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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Scrambling to file your taxes before the April 15 deadline? Relax. There's a good chance it won't cost you a penny to submit your return late.

Many people fear that a tardy return will involve penalties, headaches or even jail time. But the reality is that if you are one of the majority of Americans owed a refund this year, the Internal Revenue Service can't touch you. And in some rare cases, the IRS might even owe you more money.

But if you aren't getting a refund and need to pony up, there could be major consequences for not getting your return in on time. The penalty for filing a late tax return is 5% interest on the amount owed for each month that you fail to file, up to a maximum of 25%.

"As long as [you're] sure that there is no tax due on the return, I would definitely advise taxpayers not to get too worked up over meeting the April 15 deadline," said Robert Willens, a professor of taxation at Columbia Business School and president of a tax consulting firm.

Almost 90% of returns processed so far have resulted in a refund averaging $3,036. And since the vast majority of filers are due refunds, most people have no need to rush to make the deadline.

The IRS also pays interest on refunds that have been delayed more than 45 days because of slow processing. So if your refund doesn't make it to you on time, you could actually wind up getting extra money back, regardless of whether you missed the April 15 deadline.

But for the extremely tardy filers, be careful: there is a statute of limitations on refunds. If you wait more than 3 years, the IRS is no longer required to pay you.

If you're not sure that a refund is coming your way, it may be smarter to play it safe and either file on time or file an extension. You can get an automatic tax extension simply by submitting Form 4868 to the IRS, which will move the filing deadline from April 15 to Oct. 15.

While a late filer who's owed a refund faces no consequences with or without an extension, those who are unsure about their tax bill could find themselves in trouble.

"It's better to be safe than sorry, so even if you think you're going to get a refund, file [Form 4868] anyway because it will protect you," said Robert Kerr, senior director of government relations at the National Association of Enrolled Agents.

"If you finalize your [late] return only to discover that the refund you expected has turned into a hefty balance due ... you're going to find yourself up that famous creek without a paddle," he added.

If you've already filed, but you still haven't received your refund, you can use the IRS's "Refund Status" tool on its Web site or call the IRS Refund Hotline at 800--829-1954.

Lawn Care Tips

Keeping a lawn beautiful all season long does not need to be complicated – keep grass maintenance simple with this quick and easy lawn care primer.

• Watering
• Fertilizing Grass
• Mowing The Lawn
• Weeding – Controlling By Hand and Chemical
• Aerating / Dethatching
• Overseeding – Repair – Replacing

So much of lawn care and caring for plants in the landscape comes down to knowing what needs to be done and when to do it. Timing can make a big difference. The look of the grass and turf can make the maintenance aspect a struggle or a breeze.

For a lawn that looks great and holds up year round master these essentials.

Watering

Water is becoming a bigger issue around the country. Mother Nature doesn’t always do her part in keeping the lawn watered well. However, that’s what irrigation systems are for.

It’s impossible for me to give you a perfect daily watering schedule on how frequently to irrigate your lawn. The diversity of areas and soils hold moisture differently. Various grass types require different watering needs. On top of that, lawns require changes to irrigation schedules as seasons change.

Determining when to water is much easier if you let the grass tell you. When grass starts to wilt it is time to water. When leaf blades begin to fold and footprints remain visible long after they have been made.

The quantity of water applied to a lawn is critical when determining if enough water is applied to wet the entire root zone. That plays a major factor in determining how deep a root system will grow. Giving the lawn a quick drink every day or so only surface waters the soil.

This does not allow the water penetrate deep enough to build strong deep roots. Infrequent irrigation for longer periods of time allows the water to reach a depth of 4 to 6 inches. This encourages deep root growth and healthy turf able to handle periods of drought.

Including rainfall, lawns need an inch or two of water per week to thrive. Using a rain gauge will help determine how much additional watering will be required.

How Much Water Should You Apply For Great Looking Turf?

As a guideline of how much water to apply and develop a strong healthy deep root system apply 3/4" to 1" inch each irrigation application. Each irrigation system is unique. It is not possible to determine the amount of time required to put down 3/4" – 1" of water.

If you don’t have a rain gauge you can spread some cans around the zones, turn on the sprinklers and measure the depth of the water after 30 minutes. Calculate how much time is needed to put down 3/4" of an inch of water in that zone. Make sure you do check and measure all of the watering zones.

