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Map shows options for people hoping for permits to cut down their own Colorado Christmas tree

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A memorable experience, cutting a holiday tree is a special tradition to share with family and friends while helping to maintain a healthy forest.

For many families, venturing into the forest to cut a Christmas tree for the holidays is a treasured tradition carried on for generations, while others may just be discovering the thrill of searching for the perfect holiday centerpiece.

For every tree that is found, cut and carried home as a holiday fixture, you’re also contributing to the overall forest health. Christmas tree permits are a unique opportunity for citizens to help thin densely populated stands of small-diameter trees – the perfect size for a Christmas tree.

People who are interested in cutting down their own Christmas trees in the wild this year in Colorado can do so by purchasing a permit at recreation.gov/tree-permits. The website allows you to view maps of cutting areas and learn more about the types of trees that can be cut.

The website also offers safety tips.

The tree cutting process contributes to the overall forest health by helping to "thin densely populated stands of small-diameter trees."

Read more at CBSNews.com and Recreation.gov

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How Many Square Feet Is My House? How to Calculate Square Feet of a House

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If you’re selling or looking to buy, one concept that’s crucial to understand is how to calculate the square feet of a house.

Having to do a square footage calculation may be giving you panicked thoughts about being late to homeroom, but there’s a huge difference between a home that’s 400 square feet and one that’s 4,000, and not just in terms of how much space you’ve got to stretch your legs.

A home’s square footage is a crucial element in determining the price of a home you’re trying to buy or sell, how much you’ll pay in taxes if you live there, and what kinds of renovations are possible in your future. Plus, a home’s square footage can be surprisingly subjective. So, if you’re asking yourself, “how to calculate square feet of a house?” here’s what you need to know.

Since most people don’t have a square foot calculator in their back pocket, here’s what you need to know to ace any square footage calculations that crop up in your future.

How to calculate square feet of a room

You probably know how to calculate the square footage of a simple room without any funny shapes. Just break out your measuring tape—or a laser measure—to get its length and width. Multiply the width by the length and voila! You have the square footage. Say a room is 20 feet wide by 13 feet long, then 20 x 13 = 260 square feet.

 
 

How to calculate square feet of a house

While measuring a single room is no big deal, people get kind of intimidated when it comes to calculating the square footage of an entire home. While homes can initially seem “daunting to measure, they’re just a collection of small boxes,” says Mario Mazzamuto of SF Bay Appraisal. Don’t sweat it if a room has an outcropping. Simply break that area down into a smaller box, and measure each box individually. Add up each box’s square footage to get the room’s total area. So if your living room, bedroom, bathroom, and hallway are  500, 400, 200, and 100 square feet respectively, that means the total is 500 + 400 + 200 + 100 = 1,200 square feet total.

 
 

If you have a round kitchen and a triangular rumpus room, fear not. Just check out vCalc’s handy calculator that will tell you how to calculate square feet no matter what polygon’s thrown your way. Once you choose a shape, the calculator will prompt you for the measurements needed to compute square footage.

How many square feet is my house? Take the square foot calculation with a grain of salt

Now that you know how to calculate the square footage of a home, it’s time to bust your bubble with a big caveat: A square footage calculation is surprisingly subjective based on who’s doing the measuring. For instance, you measured the actual, livable square footage between the interior walls. But many architects use their own square foot calculation method, measuring the square footage from the exterior walls.

This explains why there are often discrepancies between your square foot calculations and those of a real estate agent, builder, or other sources. (looking for an agent? Here’s where to find a real estate agent in your area.)

“Many MLS services require a listing’s square footage to come from a specific source,” says Realtor.com. So while you can make your own estimate, you may need to hire a certain professional to come up with a number that can be used on your listing; check with your Realtor or town’s building department to determine who that is.

As a general rule, “the square footage extends through the Sheetrock and framing to the exterior of the wall,” says Mazzamuto. Generally, to do the same for your measurements, add 6 inches per measurement, he says.

