You do not need to leave your home and spend a ton of money entertaining your young child. You can use everyday items in your house to create memories you and your child can cherish. *Just be sure to have your camera handy.*

*Crafts*

Rain Stick

Items needed:

1 cardboard tube (Paper towel tube, wrapping paper roll, etc.)

1 handful of rice, small pasta, salt, un-popped popcorn, small pebbles (amount varies depending on the size of tube used)

2 squares of saran wrap (each square needs to be bigger than the ends of the tube)

2 rubber bands

1 long section of aluminum foil slightly bigger then your cardboard tube.

Any paint or stickers of decorating

Step 1)

Decorate the cardboard tube and let it dry.

Step 2)

Take 1 square of saran wrap and place it over one end of the tube. Fold the ends over and secure with a rubber band.

Step 3)

Roll up the aluminum foil in the shape if a tube. Loosely crinkle it up. Bend it into multiple “S” shapes. Put the foil into the tube. It should come up to the top of the tubing, but not over.

Step 4)

Sprinkle your selected item (rice, pasta, pebbles, etc.) in the cardboard tube. Add different amounts for different sounds.

Step 5)

Take the last square of saran wrap and place it over the end of the tube. Fold the ends over and secure with a rubber band.

Now it is ready. Move the rain stick gently back and forth to hear the “rain.”

Simple Doll House

Items Needed:

I cardboard box (Size can vary depending on how large of a doll house is wanted)

Old magazines no longer needed. The best one would be for home decoration and design.

Scissors

Glue

Step 1)

You will need to cut the box. Cut of the top flaps.  There are three ways to do the next step. 1) Cut the box diagonally. Cut down one corner and across the bottom to the opposite side. The box will open up to provide plenty of room for play. 2) Cut out one whole side of the box. There will be three remaining sides. 3) Do not cut anything after you cut off the flaps. The dolls can play in the box with the child leaning over it. Decide what variation is best for the box you picked. Some boxes will not hold together cut-up.

Step 2)

Have the child pick out different pictures to go in the house; Beds, tables, kitchens, drapes, etc.

Step 3)

Glue the pictures on to the inside (or outside) of the box.

Let the box dry and it is ready for play.

Rock Ladybugs

Items Needed:

1 medium to large rock, preferably smooth

Red paint

Black paint

2 q-tips

Glue

Step 1)

Paint the rock red. Let it dry.

Step 2)

Paint the q-tips black, while the rock is drying. Let it dry.

Step 3)

Paint black dots on the rock. Let it dry.

Step 4)

Glue the q-tip antennas on the front of the ladybug rock. Let the glue dry.

If you have any craft eyes, you can glue them on under the antennas.

Toast Painting

Items Needed:

Bread

Food coloring

Milk

Butter

Clean Paint Brush

Step 1)

Put small amounts of butter into several different bowls. Use a bowl for each color. Add a drop or two of the food coloring and mix it in to the butter.

Step 2)

Toast the bread. While the bread is still warm, have your child use the clean paintbrush to paint the colored butter onto the bread.

Once the bread is painted, feel free to eat this masterpiece.

*Activities*

Treasure Hunt

Items Needed:

1 small box

Items to go in the box

List of hints

Before your child can take part in this hunt, you will need to do a little preplanning. This can be done alone or with another child. If you have two children, you can plan a treasure hunt with one child, for the other, and then do it again having the children switch roles.

You will need to make the hints. Depending on the child’s age, you can write the clues or use pictures from a magazine or a digital camera.

How the hints work:

You will hand the child the first hint. It may say couch or have a picture of a couch. The child will find the next hint in/on the couch. The hint in the couch will say or have a picture of the table. The child will find the next hint on the table. And so on, until they get to where you have the treasure chest.

You will now need to make the treasure chest. A small shoebox will work nicely. Put little items in the box. You can use everyday items around your house that the child likes to play with, or buy small items at a store.

It is time to hide the hints and the treasure chest. You might want to do a dry run to make sure the hints are in the correct spot.

Obstacle Course

The only items needed are already in your home.

Make sure you use an area with plenty of room. Use chairs, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals to create easy obstacles. Play follow-the-leader through the course. Let each person have a turn deciding how things will be walked around, crawled under, and jumped over. Make sure an adult is there to supervise.

Homes are not just a roof over your head, but a place to make memories.

