How Working With a REALTOR® Helps You Find a New Home Faster

By Anica Oaks

When you want a new home, the last thing you want is for the process to drag on for months. While you could spend hours online, you will get much better results by working with a REALTOR® who knows the local area, what type of home you are looking for and how much you're willing to spend. If you're ready to get that new home you've always wanted, here's how using an agent can make the process much easier:

Avoid Problems at Closing

When you have gone through the process of buying your home, you don't want any problems at closing to throw your purchase into chaos. By placing your trust in a REALTOR®, it lowers the chances of that happening significantly. From making sure the title to the property is clear to ensuring the lender has met all deadlines on financing, an agent will help you ease through closing and get you your new home much faster.

Practice With Negotiations

When you find the home you and your family want, you may let your emotions do the talking for you when it comes to negotiating. As a result, it may take longer to get a deal finalized. By having your real estate agent handle all negotiations, your deal will more than likely get done much faster and at a better price than you probably could have negotiated yourself.

Know the Local Area

When you find a home in which you may be interested, you may not stop to think about its location. However, a smart REALTOR® will already have a thorough knowledge of the local area and neighborhoods, and can perhaps steer you in the right direction. For example, if you want a home with plenty of privacy, an agent may know that a home you're interested in is near a spot where a new road will soon be built or a shopping center will be under construction. In these situations, they can help you locate other similar homes that offer the privacy you desire.

Handle the Paperwork

Finally, any real estate transaction involves tons of paperwork. If you try to handle this on your own, mistakes will be made and the transaction may never get completed. By letting your REALTOR® take charge of the paperwork, your purchase can be done quicker and with no mistakes being made along the way.

Rather than let months go by only to see a home of your dreams slip away, allow an agent to take charge of the situation and help you find your new home quickly and easily!

Anica Oaks is a freelance writer who hails from San Francisco. When she's not writing, she's enjoying her time outside with her dogs. Oaks recommends working with the Deborah Sumey Team if you're looking to work with an agent in the Ocala, Florida, area. Keep up with her on Twitter @anicaoaks.

7 Common Health Problems That Can Strike After 50

Some chronic conditions tend to start cropping up in midlife. Here's what to do about them

by Rachel Nania, AARP, May 18, 2021 | Comments: 6

BSIP / UIG / GETTY IMAGES

There's a lot to celebrate when you hit the big five-oh. Discounts start to kick in, investments begin to mature and — how does the saying go? — with age comes wisdom.

But for all the money saved and knowledge earned, there's a small price to pay: It's time to really start tuning in to your health.

"What we see is that some chronic health conditions are frequently diagnosed starting at age 50,” says Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., an internist and assistant professor in the Division of General Medicine at the University of Michigan.

The good news is that many of the conditions that creep up in midlife can be managed. And if they're caught early and treated promptly, you can “prevent complications that are more serious,” Tipirneni explains.

Here's what you need to look out for after you turn 50.

1. High blood pressure

A common condition health care providers see among patients in their 50s is high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

One reason high blood pressure is so prevalent in this age group is that the vascular system changes as we age. Arteries start to stiffen and become less elastic, and the pressure inside them builds. The extra weight and stress that often accompany middle age can also contribute to creeping numbers.

The good news: High blood pressure is manageable with medication and lifestyle modifications, including diet and exercise. But because the condition often lacks symptoms, it's easy to miss. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 adults with high blood pressure don't know they have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That's why Tipirneni recommends getting your blood pressure checked “more regularly” — at least every year — once you hit 50.

If you have a blood pressure cuff at home (they cost about $30), you can check it yourself. And pharmacies and health fairs often offer blood pressure checks for free, Tipirneni points out. Of course, your health care provider can also take it for you.

What you want to see is a reading at or below 120/80, which is considered normal by the American Heart Association. Anything over 130 on that top number (the systolic reading) is considered high and warrants a conversation with your doctor about possible treatments.

2. High cholesterol

Another contributor to heart disease is high cholesterol, which can build up on the inside of the blood vessels over time and form plaque that slows or blocks blood flow. This plaque can also break loose and cause a blood clot — even a heart attack or stroke.

Similar to high blood pressure, your risk for developing high cholesterol increases with age. It also comes with no symptoms or warning signs, which is why it's important to check your numbers regularly throughout midlife with a routine blood test that can be done at the doctor's office. Diet and exercise can help lower cholesterol, as can medication.

3. Diabetes

While you're getting your blood checked for cholesterol, your health care provider may also screen you for diabetes — another common condition that creeps up in your 50s and can wreak havoc on your health. More than 34 million Americans have diabetes — the vast majority have type 2 diabetes — and those in middle age are most at risk, according to the CDC.

