March Makeover-For-Your-Home Series: Make The Walls Of Your Home Outstanding!

Nothing brightens up a room more effectively than a new coat of paint. But sometimes it takes more than a coat of paint to make a wall stand out for the right reasons: an unattractive ding or damage to a wall will certainly get noticed, but for all the wrong reasons. If you have some walls that need a face lift, here are the tips that will do the trick:

Repair Walls to Give Rooms A Fresh Face

By: Jane Hoback
Originally Published: January 14, 2011

Sooner or later you’ll repair walls that make rooms look worn out. Erasing dings, dents, and scuffs is an easy fix. We’ll show you how.


Patch drywall to smooth walls
A putty knife, Spackle, or joint compound can repair wall damage that ages a room.

Dents and dings: A quart of Spackle ($11) and a putty knife can fill dozens of small wall indentations. Spackle adheres to painted walls better than joint compound, though it takes a bit longer to dry. Cut wall repair time by thoroughly wiping away excess Spackle.

Fist-sized holes: Joint compound is your best bet when covering the mesh or drywall patches that cover big holes. You’ll need at least two thin coats of compound and fine grit sandpaper to blend repairs into the rest of the wall.

Nail pops: Nail pops travel in packs: Rarely do you see just one. To repair walls pocked with pops, hammer the popped nail back into the wall or pull it out with a needle-nose pliers; refasten the drywall to the nearest stud with a couple of screws, then fill dents with two or three coats of joint compound. Sand until smooth and flush with the rest of the wall, then repaint.

Remove marks for a clean start
Microfiber cloths are little miracles that erase the evidence of a childhood well spent, drawing on and caroming off walls. To get rid of scuff marks and fingerprints:

• Spray an all-purpose cleaner onto the cloth (never directly onto walls to avoid drips) and swipe the scuff. (Test a hidden spot to make sure the cleaner doesn’t take off paint with the mark.)

• Pour a little dish soap onto a damp cloth and wipe the mark.

• Dip a sponge into an earth-friendly and slightly abrasive paste of dish soap, baking soda, and water, and gently scrub grime. 

• To repair walls decorated with crayon marks, dab toothpaste onto a towel or toothbrush and scrub marks.

• Use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser ($3), the best instant wall cleaner around. Wet and wring the eraser before attacking scuffs.

Touch up what you can’t wipe out
Prepare for inevitable touch-ups by keeping leftover paint or at least recording the paint number and/or formula (paint names change). Don’t have the original? Scrape off a little and ask your paint store to match it.

For touch-ups, use the same type of brush or roller the original painter used. Feather the paint from the outside borders in.

If touch-ups stand out, paint the entire wall, making sure to paint corner to corner and avoid splatters onto the ceiling and adjacent walls.

Here in Southeast Texas many walls have the added difficulty of being textured, and on some wall and ceiling repair jobs matching the technique of the texture is an obstacle. If you are readying your house for sale, your Texas realtor will be able to assist in identifying home repair specialists or painters capable of assisting with more extensive wall repair work. Also be sure to identify your home value for the current market. Once the walls are repaired, you will enjoy how flawless your home presents, and whether for sale or just for your own enjoyment, renewed walls makes for a renewed home!

Why Don't My Credit Scores Match?


By Jeff Mandel and Marlin Brandt

RISMEDIA, January 12, 2011—Perhaps your clients have truly realized that now is a great time to buy and they want to take advantage of some great home-buying opportunities before they disappear.

Interest rates are still low for people with excellent credit, so advise your clients to update their records and purchase a credit report from a reputable credit report provider.

However, while the score they saw was a 920, they score the lender pulls up is an 810—what happened?

What Happened?

First, you need to understand a little about credit scores. Your credit score is a three-digit number that helps lending institutions assess their risk associated with lending you money. Credit scores are used for home loans, auto loans, personal loans and credit cards.

However, it doesn’t end there. Your score may also be considered for non-lending purposes, such as new utility services, cell phone services, renting an apartment, a lease, auto insurance and even to assess your character as part of a new job background check.

