9 ways to winterize your second home

• Turn off the water
• Keep the heat above freezing
• Unplug electrical devices
• Empty the fridge
• Prevent pests
• Wash towels and bedding
• Cover your plants
• Store your valuables
• Leave a light on

1. Turn off the water

Make sure the water is turned off completely at the main supply point to prevent busted pipes. Don’t forget to turn off your irrigation system, too, if they’re on separate main supplies. A $500 replacement for a cracked backflow preventer is the last thing you’ll want to come home to. You should also drain anything that holds water, like toilets, pools, fountains, and sinks. If temperatures get extra low in the area, you may also want to pour an antifreeze solution down the drains.

2. Keep the heat above freezing

While you do want to conserve energy while you’re gone, don’t set your thermostat too low. Make sure it’s warm enough to keep the inside of your home above freezing. In general, aim to keep the temperature around at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent mold and mildew that may form from condensation.

3. Unplug electrical devices

If you leave your power on, unplug all your electrical devices (microwaves and TVs included) to prevent fire hazards and save energy. You may want to leave larger appliances, like your washer and dryer, plugged in to decrease the hassle of getting everything set back up when you return.

4. Empty the fridge

It goes without saying that you should throw out any perishables. Especially if you’re going to be unplugging the fridge, it’s best to take everything out, wash both the fridge and freezer thoroughly, and leave the doors open to prevent any mold or mildew growth.

5. Prevent pests

After you take the trash out, wash the trash cans and put away any soaps, sponges, candles, and other possible food sources for vermin. Try not to leave any food items in the home, even staples like pasta and canned goods. Winter is a great time to donate any usable items you clear out to local food drives and shelters.

6. Wash towels and bedding

Linens, bedding, and towels should be washed and stored in plastic containers. Open up the drawers and strip the beds to let the mattresses air out. That’s one less load of laundry waiting for you when you return.

7. Cover your plants

If you have outdoor plants that don’t do well in the cold, cover them up with an old blanket to prevent frost damage or bring them inside. For plants that require more maintenance, consider bringing them home with you or providing a key to a neighbor you trust who can check in and water them occasionally.

8. Store your valuables

Any boats, dirt bikes, canoes, bicycles, cars, etc. should be stored in a garage while you’re gone. If there are any window views into your storage space, cover them. You don’t want people to see into your house and be tempted to take anything.

9. Leave a light on

A certain Christmas movie comes to mind for this one, but you probably don’t need to go to such extreme lengths as that kid left behind for holiday vacation. A single light left on in a central area will do the trick. You can also install timed lights to create the illusion of an occupied home. It’s a good way to add some extra security while you’re gone.

Do I need to winterize my second home if it’s in a warm area?

If your vacation home is in a warm climate (beach house, anyone?), you probably don’t need to do much to prepare it for cold weather. For the sake of security, energy conservation, and keeping your home clean, however, you’ll still want to turn off/unplug any unnecessary devices and lights, throw out any food, and make sure valuable items are stored out of sight. And of course, don’t forget to lock the door.

Before your leave your second home for the winter, don’t forget to turn off the water and gas, empty the fridge, and secure your valuables.

The post How to Winterize Your Second Home appeared first on Cardinal Financial.

As the weather warms up and the cold days become scarce, seize this opportunity to take on some home projects and make your home a more pleasant place to live.

Spend more time outside

After a long winter spent indoors, get out and get your hands dirty with some outdoor spring home improvement projects. Create an outdoor escape where you can spend warm summer nights by building conversation areas. You could make a firepit and arrange some new patio furniture around it or build an outdoor bar beneath a pergola. Adding items like new patio stones, seating areas, or an outdoor music system are all fun ways to make your backyard the summer gathering place for friends and family. Working with a tight budget? Add smaller touches like lemongrass plants, pool toys (if you have a pool), or yard games like corn hole.

Lower your energy bills

Don’t you love when spring home improvement projects can save you money? Small changes to your home can be environmentally friendly and cost effective at the same time. Things like caulking windows and weatherstripping doors will prevent energy-wasting air leaks and keep your HVAC unit from overworking. Inspect all your home’s doors, seals, and openings for drafts and thank us later when your utility bills are lower.

Feed your inner chef

Updating your kitchen is an appetizing way to improve your home. It’s been said that the kitchen is the heart of the home—and people tend to gather around food. Time to create a truly inviting space where your friends and family will love to eat, drink, and be merry.

