Choosing a New School for Your Child

If you are moving or considering a move to a new location, you may be faced with choosing a new school for your child. Do your homework when visiting schools so you can decide which learning environment is best for your child to thrive. Here are some tips:

• Read about the schools you will be visiting ahead of time. Check out reviews on GreatSchools.net as well as reading articles about schools in your local newspaper.


• Schedule visits to the schools you are considering. Find out if you will be able to meet the principal and a few teachers while you are there.


• Ask lots of questions. Which programs is the school known for? What is the school's approach to discipline? How is technology used to support learning?


• Observe the school environment. How well are the school facilities maintained? Do the classrooms seem cheerful? Do students seem enthusiastic and well-behaved?


• Consider the needs of your child. A shy child may do better in a school with a smaller class size. If your child has a strong interest in science or the arts, you may want to choose a school specializing in those programs.


• Ask around the neighborhood. Find out how other parents feel about the schools you are considering and, if possible, try to meet the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

Housing Market Shows Signs of Bottoming Out

Housing prices rose between April and May, the first increase in three years, according to a 20-city home price index released today. Although prices have fallen by 32 percent since last peaking in 2006, the 0.5 percent increase in May was the fourth consecutive month that the decline slowed. The figures could be a sign of improvement in the worst housing market since the Great Depression. However, analysts caution that unemployment and foreclosures could increase again and a stable recovery is not expected until at least 2010. For a rebound to truly emerge, consumer confidence needs to rise and potential buyers need to have a sense that they shouldn't wait for prices to get any cheaper.

Take Online Moving Company Reviews Lightly

As more and more people spend more time communicating online, consumer review sites have become a popular resource for choosing everything from restaurants to dry cleaners. When choosing a moving company, online reviews can be helpful, but readers should beware that those reviews may not be written by actual customers. Overly positive reviews may be written by the company's employees or publicists, while overly negative reviews may be written by that company's competitors. When searching for a moving company, take online reviews into consideration, but also look into the company's press, the size of their truck fleet, and ask as many questions as you can when you call them on the phone. Also, consulting the Better Business Bureau is a reliable way to research a company's reputation.

Handle With Care: Moving After a Crisis

Relocation is sometime the result of an unfortunate event such as a divorce, death, illness, or job loss. The emotional trauma associated with the life-changing events can add grief to an already stressful situation, which is the move itself. The important thing to remember is that you need to take care of yourself in order to take care of your move. Here are some tips for coping with a move during difficult times:

• Focus your energy on the tasks at hand. If you are moving in the middle of or after a crisis, your emotions are likely affecting your decisions. Think carefully about each part of your move and try not to make rash decisions. Your instinct may be to throw away or burn items associated with a bad memory, but there are other options that may make more sense, such as selling or donating those items.


• Ask for help. If you feel overwhelmed, don't be afraid to turn to your friends, family, or neighbors for help. They are probably already wondering if there is something that they can do to make your move easier. Having an extra hand in packing sentimental items or an extra pair of eyes to babysit can make all the difference. Seeking professional help can also make a huge impact on your health and well-being during an especially trying time.


• Be good to yourself. Get enough rest and don't over-exert yourself. Hire a moving company to handle your move if you don't feel physically well enough to do the heavy lifting. Know that it will take time to heal from the unfortunate events, and that moving to a new place is part of moving forward.

Landlord Skimping on Duties? Maybe it's Time to Move

If you are a renter, you probably know what your responsibilities are--you pay your rent on time, you are clean and considerate of your space, and you follow the terms of your lease agreement. But what if it's your landlord who is neglecting responsibilities? The recession is causing some landlords to skimp on repairs, neglect utility payments, and fall into foreclosure. So how can renters protect themselves? If you think your apartment building is not meeting safety codes, contact your city administrator, local tenants' association, or legal advocate. If all else fails, you may need to move to a new home. Before you sign the lease at your new place, check to see how well the building is maintained. Look at the conditions of the floors, walls, ceiling, foundation, stairs, fixtures, and wiring.

Protect Your Floors During Your Move

Moving is dirty business--have you thought to protect your floors on moving day? Both the home your are moving out of and the one you are moving into are bound to get dirty, dusty, and scuffed by the traffic of movers, heavy furniture, and appliances. A dropcloth or loose pieces of cardboard laid on the floor can be a safety hazard for movers who might trip. Better options include utilizing rugs, carpets, and rubber mats (tape down the edges with painter's tape to avoid shifting) to create a runway into heavily-trafficked areas. Other ways to protect floors include placing adhesive felt pads to the bottoms of furniture legs. Even with the padding, be careful not to drag furniture across the floor. For carpets, use a clear self-adhesive film such as Carpet Shield to prevent stains and wear.

Home Improvement: Where to Begin?

Congratulations, you have just secured your new home! Before you move all of your stuff in, you may want to tackle home improvement projects first. Whether you are the owner of a new house or you are renting an apartment, there are probably a few things that need fixing. Which projects should you complete first? Budget both your time and money with these suggestions:

• Structural: Safety should be your biggest concern when moving into a new home. If the foundation, roofing, siding, or stairs in your home are unsound, begin repairs as soon as possible. Also, check the wiring and electrical outlets. Of course, if you are renting, you will want to have your landlord or super handle the repairs.


• Convenience: What needs to be fixed in order for you to be comfortable? Do you need a fence so that your children and dog will not run into the street? Do you need new screens on the windows to allow fresh air into your home?


• Cosmetic: This will probably be the hardest part of your home repair budget to keep under control when you first move in--there's always something to decorate. Start with the practical first--window treatments, lighting, shelving, children's rooms, etc. Go through one room at a time, saving your private quarters for last.


• Amenitites: Always dreamed of having an outdoor deck with a jacuzzi? How about a swimming pool, an indoor gym, or a bar in the basement? Once you have fixed the most important aspects of your home, add luxuries as your budget allows to complete your dream home.

Moving On Up: Is There Such a Thing as Affordable Luxury?

If you have been apartment- or house-hunting in the past 6 months, you have probably seen ads promoting luxury living for bargain prices. Sure enough, prices are dropping for units in enormous high-rises with swimming pools, roof decks, onsite gyms, and common areas that would be great for having all your friends over, but can you really afford the upgrade? Before you get caught up in a luxury fantasy, figure out how much you can really afford to spend. Remember, you'll need to factor in expenses like paying utilities, buying food, and furnishing your new place.

Most experts recommend planning to pay 25-30% of your take home pay as rent or mortgage, though in some higher cost areas that could run to 35 or 40%. You must take all of your monthly expenses (including credit cards, transportation costs, and student loan payments) into account.
Set a budget and stick to it when looking for your new home. Knowing how much you can realistically spend will help you weed out places you can't afford, no matter how glamorous they seem.

Rent or Buy? Tools to Help You Decide

Given recent dips in home prices and the current low mortgage rate climate, home ownership is significantly more affordable for prospective first-time homeowners. Earlier in 2009, a provision in the Stimulus Bill provided for a first-time Homebuyer Tax Credit of 10 percent of the purchase price of the home up to $8,000. However, there are many extra costs associated with owning a home, such as closing costs, mortgage interest, property taxes, maintenance, and insurance. You will also want to consider whether property values are appreciating or depreciating in the area you are looking to move to. There are several online calculators to help you determine whether you can afford to buy a home or not. Here are a few:

• Move.com


• Ginnie Mae


• Yahoo! Real Estate