Step One: Get to know your tools.

Learning how to install ceramic tile flooring begins with getting to know the right tools. You can buy most of the tools you’ll need for working on your floor tiling at your local hardware store or home center. For equipment that might be too expensive to purchase like a tile cutter, or hand held micro cutter, try your local home center or tool rental yard. They may have the tools you’ll need at affordable rental prices, or even at discount. And if you’re a newbie at tiling work, they may even help you with information. Here are most of the basic tools you will need for your tiling job:

a) These would include safety clothing and gear like a pair of safety glasses, heavy leather gloves, and long-sleeved work clothes. These are useful especially if your tiling work involves taking out the existing ceramic tiles. Broken shards and other debris from tearing out the ceramic tiles can cause nasty cuts.

b) Would would also need carpentry tools like a tape measure, a carpenter’s square and a bubble level.

c) A tile cutter (which you can rent), some tile spacers, a putty knife, a trowel (preferably, the notched kind), and a rubber grout float.

d) Other things you will need are mortar material for bonding your tiles to your subfloor surface, like a thin set mortar, or tile adhesive, tiling grout and sealant.

Step Two: Prepare your subfloor before installing your tiles.

Most tiling jobs start at this stage. It would be a great experience for you to learn how to install ceramic tile by learning about the type of floors you will be putting your tiles on. Always check for cracks and debris when If you’re working on a concrete subfloor. Make it is smooth and clean. Repair as many of the cracks as you can. If you see cracks that are too large to repair, replace the floor section where they are found with new concrete. For plywood subfloors, be sure that the wood is at least 1 and 1/8 inches thick and is supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will dislodge easily, or worse, break and need replacing.

For those with existing tile floors, you will have to add another step in the process and that is to remove the existing tiles. For starters, all you need to do is use a large flat-bladed chisel and a mallet, and just hammer away. Then, you’ll need to clean out the debris. If you to smoothen your subfloor — you may want to rent a sander to do the job. Be sure to keep yourself protected. Use heavy-duty leather work gloves, safety glasses, and long-sleeved work clothes.

Step Three: Make the measurements on your floor. To know where to start and how to install ceramic tile on your subfloor, begin by measuring the length and width of your floor. This will help you estimate the number of ceramic floor tiles you will need to purchase. Then, find the center point of your floor area. You Measure across floor area and mark the center. Do this in opposite direction and mark the center, as well. The intersection of the two lines is the center of the floor area where you can start your tiling work. To help with your tiling, run chalk lines over the intersection lines. These chalk lines will help you with how to install ceramic tile and help you keep your tiling straight and organized.

Step Four: Start work on your ceramic tile installation

Your first tile should be placed at the intersection of the two lines you made. Then, bond it to your subfloor by using a thin set mortar, or a tile adhesive of your choice. Using a notched trowel for applying the mortar is best on how to install ceramic tile. But you may actually use the more common trowel variety is you don’t have one. To secure the ceramic tile in its place, press down while twisting it back and forth till the tile no longer is set. If some of the mortar or adhesive oozes out, use your trowel (or a damp sponge) to scrape off the excess. Do this process over with the next tile, and so on and so forth, until you’ve finished your ceramic floor tiling.

Step Five: Finish your tiling job by putting in the tiling grout and sealant

After your ceramic floor tiles have set, it’s time to put the tiling grout in. Tiling grout is a material that you should know more about when you want to know how to install ceramic tile flooring. Grout is tiling material made cement, sand and water, and a little color. It is used to fill in gaps and seal in the spaces between tiles. Tiling grout comes in a wide variety of color tints that may be matched to your tile color. Use a rubber grout float and work the tiling grout into the gaps between the tiles. Use your grout float at an angle so that you can fill in the joint gap with as much tiling grout as possible.

Once you’re done with applying grout along the tile gaps, wipe off the excess grout with a damp sponge. Rinse the sponge frequently to get as much of the excess grout off, and keep each tile clean. You have the option of applying a sealant to the grout lines after they dry.

Make sure you allow some time for the grout to dry before you apply the sealant. These setting periods last overnight, at the very least, to twenty-four hours, at the most. Your sealant has dried, you are done! Congratulations! Now, you know how to install ceramic tile flooring.

