Did you have a good week?  I had a busy week both at home and at work.  My big at home project has been clearing off our entire wall of books - sorting through them for donate, pass on to younger family members and keep.  We have emptied the shelves, driven several loads to the Library for donation and washed everything down.  Now we just need to remove the shelves and I can finally paint behind the shelves.  8 years ago when we first moved in I selected an "accent" color of a fairly deep teal.  It is time for change.  The color of the year for 2023 (according to Bear paint) is blank canvas.  Where a light silvery grey has been the go to color for the past few years the new trend is going to be neutral tone-on-tone.  Since I have white woodwork in my house, I may give blank canvas a try.  I was going to just paint white.  It might be a bit softer look with the blank canvas.  What are your thoughts?

John and I did get down to the Seafood festival this weekend.  We were a bit late in the day as I was working, but was amazed at how busy it still was.  There were a tone of vendors and fairly long lines at a number of the food stalls.  Ran into a number of acquaintenses and had a great time.  Other big news is that Mom's knee surgery is on for this week.  Who would have thought!  John and James are leaving tomorrow to help out.  She will, of course, have in home care once she gets home, but you need family with you.  She just turned 87 and had a party at her house.  She bought a case of wine and some cheese and crackers and invited everyone on the street.  Had about 25 show up bringing various nibbles.  It sounds like a fun time was had by all.

There is a letter from Superior Home Inspections with a new product they are offering - a kind of Home Wellness report.  There is a sample you can click on at the end of this email.  It sounds interesting.  I am may try it out.  There are always things around the house that need attention you just don't notice until they stop working.

Here are some Fun Things Going On this weekend:

3 Rules to Remember When Shopping for a Mortgage Since you're in the market for a new home, you're probably in the market for a new mortgage. Here are 3 critical shopping tips for anyone looking for a new loan. Know the Terms All the terms of a loan matter. Unfortunately, shopping for a mortgage is not as simple as finding out how much a lender will let you borrow and at what interest rate. You'll want to get a complete breakdown of what any offer your receive means to you on a monthly basis as well as how much money you'll be spending over the life of the loan. Not All Mortgages are the Same There are several mortgage types available to residential home buyers. Most people will shop for a traditional fixed rate mortgage, but other options are available including adjustable rate loans (ARMs), Federal Housing Administration loans (FHAs), and Veteran's Administration (VA) loans. You'll want to be sure to understand what kind of loan a lender is offering you. Fees, Fees, Fees Most loans have fees associated with them in additional to the principal amount borrowed to buy the home. You can sometimes borrow the money need to cover these fees, but that will obviously increase the overall amount of debt you undertake. Some fees are paid up front, and others are not due until closing. If you'd like to chat with me personally about how to shop for a mortgage and what other questions you can ask lenders to find the best deal, give me a call at any time. I'm happy to get you started on the right path so we can start looking for your new home!   Cathy Holman Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hodnett Cooper RE 717-801-5900  Direct 912-673-7373  Office cathy15@comcast.net cathy@holmansellhomes.com HolmanSellHomes.com If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.