Here are six tips to maximize storage that won’t empty your savings account:

1. De-clutter. It’s the first thing architect Sarah Susanka of “Not So Big House” [...]]]> Your small home has more storage space than you think. For relatively little money but a lot of common sense and ingenuity, there’s space to be found.

Here are six tips to maximize storage that won’t empty your savings account:

1. De-clutter. It’s the first thing architect Sarah Susanka of “Not So Big House” tells clients who talk of expanding their homes. Haven’t used something for a couple of years? Pitch it, she says. You’ll be amazed at how much space opens up when you do.

Cost: $0.

2. Platform/bunkbeds. Add space and eliminate a dresser in a small bedroom with a three-drawer or six-drawer platform bed. Find one at a furniture or big department store, and online.

Cost: $400 to $600, queen size.

Bunkbeds won’t have drawers, but save space by stacking beds. And kids love ‘em. They come in a variety of styles and configurations. Some will convert to two twin beds.

Cost: $300 to $550.

3. Shoe organizers. They’re for so much more than just shoes. Hang one in a kitchen closet or pantry, and use it as your small home catch-all for remotes, keys, notepads, cell phones, and chargers, and other household essentials. It’ll free up a kitchen drawer or two for other uses.

Cost: Less than $20.

4. Toe-kick storage. The space under your kitchen cabinets is a treasure trove of storage possibilities. Put placemats, napkins, cookie sheets, and how-to manuals there. Hire a cabinet-maker to install them, or request them as a custom feature in a new-cabinet order.

Cost: About $300 per drawer.

5. Floor-to-ceiling storage. Furniture-style 6-foot-tall bookcases don’t use all available wall space. But extend shelving that extra two feet to the ceiling, and you’ve got room for a lot more books, knickknacks, or art objects. Home improvement stores have brackets and shelves in a variety of colors and sizes to match your décor.

Cost: Under $200, depending on the space size.

In-Town, walk to it all LOCATION! BEAUTIFUL 1,700+ [...]]]> View Photos
Starts: 5/12/2012 12:30:00 PM
Ends: 5/12/2012 12:30:00 PM
For Directions: click on the map image or feel free to contact me.
For more information: click here for the full details

In-Town, walk to it all LOCATION! BEAUTIFUL 1,700+ sq ft Townhouse w/Wood Floors, Granite Eat-In Kitchen & Center Island which is Open to the Dining Area & Living Room w/Sliders to the Patio! 2nd Floor Laundry, just outside the Bedrooms & TWO MASTER SUITES: both w/Walk-In closets & private baths (one even has a jacuzzi tub)! Gas Heat, Central AC & GARAGE! This unit is located in the NEW complex ‘Flagship Estates’, a small condo community tucked away in the West End of Hyannis, yet within walking distance to the Harbor, Boutique Shops & Coastal Dining!

1st Floor Living at its best! Now under [...]]]> View Photos
Starts: 5/12/2012 12:00:00 PM
Ends: 5/12/2012 12:00:00 PM
For Directions: click on the map image or feel free to contact me.
For more information: click here for the full details

1st Floor Living at its best! Now under construction w/many added upgrades: The Vineyard Ranch Style Home in ‘Schooner Village’, a groomed, NEW neighborhood, close to area amenities! The Vineyard offers an open plan concept and features a Cathedral Living Room w/ Transom Window, Hardwood floors and Gas Fireplace, nice Kitchen with Center Island and Granite Countertops, a Vaulted Ceiling w/Skylights, and a Separate Dining Area with Sliders to the Deck. The Master Bedroom has a Private, Full Bath w/granite countertop & tile floor. 1st Floor Laundry & Attached 2 Car Garage. Price includes a nice landscaping package! Town Water/Sewer & Natural Gas Hot Air Heat. The base price for this model w/1250 sq ft, without upgrades and with a 1 car garage is $329k. Specification Sheet & Upgrade/Option List on File.