The housing market has taken about as big a beating as it can. The bailout the government is rolling out to save banks from bad mortgage securities is stunning, but not the only piece of legislation designed to help the housing market.

The housing market is like the food system in the sea. You need plankton for bigger animals to survive. With real estate, you need first time buyers to fuel the market. They will buy, sell and move up, which fuels the market from the bottom up.

This process starts with first time homebuyers. They are critical to the system. Without them, there is nobody moving up from the bottom and the system will come to a grinding halt.

First time buyers are staying away from the current market. Regardless of all the other issues hurting this market, this is a giant problem. The government has acted swiftly to change things and get these buyers active again.

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 is the magic pill. It provides a tax credit of 10 percent of the purchase price of the home up to a maximum of $7,500. Only the government would think a $75,000 home can be found, but there you go.

If you hate paying taxes, you should love tax credits. Why? The tax credit is not deducted from your income. It is deducted directly from the amount you are supposed to pay Uncle Sam. Take a minute to think about that.

Assume I can claim this first time buyer tax credit in the amount of $7,500. I determine I owe $2,500 to the IRS after doing my taxes. I would then apply my tax credit to this and send in a return telling the agency to send me $5,000.

It may see dangerous to ask the IRS for more than I actually owe. In general, it is a bad strategy, but not here. This is a fully refundable tax credit, which means it does not matter what I owe. The IRS will be writing checks a lot.

When there is a big carrot, there is often a line tied to it. Sadly, this is the case here. The government is not giving away a freebie. You have to pay back the credit. You have 15 years to do it, which means about $40 bucks a month.

The amount of money you make also can be a problem. Couples making more than $150k and non-couples making over $75k face a phase out problem. If you are making this kind of money, however, you probably should already own a home.

Everyone gripes about the loss of tax deductions, but they miss the points. Tax credits are the real golden egg for taxpayers. Claim as many as you can. If you are considering buying a home, this one should help a bunch.

Don’t worry! Take comfort in the fact that many people are willing to share their experience with you. Being organized at the start will help your move go more smoothly.

On A Budget? Pack Yourself - Packing doesn’t have to be a nightmare - or even scary. But you do need to be prepared to work. It can take two people two full days to pack a three bedroom home.

If you can’t make such a time commitment, be prepared to hire others to do the job for you. Professional movers will do as little or as much packing as you want. If you have something very delicate or valuable, consider having it professionally packed. It is one way of increasing your chances of it safely arriving to your new home. If you pack yourself, though, it can be a real money-saver.

As soon as you know you’re moving, consider lightening your load. Do you really want to bring absolutely everything with you? Some people see a move as an opportunity to go through their things and purge. You can hold a garage sale and I’m sure there are some charities in your community that would welcome your donations.

To begin, set up your packing station. Use a large table or floor area for a work surface. Start collecting your packing materials.

How Many Boxes? Use boxes designed for moving. I don’t often recommend spending money - but in all honesty, good boxes can really make a difference in ensuring that your items arrive at their destination safely. They come in shapes and sizes specifically designed to fit a variety of household goods. You can buy them at self-storage facilities. They are a good investment.

Here is a guide for the number of boxes you might need. Most self-storage businesses will let you bring back unused boxes for a full refund, so take more than you think you need. 1 or 2 rooms: Sm. Boxes - 7, Med. Boxes - 3, Lge. Boxes - 3, China Boxes - 1, Wardrobes - 1 3 to 4 rooms: Small Boxes - 15, Med. Boxes - 8, Lge. Boxes - 6, China Boxes - 1 or 2, Wardrobes - 1 5 to 6 rooms: Small Boxes - 20, Med. Boxes - 12, Lge. Boxes - 8, China Boxes - 3, Wardrobes - 3 7 to 8 rooms: Small Boxes - 30, Med. Boxes - 20, Lge. Boxes - 12, China Boxes - 4, Wardrobes - 4

Box Descriptions Professional moving boxes come in a few different sizes: Smaller (2 cu. ft.) boxes for heavy items such as dishes, files and books Medium (4 cu. ft.) boxes for pots, pans, small appliances, lamps, shades, clothing, linens, and toys Large (6 cu. ft.) boxes for light/bulky items: pillows, bedding, stuffed toys Mirror or Picture Cartons are a great way to move art, framed posters, etc. China Barrels provide extra protection for dishes, fine china and glassware. Wardrobe Boxes are used for packing clothes and drapery (each wardrobe holds approximately 20 garments).