Jim Nelson has been in the Real Estate business for over 30 years and is the owner of Buckskin Building. We build custom homes to fit your family.

To learn more about Buckskin Building and Development LLC:

Phone: 928-535-9161

Email: jim@buckskinbuilding.com

Web: www.buckskinbuilding.com 

Once you have your house, now it is time to make it your dream home. There are several ways that you make it yours.

1)      Paint- If your house and furniture are not blending into a home; you might want to paint the walls. Picking the right colors of walls and trim and bring the rooms together.  

2)      Pictures- Hanging pictures are an easy way to start creating a home. Whether they are of friends, family, a beloved pet, or artistic drawings, pictures add a familiar touch to any space.

3)      Little Details- Even the little things can make you feel more at home; doorknobs, cabinet handles, light fixtures. Just some simple low cost changes can really make the difference.

4)      House Plants- Adding plants and flowers can really liven up any room. Pick plants that mirror your family’s taste and life. When looking it to plants find ones that work well in that particular room. If the room does not get much direct sunlight, pick a plant that does not need much. 

5)      Landscaping- Even if you live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, small changes in your yard, really add up. Making flowerbeds or planting trees are a good way to do this. Before you start, make a plan. Decide how you want it to look before you start.

With a little work, your will feel at home in no time.

Jim Nelson is the owner of Buckskin Building and has been involved in the Real Estate and Housing Industry for over 30 years.

To learn about Buckskin Building, visit www.Buckskinbuilding.com or email jim@buckskinbuilding.com.

          Before you get too far into the process, you need to decide on how much of a house you can afford. Most contractors charge by-the-square-foot. (Please note: Prices may change if you want specialty or higher quality material, then the contractor’s regular building supplies.) If you will need a loan, please go to a mortgage loan officer first to determine a loan approval amount. This will help you and the contractor keep the building costs within budget. Remember the cost of the land in the budget.

          Next, you need to make a list of needs, wants, and dislikes. This list will help you with various planning decisions.

            You will need to find the perfect property for your family’s dream house. Consult your list. What will you need and want out of your land? Are you looking for a view, land for horses, a small yard for a playground or garden, or close to a school? Do you like the neighborhood? Buy the one that works for your family’s needs, not the first one you look at.

          Now you need a house plan. Many contractors will have ones to look through. If you cannot find the one for you, many contactors will change an already existing one, or help you create one. Check with your contractor to see if they provide this. There may be charges for that service. You can also look into buying a house plan off the internet. When picking out the plans, refer to your list. Will you need wheel-chair access, extra storage, space for hobbies or a home office? Will your day-to-day lives flow easily in this house?

          You have the land and the plan, now you are ready to start. You will be needing permits. Different areas have different requirements. Check with your contractor about the housing regulations. Most contractors will take care of the required permits, insurance, and inspections. If not, you need to go to your local Building Department to make sure that your house will be up to code.

          Before you start paying the contractor, get a contract. It should detail time lines, contractor responsibilities, your responsibilities, and price. Even if the contractor is handling everything, you still might want to get familiar with the housing laws and regulation. Be informed.

          Finally, you are ready to break ground. Your dream house is about to be a reality.

Jim Nelson is the owner of Buckskin Building. He has been involved in the Real Estate and Housing Industry for over 30 years.

To learn about Buckskin Building, visit www.Buckskinbuilding.com or email jim@buckskinbuilding.com.

To ensure you hire the right building contractor for your custom home project you should look for several key attributes in your prospective building contractor.

First, a building contractor should have a proven record of building quality homes. Make sure the building contractor has been in business for several years and can provide you with a list of completed homes. The list of completed homes should include a number of references that you can call and/or visit. Make sure the reference lists includes projects that were done recently as well as ones that were done several years earlier. Call and visit some of the references. While visiting the reference properties examine the quality of construction and ask for feedback on the homeowner’s experience with the prospective building contractor. For a list of references, please contact Jim Nelson at 928-535-9161 or jim@buckskinbuilding.com.

Second, make sure the prospective building contractor has actually built a home similar to your plans. You do not want to hire a building contractor that has only built basic spec homes if you are planning to build a unique custom home. Custom homes typically have complicated floor layouts, complex roofs, and use higher end materials that frequently necessitate training and expertise for proper installation. We tours of custom homes we have built from the ground up. To schedule a visit please contact Jim Nelson at 928-535-9161 or jim@buckskinbuilding.com.

