If you want good neighbors, you’ll first have to become one yourself. Master these seven techniques, and even you (yes, you!) can win the approval of your entire neighborhood.

1. Good neighbors bring cookies

Whether you’re new in town or haven’t kept in touch, a delivery of freshly baked goods is a perfect way to break the ice and let neighbors know that you’re thinking of them.

If cookies can keep Santa returning year after year with a bag full of loot, then surely they can train your neighbors to do your bidding. Consider the following scenario.

“Honey, somebody’s robbing the neighbor’s house again.”
“Wait, Janet. The ones who brought cookies yesterday?”
“Exactly. This time I’ll call the cops.”

2. Good neighbors rarely gossip

If your neighbor seems to know the dirt on everyone within a two-block radius, you can count on them to keep tabs on your personal life as well.

The next time Nosy Nellie gleefully describes the contents of the Rickenbacker’s trash again, move the conversation along by refocusing the conversation on her. “So, what are you growing in your garden this year?”

You aren’t in high school anymore, so preserve relationships with your neighbors and avoid the gratuitous gab fests.

3. Good neighbors share phone numbers

For such a connected age, you should really question why you don’t have your neighbors’ phone numbers. After all, what if they receive your package by mistake? What if the house floods while you’re on vacation? Worse yet, what if you need a babysitter?

If you feel uncomfortable bringing it up, ask during one of your cookie deliveries (you are following rule number one, right?) or right before a trip. Jot down your name, number and email address on a piece of paper and ask if your neighbor is comfortable sharing theirs.

4. Good neighbors help before they’re asked

The neighbor who says, “Let me know if you need anything,” probably isn’t going to help whenever you actually need something. You, on the other hand, are a good neighbor and genuinely want to help out.

To get ahead of the meaningless small talk, anticipate their needs. If they have kids and you’re comfortable babysitting, tell them up front. If they’re clearly struggling to mow the lawn during a heat wave, ask for the best time to stop by with your lawnmower.

5. Good neighbors are tidy

Even if you lack self-respect, respect the sensitive tastes of others and clean up your act.

Keep the ironic lawn ornaments to a minimum. Keep trash receptacles hidden in the side yard, or better yet, the garage.

Whenever you’ve finished gardening or landscaping for the day, put away your tools and bags of unused mulch. Rake the leaves and clean up grass clippings and all the other stuff your dad used to bug you about.

And if it’s not too much trouble, pressure wash and paint your house periodically.

6. Good neighbors mow the lawn

An unkempt and weedy lawn is embarrassing for your neighbors, so it should be embarrassing for you as well. Keeping it mowed every week or two is a good start, but it will take more than that to win the approval of the locals.

Trim the edge of your lawn regularly, fertilize on schedule and keep weeds to a minimum. Keep your foundation plantings simple, neatly trimmed and topped off with mulch.

If your neighborhood allows it, go the no-lawn method by planting swaths of low-maintenance, drought-tolerant ground covers. Crucially, don’t overdo it on the sprinklers — especially when it’s raining.

7. Good neighbors communicate

That old “good fences make good neighbors” quote had to come up at some point, right? A good neighbor must respect boundaries. That said, they should also be crossed when the fences themselves start losing pickets and falling over in a storm.

Even if it’s technically their fence, you might not be happy with the shoddy workmanship and resentment that you’ll have to live with when they get around to fixing it themselves.

Address shared interests like fences, drainage ditches and troublesome trees ahead of time so that you can work out a plan that both parties can agree to.

Oh, and don’t forget to bring cookies.

Selling your home is a big decision that you don’t want to take lightly. When it comes to putting your home on the market, you don’t want to make a mistake that will end up costing you much more than you anticipated. And once you decide you want to sell your home, there are many things to think about before listing it, including the time of year (and time in your life) you choose to sell. Here’s what you should consider before selling your home, and whether or not there is a perfect time to do so.

Consider your personal finances

First thing’s first: you have to consider your own personal finances in any major homeowner decision you make, especially when it comes to buying or selling a home. This is highly important when trying to figure out if there is a perfect time to sell your home. While real estate trends can come and go, there may be a right and wrong time for you personally to sell your home. To figure this out, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I financially obligated to sell my home?
• Do I need to sell as soon as possible, or am I financially able to wait until the market is best?
• How much am I willing to invest into selling my home (can I afford to make home improvements, hire a real estate agent, etc.)?

Research the nation’s home sales trends

Many online resources like Zillow report home selling and buying trends. These can give you a better idea of the best time of year to sell your home. For example, Zillow reports that historically, Spring is the best season of the year to sell your home. Specifically, the first half of May is the time of year to maximize your return and minimize your home’s time on the market, according to Zillow. While this trend can help you decide when to list your home, it is important to remember that trends vary, and they are not a guarantee that your home will sell during that time. Home sales trends are simply another way you can determine the best time to sell your home, though you should not rely on just a trend to make such an important decision.

