Helpful Tips

Five Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Returns

To ensure that recipients are happy with holiday gifts, millions of Americans will rely on gift receipts to enable loved ones to return or exchange a gift seamlessly when the holidays are over. According to NRF’s 2009 Holiday Returns Survey, 58.6 percent of shoppers said they enclose a gift receipt most of the time or some of the time when giving a gift. The survey also found that 87.9 percent of shoppers feel that retailers’ return policies are fair. 

“Whether it’s a toy, an appliance, a DVD or a sweater, gifts of all shapes and sizes can be easily returned when a gift receipt is attached,” said Tracy Mullin, President and CEO of the National Retail Federation. “In this economy, no one wants to worry that a present will be a duplicate, or go unused, so many people are relying on gift receipts to make the returns process easier.”

Although gift receipts make returns easy, many people didn’t need to return a thing last holiday season. According to the survey, more than two-thirds (67.1%) of gift recipients said they did not return any gifts last year, up from the 65.2 percent who went sans returns in 2007. 

NRF’s tips for stress-free returns after the holidays:

1.  Know the retailer’s return policy before you buy. Most retailers have return policies
prominently displayed, especially at this time of year. Gift-givers should read and remember them. If policies are not clearly displayed, ask a sales associate or a manager to explain them to you. Most retailers also outline their return policy on their website.

2.  Save and file all receipts! Receipts are still the key to hassle-free returns. Some retailers will allow consumers to exchange merchandise without a receipt, but oftentimes will only provide merchandise credit for the lowest markdown-price at which the item was sold during the holiday season. Make sure to provide the recipient with a gift receipt to save hassle after the holidays. 

3.  Provide all original packaging and all parts (including tags) when giving a gift. Some retailers won’t accept returns unless the item is in its original package. If you plan to take back a gift after it is unwrapped, resist the urge to open it or play with it. No one wants to buy someone else’s merchandise. 

4.  Make online returns easy! Returns are a part of shopping, no matter where you buy. In addition to the other rules of returns, here are a few things to find out before you purchase a gift online:

-  Know the process: Who pays for shipping the return–you or the merchant? Some merchants will pick up the delivery charges for exchanges, but not for returns; others offer free return shipping on every return.

-  Where to make returns: Does the retailer have a physical store, and can returns or exchanges be made there? Make sure you have the correct address if you need to mail returns back to the company. Some merchants have offsite service centers to handle returns that may be in a different location from where the merchandise is sent.

5.  Be patient. Remember, the week after Christmas is one of the busiest weeks of the retail year. With people’s frustration high and tolerance low, be patient when returning merchandise.

By: Kathy Grannis www.nrf.com/holidays
Published: December 8, 2009

The NRF 2009 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 8,692 consumers and was conducted for NRF by BIGresearch, November 3-10, 2009. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent. 

BIGresearch is a consumer market intelligence firm that provides unique consumer insights that are gathered online utilizing very large sample sizes. BIGresearch’s syndicated Consumer Intentions and Actions survey monitors the pulse of more than 8,000 consumers each month to empower its clients with unique insights for identifying opportunities in a fragmented and changing marketplace.

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry’s key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 24 million employees – about one in five American workers – and 2008 sales of $4.6 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations.

6 Tips for Choosing the Best Offer for Your Home

Have a plan for reviewing purchase offers so you don’t let the best slip through your fingers.

1. Understand the process

All offers are negotiable, as your agent will tell you. When you receive an offer, you can accept it, reject it, or respond by asking that terms be modified, which is called making a counteroffer.

2. Set baselines

Decide in advance what terms are most important to you. For instance, if price is most important, you may need to be flexible on your closing date. Or if you want certainty that the transaction won’t fall apart because the buyer can’t get a mortgage, require a prequalified or cash buyer.

3. Create an offer review process

If you think your home will receive multiple offers, work with your agent to establish a time frame during which buyers must submit offers. That gives your agent time to market your home to as many potential buyers as possible, and you time to review all the offers you receive.

4. Don’t take offers personally

Selling your home can be emotional. But it’s simply a business transaction, and you should treat it that way. If your agent tells you a buyer complained that your kitchen is horribly outdated, justifying a lowball offer, don’t be offended. Consider it a sign the buyer is interested and understand that those comments are a negotiating tactic. Negotiate in kind.