Diabetes can often be managed with lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and physical activity. “Sometimes we need to add some medications as well” to help control blood sugar (glucose) levels, says Kate Lorig, professor emeritus at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a partner at the Self-Management Resource Center.

As with high blood pressure and cholesterol, the warning signs of diabetes are often silent, which is why it's important to get screened. If left untreated, diabetes can lead to a whole host of health conditions, including kidney disease, vision loss and heart disease.

Warning Signs of Heart Disease

High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are three leading risk factors for heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the U.S.

Do you know the warning signs?

"Most people worry about chest pain,” says Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., an internist and assistant professor in the Division of General Medicine at the University of Michigan. Pain in the chest is an indication that something could be wrong, but there are other symptoms, too, including:

• Unexplained back pain that happens when you exercise
• Pain in the neck, jaw or throat
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea, vomiting, fatigue
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations

If you experience any of these symptoms and are at risk for heart disease, it's important to get “evaluated emergently,” Tipirneni says.

Source: Renuka Tipirneni, M.D./CDC

4. Arthritis

One condition that pops up in your 50s but is regularly overlooked or dismissed is arthritis — especially osteoarthritis, which Tipirneni refers to as “the wear-and-tear-type of arthritis” that occurs when the joint cartilage between bones is damaged or breaks down.

"It can be very aggravating even younger than age 50, but especially over age 50, we see pain associated with that is coming up more and more,” she says.

If you notice joint pain or stiffness from daily activity, talk to your health care provider. You'll want to make sure it's not rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease.

Treatment for osteoarthritis runs the gamut. Increasing physical activity can help prevent further pain or disability, Tipirneni says. Your health care provider may also recommend over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers to alleviate discomfort.

5. Osteoporosis

Women in particular need to pay attention to their bone health once they hit 50 — that's when osteoporosis, or the weakening of the bones, becomes most common. In fact, almost 20 percent of women 50 and older have osteoporosis, the CDC says.

That's because one of the risk factors for osteoporosis is being postmenopausal, explains Lucy McBride, M.D., a Washington, D.C.-based internist. “When you stop making estrogen, your bone density typically goes down,” she says. The average age for menopause among women in the U.S. is 51, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Weight-bearing exercises — walking and upper-body strength training, for example — can help reduce your risk for developing osteoporosis. So can paying attention to your calcium intake and vitamin D levels, both of which are important to bone health.

---

Memorial Day Sale

$9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term.  Join Now!

---

6. Cancer

Because advancing age is the biggest risk factor for cancer, keeping up with routine screenings becomes important in your 50s.

Women in this age group should get a mammogram at least every two years to screen for breast cancer, and men should talk to their health care providers about prostate cancer screenings. Colon cancer screenings also become more regular — for both men and women.

7. Anxiety/depression

Whether it's teenagers, work or aging parents that keep you busy in midlife (or all of the above), chances are, you're stressed. And all that stress can take a toll on your mental health, which in turn affects your physical health.

"Because at the end of the day, your blood pressure, your weight, your cholesterol, your cancer risk — all those biometric [measurements] are rooted in your behaviors. And those behaviors are rooted in your emotional health,” McBride says.

About 20 percent of people age 55 or older experience some type of mental health concern, according to the CDC, and anxiety and depression are among the most common. The coronavirus pandemic has only amplified this crisis. During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 American adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found. Before the pandemic, this number was 1 in 10.

McBride's advice? “You really need to make sure you're bringing your whole self to the doctor” and talking to your health care provider about your stress levels and your relationship with food and alcohol, she says.

"Your brain is just like any other organ. We have heart health, we have breast health, we have skin health, we have kidney health. We also have mental health. It needs to be addressed,” McBride adds.

Mind your immune system

Another thing to bring up with your health care provider once you turn 50 is immunizations.

"Vaccines become much more important, because at this age group, our immune systems start to wane a little bit, and so you're more at risk for infections,” Tipirneni says.

In addition to the annual flu shot, your provider may suggest a shot that prevents pneumonia. There's also a vaccine recommended for adults 50 and older to prevent shingles and the complications from the disease.

Finally, three vaccines have been authorized under emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent COVID-19, which has been especially deadly in adults 50-plus.

Rachel Nania writes about health care and health policy for AARP. Previously she was a reporter and editor for WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. A recipient of a Gracie Award and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, she also participated in a dementia fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

Tips for Getting an Apartment With Bad or No Credit

Tips for Getting an Apartment With Bad or No Credit: Are you looking to get an apartment with no or bad credit? Be aware that your credit history is something that you'll probably be requested to present.

Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium End in Sight, What’s Next

 

By Jordan Grice

Share This Post Now!

