The cash buyer outranks the financed buyer because there is a lower chance of the deal falling through and because, typically, a cash buyer can close faster than a financed buyer. These are attractive benefits in some situations. Yet there's more to a home offer than a finance contingency and the closing date. In general, there are three [...]
Holding a yard sale or garage sale is like going into business for a day. It can be fun and wildly successful, or it can be pure drudgery and a waste of time. Don’t go to the trouble without reading these tips to make your sale a [...]
Hiring a contractor can be a process fraught with anxiety. Take a few precautionary steps to ensure that you're getting a trustworthy contractor who does high-quality work.
1. Ask for Referrals
Reputable contractors do not knock on doors to solicit work. The best source of recommendations is talking to people who have had similar jobs done. [...]
The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report for 2015 analyzed home improvement projects to see which would give homeowners the biggest return on their investments when it came time to sell. The top five investments that put the most cash into sellers' pockets were all visible from the [...]
I am proud as a husband can be that on May 19th, 2015, my wife (and business partner), Barb Trousdale, was awarded “REALTOR of the Year” at the 2015 REALTORS of Distinction Awards Gala. The most revered award presented at this annual event, Barb was recognized for her exemplary contributions to our community, her professional career, and the [...]
In a recent survey conducted by the Demand Institute, 10,000 households were asked if their current homes met their lists of must-haves. The survey found that many homeowners are going without some important features. Home buyers and renovators should take heed; these are the features that should be on every must-have [...]
Assessing your things, organizing your space and an overall clean will make your home seem new again and help set the tone for an organized lifestyle. Here are four steps that will help you get your house cleaned and [...]
The Federal Housing Administration announced in January that it would reduce its annual mortgage insurance premiums by half a percentage point-dropping it from 1.35 percent to 0.85 percent. FHA-backed loans are popular with new homebuyers, and offer downpayment options as low as 3.5 percent of the purchase price, but require mortgage [...]
The goal for any home seller is to sell a property quickly at the best price for the market. Here are six characteristics that will help home sellers succeed.
1. Realistic Expectations
Real estate agents do not pluck listing prices out of thin air. Every price range they recommend to potential home sellers is the result of meticulous [...]
In December, the total housing inventory dropped 11.1 percent. There were 1.85 million existing homes on the market, which is a 4.4 month supply at the current sales pace; in November, there was a 5.1 month supply. With the strengthening economy and sub-4 percent interest rates, the demand for homes from buyers should be increasing, but a tight [...]
