Blog
Minimalist Home-buying
When you’re house hunting, it’s good to know your “living personality.” The home you choose should reflect the way you like to live rather than the latest trend in home design. If you are a minimalist at heart, you may…
Is Adding a Skylight a Good Investment?
During the gray and cloudy days of winter, a bit of sunshine can make a huge difference in how you feel about your home and yourself. The physical and psychological affects of daylight are well documented. You could leave the…
New High-Tech Home Gadgets
As with The Jetsons cartoon, our imaginations run wild with the idea of modern gadgets to make our homes efficient and automated, and make our lives simpler. For cutting-edge products you can control from your smartphone, check out these contributions…
Early Spring Landscaping
Bulbs, tubers, perennials and indigenous plants beautify your home and give year-round enjoyment for decades to come. If you bought your home in the fall or winter, you may not know what is under the snow or mulch, but you…
Should I Buy a Foreclosed House?
As a result of the housing bubble and resulting financial instability, many communities have a high rate of foreclosed homes. Even though the rate of new foreclosures is slowing, the number of foreclosed homes in a specific the market can…
Are there Holes in Your Homeowner’s Insurance?
You bought your new house, put in new carpet and just had your custom-made sofa delivered when you find the drainage pipes have backed up. Your in-laws will be here tomorrow, so you call your homeowner’s insurance agent only to…
House or Condo?
One of the big decisions facing homebuyers is whether to purchase a home, or to buy a condominium. Just to be clear, as used here, a condominium is a type of housing where a buyer owns a specific part of…
Hosting a Moving Sale
You know you do not want to take all of your old stuff to your new place. Chances are, you are planning to host a sale. Garage sale, yard sale, estate sale, rummage sale … no matter what you call…
Loan Options with Low Downpayments
U.S. economists expect 2015 to be a strong year for housing. What this means to you is that more homes are selling and the supply of available homes is decreasing. This also means that prices likely will increase. If you’ve…
5 Ways to Increase Your Credit Score
Scorrrrrrrre!!!!!! Celebrate a World Cup of Your Own You may not make it to the FIFA World Cup this year in Brazil, but you can still score big by improving your FICO or Vantage credit score. There’s no way around…
Expand Your Space with a Garage Makeover
For most of us, the garage is simply a place to park the car, store suitcases and holiday decorations, or stow those miscellaneous tools we need now and again. With a little careful planning, however, your garage can become a…
Create a Timeless Kitchen with the 4 Cs of Kitchen Design
Nothing says “dated” like a kitchen trend from a decade ago. Consider giving your kitchen a makeover using timeless elements that are always in style. That way, no matter when you sell, your home is always ready. Color The simplest…
Is Your House the Right Investment to Fund Retirement?
For many people, your home is your largest asset. Like your parents, and grandparents before them, you expect your home—in some way—to fund your retirement. For some of you, that means selling the home near retirement and using the funds…
Tax Tips for New Homeowners
Congratulations on your new home! Whether a condominium, cooperative apartment, single-family home, townhouse or mobile home, your home-sweet-home affects your tax status. If this is the first year you’ll be filing your taxes as a homeowner, there are a few…
Energy Conserving Landscaping Tips
As you plan your landscaping for your new home, remember the green you plant outside affects the green you have left inside your pocketbook. Trees and shrubs can reduce the amount of electricity your home requires. Try these tips to…
Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic
Okay, so it’s not the Titanic. It’s your new house and you can’t seem to make your older furniture fit. Buying new furniture is out of the questions, so how do you make your round pegs fit into those square…
When to Get Pre-Approval for a Mortgage
If you’re even considering purchasing a home in the next year, the time to start the pre-approval process is now. Why so early? Here’s some advice to get you on track to a smooth purchase transaction. While you don’t want…
9 Ways to Celebrate Independence in Your New Home
No matter when you close on your new home, there’s probably a holiday just around the corner giving you the perfect opportunity to host a party in your new digs. With Independence Day coming up, here are some ideas for…