Donna Littlefield, Real Estate Agent & Broker in WNY

real estate agent Pendleton

Reasons to Have a Garden on Your Property

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Garden Have you seen the prices for fruits and vegetables go up, up, up over the years? Take a trip to Tops, Wegmans, or any other grocery store in Western New York, and you might get sticker shock when you see what they’re charging for basic foods we all should be eating more of…

Why not plant a garden on your property this year? First of all, think of the money you’ll save when you can harvest your own mini-crops of things like tomatoes and cucumbers and beans. Plus, you’ll be eating healthier than most people, with fresh foods literally from your garden to your kitchen table– no middleman.

Gardening can be a relaxing thing to do in order to get your mind off your day job. Forget the emails, reports and sales figures. Instead, concentrate on digging your hands in the dirt, tilling the soil, planting seeds, and nurturing plants as they grow. You can become a horticulturalist, and it’ll give you something to talk about with like-minded gardeners. After all, people who grow things love to share thoughts, tips and advice with one another.

Gardens make your property look more appealing. If fruits and vegetables aren’t your thing, consider planting a flower garden. Anytime you see a home with pretty flowers surrounding it, you know someone lives there who cares for them and tends to them so that they look nice for all who see them. It’s a matter of personal pride, and anything that can be done to beautify a neighborhood is a good thing.

Finally, in this world we live in where young and old alike seem glued to computer screens, starting and maintaining a garden is a way to get away from computers and handheld smart phones. There’s a satisfaction in gardening as you and yours get to see what you’ve created. Spending time outdoors in the fresh air– getting closer to nature than a computer screen allows– is an important aspect of life we shouldn’t avoid. Gardening can bring people together; it’s good for the soul!

 

Tips for Saving For Your First Home

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Saving For a New Home A lot of people live in rented apartments with the intent to eventually save enough money to buy their first home. What are some practical tips for saving for your first home?

First up, write down a budget. You probably have income. You definitely have expenses. Now’s a good time to make a list of these numbers and take a critical look at where cuts could be made. Maybe you don’t really need a boat or that expensive watch you’ve been eyeing at the mall, right? If you have a lot of stuff, consider having a yard sale or selling some items on craigslist or via your local paper’s classified ads section. Do the math to understand how much money you currently have saved up as well as the amount you’d like to have saved up by a certain date. This way you have set yourself a goal and written down a budget in order to achieve that goal in a specific period of time.

Next, do whatever you can to eliminate debts in your life. You want to go into home ownership debt free, ideally. It’s important that you start to pay off credit card bills in full and on time, as well as pay back any creditors you currently owe money to. In order to get out of debt, you might have to make some lifestyle changes. Instead of cable TV, you could get TV channels over-the-air for free. Instead of owning two cars, you could try sharing one. Rather than eating out at restaurants often, try making simple meals at home because you can actually save quite a bit of money when you decide to be frugal.

As for the surprises that come your way in the form of bonus checks, cash gifts from friends or relatives, and/or tax refunds, put all those in a savings account that’s earmarked for your plan to own your own home. In other words, any money coming in that’s not part of your regular income should automatically get put in the bank, to be used toward buying a home. You’d be surprised at how these things add up!

Finally, call a reputable real estate agent, such Donna Littlefield, who will provide you with the guidance you need. You can contact her at 716-578-1788 to discuss your future home ownership goals. She’ll be happy to help you get on track to buying your first home in Wheatfield, Pendleton or Amherst.