Housecleaning in Record Time

Dear Homeowner,

Cleaning — really cleaning — your entire house was once a springtime ritual. Now laborsaving equipment and products make it easier to clean year-round. Regular as-needed cleaning is the best method because it's the most efficient. Saving jobs for one big binge in the spring or fall takes more time in the long run.

Following these daily and weekly clean-up guides will help keep your home in tip-top shape year round.

Daily
· Clean up clutter as you go and wipe up spills as they happen.
· Encourage family members to pick up, hang up, put away and clean up after themselves.
· Wipe sinks after every use and clean the shower or tub.
· Load the dishwasher as soon as possible, or put dishes in the sink to soak until you can wash them.
· Get rid of rubbish. Place a trash compactor in the kitchen near recycling bins or in the garage to save on trips to the curb and reduce the volume in landfills.

Weekly
· Clean your own way, but do it regularly.
· Your schedule should include dusting and vacuuming of walls and woodwork.
· Wipe door jambs with a detergent solution, dust windowsills and remove fingerprints with a spray cleaner.
· While vacuuming, clean up any spots and stains you may see on the carpet.
· Use a disinfectant in the kitchen and bathroom.
· Try to clean one large appliance and one out-of-sight storage area once a month.

For more home-and-family tips, call Sugar Pine GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.

Growing Up Gardening

Dear Homeowner,

Gardening helps to teach children responsibility, respect, self-assurance and love of nature — but most importantly, it lets kids have fun digging in the dirt! Here's how to capture their interests and lure them into gardening.

Toddlers
Design the garden so it can't hurt exploring toddlers and so they can't hurt it. Smooth gravel paths help teach them where it is and is not okay to walk. Bite your tongue and let toddlers touch, smell, rip, tromp and otherwise experience the garden.

Ages 6 to 12
Use the garden to stimulate physical and intellectual abilities during this growth stage. Give a budding artist a book about Monet or a young scientist a microscope. Look for ways the garden can be used in school projects.

Adolescents
The child who once loved gardening may now hate it. If a teenager doesn't want to garden, don't push it. If they have a garden of their own and want to make unusual decisions with it, respect their opinions. Some slack given at this stage will help them enjoy the activity as adults.

Theme Gardens
To spark interest, try planting a theme garden. Some examples are a rainbow garden; a pizza garden with tomatoes and herbs planted in a circle; or a pet garden to raise parsley for hamsters, corn to dry for squirrels or catnip to entice the family cat.

As children's gardens grow, nature not only bewilders them with the cycle-of-life, but sets their imaginations to work.


For more gardening tips, call Sugar Pine GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.

The Ins and Outs of ARMs

Dear Homeowner,

There are many options currently available for financing a home. One of these is an adjustable-rate mortgage or ARM. This type of mortgage offers a lower interest rate at the beginning than a comparable fixed-rate mortgage. The potential drawback is the rate can change your payment according to economic conditions. These loans generally require a 10 percent down payment, but some go as low as 5 percent.

There are many ARMs available, but all contain these components:
• Initial interest rate: Usually about 2 to 3 percent lower than a similar fixed-rate mortgage.
• Adjustment interval: The time between changes in the mortgage's interest rate. Typical intervals are one year, three years and five years.
• Index: The economic indicator or indicators used to determine changes in the ARM interest rate.
• Margin: The additional amount the lender adds to the index to set the ARM's actual interest rate.
• Cap: A safeguard that limits the risk of sharply higher payments. For example, it can limit the amount the interest rate can change at each adjustment or set the upper limit of the interest rate.

Another type of mortgage has a convertible adjustable rate. This is an ARM with an option that allows conversion to a fixed-rate mortgage after a certain period. It offers the lower initial interest rate of a standard ARM with the possibility of locking in more predictable payments later.


For more tips on purchasing a home, call Sugar Pine GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242

Passive Cooling

Dear Homeowner,

There's more than one way to be cool. It's easy to head straight for the air conditioner on sizzling days and steamy nights, but sometimes low-tech, low-cost options can do the trick. Consider these non-mechanical options for beating the heat:

Landscaping
Deciduous trees on your home's south and west sides provide summer shade, but still lose their leaves to allow low winter sun to reach windows.

Block direct rays
Awnings, roof overhangs and exterior shades help reduce interior temperatures by absorbing solar radiation before it hits your windows.