Read more at Realtor.com

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Mortgage Rates Fall to 6.78% Amid Postelection ‘Rate Volatility’

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Mortgage rates ticked down from 6.79% last week to 6.78% for a 30-year fixed home loan for the week ending Nov. 14, according to Freddie Mac.

“After a six-week climb, rates have leveled off, but overall affordability continues to be an issue for potential homebuyers,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

The downturn can be traced to the presidential election, which dominated headlines last week and sent the stock market into overdrive.

“The coming months could bring more mortgage rate volatility as reactions to the election and its implications move through the market,” says Hannah Jones, Realtor.com® senior economic research analyst.

As Americans brace themselves for what could be a wild economic ride as 2024 winds down, here’s a snapshot of the latest housing market data and what it means for homebuyers and sellers.

 
 

Mortgage rates expected to climb higher

Once the elections were in the rearview mirror, all economic eyes turned to the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee, which met last Thursday.

The Fed cut the Federal Funds rate (the interest rate banks charge each other for short-term loans) by 25 basis points, to 4.5% from 4.75%.

While the Fed doesn’t set mortgage rates, Fed rates and mortgage rates tend to move in the same direction, which helps explain why mortgage rates sank this week. However, “the Freddie Mac rate for a 30-year mortgage continued to remain higher than many initially expected,” explains Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu.

This “recent upward trajectory of mortgage rates could largely discourage sellers from listing their homes,” says Jones—especially given that roughly 84% of outstanding mortgages have a rate of 6% or lower.

And mortgage rates are expected to go even higher “as a result of postelection Treasury yields,” adds Jones.

Even so, the Realtor.com economic team continues to hold out hope that the largely frozen real estate market might begin to thaw.

“Despite still-high rates, a recent read on homebuyer and seller sentiment showed relatively rosy expectations,” says Jones.

About 64% of sellers consider now a good time to sell, and just 22% of respondents expect mortgage rates to climb.

“Only time will tell whether the market will reflect this optimism,” says Jones.

Median home prices fall slightly

Mortgage rates continue to seesaw while home prices remain flat, falling just 0.2% for the week ending Nov. 9 compared with the same week last year. (Listing prices hit a median of $424,950 nationwide in October.)

This is the 24th week in a row that the median list price was less than or equal to the same week of 2023.

However, when a change in the inventory mix toward smaller homes is accounted for, the median listing price per square foot increased by 1.7% the week ending Nov. 9 compared with the same week a year prior.

“The housing market has remained largely unaffordable to many would-be buyers over the last year,” says Jones.

Despite this, buyers have a glimmer of hope, with “nearly 20% of listings offering price cuts,” according to Xu.

Housing stock continues to rise

Fresh listings are always a boon for buyers, yet they rose by only 1.7% for the week ending Nov. 9 compared with a year ago.

Overall housing stock is also up, with 26.1% more homes for sale for the week ending Nov. 9 than the previous year. This marks 53 weeks with a higher number of homes listed for sale compared with the year before.

Even so, this week’s uptick in housing stock was lower than last week’s, marking the seventh week of slowing momentum and the lowest annual change since late March.

“Slowing listing activity and stifled buyer demand has resulted in slowing inventory growth,” explains Jones.

Nevertheless, if mortgage rates decrease, it could boost buyer demand, which could eat into the recent buildup of housing stock.

Homebuyers are slow to act

Buyers might have taken a break from their house hunt last week to focus on the election—and the economic fallout—as homes spent nine more days on the market for the week ending Nov. 9 year over year. (In October, homes spent a median of 58 days on the market.)

“Generally, buyers have been holding off, waiting for more affordable housing conditions,” says Jones.

The recent bounce-back in mortgage rates that had been edging closer to 6% might be disappointing for homebuyers hoping for a year-end dip.

However, they can benefit from other buyer-friendly market trends, such as “the highest inventory since December 2019 and the slowest seasonal market in five years,” says Xu.

