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Real Estate Corner: 10 Tips To Purchasing A New Home

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Real Estate Corner
By CARRIE MONTOYA-PEGG
10 Tips to Purchasing a New Home

Buying a new home is exciting and a big commitment, both emotionally and financially. These 10 steps of the home buying process can help you make the best decision possible so you can purchase with confidence:.

  • Step 1: Find a Mortgage Lender. Your mortgage lender can pre-qualify you for a mortgage and provide with the price range you should be looking at in your home search. A pre-qualification letter will be issued to you by your mortgage lender.
  • Step 2: Find the right Real Estate Professional. A Realtor ® can help you find
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Smart Design With Suzette: Wall Art

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Courtesy/Suzette Fox
 
Smart Design with Suzette
Wall Art
By SUZETTE FOX

Thomas Merton said, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” Indeed, as a society, we are moved by great pieces of art. But has anyone ever tried to hang it?

Have you heard, “Hang art so that the center of the piece or grouping is at eye level?” But eye level is different for everyone. It’s not like we are all the same size!

Hanging Height

There’s no real hard and fast rules about the height you should hang pictures on the wall, but there are some guidelines and starting places that are proven and useful. Read More

Real Estate Corner: 10 Tips To Get Your Home Ready For Sale

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Real Estate Corner
By CARRIE MONTOYA-PEGG
 
10 Tips to Get your Home Ready for Sale

Spring is nearly upon us and some of you have decided to sell your home. So now is the time for you to help potential buyers capture their vision of living in your home.

Take advantage of 10 tips that will help you put your “for sale” sign up sooner and get a better return on your investment.

The following tips will help make positive first impressions:

  1. Curb Appeal: The first impression of your home is when a potential buyer pulls into the driveway of your home. Your front and back yard should be free of weeds, trash, and

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Smart Design With Suzette: Front Door Curb Appeal

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Courtesy/Suzette Fox
 
Smart Design with Suzette 
By SUZETTE FOX
 
Front Door Curb Appeal

Whether you are selling your home or want a fresh look, your front door needs to be inviting. A buyer will judge whether they want to buy a home within 15 seconds of walking in the door. If the curb appeal doesn’t get them in the front door – your house will not sell and you’ll hurt your property value.

Taking on the entire curb appeal of your home including the lawn, landscaping and design could take up to a month or more to undertake. Adding pizzazz to your home’s front entrance is an easy, low-cost Read More

Smart Design With Suzette: Powder Rooms

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Smart Design with Suzette
Powder Rooms
By SUZETTE FOX

Thanks to its petite size – 4 by 5 feet on average – a powder room can be one of the least expensive rooms in the house to renovate.

Powder rooms are unique in the sense that they are not bound to any other room’s design. They are a great place to experiment with bolder colors, patterns and textures. Adding some fun and personality to the powder room can create an unexpected design surprise for guests.

 
 
Photo by Suzette Fox
 

Here’s how to remodel your powder room so you’re never afraid to say, “Yes!” Read More

Extension Service Welcomes Helen Idzorek

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Helen Idzorek

LAES News:

Helen Idzorek has been selected to the position of Los Alamos Extension Service(LAES) Home Economist for New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service.

She replaces Paula Roybal Sanchez, who retired last year after serving Extension for more than two decades. Roybal Sanchez was awarded emeritus status from NMSU in recognition of her outstanding service.

Idzorek comes to Los Alamos by way of Alaska where she worked for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service for nearly ten years. During that time she was a nutrition educator Read More

Smart Design With Suzette: Bookcases

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Courtesy photo

 
Smart Design with Suzette
Bookcases
By SUZETTE FOX

If you are like me, I absolutely love bookcases in a home. I dream of having a custom bookcase built around a fireplace or a library dedicated to relaxed reading.

Most people think they need to fill bookcases with only books, and as time progresses, they end up asking me for advice. More than one client has asked me to handle an out-of-control bookcase.

It’s really quite easy to declutter, organize and decorate your bookcase if you have a little bit of time and a step-by-step guide to help you. Here are my guidelines to do just that. Read More

Smart Design With Suzette: 2015 Color of the Year

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Smart Design with Suzette
2015 Color of the Year
By SUZETTE FOX

Pantone LLC, a subsidiary of X-Rite, announced Marsala, an earthy wine red, as the Color of the Year for 2015. X-Rite is a global leader in color science and technology.

What does this mean? This means you will see this hue everywhere, from the runways, to make up, to interior design.

 

Courtesy photo
 
“Marsala is a subtly seductive shade, one that draws us in to its embracing warmth,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of Pantone Color Institute. “Nurturing and fulfilling, Marsala is a natural fit for the kitchen
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Smart Design With Suzette: Trash To Treasure

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Smart Design with Suzette
Trash To Treasure
By SUZETTE FOX

Have you ever thought about updating some old furniture with a coat of paint or adding something new to an old piece? Until I became passionate about eco-design, it never occurred to me.

Recently, I ran across a pair of vintage mid-century modern chairs at a local thrift store. They struck me because they had great lines but were in such a sorry state. I HAD to rescue them. I purchased the pair for $20 and drove off with a big smile on my face. I was very excited about the thought of recovering them and saving them from the landfill. Yay!

Better yet, Read More

Smart Design with Suzette: Furniture Arrangement

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Smart Design with Suzette
Furniture Arrangement
By SUZETTE FOX

Furniture arrangement can be the simplest or the hardest thing to do depending on the size, shape and traffic flow of your room.

When you get this right, you will know it. The room will be welcoming and relaxing.

 

 

Courtesy/Pinterest

Start with an overview of your room. Look at the traffic flow and do not to place any furniture in its path. Next set your focal point. For a living room, it should be a fireplace, television or window. The bedroom should be the bed and the dining room should be the table, etc.

To help with placement Read More