Welcome to March and hopefully, an early spring.  We've lived through unseasonably warm weather, brutally cold weather, record snow amounts, and recently, flooding.  Daylight Savings Time begins March 11.  

Helping aging parents while managing careers and raising a family can be a challenge. If you're considering having your parents live with you, this list will help you choose the right home to meet everyone's wants and needs.

First, sit everyone down who will be affected by the arrangement for a friendly discussion. Ask for a wish list from each person, including the kids, of desired features in a new home. Ask for concerns and expectations, and you can head off potential conflicts in advance. Make sure your parents don't feel like indentured babysitters, and that kids show respect for your parents' age and limitations.

Make sure everyone knows that you'll do your best to meet as many wants and needs as possible, but you'll have to prioritize. Compromises and patience will be required of everyone.

Who will own the new home? If you use your parents' retirement income to buy a home, it will help you qualify for a larger, more expensive place. They can be tenants-in-common and be equally responsible for paying the mortgage. All co-owners must qualify with the lender.

You can buy the home and have a rental agreement with your parents. That will show more income to help you qualify for a larger mortgage. Or, you can let them live with you and pay what they can.

Last, consider privacy for all concerned. It's ideal if your parents can have their own suite of rooms, including a bedroom, living area, private bath and kitchenette.

Kitchen design doesn't change as quickly as other fashions, so when trends evolve, it's time to pay attention, especially if you're considering remodeling your kitchen. Here are five trends to consider:

Color. White kitchens are clean, pristine, and modern but they don't have to be monotone. Colors that are coming on strong are teal, a deep bluish green and marine blue, a saturated greenish blue. If you love white, or white and grey kitchens, think about adding more color to the island, walls, cabinets or backsplash.

Matte black fixtures. Matte black looks a lot like traditional polished bronze, so for the look to work, the style needs to be sleek, geometric and contemporary. The look is also a great update for your bathroom fixtures.

Workstations. Whether you're baking, grilling or using the stovetop, install multiple food preparation areas for chopping and mixing. Family and friends can cook together, making meal preparation a fun bonding activity. You can separate foods for individual diets, like gluten-free, and clean up is easier.

Beverage stations. Taking the place of butler's pantries, when no one has a butler these days, are beverage stations adjoining the kitchen. Chose the appliances around your favorite drinks, including coffee machines, smoothie makers, wine storage, juice bars and cocktail mixing.

Waterfall islands. To really show off your choice of granite, dress your island with a waterfall, where the granite cascades down the sides between the seating area and food prep area. The look is worth the extra expense.

As a home seller, it's important to understand that all built-ins remain with the home, but what do you plan to do about items like refrigerators, chandeliers, washers, dryers and other fixtures?

Typically anything that is built-in or attached to the home stays with the home and belongs to the new buyer. But a chandelier is attached to the ceiling only by wires. Would it automatically stay?

Yes, it would stay, but it can also be replaced or excluded. The key is to replace it before any marketing begins. This is my recommendation if it is practical to do so.  Your other option is to leave it in place, and exclude it in the MLS remarks section of the listing. The problem is that buyers see the photos or view the home and fall in love with things as they see them.  If it is replaced first, it keeps the focus on the house.   

I will let you know about the market and if it's to your advantage to convey or exclude. If you have new appliances, for example, they are valuable enough to take with you, but they may also be valuable to your buyer.  We'll discuss options and decide on the right plan.

Just as I want you to be successful in your quest to buy a home, so does your mortgage lender, which means being ready to compete in a fast market.

A good lender will get you preapproved for a loan before you make an offer to buy a home. It's best if you start now. Your lender will need approximately 30 minutes to complete a pre-approval.

Communicate with your lender to make sure you have a smooth transaction.  I recommend Brad Cook at Lake Michigan Credit Union, (616) 464-7107.

April showers bring May flowers but they can also wreak havoc.  Home insurance plays a major role in protecting your largest investment.  Do you have water back up coverage on your home insurance policy if your drain overflows or your sump pump fails?  

If you're looking for an insurance agent, I recommend Jessica Wood at Insurance Resource of Michigan.  Her phone number is (616) 826-6761.  Call her if you'd like to review your coverage.  

Many who receive this newsletter have bought. and/or sold homes through me.  I appreciate you, your continued support, and the referrals you have given me over the years. The greater Grand Rapids area continues to expand rapidly.  We are seen as a great place to live, work, raise a family, or retire.  

That said, many people are moving to our area who don't know anyone local to get a Realtor referral from.  They are increasingly looking to business reviews on Facebook and Google.  I'd appreciate it if you would be willing to rate my service.  You click a rating level and you have the option of adding a testimonial.  Here are links to Facebook Reviews and Google Reviews.  Thank you!