| Are you a first time buyer who wants to | | | | boxes under the windows and paint them |
| buy a castle, but can only afford a | | | | to match the shutters. Grow plants in |
| drawbridge? When your real estate agent | | | | the window box that will still bloom in |
| takes you to see tiny houses that you | | | | winter, like silver ferns or |
| can only just afford, do you say that | | | | yellow-leafed evergreen and make sure |
| it's too much like the one that your | | | | you have an ivy trailing down from each |
| great-grandpa lived in? | | | | box. |
| Then, do you go all glassy-eyed and | | | | When you have finished painting it all |
| point to the two-story custom built home | | | | up and are ready to sell it, plant |
| with the double garage across the road | | | | pansies in the boxes. A little old baby |
| and look wistfully at the hot tub? | | | | boomer couple will fall in love with it |
| Yes, well......Remember when you passed | | | | and they only wanted two bedrooms |
| your driving test and you saved up to | | | | anyway! (Baby boomers reach 65 and start |
| buy your first car? You wanted a | | | | to retire in 2011.) |
| candy-apple red Corvette that was a | | | | If you want to make even more profit and |
| standard with black leather seats. | | | | you are handy with an electric saw, you |
| However, you settled for a beaten up | | | | could build a garage or order a modular |
| old Volkswagen that needed a paint job | | | | kit and make one. There are many |
| AND it was an automatic. Are you still | | | | inexpensive ways to add profit to a |
| driving that car now? No. | | | | home. Some of them include painting it |
| Get the picture? | | | | inside and out, adding a greenhouse, |
| A small home gets you a piece of realty | | | | building a deck, and making an outdoor |
| in the coveted property market of which | | | | eating area. |
| you are currently NOT a member. The | | | | You can give the kitchen a lift by |
| little house will escalate at the same | | | | replacing cabinet doors for as little |
| rate (more or less) as the gorgeous | | | | as $20 each. If you paint your home, |
| house. This means the gorgeous house | | | | keep it all white, cream, or very pale, |
| that you are aiming for will never | | | | to give it a spacious look. |
| escalate further out of your reach | | | | House prices are at their cheapest for |
| because you have an escalating house | | | | years, and mortgage interest rates are |
| yourself. | | | | very low. Get pre-approved for fixed |
| If the house is really small, just play | | | | rate financing so that your monthly |
| up to its cuteness. You can hang | | | | payments won't go up. Choose a house now |
| fairy-tale shutters on the front | | | | and you will have it renovated in time |
| windows, and buy some wavy edged wooden | | | | for the next boom! |
| trim for the eaves of the roof. | | | | Then you can buy the Corvette. |
| Buy cobblestones and wind a little path | | | | Maryland's first "EcoBroker" designated |
| up to the front door; attach window | | | | Realtor, Branden Schroeder. |