You've heard of spring cleaning, but what about fall? Cooler temperatures and storms often mean unexpected leaks, cold drafts, home repairs-and home repair bills. Fortunately, basic fall home maintenance can prevent many of these repairs. Below are a few tips to prepare your home and prevent maintenance [...]
No house is perfect. Here are some clever interior design tricks to minimize your home's flaws and make it a more beautiful place to live:
1. Dark Rooms
Everyone loves light-filled rooms. If your home's small windows don't let in enough light, paint the walls a light color to help brighten dark corners. Hanging mirrors on walls opposite [...]
Most people pay the minimum amount due each month toward their mortgage, taking either 15 or 30 years to pay off the loan, depending on the original terms. However, if you can afford to pay more—even just a small amount—it can make a big difference in your [...]
First-time buyers represented 32 percent of the market in May, a 2 percent increase from April and a 5 percent increase from a year ago. First-time buyers haven't had this much of a presence in the housing market since September 2012. Unemployment is down among young adults, and many lenders are lowering their down payment requirements. [...]
Job Stability
The lender needs to see signs of stability. Don't make any sudden changes in your employment if you're planning to apply for a mortgage soon-stay at your job for well over two [...]
A lot is said about curb appeal when listing your home for sale, and the outward appearance of your property is important. What many home sellers do not know, however, is that the backyard can be even more enticing to would-be buyers. A beautifully manicured lawn and perfectly landscaped exterior will draw buyers in, but what they see in the [...]
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 [...]
