Q: I’m thinking of putting my home on the market and need to know its square footage. How do I calculate my home’s square footage?

A: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) offers these suggestions for measuring your home’s square footage:

• Always start by measuring the outside of the house. Begin measuring from any corner and work your way around the house. Move counter-clockwise so the numbers on your tape will be right-side-up.
• Measure from the exterior face of the walls. Include any features that are on the same level as the floor, such as chimneys and bay windows.
• If there are stairs, include them on every level they serve.
• When there are openings to the floor below, subtract the opening from that level.
• For split-level designs, measure each level. You can add multiple floor surfaces into one level if they are within two feet of each other.
• Exclude any areas, such as porches and converted garages, that are not finished or heated the same as the rest of the house.

However, most houses are not perfectly square, and because regulations may vary from one region to another, it’s best to consult a professional appraiser for a truly accurate measurement of your home.

If you are ready to buy or sell a home in the Lodi or Stockton, CA areas, I am here to help. Let me guide you through this complicated process. Call me today.

I bet I got you really excited and thinking, “how can I get ME some tacos delivered?” right?

As crazy as this all sounds it either may be something really happening, thanks to TacoCopter, but if the FAA has anything to do about it…uh, no way!  Strict laws and guidelines would pretty much prevent anything like this ever coming into real existence, but getting your favorite foods delivered to you on the beach, while on a hike, or just dropping in on you in your own backyard would be wildly crazy and make you want to go on more hikes in the wilderness.  Well, maybe not so much in the wilderness, but maybe more walks to the park to have a picnic meet you there.  LOL

Here is some more info about this concept…CLICK HERE.

Tell me what you think about this idea.  Would you ever use it if it was available?  Do you think it has a chance to “get off the ground”? I’d love to read your opinions on this!

I hope your weather is as great as it is here where I am in the Lodi / Stockton area.  It’s amazing outside right now and with home prices SO LOW and interests still at their lowest, it’s great weather to be out looking for that new address to put on your return mailing labels. ( That is if you even still use mailing labels.)

Have a wonderful day, and enjoy your tacos!

At Realty World Premier Associates, we take GREAT PRIDE in assisting our clients in every way we can.  If you’d like to know what your credit score is or whether or not you can qualify for a mortgage loan to purchase a home, then contact me directly and I’ll match you to an amazing local lender at NO CHARGE to you.

Happy Easter weekend!

Related articles

• Understanding Your Credit Score (loans.org)
• What Information Goes Into My Credit Report (And How Can I Improve My Score?) (myinvestingblog.com)

What you do, or don’t do, to a property that you purchase can mean the difference in making a nice profit from a quick sale, or losing money while your investment property just sits and sits with no interest buyers.

This is a video that’s only about 11 minutes short, and it’s from the popular A&E network’s Flip This House crew.  You’re gonna love the great layout and design tips in this video for sure!

CLICK LINK to view this great video!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkGbTHdvwgs

Max was referred to me from a local lender that knew I’d work really hard to find him just what he was looking for in a home for his family.  And boy did I!  This home was recently remodeled throughout and Max and his family fell in love with it.

I was able to negotiate a great price on this home for Max and he’ll also be getting a brand new heater, A/C, and all new ductwork as well thanks to a fantastic energy efficient mortgage program that we got Max hooked up with.  Come this summer, Max will be even cooler than he is now!  :-)

Congratulations Max!

It was truly a pleasure working with you and your family, Max!  I look forward to visiting you once you’re all moved in, unless you need help and you know you can count on me to assist with that too!

Some tv shows really had an impact on my life, or at a minimum were a big influence on me. When I was a kid I really loved watching shows like The Andy Griffith Show, Leave It to Beaver, Dick Van Dyke, I Love Lucy, etc. I still love sitcoms to this day, and I’d like to think that I’m a better person because of things that I learned about parenting, friendships, trust, and respect from watching those older shows.

I’d have to admit that I even learned a lot from my childhood tv hero…BATMAN! He fought for justice, was always honest, and he looked out for the “little guy”.

Many tv shows over the last few decades have really made a difference in how newer tv shows today are even created, directed and produced.

One of my favorite night-time dramas years ago was Hill Street Blues.   I was always surprised that it didn’t do well in the ratings because it was a really good show.

Here is a link to a story on CNN.com where a study was conducted to list the most influential tv shows of all time.  See if your favorites are on the list, and which ones didn’t make it.  I think you’ll be surprised by many of them.  Just for fun, try making your list before viewing the article.

Remember, it’s not “favorite” shows; it’s for the “most influential”.  There’s a BIG difference.  I know this because BATMAN didn’t make the list.  LOL!

I’d love to hear about your favorite shows and how you think they may have impacted you in some way.

We sometimes take for granted the little things in life, like a beautiful smile on someone’s face, or a baby’s laugh,

the rolling clouds in the sky, or literally everything that we can see, hear, touch, or smell.  What an amazing gift to have any or better yet, ALL of these senses.

I urge you to watch this video and to cherish all you can think of no matter how large or small you might consider it to be.  It is all relative to the life you live.

One of my resolutions this year will be to laugh, smile and enjoy life more than I have in the past.  I hope that you will consider to do the same.  ;-)

Happy New Year, and welcome to your BEST YEAR EVER!

I wish you all a very healthy and prosperous new year!

Randy

Click on video to watch now…

We had several families bring in their children, and for some this was their child’s 1st Christmas. That made it even more special for all of us.  One couple brought in their 4 month old twin girls.  They were SO adorable!

I even got a chance to take the opportunity and sit with Santa and tell him how good I was this year and let him know what I’d like for Christmas.  I hope, I hope, I hope he brings it to me!  ;-)

I want to thank everyone that came by our office today with their children and especially thank you for bringing your gifts to help out with the Marine’s Toys for Tots.

Thank you also to everyone that allowed me to assist them with their real estate sales and purchases.  I really appreciate your trust and support!

Ingredients:

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Prepare pie crust by mixing together the flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour, add 1 tablespoon water to mixture at a time. Mix dough and repeat until dough is moist enough to hold together.
3. With lightly floured hands shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured board roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. With a sharp knife, cut dough 1 1/2 inch larger than the upside down 8 to 9 inch pie pan. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it right side up on to the pie pan. Unroll, ease dough into the bottom of the pie pan.
4. In a large bowl with mixer speed on medium, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Pour into a prepared crust. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.

FOOTNOTE: To Prepare the Mashed Pumpkin:

Use 1 1/2 pounds of skin-on, raw pumpkin to yield 2 cups of mashed. Halve pumpkin and scoop out seeds and stringy portions. Cut

Image via Wikipedia

pumpkin into chunks. In saucepan over medium heat, in 1 inch of boiling water heat the pumpkin to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool and remove the peel. Return pumpkin to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher.

Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Although that sounds like an incredibly HIGH number of delinquent mortgages, that total is actually less than the previous months.

At the beginning of this year, there were 6,870,000 delinquent mortgages.  Compare that to the beginning of 2010 that showed 8,118,000 and you can clearly see how there’s been a major decline in the total numbers of past due mortgages.

CLICK HERE for more info on this story.

Does all this mean that we’re nearing the end of the housing problems?  I wouldn’t go so far as to say that, but I feel it’s definitely showing that we’re heading in the right direction.  And although it may confirm that we’re heading the right direction, it’s kind of like we’re on a cross-country journey and we still have a long road ahead of us.  Hopefully the trek will be less cluttered with road blocks the further we get.