It can be quite intimidating walking down the paint isle at Home Depot. Especially for someone like me who hates to paint. It is not that I do not mind the work. It is that I have been around some people who can do it so neat and fast. I feel like I am back in kindergarten doing figure painting.

I was ask to the cost of paint to paint a room in a clients home. So my first stop was Home Depot because it was the closest to where my client lived.

We are one of the millions of people who rent their home. Last month our lease was due for renewal. So before going in to discuss any term changes on the lease, I decided to do a little homework.

The Wall Street Journal has had, this year, several articles stating that apartment vacancies were at a 30 year high. 2009 ended with the vacancy rate of 8%.

CNN Money.com reported that rents are going down on the average of 3% per rental unit.

The following was posted on MyFirstBoiseHome.com. I felt that this information is so important in helping you save money, I have re-posted for you folks.

Real Estate looks a little different today than it did 5 years ago. We’ve seen some good times and we’ve seen some not so good times in real estate but the name of the game is adapting. We can all say we specialize in something but what we need to specialize in is what our clients and prospective clients need. And when I say specialize I mean be proficient, very proficient.

The weather is getting warmer. Summer heat will soon be here. Some places in the United States have already reached the 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

We can send our electric bill through the roof on just the cost of running our air conditioners, if we don’t do some practical money and energy saving things. They may not seem big, but they can make a big difference when we get the electric bill in the mail.

Turn Off the Computer – Turn off the computers when not being used. Computers generate heat. Computer use up electricity. Just by turning off your computer when it is not being used can save big bucks.

When will people learn?  Home buyers are still attempting NOT to use a professional Realtor and home inspector.  What are they thinking?

Using these professional services will save you much more money then trying to go it alone.  The stories about home buyers not using a home inspector are endless.  How much is a home inspection these days?  $250. – $500?

Recently a friend of mine took the sellers word that the property was in great shape and there is not water in the crawl space.   Guess what, there was water in the crawl space and the repair cost was well over $3500.00.  So much for saving a buck.  In the real estate world, these instances are for too numerous.

When it comes to buying a home in today’s current economy we need all the help we can get. This is especially true first time home buyer. Whenever, I meet with my good friend Craig Ballhagen, I am amazed at his insight. Below is a reprint from his blog, MyFristBoiseHome.com. I truly believe reading will give you some tip that will save you money and frustration when you go to buy a home.

Boise’s next generation of first time home buyers must step up and take control of their home loan process and take responsibility for the documents they are signing.  Remember you are borrowing hundred’s of thousands of dollars and required to pay it all back.

Once again, how much is enough? How much square footage does a person REALLY need?  How many rooms in a house are full of “stuff?”

Idaho Housing Authority named Guild Mortgage of Boise Idaho the number one lender in the third quarter.  That is quite and statement and should give any Realtor or potential home buyer another great reason to consider Guild Mortgage Idaho for their next purchase transaction.

These days in the real estate world, home loans have become a challenging undertaking.   That is why it is so important to establish a lasting relationship with a professional lending institution, such as Guild.