The fireplace tends to be forgotten when record high temperatures are hitting many parts of the country. But, regardless of the season, buyers often find fireplaces alluring.

However, if your fireplace has lost some of its appeal due to an outdated look, it might be time for a makeover. Creating a unique look for your fireplace can make it very enticing to buyers. Fireplaces can be eyesores or focal points in a room. So, take a look at your fireplace and decide if it will spark buyers' interest. "If anything is out, it is brick. Nobody is really doing brick anymore. It's mostly concrete or stone," says Rick Gardella, President of Concepts in Concrete Construction.

Style. Of course, every home décor style is subjective. As the times change the mass appeal of certain materials fluctuates. Gardella says concrete is now being used for many areas in the house from indoor flooring to concrete fireplace surrounds. If you're thinking of giving your fireplace a facelift, Gardella says be sure to consider these tips.

Consider the bigger picture. Your fireplace should complement the rest of your home. Be sure to consider not just what type of material you will use to cover the fireplace but also what types of décor will be sitting on the mantel or near the fireplace. Take a look at the rest of the room and see what statement you want to make with the fireplace. For instance, a stone surround that extends up the fireplace and the entire wall to the ceiling can create a bold and rustic look.

Two-sided fireplaces. A look that's popular and provides double the enjoyment is a two-sided fireplace. It's not always practical or possible but if it can be done this feature creates appeal and warmth in multiple rooms. Use cardboard boxes to see the true size of your new surround. Sometimes it's difficult to determine how the new fireplace surround will actually fit into your room. Experts recommend using cardboard cutouts and placing them around the existing fireplace so that you can see exactly how much space is taken up and how the new fireplace surround will impact your living area. Use samples. Have you ever decided to paint your house?

Wrong color.You put a splash of the color up on the walls and then realize you hate the color that you had loved so much in the store. Let that be a lesson. Be sure to take samples of the materials you will use for your fireplace surround. Take them home and let them sit next to your fireplace for a few days. Give it time to see the materials in different lighting and through your changing moods. Taking the time to test the materials in your home will likely save you disappointment and extra cost in the future.

Straight or curved? Typically, curves and more intricate designs will increase the cost of your fireplace surround. So if budget is a concern you might consider replacing curves in the design with straight lines and also minimizing small details. This can be done without compromising the overall appeal.

What should it cost? That's a tough question as the price can vary considerably. However, Gardella says size, materials, design, and the inclusion of other décor such as hearths and mantels contribute to the overall price. "If you're remodeling your existing fireplace you're probably going to pay $2,500 to $5,000."

By definition, a burglary is a non-confrontational property crime that occurs when no one is in the home. But anyone who has ever dealt with type of crime knows that it can leave a family feeling vulnerable and violated.

The statistics are staggering, but there are ways to prevent such crime from happening to you and your family. Remember that most homes are targeted, so be sure that you make your home less appealing to burglars by following these tips.

 

1. Keep all doors and windows locked.

   It's important to use a high quality deadbolt locks on your doors and to use an additional blocking device on sliding glass doors. Windows are often much less attended to than doors, so check them throughout your home routinely.

    

2. Install drapes or blinds on all lower level windows and doors, including the garage. Most burglaries actually occur during the middle of the day, so keeping your possessions and cars hidden from intruders is important.

    

3. Install flood lights or censor lights on the exterior of the home and keep lights on inside the home as well. Burglars are far less likely to enter a well-lit residence.

    

4. Keep a well-manicured lawn. This can emphasize that you pay close attention to your home, whereas an overgrown lawn can suggest vacancy to a possible burglar.

    

5. When traveling, make sure you have someone checking on the house collecting your mail and newspapers; a pile of papers on the driveway is a tell-tale sign that your family is away.

    

6. Install an alarm system. Make sure all household members are trained properly in working the alarm and use it daily; a top-notch security system is useless if it isn't used or is used improperly. Also, post stickers on the exterior of the home indicating your alarm service and that will often scare off possible intruders.

Of course no method is 100% effective against burglaries, but by following these simple suggestions you can significantly reduce your chances of being targeted.

