Consumer Tips

When selling your home, it’s important to think about your prospective buyers and how you should market differently to each group. Even if you think your home would be better suited for a baby boomer or retiree, you might be surprised to find out your home could be attractive to a single Millennial. Here’s how your Millennial marketing plan might need to be updated.

Highlight Certain Features

Millennials are looking for features that are a little different than baby boomers. For instance, they are looking for:

• Open floor plans
• Ranch style homes
• Media rooms
• Hardwood or tile floors

Where as baby boomers might be looking things like:

• Two-car garages
• Storage
• Large kitchens

If you have these types of features in your home, you should be sure to play them up in your marketing for each group.

Location, Location, Location

Your neighborhood is also really important because Millennials care about convenience. They are looking for a location that offers them easy access to everything and many times location will be the determining factor in a buying decision.

Market Differently

Millenials are heavy online users. When building your marketing plan, think about using social media, websites and mobile technology to reach this audience. Baby boomers are increasingly online, but may be able to be reached in more traditional ways. For instance, word-of-mouth, relationships and newspaper advertising might be a way to target this group.

Be intentional about creating a marketing plan that targets these two very different groups and you will have the best shot at getting these groups interested in your home.

If you’re ready to sell or purchase a home, check out the Union Plus Real Estate Rewards program. You could get $500 for every $100,000 in home value if you use a real estate agent approved by SIRVA.*

Learn what happens in each instance, and how to coordinate your transition.

If you’re buying a home while selling your current house, there’s a good chance your closing dates won’t exactly align. How can you deal with selling your home before buying a new one, or vice versa? 

Here Are Some Ideas:

If You Buy a Home Before Selling Your Current One:

The good news is you’ll immediately have a place to move into, but you may not have enough money saved for the down payment for the new ones.  Some options:

• Tap into savings. Utilize money from savings or non-retirement investments, immediately replacing it once your home sells. 
• Rent your existing home. Use the rent to go toward your old mortgage. With this option, you will still need money for the down payment of your new home. 
• Add a sale and settlement contingency to your contract. This states you can’t close on the new house until the current house sells. If you come away with money from your home sale, you could put it toward your down payment. 

If You Sell Your Home Before Buying a New One:

You’ll know how much you have for a down payment, and it may be easier to qualify for a new mortgage since you’re not carrying debt from your old home. But selling first means you may not have anywhere to live after closing. Some options:

• Stay with family or friends or rent an apartment. 
• Rent-back agreement. You’d negotiate and pay rent to the new owners in order to stay in your home. However, there may be liability issues involved so you may want to discuss this option with an attorney. 

Ready to buy or refinance a home? Contact the loan officers at the Union Plus Mortgage Company, a union-owned company for all your home financing needs.

Buying a new home is not a far-fetched idea when you get the financing and support you need. You
could be well on your way with:

Special benefits for Union members — The Union Plus^® Mortgage program, with financing provided by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, features access to benefits designed for union families. Keep in mind that extended family (parents and children of union members) may be eligible for certain mortgage benefits.

• After closing on a loan through the Union Plus Mortgage program, you’ll be eligible to receive a My Mortgage Gift^SM award from Wells Fargo - $500 for buying a home or $300 for refinancing your home, for use at participating retailers.¹
• Access to mortgage assistance through Union Plus in times of hardship such as layoff, disability or strike.² 

As little as 3% down — on a fixed-rate loan, and receive $750 off closing costs when you complete an approved homebuyer education course. Even if you’re not buying your first home, this loan option is available to you. A Wells Fargo Home Mortgage consultant will tell you more about the yourFirst Mortgage® option, including loan amount, loan type, and property type eligibility requirements.

Please keep in mind that mortgage insurance will be required, which increases the cost of the loan and will increase your monthly payments. A Wells Fargo Home Mortgage consultant will explain the options available, so you can choose what works for you.

Someone by your side — you’ll have personalized support every step of the way, with guidance and information to meet your unique needs.

