The right DIY lighting updates can make spaces look larger than they are and help you sell your home more quickly. Space is second only to location when it comes to what buyers want in a house. Capitalize on whatever space you have to sell your home, and be sure to make the lighting as [...]
Once you find the best temperature for your home during an open house, potential buyers should feel comfortable and welcome. They should feel as though your home is an inviting and relaxing place to spend their time – and possibly their money. If your home feels too hot or too cold during the open house, [...]
Shutterstock If you’re looking for some of the safest cities to rent a home for your family, try the East or West Coasts. A recent survey by Rent.com revealed the best cities for renters raising families, and found towns in California and New Jersey ranked best for low crime rates and weather risks. [...]
Q: My ex-husband is deceased, and we had two sons together. They are 34 and 35. His sister asked me to handle his estate and to help the boys with it. He has a house with an insurance policy that will pay for the mortgage for one year. We’ve applied for that, but he is [...]
Holding an open house is one of the best ways to sell your home, especially if you know a few tips and tricks to help get you started. An open house allows either agents or prospective homebuyers to walk through your home without making a formal appointment. It also allows agents and brokers to determine [...]
My best advice for buying a home, especially if it’s your first home, is this: Don’t do it alone. Consider everything that’s on the line with a home purchase. For most people, a home is the most valuable asset they will ever have and the biggest financial investment they will ever make. While going solo [...]
Are you paying too much in property taxes? Chances are your answer is yes. Well, there are three steps you can take to reduce your property taxes. Most homeowners feel overburdened by ever-rising property tax costs and want to take steps to reduce property taxes, though not every homeowner’s taxes are as oppressive as others. [...]
Mortgage lenders recommend spending between 28 and 36 percent of your gross monthly income on debt payments. While this is considered to be perfectly affordable, it’s stunning that one-third of the homes for sale right now are unaffordable by historical standards. More than half the homes on the market in seven major American metros are [...]
Last year, home prices were on the rise, and consumer confidence followed. The upswing in home prices set high expectations for a continued housing recovery, and many homeowners saw a light at the end of the tunnel for the first time in a few years. Unfortunately, though, not every homeowner was smiling when the year [...]
Long gone are the days when securing a mortgage required a simple credit check. Since the housing market meltdown of 2008, the path to a mortgage has been lined with paperwork and red tape. “Regulations have made the pendulum swing so far in the opposite direction that there’s an overemphasis on documentation and verification,” says [...]
