Owning a home can be a very rewarding experience, but it can also come with headaches involving taxes, permits, upkeep and repair, fees, insurance and more. Look for more information here in our articles, blog posts, videos and radio shows about what it means to be a homeowner.
How To Design Playground For School Or Home
Playground injuries account for many childhood visits to the emergency room. How can you design a playground that's safer for children? And what can you do with the landscaping to keep your children safe when designing a playground?
Saving Money On Your Homeowner’s Insurance
Insurance companies have not renewed coverage for homeowners who have made more than the average number of claims in a four-year period. Insurance companies also have been checking out the credit histories of clients and cutting off homeowners who may have problems such as a bankruptcy in the past two years.
For everyone else, the price you pay for your policy could double this year.
Prevent Crime In Your Home
July and August traditionally produce more crime than any other months, according to law enforcement authorities. But you can discourage burglars from targeting your home by taking a few simple safety steps. Keep lights on timers, make sure all doors are locked, ask neighbors to keep an eye on your house, and ask the police for extra patrols when you're on vacation.
Buying A Home Increases Assets
Buying a home increases assets and builds wealth. The federal government introduces programs from time to time to encourage home ownership, especially for minorities. Learn about the housing market including federal government programs that are aimed to boost home ownership levels.
Sellers: Beware Of Scammers During Open House
When you're selling your home, you may decide to hold an open house. It's important to hide your personal belongings because some open houses attract thieves who will steal valuables from the home seller. Learn what kinds of scams to watch out for when you're selling your home.
Home Repair Helps In Selling Your Home
When you're selling your home, you should make home repairs. Minor home repairs can go a long way toward selling your home. What home repairs can you make to the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom for selling your home? Home repairs should not be a major home renovation but rather minor fixes that will improve the look of your home.
Home As Checkbook
As with the stock market, when home values rise, Americans feel richer. With home prices rising at double-digit speeds (as opposed to the more "normal" 3 to 5 percent average annual appreciation), homeowners see their net worth increasing - in other words, they are worth more. In some cases, it's enough to make up for the dismal performance of the stock market over the past three years.
Homeowners And Mortgage Lenders: Refinance And Establish A Good Relationship
Homeowners should learn about what it means to refinance their mortgage before meeting with their mortgage lenders. Understanding the terminology will help the refinancing go smoothly, and build a good relationship between homeowners and their mortgage lenders. Homeowners should not lie on their applications, as mortgage lenders will have to verify the information and the refinancing will not be easy.
Creating the Not So Big House: Insights and Ideas for the New American Home
Sarah Susanka's The Not So Big House spoke to millions of disenchanted homeowners who want to downsize their dream home without diminishing the dream....
Update Your Homeowner’s Policy Now Or Pay Later
The only thing worse than watching your house and its contents go up in smoke would be not having enough homeowner's insurance to cover the cost of repairing or replacing the damage. Many homeowners fail to upgrade their homeowner's insurance policies as they upgrade their home or contents. If you haven't kept your homeowners insurance policy up to date, you could see a much larger increase if you decide to bring your coverage up to speed, experts say.