A simpler way to apply — with an online mortgage application that offers step-by-step guidance, connects with your financial accounts so you can import information, and allows you to upload documents quickly and conveniently.

If you have any questions about the homebuying process, loan options, or would like a free prequalification, contact a Wells Fargo Home Mortgage consultant today at 1-866-802-7312. We’re here to support you every step of the way. And if you are considering refinancing, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has options for you too. 

To keep drivers safe, vehicles, tires and equipment can be recalled. Typically, a vehicle manufacturer initiates a recall voluntarily, though you may hear about a vehicle recall as a result of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation or a court order. When a vehicle has a safety recall, the manufacturer is required to notify all vehicle owners about it. Your notification letter includes:

• The description of the defect, including any possible resulting safety risks and other hazards.
• The description of how the manufacturer intends to repair the defect, including when repairs can be scheduled and how long they are estimated to take.
• Instructions for what to do if you’re unable to take your vehicle in for service within the specified time.

I Just Received a Recall Notice — What’s Next?

First things first: Don’t delay. When recalling a vehicle for safety reasons, manufacturers are required to fix the problem at no charge. Your manufacturer also can choose to replace your vehicle with a similar model or refund your purchase, accounting for depreciation.

It’s especially important to take immediate action if the safety-related defect could cause significant harm such as:

• Faulty steering components that result in loss of control.
• Accelerators that break or stick.
• Wiring issues that could cause a fire.

What If My Vehicle Is Unsafe but I Haven’t Received a Recall Notice?

The NHTSA evaluates consumer reports of vehicle safety issues. If enough consumers submit complaints about the same or similar issue, the NHTSA opens an official investigation. Here’s how to report safety issues:

• U.S. Department of Transportation’s Hotline (1-888-327-4236).
• Online at safercar.gov.

The NHTSA doesn’t consider all defects safety related. Examples include malfunctioning air-conditioners, body panel rust, and ordinary wear and tear of equipment such as batteries and shock absorbers.

Regardless of whether your vehicle has a safety recall, the NHTSA recommends using its Recalls Lookup Tool at safercar.gov at least twice per year. This tool searches for safety recalls based on your car or truck’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

As a union member, you have access to special savings on auto insurance from SnapQuote^® offered by MetLife Auto & Home^®. To learn more about the program call 1-844-299-6660 or visit snapquoteinsurance.com/unionplus and a team of licensed agents will go to work finding multiple quotes on quality, affordable insurance from national, highly rated carriers. It's fast. It's easy. And puts the power of choice right where it belongs - squarely in your hands.

Many people enjoy the Easter decorations, baskets and gatherings that fill their homes with friends and family. If you have pets, it’s very important to keep them in mind as you prepare for the festivities! Plastic Easter eggs and grass, chocolate, lilies and several other holiday treats can be dangerous for pets if ingested. 

Sharing Food and Treats with Pets

An Easter basket filled with treats is very tempting for some pets. Most pets are filled with curiosity and feel the need to investigate anything new in their environment. Your dog may eat the entire contents of a basket and have the hard pieces of a plastic egg break off and get lodged in their throat. Your cat may chew on plastic grass contained with the Easter basket and cause internal damage when accidentally ingesting.

Please make sure to keep Easter baskets out of the reach of your pets to prevent poisoning or a choking hazard. Children should make sure to keep the baskets in their rooms with the doors closed or parents should keep them up high out of reach.

Easter Lillies

Easter lilies are extremely toxic for cats. Ingestion of even a small portion of the plant can cause lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, seizures and even death. It’s really best to avoid this plant altogether if you have a cat, since cats are natural climbers and will be able to access the Lily even if you put it up high.

Ways to Help Your Pet’s Allergies

If you do experience an emergency with your pet outside of your vet’s regular office hours, please contact the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 or your local emergency veterinary hospital or center.

If you are a current Pets Best policy holder, you can also utilize the 24/7 Vet Pet Helpline powered by WhiskerDocs. This service is included in all policies.