5. Review every term

Carefully evaluate all the terms of each offer. Price is important, but so are other terms. Is the buyer asking for property or fixtures—such as appliances, furniture, or window treatments—to be included in the sale that you plan to take with you?

Is the amount of earnest money the buyer proposes to deposit toward the down payment sufficient? The lower the earnest money, the less painful it will be for the buyer to forfeit those funds by walking away from the purchase if problems arise.

Have the buyers attached a prequalification or pre-approval letter, which means they’ve already been approved for financing? Or does the offer include a financing or other contingency? If so, the buyers can walk away from the deal if they can’t get a mortgage, and they’ll take their earnest money back, too. Are you comfortable with that uncertainty?

Is the buyer asking you to make concessions, like covering some closing costs? Are you willing, and can you afford to do that? Does the buyer’s proposed closing date mesh with your timeline?

With each factor, ask yourself: Is this a deal breaker, or can I compromise to achieve my ultimate goal of closing the sale?

6. Be creative

If you’ve received an unacceptable offer through your agent, ask questions to determine what’s most important to the buyer and see if you can meet that need. You may learn the buyer has to move quickly. That may allow you to stand firm on price but offer to close quickly. The key to successfully negotiating the sale is to remain flexible.

By: G. M. Filisko
Published: February 10, 2010

G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer who has survived several closings. A frequent contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Season Finale At Hobart Indiana’s Biggest Tourist Attraction

If you still need a pumpkin for your Halloween display, or have a sudden urge to pick your own apples for that turn-key hand-crafted pie, these are just a few of the activities you can cross off your 2011 bucket list at Hobart Indiana’s famous County Line Orchard. But as the season winds up in a final frenzy of harvest activities, the end is near–at least until next summer–because October 31  is the last day for this  year

The enormous new authentic post-and-beam timber frame barn has been a huge hit in attracting visitors from across Northwest Indiana and handling the increased crowds of fun-seeking families.  All week long school buses line up in the parking lot bringing kids on field trips.  And weekends have live entertainment and ramped-up assortment of outside food vendors.

Traveling troubadour, and a favorite of the author, Dave “Hutch” Lymon was playing from the barn’s balcony loft level during a recent visit. And throughout the season, a long list of name local talent has been playing at the outdoor stage.

So what is all the buzz about? Some of the activities at the Orchard include guided tractor rides through the operating orchard farm, and similarly, a toddler train for the kids. There is a corn maze (or do you say Maize Maze?). You can pick your own pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch, and likewise pick your own apples or, if you are old-fashioned, buy them prepackaged. There is a picnic area where both families and mid-sized groups are all accommodated. There is a gift shop with country themed novelty items and apparel for sale. But it is the combination of the retro and the modern features that make the County Line Orchard such fun. There are no period costumes here, just regular folks.

Food is the main attraction of Harvest season. Fresh baked pies and fresh home made doughnuts are very popular. And a variety of sandwiches and hot entrees are available from the main kitchen, plus special treats such as home fries and roasted sweet corn from stalls outside. A gigantic array  of private-labeled apple cider, locally raised honey, jams and jellies, sauces, marinades, and other canned goods are available from the Orchard kitchens.

Although the harvest season is nearly over, County Line Orchard is available year round for special events. Gardeners can rent private plots in the Community Garden for their own personal planting, starting in May; with some tilling services, water, and compost handling provided. The Orchard’s various indoor spaces and outdoor facilities are available as a catered wedding and banquet venue year round. So even though they will be closed for the winter, the Orchard’s facilities function for your own special gatherings year round.

Looking for Ideas to Reuse Old Items? Check out IKEA Hackers

We love it when we find a site that helps us find ways to reuse old items, and IKEA Hackers fits the bill with creative solutions.

IKEA groupies – fans of the world’s largest furniture retailer — can’t bear to part with anything they’ve assembled themselves. So they’re sharing their repurposing ideas on IKEAHackers.net,  a site that encourages recycling and reusing - values close to HouseLogic hearts.