Besides being strong and durable, there is another, not-so-obvious advantage to buying proper moving boxes. The uniform sizes allow for quick packing and stacking. When you have boxes of every shape and size, it is really time consuming to fit them all together in the moving van. If you are renting a van using uniformly sized boxes will save you time and money.

Other Packing Materials Mattress covers to protect box springs and mattresses from moisture and dust Newsprint (preferably non print and in pre cut sheets) Tissue paper and/or bubble wrap for wrapping and cushioning breakable objects Styrofoam chips are necessary fillers for empty spaces and will prevent items from bouncing around inside the boxes Packing tape to seal the boxes Twine to seal boxes and tie loose items together Scissors or a sharp knife Felt markers and/or box labels Notepad and pen to list box contents as they are packed

Final Packing Tips - Label all your boxes on several sides. Include which room the box should be delivered to. - If there are boxes that you want to open first, write a number on them. - Start by packing out of season, or least used items first. Leave the things you use everyday to the end. - Tape important things together such as pins for shelves and bookcases to the bookcase, nuts and bolts for bed frames to the bed frame, etc. - Use crushed newsprint at the bottom of each carton for cushioning. - Fill empty spaces in the boxes with crushed paper. You don’t want anything to slide around. Put heavy items on the bottom and lighter things on the top of each box.

Let’s face it - moving is work. By following these suggestions you’ll be able to work smart - not just hard.

When home shopping, it can be easy to get caught up in the sizzle of the sale. Look at that kitchen! Well, the sizzle is great and all, but you need some steak as well. The quality of the roof on a home definitely counts as steak.

When it comes to issues related to the roof, most people get those eyes. You know, the glazed over look. Do not make this mistake. There is general and specific information that you can easily get that will tell you a lot about the roof and the home.

One of the most important issues to know is what kind of roof should be on the home. If you live in Southern California, for instance, wood shingle roofs are bad news. The fires that sweep through the region will use them like kindling.

Perhaps we should take a step back first. To really grasp the roofing issues, you need to know some things about roofs. There are many types of roofs, but a few are more common than most and likely to be the ones you run into.

The classic roof is the wood shingle roof. It will last from 15 to 30 years. The cost of replacing it with a similar roof is roughly $8,000. This is a roof that should only be used in areas that are not threatened by fire.

One step up is the metal roof. What could be better, eh? Well, metal roofs do last thirty plus years, but maintenance can be a bear. You can expect to spend $12,000 or more to replace one depending on square footage and such.

The tile roof is the new standard bearer for many locations. It does not rust or burn, so it is viewed as a pretty attractive choice. It can have a life of 50 years, but replacement costs can be $15,000 or more.

When inspecting the roof, look for missing or broken pieces. They should not exist on a home for sale. If you see them, it means water may have penetrated into the underlying materials which can mean rot, mold and decay.

If the home has a wood shingle roof, there is a secret you can apply to gauge the condition of the roof. If the wood shingles bend up at the end, it is a bad sign. They are warping, which means the roof has serious problems. Do not buy this home!

Where the roof intersects with other items such as a pole sticking through it, metal flashing is used to keep a water tight seal. If you see flashing pulled away from a surface or just missing, the roof has problems and will also need repairs. Make the seller pay for them.

To be honest, you can only see so much from the outside, so go inside. Walk the full length of the attic. If you see stains on the ceiling boards, there is a leak that needs to be found and then repaired. The seller should pay for this.

Even in this nasty housing market, buying a home is a fairly smart idea. In fact, there may be no better time to buy than now given the low prices. Sellers are desperate, so make sure to take a close look at the roofs on homes to figure out what is what.

When a homeowner decides to sell a home, they buff it out. This is logical, but you need to be wary as a buyer. Ignore the sizzle and try to look at the steak. One way to do this is to get into the gutters of a home.