Learn more about the Union Plus Pet Insurance plan,
powered by Pets Best

It’s always nice to actually make money when selling your home, but some of us aren’t always in that position. Here are some cheap and easy tips for how you can spruce up your home and get top dollar at the closing table.

Do Some Yard Work, First Impressions Count

• Keep the lawn mowed, preferably on the diagonal
• The color yellow sells – plant yellow flowers such as marigolds along the walkway or by the front door
• Wash the exterior windows
• Paint or replace the front door and buy new hardware
• Power spray the house to get rid of dirt and cobwebs
• Buy a new welcome mat for the front steps
• Paint or replace the mailbox

Declutter

• Remove all personal photographs from the tables and walls. Patch holes in the walls or hang non-personalized artwork over the existing nails
• Pack up your bookcase (you’re going to move anyway)
• Clean out the closets and store non-essential items

Clean, Clean, Clean…Your Kitchen

• If new granite is out of your budget, consider either re-grouting the kitchen counter tiles, which is surprisingly cost effective, or covering them with granite tiles instead of granite slab
• For wood cabinets, stripping the finish and re-staining or painting will save you more money than re-surfacing the cabinets
• Buy new knobs and/or pulls for the cabinet doors
• Replace a worn kitchen faucet
• Buy a new kitchen sink basket strainers
• Consider installing kitchen pendant lights over the sink

With these quick and budget-friendly tips, you’ll be on your way to maximizing the value of your home and one step closer to the closing table.

If you’re considering a home purchase or sale, work with a SIRVA-preferred real estate agent and earn cash back after closing*.  Contact us today at 800-284-9756.

Find out whether your homeowners insurance policy covers mold removal.

Q. What provisions in a typical homeowners insurance policy covers mold removal? Is an extra premium required?

A. Generally, mold, fungus and dry or wet rot are covered only if they result from damage to something caused by a covered peril. However, if mold starts to grow in your home because of improper or inadequate home maintenance, the policy does not provide coverage.

Your homeowners policy tackles mold issues in many instances. Let’s say you are on vacation when a drain backs up, soaking your carpeting. By the time you discover the damage a week later, mold has started to grow. If your policy has Back Up of Sewer, Drain and Sump Pump Coverage, MetLife Auto & Home pays the costs to repair or replace the carpeting—and clean any mold—up to the insurance limit. In some states, Back Up coverage is optional; in others it’s automatically provided. Check your policy’s declarations to confirm whether you have this valuable coverage and the limit on how much it pays. Various limits, from $2,000 to $250,000, are offered in nearly all states.

The presence of mold makes even the simplest situation complicated; coverages and limits vary from state to state. Contact your MetLife Auto & Home representative for specific answers relating to your policy.

Union members can get multi-policy discounts on home and auto insurance* with SnapQuote® offered by MetLife Auto & Home®. Call 1-855-666-5797 or click to see how SnapQuote can help.

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Our favorite shortcut. Store your vehicle preferences, rental history and upcoming reservations on Budget.com/UnionPlus. Speed up your experience by choosing Fastbreak Return and e-Receipt.

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Whether your mom has a secret mattress stash of money she’s been saving for your first home, or if you made a special request to your wedding guests to forego the toasters and instead give money toward your new love nest, gift funds can be a big help when it comes to buying a home. Although utilizing gift funds for a down payment on a new home is very common, many don’t realize that the source of the gift is an important factor when going through mortgage financing. There are some things to be mindful of in the process to ensure as a buyer you receive the funds in such a way to satisfy lender guidelines.

The scrutiny by lenders around gift funds is to ensure you are not “borrowing” funds which could, in turn, add to your indebtedness. 
Although cash gifts are most often seen given to first-time home buyers, other buyers ‘moving up’ will occasionally use them as well. The extra cash may be desired to help reach a 20% down threshold which could translate to better interest rates as well as no private mortgage insurance (PMI) which has become quite costly in recent years.