Keep in mind that different sprinklers heads will put out different quantities of water. When lawns are watered to often it helps to promote sedge and dollarweed. Not watering the yard enough and grass will have brown or dead areas and weeds.

Water early in the morning or early evening when there is less wind and heat. One disadvantage to evening watering is that wet grass is more susceptible to diseases during cooler nighttime temperatures.

Handling Dry Spots

The irrigation systems in most yards have areas with dry spots. With different sprinkler heads used in an overall irrigation design it’s important to check the coverage of your sprinkler system. If brown areas exist in a lawn where an irrigation system is operating it is possible that the sprinklers are not applying enough water to fully putting water and wet the entire root zone.

For example, if one area of a zone gets 1/4" of water and another part of the zone receives 3/4" of irrigation (the proper amount required for healthy growth). The first area will dry out long before the second area needs to be watered again.

Watching to see if the sprinkler system is functioning with sprinkler heads throwing water is not enough to tell you if the grass is receiving adequate amounts of water. The only way to know for sure if enough water is being applied is measure the amount as described above.

If soil becomes very dry it can become hydrophobic. This is where the soil repels the water. When this condition happens the water cannot penetrate the soil and it remains dry. Adding some mild liquid dish soap combined with water can help break the surface tension and allow the water to seep into the soil.

We’ve looked at how much to water and dealing with dry spots. But…

When is the Best Time to Water?

The best time for the irrigation system to water the yard is in the early morning. Watering early in the morning does not make the water stay on the turf longer than normal. When irrigating early the dew that normally forms on grass early in the morning washes off any airborne disease spores. As the suns rises the leaves or grass blades can dry quickly.

Also early in the morning the air is usually calm and evaporation is low. Irrigation timers make the task easy of turning on the sprinkler system early in the morning and moving to each zone in the system. For homeowners with the convenience of an irrigation timer they will need to turn the sprinkler system on and finish watering before 9:00 am.

Fertilizing Grass – Nutrients for Healthy Turf and Lawns

Most yards would do fine if the grass only received one application of fertilizer per year. However, if you apply 2 to 4 fertilizer applications throughout the year the turf should experience lush growth. A quick walk through the garden center and you’ll discover a wide selection of brands and formulations. Before applying any fertilizer to your yard make sure you’ve read the label and selected the right formulation for the grass. Also follow the label and do not over fertilize or the grass may show spots of fertilizer burn.

When feeding lawns always apply fertilizer during the growing season. Warm season grasses like Bermuda, St. Augustine and zoysia need applications in early spring or summer. Cool season grasses which include fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass need fertilizer applications in early spring and late fall.

If your are going for only one fertilizer application per year then fertilize in the spring with warm season grasses and in the fall for cool season grasses.

When applying fertilizer make your applications when the turf is dry. After pushing the fertilizer spreader around the yard, turn on the irrigation. The sprinklers will help move the fertilizer nutrients into the soil and down to the root system. Plus it keeps the fertilizer from sitting on the grass blades which care burn the lawn.

Mowing The Lawn

The sound of the weekends is the sound of lawn mowers breaking through the aroma of coffee brewing. Soon the roar of weed eaters and blowers will be putting the finishing touches on the newly cut and manicured yard. Next week it all will happen again.

When grass is rapidly growing during the warm spring and summer months mowing the yard is an every week occurrence. How much of the grass blades should you cut when mowing? As a good grass cutting rule of thumb – don’t cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time.

Determining The Proper Mower Height Setting

To produce healthy quality turf proper mowing is essential. Remember, grass is a plant. When part of the leaf blade is removed – the leaf surface is reduced. The quantity of leaf surface combined with the sugar making process called photosynthesis helps determine how much food the root system will receive.

More leaf surface help produce a root system that is healthier. The more developed and extensive the root system in a yard, the better the roots more efficiently use the moisture in the soil. A healthy lawn with a strong root system has less need to extra irrigation.

Mowing grass at the proper height increases the yards ability to combat weeds. Grass when mowed short is less dense and weakens the roots system. In contrast, a healthy, thick lawn helps prevent weeds from establishing themselves.

Mowing grass at the proper height in shady areas is very important due to the limited sunlight. The "turf management practice" of mowing grass too low and scalping areas with a weed eater is probably the ruin of more lawns then many of us care to believe.

