Spring and Summer Home Projects for Your Vacation Home

It may not always feel like it, but Spring is in the air…the groundhog said so! As you prepare for the Spring months, there are a few things you can do to get your Lake Home ready for all of the warm weather adventures. Add these things to your to-do list over the next few weeks, and it may even make the last of Winter go faster!

Clean Up Your Outdoor Furniture

Start with the Cushions
It should not come as a surprise that your indoor/outdoor cushions and pillows will take a beating. Now is a great time to give them a good once over and make sure that they are still in good condition. You may also want to remove the covers and wash them before Spring. If they are in really rough shape, it may be a good time to replace them altogether.

Wipe Down the Frames
Between dust and dirt, your outdoor furniture can get pretty dirty, especially through the Winter months. Before you are ready to kick back on your patio with an ice-cold beverage, you will want to wipe down all of the furniture. This will help keep your furniture looking it’s best and will also help you find any repairs or replacements that need to be made!

Wash Outdoor Rugs
An outdoor rug will last a lot longer when you vacuum it periodically. You can also hose it off and let it dry out thoroughly. It may be an outdoor rug, but it still needs a good washing every once in a while.

Pressure Wash Your Patio

You never realize how dirty your patio and sidewalks get until you take a pressure washer to them! In fact, this can be a very gratifying task, as you quickly watch the grime disappear with the wave of a wand (literally!). If you do not have a pressure washer, you can either borrow one from a friend, rent one or hire a local company to complete this task for you. In just a short amount of time, you can remove YEARS of dirt, and your sidewalks and patio will SHINE.

Update Your Front Door

Sometimes changing the color of your front door can be just what your home needs to feel bright and new. The Summer sun and heat can really deteriorate a wood door, causing warping and cracking on its surface. Re-painting the door can help seal and protect it from the elements, but it can also provide the perfect facelift.

Get Your Grill Ready! 

There is something sentimental about firing up the grill for the first time of the season. If you cook on your grill frequently, you will want to do a deep clean twice a year to keep it in top condition. A simple scrub-down of the cooking grates, burner protectors, and cook box can really make it shine.

Check for Damaged Screens

Have you looked your window screens over lately? Just a small tear can let in dozens of mosquitoes and flies, and make a negative impact on your patio parties. Fix the problem by repairing those screens now! It is surprisingly easy to repair the screen material, you can find directions online, and the supplies at any hardware store.

Switch Your Ceiling Fan Directions

Most ceiling fans are designed so that you can switch the direction that the blades spin. There is generally a switch you can flip at the base of the fan. In the Summer you want your blades to rotate counterclockwise. This helps moves the air down creating a great breeze.

Ready for Summer Already?

We are right there with you! Summer cannot get here fast enough, but in the meantime, now is a great time to make sure your vacation home at the Lake of the Ozarks is ready for you. If you do not own a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, now is the time to begin your search, and possibly even have your Lake vacation home before Summer starts! If you are looking for a mortgage lender at the Lake of the Ozarks, Team Lasson would be honored to assist. Visit our website (www.YourLakeLoan.com) to learn more about our company and to also fill out your application. We look forward to helping you buy a home at the Lake of the Ozarks!

For Lake area news, resources and tips on financial services, please 

LIKE my Facebook Page, Follow me on Twitter or Connect on LinkedIn

Michael Lasson

Senior Loan Officer

NMLS #: 493712

4655 B Osage Beach Parkway

Osage Beach, MO 65065

Direct: (573) 746-7211

Cell: (573) 216-7258

e-Fax: (866) 397-0318

Email: mlasson@fsbfinancial.com

Website: www.YourLakeLoan.com

**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent First State Bank of St Charles’s positions, strategies, or opinions.

Join Team Lasson for the 2020 Overland Park Boat Show!

Every year, the Overland Park Boat Show is the prime place to go when you want to find high-quality boats, accessories, and learn more about vacationing at the Lake of the Ozarks. Team Lasson considers it a great privilege to be one of the vendors at the event. We get to share our love for the Lake area and talk to guests about how easy it can be to get a vacation home mortgage at the Lake of the Ozarks. If you have not been to the Overland Park Boat Show before, here are a few things you may want to know about the event!

About the Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealers Association

LOMDA (Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealers Association) is made up of over 40 Lake of the Ozarks area marine dealers. These businesses make up all of the top lines of boats, marine accessories, docks, personal watercraft, and many other ways to promote fun on the water. The Lake of the Ozarks is a boater’s paradise in the Midwest, so recreational boating is a big deal here. LOMDA sponsors four large boat shows per year in Overland Park, Kansas, in January, St. Charles, Missouri, in March, Lake of the Ozarks In-Water show at Dog Days in April, and the September In-Water Show at Captain Ron’s.