People with lower credit scores may pay higher interest rates or may not be approved at all. Whereas, those with higher, less-risky credit scores often qualify for lower interest rates and special options. Credit scores are calculated based on computer “predictability” models. These models are designed to compare and analyze credit information and credit utilization patterns from your credit report against thousands of other consumers. The data is then evaluated using a complex mathematical algorithm that generates a credit score the moment a report is ordered.

There are literally trillions of score combinations used in the calculations. Most credit scores are calculated and provided individually by each credit bureau, including the three major ones in the U.S. , which are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Additionally, many lenders use third-party credit scoring systems, such as FICO, NextGen, CE Score and VantageScore. For consumers, the variations in scoring models and score ranges can create some confusion.


In 2006, the three major bureaus joined forces to create a single credit scoring system called the VantageScore. The VantageScore and FICO model lead the industry as competitive rivals in credit-scoring systems.

VantageScore provides a standardized universal mathematical formula to create a credit score from data found on reports from the three major bureaus. Your VantageScore may not be exactly the same if your lender only orders a credit report from one of the bureaus. This is because the data each bureau receives may be slightly different.

As an example, if your auto loan lender does not report your payment history to Equifax but does report it to Experian and TransUnion, it will create a difference in scores. In theory, the VantageScore should be more consistent across all three bureaus since the mathematical formula is the same.

Unlike FICOs traditional 300-850 credit score range, the VantageScore ranges from 501-990. There is no true way to compare the results of the VantageScore to a FICO score especially when the formulas are constantly changing. However, to put some perspective in place, a 650 FICO score approximately compares to a low, 800-range VantageScore.

Although the exact formulas and algorithms for calculating credit scores are closely guarded secrets, FICO and Vantage do provide general key characteristics that drive their credit scoring models. The one constant for both scoring systems is that paying your debts on time will typically be the primary factor that positively impacts your credit score.


Click here for the current local housing trends:

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Lauri Kent
Keller Williams Realty
2200 N FM 3083 W
Conroe , Texas 77304
281-703-5740 cell
936-447-6000 home
936-441-8001 fax
http://www.lakeconroerealtynow.com/
need a break, check our vacation rentals at:
www.vrbo.com/134046 & www.vrbo.com/246370

Are You A Home Buyer In Need Of Help With Credit Fitness?

Nowdays, since the mortgage crisis, lenders are so very careful to make sure the loans they give out are good and solid. The extra scrutiny they put on you, as you shop for a good lender, means that any blip you may have on your record can determine whether or not you can get one dime out of any institution. Equip yourself with credit fitness. Here is a great article that tackles this important homebuyer concern:

By Chris Kaucnik
Many home buyers now and into the foreseeable future will face tight lending standards and will need to improve their credit score to get prequalified or preapproved for mortgages. Be aware of the following steps your prospects can take for some speedy credit repair to gain lender approval and the best possible rates, especially if they are months away from a purchase:

Credit Card Wisdom

• Paying revolving credit cards down is generally more beneficial than, for example, paying down student loans, mortgage or auto loans.
• Always leave a 30% or higher gap between what you owe on the card and the card’s limit. Lenders look for this minimum gap.
• Use cards with care even if you pay off balances each month because depending upon statement dates, the lender may see big balances.
• Pay down the cards closest to their limits first for speedier credit repair. The lending bank will then see the “gap” it wants to see.
• Do not ask a creditor to lower credit limits. Generally, carrying smaller balances on several cards is better than one large balance on one card.
• Check your credit card limits to make sure the report is correct. Limits may not be reported on all cards.
• Never make a late payment on credit cards or any loan.

Protesting Items

• Protest any unjust negatives, such as late payments, collections that are not yours, and any items not reported as “paid as agreed,” if you paid on time and in full.
• Protest items listed as unpaid that were included in a bankruptcy, and items older than seven years (10 for bankruptcy).
• Focus first on the larger, newer negatives listed on the report.

It is important not to worry about smaller items like incorrect address information or an old employer listed as current. This is, of course, unless there is the possibility of identity theft or the file is mixed with someone else’s.

This is certainly not an all-inclusive list of the steps that can be taken to improve a credit score, but it is a great start for clients needing to focus on their scores before attempting to get preapproved and purchase a home through you.

Chris Kaucnik is marketing director for Home Warranty of America, Inc.

Also see more financial fitness wisdom on Lauri Kent's Financial Page.