Determining How Often To Mow The Lawn

The picture of a fresh cut thick carpet of grass can be a reality with regular, frequent cutting of the lawn at a constant height. When grass is cut root growth ceases temporarily. The grass has less leaf surface translating into less moisture needs for the grass.

When the grass is cut it under goes stress. The more leaf surface removed the more stress the grass experiences. As we stated earlier never cut more than 1/3 of the turf’s leaf surface at any one mowing.

Proper mowing goes beyond physically cutting the yard. It also includes cutting the yard with sharp balanced mower blades. When grass is cut with a sharp blade it cuts the grass tops cleanly instead or ripping the tops off. A clean cut "heals" much easier and the leaf loses less water.

Recycling Grass
One question many "home lawn care enthusiast" ask is if mulching grass clipping is beneficial or harmful.

The University of Florida reports that by allowing the grass clipping to drop onto the lawn instead of bagging the grass the yard does get some benefits.

In fact, the UF claims that about 3% nitrogen is contained in the dry weight of grass clippings. Put another way. One hundred pounds of dry grass clippings hold an equal amount of Nitrogen as a 50-pound bag of 6-6-6.

Allowing the cut grass to return to the soil puts valuable nutrients back into the soil. Not only Nitrogen but also other essential elements like Phosphorus, Potassium, Manganese and Iron. Grass clippings quickly decompose. Some "mowers" bag their clipping since they believe the clippings contribute to the build up of thatch.

Fact is, grass clippings contain sugars which stimulate microbes that help with the decomposing of thatch. So keeping grass clippings on the lawn can actually offer benefits.

Another benefit is environmental. There are estimates that we could save 10% of the space in our landfills if we did not bag the grass clippings when mowing our lawn. Plus there is also the time saving factor. Less time mowing – less time bagging.

Weeds – Controlling By Hand and Chemical

If your yard does not have many weeds the easiest way to control them is by pulling them by hand. The important part in hand weeding is to make sure the entire plant is removed. The plant, roots, runners and all.

For heavier weed infestations chemical applications may be required. A pre-emergence herbicide can help control weeds before they get a chance to sprout. Once weeds are established pre-emergence herbicides with not work. Depending on your location apply pre-emergence herbicides in the spring of fall to stop weed seeds from sprouting.

For broadleaf weeds like clover and dandelions a post-emergence weed killer will be required. These can be applied as a spray or incorporated with a fertilizer as a weed-n-feed product.

Weed Control

Weeds are defined as a plant growing where it should not be. Most weeds fit the profile of a native plant. Weeds usually grow well and thrive in their native environment and growing conditions of your yard.

The problem is… the conditions which allow weeds to thrive usually are conditions which are unfavorable for your turf grass. As the turf declines, weeds then have room to expand and put down a more established root systems.

Crabgrass and dollar weeds do well in wet conditions. Bahia and St. Augustine grasses don’t do well in wet conditions. This makes for a great combination of grass and weeds. The grass becomes weak and the weeds are in a perfect environment to grow and take over then start their journey to begin choking out the weak turf.

The best defense and first step in weed control starts not with chemicals but by growing thick healthy yard of grass by following good solid cultural practices.

Four Cultural or Environmental Conditions For Turf Decline

• Excessive Moisture
• Inadequate Moisture
• Insufficient Sunlight
• Mowing Turf too Low

Excessive Moisture – With grass getting too much moisture, weeds as we stated earlier do well under wet conditions. These weeds include dollarweed, crabgrass, sedge and many others.

Inadequate Moisture – The flip side is grass not getting enough moisture to grow strong. Weeds that do well in
dry conditions include Brazil pusley, Alexandergrass and spurge.

Insufficient Sunlight – Grass need sunlight for healthy growth. Weeds that do well in low light conditions include jewgrass and other winter broadleaf weeds.

Mowing Turf too Low – The grass is cut too low becoming weak. Since there is less leaf surface to make sugars and the grass is thinned out by cutting the weeds again have a great place to get themselves established.

A quick look at the above 4 conditions and you can see the "fixes" for these environmental problems is not difficult to find.

A visit to the irrigation timer can increase or reduce the amount of water put on the lawn during each scheduled irrigation session. Raising the mower blade to take off less leaf blades help with the low mowing issue and gives the grass an change to grow and fill out. It may even mean removing the grass and replacing the area with other plant material.