“This site is really about a community of crazy IKEA fans,” the site says.  “We hack, personalize, repurpose IKEA products into the very thing we want.”

For instance, one IKEA-ite turned a shelving unit on it side to create a low play table for her 2-year-old twins (lots of storage underneath). When the kids got a little bigger and wanted a train table, Mom screwed on four coasters to raise the table and make it portable.

“When they are done playing, we simply roll it back against the wall to have more space,” the mom says.

Another IKEA hacker made a colorful coat rack  by screwing Bastis “dog butt” hooks  onto an unpainted, soft wood shelf.

“I picked red, green and black to give it kind of an African/Jamaican theme, “ hacker Nick says. “The assembly is really simple, just a few screws and that’s it.”

What have you repurposed lately?

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon
Published: October 7, 2011

Lisa Kaplan Gordon is a HouseLogic managing editor and builder.

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Discover the Pros of Working with GVC Mortgage, Inc.

In celebration of Christopher Columbus Day, we want to help you discover the pros of working with GVC Mortgage, Inc. Not only do we have a qualified team of licensed mortgage professionals, but we also work with a great team of REALTORS throughout Northwest Indiana and the Chicago land region.

Although you may hear this often from mortgage brokers, we actually do have a committed team of mortgage professionals who have a vested interest in your home mortgage and the American Dream of homeownership. Every day we are focused on providing outstanding customer service and great mortgage products to our clients and referral partners.

Speaking of great mortgage products and the one that is most widely utillized by home buyers and homeowners in Northwest Indiana and Chicago is an FHA insured home loan. The benefits of this mortgage is that only 3.500% down payment is required for home purchases and the minimum FICO score required is 640. The difference that GVC Mortgage, Inc can provide is that we can go as low as 620 FICO score with compensating factors, as well as higher debt-to-income qualfying ratios. You can get more information at yourFHAhomeloan.com.

In the same manner as FHA insured home loans, we also have the capability to do the standard FHA 203(k) and FHA 302(k) streamined renovation home loan. The benefits of this program allows you to roll into a single FHA fixed rate home loan the costs of home renovations and repairs. We also participate in the FHA $100 Down program that allows you to buy a HUD REO for as little as $100 down with no new appraisal required.

It should be noted that we are not just about FHA insured home loans. We also love our US Veterans and the liberties that they safe guard daily. The best way we know how to support them is to educate them on their earned benefits and how they too can become homeowners. VA offers up to 100% financing with no monthly mortgage insurance to eligible US Veterans. If you’re a US Veteran, you can learn more about VA Guaranteed home loans at homeloanforveterans.com.

Another great home loan option that allows up to 100% financing is offered by USDA Rural Development through their USDA home loan program. If the home is eligible for USDA home loan financing as determined by USDA and the buyer’s household income does not exceed the income limits, a USDA guaranteed home loan can offer a more affordable home loan payment than even an FHA insured home loan. If you would like more information on USDA guaranteed home loans, simply visit yourUSDAhomeloan.com.

We are your home for government home loans. Want to know if you can refinance your home or buy a new home? Call or text me at 512-522-7284 to discuss your personal situation and your home loan options!

 

Hidden Dangers After Flood: Check Your Fireplace and HVAC

Damage from rainwater and flooding post-natural disaster can mean wrecked siding, soaked drywall, and carpets made of mud. But less obvious damage may lurk inside your home in fireplaces, furnaces, and appliances.

The Chimney Safety Institute of America has some smart advice for heading off potentially dangerous post-flood damage:

• Replace gas fireplace logs. Water and small bits of debris can clog valves, and metal parts may rapidly deteriorate after exposure to water, causing gas leaks.
• Replace fireplace fans and wiring. Electrical connections and water just don’t mix. Don’t take the chance; before you flip the switch, get new parts.
• Have appliances and heaters professionally inspected. Get a furnace pro or heating-and-cooling specialist to check your heating system and water heater for damage to fans, wiring, gas connections, and burner units.
• Check the chimney. Call in a certified chimney sweep to do a thorough chimney inspection of your fireplace box and chimney for damage to masonry, mortar, and flue components.

Been through a flood? Got some hard-earned tips about flood cleanup and safety? Let’s hear them!