Try installing a new backsplash, attaching new cabinet knobs and handles, and planting some indoor herbs near your kitchen window. These spring home improvement projects are relatively cheap and easy to incorporate. Or if you’re ready to take on some bigger projects around the kitchen, see how your major appliances are holding up. You may need to install a new garbage disposal or call in a professional to fix your refrigerator’s ice maker.

Increase your garage’s usability

At times, the garage can be the ultimate organizational challenge. Have you ever seen a two-car garage that was so cluttered it couldn’t even store one car? It happens all too often. Here’s a helpful hint: on your list of spring home improvement projects, add organizing the garage. First, go through your stuff, piece by piece, and separate everything into four piles: throw out, recycle, donate, and keep. Once you’re left with only the items you want to keep, then you can dust or wipe down the items, sweep and clean the garage, and reorganize the items in a way that will maximize usability. You may even want to add built-in shelves or a labeling system to ensure organization well into the future.

Boost your basement’s organization

Does your basement make you cringe? Like the garage, the basement tends to be the “dump-all” room of the home. After months of hiding miscellaneous items in the basement, take an approach similar to the garage and get to organizing! Reclaim that space and add seating or an entertainment center to turn your basement into a second family room.

Show your home some love and freshen it up with these spring home improvement projects. Looking for financing for a bigger, more expensive home renovation? See how we can help you refinance your mortgage and tap into your home’s equity.

The post 5 Fresh Spring Home Improvement Projects appeared first on Cardinal Financial.

It’s that time of year again! Halloween is an evening full of fun, excitement, and a little mischief—don’t worry about what could go wrong. Instead, embrace these eight Halloween safety tips to keep your home, your kids, and your trick-or-treaters safe.

1. Tidy up the yard

Inspect the path from the sidewalk to your front door, making sure the way is free of obstructions or hazards. Keep your eye out for loose porch railings, uneven walkway stones, unruly trees and shrubs, etc. If you have outdoor pets, don’t forget to scoop droppings. Look out for holes in your lawn and sharp edges on the path to your door. All of these potential hazards may be easy to spot and avoid in the daylight but, at night, everyone’s vision is impaired.

2. Double-check your homeowners insurance coverage

We get it, this is probably the last thing on your mind. Let’s be honest, when was the last time you reviewed this information? While it probably wasn’t on your Halloween to-do list, don’t ignore this task. Opening your home to strange visitors can expose you to potential claims and lawsuits. It’s important to make sure your property is adequately insured so that you’re better prepared in the event of an incident that requires legal involvement.

3. How long is too long?

Before your kid goes out collecting candy, check the length of their costume. Kids are more likely to trip and fall on a long superhero cape or floor-length princess gown, especially in the dark. If your child’s costume is longer than ankle-length, it may be wise to pin up the hem or exchange it for a shorter costume.

4. Be wise when you accessorize

Swords and sabres, wands and weapons—many Halloween costumes come with some sort of pointy accessory. Opt for such items made of soft material, like foam, and no sharp edges. Even if your kid is responsible, injuries are more likely to happen in the dark when sharp accessories are involved.

5. Make it fire-resistant

While this may not be high on your Halloween checklist, it’s important. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, open flame is one of the leading causes of reported Halloween fires. Walkways lined with jack-o-lanterns and porches lit by candles pose the biggest fire hazard to your child. Check the costume tag before you buy and make sure it’s made of fire-resistant material. This includes accessories like wigs and beards and costumes decorated with spray-on glitter and spray paint.

6. Other costume factors to consider

Choose a costume and shoes that fit your child well. Baggy and loose clothing can be a frustrating distraction and that’s the last thing your kid wants to worry about. Avoid costumes with a lot of accessories that might complicate the evening or cause a potential accident. If your child is potty training, make sure they can get in and out of their costume quickly when the need for a bathroom break arises.

7. Stand out in the dark

In all the fun and excitement of Halloween, it’s not unusual for kids to get rowdy and run around. Help them become more visible to street traffic by adding reflective tape to different places on their costume. Give them a flashlight or creatively incorporate glowsticks in a way that makes sense with your kid’s costume.

8. Not now, Fido

If you have a pet who is easily scared or excitable, it may be in everyone’s best interest to put them away for the evening. Confining them to a separate room or a cage, if they have one, will keep them from bothering the kids at your door. This approach is also helpful if your pet is easily spooked and prone to dart out the front door.

This Halloween is sure to be a scary good time when you practice these eight Halloween safety tips with your family.