Trimming the trees will let sunlight penetrate the ground below. Improving drainage my go beyond adjusting irrigation timers and may require improving the drainage in the yard.

It is very important to look at the watering and mowing practices for your yard as both play a big part in lawn weed control.

Hiring lawn care services to provide professional care with fertilizer, pest and herbicide applications can greatly improve the health of your lawn. These applications can help control insect populations, keep weeds from taking over and provide yards with proper nutrition.

Fungus which can hit turf from time to time can be treated and the occasional bout of crabgrass can be brought under control.

Despite these professional services with all the equipment, personnel, chemicals and knowledge they bring to lawn care the homeowner must do their part.

What part does the homeowner play? Homeowners contribute their part by working to improve the environmental growing conditions. There may be no way to control when Mother Nature wants to share water from the heavens on the yard, but homeowners can do their part in making sure the grass is not over or under-watered.

Aerating and Dethatching

When most of us think of great looking, healthy turf our minds immediately dart off to a golf course. Even the healthy green grass on the course can benefit from a good aerating. If golf courses can use aerating there is no reason your lawn would not benefit also.

After a few years the soil under your lawn can become compacted, especially in heavy soils. Aerating the soil with help produce better root development.

Aerators punch small holes into the lawn allowing for moisture and air to penetrate the soil. Core aerators

Before aerating your lawn make sure it has been well watered. Fertilizer is best applied when the grass is actively growing. Aerating is also best done when the grasses root system is actively growing also.

Dethatching

Over time organic matter can build up between the soil and grass. Dethatching removes this organic matter, grass stems and layers of roots. Anything more than a 1/2 of thatch can prevent water and nutrients from getting down to the turf’s root system.

A dethatcher is like a "power rake" with sharp tines pulling out all debris.

A well-planned, high performance home costs less to operate-and as importantly, high performance is the promise of a premium resale value.

Sustainable componets include energy-efficient heating, lighting, cooling and water systems, as well as the reduction of natural resources like wood.  Use this checklist as a preliminary guide for both you and your builder:

Location: Build for lifestyle convience where you can walk, cycle or take public transit.

Position: Consider north-south positioning to maximize use of the sun's energy and heat.

Walls:  Built with concrete>  An award-winning wall system, advanced by Nudura, builds with pre-assembled forms, each one stacked, reinforced, and then filled with concrete.  Once locked together (like Lego) the system creates a solid, monolithic concrete wall.  This method (www.nudura.com) has shown to deliver energy savings of up to 70 percent and delivers a building envelope up to three times more sound resistant, four time more fire resistant, , and nine times stronger.

Materials: Premium green choices should include low-and zero-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and sealants, plus high-performance windows, roofing and flooring.

Landscaping: Design your gardens for low use of water and pesticides.  Plan with drought-resistant native plants, perennial groundcovers, plus flowers and shady canopy trees.

[Update Nov 2009] Following Congress approval, President Obama has signed off on the bill approving an extension of the $8,000 new home buyer tax credit until April 30th 2010. Also, the new provisions in the extension are NOT retroactive. Here is a summary of the new and updated provisions and their impact on you if you have or are planning to buy a house:

- Qualification Period : First-time home buyers who bought after January 1, 2009 and before April 1 2010 (with closing to take place before July 1), would get the $8,000 home buyer tax credit. For the purposes of claiming the tax credit, the purchase date is the date when closing occurs and the title to the property transfers to the home owner. This is an update from the original November 30th 2009 deadline. If you and your spouse claim the credit on a joint return (both of you must meet the income and past ownership criteria to qualify), each spouse is treated as having been allowed half of the credit for purposes of repaying the credit. So the total amount claimable is still only $8000 (up to April 30th 2010).

- Income qualification limits: The home buyers’ credit would be available to individuals with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of up to $125,000, or $250,000 for couples, up from $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples under the original rules. The higher income limits are only for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009. That is, the existing MAGI phase-outs of $75,000 to $95,000 or $150,000 to $170,000 for joint filers still apply to purchases on or before Nov. 6, 2009. Those with incomes higher than the above limits do not qualify for any part of the tax credit.

- *NEW* Current Homeowners looking for a replacement primary residence could also qualify for a $6,500 (up to $3,250 for a married individual filing separately) under the new “long-time resident” provision. They must have lived in the same principal residence for any five-consecutive year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the replacement home is purchased. This new provision also only applies to homes purchased after Nov. 6th 2009.