You are probably wondering how gutters could be the key to evaluating a home. The simple fact is they play a critical role in maintaining a home, but are often overlooked. That makes them worth taking a look at.

Most people understand the basic idea of getting water off the roof, but miss this second point. If the water is just allowed to site at the base of the home, it is going to cause subsidence and foundation problems. Good gutters prevent this.

The first thing to know about gutters is the material being used. Most gutter systems are classified by the material they are made out of. The can be metal, plastic or wood. There uses differ depending on the climate and so on.

Wood gutters are very rare these days. Wood and water is a bad mix. No matter how the wood is treated, the water will eventually penetrate it and cause rot. Water created the Grand Canyon, so wood has no chance against it.

Metal gutters are found on millions of homes. They last longer than wood gutters, and give us good insight into a home. Look at the corners, transitions and inside. If no rust is apparent, the homeowner has been maintaining the gutters. The same probably goes for the rest of the home.

Plastic gutters represent the state of the art these days. They do not fall apart when in constant contact with water. They also can take a beating when things bounce off of them. All and all, plastic gutters are a sign the home is updated and in good shape.

Gutters are actually one part of a two part systems. Capturing water off a roof is great and all, but not if you fail to do something with it. Specifically, a gutter system needs downspouts if it is going to be effective.

The downspout fights the effects of gravity for us. It allows water to drain down to the ground, but not dig holes in it. A good downspout should work by bending at the bottom and sending the water to a path to a drain. If so, it is a good gutter system.

If you live in a part of the country that gets snow, the gutters can tell you a lot. If they ride out over the edge of the roof, they are new. How can you tell? The weight of snow will pull them off the home. Since they are up, they are new.

Gutters may seem insignificant when it comes to inspecting a potential home, but they are a good way to analyze the overall condition of the home. Gutters in good shape usually are a sign of a well maintained home.

The real estate market has been suffering great losses in the United States due to bank foreclosures. Both bank foreclosures and pre-foreclosures are at all time highs and the homeowners and lenders are both suffering from it. Many honest, hard working American homeowners are suffering financial crisis due to the collapsing economy and are losing their homes at record highs. Some homeowners are forced to face bank foreclosure after getting behind on just a couple of payments. The ridiculously high interest rates and outrageous late fees are making things worse for both sides. How can the banks expect to get any extra money from the homeowners who are struggling just to pay the minimum payments?

However, with every person that suffers a material loss, someone else will gain from it. These foreclosed homes will be put up for sell or for bid for very, very low prices. The lenders sell the foreclosed homes for factions of the real estate market price in order to get rid of it quickly and to regain at least some of the money back. This makes it easier and more affordable for many people who would like to buy a home. Young, first time home buyers for instance, can easily afford a home because of the bank foreclosures.

The good news about the United States real estate crisis is that many low income Americans now have the opportunity to purchase good homes at affordable prices. Bank foreclosure homes are put up for sell for as low as 10% of the market value due to the lenders’ desires to regain some of their money quickly. This makes it easier for lower income families to afford a home for literally cents on the dollar. Houses that would normally be too expensive for many Americans to afford can now be sold to them for extremely low prices.

Investing in foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes and reselling them for much more is now an excellent way to earn a lot of money. For instance, you can buy foreclosure and pre-foreclosure homes for 10% of their worth, and then resell them for 70% of their market value. Even if you’ve never had an interest in real estate before, the opportunities are abundant. But where will you find these opportunities?

So how can you find them? The public is usually notified of the homes that are facing foreclosure. You can always look through your newspaper and local advertisements, but there are also listings that can be found on the internet! There are probably many homes in your state right now that are facing bank foreclosure. There are many foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings on the web and you will be allowed to bid and purchase electronically. Be careful though, there are many scams on the internet. Some so called “foreclosure” and “pre-foreclosure” listing sites will promise you access to many legitimate listings, but they won’t deliver. Many of their listings will be expired or false.