Overland Park Boat Show Details

Location:
Overland Park Convention Center
6000 College Blvd
Overland Park, KS 66211

Schedule:
Thursday, January 23rd, 12pm - 9pm
Friday, January 24th, 12pm - 9pm
Saturday, January 25th, 10am - 9pm
Sunday, January 26th, 10am - 5pm

Admission Prices:
$9.00 for adults
$5.00 children age 6-12
Children 5 and under are free

$1.00 of each paid adult admission is donated to Kids’ Harbor Child Advocacy Center.

Overland Park Boat Show Exhibitors

There are some amazing exhibitors at the Overland Park Boat Show this year. If you are looking for a new boat, boat accessories, or other vendors specializing in lakefront activities, these exhibitors will have your back.

• Advantage Marine
• All About Boats
• Big Thunder Marine
• Bridgeport Sales & Rental
• Formula Boats of Missouri
• Iguana Marine Group
• Kelly’s Port
• Marine Concepts
• Marine Max
• Marty’s Marine
• PDQ Marine Services
• Performance Boat Center
• Poly Lift Boat Lifts
• Premier Motor Sports
• Summerset Boat Lifts
• Surdyke Yamaha
• Village Marina & Yacht Club
• Yacht Club Powersports

There will be many other vendors at the event as well. From businesses specializing in dock repair to the Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau, and more. Of course, don’t forget that your favorite mortgage lenders at the Lake of the Ozarks will also be there!

Diving Into Lake Of the Ozarks Real Estate

If you have been considering purchasing a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, 2020 is your year! This has been an incredible time for homeowners to purchase a second home, whether it be an investment property or a vacation home. If you have been thinking about this decision, and you’ll be at the Overland Park Boat Show, we want to see you! Stop by our table and talk with us, we would love to meet you. If you are a go-getter, you can fill out the application on our website (www.YourLakeLoan.com) and get started on your pre-approval! Happy boat show weekend!

For Lake area news, resources and tips on financial services, please 

LIKE my Facebook Page, Follow me on Twitter or Connect on LinkedIn

Michael Lasson

Senior Loan Officer

NMLS #: 493712

4655 B Osage Beach Parkway

Osage Beach, MO 65065

Direct: (573) 746-7211

Cell: (573) 216-7258

e-Fax: (866) 397-0318

Email: mlasson@fsbfinancial.com

Website: www.YourLakeLoan.com

**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent First State Bank of St Charles’s positions, strategies, or opinions.

Actions Speak Louder than Words...

That familiar phrase is especially true at the moment, as we wait for decisive action on both the government shutdown and the debt ceiling debate. Read on for details.

Economic reports continued to be delayed last week as both the Retail Sales Report and the wholesale inflation measuring Producer Price Index for September were not released due to the government shutdown. One report that was released was weekly Initial Jobless Claims, which jumped by 66,000 in the latest week to the highest level in six months. However, the Labor Department said that ongoing application processing problems in California and government shutdown related layoffs accounted for nearly two-thirds of the increase.

There was also some important housing news to note last week as research firm CoreLogic reported that foreclosure inventories in August dropped by 33 percent nationally compared to August 2012. This was the twenty-second consecutive month with a year-over-year decline. As of August 2013, the foreclosure inventory represented 2.4 percent of all homes with a mortgage, compared to 3.3 percent in August 2012.

The minutes from the Fed's September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee were released, showing that all FOMC members except one want to see more evidence of sustainable economic progress before they trim their Bond purchases. Remember that the Fed has been purchasing $85 billion in Bonds and Treasuries each month to stimulate the economy and housing market. With key economic reports delayed due to the shutdown, there is not much chance the Fed will taper its purchases in the near future.

But the biggest news continues to be the ongoing debate regarding the debt ceiling. Reminder that the debt limit, currently at $16.7 trillion, is the total amount of money that the United States government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and other payments. If an agreement is not reached by the October 17 deadline and the U.S. defaults on its debt, the results could be catastrophic for our economy. This is a key story that needs decisive action in the days ahead.

The bottom line is that home loan rates remain attractive compared to historical levels and now remains a great time to consider Purchasing a Lake of the Ozarks Home or refinance. Let me know if I can answer any questions at all for you or your clients.