By: Pat Curry Choosing the wrong type of paint finish could mean a do-over that costs twice as much.
There’s a basic rule of thumb to follow when choosing paint sheens: The higher the sheen, the higher the shine — and the higher the shine, the more durable it will be. Flat paint has no shine; high-gloss is all shine. In between are eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss, each with its own practical and decorative job to do. Here’s how to choose the right paint sheen for your painting job. High Gloss The most durable and easiest to clean of all paint sheens, high-gloss paint is hard, ultra-shiny, and light-reflecting. Think appliance-paint tough. High gloss is a good choice for area that sticky fingers touch — cabinets, trim, and doors. High-gloss, however, is too much shine for interior walls. And like a Spandex dress, high gloss shows every bump and roll, so don’t skimp on prep work.
Good for rooms where moisture, drips, and grease stains challenge walls. Also great for trim work that takes a lot of abuse.
Satin Has a yummy luster that, despite the name, is often described as velvety. It’s easy to clean, making it excellent for high-traffic areas. Its biggest flaw is it reveals application flaws, such as roller or brush strokes. Touch-ups later can be tricky.
Eggshell Between satin and flat on the sheen (and durability) scale is eggshell, so named because it’s essentially a flat (no-shine) finish with little luster, like a chicken’s egg. Eggshell covers wall imperfections well and is a great finish for gathering spaces that don’t get a lot of bumps and scuffs.
Flat or Matte A friend to walls that have something to hide, flat/matte soaks up, rather than reflects, light. It has the most pigment and will provide the most coverage, which translates to time and money savings. However, it’s tough to clean without taking paint off with the grime.
Tips For Choosing the Right Sheen If your paint color is dark and rich but you don’t want a super shiny effect, step down at least one level on the sheen scale. That’s because the darker and richer the paint color is, the more colorant it has, which boosts sheen. Ditto if you’re painting a large, sun-washed, or imperfect wall. The higher the sheen, the more defects will show. Adding sheen also adds to the cost, usually an extra dollar or two per gallon as you step up on the sheen scale. By: Leanne Potts Once you know where the mortgage loan problems are, you can easily get around them.
Mortgages don’t have to be scary. After all, they’re just business transactions, albeit big ones. Yet, a survey by mortgage website Freeandclear.com found that 75% of home loan applicants compared the mortgage loan process to an annual physical or a dentist visit. Yep, a credit check and a ton of paperwork scared them as much as flu shots, dental drills, and lectures on flossing. We asked for confidence-building advice from a couple of mortgage lenders: Manny Delgadillo, manager of the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Center in Los Angeles, and Evan Geiselhart, president of Midwest Home Trust Mortgage in Schaumburg, Ill. They described how to bypass some of the mortgage mistakes they’re seeing. #1 Communicate With All Parties This deal involves several people: you, the seller, your agent, the seller’s agent, and the lender. Keep everyone in the loop on every bit of information, or your closing could get delayed. Geiselhart tells of a home sale where the buyer and the seller had agreed on a credit, but neither had told their agents or the lender. That oversight meant the credit they had sealed with a handshake didn’t make it into the paperwork. And if something isn’t on paper, it’s not happening. “Be transparent about everything,” Geiselhart says. “There’s no such thing as too much communication.” #2 Have Enough Money to Pay Closing Costs Of course, you’ll need to pay closing costs — thousands of dollars for an appraisal, credit check, and title search. Closing costs are usually 2% to 5% of the amount you’re borrowing. If you don’t have enough money, there are a few ways to work around the problem.
Buyers may have placed a security freeze on their credit, which restricts access to their reports. This can prevent identity thieves from opening new accounts in their name, but can cause trouble when they’re applying for a mortgage. Head off problems as soon as you begin mortgage shopping. Log into your online accounts at the three credit reporting agencies and unfreeze your credit. If you forget your password or get locked out of your account, you’ll have to reset it by snail mail. “It can take 10 to 14 days to unfreeze your credit that way,” Delgadillo says. This delay could force a rescheduling of the closing. #4 Steer Clear of Big Purchases After Mortgage Pre-approval Your lender will check your credit twice: when you apply for the mortgage and days before you close on the house and get the keys. In the interim, if you buy a houseful of furniture, you could delay your close or even cause it to fall through. “We had a guy go out and buy a Mercedes a couple of days before closing,” Geiselhart says. “It was a real heart thumper at the last minute for my staff. We had to recheck to make sure he still qualified for the loan or if he was going to have to pay a higher interest rate.” Fortunately, he had enough money to cover the giant car payment and his mortgage payment, so the rate and the deal held. “But we had to do a lot of last-minute scrambling.” Even applying for a credit card or car loan can affect your mortgage rate. To get the information it needs, the lender will request your credit file from the credit bureaus. That results in a “hard inquiry” that shows up on your credit report and may affect your credit rating, according to Experian. Let’s say you had a 740 credit rating and you shopped for a car, Geiselhart says. “If three dealers pulled a credit report on you and those inquiries resulted in your score falling to 699, it could raise your rate at the last minute.” #5 Expand Your Employer’s Contact Information Many more people are now working from home, making it tougher for lenders to do routine employment verification. “We have to call their boss or their company’s HR department,” Delgadillo says. No one may immediately answer at the phone numbers borrowers provided. To prevent loan approval delays, Delgadillo suggests getting emails and home or cell phone numbers for your employer. #6 Ask Questions So Your Lender and Agent Can Help There are no dumb questions. Lenders and agents are there to help you, so pick their brains. For example, ask if they know of home loan programs to help you get into a home and how to access them. See about getting the seller to pay closing costs. Check on anything you don’t understand. “More people can get down payment and closing cost assistance now than ever before,” Delgadillo says. “There’s a lot of help out there to get into your first home, and interest rates are low. We want to help you get into a home. It’s why we’re here.” Taking these simple actions can keep your home loan application on track. And that means fewer hassles and less stress for you. |
AuthorJason Gelios is a Husband and Father. After that, a Top Producing REALTOR®, Author of the books 'Think like a REALTOR®' and 'Beating The Force Of Average', Creator of The AskJasonGelios Real Estate Show and Expert Media Contributor to media outlets across the country. Archives
November 2024
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