Fortunately there are plenty of honest foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings. Some can be found on real estate sites and some on government auction sites. So how can you tell the good from the bad? Well, you don’t have to! There are government auction review sites that will do the dirty work for you. Experts that oversee government auction reviews go digging into government auction offers and test their legitimacy based on certain criteria. They have tested and scored the top government auction membership sites that offer real government auction listings.

Many of these membership sites offer real, top deals on real estate, bank foreclosures, and contact information for homeowners selling their pre-foreclosure homes. Make sure you read the government auction reviews before you sign up for any membership sites. You will receive the best advice and information about the most trustworthy foreclosure and pre-foreclosure listings!

If you are going on holiday this year to Cyprus and staying in a rental villa, then you need to know what the most important points are to avoid any problems. In order to have a perfect holiday, just follow this basic guide and you will be guaranteed a problem free holiday in Cyprus.

First of all you need to chose a reputable agent or at least a recommended agent through people who have already used their services successfully. Once you have the complete package confirmed along with full contact details, you can make your reservation payment and not before. The safest form of internet payment is via a Paypal account for which you don’t even need a credit card. The internet will also assist you in finding good recommendations as there are now plenty of social bookmarking sites like Digg.com where real people leave their comments about their internet experiences.

You might think about using Google to search for the best Cyprus Property Management outfit and that a revealing past shown is revealed. In order to double check quoted Cyprus Holiday Costs you could always make comparisons with high street holiday travel Agents that promote Cyprus. You will also need to watch out for prices in Euros but this can also be verified by on-line exchange rate sites such as xe.com.

It is imperative that you have the correct arrival instructions to get to your Cyprus rental villa as you might need to travel to your final Cyprus vacation destination on your own or at least with the help of a taxi driver. Another great free on-line tool is Google Earth which will show you exactly where you are staying and you will be able to see the surrounding area too.

If you have reached this point and you are concerned about your Cyprus Holiday that you may previously have booked, don’t worry yet as it may still be possible to change your Cyprus vacation Cyprus Holiday. Just follow this Cyprus Holiday Guide to find an alternative rental villa with pool in North Cyprus and I really do hope that you have a fantastic Cyprus vacation this month.

Are you in the market to purchase real estate but are unsure where the best real estate market is? If that’s the case then you should really consider purchasing Dallas real estate.

With Dallas as the third most popular city in the country for business travel, buying Dallas real estate makes great financial sense. Dallas is growing exponentially as more and more businesses are choosing Dallas as their headquarters. As the businesses move to Dallas, so do their employees. Buying Dallas real estate now will earn you great profit as these employees will need a home for their families. Whether it is when you resell to a family or choose to lease your home to the temporary staff of people, you won’t lose on your decision to buy Dallas real estate.

This is the right time to buy a piece of Dallas real estate. As the market conditions are perfect, you won’t want to miss on the deals out there. If you aren’t interested in buying distressed properties to flip or lease them, then buying Dallas real estate for you and your family to live in is also a wise decision.

While Dallas is rapidly growing with all the benefits of a large city such as amazing shopping malls and great specialty boutiques, museums, family attractions such as the zoos and the aquarium, as well as adult entertainment for date night such as the symphony and phenomenal restaurants it has not lost the charm of a smaller city with its family friendly neighborhoods, strong public as well as private schools. Dallas also has lots of colleges and universities nearby.

Are you considering buying your first home and starting to raise a family? Dallas is a great place to live, so consider looking at some Dallas real estate. While buying your first home may seem difficult, it can be very easy with the right help. When you decide to purchase Dallas real estate, you need to enlist the help of a licensed Dallas real estate agent to guide you through the process.

Dallas real estate agents are highly trained and know the city very well so even if you’re a newcomer to Dallas you won’t have to worry about buying a home in a part of the city that you will want to move out of a year from now. A friendly and helpful Dallas real estate agent can help you find the perfect neighborhood to buy your first home in based on your goals and your lifestyle. Dallas has a lot to offer so if you’ve never thought about moving to Dallas before it’s time that you take another look at Dallas.

Are you tired of cold winters and shoveling snow before you embark on your slippery ride to work? Then Dallas is the place for you. With an average temperate of 55 degrees in the winter months and beautifully warm summers, your family will fall in love with what Dallas has to offer. So contact a Dallas real estate agent to see all of the great Dallas real estate available so you and your family can start taking advantage of the great weather.

