Most people don’t think about color frequently. When it comes to painting the rooms in your house, you’ve mostly likely thought about what color would make the most sense. You want to choose a color that goes well with the furniture you already have, but also goes with your own personality.

When you were thinking about colors, did you think about how each color may have an effect on your mood? Colors can affect people in different ways depending upon several factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, and even the climate you live in.   While colors can mean different things depending on the culture, the same general effect each color has tends to be similar. 

Color can affect more than just the way someone feels in a room. It can also influence how a room is perceived. For example, lighter shades and colors tend to make a smaller room look and feel larger, while using darker colors and shades can make a room feel cozier.

If you’re painting a room or even your entire house, read ahead and see how each color can potentially affect the way you feel while you’re in the room.

Red

Painting a room red can raise the energy level within the room.  It’s known as an extreme color that can stir up excitement and is good for stimulating conversation. It’s a color that makes a big first impression.

           Best room – dining room or living room
           Worst room – bed room

Yellow

Yellow is a happy, cheerful color; however, should only be used in smaller areas. As a lighter color, it can help make a hall, entry, or other small place feel expansive.  Too much yellow is a bad choice as adults lose their temper and babies cry more in yellow rooms.           

                        Best room – kitchen, dining room, or bathroom
                        Worst room – bed room

Blue

Rooms that are blue are often seen as relaxing and calming. It is said to be able to bring down blood pressure and slow down your heart rate. Using softer shades evokes this type of feeling, while darker shades tend to bring sadness. People are also known as being more productive in blue rooms.

                       Best room – bedroom, bathroom, or weight room/gym
                       Worst room – N/A

Green

Green is a color that symbolizes earthiness and nature. It encourages unwinding and togetherness, which makes it great for almost any room in the house.  It is also known as a color to help with fertility.

                        Best room – bedroom
                        Worst room – N/A

Purple

Purple is seen as a color associated with wealth and creativity, being as it’s a sophisticated and dramatic color. It’s often seen as a great secondary or accent color, not the main star. 

                        Best room – bedroom
                        Worst room – N/A

Neutrals

Neutral colors are those that can work with any other color. Black, gray, white and brown are all neutrals.  Neutrals are great because by adding other colors to this scheme, you can help liven up a room and use the other colors influence. By contrast, having a room with fewer colors, you are able to calm things down.

Sources:

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html

http://freshome.com/2007/04/17/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/

Millennials are a generation in which anything touched tends to be swayed in one direction or another.  The biggest example is with the housing market.  While in years past, most Millennials were turning to renting instead of buying; they now see opportunity in buying and owning homes.

According to a survey calculated by Digital Risk, 73.41% of Millennials haven’t purchased a home in the last 5 years, but 69.57% are interested in doing just that at some point within the next 5.

This generation is doing things differently than previous generations. The main focus of this generation tends to lean towards career path and employment opportunities instead of marriage.  Since Millennials are waiting much longer to get married and start a family than previous generations, many are no longer waiting until that point to get a mortgage. Instead, they are buying homes sooner and owning for shorter periods of time, before moving to the next home.

While there are some different types of obstacles that Millennials have to face that other generations didn’t have to, such as an abundance of student loans, this doesn’t impact their want of buying a home.

A March 2015 report from the National Association of Realtors reported that Millennials represent the biggest group of homebuyers in America with 32%, which is only going to increase in the coming years.Buying a home for this generation is a milestone and part of the “American Dream,” that they want to be part of.  The homes that they choose to buy; however, aren’t usually new homes, but older homes that they may need to do some work or renovations on.

Norcom Mortgage “Dream Home Loan” can help with just that.  The Norcom Mortgage Dream Home Loan provides the cash needed to pay for upgrades, improvements, or other repairs to the property.

Whether you are moving to a different state or just across town, it can be easy to overlook things that should get done BEFORE you start life in a new home.

2 months before your move…

Collect Boxes – Start collecting boxes that you’re going to need to transport your belongings to the new location. Ask your friends or family, especially if they have just recently moved. Checking craigslist or even asking local businesses if they have any gently used boxes can help you out so you don’t have to spend any cash.

Pack Rarely Used Items  - Go through your attic or basement to start packing up things that you rarely use. After that, try going through one room at a time – starting with a guest room. While you’re at it, put aside unwanted items that you haven’t used in over a year. Getting this done 2 months ahead of time might seem a little advanced, but as the date approaches, you’ll be busy with many other things.

Have a Yard Sale  - Those unwanted items that you put aside when going through the rooms? Make a little extra cash and sell them at a yard sale or even on Craigslist. If having a yard sale isn’t something you’re interested in, donate the items to a local thrift store.

2 weeks before your move…

Notify People – If you haven’t already notified your friends and family of your upcoming move, now is the time to do so.  You don’t want to miss out on any holiday or birthday cards! Send out a mass email to your contacts list with your new address or do it the old-fashioned way and send out some snail mail.  In addition, it’s best to go to the post office and choose a date to start forwarding your mail.

