't have this history, so some might consider this a bigger risk and shy away from the unknown changes in market value over the course of your ownership.

Home Design

When it comes to the design of a home, you're most likely going to see opposite sides of the spectrum in old versus new homes. For those that are looking for intricate details, historic tradition, unique features and the possibility of secret hideaways, you'll probably want to browse through older homes that were built in a time where your desired feature was popular. If you want clean, crisp lines, open floor plans and minimalistic design, then you'll love the majority of new construction homes.

How do you get the best of both worlds? Buy an old home with a sound foundation and good bones and then work on renovating it's interior to get the old charm with a new, updated style. Who says you can't have it all?

Here are ten great ways to help you identify the point at which making a home purchase becomes feasible for you:

1) Little to no credit card debt

When you're trying to get a mortgage, perhaps the most important aspect of doing so is getting your credit card debt reduced as close to zero as possible, according to Money Under 30. That's true for two reasons. First, the size of your credit card balance is relative to your limit and makes up a significant portion of your credit score. Second, lenders look at the debt-to-income ratio. As long as you're carrying relatively small balances from one month to the next (or ideally, not carrying a balance at all), you'll be in good shape.

2) All other loans paid off

One of the biggest hurdles for the millennial generation, when it comes to being financially capable of buying a home, is student loans. It may not be wise to try to buy until your loan balance is under control, but that doesn't mean they have to be paid off in full. However, they certainly need to be somewhat small relative to your income.

3) Tens of thousands of dollars in savings

If you're trying to buy a home in today's market, you'll almost certainly need to make a sizable down payment. While it's possible to get mortgages with down payment requirements as low as three percent, the added long-term expense could end up costing you significantly over the life of the loan. Making as large a down payment as possible is going to keep your borrowing costs down.

4) A rainy day fund

In addition to the money that will go toward your down payment, it's vital to have some additional money saved just in case something goes wrong with the home, according to Mint. As a general rule, having about $1 per square foot – or one percent of the purchase price – in the bank will help cover some basic expenses you're likely to encounter after your home purchase.

5) A long-term plan

Whether you're buying a home for a whole family or as a single person, you need to know what your situation is going to look like two, five, 10 or even 20 years down the road. That will influence a lot of decisions about the kinds of homes you're looking to purchase – i.e. not buying a small one that you'll have to move out of in a few years when you have kids – and how much work you'll have to put in to make sure your finances are in good enough shape to do so.

6) Reliable income

Lenders also want to make sure you're going to be able to keep up with your mortgage payments in the long term, so a steady job is a must, according to Credit Sesame. While no one can predict their employers' future with 100 percent accuracy, it might not be a good idea to go house hunting at a time of turmoil. As long as you're fairly confident in your position, shopping should be no problem.

7) A comfortable cushion

One issue some homeowners encounter after buying a home is they've pushed themselves so far financially trying to get ready for the real estate sales process, that they come out the other side in rough financial shape. Being "house poor" means people own a house but otherwise struggle financially because of the cost of that property. You'll need to make sure you're not buying too much house or else risk running into other financial problems, even if you can technically afford the mortgage and other costs.

8) An understanding of what constitutes affordability

Along similar lines, it's vital to not only factor in the cost of the mortgage, taxes and so on, but also other expenses. This may include higher electric and heating bills that come with living in a bigger space, more costly insurance coverage (especially if your new home is in an area prone to flooding) and so on. Sitting down and doing the math around the true cost of homeownership will help you avoid being house poor or running into expenses you might not have realized will crop up.

9) A list of must-haves and nice-to-haves

When people actually start shopping for homes, it can be easy to fall in love with certain properties, according to Forbes. However, while it would be nice to have a state-of-the-art kitchen with stainless steel appliances, it's probably going to be expensive and not necessary to your happiness in the home. Having a list of things that you will absolutely need out of your new property – big backyard for the kids, a finished basement for a home office, etc. – will sway your choices and help you get a better idea of what you can actually afford.

10) A talented and experienced agent

The key role of real estate professionals in every portion of the process cannot be overstated. They will be able to help first-time buyers as well as those who have previously been through the process get as prepared as possible so they can maximize their understanding of the value they get out of buying a home. Experienced agents have likely seen it all and can help shepherd any client through a sale – as either buyers or sellers – with ease.

Buying a home is usually going to be the biggest purchase you will make in your entire life, so it's important to put in a lot of legwork – over a period of months or more – to ensure things go as smoothly as possible at each step of the shopping process. That, in turn, will help you feel more confident in your ability to make a purchase and know that you've done everything right.