- Claiming the new home buyer credit: For qualifying purchases, taxpayers have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return. A new version of Form 5405, First-Time Home buyer Credit, is available on the IRS website. Taxpayers claiming the credit on their 2009 returns, will not be able to file electronically but instead will need to file a paper return by using the new version of Form 5405. A taxpayer who purchased a home on or before Nov. 6 and chooses to claim the credit on an original or amended 2008 return may continue to use the current version of Form 5405.

- The new $8000 credit can be used towards the down payment of a house bought in the credit qualifying period. You need to work with your lender to take advantage of this provision.

- Tax Credit Exclusions: Homes that cost more than $800,000 aren’t eligible for the credit and you must be over 18 years old to claim the credit (dependents are not eligible to claim the credit either). Those who sell their new home or stop using it as their main residence within three years would have to repay the credit. You cannot claim the credit if acquired your home by gift or inheritance OR if you acquired your home from a related person

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- If two or more unmarried individuals buy a main home, they can allocate the credit among the individual owners using any reasonable method. The total amount allocated cannot exceed the smaller of $8,000 or 10% of the purchase price. Note: A reasonable method is any method that does not allocate all or a part of the credit to a co-owner who is not eligible to claim that part of the credit (I would go with 50/50 as a reasonable method if one person is not eligible for the credit)

- The purchase date is how you decide which credit you are eligible for. Only homes purchased from Jan 1 2009 to April 1st 2010 are eligible for the fully refundable $8000 credit. If you constructed your main home, you are treated as having purchased it on the date you first occupied it.

- Foreign or Overseas Homes: You are considered a first time home buyer when buying an American residence, even if you owned principal residence outside of the United States within the previous three years. Non-resident alien's cannot claim the credit.

- Members of the Armed Forces and certain federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and still qualify for the credit. An eligible taxpayer must buy or enter into a binding contract to buy a home by April 30, 2011, and settle on the purchase by June 30, 2011.

Despite current tough economic times, if you're a first-time home owner, 2009 could still be your year!

Following nearly a three year slump, Decatur is seeing a significant jump in home sales, with first time sales leading the change.  This leap is attributed to the $8,000 tax credit, which is currently offered to new buyers.

Half of the local market sales are first time home buyers.  A recent J.D. Power and associates survey reported that new home buyers accounted for 44 percent of the market in 2008, compared to 56 percent of the market in 2009. 

The first time home buyers tax credit was introduced in 2008 as a part of President Barak Obama's stimulus package.  It offers an $8,000 tax credit to first time buyers that does not need to be repaid unless the home is sold within three years.  A new bill, recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, aims to extend this tax credit through the end of 2010. 

The amount of tax credit depends on the cost of the new home - ten percent of the home's purchase price, with a maximum available credit of $8,000. 

Not everyone qualifies however.  If you're single and make $75,000 or more, or are married and make $150,000 or more, you do not qualify for the tax credit.  Conversely, if you think the credit doesn't apply to you because you're not a first time buyer, think again.  As long as its has been at least three years since you've owned a home, either jointly or independently, you qualify.

Generally considered more valuable than a tax deduction, a tax credit reduces the actual amount of tax owed, whereas a deduction only reduces the taxable income.  Say you owe $500 in taxes and you qualify for the $8000 tax credit.  Your $500 in taxes owed would be paid and you would receive a check for the remaining $7,500 to stimulate the economy as you see fit. 

To get into the action, however you need to close on a home by November 30, 2009. 

Eco-friendly, energy efficient home improvement also have the potential to earn big tax credits at the end of the year.  Living eco-friendly doesn't necessarily mean going completely "off the grid" as there are fairly simple things you can to to improve, conserve and save.

Earn up to $1500 in tax credit by simply installing anew energy efficient doors and windows.  A new energy efficient air conditioning system or hot water heater can earn up to 30 percent of the cost, to a maximum of $1500.

Major home improvement will earn bigger tax credits.  For example, install a solar-powered system or other renewable energy system to power your household appliances and hear your water and, in return, recover 30 percent of the cost in tax credit (there is no cap on what you can recover).  Most solar energy companies will offer a free evaluation of your home.  Weather you decided on a small or major energy efficient overhaul, you can still take advantage of the opportunity to get something back at tax time-while saving money and simultaneously reducing your carbon footprint. 