Drywall/ Plaster Repair In the city where I do most of my rehabilitation work, all the houses are 90 to 100 years old. Cracks and holes in the plaster are common. Often, holes in ceiling plaster are the result of water infiltrating either from the roof, or from a split plumbing line. Holes in walls are often the result of vandalism, but could be the sign of more serious foundation issues. Once the root cause is fixed I normally patch the area with inch drywall. Perform this task by placing a piece of inch drywall over the hole (lathe must be present behind the drywall). Secure the drywall to the hole with at least 2 drywall screws. Insert your rotozip near the edge of your hole and cut the drywall by pressing the rotozip blade against the remaining plaster. Once your piece is cut, secure it with multiple drywall screws, mud the gaps, tape, re-mud then sand to a smooth finish.

Basic Water Pipe Repair Usually the hardest part of water pipe repair is finding the leak. You do this by turning on the water, listening for falling water, then visually inspecting where the water is coming from. Once you find the leak, cut out the old section of pipe and cut a section of new pipe to replace it. It is very important to dry the ends of the pipe and rough up the end of the old and new sections of pipe with your sandpaper. Apply flux to each section of pipe and to a coupler that will be used to join the pieces. Put the new section in place. Heat the coupler with your butane torch and apply solder around the edges of the coupler. Once it is sealed all the way around, allow the solder to dry and move on to the next leak.

Drain Repair Clogged drains are very common. A snake should be a staple in your tool box. Drains work by using the force of gravity to expel wastewater down and out of the house. Improperly working drains can be the result of improper pitch in the drain line or a clog. If a clog is found in the drain line, such as hair or grease, remove the drain, remove the clog, replace the drain and test.

Replacing Light Fixtures Remove the old fixture by unscrewing the wire nuts or by cutting the wires. Strip off a section of the wire casing and attach you new fixture with wire nuts. Be sure to tape off any exposed wire with electrical tape. Since each fixture will come with its own set of instructions, be sure to read those instructions thoroughly to insure proper installation. Electricity can cause severe injury if you do not follow instruction implicitly. You should always use an amplitude meter to insure that power is off to the fixture to avoid electrocution.

Window Installation To measure your window, open it all the way and measure from inside of the window casing. Buy your new window as close as possible. Remember, you can make up for a window that is too small, but it is much harder to expand an opening for a window that is too big.. Next, remove the old window, making sure not to damage the wood frame. Once the window is removed place wood shims on the sill and level the shims. Once the shims are level secure them in place with screws (drilling pilot holes will keep the shims from splitting). Put the new window in place. At the sash, place more wood shims between the wood frame and the window to fill that gap, and then secure the shims in place by screwing through the window frame and into the wood frame. Repeat this step about six inches from the top and six inches from the bottom of the sides. Once the sides are secure, make sure you can easily open and close the window. Fill the gaps around the window with expanding foam insulation.

Refinishing Wood Floors I rent a lot of the homes that I rehab. If I re-carpet, I will probably have to o it again after the first tenant moves out. If I refinish the hardwood floors, I can re-rent it over and over without much hassle. Remove all of the tack strips, staples, nails and quarter round molding. Once the floor is clean, run your drum sander with the grain of the wood. Working a drum sander is a lot like working a self-propelled lawn mower. It is very important that you keep the drum sander moving at all times though. If you leave it sit it will quickly eat into the floor. I start with 36-grit sandpaper, then 80-grit, and then 100-grit. Once the main body of the floor is sanded, do the edges with an edge sander using the same grits of sandpaper that you used on the main floor. When all the sanding is complete, sweep the floor, and then vacuum the floor. After vacuuming, I like to lightly mop the entire floor. Allow the floor to dry then apply a stain of your choice. Allow to dry then coat with 2 - 3 layers of polyurethane. Replace the molding.