The post 8 Halloween Safety Tips for a Scary Good Time appeared first on Cardinal Financial.

Fall is in full-swing and there’s no better time to prepare your home for winter and its potential to damage your property than with our fall home maintenance checklist. Give your home a little TLC by making repairs and taking preventative measures against even the toughest weather. This indoor and outdoor home maintenance could save you from the hassle and expense of costly repairs and even extend the life of your home.

1. Examine the perimeter

Take a look at your yard for ways to clean it up. Rake and bag the leaves, remove dead bushes, branches, and shrubs, and pull up any dead plants and weeds. If you have a composter, now is a good time to feed it with your lawn’s refuse and generate some nutrients for springtime gardening.

2. Get into the gutters

Although an unpopular task, cleaning the gutters is actually one of the best ways to take care of your home. After that, check the downspouts for debris and make sure a clear path exists for the snow to melt and drain away from the house.

3. Trim those trees

Walk around outside your house and scan the trees for dead or low-hanging branches. Trim back any branches that you see are resting on the roof or brushing up against the windows and siding. If it snows in your area, it’s possible for the ice and snow to weigh down these branches to the point where they snap—causing collateral damage you do not want to deal with.

4. Primp and prime the lawn

If you think fall lawn care starts and ends with raking the leaves, you don’t know the half of it. Take winter preparation a step further by aerating, fertilizing, and seeding your lawn—you’ll be ahead of the game when the spring rains come. While you’re at it, eyeball the foundation of your home for any spots where the soil may be sinking. Filling those ruts now will cause melting snow and ice to run away from the house and save you from potential water damage to your basement and foundation.

5. Fortify your equipment

For gasoline-powered equipment, such as lawn mowers and string trimmers, drain the fuel and store it in a safe container. Fuel that sits in the tank for too long may cause corrosion. Don’t forget to assess your winter equipment! Make sure you’re stocked up on antifreeze, de-icer, shovels, salt, and car window scrapers—you’ll be thankful you didn’t wait until they were sold out in stores. If you’re fortunate to have a snow blower, ensure that it’s maintained and ready to go when the time comes.

6. Winterize the waterways

Before fall ends, shut off your home’s exterior water lines. Cold winter weather may cause water left in outdoor pipes to freeze and burst. If you have any outdoor hoses, drain and wrap them up and store them in your garage or another dry, indoor space. This is also a good time to drain your home’s hot water heater and clean out any sediment buildup. This task will increase the life of your hot water heater and make its water cleaner and safer to use.

7. Address exterior damage

Next on our fall home maintenance checklist: Inspect your roof, windows, and doorways for gaps that could allow cold drafts to permeate. These can be repaired with simple caulk or could require more involvement, like window replacement. While this may seem a bit more extensive than you’d like, you don’t want to risk hot air escaping from your home and increasing your utility bill all winter.

8. For heat’s sake, be proactive

It’s easy to go long periods of time without examining your home’s HVAC system, but don’t let this step escape you this fall. Winter is the busy season for HVAC professionals, so it’s in your best interest to contact them now for preventative measures. This is also a great time to clean or change your air filter to improve your home’s air quality as well as your HVAC’s efficiency. If you have a working fireplace, have your chimney cleaned or your gas line inspected so you can relax and enjoy its warmth in the months to come.

This fall home maintenance checklist may seem heavy, but these tips are essential to a worry-free winter.

The post Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist appeared first on Cardinal Financial.

Crisp air, golden leaves, shorter days—all of nature’s signs show that fall is in full swing. For many, these signs of the approaching cold weather come with a desire to curl up and get cozy in the comfort of your own home. While this might be a natural impulse, the decision to purchase a home should be carefully calculated. Such a monumental choice deserves planning and preparation. This fall, in your search for a home to call yours, be sure to consider these helpful fall home purchase tips.

1. Get to Know Your Credit Score

Your credit score is a great place to start. Before you can get too deep into the search for a home, find out your credit score and keep it handy. This will determine what home financing options are open to you. If you need help understanding your credit score and how you can improve it, give us a call and we’ll be happy to share our expertise.

Here’s what you need to know about credit scores: The higher your credit score, the better. A credit score between 620–639 is generally acceptable to most mortgage lenders and may make you qualified for a USDA or FHA loan. A score between 640–720 is good and will expand your loan options. If your credit score is above 720, it’s considered excellent and should qualify you for just about any mortgage—not to mention lower rates. Typically, as your credit score increases, the number of loan options increases and the interest rates decrease.