Are you gearing up to buy your first place? Shopping for a home is exciting, exhausting and a little scary, especially in this market. In the end, your aim is to end up with a home you love at a price you can afford. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, many people make mistakes [...]]]>

Are you gearing up to buy your first place? Shopping for a home is exciting, exhausting and a little scary, especially in this market. In the end, your aim is to end up with a home you love at a price you can afford. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, many people make mistakes that prevent them from achieving that simple dream. This article from Investopedia will help arm yourself with these tips to get the most out of your purchase and avoid making 10 of the most costly mistakes that could put a hold on that sold sign.

1. Not knowing what you can afford

As we learned from the subprime mortgage mess, what the bank says you can afford and what you know you can afford or are comfortable with paying are not necessarily the same. If you don’t already have a budget, make a list of all your monthly expenses (excluding rent), including vehicle costs, student loan payments, credit card payments, groceries, health insurance, retirement savings and so on. Don’t forget major expenses that occur only once a year, like any insurance premiums you pay annually or annual vacations. Subtract this total from your take-home pay and you’ll know how much you can spend on your new home each month.

If you end up looking at homes that are outside your price range, you’ll end up lusting after something you can’t afford, which can put you in the dangerous position of trying to stretch beyond your means financially or cause you to feel unsatisfied with what you actually can afford. You may even learn that you can’t afford the type or size of home that you desire and that you need to work on reducing your monthly expenses and/or increasing your income before you even start looking.

2. Skipping mortgage qualification

What you think you can afford and what the bank is willing to lend you may not match up, especially if you have poor credit or unstable income, so make sure to get preapproved for a loan before placing an offer on a home. You’ll be wasting the seller’s time, the seller’s agent’s time and your agent’s time if you sign a contract and discover later that the bank won’t lend you what you need or that it won’t give you a mortgage you find acceptable.

Be aware that even if you have been preapproved for a mortgage, your loan can fall through if you do something to alter your credit score, like finance a car purchase. If you cause the deal to fall through, you may have to forfeit the money that you put up when you went under contract.

3. Failing to consider additional expenses

Once you’re a homeowner, you’ll have additional expenses on top of your monthly payment. Unlike when you were a renter, you’ll be responsible for paying property taxes, insuring your home against disasters and making any repairs the house needs (which will occasionally include expensive items like replacing the roof or furnace).

If you purchase a condo, you’ll have to pay monthly maintenance costs regardless of whether anything needs fixing because you’ll be part of a homeowners association, which collects monthly fees from the owners of each unit in the form of condominium fees.

4. Being too picky

Go ahead and put everything you can think of on your wish list, but don’t be so inflexible that you end up continuing to rent for significantly longer than you really want to. First-time homebuyers often have to compromise on something because their funds are limited. You may have to live on a busy street, accept outdated decor, make some repairs to the home or forgo that extra bedroom. Of course, you can always choose to continue renting until you can afford everything on your list — you’ll just have to decide how important it is for you to become a homeowner now rather than in a couple of years

5. Lacking vision

Even if you can’t afford to replace the hideous wallpaper in the bathroom now, it might be worth it to live with the ugliness for a while in exchange for getting into a house you can afford. If the home meets your needs in terms of the big things that are difficult to change, such as location and size, don’t let physical imperfections turn you away. Besides, doing home upgrades yourself, even if you have to hire a contractor, is often cheaper than paying the increased home value to a seller who has already done the work for you

6. Being swept away

Minor upgrades and cosmetic fixes are inexpensive tricks that play on your emotions and elicit a much higher price. Sellers may pay $2,000 for minimal upgrades or staging that you’ll end up paying $40,000 for. If you’re on a budget, look for homes whose full potential has yet to be realized. Also, first-time homebuyers should always look for a house they can add value to; this ensures a bump in equity to help you up the property ladder.

7. Compromising on the important things

Don’t get a two-bedroom home when you know you’re planning to have kids and will want at least three bedrooms. By the same token, don’t buy a condo just because it’s cheaper when one of the main reasons you’re over apartment life is because you hate sharing walls with neighbors. It’s true that you’ll probably have to make some compromises to be able to afford your first home, but don’t make a compromise that will be a major strain.