When a borrower qualifies through Fannie Mae guidelines for a conventional loan and has FNMA Desktop Underwriter (DU) approval, often the entire down payment can come from gift funds from family. In the past FNMA has required a borrower to have at least 5% of their own funds into the transaction. FHA loans also allow for all of the minimum down payment of 3.5% to be gift; however, there are some additional guidelines around exactly who can give the gift.
It’s important to know how to structure your gift funds to be sure that you are able to meet lender guidelines.

For instance, a gift letter will be a part of the required documentation requested by your lender. The letter should ultimately be short and simple. Typically, the lender will ask that a borrower include the following information: 

• Address of property to be purchased
• Amount of gift
• Relationship of the gifter and giftee (should be a relative)
• Declaration that this is a gift and does not need to be repaid

Outside of the basic gift letter there are a few other things to keep in mind: 

• Make copies of the front and back of each check. Your lender will need it. 
• Deposit your gift check in an actual brick & mortar bank versus via a smartphone. This process may seem archaic to some, but it helps with the paper trail. 
• Keep a copy of the deposit slip. You may be asked to provide it for the underwriter.
• The gifted check should go into the same account you are using for your closing. The last thing you need is to have to run around and provide new bank statements right before closing.
• If the gifter is shifting funds around in order to give the gift, ask them to make sure there is a clear paper trail. It may need to be verified.

When you know in advance that you will be using gift funds to help with your down payment, be prepared to document it for your mortgage company. 

If you’re ready to purchase a new home and would like to start earning cash back with a SIRVA referred agent, contact us today at 800-284-9756.
 

Spring is in the air! And so are pesky allergens that can cause allergies in every family member including your four-legged friends. While dogs and cats, like humans, can have allergies any time of year, they can also have seasonal allergies. These arrive with the warm weather as nature comes out of hibernation and pollen fills the air.

My Dog Has Allergies!

Dogs can have allergic reactions to a variety of common environmental and household substances but are prone to spring allergies. This is due to the extra pollen in the grass and air. Other common causes of pet allergies include dust, dust mites, grass, ragweed, mold, dander, feathers and flea bites.

Allergies are more common in Terriers, Retrievers, Setters, and dogs with short snouts including Pugs, Bulldogs, and Boston Terriers.

Can Cats Have Allergies?

Cats can also develop seasonal allergies, especially those that spend time outdoors. Like dogs, cats can have allergic reactions to pollen and other allergens that are more active in the spring. Reduce the chance of your cat having a spring allergy by keeping them indoors, particularly on dry, windy days. Also, keep kitty inside after mowing the lawn, weed pulling, or gardening. Using the air conditioning instead of fans will also reduce the pollen in the air indoors, as well as dusting and vacuuming frequently.

Keep an eye out for the following symptoms that may indicate your pet has an allergy: itching (including excessive scratching, hair loss, red skin or skin irritation); red, watery eyes; excessive paw licking; ear infections (watch for excessive head shaking or scratching of ears), or sneezing (and “reverse sneezing” in dogs, and rarely in cats, when air is inhaled rapidly through the nose)
If your pet is showing any of these five common signs of allergies you should consult your veterinarian.

How Can I Relieve My Pet’s Allergies?

Sometimes symptoms for seasonal allergies will overlap with food allergies or other environmental allergies so diagnosis may be difficult and is best managed by a veterinarian who can prescribe medication if necessary. Diet can help treat allergies such as feeding your dog Omega 3 fatty acids, and yucca for cats and dogs. To treat itching or skin conditions due to allergies, make sure to wipe your pet’s paws after walking outside, and use shampoos that contain pet friendly moisturizers or soothing emollients. Antihistamines are effective in only 20% of pets, and you should consult your veterinarian before administering any medication to your dog or cat. Enjoy the spring with healthy pets, not sneezing pets.

How Can Pet Insurance Help with Allergy Care?

Don’t wait until your pet’s allergies have already developed as pet insurance doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions. Protect your wallet by covering your pet before illness or accident happens.

The Union Plus Pet Insurance program is powered by Pets Best and offers plans to fit all budgets and coverage needs.

Visit unionplus.org/pets to learn more about
which plan is best for your pet!