2. Financial Stability is a Must

This recommendation might not come as a surprise to most people. It’s widely understood that, in order to purchase a home, you need to have money. Even if you qualify for a 0% down payment mortgage, you will still face various costs that are just part of the process. Additionally, lenders will review your financial situation to determine that you are stable, consistent, and responsible. At a basic level, lenders simply want to make sure that you can and will pay your mortgage. For these reasons, financial stability is crucial to home buying.

To help demonstrate financial stability, have a good amount of money in your savings account (at least enough to cover the cost of a down payment), pay your bills on time, and be honest about your finances. It’s in your best interest not to open any lines of credit, move large amounts of money, or close any bank accounts during the loan process. Movement like this may hinder your chances of making it to the closing table.

3. Employment Stability is a Must

Job stability goes hand-in-hand with financial stability. Job stability generally means your earnings have remained at a certain level for at least two years. If you are self-employed, you will be required to provide at least two years of bank statements and tax returns. Again, the goal is for your lender to see that you are stable, responsible, and have the income to make mortgage payments. The more stability you can prove, the greater your chances of getting approved for a loan.

4. Get Ready to Root

Renters: This is important. Your mobile lifestyle was great while it lasted, but maybe it’s time to settle down. Well, buckle in because purchasing a home is a long-term commitment. Before you put money down on a house, make sure it covers all of the must-haves on your list—the right neighborhood, the right location, the right school district, etc. Ask yourself “Can I see myself living here for the next seven years?” If the answer is yes, you’re one step closer to being ready to put down roots in that location. Want more information on how to navigate the transition from renting to buying? Read our guide to buying versus renting.

5. Map Out Your Wants vs. Needs

Who doesn’t love a good, old-fashioned pros-and-cons list once in a while? This fall, decide exactly what you are looking to get out of a home. Write down what you want to have and what you need to have. A family of five might be interested in a four-bedroom craftsman with a large backyard while a 30-year-old bachelor might be better suited for a two-bedroom condo. In addition to bedroom/bathroom combinations, you should consider other aspects of the home, such as acreage, the year it was built, distance from the nearest grocery store, and more. In this endeavor, be honest with yourself and be mindful of the possibility of your expectations clashing with reality.

6. Know What to Expect

As with most of life’s milestones, buying a home is a learning process. It’s common for borrowers to lack understanding of the path to homeownership. Some don’t realize the costly fees associated with a mortgage, others misunderstand the roles of the real estate agent and mortgage lender in the process. It’s not easy to know what to expect on your own, so frequent conversations with both your agent and your lender are in your best interest.

During the mortgage process, make sure you are available by phone or email so that your lender can get ahold of you when they inevitably need to communicate with you. Your cooperation will help the process move along nicely. And always remember that mortgage experts like ourselves are well-prepared and equipped to share our expertise and set accurate expectations so you can enjoy a smooth road to homeownership. This leads us to our next fall home purchase tip.

7. Give it Sweet Time

Patience is the key to sanity in the process of purchasing a home. Like setting accurate expectations, keep in mind that organizing your finances takes time, negotiating takes time, finding the right home takes time, and more. You can expect an average of 90 days for the total experience—from the moment you start seriously house hunting to the day your loan is closed and funded.

There are certain things you can control: Knowing what you want out of a house and organizing your finances are aspects that you can have done and ready before you begin. The rest of the home buying process should move quickly once you have your responsibilities in check. Plus, our mortgage experts are fast and efficient, always working to get you to the closing table on time.

The Bottom Line

This fall, prepare yourself for homeownership the smart way with these helpful tips. Not quite ready? No problem. These fall home purchase tips can be applied to any season. Remember this: Home buying is a process that doesn’t come naturally to most people, but whenever you’re ready, we’re here to help.

The post 7 Tips for Purchasing a Home This Fall appeared first on Cardinal Financial.

In our hurried, tight-budget, Western culture, it’s only consequential that we rely on fast-food chains and microwave dinners to fuel our on-the-go lifestyles. However, there’s been a recent surge toward healthy eating—a modern trend that is generating all sorts of buzzwords: organic, all-natural, non-GMO, paleo, and gluten-free to name a few. Take a stroll through your nearest grocery store and you’ll see that “All Natural Food” now has its own aisle. But not only are consumers seeking to buy better food, they’re growing it themselves. We’re witnessing an intercontinental shift toward urban and community gardening, where people are now growing their own food.

