2615 Highland
Columbia MO 65203

$149,900
MLS# 333380

GORGEOUS STEP SAVING RANCH, oversized 3 car garage with workshop access, terrific KIT, large powder bath, security system, 2 hot water heaters with recirculating hot water heaters, pull down attic storage, sprinkler system and mud room with bench seating.

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2615 Highland
Columbia MO 65203

$149,900
MLS# 333380

Well maintained walk out ranch, low maintenance exterior, enlarged master bedroom, DRY basement, lots of windows, lots of updates, hardwood floors, big kitchen with brkfst bar and adjacent dining area, updated baths, family room, lots of storage, mature trees & landscaping, huge yard with 6′ privacy fence, quiet & convenient SW neighborhood, great schools.

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4807 Gillespie Bridge
Columbia MO 65203

$224,900
MLS# 333487

Full brick front, deep yard with full sod, maturing trees & landscaping, 6′ wood privacy fence, plus well maintained gorgeous home, open floorplan, formal dining, hardwood thru foyer, DR, LR, KIT & hallway; Plus Family/REC rooms, excavated garage with storage shelves, beautiful KIT with lots of counterspace & raised panel cabinetry, stainless appliance package with so much more!!!

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4135 Roemer Rd
Columbia MO 65202

$254,900MLS# 333383

Southern home flair, four sides brick, furnace 2001, A/C 2002. Roof, gutters, and downspouts 2006. Screened porch and deck 2004, 80 gallon water heater 2004. Third garage in basement, perfect for lawn equipment or boat. Storage under garage. See list of improvements, too numerous to list. Ref, washer and dryer all convey.

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408 Dustin Dr
Columbia MO 65203

$159,500
MLS# 332738

$2000 BUYER CLOSING COST CREDIT, 1 year HSA home warranty with upgrade, new concrete driveway/walkway, Tons of updates to include new flooring, new paint, newer appliances, new Anderson windows, light fixtures, and countertops. Vaulted, open concept for living/dining/kitchen, nice sized master w/ 2 closets, fenced backyard, convenient SW lake community. PRICED TO SELL!!!!

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901 Hulen Dr
Columbia MO 65203

$179,900
MLS# 329767

New Cottage Inspired Baxter Homes floorplan in Quiet SW Mill Creek Manor community! Soft Plan Split BR design, Jack-n-Jill Bath for BR 2 & 3, 4×5 custom shower, Powder Bath for Guests, Gorgeous hardwood flooring, 20” tile, carpet in bedrooms, stone corner gas fireplace & kitchen hearth. Warm colors, glazed cabinetry, pantry, brkfst bar, wine chiller, 3rd car garage, cov back patio, Agent/owner.

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1818 Kathy Dr
Columbia MO 65202

$134,900
MLS# 332763

TERRIFIC WELL MAINTAINED 4+BR 2.5B 4 side BRICK walk out ranch home in QUIET Parkade neighborhood with $2000 CLOSING COST CREDIT & DRY BASEMENT! Fenced, 40′x7′ cov. patio, storage shed, mature trees & landscaping, workshop w/exterior door access, lots of light, LR w/picture window, hrdwd under carpet on main level, 3′ hallways, plus a lower level room perfect for office/excercise rm, washer/dryer

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1501 Kinloch Ct.
Columbia MO 65203

$160,900
MLS# 332537

SWEET SW STEP SAVING Ranch with $2000 Buyer closing credit in The Highlands, cul-de-sac, low maintenance exterior, vaulted ceiling, fireplace, open kitchen/dining concept, lots of kitchen cabinetry, gas range, huge pantry, carpet in bedrooms only, new paint, includes refrigerator, decorative patio , lots of extras, convenient location, park/trail/lake access. Updated & ready to go! Mill Creek Elem

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608 Quick Sand Cir
Columbia MO 65202

$178,900
MLS# 333008

TERRIFIC FLOORPLAN with tons of charm, nice sized rooms, vaulted LR with gas fireplace plus huge lower level family room! Low maintenance exterior, 15 x 15 master suite with double vanity, jacuzzi tub & 3′ shower w/door, hardwood in entry/KIT & Brkfst room. Kitchen w/ 36” cabinets w/ crown, plus breakfast bar & pantry! Upgraded window pkg, 6′ privacy fence, garage, community amenities & more!

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I recently reached a milestone in my life on Twitter: the number of people following my tweets passed the 1,000 mark. I’m still a piker compared with Twitterers like Ashton Kutcher, but four figures sounds impressive to me. To Thank everyone, I promised that I would tweet my top 10 savings tips.

I’ve always believed that the trick to saving money is just that — a trick. You don’t have to win the lottery, strike it rich on Wall Street or even earn a six-figure salary to build a comfortable savings cushion. You just have to play psychological tricks on yourself to stay focused on spending less and keeping more cash in your pocket.

Over the years, we’ve written about a lot of these strategies in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, and the promise I made on Twitter encouraged me to mentally cull through those tactics to choose the ones that I think are most practical and effective. And here they are:

How much home can you afford?

Affordability is a function of home price, interest rate and down payment.

