Tip for a Weed Free Yard - Kill Annual Grassy Weeds: Early Season

From the FamilyHandyman.com

Annual grassy weeds sprout from seed each year. The weed dies in the fall, leaving behind seeds that germinate the following spring. Crabgrass is the most notorious grassy weed, but there are others, like yellow foxtail and nutgrass. Use a preemergent herbicide to kill annual grassy weed seeds in the spring before they germinate. Crabgrass preventer is the most common, but you might as well apply an herbicide containing Dimension in the spring because it also kills broadleaf weed seeds. Crabgrass often thrives along sidewalks and driveways because the ground is warmer there, so be sure to apply herbicide in those areas.

Tip for a Weed Free Yard - Drive-By Weeding

From the FamilyHandyman.com


Attach a bottle of herbicide to your lawn tractor with a hook-and-loop strip (like Velcro) in a spot where you can easily grab it. When you're mowing your lawn, pause the tractor and spray weeds right when you see them for weed control on the fly.

Memorial Day Weekend Events - 2015

By Amy Reyes | MiamiHerald.com
Miami.com

Six ways to spend your Memorial Day in Miami.

HOP AROUND

Everything homeowners could want or need to improve their dwelling, inside and out, can be found at the Fort Lauderdale Home Design & Remodeling Show, which features celebrity speakers, seminars, daily cooking shows, real estate advice, one-on-one interaction with experts, interior design, info and help on every kind of renovation, and even art exhibits.

Details: 4-9:30 p.m. Friday, noon-9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and noon-7:30 p.m. Monday, at the Broward Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale;www.homeshows.net; $10, kids 10 and under $1.

BBQ 

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) honors the troops with a Memorial Day BBQ on the terrace under the hanging gardens and overlooking Biscayne Bay. There will be music by local indie folk band, The Wynwoods, and barbecue and drink specials starting at $5 by Verde Restaurant and Bar. Inside the galleries, guests can participate in a scavenger hunt, exploring PAMM’s exhibitions by Nicolas Lobo, Antoni Tàpies, Iman Issa, Eugenio Espinoza and more.

Details: 1-4 p.m  (Galleries open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)  Monday at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami;  www.pamm.org; $12-$16, free to Active Duty service members and family (with valid U.S. Military ID) Free to those arriving by Metromover (with proof of transport).

FUN FOR THE KIDS

Celebrate the holiday with games and activities, arts & crafts, bounce houses, butterfly encounters, animal presentations, a scavenger hunt, martial arts demonstrations and even free pony rides at Flamingo Gardens' Kidz Fest.

Details: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday at Flamingo Gardens, 3750 S. Flamingo Rd., Davie; www.flamingogardens.org; $18, $5 age 3-11, free for 2 and under.

VIZCAYA

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens offers free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve, and their families from Memorial Day (May 25) through Labor Day (Sept. 7). Experience the European-inspired estate with 34 decorated rooms reflecting a variety of periods and styles, magnificent views of Biscayne Bay, innovative technologies and modern conveniences of the early 20th century, and gardens that mix Italian and French design with subtropical plants.

Details: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Sept. 7 at Vizcaya, 3251 S. Miami Ave., Miami; www.vizcaya.org; $10-$18, active duty military personnel and their families free, children under 5 free. .

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Blast through the entire space-time continuum in one sitting at O Cinema's Back to Back to Back to the Future Marathon, screening the "Back to the Future" trilogy in its entirety. At 8 p.m. don your favorite fashion of any era for the Enchantment Under the Sea party, which will be followed by yet another screening of "Back to the Future."

Details: Marathon screening begins at 2 p.m.,  party at 8 p.m. at O Cinema Wynwood, 90 NW 29th St., Miami; www.o-cinema.org; Admission for Marathon and Party $27 ($15 Kids Under 13); Party and Movie $15.

BASEBALL AND BEER

The Marlins are taking on the Baltimore Orioles in a three-game home series Friday through Sunday, but if you care very little about baseball but a whole lot about beer, head over Saturday for Beerfest at the Clevelander to sample brands from around the world and down the street.

Details: Beerfest 4:15 Saturday, game time 7:15 p.m. at Marlins Ballpark, 501 Marlins Way, Miami; miami.marlins.mlb.com; $30-$45.

