By Day- Sam is the System Administrator and Encompass System Specialist here at Norcom, a very important role! He spends his days enhancing Norcom’s Encompass implementation, resolving system issues and creating and updating business rules, working closely with our Compliance Department. Sam also implements larger scale projects, manages the phone system and maintains and supports the various electronics in the office.

By Night- Sam’s hobbies include working on and restoring cars, photography and gardening. However, he would say he is most recently recognized as a jam, jelly and salsa maker. He started his own company, Peculiar Peppers, this past year. They specialize in out of the ordinary jams and jellies. The company started out of necessity; Sam had a large number of hot peppers left over from his garden at the end of last season and needed to figure out something to do with them, as he didn’t have the freezer space to store them all. Lucky for us-his jams are delicious!

To order some of Sam’s jams visit:

http://peculiarpeppers.com

Knowing when to think about buying a home can be challenging. You may not know what factors go into making the decision and it can be hard to think long-term. However, by asking yourself the following questions, you can determine if now is the right time to begin the home-buying process.

Am I staying here for a long time?

If you are planning on living in the same place for the next three to five years, you might be better off buying a home. You recoup the costs associated with buying a new home by living in it and building equity. When you sell your house, the more equity you have, the better.

Is my rent higher than a mortgage payment?

Rent can add up, and you are essentially paying off somebody else’s mortgage. If the cost of your rent is more than the cost of owning and maintaining a home, you might consider buying.

Do I have enough money for a down payment?

If you can determine the cost of a down payment and the cost of a monthly mortgage payment, and still have a small cushion for any life emergency, it would be worth the investment to look at purchasing a home. Talking to a professional can help you determine how much house you can afford.

Is my credit good?

A high credit score helps you get the best deal on a loan. The higher your score, the lower your interest rate should be. Reviewing a copy of your credit will help you determine where you need to be in order to afford the house you want.

If you answered these questions and feel buying a home is in your best interest, then researching the types of mortgages available is the next step. Every homebuyer has different things to consider. Speaking with a professional is the best place to start.

Believe it or not, warm weather really is just around the corner, and with it comes spring-cleaning. This year, why not take the opportunity to go green! Here are a few ways to implement green solutions into your home cleaning routine:

No More Paper Towels: Replacing this paper product with microfiber cloths will actually give you a better level of clean. Since the cloths can be thrown in the washing machine at the end of the day, you will significantly reduce the amount of trash you throw out each week.

Change Your Product: There are several environmentally friendly alternatives to the cleaning products we are used to buying in the grocery store. Something like Clorox’s Green Works all-purpose cleaner is a great replacement for some of the harsher chemicals we normally use.

Use Baking Soda: Instead of perfumed aerosol sprays to eliminate odors in the home, spread baking soda on your carpet and then vacuum.

Recycle: It’s easy to forget this simple rule, but plastic, glass, metal food containers, old newspapers and magazines should be placed at the curb for pick up by a recycling center.

Add Houseplants: There are several indoor plants that can improve your air quality. Always check to make sure they are safe for pets, but chrysanthemums, English ivy, spider plants and Boston ferns are among the best options.

There’s nothing better than opening your windows for the first time in months and letting your home air out. Remember to practice clean, green alternatives as you start to prepare for spring!

Is this weather getting to anybody else? After weeks of being inside with lots of snow, you might find yourself spending more time than you’d like in your living room; the most popular room in a home. It’s where you’ve been watching TV on snow days, reading magazines and searching the internet for cheap vacations to warmer places. You might be getting to the point where you want to redecorate or simply reorganize. Here are some ways to make your living room feel brand new without spending any money:

1.)  Take a picture of your living room space before you start doing anything. This will help you remember where things were and comparing the before and after confirms your rearranging choices.

2.)  Gather up 4 different garbage bags or baskets for: Keep, Donate, Trash and Other Room.

3.)  Go through everything on your shelves, in drawers, on the floor etc. and divide the contents into the four baskets.

4.)  Now clean everything! Dust the picture frames, every surface, the television, books etc. Vacuum, clean the windows and make sure to get in the corners of the room and behind the television.

5.)  Use the storage you have to make things look clean. A coffee table with storage can hold kids toys or magazines. A simple bowl or decorative plate can house the remotes. A basket you might have lying around the house can store your blankets and throws. The point is to containerize the room.

6.)  Rearrange the furniture to try a different layout. Or simply move the photos, mirrors and other wall hangings to switch up the room. A “shuffle” will make you feel like you’ve got yourself a new space.

7.)  Take your after photo to compare and enjoy your new living room!

Sometimes cleaning and rearranging a room is enough to make it seem brand new. Switching out a wall hanging for one in another room is another simple way to change things up. If you feel like putting some money into the project, buy a new throw rug or accent pillows. Remember that not all home projects have to cost a lot to make a big difference! 

By day, she is the Executive Assistant to Norcom Mortgage’s fearless General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, paying attention to detail and deadlines. She has been managing the company-wide licensing- lender, branch and individual, plus the annual license renewal period; coordinating the in-house licensure CE training; and serving as administrative lead for outside agency lending approvals.  She has also worked with our dynamic President and his unparalleled Executive Assistant over the last six months to help design and decorate a Norcom-renovated property for a television feature on a property rehabilitation loan product offered by Norcom.

By night, she is an oil-painter interested in obscuring detail and letting a certain amount of chaos overwhelm the canvas.  She has been drawing seriously since a young age, starting with a graphite copy of John Lennon from the cover of Time magazine.  Studies have taken her to England for ceramics, and NYC for anatomy illustration and a Masters in Museum Studies in Decorative Arts.  It is the medium of oil paint, however, that takes her farthest in exploration and excitement, hopefully free from the constraints of predictability. Susan’s art is prominently featured among all the art in our entire Avon location, which she hand selected prior to our move last year.