By: John Riha
Published: July 1, 2011

John Riha is a HouseLogic managing editor. He’s been a residential builder and was the executive editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. He’s hand-built a French drain system and notes, “it’s a heck of a lot of digging.”

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Outdoor Appliance Guide: Charcoal Grills and Smokers

With models priced from $35 to $1,000, there are charcoal grills to fit the budget of anyone who’s a fan of traditional barbecue.

A charcoal grill can be as basic as a 55-gallon drum cut in half and turned on its side, or as extravagant as a $1,000 ceramic-lined cooker. When shopping for a charcoal grill, author and barbecue expert C. Clark “Smoky” Hale urges consumers to stop and ask themselves the following questions:

What type of cooking do you intend to use it for? How often do you expect to grill? How many people will you be grilling for? How much do you want to spend?

Cost range: $35-$1,000 and up

Likely additional costs: assembly, cover, charcoal

Average life span: 3-16 years

Sub-$50 range

In the case of charcoal grills, “small doesn’t have to mean cheap,” explains Hale, author of “Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual.” Whereas many gas grills priced south of $50 aren’t worth the money, the same isn’t necessarily true when applied to charcoal.

Weber, the king of the kettle, sells a solid and wholly functional grill for around $35. Of course, that unit rests on the ground and measures just over a foot in diameter, making it useful only for the smallest of gatherings. Larger grills in this price range tend to be constructed of thin painted steel and positioned atop wobbly aluminum legs.

$50-$100 range

A homeowner looking to satisfy the needs of an average-size family should plan on spending at least $60 for a roomy but basic grill. Models in this category are of the 19- to 22-inch kettle variety, which is large enough to handle over a dozen burgers or chicken breasts.

Despite the increased girth, these grills restrict all but the most rudimentary cooking methods due to shallow lids that can’t accommodate whole chickens, turkeys, or other roasts. Because charcoal (and especially hardwood lump) burns hotter than gas, the thinner steel grates found on these grills often warp and need replacing at a cost of $15 to $45.

$100-$200 range

This price range includes 22- and 26-inch name brand kettles. But the roomiest charcoal grills in this category are not round, they are rectangular barrel-style units that mimic a dissected 55-gallon drum.
These solidly constructed rigs, which start at around $130, boast a cooking area two to three times the size of comparably priced kettles. The 1,000-square-inch grate surface makes it easy not only to cook for a crowd, but also to do indirect cooking for slower, longer roasts.

Though billed as smokers too, these models typically lack the airflow control needed for the serious, long-temperature cooking associated with traditional smoked barbecue, warns Hale.

$200-$300 range

The additional dollars spent for charcoal grills in this category often buy convenience rather than increased capacity or improved construction. Kettle-style grills come mounted in a portable cart with storage for charcoal and a small work area. Some feature propane ignition systems for effortless charcoal starting sans lighter fluid.

Hinged cooking grates make it easy to add or rearrange charcoal without having to remove the food. And many facilitate the ash-disposal process thanks to removable catch basins. For frequent grillers, these conveniences are worth the costs.

Ceramic cookers

“The Big Green Egg folks are like Apple computer people,” says Hale, referring to a prominent brand of ceramic charcoal cooker. “They are very passionate.”

Owing to their thick-walled ceramic construction, these trendy grills are unmatched at retaining heat for long periods of time. Precision dampers make it easy (with practice) to accurately control temps, making the units effective for everything from high-heat searing to roasting to low-and-slow smoking. Homeowners, however, must be prepared to shell out $700 and up for a grill with a cook surface equal to a $70 kettle.

Smokers

Most charcoal grills can be configured to accept wood chunks or chips, allowing the cook to impart a pleasant smoke flavor to cooking foods. But in order to truly excel at barbecue, says Hale, a grill must contain a system of tight-fitting dampers and vents that make it possible to accurately regulate cooking temperatures.

Offset smokers look like barrel-style grills with the addition of a side-mounted firebox. Heat and smoke travel from the firebox, through the main cooking chamber, and finally out the exhaust. Because the heat source is not directly underneath the food (indirect cooking), it is easier to maintain the lower temps needed for smoking. These units start around $250.