With the housing market's steady gains leading the way and new incentives for making eco-friendly choices, could this be a sign of better financial times to come? 

Written by Amy Sebeckis in the Decatur Magazine-October/November 2009 issue.

Home buying tips and tactics for today's real estate market

Now, There's A Smarter Way to Buy Your Home!

 
Home Buying Tip #1
Have a Game PlanKnowing what you want and how to get it are the keys to being successful at almost anything, including buying a home. Taking time to think through your reasons for buying a home can help you make a better decision when it's time to sign on the dotted line. Most home buyers want the benefits of home ownership, security, appreciation, pride of ownership, etc. Knowing your motivations is step one. Here's how to acheive them...

Home Buying Tip #2
Find and Hire a Buyer's AgentBuying a home today is much easier than it was even a decade ago. Home purchases require less time and information about available housing is readily available through the Internet. But it's still important to have a professional assist you with locating and purchasing a home. A good buyer's agent can help you locate the right home, put together a purchase agreement , negotiate to help you obtain the property at the best possible price and assist you in navigating the unfamiliar real estate waters until settlement. Since residential real estate transactions in the United States are still structured so that the seller pays the buyer agent's commission, it just makes sense to take advantage of the system and hire an agent who can walk you through the real estate transaction process.
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Home Buying Tip #3
Get Pre-ApprovedBefore you start out on your search for a new home, make a stop at your mortgage lender. A mortgage lender can prepare a "pre-approval letter" for your purchase which accomplishes 2 important goals in the home buying process: 1) A pre-approval letter lets you know how much home you can afford. There's no sense in wasing time looking at homes you can't afford. 2) When it comes time to make your offer on the home of your dreams, a pre-approval letter will generally be required by the seller or their agent to show proof of your ability to pay. You don't want to let vaulable time slip by waiting on a pre-approval letter once you've found the home you want.

Home Buying Tip #4
What Matters MostOnce you know what price you want to spend on a home, make a list of the most important features you must have. Location, number of bedrooms and baths, garage, basement, sunroom, etc. should all be placed in order of importance. Your buyer's agent can set up an email update from the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS - the "stock exchange" of real estate) that will send you the newest listings as they come on the market based on your criteria. By narrowing your search to the MOST important features, you'll save yourself tons of time and make the decision process much easier.

Home Buying Tip #5
Negotiate to Win As soon as you've decided on the home you want, get ready to make another list. This time you'll want to decide what items to negotiate. Again, knowing what's most important to you will go a long way towards successful negotiations. Remember, price isn't the only thing you can negotiatie. Some sellers may be hard set on a price but willing to make other concessions, such as paying for all or some of your closing costs, throwing in appliances, making allowances for carpeting or painting, etc. Review your list with your buyer's agent who will prepare an offer to purchase on your behalf. Generally, negotiations take place between the listing agent and your buyer's agent.

Home Buying Tip #6
Get a Home Inspection Your offer to purchase should include a contingency for a Whole House Inspection and may include contingencies for other inspections, such as, mold, radon, engineering, etc. A home inspection is a critical piece of the home buying process. This is the time to discover any hidden defects in the property that affect the value. Your home inspector will prepare a written report which you can review with your buyer's agent. Any repairs that need to be made can be placed in an addendum to the purchase agreement and presented to the sellers.

Home Buying Tip #7
Stay on Top of the Process Once the purchase agreement has been executed there's still work to do. Making sure all of the contingency deadlines are met and that the settlement occurs on the specified date are ultimately your responsibility. Make a timeline or enter these dates on your daytimer. You should call the mortgage lender once a week to make sure that they have everything they need and that the mortgage process isn't being held up unecessarily.

Home Buying Tip #8
Plan Ahead Make sure you have your moving plans in place as far in advance as possible. Depending upon the time of year, moving companies can be booked for weeks or months out. You will want to coordinate with the seller about utility switch over dates to avoid re-connection fees. About a week or so before the closing date, you should contact the closing company to confirm the closing time and find out what you need to bring with you to the closing.
That's it! With a little planning and forethought, home buying can be an enjoyable and profitable experience. For information on flat fee home buying programs designed to save you money on your real estate purchase, click here.