Research when homes in your neighborhood historically peak in sales

The homes in your region, state, city, or even neighborhood may peak during a specific season or month of the year. Research when homes in your area historically peak in sales and consider listing your home on the market during that time. Homes in your neighborhood may sell the most during a different time of year than the nation’s trends. For example, while Spring is the most common time of year for home sales to peak, you may live in a climate with mild weather year round, and home sales could peak in your neighborhood during a different month of the year than the nation’s average. It could be a good idea to sell your home when home sales in your area tend to peak so you have the best chance of selling your home for the price you are looking for.

What is the best choice for you and your family

If you are looking to sell a home that you and your family are currently living in, then the decision to sell will impact your family. Above all, you should consider what is most important to you and your family when determining when to sell your home. If you have children, you may want to list in the late spring and move out by the time your children are on summer break. If you are looking to sell your home because you are transferring jobs to a new area or state, consider how long you have before your work transfer. Keep in mind yourself, your significant other, and your family, because selling a home just as much a personal decision as it is a financial one.

Buying a home is probably a lot more manageable than you think. Somewhere along the line, these crazy misconceptions have crept into the home buying conversation and made the dream of home ownership seem less attainable.  

It’s time to set the record straight. Here are five common homebuyer misconceptions and the truth about each:

1. You need to save 20 percent for the down payment before you can buy a home.

There are several ways to buy a home without a 20 percent down payment!

FHA loans are the most popular option. They allow you to buy a home with as little as 3.5 percent down.  There are also zero percent down options for special cases, like military personnel (active or veteran) or rural properties. Simply contact a lender to discuss your options. You may be closer to home ownership than you think!

Quick side note: you should also understand that your down payment won’t be your only home buying expense. You’ll need money to pay for closing costs (typically 2-5 percent of the purchase price). And you should have a little money set aside to make any urgent renovations or necessary upgrades.

2. Now isn’t a good time to buy because interest rates are rising.

The interest rate on your mortgage is a significant factor in your monthly payment and in the total amount you pay over the term of your loan. Interest rates are on the rise, which means the cost of having a mortgage is increasing. Many buyers mistakenly think they missed the boat on low interest rates.  

But did you know interest rates are still historically low? When you look at interest rates by decade, you’ll see rates between 7-12 percent in the ’70s, over 18 percent in the ’80s, and 7-9 percent in the ’90s. Today’s rates are only around 5 percent!

Contrary to the misconception, now is the perfect time to buy, before rates get higher.

3. You need to wait for the perfect home.

There isn’t always going to the perfect home. When buyers look for the perfect home, they typically end up frustrated and disappointed.

Instead of worrying about everything you need to make it perfect, focus on your priorities. What aspects of a home are most important to you?    

Location is always a good aspect to focus on first. You can change almost anything else about a home through renovations, remodeling, or even rebuilding, but you can’t change the location.

4. You don’t need to be pre-approved for a mortgage loan?

For most people, the first step in the home buying process is getting pre-approved for a mortgage.  Pre-approval confirms that you’re financially ready to buy. A lender will look over your financial information and tell you how much money you’re qualified to borrow for a mortgage. That way you’ll know exactly what price range to stay in when you start your house hunt.

To get pre-approved, simply contact a local lender (you can even compare interest rates for multiple lenders online!).

5. You can save money by cutting out the real estate agent.

Did you know that buyers don’t pay their real estate agents? The sellers pay all real estate agent fees. So if you’re a buyer, there’s no reason not to hire a real estate agent to give you professional representation in this important investment transaction.

Real estate agents have the inside scoop on the market, they’re expert negotiators, and they can smoothly guide you through the process (and the paperwork).

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by hiring a real estate agent to represent you in buying your home.

Don’t let these common home buyer misconceptions delay your dream of home ownership! Qualifying for a loan and buying a home is within reach.

When it comes to real estate investing, is it better to buy-and-hold or fix-and-flip? The answer depends on your investment goals, your personal preferences, and your local market. Let’s looks at each strategy and figure out which is the better fit for you.

What is Buy-and-Hold?

Buy-and-hold is when you purchase an investment property for the long-term. Most investors start with a single-family home or small multi-family property (2-4 units).

You simply find a property where the rent will exceed all your expenses (as a general rule of thumb, investors like to see the monthly rent be more than 1% of the purchase price), then find reliable renters for the property.

The rents collected will pay down your mortgage debt, pay all your investment-related expenses (like taxes, insurance, and maintenance), and put money in your pocket every month for decades to come!

