By H. E. James Before your client signs that dotted line, there’s a step in the due diligence process that often gets neglected -- at least until something goes wrong with that brand new purchase: records research. In eight years running a municipal records center, I saw even the most seasoned REALTORS®, homebuyers and real estate brokers neglect a visit to my...
With all the company, cooking and extra lighting this time of year, energy use skyrockets and so do utility bills. As we continue to shop for the holidays, most of us are looking for any way to save. Over the holidays, there are tremendous amounts of ways we can save energy, one of them being the lighting on your house and on your Christmas tree. If we can...
There’s no place like home for the holidays—and if you’re a would-be buyer, The starting point? An area of concern for many prospective homebuyers: your credit. Research by credit bureau Experian shows those who know their credit status feel significantly more prepared to buy a home than those who don’t. Before you hit the house hunt running in 2016, review...
By Chuck Tripp If you’re looking for a way to add style and value to your home, skylights might be the perfect solution. It will take some planning, but a well-designed skylight comes with a multitude of benefits — not just beauty and value, but possibly energy savings and health benefits, as well. Here is an in-depth look at some of the rewards that skylights...
From installing new cabinet doors to renovating old furnishings, there are many ways to modernize and brighten your kitchen without committing to a complete renovation. Painting, changing cabinet doors and drawer pulls, or adding a kitchen island are all options that you can use to modernize your kitchen. By choosing colors, patterns and styles that you really love,...
‘Tis the season for giving! From pop-by gifts and greeting cards to gift cards and more, there’s no better time of year to show appreciation for the clients who make this business so rewarding. And we’re giving back, too. Simply follow RISMedia on Facebook and comment on our contest post with your response to the question above for your chance to win a $50...
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is gawking at tawdry, awkward and straight up weird holiday decorations. I can't help it. There's so much fun to be had rubbernecking at tacky decorations! I blame my strange fascination on this guy: But there can be lessons learned in witnessing the good, the bad and the tacky. Lessons for all of us, like how not to...
By Anita Alvarez The sharing economy has already seen wild disruption in the transportation and travel industries with Uber and Lyft. Experts are trying to predict if the next wave of sharing economy innovations will hit the retail industry. However, real estate is fluctuating in its response to the sharing economy, wondering what effect it will have on small and...
The positive or negative response we get upon entering a room is nearly instantaneous. We don’t need to carefully examine each corner, or walk around turning over every pillow to decide if a room makes us feel good or not. But, what is it that gives us such a strong first impression? Many of the ways we experience a room have to do with a psychological response...
By Terri Engels You’ve packed up your dorm room, thrown your Frisbee into storage, and have bid adieu to those cumbersome textbooks. College has culminated, so what now? This exciting time in a young person’s life is ruled by one question: what’s next? For many, that answer takes quite a while to define. Many millennials are open to moving back to their parents’...
