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Frequently Asked Questions
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• How to Pack like a Pro?
• Moving Tips?
• How Is Credit Scored?
• How do I sell my property in a SLOW MARKET?
• What are some "Staging Tips" to Prepare My Home for Sale?
• How do you Hold Title in Wyoming?
• What is a 1031 Exchange?
• What are the facts about MOLD?
How to Pack like a Pro?
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15 Tips for Packing Like a Pro
1. Plan ahead by organizing and budgeting. Develop a master “to do” list so you won’t forget something critical. To estimate moving costs, use a moving calculator.
2. Sort and get rid of things you no longer want or need. Have a garage sale, donate to a charity, or recycle.
3. But don’t throw out everything. If your inclination is to just toss it, you're probably right. However, it's possible to go overboard in the heat of the moment. Ask yourself how frequently you use an item and how you’d feel if you no longer had it. That will eliminate regrets after the move.
4. Pack like items together. Put toys with toys, kitchen utensils with kitchen utensils. It will make your life easier when it's time to unpack.
5. Decide what, if anything, you plan to move yourself. Precious items such as family photos, valuable breakables, or must-haves during the move should probably stay with you. Don't forget to keep a "necessities" bag with tissues, snacks, and other items you'll need that day.
6. Use the right box for the item. Loose items are prone to breakage.
7. Put heavy items in small boxes so they’re easier to lift. Keep weight of each box under 50 pounds, if possible.
8. Don’t over-pack boxes. That will increase the chances that items inside the box will break.
9. Wrap every fragile item separately and pad bottom and sides of boxes.
10. Label every box on all sides. You never know how they’ll be stacked and you don’t want to have to move other boxes aside to find out what’s there.
11. Use color-coded labels to indicate which room each item should go in. Color-code a floor plan for your new house to help movers.
12. Keep your moving documents together in a file. Including important phone numbers, driver’s name, and moving van number. Also keep your address book handy.
13. Back up your computer files before moving your computer.
14. Inspect each box and all furniture for damage as soon as it arrives.
15. Remember, most movers won’t take plants. If you don't want to leave them behind, you should plan on moving them yourself.
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Moving Tips?
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1. Give your forwarding address to the post office, usually 2-4 weeks ahead of the move.
2. Notify our charge cards, magazine subscriptions, and bank of the change of address.
3. Develop a list of friends, relatives, and business colleagues who need to be notified of the move.
4. Arrange to have utilities disconnected at your old home and connected at your new one.
5. Cancel the newspaper.
6. Check insurance coverage for moved items. Usually movers only cover what they pack.
7. Clean out appliances and prepare them for moving, if applicable.
8. Note the weight of the goods you’ll have moved, since long-distance moves are usually billed according to weight. Watch for movers that use excessive padding to add weight.
9.Have a “first open” box with the things you’ll need most—toilet paper, soap, trash bags, scissors, hammer, screwdriver, pencils and paper, cups and plates, water, snacks, and toothpaste.
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How Is Credit Scored?
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HOW IS CREDIT SCORED?
Payment history (approximately 35% of your score is based on this category):
• Payment information on accounts such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover; retail department store accounts; installment loans; finance company accounts, and mortgage loans
• Public record and collection items such as bankruptcies, foreclosures, wage attachments, liens, judgments, and delinquencies reported to collection agencies
• Details on late or missed payments, public record items, and collection items (particularly how late the payments were, how much was owed, and how recently and frequently it occurred)
• How many accounts show no late payments
Amounts owed (approximately 30% of your score is based on this category):
• The amount owed on all accounts
• The amount owed on different types of accounts
• Whether you are showing a balance on certain type of accounts
• The number of accounts with balances
• How much of the total credit line is being used on credit cards and other revolving credit accounts
• How much of the installment loan account is currently owed, compared with the original loan amount
Length of credit history (approximately 15% of your score is based on this category):
• How long your credit accounts have been established (the score considers both the age of your oldest account and an average age of all your accounts)
• How long specific credit accounts have been established
• How long it has been since you used certain accounts
New credit (approximately 10% of your score is based on this category):
• How many new accounts you have
• How long it has been since you opened a new account
• How many recent requests for credit you have made, as indicated by inquiries to credit reporting companies, in connection with transactions initiated by you (the score does not take into account requests a creditor has made for your credit file or score in order to make a pre-approved credit offer, or to review your account with them, nor does it take into account your request for a copy of your credit file)
• Length of time since creditors made credit file inquiries
• Whether you have a good recent credit history, following past payment problems
Type of credit used (approximately 10% of your score is based on this category):
• What kinds of credit accounts you have and how many of each
For more information about your own credit reporting, go to www.annualcreditreport.com.
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How do I sell my property in a SLOW MARKET?
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When selling in a slow market you have TWO CHOICES:
1. LOWER YOUR PRICE - Below that of your competition for the same amenities, size, etc. or...
2. MAKE YOUR HOME MORE DESIRABLE - To do this, you need to have a home with the right atmosphere and looks. There is nothing more important when it comes to selling your home than to have one with strong emotional appeal to buyers. Properly staging your home can create this emotional appeal.
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How do you Hold Title in Wyoming?
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I cannot advise you on how to Hold Title when you purchase real estate, but I can show you options.
1. AS JOINT TENANTS WITH RIGHT OF SURVIVORSHIP
Husband and wife, each owns 1/2
If one is sued both will be sued
If one dies his or her interest goes to the survivor
2. TENANTS BY THE ENTIRETIES
Only between husband and wife
Automatically with right of survivorship
Each owns 100%
3. TENANTS IN COMMON
Estate gets half, the survivor gets half
4. Mr. Doe, as to an undivided one-half interest, John Smith and Jane Smith, as to an undivided one-fourth interest, Tom Jones and Sally Jones, as to an undivided one-fourth interest, as tenants in common.
5. TRUST ACCOUNT OPTIONS
6. BUSINESS OPTIONS
LLC'S, Partnerships, Corporations
PLEASE CONSULT YOUR ATTORNEY AND/OR YOUR ACCOUNTANT FOR THE BEST WAY FOR YOU TO HOLD TITLE in Wyoming.
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What is a 1031 Exchange?
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A 1031 Exchange, also known as a Like Kind Exchange, is a way of structuring a sale of certain kinds of property so that the seller’s profit or gain is not currently taxed. Instead, the property that is sold is replaced with another “like kind” property. If the transaction is properly structured, the seller’s profit or gain is deferred to a future date.
Informative web sites:
- Facts About Tax Deferred Exchanges... http://homebuying.about.com/od/1031exchange/
- What is a 1031 Exchange?... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1031_exchange
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What are the facts about MOLD?
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Mold and Your Home
Mold is found both indoors and outdoors. Mold can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, bags, and pets can and be carried indoors.
Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.
Informative Web Sites:
- FACTS ABOUT MOLD AND DAMPNESS: http://www.cdc.gov/mold/dampness_facts.htm
- CDC Department of Human Services: http://www.cdc.gov/mold/stachy.htm
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