Q: What has changed?
Several important features took effect as of Nov. 6:
1) To take advantage of the tax credits, a buyer must have a contract in place before May 1, 2010, and the deal must close before July 1, 2010. No further extension is expected.
2) The price of the house is now capped. For purchases made after Nov. 6, no credit is available for any home costing more than $800,000.
3) There is now a tax credit for repeat buyers as well as for first-time buyers. Taxpayers who have lived in one residence for five consecutive years of the past eight can now qualify for a tax credit of as much as 10% of the purchase price, up to a maximum $6,500, of a new principal residence. The new home does not have to cost more than the old one.
4) Income limits for people who qualify for a tax credit are far more generous than under the previous law. For single filers, the credits now phase out between $125,000 and $145,000 of modified adjusted gross income; for married couples, the range is $225,000 to $245,000. For most people, modified adjusted gross income will be the same as adjusted gross income.
5) The new law contains anti-abuse measures designed to stem fraud, which became a problem with the previous home-buyer tax credit. Most buyers must be 18 or older, and no taxpayer may take a credit if he or she is claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. Taxpayers taking the credit will also have to furnish proof of purchase. According to Robert Dietz of the National Association of Home Builders, this will usually be a HUD-1 form.
6) People taking the tax credit, as under the old law, aren't allowed to buy a home from a lineal ancestor or descendent. The new law, applying to purchases made after Nov. 6, also says a person may not take a credit if the home is purchased from a spouse or the spouse's lineal relatives.

Q: If I bought a house last spring or summer, can I get a tax credit?
You qualify if you are a first-time buyer and meet the other requirements, but not if you are a repeat buyer. The new credit for repeat buyers applies only to purchases made after Nov. 6.

Q: What is the definition of "principal residence"?If you own more than one home, your principal residence is usually the one where you spend most of your time. In determining residence the IRS may also consider where your family lives and your mailing address for bills and correspondence, among other factors.

Q: Can a principal residence be something besides a conventional house?
Yes. A principal residence may also be a condominium, co-op apartment, attached or semi-attached townhouse, or even—if it has eating, sleeping and toilet facilities—a boat, motor home or trailer. Manufactured homes qualify in some states.

Q: Does the person who claims the credit have to use the home as a principal residence?
Yes.

Q: If I buy a new home and live in it, do I also have to sell my old one in order to take advantage of the credit?
This is unclear. The law appears to allow repeat buyers to retain their old home, for which no tax credit was given, while claiming a credit for the new one. What is clear is that if you buy a new home using the credit, you must use it as your principal residence.

Q: How may the credits be allocated among two or more unmarried buyers?
This also is unclear. But if the IRS adopts the rules that applied to the previous tax credit, which are detailed in IRS Notice 2009-12, there is room for planning. The notice says that taxpayers may use "any reasonable manner" to allocate the credit. It even provides an example in which two unmarried buyers allocate the credit to the lower earner in order to qualify for it.

Q: I need the credit refund to help make the down payment. What can I do?
There's no rushing the IRS. But one option is to adjust your current withholding from your paychecks to reflect the fact that you will be taking the credit later. But be careful: If you don't make the purchase, then you may owe interest and penalties. Consult a tax adviser.

Q: Is it possible to qualify for a credit if I am building a home on a lot I already own?
Yes, according to the National Association of Home Builders. The purchase date is usually considered to be the date of first occupancy, so you would need to move in before July 1, 2010.

Q: May I take a credit if I am building a large addition to my home?
No; these credits apply only to the purchase of a home.

Q: Are there special rules for the military? Yes. In general, members of the military and foreignservice and intelligence communities who are serving overseas on "official extended duty" for at least 90 days during 2009 and the first four months of 2010 have an extra year to take advantage of these credits. Consult a tax adviser who specializes in this area.

Q: Where can I get more information?
Go to federalhousingtaxcredit.com, a Web site sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders. You can also look for links from the IRS's home page, www.irs.gov, or search for Homebuyer Credit. Another option is to consult a professional tax adviser.

1. Color is key.
An attractive landscape usually has color. Many people add flowering plants along the walkway and porch area to create a focal point on the home. The colorful plants add a cheerful welcome and create a memorable landscape. Remember, buyers will generally visit numerous homes in a day, so anything you can do to help them remember yours, in a positive way, will increase the chance of a second visit or even an offer. Colors that grab the most attention are red, orange, and yellow. Cooler colors such as blues and purples help to relax people and can be perfect in meditation gardens.

2. Use colorful mulch.
Maybe you have an area that needs some sort of mulch. You don't have to use the traditional wood chips, which soon deteriorate, to fill in planter boxes or backyard playgrounds. Rubber mulch uses recycled ground rubber that comes in several different colors including green, brown, blue, and cypress. "Make sure any recycled mulch you buy is tread-free. You don't want to have any steel. You don't want to have a lot of tread. You need to look out for that. There are companies that just offer black tires recycle and that's usually going to be pretty dirty," says Paul Parker, owner of San Diego Backyard Adventures.

