April 5th, 2016 12:28 PM by NE TEXAS REALTY GROUP
SHERRY DICKSON & ASSOCIATES TEAM
April Edition
It's a little warmer and a little breezier in Paris. Take advantage of the extra energy boost this season and get on top of your spring cleaning and improving your FICO score if you're house hunting. And ways to banish those allergies.
Kitchens are the most utilized room in many homes and the first place most ambitious spring cleaners want to start. Tiny spaces under appliances or between cabinets and walls are havens for trapped food, splashes, and spills. Cleaning a high traffic area with a low traffic area helps you do your spring cleaning in manageable chunks without getting overwhelmed. Use this quick checklist for getting your kitchen and bathrooms sparkling for the warmer months.
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SHERRY DICKSON & ASSOCIATES TEAMSHERRY DICKSON TEAM / Harold Carter Realtors (903) 361-2733
Make sure to check out my upcoming open houses. Click here to see my listings in detail. I hope to see you there!
Common allergens that catch us off guard in the spring months are usually pollen, dust mites, molds, and pet dander. Here are some tips to help ease the intensity of your allergies this season: Take a daily over-the-counter medicine, daily, as part of your morning routine. Wash bedding often to prevent spores and other allergens from floating around your home. Vacuum daily to further reduce household allergens. Use a damp cloth instead of a duster, that way, dust mites are confined and not spread. See an allergist if allergic reactions or other symptoms become too severe to handle on your own.Click here to check the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s website to see pollen levels in your area and say good-bye to "Gesundheit."
The spring selling season is always a popular time to buy and sell. To prepare for buying a first or next home, refinancing, or if you just want to get back on track, you have to work on your FICO score. A FICO score is a review of your years of credit history based on a model developed by Fair Isaac and Company. Most people have scores near 650, but scores range from 300 to 850. The items that impact your FICO score are your credit-to-debt ratio, the types of credit you have, the number of recent credit inquiries, and most importantly, your payment history. With all the lending turmoil lately, lenders want to know that giving you a loan isn't a risk. Your credit score gives some insight into what type of borrower you'd be based solely on your credit history. Building your FICO score takes time, but you can see changes within a few months. You can improve your credit score, or gain credit if you don’t already have it, by using these helpful hints:Correct your credit report. If you discover mistakes on your credit report, contact the bureau asking that the items be removed. If you have a common name, or the same name as a family member, you'll want to make sure all of the activity reported is correct.Keep up with payments. Late payments kill your FICO score. It's the area where people who have experienced job loss take the biggest hit. It takes longer to restore your credit this way, but it's the most reliable way to prove that you're able to make payments to a lender.Apply for gas station cards or store credit. For those who have no credit or low credit, retail credit cards and gas credit cards are ways to obtain credit, increase your credit limits and start a solid payment history. Beware of carrying a balance because these types of cards normally have high interest rates.Keep your credit in rotation. If you have older or unused credit cards, use your cards to keep your accounts active. But, make sure you pay them off in one or two payments if you can. Now that you know more about credit reporting, you'll be able to improve your FICO score. Remember that when it's time to apply for a mortgage loan, contact me at sherrydicksonteam@gmail.com, and I can help you keep your credit inquiries within a two-week window to avoid a negative on your credit score. To learn more, visit www.myFICO.com and get a free report at www.annualcreditreport.com.
Give us a call at (903) 361-2733 or send us an email at sherrydicksonteam@gmail.com. We're glad to answer questions — no obligation, of course.