If you’re like so many others who have taken to the trend, we advise you to take action in one small way that has a big impact on the quality of your garden’s produce: Test your soil.

Why Should I Test My Soil?

A healthy garden starts with healthy soil. Most people think dirt is dirt and that growing a plant should be as simple as planting a seed. But it’s not that simple. Soil testing is as essential as water and sunlight to grow edible fruits and vegetables. In fact, failure to test your garden’s soil prior to planting can result in severe health issues in those who eat its produce—especially in urban areas. It is a little-known fact that soil is a vehicle for all sorts of contaminants—arsenic, cadmium, and lead being chief. Others include barium, cadmium, copper, mercury, and zinc. Traces of these elements can enter into your garden’s soil due to contact with fertilizers and pesticides, runoff from treated lumber and lead paint, accidental chemical spills, and more.

“Decision-makers, scientists, businesses, and individual citizens generally accept and understand that air and water pollution can have negative impacts on human health, but the impacts of such soil pollution on our health have had a much lower profile, and are not so well understood.” —European Commission

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the aforementioned contaminants found in soil are known to affect digestive, nervous, and respiratory systems, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health, and so much more. Not surprisingly, these contaminants are considered or reasonably anticipated to be carcinogens or cancer-causing substances. These elements can usually be found in the top layers of a garden’s soil, clinging to the leaves of plants, and in the dust and air particles surrounding the soil. Human exposure can occur through breathing, skin contact, and ingestion.

Who Will Test My Garden’s Soil?

First, you need to know your resources. Amateur soil-testing kits can be found at your local hardware store but, considering the high risk involved, you may want to consider professional testing. Professional soil testing is the best way to ensure that your soil’s contaminant levels are accurately measured. Soil testing labs can be found all over the country and a basic Google search can point you toward labs near you. The cost to test varies based on factors such as the size of the soil sample you provide or the depth of your request. (The simplest test will tell you if your soil is clay, loam, or sandy. More intricate tests will measure every characteristic, up to and including pH levels.)

How Do I Take a Proper Sample?

Many different methods will provide adequate soil samples fit for testing, but we recommend the following procedure

1. Plan ahead

Soil testing is not an overnight process. Test results may take 4–6 weeks from the day you send them to the lab to come back to you. It’s best to sample in the fall before the ground freezes (depending on your region). This step ensures that, if soil results come back negative, you will have plenty of time to research alternatives or consider relocating your garden before planting season begins in the spring.

2. Contact the lab

Once you select a lab to which you’ll send your sample, visit its website and/or call to fully understand its testing process. Some labs require you to print and fill out an information sheet to send with your sample so you’ll need to obtain that before you begin.

3. Gather sampling utensils

In order to take a sufficient sample, you’ll need some necessary tools. We recommend using a small, stainless steel trowel or scoop; a plastic utility bucket; a large, plastic, resealable sandwich bag; a permanent marker; and a large mailing envelope.

4. Label your bag before you fill it

Using your permanent marker, label the plastic bag with your name, street address, email, and phone number so the lab knows how to contact you with the results. Some labs may request that you label your sample bag with a unique description, like “Vegetable Garden.” This helps you better identify the precise location of each sample if you plan to send samples from other areas of your land.

5. Dig and mix

Retrieve samples that are evenly-spaced throughout your garden. You don’t need more than 10 soil samples, however, the more samples you extract, the more accurate your results will be. Using your trowel, dig to roughly five inches deep—the primary zone for root growth. Extract about a handful of soil from each site, combine them all in your bucket, and mix the soil thoroughly.

6. Assemble and mail

Measure 1–3 cups of the soil mixture and place it in the plastic bag. Make sure you fill out the information sheet that will accompany your sample, if applicable. Print the testing lab’s address on the mailing envelope and mail it promptly.

How Do I Interpret the Results?

Trace elements in soil results are often measured in ppm (parts per million). It can be tricky determining whether the levels in your soil are acceptable or dangerous because such information is interpreted differently across persons. We recommend contacting the testing lab for help interpreting your results and determining whether your soil is safe for growing food.

Food for Thought

When it comes time to harvest, be sure to thoroughly wash your crops. This practice will ensure that your produce is clean and safe for eating. Try washing your fruits and vegetables with water and baking soda to safely lift and remove dirt, dust, and other impurities. Soil testing is essential to a safe and healthy garden. While some gardeners may find this process intimidating, the worst mistake you could make is to not soil test at all.

The post The One Critical Thing Home Gardeners Overlook appeared first on Cardinal Financial.