The one key component in home affordability that is at greatest risk today is rate. The fact is that home loan rates are still at historically low levels.  But they can’t stay this low forever.  In fact, many experts have stated that home loan rates should really be higher than their current levels, due to some of the stimulus that has benefited Mortgage Bonds.  That means that right now homebuyers can get more for their money than they realize, but if rates go up even a little bit they could miss out.

Here’s a simple formula that drives that point home…

In simple terms, every 1% increase in home loan rates decreases the buying power of an individual by 10% in home price.  This means that if you qualify for a home priced at $200,000 today and home loan rates increase 1% the amount you could qualify for would be reduced to approximately $180,000 to maintain the same payment.

If you could benefit from moving to a new home, don’t let this time pass you by.  Home prices are starting to stabilize and even increase in many markets, but homes are still at incredibly affordable levels.  By making a move now before home prices or rates increase, homebuyers can get more for their money and still get the payment they’re comfortable with.

And for those people who haven’t refinanced in the last 18 months, today’s situation provides you with the opportunity to either cur your house payment… or save even more over the long run by reducing the term of your mortgage to a 15 or 20 year fixed rate.

courtesy of Kristy Bryant, Bank of Missouri

How much home can you afford?

Affordability is a function of home price, interest rate and down payment

The one key component in home affordability that is at greatest risk today is rates.  The fact is that home loan rates are still at historically low levels.  But they can’t stay this low forever.  In fact, many experts have stated that home loan rates should really be higher than their current levels, due to some of the stimulus that has benefited Mortgage Bonds.  That means that right now homebuyers can get more for their money than they realize, but if rates go up even a little bit they could miss out.

Here’s a simple formula that drives that point home…

In simple terms, every 1 % increases in home loan rates decreases the buying power of an individual by 10% in home price.  This means that if you qualify for a home priced at $200,000 today and home loan rates increase 1%, the amount you could qualify for would be reduced to approximately $180,000 to maintain the same payment.

If you could benefit from moving to a new home, don’t let this time pass you by.  Home prices are starting to stabilize and even increase in many markets, but homes are still at incredibly affordable levels.  By making a move now before home prices or rates increase, homebuyers can get more for their money and still get the payment they’re comfortable with.

And for those people who haven’t refinanced in the last 18 months, today’s situation provides you with the opportunity to either cut your house payment… or save ene more over the long run, by reducing the term of your mortgage to a 15 or 20 year fixed rate.

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How will this impact the home loan?

The potential impact to a borrower who has utilized credit to make significant purchases after the initial credit report could include:

• A delay in closing
• Increase of closing costs and/or interest rates
• A decreased loan amount
• Denial of the loan

That’s right, in the worst-case scenario, a change in credit could even result in a loan being denied – even after an original approval had been granted.

What should homebuyers do (or not do)?

In order to eliminate any possibility of potential problems before closing, anyone in the application process should use credit sparingly and make sure they adhere to the tips provided below by credit expert Linda Ferrari of Credit Resource Corp:

• Don’t do anything that causes a red flag to be raised by the scoring system
• Don’t apply for new credit of any kind
• Don’t pay off collections or charge offs
• Don’t max out or over charge on your credit accounts
• Don’t consolidate debt onto one or two credit cards

This list is not comprehensive, but it does give you a peek into situations that could create issues and could also be contrary to some ideas you have read previously.

courtesy of Kristy Bryant, Bank of Missouri

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DO YARD WORK
Mow your lawn, clean up garden debris, rake leaves, and pull out those nasty weeds. Before you outsource your lawn care, think about how much exercise you could get if you did it yourself.

TAKE A WALK, EVEN WHEN YOU DRIVE
When you get close to your destination, park your car a few blocks away instead of right in front. Not only will a brisk walk help you burn calories, but you can consider each walk a fact finding mission to learn more about the community and what’s in it

HELP WITH HOUSEWORK
Vacuuming is a great form of exercise, along with washing windows (inside and out) and running up and down the stairs to put things away. Try to put things away as you come across them instead of stock piling.

PLANT SOME VEGGIES
You may be surprised by the positive effect it can have on your mental and physical well being. Pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with potting soil and compost works your upper body and your legs. You will also get a great workout by bending over and doing dirt work. Other reasons to start planting: home grown veggies taste great and save you money on groceries.

Size up the competition. Walk thru other homes listed in your area and see how others are presenting their homes. Note positives and negatives and try to use that to better your own home.

Define the space. Try to creatively define each space to highlight the use of the room. Keep mud / laundry rooms clean and orderly. Also keep bedrooms and office neat and tidy. Pack up unused items and kicknacks. The less clutter in your space, the more open it feels.

Add simple curb appeal. Thoroughly clear all branches from the yard and try raking the leaves. Keep your landscaping weeded and bushes trimmed. Also try adding fresh mulch and planting some colorful plants. All these little things show that you care about your home and can help make it stand out to a buyer.

Give it a power wash. Give your home a nice washing. By power washing your siding and garage doors, your freshening up the appearance of the home. You might also try power washing your patios or deck. Maybe re stain your deck as well. All these things can give your home a more fresh, up to date feel.