This owner researched everything, went to Home Depot workshops to learn to lay tile & tile up the shower. Know your limits! This owner hired a subcontractor to add new dry wall, replace windows and licensed contractors to do the plumbing, electrical & HVAC work. Watching videos & reading DIY blogs helped also. Also $500 to install the glass show enclosure was work it. A new vanity & door were added + a claw-foot tub. AGAIN PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

(1) Tyler airport flying to Mile High City. Now going to Denver! Easy to go with Frontier Airlines. Runway 4-22 in Tyler expanded with $48 million runway.

(2) Senior living breaks ground in rural East Texas in Bullard. On intersection of US 69 & FM 344. Received $1 million from Texas Department of Agriculture. Open in late 2020 for short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and hospice services.

(4) SMART TOILETS. Toilets with built-in cleansing sprays & air dryers for folks with limited range. Also can use smart seats retrofitted to an existing toilet. (5) SLEEK SUPPORTS. Grab bars are essential & can double as towel racks. Built-in handles on sink basins is an option for folks with balance problems. JUST DO ALL THESE 5 IDEAS TO STAY IN YOUR HOME!!

(2) SAFER COOKING. Induction cooktops are essential. The technology uses electromagnetism to generate heat. Only cooking vessel gets hot & are precise. (3) HOME AUTOMATION. Smart home technology makes it possible to control lighting, locks, appliances, etc. with a smartphone or voice-controlled speaker. Wi-Fi cameras make it possible to check on loved ones. MORE TO COME!

(1)  SLIP-RESISTANT FLOORING.  Falls are the leading cause of injuries among seniors.  Flooring manufacturers are coming out with more materials that meet he industry standard of slip-resistance or DCOF ( 0.42 or higher on the Dynamic Coefficient Of Friction).  Wood-look porcelain tile is popular in kitchen & baths, where most falls occur.  In the bathroom install a curbless shower.  MORE TO COME!

If you’re currently a homeowner, there’s a good chance you may already have EQUITY available to you.  Data from the Federal Reserve revealed that homeowner equity jumped 10.3% from 1st quarter 2017 to lst quarter 2018 – with a 3.5% increase in the 1st quarter of 2018 alone.  So in 2007 you have a house worth $222,850, then in 2017 it is worth $249,600.  Of course, when prices fall, the opposite is true, but now JUST ENJOY the uptick.

(4)  ADD CURB APPEAL.  Can add about 3-5% to the value of your home.  Trim shrubs, plant flowers, paint your front door & pressure wash your siding & all done for just a few bucks.  (5)  SHORTEN YOUR LOAN TERM.  Choose of switch to a 15 year loan instead of a 30 year loan.  Higher monthly payments so be sure you can handle them  OR make an extra payment each month or each quarter.  JUST BUILD UP YOUR EQUITY!

(1)  PUT DOWN MORE WHEN YOU BUY.  That will give your more equity.  (2)  PAY YOUR MORTGAGE (then some).  Make extra payments, such as one more per quarter.  (3)  MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.  An updated kitchen & bath will increase your home’s value & boost your equity.  MORE TO COME.

This equity eventually become liquid cash that you can access, either by selling your home OR borrowing against it.  There are other ways to grow wealth, but WE ALL NEED A PLACE TO LIVE.  If you are going to pay housing costs each month, you might as well build equity.  MORE TO COME.

Buying a home is a financial asset.  As you pay your mortgage each month, the money goes toward principal.  So a forced saving.  The money is not ” going down the drain”.  As you pay each month your equity (the amount of your home you actually own) grows.  TO BE CONTINUED!