People who have a financial plan build roughly 20 percent more wealth over their lifetimes than people who don’t. That's according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study, “Wealth Accumulation and the Propensity to Plan.” If you have a budget, it gets even better. For households making between $50,000 and $750,000—quite a wide range—budgeting [...]
Making a low-ball bid can be risky, but if your dream home is out of your price range, it might be your only chance of owning it. There are ways to make your low-ball bid attractive to the seller and real estate broker, not offensive. Present the offer well and sellers could be enticed to [...]
You don’t have to be an interior designer to change the feel of your house with these top five interior remodeling tips. These projects can update an old look and return the most on your remodeling investment if you decide to resell. It may be tempting to renovate your kid’s bedroom but experts say you [...]
Earnest money could seal the deal when buying your dream home. When a homebuyer finds his or her dream house and it’s time to get serious, putting down earnest money is a great step toward closing – but what is earnest money? Earnest money is how homebuyers show the seller they are truly interested in [...]
Home prices are rising and foreclosures have gone down but several risk factors still face the 2014 housing market recovery. Daren Blomquist, Vice President of RealtyTrac, shared these four trends for the 2014 housing market recovery. RealtyTrac is a company that collects and analyzes real estate data and is one of the only major real [...]
The best renovation projects for your home will improve the exterior and increase the curb appeal, especially if you’re working toward a resale. First impressions matter and exterior renovation, like new doors and windows, can make your home ready for resale cheaper. This year’s Cost vs. Value Report, produced by Remodeling Magazine, in partnership with [...]
Jay Dobyns, Adam Bryant, Daren Blomquist and Anthony Sprauve join Ilyce to discuss real estate, credit and leadership on the Ilyce Glink Show on February 9, 2014 on WSB Radio. Ilyce's show always contains various forms of real estate and credit advice but she has invited four intelligent and engaged professionals to talk about leadership, the housing market and [...]
Sometimes first-time homebuyers are unsure of exactly how finding a good real estate broker can help them. While it may be tempting to save money on searching for a new home by going it alone, using a real estate broker can have big benefits. Namely, real estate brokers often have access to more information about [...]
Q: My child graduated college and we still have leftover funds in a Georgia 529 savings plan; about $5000. If I close the account out, do the leftover funds become income to me as the parent or to my child who did not need the remaining 529 savings plan funds? A: It must be really [...]
It’s still a good time to refinance. In fact, it’s a great time to refinance your mortgage. Interest rates remain at historic lows, and locking in a low mortgage rate could save you a lot of money—tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. Refinancing now is a smart move, but it’s [...]
