By Meghan Belnap It's not unusual to go into a garage and wonder how it became a toxic waste dump. Let's face it, the most convenient thing to do is cram anything and everything in there when there's no room for it in the house. Let's get that garage straight. Organization will make it less cluttered and more presentable. Secondly, you avoid potential accidents when...
By Kara Masterson Buyers are so hyper-focused on the home that they often cast aside surroundings. "Surroundings" do not equal trees, fences or landscape. The home's surroundings are the houses around the home and the residents occupying them. Surroundings also include the neighborhood, the passersby and the city. Surroundings are the home's location and it bears...
Owning your own home is an important and some would say essential part of the American dream. However, once you've invested the time and hard work to save up enough to be able to finally afford your dream home, you might find that you are faced with a lot of difficult choices about the real estate where you could potentially spend the rest of your life. One of the...
By Anita Alvarez It’s almost time. Sigh. Summer is drawing to a close, like it or not. Before the leaves fall and the wind turns chilly, it’s a good idea to do some seasonal maintenance on your home. Here are some things to add to your fall “honey-do” list. Have your furnace inspected. It’s smart to have your heating system serviced before you actually...
By Brooke M. French When divorce turns a person’s life upside down, one of the biggest challenges is housing – specifically, finding a new place to live, and deciding whether to buy and how much to spend. During that tumultuous time, real estate professionals can play a key role in guiding clients to sound decisions. 1. Determine whether the buyer is ready After...
Female single mortgage borrowers default less on their loans than male single borrowers, despite having weaker credit, a recently released report by the Urban Institute reveals. The results of the report’s analysis show the percentage of female single borrowers who are 90 or more days delinquent is lower than that of male single borrowers—evidence that lesser...
Maintaining a home, especially an older one, can be expensive—in fact, experts say homeowners should be prepared to spend roughly 1 percent of their home’s value every year on maintenance. The good news is, you can save on maintenance by completing simple tasks yourself. According to the experts at Underwriters, Inc. these include: Cleaning the Gutters – To...
A growing shortage of lots for new homes will push up home prices in many U.S. markets. That’s the word from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which says the availability of new-home lots is at a historic low. In the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index survey for May, 64 percent of home builders reported the supply of new-home lots in their areas...
When you walk into what turns out to be your dream home, you’re blown away. It might be the color scheme or the vaulted ceilings or the massive fireplace that does it, but you’re going to notice something right away that really wows you. Every room after that will make you more and more excited. You might even be ready to make an offer after only seeing a few...
New state laws relating to real estate have taken effect over the summer, many of which could impact homeowners, homebuyers and sellers in certain states. One such law, enacted in California, equalizes the rules governing escrow services performed by real estate brokers, independent escrow companies and underwritten title companies (UTCs). The law, sponsored by the...
