By John Hall for Blue Mountain Town & Country Gazette
Welcome Readers, to our Easter, Real Estate and Home Improvement issue. We hope the early days of spring are pleasing you; perhaps your tulips have started blooming. Mine have and they always make me smile. After planting a couple hundred tulip bulbs in the fall, I’ve been checking on them daily to see how they’re coming.
In this issue our subject matter will range from Easter Peeps to mortgages. In terms of mortgages we will look at the different kinds that are available if you are a mortgage seeker, and if you’re nearing retirement age, we will give you scenarios to help you decide whether or not it’s advisable to pay off your mortgage before you leave the workforce.
By the way, did you know that our very own “Peeps,” produced by Bethlehem-based Just Born Candies, is a year-round candy that has its peak season at Easter? It’s true. We give you the origin story of Peeps and how they have evolved through the decades in “Peeps for Easter.”
We are also going to look at some disaster planning you should consider if you’re a homeowner. Many people think a natural disaster involving their own home is highly unlikely and to some extent, that’s true. But if you’ve spent any time listening to the news in the last twelve months, you are undoubtedly aware of the extreme weather events that have destroyed plenty of homes and upended lives. In “Disaster Planning for Your Home,” we give you planning tips on three kinds of weather events: floods, fire and high-wind events.
Now if you’re considering home renovation – major or minor – we have valuable information for you in “Tackling Home Renovations: Tips.” We give you tips on everything from where to find excellent pricing on materials and the value in maximizing your floorplan, to tax deductibility. In general, home renovations are not tax deductible, but believe it or not, there are renovations that might be. Find out more in this article.
Our final two articles pertain to mortgages. If you are a mortgage seeker, you will find out about the various types of mortgages out there, as well as some advice on how to choose your lender. Find out more in “Shopping for a Mortgage.” If you’re somewhat closer to retirement, you might be trying to figure out if it’s better to pay off the mortgage before you retire, or not. We explain reasons you might want to do it and reasons you might not want to do it in “Pay Off Mortgage Pre-Retirement?”
So that’s our issue! Thank you for picking up the Gazette this time around. We hope you will join us again to read our next issue when we turn our focus to Mother’s Day, camping for first-timers, and fitness. Have a Happy Easter and we will see you next time!
