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.
New Construction Will Need Home Repair Too
When you buy a new construction home and move in, everything is like new. After a while your new construction home will need home repairs or home improvement just as any other home. If you're not diligent about maintaining your home it could have water damage. What kind of home improvement does a neglected home need?
My House Is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families With Allergies and Asthma
My House Is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families With Allergies and Asthma by Jeffrey C. May and Jonathan M. Samet. Asthma and allergy sufferers, t...
Are You A Homeowner Or Home Seller?
By definition, a homeowner is someone who owns a piece of property. But beyond being financially invested in that property, homeowners are often emotionally invested in their property. A home seller is someone who has managed to disconnect the emotional ties binding him or her to the property, even though he or she may be living there.
What 21st Century Home Buyers Want
What do home buyers want? According to a new survey, the average home buyer of new construction homes wants about 20 percent more space than he or she already has. What home buyers seem to be yearning for in new homes mirror many current building trends.
Is Now The Best Time To Refinance Your Home?
It's tough to determine the best time to refinance your home. You want to refinance with the lowest rate, but there's no way to know if and when rates are going up or down. But if you can refinance now and pay off the refinancing costs within a year and save money from then on, now is probably a good time.
Section 8 For Mortgage
A brand new program being tested in the Chicagoland area could help Section 8 renters use their vouchers to pay the mortgage. Households that earn between 30 to 50 percent of the area median income can qualify for Section 8 rental vouchers. Now, in a brand new program that’s being tested in DuPage County, renters who receive Section 8 vouchers may be able to use them to help pay a monthly mortgage.
Turning Section 8 Vouchers Into Mortgage Payments
Recent legislative changes now permit Section 8 voucher cash to be used to pay a monthly mortgage payment. In a pilot program being tested in Wheaton, Illinois, Freddie Mac has joined forces with the non-profit DuPage Homeownership Center to offer a new program designed to get Section 8 voucher holders out of their rental units and into homes they own.
Selling Your Home May Provide Extra Retirement Income
As you age you'll continue to have expenses but you likely won't have a job or extra income coming in. How can you meet your expenses as an elderly person? If property taxes put a big dent in your resources, you may want to consider selling your property and renting a home. Other options for retirement income include reverse mortgages and cutting unnecessary expenses.
Seller Disclosure Includes Pipes That May Cause Water Damage
What can you do if you buy a home and later discover something was omitted from seller disclosure? If the seller or the home inspector fail to mention that your home has polybutylene plastic water supply lines and crimped fittings you may be able to collect money as part of a class action lawsuit. The polybutylene pipes should have come to light during the home inspection or as part of seller disclosure.