10 Things Every Homeowner Must Know - 7

From theFamilyHandyman.com

Locate Your Main Water Shutoff Valve

In warm climates, the main water shutoff is typically outside, attached to a wall or underground.

In colder climates, the main water shutoff is typically in the basement. There is also a “curb stop” shutoff that requires a special tool to operate.

Mortgages: Buy to Let Property Information

From Enlightenme.com'

When researching mortgages, buy-to-let is a separate category from a standard mortgage loan. Buy-to-let mortgages are offered for investors to borrow money from banks and financial institutions with the intention of purchasing property to privately rent to tenants. These kinds of mortgages have been on the rise since the early 1990s in the UK and are quickly becoming a commonly-used method in the United States.

Initial Qualification for Mortgages, Buy to Let Properties

Lenders are able to disperse funds to clients in a number of different ways for a buy-to-let mortgage. First of all, the amount that an individual can borrow is usually based upon the rental value of the property. Most lenders wish to lend financial resources for rental properties that will yield a percentage of 120-150% of the repayment amount.

This commonly used qualification method is used to ensure that the individual will have a surplus in rental income to cover the costs of property maintenance and periods of time where portions of the property may not be rented to tenants. This protects lenders who issue mortgages, buy to let owners and investors. Occasionally, a background check may be initiated included pulling the buyer’s credit score, so it is often best for clients to operate under the guise of a private business to avoid poor credit conflicts.

Dispersed Funds

Many lenders will choose one of several different methods to disperse buy-to-let mortgage funds based on several criteria. For instance, some lenders will choose to offer mortgages that are based on three times the salary of the recipient as well as half the rental income.

There are other lenders that will opt to lend based on the deduction rule. This rule essentially states that the lender will only lend up to 3.5 times the recipient’s income minus a figure that represents the annual mortgage payments including a pre-set interest level.

It is often appropriate for the recipient to have a lawyer or accountant look over the mortgage agreement before signing on to anything long-term. The money may be dispersed in several payments or one lump sum into an account of the recipient’s choosing for mortgages; buy-to-let property owners should consider the tax implications of this choice.

Problems

Typically, investors will choose to avoid situations where they may be lending financial resources to individuals with poor credit. Furthermore, the downturn of the economy in 2008 and 2009 forced many lenders to become more stringent on their lending behaviors, even in foreign economies.

Due to these credit and economic issues, many lenders require a co-signor on all loaned funds or require a thorough financial analysis of the property to determine its projected income before dispersing the funds.

Although the buy-to-let mortgages are offered very close to the same interest rate as residential mortgages, they may often be slightly higher and charge more fees. These fees and higher rates are attributed to banks’ interpretations of buy-to-let mortgages frequently being higher risk. Despite these problems, the buy-to-let mortgages often offer excellent opportunities for individuals to receive adequate finances to purchase highly lucrative letting properties.

Melanie Griffith & Antonio Banderas List LA Estate for $16.1M

BY MELISSA ALLISON 
ZILLOW

The Italian Revival mansion includes a two-story kitchen and a two-story banquet hall.

Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, who announced last year that they’re getting divorced, have listed their longtime Los Angeles home.

The couple is asking $16.1 million for the 1.5-acre estate, as The Wall Street Journal first reported.

The centerpiece of the property is a 15,110-square-foot Italian Revival-style home at the end of a long, stone driveway. Built it 1925, its grand scale includes a two-story kitchen, a two-story banquet hall, a formal dining room with coffered ceilings, a recording studio and stone fireplaces.

The listing agent is Brett Lawyer of Hilton & Hyland.

Air Leak Testing & Sealing - The Top 10 Tips for Saving Money at Home - 10

From the Familyhandyman.com

Stop a draft in 60 seconds

Seal gaps around electrical boxes in exterior walls easily
Unscrew the cover plate and insert a foam gasket.

No foam or caulk required
Screw on the cover plate and you're done

In exterior walls, electrical boxes that hold switches or outlets can let in a lot of cold air. Worse, they can let warm, moist indoor air into walls, causing problems like wood rot or peeling exterior paint. One way to stop the airflow is to seal the gaps around them and the holes inside them with caulk—messy and time-consuming. But there's a much easier way: With foam gaskets, all you have to do is unscrew the cover plate, stick the gasket in place and put the plate back on. A pack of a dozen gaskets costs about $3 at home centers and hardware stores.