All Forum Posts by: Kaci Hunter

I had a friend who always looked put together from head to toe. One day I complimented her outfit. She said, "thanks, my husband bought it for me." I was a tad surprised (considering my two sons think you can wear two different reds together and you're matching). I asked how her husband knew what to buy her. She said that he'd walk in the store, and just look what was on the manequin.  He'd tell the sales person his wife's size, and then purchase the outfit. Kept it simple. Pretty genius. 

Check the school ratings. 

And may sound funny, but check how many coffee shops, including Starbucks, are in the area. They've already vetted the neighborhoods to see if they can be successful. Nothing says I have money to throw away like spending money on overpriced coffee. 

Everyone here suggesting a good realtor is giving you the best advice.  So last month, my realtor sent me a property well below market value in a great location and I got excited. And then she sent the inspection report that had already been done (given by the seller). From the pictures, it mostly seemed like cosmetic easy fixes (roof, garage door, painting, flooring, etc.)  However, the inspection report revealed so many things that I didn't see. It didn't stop me from making an offer, I just made it a lot lower than I initially thought I would. A good realtor will help you get the info you needa, analyze the deal, and make an offer that's right for you.

Depends on the situation:

We've had two times when we called the home warranty company out to the rental. 

One was for the water heater, which they ended up needing to replace, so as the landlord, I paid that one.

The other time, the disposal in the sink wasn't working. After servicing it, they discovered a beer bottle cap to have been the culprit. Tenants paid. 

While I agree that there's questionable advice on here at times, I'd agree with @Mordy Chaimovitz that we get more value by explaining why we would do things differently. I'd be just as leery of a thumbs down button. I'd want to know why...and some people are just negative and always think their way is the only way.  I enjoy reading the different point of veiws and then discerning what information is best for my scenarios.

I've listened to many podcasts, and I've even heard contradicting advice from one interview to another. I think different markets may require different perspectives. Someone may love section 8 housing, and others may say run! Some states are landlord friendly and others are not. Some people advise you to use points to buy down rates and another person may say keep the cash to renovate and add value. Really depends on your goals and situations. 

Paul and Ricky made great suggestions. Do you have time or money?  And estate sales are great for quality pieces and even purchasing whole rooms all at once. You already know how everything fits/works together.

Also consider how you'd like to pay for your furniture as this will determine where you purchase. Cash? Credit? Cash and credit?

Beware of Ikea for furniture (decor and kitchen wares are fine).  My daughter was gifted one of their dressers from an aunt. The "dresser" came in 3 different boxes, all boards of various sizes. Not one thing was assembled. Not the drawers, not the sides, nothing! Her boyfriend eventually got it all put together a couple of weeks later. :) On the other hand, we found two inexpensive, solid wood nightstands on Facebook marketplace. It took her about a 10 min. drive across town. 

I'll be happy to help with this. 

We have a cabin on our ranch that we've made more rustic. We took old barn wood and put that above each window since there was no molding around the windows.  We decorated with antlers and cactus. We have an entertainment center made of old barn wood and tin. 

You could go to Wayfair, or any other home decor site, and type in "rustic" in the search. You should find some crown molding, desert landscape wallpaper, wildlife pictures, bedding, rugs, and picture frames.  

Search Facebook marketplace for rustic as well. 

A teacher friend of mine didn't want to go back to college either and pursued the online route. I asked her to help me redesign and decorate my kitchen and dining room. So we went to stores together, she made me some design boards to look at, and sent me online links.  In return, she's getting practice and pictures to post to her social media.  And of course I will give her a 5 star reveiw and customer referrals. 

I feel interior design is something that you are naturally gifted with and the online courses will just help you fine tune what you're already inclined to see. Every designer has their own style, so there's a lot of self discovery and finding your niche. That doesn't come from a college degree.

Best of luck pursuing your talents!