8. Neglecting to inspect

It’s tempting to think that you’re a homeowner the moment you go into escrow, but before you close on the sale, you need to know what kind of shape the house is in. You don’t want to get stuck with a money pit or with the headache of performing a lot of unexpected repairs. Keeping your feelings in check until you have a full picture of the house’s physical condition and the soundness of your potential investment will help you avoid making a serious financial mistake.

9. Not hiring your own agent or using the seller’s agent

Once you’re seriously shopping for a home, don’t walk into an open house without having an agent (or at least being prepared to throw out a name of someone you’re supposedly working with). Agents are held to the ethical rule that they must act in the best interest of their clients, but if you’re a buyer, you’ll probably have a stronger advocate for your interests if you use your own agent and not the seller’s.

10. Not thinking about the future

It’s impossible to perfectly predict the future of your chosen neighborhood, but paying attention to the information that is available to you now can help you avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.

Some questions you should ask about your prospective property include:

• What kind of development plans are in the works for your neighborhood?
• Is your street likely to become a major street or a popular rush-hour shortcut?
• Will a highway be built in your backyard in five years?
• What are the zoning laws in your area?
• If there is a lot of undeveloped land? What is likely to get built there?
• Have home values in the neighborhood been declining?

If you’re happy with the answers to these questions, your house’s location can keep its luster.

Buying a first home can seem stressful and overwhelming, and it isn’t without its share of potential pitfalls. If you’re aware of those issues ahead of time, though, you can protect yourself from costly mistakes and shop with confidence.

For many people, a home is the largest purchase they will ever make, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the most difficult.

$399,000 Barnstable MA

Enjoy spectacular, ever-changing, Ocean & Marsh Views from this well maintained 3 Bedrm, 3 Full Bath Townhome at the desirable 'Yachtsman Condominiums', a pristine, gated complex with in-ground Heated Pool & beautiful, private Sandy Beach! This [...]]]> OPEN HOUSES @ these fantastic Hyannis Condominium Complexes

THE YACHTSMAN Saturday 1-3

$399,000 Barnstable MA Enjoy spectacular, ever-changing, Ocean & Marsh Views from this well maintained 3 Bedrm, 3 Full Bath Townhome at the desirable 'Yachtsman Condominiums', a pristine, gated complex with in-ground Heated Pool & beautiful, private Sandy Beach! This unit features Hardwood Floors, Open Kitchen/Dining w/Sliders to the 1st Floor enclosed deck offering great bird watching, exterior storage for your bikes & beach chairs + a path down to the assoc. beach. Bright Living Room w/ Fireplace, Oversized Window to take in another stunning view & nice high ceilings. There is a bedroom on each of the floors & two of them are Master Suites w/Private Baths. Fantastic Roof Top Deck to take in those Cape Cod Sunsets after a long day on the water, pool or at the Beach! Walk to the Marina, Ferries, Waterfront Dining & One of a kind Main Street Shops! A MUST SEE! More info

FLAGHSIP ESTATES Sunday 12-2

$309,000 Barnstable MA WALK to the WATER, Sidewalk Cafes, Boutique Shops & more from the Sparkling, NEW 1,700+ sq ft End Unit @ "Flagship Estates"! This Bright 2 Bed/2.5 Bath Townhouse has a GARAGE, Granite Kitchen & Baths,2 Master Suites w/Walk-In Closets & Private Baths! Wood Flrs, Covered Front Porch, Private Rear Patio, Central AC & Town Sewer. Please note: Photos/Rm Dimensions are facsimile & for reference only. Fixtures/Granite/Cabinet Color may vary. Don't want to wait: See MLS#'s 21109471, 2110975 & 21109759 More info

$425,000 Barnstable [...]]]> OPEN HOUSE this Saturday & Sunday 12-2