Hey All You First-Time Home Buyers, We Have News For You

If you are planning a wedding and also shopping for your first home together you certainly have a lot on your plate. As first-time buyers you'll need the most advice and education you can get and that means finding a real estate agent willing to give the extra attention and time to a newbie like you. Don't be afraid to meet with a few different real estate agents in the process to interview them. You need to find the right match for you.

On HGTV, Sandra Rinomato works with what she calls "Property Virgins" to educate and prepare them for process ahead. If you too are a "property virgin" we recommend checking your local listings to find out when this show airs in your area. You'll learn a lot about the woes and joys of buying a home and receive some free advice on what to look for and what to avoid when you're buying property.

Here are a few of her tips that we find most useful. To read all of her advice, click here.

1. Don't forget to set aside money for closing costs when budgeting out what you can afford. It's typically one and a half to two percent of the purchase price. That goes toward the land transfer tax and pays a lawyer.

2. Brand-new condos tend to be smaller, sometimes no larger than one bedroom, while older units typically have more square footage.

3. When figuring out the price of a property, sometimes it makes more sense to look at the price of a house in terms of monthly payments instead of focusing on that big number.

4. You can make changes to the inside of a condominium, with the proper condo board approval, but never to the exterior.

5. You can't negotiate maintenance fees with a condo, and those fees tend to go up periodically.

6. It's better to walk away if you're not comfortable with the situation.

7. A simple renovation after the sale can boost the value of the investment by thousands.

8. When it comes to investing, the best place to invest is in an up-and-coming area.

9. It is especially important to have a home inspection if you are looking to buy an aging or older house. They look past the visible surface to the infrastructure, inspecting plumbing and looking for faulty fixtures and waste lines. They check electrical systems to make sure they aren't overloaded or a safety hazard. They also look at possible structural problems like the foundation, walls and floor joists.

10. The rule of thumb is that you should be able to afford a mortgage three times your income.

A Burnless Flame

Candles add an extremely elegant touch to your wedding. In low light, the gentle flicker of candles sets the stage for a romantic evening. But, unfortunately, due to safety concerns, many wedding facilities do not allow candles to be used on site. So what are you to do if you had your heart set on a hundred flickering lights?

Meet Ashley Danae Designs. Ashley Danae Designs creates flameless candles that are made of wax and have a deliciously light vanilla scent. The candle’s "flame" flickers like a real candle, but instead of burning down to the wick, you need only a fresh pair of batteries to recharge their light. Unless you walk right up to the candle and pick it up, you have no idea the candle is not real and the best part is you'll never have to replace it.

Ashley Danae's candles also come in a wide variety of colors, patterns and styles. Just check out some of the samples below.

Wall Art

Decorating your new home as newlyweds is an incredibly exciting process. You have the opportunity to start with a clean slate in design and have the freedom to be as innovative as you want. But sometimes, as a newlywed couple your funds may be limited. You may be purchasing your first starter home, condo or townhouse, renting an apartment or living in a friends basement. Whatever the case, you'll want to be creative in your design choices so that you can make the most of a small budget.

We have a solution to filling up empty walls without spending a lot of cash - and the results are nothing short of amazing.

Painting your walls is one of the least expensive methods of dressing up a room. And one way to add detail is through stenciling, murals or decals. We're not talking about the old fashion wall art either so stop picturing flowers and ribbons stenciled on your walls. New options in wall art are available to you in several styles including, mod, modern, traditional, classical, French provincial and more.

Here are some of our favorites!

It is what it is: a really really big tree stencil. And that's not all that exciting. Until you break out the paint and create a whole forest on your bedroom wall. And then it's the best thing ever! Easy to use and use again, let your creativity blossom! Retails for $125 at Urban Outfitters.


If you like your artwork to take up huge portions of your wall, but aren't interested in wall papering your space, try this easy to install and remove wall mural from Urban Outfitters. This nighttime city scene wall mural, as captured by Seattle photographer Aaron Morris, comes on heavy duty wet strength paper in 6 panels. Retails for $200.


Another option retailing for $140 is this stunning World Map Wall Mural. Also available at Urban Outfitters.


Another great way to dress up your wall is to paint it a bright base color and then add decals to the top. These little fellows are just like those old picture books where you could take decals and use them over and over again wherever you liked, only these are big and they go on your wall. Create a great design and leave it or change it every day. Retails for $38 and available at Urban Outfitters.


If you are renting a space and are not allowed to paint your walls, decals are a great way to add interest without changing the surface of the room. Check out this charming chandelier decal. You can create a great design by just sticking a few up and then leave it forever or change it every day. Retails for $48 and available at Urban Outfitters.


If you're really daring try these toilet decals to make your throne your very own. Choose Submarine, Crown, Stag, Heart or Plant designs. Retails for $18 and available at Urban Outfitters online store.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall (and on your dresser)

A hot trend in home decor for 2008 is mirror adorned furniture pieces. Mirrored pieces add sophistication to a room and go with practically any type of design style. So, if your fiance prefers a modern room and you lean more toward a traditionally designed space, mirrored furniture pieces are the perfect furniture for you because it will actually help you blend two styles into one.

The above buffet is available at Z Gallerie. Handworked antique mirrored glass over veneers and hardwood solids with antique silver finish. Side compartments have slots for adjustable shelves. This piece also has matching side tables, dressers, dining tables and more.

Also at Z Gallerie are several other mirror pieces in different designs. Check out just a few of their pieces below.


Once you get the furniture in place, top it off with accented decorated items. Check out these pieces, also from Z Gallerie.


Every girl needs a jewelry armoire like the one to the left! As glamorous as its movie-star namesake, yet as practical as we can make it - the Pier 1 Imports Hayworth Jewelry Armoire is all about functional fashion. This must-have for the bedroom or dressing area is handcrafted, hand-painted and covered with hand-cut beveled mirrors. Plenty of black felt-lined storage drawers and hangers keeps all her precious jewelry stored safely away. A Pier 1 Imports exclusive.