The end of federal foreclosure and eviction moratoriums is on the horizon, leaving many wondering, “what’s next?”

On one side, previous reports from Bloomberg predicted a wave of foreclosures that would hit millions of low-income homeowners after forbearance provisions and the foreclosure moratorium ended.

On the other hand, many mom-and-pop landlords and property owners are hopeful that things will return to normal after more than a year of shouldering financial burdens caused by the eviction bans.

Preventing Foreclosures
The pandemic-influenced moratorium on foreclosures will end in June, while millions of homeowners are also slated to exit their yearlong forbearance periods.

While industry experts say they aren’t anticipating waves of foreclosures, that hasn’t wholly stymied concerns over people losing their homes.

“We must not lose sight of the dangers so many consumers still face. Millions of families are at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure in the coming months, even as the country opens back up,” said Dave Uejio, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), in an April press release.

At the time, the government agency proposed a set of rule changes aimed at helping prevent avoidable foreclosures as federal foreclosure protections expire in the coming months.

CFPB pushed for servicers to prepare for “a high volume of borrowers exiting forbearance,” with several suggestions to help lenders assist struggling families.

There are roughly 2.23 million homeowners that are in forbearance plans, according to recent estimates by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

That number has continued to decline in recent months, which is a good sign, according to Marina Walsh, VP of Industry Research, for the MBA.

“The economy is starting to pick up, and we expect the economy, as the vaccine rolls out, to improve, which would also mean a lower unemployment rate,” says Walsh. “As employment gets better, that will be good news in terms of borrowers who want to retain their homes and stay in their homes.”

According to Walsh, borrowers who are still in forbearance in the coming months will likely be able to work out an alternative plan that won’t result in a foreclosure, including loan deferrals, cash for keys or deed in lieu.

New Inventory Amid Market Tailwinds

Brokers expect a slight injection of inventory to the buzzing housing market once the foreclosure ban is lifted, although it won’t solely come from financial hardship.

“It will be interesting to see how it plays out,” says Dan Kruse, president and CEO of CENTURY 21 Affiliated.

According to Kruse, foreclosure activity in the market appears to be an inevitable outcome, albeit not as extreme as analysts predicted back in late 2020.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a massive wave, certainly not like we saw back in 2005 through 2010 when we were dealing with the Great Recession,” Kruse says. “Unlike what we saw in the recession where housing prices started to plummet, we’ve been on a steady run for a good ten years now with median sales price increases certainly over the last two years and over the last 15 months given COVID.”

While borrowers have been able to forgo mortgage payments for the past 14 months, an increase in home equity amid the current housing boom may serve as an opportunity for homeowners to skirt foreclosures, according to Gary Scott, president and CEO of Long & Foster Real Estate.

“It might create quality listings coming on the market,” Scott says. “We just think the market is so hot and inventory is so low that when they have to start making payments, all the people can put their homes on the market and get six or seven offers and sell their homes, pay off their past 14 months of mortgage payments and walk away with [some] money.”

U.S. homeowners with mortgages saw their equity increase by a total of nearly $1.5 trillion at the end of 2020—-a YoY increase of 16.2%—according to the latest CoreLogic Equity Report. The analysis found that average annual gain in equity was $26,300 per homeowner—the largest average equity gain since the third quarter of 2013.

Some property sales may also come from landlords and property owners who have been dealing with financial challenges brought on by the ongoing eviction bans, according to Cami Pinsak, broker/owner of Realty One Group Summit in Ventura, California.

“I think that there may be some landlord fatigue, especially in states that are not so landlord-friendly like California,” Pinsak says. “I think the inventory is still going to stay tight, and there is still going to be a huge demand for rentals.”

Yearlong Burden Ends for Landlords

The past 14 months of eviction bans have been rough for rental property owners and landlords nationwide as they’ve tried to shoulder lost rents during the pandemic.

For California resident Sarah Savko, the federal ban on evictions has led to financial hardships. The income she receives from her rental property in Nevada has gone toward paying for her rent along with traditional financial obligations for the property.

“It has been tough since this transpired,” Savko says. “It’s stressful on me, and it’s also stressful for my family.”

Since the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the moratorium on evictions in November, Savko says her sole tenant has refused to pay rent even though COVID-19 hasn’t impacted him.

“Before [the moratorium], he was paying his rent perfectly fine and has been a renter with us for quite a while,” Savko says. “Prior to that, there was no problem.”

Thus far, Savko says the tenant owes her $9,879 in back rent while she has used up her savings and assistance from her daughter to stay afloat.

“It’s a very hard thing to lose that money,” Savko says.

Broker/owner Kevin Sears, of Sears Real Estate in Springfield, says Massachusetts had dealt with stricter eviction moratoriums well before the CDC ban began.