Read more at Realtor.com

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Pre-holiday checklist: 27 things to do to prepare your home before you go away

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Preparing your home before a holiday is a considerably less enticing task than planning your trip and packing your bags.

But ensuring your home is safe, maintaining cleanliness and implementing some energy-saving precautions are all essential tasks.

The kitchen often calls for the most thorough preparation, with food preservation, hygiene and electrical hazards all important considerations.

There is, of course, the question of what to do with your curtains and lighting (which we answer below,) as well as some things you may not have considered such as emptying a coffee machine, putting out air fresheners and opening wardrobe doors.

Below, we have created a comprehensive checklist of essential pre-holiday tasks for every room in your home.

What to do throughout the home

  • Put out new air fresheners or pot pourri. Your home can become quite stale over the course of a week or two, especially if all your windows are shut. Air fresheners will help to diffuse pleasant smells for your return.

  • Put lamps on a timer. "If you have an automatic timer on your lights, set it to turn on and off in the evenings at pre-programmed times. Or, make use of external security lights which will warn off potential intruders and give the impression of someone being at home," says Lizzie Beesley, kitchen specialist from Magnet.

  • Use a dehumidifier. Without sufficient air circulation, your home is susceptible to mold growth. A dehumidifier can be put on an automatic timer for a few hours every day.

  • Reset heaters and thermostats. If your heating comes on automatically, remember to reset the thermostat so you're not wasting energy.

  • Turn off the water at the mains. "Water leaks are one of the most common domestic disasters holidaymakers return home to. They’ll cause considerable damage and expense if left unattended, so remember to turn off your water supply at the mains," says Lizzie. "The stopcock is usually located in the cupboard under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe comes into your home."

  • Pause regular deliveries. If you have any subscriptions, or automatic deliveries from Amazon for instance, remember to pause them so you don't have a pile of boxes drawing attention to your front door.

  • Consider smart technology. Many appliances – including all lighting and even your blinds – can be controlled remotely from your smartphone. In the same vein, you can receive a live stream from security cameras.

  • Prepare your indoor plants. Move your plants away from the windows so they aren't overexposed to heat, but keep them in sunlight. Water generously before you leave – still allowing excess water to drain fully so they aren't sitting in water. Or use some Hydrospikes that stick into your plant's soil and keep them hydrated.

  • Call on friends and family. Having someone pop into your home to open or close curtains, turn on different lights and leave a car in your driveway is always the best option when you're away.

  • Set up automated payments. Returning home to unpaid bills and a few reminders is not the ideal welcome. Automate your payments, or settle everything beforehand.

How to prepare your kitchen

  • What to switch off: Ovens, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, kettles, coffee machines, toasters and other countertop gadgets in your home should be switched off before departure.

  • What not to switch off: Never unplug the fridge or freezer, and only turn off the boiler during winter months to prevent your pipes from freezing.

  • Take out the bins. Rubbish and recycling left out can attract pests and leave an unpleasant odour.

  • Clean out the fridge. Any food likely to spoil can spread mould, even when it's kept in the fridge, so freeze anything that can't be eaten and clean your fridge thoroughly.

  • Empty fruit bowls. A lot of fruit can be left for up to a week without spoiling, but do remember that any fruit left out is susceptible to fruit flies.

  • Don't forge the coffee machine. Wet coffee grounds left in your machine are the perfect breeding ground for mould, so don't forget to add them to your cleaning list. "Coffee machines are a staple in many of our kitchens nowadays and since coffee grounds are tucked away within the machine, it’s easy to overlook clearing them out amongst all your holiday prep," says Lizzie. "It’s a simple step to miss, but take the time to clean to do so!"

  • Prepare the dishwasher. Run a cycle and leave the dishwasher door open slightly to let excess water evaporate.

  • Clean the kitchen sink. Drains can start to smell due to a build up of food residue and stagnant water so thoroughly clean your sink and drain before departure.

