Pictures would definitely help. A few questions first. Can you give an idea of a budget and time frame for this project? Do you want a high, medium, or low maintenance type lawn? Do you have an irrigation system or planning to add one? How many hours of sun in front and back yard, high and low end? Do you have any bermuda or poa trivilas in your lawn.

Great questions from joneboy. I would also want to ask if you have any watering restrictions or requirements from a homeowner's association.

Generally the nice lawns in your area (your area is defined as "not the south") are based on fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, or a mix of both. If you try to plant those in the spring time, by July you will have a yard full of crabgrass. If you feel you really need to do it now, you can, but I would not spend a lot on getting the best seed. If you can nurse what you have until fall, that is the time to seed either fescue or KBG. In the fall the crabgrass has finished sprouting and is getting ready to die off completely for the year. Fall seeded grass has all fall, winter, and spring to develop strong, deep roots which can withstand the summer heat.

If you want to improve the health of your lawn, then organic fertilizer is going to be in your future. You don't have to go full speed with organics, but once you try it, you might. The modern approach to organic fertilizer is much different than it was 15 years ago. Back then the only thing anyone knew was to use compost. Now we use food, yes, food. It turns out the soil has roughly 100,000 different species of microbes that nobody knew about until DNA testing became "dirt cheap." If you scatter food on the ground, those microbes decompose (eat) the food and pass on waste products to other species of microbes. Eventually along the way (after 3 weeks) the waste products are plant food (fertilizer). Here is a picture demonstrating how well it works.

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That is a picture of zoysia grass. It was taken in June 2011 a month after an application of alfalfa pellets (rabbit food). You can easily see the improved color, density, and growth of the organically fed grass. Animal feed is what I mean by food. Any ground up nut, bean, or seed works as long as it has some protein in it. Protein provides the nitrogen which eventually becomes plant food. The application rate is 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet, and you can apply any day of the year.

Enough about organics. If you are going to use chemical fertilizer in addition to organic, then wait until after the spring flush of fast growth is over. That will be in April sometime. Then you can apply the chemicals. I realize all the sports events on TV will be telling you what to apply and when. Just turn off the sound. Weed and feed products do NOT work like they say on TV. Most people have bad luck with them. There is a way to do it right, but most people can't seem to do it. Instead do the fertilizer first, then come in 2 weeks later and spot spray the broadleaf weeds with Weed-b-Gone.

NEVER ROTOTILL in preparation for grass. Rototilling provides a fluffy surface but underneath the fluff, it is unevenly dug and scraped with the tiller. In three years, after the fluffy soil settles, it will settle to match the uneven levels you leave with the tiller. Then you'll be back trying to figure out how to level the surface. Just leave your soil alone and plant on top.

I don't have it on this computer but I have some basic directions for lawn care. Generally it goes like this.

1. Water deeply and infrequently. Deeply means 1 inch all at one time. Infrequently means monthly this time of year moving gradually to once per week in the hottest heat of summer (above 90 degrees F).

2. Mulch mow at your mower's highest setting. There are few exceptions to this. You don't have any of them.

3. Fertilize regularly. If you only use chemicals, then fertilize once on Memorial Day, once on Labor Day, and again on Thanksgiving. If you use organics then you can fertilize any day you want including the hottest heat of summer. You can even fertilize with both organics and chemicals on the same day.

If you want to seed in the spring, keep in mind that crabgrass also wants to seed in the spring. When you water one, you water both. Also crabgrass is designed specifically for dominance in the summer. Most other grasses are not designed that way, so it would be reasonable to assume that you'll have a crabgrass lawn by July. Fear not! Fall is coming. Crabgrass is not sprouting in the fall, so feel free to install your lawn again, using more expensive seed, in late August.