It can be bought in small quantities such as 40-pound bags or large super sacks. "It will not deteriorate; it's going to last," says Parker. A 40-pound bag will cost approximately $20. Parker adds, "This product is going to look good for literally five or 10 years and, if you're concerned with the short-term, you can put the [mulch] down and it's going to add color and be pleasing to the eye."

An added benefit is that if your home has a backyard playground and you put mulch underneath it instead of wood chips, you gain a higher level of protection and an additional selling point to feature. "It's definitely going to add value because oftentimes if you put a play system on a hard surface there's no safety—but if the [rubber mulch] is already there, it's going to add a lot of value," says Parker.

3. Artificial grass.
Green grass is a beautiful feature in a yard but keeping it green can be a challenge no matter where you live. Using synthetic grass in various areas of your yard can transform an ugly area of dirt into a lush-looking yard. Parker cautions homeowners to choose the grass products carefully, "There are some products out there that are being cheaply made. So [the grass] has a single blade rather than a much thicker weave. You want to make sure the grass you buy has at least a 10-year warranty," says Parker.

4. Illusion of space.
Hide boundaries such as fences and walls. Make them appear boundless by breaking up the line of the wall which can create a closed-off feeling. Paint and the placement of plants help give an illusion of more space. Using tall but thin plants in your yard (as opposed to wide ones) can make a small area look bigger. Curved lines can help soften the look of a home that is constructed with too many straight lines or right angles.

5. Clean up the driveway.
If you've been a do-it-yourselfer with your automobiles (oil changes, etc.) then maybe it shows on your driveway. Oil spills are highly unsightly and will, if not chase away prospective buyers, at least create a memory of your home that you don't want. Clean up the spills and move the parked cars to give buyers a chance to take in the entire residence. Many will snap photos and make notes to review for later. Don't let an oil mark leave a black mark in buyers' minds.

This can be a very difficult problem to handle when it comes to selling your home.

A lot of things can be fixed fairly quickly like a leaky faucet, marks on walls, or a cluttered room. But ugly, patchy, lawn can be a sign of lack of care which conveys a message instantly to potential buyers. And if that poor lawn is in the front yard, an ill impression of the overall home can be formed before buyers even step inside. A home that looks appealing from the outside in is what buyers are shopping for these days. Bidding wars and flipping homes aren't the norm right now.

So buyers are shopping the often large inventory and comparing everything. What they see when they approach your home may stay with them through their entire search. Remember the adage, "A first impression is often the last impression." In market conditions where inventory is still high a good look at your grass and the image it presents is vital.

Poor lawn conditions may not be entirely the result of lack of care. Instead, the neighbor's pet, or your own, might be to blame, coupled with how you're treating the problem areas.

According to Edd Goerger, owner of Natural Solutions, Inc., most products don't get rid of the ammonia that's left in the lawn after a dog uses your yard to relieve himself. Of course, this mess leaves dead spots in the lawn and makes a lot of work for homeowners. "What the homeowner ended up doing is digging up the spot, putting in new soil and replanting grass." Goerger says that's a lot of unnecessary work and expenses. After he got tired of trying to fix the problem on his own lawn, Goerger and a soil scientist came up with a solution. "Rascal Spots is a product that naturally sequesters the salt that pets have in their urine and once it's sequestered, it doesn't bind with the soil particles and [instead] allows it to pass through the soil profile out of the roots' zone and allows the grass to grow back and fill back in naturally," says Goerger.

The company launched this year and Goerger is hoping to prove to homeowners that this product can simplify their lives as well as keep their lawn looking good in a short period of time and for under $40 a bottle (covers 5,000 square-feet of lawn). Rascal Spots also uses its "greenalizer technology" in the same treatment application to make the lawn more green naturally.

"On a typical spot, in 30 days you'll see an 80-percent re-growth," says Goerger. He says that the lawn can come back faster. "You can add seed but you don't have to, but that will make it fill in faster." Homeowners can also ward off dead spots by paying close attention to where the pet goes to the bathroom on their grass and then treating those areas regularly with the product. Goerger says if that's done "then spots will never show up." Another important consideration is safety. Goerger says treating your lawn with the product is safe. It's not toxic to people or animals. "There's no residue afterwards and it has almost a zero carbon footprint," says Goerger. As with any home issue, when you get to the root of the problem, it provides a good opportunity to weed out the trouble spots.