“The reality of the eviction moratorium in Massachusetts was that for the first eight months of the pandemic, the only access that property owners and housing providers had to court was in life and death situations,” Sears says.

Sears has managed a six-unit property since the start of 2020.

Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Sears says he had issued a notice to quit to a troublesome tenant in January 2020, which resulted in the tenant withholding their rent payments.

When he and the property owner planned on taking their tenant to court in March, they were halted by the original federal eviction moratorium.

“We had a tenant that was causing all sorts of problems, and because of the problems she was creating, other tenants said, ‘until she goes, we’re not going to pay rent,'” Sears says.

According to Sears, they recently received their eviction to move the tenant out, after getting before a judge in November—before the CDC ban.

The tenant left owing $12,323 plus the court costs, according to Sears.

The owner had also lost roughly $6,000 of rent from his other tenants that withheld rent until the troubling tenant was gone, Sears says.

“Here I have one individual owner who, because of the moratoriums, had his justice delayed and justice denied,” Sears says.

Experts at the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) have continued to push for the eviction moratorium to be tied to assistance to the housing providers who are losing rent to maintain stability in the marketplace.

Rollout of emergency rental assistance has been rough in several states, which has added to the strain on landlords, according to Christie DeSanctis, director of Federal Banking, Lending and Housing Policy at NAR.

“We’ve already started to hear stories of tenants just walking away, so this rental assistance is absolutely critical because these housing providers aren’t going to be able to get that paid rent anytime soon, and trying to go after tenants who’ve just left the property is incredibly difficult,” says DeSanctis

According to DeSanctis, the organization has more recently pushed for government officials to end the eviction bans so the industry can start working on a path forward for all parties involved.

“Things are increasing and improving around the country, and the quicker that we can get back to normal—where payments are made on time and everyone is whole again—the better,” DeSanctis says.

It appears a U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia is in agreement.

According to a recent court order, the judge tried to end the CDC ban on evictions on Wed., May 5 after ruling that it was unlawful. The motion was quickly stymied by an appeal filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), however. The court will have a hearing in the next two weeks on the DOJ’s motion, and the temporary stay will remain in effect at least until that decision is issued.

Jordan Grice is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email him your real estate news to jgrice@rismedia.com.

Plumbing Tips: How Your Pets Could Be Damaging Your Home’s Pipes

 

38

By Anita Ginsburg

Pets are a wonderful addition to any home, but if you aren’t careful, they can also be the source of some expensive plumbing repairs. Keep these tips in mind to prevent your cat or dog from damaging your home’s pipes:

Keep Pet Hair Out of the Drains

Your furry friend will need a bath from time to time. However, it’s best to do this outside whenever possible. Besides preventing your bathroom from becoming a mess, this also keeps pet hair out of the drains. Shedding fur can quickly clog your plumbing. If your pet spends a lot of time outside, there may be a lot of dirt or mud on them. This muck can mix with the pet hair and create a tough clog.

Don’t Flush Cat Litter

Some cat litter claims to be safe to flush down the toilet. The truth is that any kind of cat litter is better disposed of in the garbage. Flushing cat litter can create a blockage that is almost as hard as concrete.

Cover Exposed Pipes

Cats and dogs are curious creatures, especially when they’re young. They may chew on things just to see what they are, and that includes any exposed plumbing in and around your house. Cover up exposed plumbing to keep your curious pets from biting into it. Chewing on pipes could cause costly plumbing repairs, water damage and possible pet injuries.

Be Aware of Outside Plumbing

Some dogs love to dig. If your dog is an active digger, monitor where they dig in your yard. Some pipes leading to your home may not be buried as deep as you think. It’s possible for your dog to dig down to underground plumbing. If they reach the buried pipes in your yard, they could cause some serious damage.

Consider having a plumbing professional come and mark where your lines are located if your dog digs a lot. If you can, fence those areas off so that your dog can’t reach them.

Provide Plenty of Water

Make sure your pets have plenty of water. If their water bowl is empty, they may go looking for another place to drink. Many pets end up drinking out of the toilet. You’ll want to avoid that because the products used to clean the toilet could be toxic for them.

If they can’t get water from their bowl or the toilet, they may try to get it from where they can smell or sense water, and that could lead them back to chewing on your pipes. Make sure their water bowls stay full to avoid those problems.

Your pet could potentially cause serious damage to your pipes—or to themselves. Avoid these plumbing problems and protect your pets with a few simple preventive measures!

Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, Colorado. She studied at Colorado State University and now enjoys writing about health, business, and family. A mother of two wonderful children, she loves traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. If your pet damages your home’s pipes or causes a clog, she recommends talking to a plumbing professional for help as soon as possible. You can find her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.