Third, look for a building contractor who demonstrates good project management skills and is methodical with his planning and construction. Building a custom home is an expensive endeavor and you want to be absolutely sure that the building contractor can be trusted with your money to build your custom home correctly. If you sense the building contractor is “winging” it during the proposal/bidding phase, steer away from him. Formal bids on a custom home building project should be well documented. Documents should include a bid proposal with accompanying architectural drawings of the home to be constructed. The bid proposal should clearly state all project costs, as well as a detailed timeline for work to be started and completed. Payment terms and schedules should also be included. The bid should also specify all material types and subcontractors who the building contractor will use. To get more information about our work standard, from proposal to building completion, please contact Jim Nelson at 928-535-9161 or jim@buckskinbuilding.com.  

Finally, if you will need a loan to build your custom home, please acquire it before you meet with a builder. This way the builder will be able to personalize information in your price range. You will be able to see all your options when making your decision.

Jim Nelson has been involved in the Real Estate and Housing Industry for over 30 years. He is the owner of Buckskin Building.

To learn more about Buckskin Building and Development LLC:

Phone: 928-535-9161

Email: jim@buckskinbuilding.com

Web: www.buckskinbuilding.com

Building Equity

Owning a home can help you build wealth in two ways. First, you build equity by paying down your mortgage. A certain percentage of each mortgage payment goes towards a reduction in the total amount owed. Typically, payments in the first few years of the mortgage are primarily applied to interest on the loans. As time passes, however, more and more of each payment is applied to the outstanding loan amount. Before you know it, the $300,000 loan is down to $50,000 and you’ve gained $250,000 in wealth.

Appreciation is the second wealth building advantage to home ownership. Each year, the value of your home will increase or decrease slightly based on market prices. Over time, real estate has always appreciated in value. In the current market, homes in some parts of the country are appreciating at rates as high as fifteen to twenty percent! Appreciation is a very popular subject with homeowners.

Wealth Building Example

Let us look at a simple demonstration of how advantageous home ownership can be. Assume you buy a home in 2005 for $400,000 and, for the purpose of simply mathematics, pay no down. Over the next 10 years, your mortgage payments reduce the outstanding mortgage by $100,000 and the home increases in value to $600,000. The value of your home as a net asset has grown to $300,000 [$600,000 minus $300,000]! If you had rented during this period, you would have missed out on $300,000 in wealth. This simple example should show you the advantage of home ownership.

Historically, home ownership is one the best ways for families to build wealth. If you don’t currently own a home, you should start looking for one.

Jim Nelson has been involved in the Real Estate and Housing Industry for over 30 years. He is the owner of Buckskin Building.

To learn more about Buckskin Building and Development LLC:

Phone: 928-535-9161

Email: jim@buckskinbuilding.com

Web: www.buckskinbuilding.com

 Here in Overgaard, AZ the temperature averages 55-85 degrees.

 Your summer does not have to be spent inside with the air conditioner turned up.

The White Mountains offers plenty of outdoor activities,  that the whole family can enjoy.

Located Just a short 2 hour drive from the valley of the sun

If your family wants to experience the wonderful view, whether on foot or the comfort of a vehicle, we have many mountain trails and roads.

 You can look into our campgrounds, lakes, golf courses, hiking trails, and much more, on Our company’s website.

Sincerely,

Jim Nelson

Email: Jim@BuckskinBuilding.com

Office:928-535-9161

www.buckskinbuilding.com

Children can still ride their bikes down the road, and play in their own yards.

 Our small schools have been lucky enough to not have to install metal detectors and police at every door.

With the smaller class sizes our children get more of the one on one attention every child should

 Our national forest gives children plenty to do and it is right outside of town, without the high crime rate of a big city.

• fishing
• hunting
• hiking
• biking
• exploring
• boating
• camping
• quad riding
• skiing
• sledding
• horseback ridding
• Etc.

  Phoenix is also a close enough drive, to make a day of the shopping, concerts, theater, without the crime, heat, over crowded schools.

Look for more info on the go to Our company’s website.

Buckskin Building is a general residential contractor that can build your family’s dream home at an affordable price.

Buckskin Building is a premier local General Building contractor located in Overgaard AZ. For more Information on the company go to www.Buckskinbuilding.com

Sincerely,

Jim Nelson

Email: Jim@BuckskinBuilding.com

Office:928-535-9161

www.buckskinbuilding.com