Stop Grocery Shopping – You don’t want to waste money or food by having too much of it when you’re ready to move out of your house.  Go through your freezer and your pantry and be creative with what your meals, you might even find a new recipe you enjoy!

2 days before your move…

Pack Essentials Box – Pack everything that you would need for the first night in your new home such as sheets, a pillow, dishware, cups, toiletries, your phone charger and anything else you can’t go a day without.

We are excited to report that Norcom is hiring! We are looking for dedicated, enthusiastic individuals who share our core values. Joining Norcom means joining a family built around commitment, respect, excellence, service, and teamwork. We’ve used these values to facilitate more than twenty-five years of steady growth to become the top independent purchase lender in Connecticut and achieve an expanding presence throughout the East Coast.  Further, our collaborative and fun work environment is constantly recognized. Norcom is rated a Top Workplace in Connecticut three years running by the Hartford Courant and Fox CT. Join us and work for a company that is big enough to get the job done right but still small enough to care.

Loan Originators:

We are looking to partner with passionate loan originators who appreciate the value of efficiency, support, and communication like we do. Our originators are active community members who put doing what is in the homebuyer’s best interest above their own commissions.

As a Loan Originator you will have:

• Full Product offerings as a Direct Lender with minimal overlays
• Aggressive and competitive rates
• Flexibility to choose your own compensation
• Dedicated Marketing team
• Personal Website
• Helpdesk and dedicated support team
• 100% communication at all times

Mortgage Underwriters:

We are looking for DE, FHA, and VA approved mortgage underwriters to join our Underwriting Team. Working with our experienced Underwriting Team involves receiving, reviewing, and making a loan decision on applications from the retail, correspondent, and wholesale mortgage origination channels. If you are interested in joining our great Underwriting Team, please do not hesitate to apply.

Underwriting responsibilities include:

• Review and analyze complex mortgage loan applications and make loan approval and decline decisions based on loan underwriting guidelines
• Ability to read and review real estate property appraisals in accordance with mortgage loan policies and current compliance guidelines.
• Ability to read, review and derive income from complex personal and business tax returns.
• Review complex personal and corporate financial statements.
• Clearly communicate decisions and stipulations through the appropriate source.

For more details on job descriptions, requirements, and how to apply, please visit www.JoinNorcom.com!

There inevitably comes a time in everyone’s life when they realize their home no longer fits their needs. Maybe more space is required for a growing family or a pay raise allows you to upgrade to something a little nicer. In situations like these when location isn’t an issue, the question of whether to renovate your current home or move into a new one always arises. Before deciding there are a lot of things to consider.

First, you have to think about finances and your future plans. What is your current home worth? What would your new home budget be and would it provide you with a significant improvement in the current market? What is you dream home? Could renovations even make this possible within your budget? These are all things to consider very seriously when making your decision.

After you ponder these things and determine that both options are possibilities, there are some more specific pros and cons to each choice.

Moving

Pros:

• Fresh Start – Moving allows you to start fresh with a new house in a different location. Whether you go across the street or across the country, it is a very exciting change.
• Taxes – In some cases, moving can qualify you for certain tax breaks and your new location may have cheaper taxes. Keep in mind, however, it may be more expensive as well. Be sure to ask your realtor about all of this when looking.
• Getting A Mortgage – A new home can allow you to go into the mortgage process with more experience and most likely, more money than you had before.

Cons:

• Moving – Moving is a brutal process. With packing and shipping and unpacking, it is an extremely stressful process that many people would like to avoid if possible.
• Cost – There are a lot of fees associated with moving. Aside from house price, paying for movers and realtor fees alone can seem overwhelming. These are the major two, but other costs can sneak up on you as well.

Renovating

Pros:

• Your Design – When looking at a new home, you often have to accept that there will be one or two features in every house that you are not in love with. When renovating, you can make sure everything is designed and carried out to your exact specifications.
• Keep Your House – Renovating allows you to have an updated version of the house you originally fell in love with. This allows you to keep your community connections and be in the same neighborhood.

Cons:

• Unpredictable Expenses – Often times when doing renovations, issues will be found under the surface that can cost extra time and money. This can force you to exceed your budget or have to cut out some of the changes you would have liked to make.
• Huge Mess – While your renovations are taking place, your home will be a mess and in some stages, may be unlivable. If you can stay, it will be loud and stressful. If you have to leave, hotels and other expenses add up quickly.

While these tips can help you decide whether to renovate or move, sometimes there is a third option, both. If you have an ideal home in mind that can’t be created out of your current house, it can be hard to find it on the market as well. Buying a house that has the space you need and many good characteristics, but could use work, can be a great option. Houses that require some work can be bought cheaply and renovated into the home of your dreams. Products like the Norcom Dream Home Loan^TM even make it possible to finance your new mortgage and renovations together, all in one loan.

Whether deciding to move, remodel, or both, it is hard to go wrong. The most important thing is to make sure the decision is well researched and that the entire family is on board. Accomplish that, and you will be sure to make the right choice.