  • Seal dry food. As your doors and windows will be shut for a prolonged period of time your kitchen is likely to become hotter than usual. Remember that heat affects the quality of food, so seal up any boxed goods like cereal, pasta or rice or pop them in Tupperware.

Things to remember in the bedroom

  • Change your sheets. It's so much nicer to return home to fresh bedlinen.

  • Leave wardrobe doors open. Bedrooms can become humid in the summer months, which can lead to the spread of mould. Leave doors and wardrobes open for better ventilation.

  • Don't forget curtains. Drawing blinds during the day is a bit of a giveaway that the home is unoccupied. "Leave them slightly open to give the impression that someone is in, but not enough for people to peer directly in," says Lizzie.

  • Rotate your mattress. If you have a two-sided mattress, this is a great time to flip it, or otherwise rotate top to bottom.

How to prepare a garden

  • Remove anything flimsy. Look for items in your front garden that could blow over in a gust of winds – something that falls over and remains so for a number of weeks could be a giveaway that no one is home.

  • Clean up your rubbish and recycling bins. Leaving anything in outdoor bins can attract pests and create an unpleasant odour, especially in summer months.

  • Mow your garden. An overgrown front lawn can be a telltale sign that you are away, so mow your front garden and water your plants to create the impression of a regularly maintained garden.

  • Put your car away. Park your car in your garage, even if it is just to protect it from the elements. And ensure there is no left over food or drink in holders or in the back seat that could go off.

Read more at CountryLiving.com

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Should You Sell Your House or Rent It Out?

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When you’re ready to move, figuring out what to do with your house is a big decision.

And today, more homeowners are considering renting their home instead of selling it.

Recent data from Zillow shows about two-thirds (66%) of sellers thought about renting their home before listing, with nearly a third (28%) taking that possibility seriously. Compared to 2021, when fewer than half (47%) of homeowners considered renting before selling, it’s clear this trend is on the rise.

So, should you sell your house and use the money toward your next home or keep it as a rental to build long-term wealth? Let’s walk through some important questions to help you determine the right path for your financial and lifestyle goals.   

Is Your House a Good Fit for Renting?

Before you decide what to do, it’s important to think about if it would make a good rental in the first place. For instance, if you’re moving far away, managing ongoing maintenance could become a major hassle. Other factors to consider are if your neighborhood is ideal for rentals and if your house needs significant repairs before it’s ready for tenants.

If any of these situations sound familiar, selling might be a more practical choice.

Are You Ready for the Realities of Being a Landlord?

Managing a rental property involves more than collecting monthly rent. It’s a commitment that can be time-consuming and challenging.

For example, you may get maintenance calls at all hours of the day or discover damage that needs to be repaired before a new tenant moves in. There’s also the risk of tenants missing payments or breaking their lease, which can add unexpected stress and financial strain. As Redfin notes:

“Landlords have to fix things like broken pipes, defunct HVAC systems, and structural damage, among other essential repairs. If you don’t have a few thousand dollars on hand to take care of these repairs, you could end up in a bind.”

Do You Understand the Costs?

If you’re considering renting primarily for passive income, remember, there are additional costs you should anticipate. As an article from Bankrate explains:

Mortgage and Property Taxes: You still need to pay these expenses, even if the rent doesn’t cover all of it.

Insurance: Landlord insurance typically costs about 25% more than regular home insurance, and it’s necessary to cover damages and injuries.

Maintenance and Repairs: Plan to spend at least 1% of the home’s value annually, more if the house is older.

Finding a Tenant: This involves advertising costs and potentially paying for background checks.

Vacancies: If the property sits empty between tenants, you’ll lose rental income and have to cover the cost of the mortgage until you find a new tenant.

Management and HOA Fees: A property manager can ease the burden, but typically charges about 10% of the rent. HOA fees are an additional cost too, if applicable.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up, selling or renting out your home is a personal decision. Make sure to weigh the pros and cons carefully and consult with professionals so you feel supported and informed as you make your decision. A real estate agent can be a great person to go to for advice.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

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