Cook early and late
Household appliances such as washers, driers, ranges and ovens generate heat and humidity inside a house. By using these appliances in the morning and evening when it's cooler, you can help keep operating costs down.

Windows
Double or triple-pane windows slow the transfer of warm air, and some window glazings can actually bounce heat back. Take advantage of summer breezes too. Bring in air through a small opening on the windy side of the house and pull airflow to a large window or door on the other side.

Insulation
Once you've generated cooler air inside the house, keep it there as long as possible. Insulate attic floors to keep the hot upper air at bay. Find the places where air sneaks in and out of your home and plug them up with caulk or weather-stripping.


For more energy-saving tips, or other home advice, call Sugar Pine GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.

Fans Circulate Savings

Dear Homeowner,

• Ceiling fans do more than just add a decorative touch to your home. They can also subtract from the bottom line of your energy bills.

• In summer, a cool breeze generated by a fan can save on air-conditioning costs. In winter, most fan blades can be reversed to circulate down warm air that would otherwise be trapped at ceiling level. This will help you feel warmer and allow you to turn the heat down.

• Ceiling fans usually have either a direct-drive motor or a friction drive motor. Direct-drive motors have fewer moving parts, run more quietly and are more efficient than friction-drive motors —unfortunately they are also more expensive.

• Most fans have one to three speeds. Running a fan at its slowest speed is still effective at circulating the air — without whipping up a breeze.

• Pull-chain or wall switches control the operation and speed of most fans. Some models also have a switch that reverses the direction of the blades. When the blades are reversed, air flows up toward the ceiling and down the walls, eliminating drafts.

• A fan with a 36- or 38-inch blade span is adequate for a room measuring 10x10 feet or less. Larger rooms may require fans as large as 54 inches in diameter.

• Most fans hang down between 12 and 24 inches from the ceiling. For physical safety and psychological comfort, be sure the blade of the fan is at least seven feet above the floor.


For more energy-saving tips, or other home improvement suggestions, call Sugar Pine GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.

Say It With Flowers

Dear Homeowner,

Garden flowers can do more than just brighten your landscape — they can also brighten your home.

Arrangements of garden flowers don't have to be elaborate. The simple beauty of a single rose or peony blossom floating in a clear bowl can be an attractive centerpiece.

When combining different species, look for variety in flower form, size and texture. This can be a mix of spike-flowers; round, daisy-like flowers and dainty fillers like baby's-breath.

Arrange your garden flowers in clean containers or vases that will complement the flowers, without being overbearing. You do not want a container to compete with the flowers for attention.

Select a container that's in proportion to the size of the flowers, their stem length and the size of the arrangement you plan to make. For low containers, arrangements should be 1 to 1 1/2 times as tall as the container's width. For tall containers, arrangements should be 1 1/4 to 2 times the container's height.

When you're ready to arrange your flowers, re-cut the stems under water to the desired length. A flower preservative, available from florists and garden centers, added to the vase water, will help to keep the flowers fresh-looking longer.

Always use clean water for arrangements. If flowers are displayed in vases, it's a good idea to change the water daily to prevent early wilting and browning.

Display your vases or arrangements of garden flowers in a cool location and out of direct sunlight and drafts.

For more home decorating ideas, call Sugar Pine Realty GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.

Home Owner Tip #1: Keeping Cool

There's more than one way to be cool. It's easy to head straight for the air conditioner on sizzling days and steamy nights, but sometimes low-tech, low-cost options can do the trick. Consider these non-mechanical options for beating the heat:

Landscaping
Deciduous trees on your home's south and west sides provide summer shade, but still lose their leaves to allow low winter sun to reach windows.

Block direct rays
Awnings, roof overhangs and exterior shades help reduce interior temperatures by absorbing solar radiation before it hits your windows.

Cook early and late
Household appliances such as washers, driers, ranges and ovens generate heat and humidity inside a house. By using these appliances in the morning and evening when it's cooler, you can help keep operating costs down.

Windows
Double or triple-pane windows slow the transfer of warm air, and some window glazings can actually bounce heat back. Take advantage of summer breezes, too. Bring in air through a small opening on the windy side of the house and pull airflow to a large window or door on the other side.

Insulation
Once you've generated cooler air inside the house, keep it there as long as possible. Insulate attic floors to keep the hot upper air at bay. Find the places where air sneaks in and out of your home and plug them up with caulk or weather-stripping.

For more energy-saving tips, or other home advice, call Val Ogletree GMAC Real Estate at (209) 586-3242.