Laying Tile The key to a good tile project is a good foundation. Whether you are tiling a wall or floor, the foundation must be plumb or level and the surface must be flat. Once the old covering has been removed lay a product like Hardi-Backer, an extremely durable cement-based product. Begin tile installation by troweling on a thin application of mastic over a three to four foot area. Set the tile in place and push gently to secure the position. Place a spacer next to the tile and position the next piece. Continue in this fashion until the tiles are all in place. Allow the mastic to dry for 24-hours before grouting. If you are laying a natural stone tile (travertine, slate, marble) be sure to seal the tile prior to grouting. If you don’t, the tile will appear hazy. Remove all tile spacers. Mix a grout color of your choice, push the grout between the tiles with a rubber float and clean up all excess grout.

Texturing a Ceiling To get a perfectly textured ceiling, dip a paint roller with a long (4 foot) handle into a bucket of top-coating mud. Roll the mud onto the ceiling. Push your texturing brush into the mud and pull back quickly to create a random dimple pattern all across your ceiling. After it dries finish by painting with a white ceiling paint or a color to complement your walls.

Painting a Room Two tools that will make painting a room faster, easier and produce a better result are an orbital sander and a power sprayer. Use the orbital sander to smooth out any surface imperfections. Once the walls are smooth, start spraying. First, spray the walls, and ceilings with a coat of latex based primer. Next spray your ceiling with a white ceiling paint. Then spray your walls with a flat paint. Flat paint is the best choice for hiding small imperfection in your walls surface. Be sure to follow the sprayer with a roller to produce the best results. For a great finished look, be sure to apply a fresh coat of white semi-gloss paint to all trim.

Landscaping The exterior is the first impression people will get of your house. Take time to remove all the overgrown 1950’s era plants and replace them with smaller more modern looking plants. After removing the old shrubs, cultivate the bed and mix in organic materials like manure, compost or peat moss. The exterior is the first impression people will get of your house. Most of the time, I remove all the overgrown 1950’s era plants and replace them. If there are any good plants in the landscape, I try to remove them in a way that they can be re-used in the landscape. If they are too large to remove, prune them to improve their appearance. After removing the old shrubs, cultivate the bed and mix in organic materials like manure, compost or peat moss. Arrange your new plants on top of the beds. Once you are happy with the arrangement, remove any burlap or plastic and plant them. Be sure not to bury the root balls of shrubs. You want to plant the shrub with just a little of the ball showing above the ground

Do you think three years ago anybody could imagine that we would be sitting here today contemplating the potential of a second Great Depression? Well, the unthinkable has certainly happened.

Things are happening so quickly that we are losing site of some staggering figures. Iceland, an entire country, is bankrupt and its currency worthless. A $700 billion bailout that does not even include the $120 billion used to keep AIG afloat.

Sadly, the worst is probably yet to come. Economics are all about confidence. Finance involves hard numbers, but it also involves the illusion of safety. Consider the simple issue of home values.

The values of homes are all about confidence. I buy a home in the first month of the year for three hundred thousand dollars. Six months later, it has an entirely different value. Physical changes can account for some of this, but most of it is confidence based.

If the home goes up in value by $100,000, there increase is a reflection of confidence. Confidence in what? In everything from the direction of the country to the prospects for the neighborhood the home is located in.

Now consider the current market. Not much confidence, eh? Even for people that are in a position to buy, they are not. Why? There is no confidence that prices will not continue to drop. If this really is a depression, people are going to hold on to their cash.

Are there objective factors involved in the current financial mess? Of course. The CEOs of many banks should be in jail for their reckless behavior. Still, the lack of confidence is making a bad situation a horrific one.

People are worried about there money. They are trying to limit risk like mad. The problem is the same goes for banks. Banks are getting money from the governments, but are not lending it because they lack any confidence that they will get it back!

Is real estate forever doomed? Nah. The simple fact is people need places to live. It will hit bottom and it will recover. This is not disputed by anyone. The bigger questions are when will this occur and how agonizing will the turn around be?

The grim answer is nobody really knows how long this will take to shake out. It is all about turning the confidence of people and banks around. At some point, that will occur. It might be because we go so low that there simply is not anywhere to go but up.

Nearly everyone agrees we are in a recession at this point. Previous recessions have show a run time of between two to four years. What should you do? Cut costs and plan on living frugally for a few years.