The Upside:

Buy-and-hold properties are relatively safe investments that provide monthly cash flows, tax benefits, and long-term appreciation.

And they are fairly low-maintenance. You can handle the management of the property yourself or, if you’re more interested in purely passive income, hire a property manager to handle everything for you.

The Downside:

It will take time to recoup your investment.

What is Fix-and-Flip?

With fix-and-flip investments investors want to get in and out of the deal as quickly as possible.

This is the “HGTV model” where you find a fixer-upper, complete the renovations in just a month or two, and immediately sell the newly-renovated property.

Many investors like to follow the 70% rule when evaluating properties as fix-and-flips. They like to see the purchase price around 70% of the projected After-Repair Value (ARV) minus the project expenses. (ARV x 70%) – expenses = ideal purchase price

So if you have a property you can sell for $300,000 after the renovation, and your expenses will be $50,000, you’d like to buy the property for $160,000 or less (300,000 x 70% = 210,000 – 50,000 = 160,000).

For most investors, this formula confirms that the property will turn enough of a profit to be worth their time and effort.

The Upside:

Fix-and-flip properties can provide quick returns. You could recoup your investment plus a hefty profit in a matter of months.

And, for the right investor, fix-and-flip properties are fun and rewarding work.

The Downside:

Fix-and-flip properties are labor-intensive. You’ll either invest a lot of time in renovating the property yourself, or you’ll invest time and money in managing contractors to provide the labor.

Inaccurate estimates and projections can cause your project to go over-budget. There’s even some risk of losing money on a deal if you can’t sell the home quickly.

The Bottom Line

If you want to be a hands-on investor, actively engaged in a renovation project, the fix-and-flip strategy may be a good fit for you. Just take the time to do your research: understand how much work will be required, learn the going rates for local labor and materials, and know your local real estate market. Fix-and-flips always work best in a hot market where home values are quickly rising.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more passive and with less risk, buy-and-hold might suit you better. Just be sure you’re comfortable tying up your money in the investment long-term and spend the time to carefully evaluate the available properties and thoroughly screen potential tenants.  

Choose the real estate investment strategy that best fits your goals and personal preferences. Will you buy-and-hold or fix-and-flip?

Home and appliance upgrades can lighten your wallet. However, in the long run, you can actually pad your wallet with money you save by investing in certain upgrades.

Not all home upgrades are created equal in terms of saving money. Explore some of the smartest home upgrades you can invest your money in to save some green.

Smart Thermostat

Programmable thermostats electronically control the temperature and heating system in your house. Smart thermostats make it easy to stay energy efficient and properly control the temperature in your home.

These thermostats make your home more energy efficient and will significantly reduce the energy you use on heating and cooling your home.

While some of these thermostats can start as high as $500, you’ll easily make this and more back in the long term. Smart thermostats can save you almost $150 per year. In Canada, studies show up to almost $100 savings per year.

Upgraded Dishwasher

Older models of dishwashers are extremely inefficient. They can use up to 10 gallons of water per cycle, which may make your utility bills skyrocket. Newer models of dishwashers can run cycles with half that amount of water to save you money on your utilities.

Compared to non-certified dishwashers, Energy Star certified dishwashers save 30% more water and are 12% more energy efficient. A new dishwasher can be pricey, but the energy (and money) you’ll save with a new model will pay off.

Ceiling Fans

With summer approaching, most people are getting ready to shut the windows, crank up the air conditioner, and bliss out while eating popsicles.

However, blasting your air conditioner all summer is a surefire way to have ridiculously high bills and use up a ton of energy. Supplementing air conditioner use with ceiling and house fans will reduce the amount of energy you use when using an air conditioner by itself.

Fans work to reduce the temperature in your home using less energy than an AC system. Certain days and nights may be bearable with fans alone, allowing you to turn off your AC.

Buying and installing ceiling fans can cost anywhere from $300-$400 dollars. But, they will likely reduce your energy bills and save you money each year, quickly making up for your initial investment.

Solar Panels

Solar energy is only becoming more popular with over 1.3 million solar installations in the U.S in 2016, a number which doubled since 2015. In Canada, solar isn’t as popular as other renewable fuel options but, the number of panels are growing significantly, specifically in Ontario.

Solar panel installation will save you on energy bills by converting the sun’s rays into usable energy.

Not only will your energy bills be reduced with the addition of solar panels to your home, but you can also get some tax credits and rebates if you’re a U.S resident. These credits can amount to thousands of dollars that will go right in your pocket.

Overall, the lifetime savings you’ll get from solar panels can range from $10,000 to approximately $45,000 depending on where you’re living. That doesn’t include the fact that solar panels can add an estimated $15,000 to the value of your home in both the U.S and Canada.