Water smokers, of which the Weber Smokey Mountain (aka the Bullet) is the most popular model, look like elongated kettle grills. Situated between the charcoal bowl at the bottom and the cooking chamber above is a shallow pan of liquid that acts like a heat sink, regulating temps. Well-made and backed by Weber’s 10-year warranty, these smokers sell for around $300.

Suggested extras: Wood ash combines with rain water to make lye, a corrosive and caustic substance. For that reason alone, a tight-fitting grill cover is a necessity. Prices range from $20 to $70. Chimney starters ($15) make fast work of igniting charcoal briquettes without the need for lighter fluid. Folks serious about barbecuing, says Hale, should purchase a quality grill thermometer for $10.

Cost of operation: There is no denying that charcoal grilling is more expensive than gas grilling. A typical charcoal cookout will cost about $3.50 in fuel, while the same session on a propane grill will run about $0.60, and even less if hooked up to a natural gas line. Nevertheless, charcoal grill aficionados swear by the superior taste of foods prepared with charcoal.

By: Douglas Trattner
Published: April 26, 2010

Douglas Trattner has covered household appliances and home improvement for HGTV.com, DIYNetworks, and the Clevland Plain Dealer. As an avid home cook and pit master-in-training, he truggled over the age-old debate of gas versus charcoal grill -  so he bought one of each.

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Free Music at Highland Indiana Lunch Spot

Potbelly Sandwich Shops Host Local Favorite;  Singer-Songwriter, Hutch Lymon 

Connoisseurs of great sandwiches should take note of this free lunchtime treat. Potbelly Sandwich recently selected  noted local guitarist and singer-songwriter,  Dave “Hutch” Lymon to play at their two local stores during lunch hour.

Consisting of acoustic interpretations of rock & roll favorites, Hutch will start your afternoons fortified with Potbelly’s quirky ambiance, their delicious hot sandwiches, spicy jardiniere; their salads and soups;  plus you will be renewed with the energy of Dave’s hot licks.

While you dine, you can catch his sets Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday at the Highland Indiana Potbelly Sandwich Shop, located in the Highland Grove Shopping mall (near Target and Old Country Buffet)  at  Indianapolis and Main Street (53rd).

The 200 Potbelly Sandwich franchises takes special pride in the fact that most of their stores offer live entertainment and they consider themselves one of the largest employers of musicians in the US. Those of us that grew up on Chicago’s North Side fondly remember the counter-cultural roots, that the original Potbelly Sandwich store No.1 had on Linclon Ave. and Belden, in the 1970′s.

You can find Hutch at the Merrillville Indiana Potbelly Sandwich location on Monday’s and Tuesday’s. That store is in the Westfield Southlake mall on Route 30, just East of Mississippi St. and I 65.

And if you need to find out about what’s spicy in local real estate allow me to be your tour guide through Schererville’s Plum Creek, Munster’s White Oak, and Highland’s Wicker Park neighborhoods to find that special ambiance that YOU need to make your dream home a reality.

Valparaiso Real Estate – Uptown Café is Coffee and So Much More

With being such a young business, Valparaiso Indiana’s Uptown Café has established itself as an upscale coffee shop, restaurant, meeting place, art gallery and so much more.

From the moment you walk in the door, you can see why people congregate here. With the sealed concrete floors, large open space, fireplace and lots of comfy couches and tables to sit at, Uptown Café boasts itself as a contemporary but comfortable place to eat or even conduct casual business meetings. In fact, they even have private meeting rooms available for the not so casual business meetings.

If the food is what you’re really interested in, try Uptown Café’s Sushi.  Every Tuesday night, they serve the most delicious Sushi around. This isn’t just your everyday California Roll either. It is real, to die for Sushi!

Looking for a place to hang out and read a book? Uptown is it. Stop in on a Saturday morning and have one of their delicious lattes and relax by the fireplace in an oversized arm chair and dive into your latest read.

If you’re looking to purchase a home in Valparaiso Indiana, don’t forget to make Uptown Café one of your first visits.

Whether you’re a first time homebuyer and looking for your starter home or a growing family looking for a larger custom built home, you can find your dream home near Uptown Cafe in Valparaiso Indiana. Call or text me at 707-408-3399 to discuss your family situation and your home needs.

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