Choosing the Right Home

Looking for the right home can be a daunting process for first time buyers and seasoned vets alike. From the style of the house to the type of appliances, there are countless factors that can go into such a big purchase. The following short checklist outlines the most important things you should think about when you're on the hunt for a new home.   1. Define your budget: It's never fun to fall in...

Top 4 Deal Killers for Homebuyers

Falling in love is exhilarating. It can also be a bit scary, especially when a home has captured your heart. What if something goes wrong and you end up not spending the rest of your life with this stack of brick and mortar you're lusting after? No matter how careful you are, some deal killers are unavoidable. Others, however, are preventable, so pay heed if you hope to keep your deal alive. 1. Don't...

5 DIY Improvements to Make Your Home Classier

Updating your home to be more chic - without looking cheap - is completely doable on a budget. If you're looking to add more class to your home, taking on a DIY project can give your house that extra sense of style while saving you money. No need to cringe at those three little words: "do it yourself." There really are fast, easy, and affordable projects you can do on your own. Here are five relatively...

Condo, Co-op, PUD: What’s the Difference?

Condo, Co-op, PUD: What's the Difference? Condos: Walls, floors, ceilings are owned in common by all residents. A homeowners association charges monthly dues for management and maintenance. Owners are subject to covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CCRs); condo value depends on the desirability of the entire development. Planned Unit Development (PUD): Individuals own the structure and a bit of...

Should You Rent Your Home?

Should You Rent Your Home? Thinking of renting your home? Where do you start? Get the house in shape, including interior and exterior painting and patching, carpet cleaning, appliance tune-up, ensuring adequate insulation, and fixing what needs fixing. A property management company can research prices in your area, or you can look in the real estate section of your Sunday paper. It’s not...

Your Next Car: Buy or Lease?

Your Next Car: Buy or Lease? In 1990, just 10 percent of the people who shopped for new cars opted to lease instead of to buy. Last year, it was 32 percent. So should you jump on the bandwagon, or go the traditional route? Find out the differences, and which option makes the most sense for you.   Difference #1: Cost of vehicle When you purchase a vehicle, you pay for the car’s entire cost, period....

How to Increase Your Home’s Value

How to Increase Your Home's Value There is really only one reason to try to increase the value of your home: if you’re trying to sell it. If you’re not, deliberately increasing your home’s value most likely will increase your tax bill as well. There are ways to increase your home’s value for resale that range from the very expensive (major remodels and additions) to free (tidying up the front...

Easy Living Homes

Easy Living Homes If you have family members or friends with physical limitations, you may have areas of your home that they’re unable to visit. This is especially problematic if you yourself become disabled or have a disabled person move in with you. How do you accommodate these needs? By building an EasyLiving Home, of course. According to the EasyLiving Home web site, the EasyLiving Home program...

Real Estate Trends

Real Estate Trends The last two years have been the strangest on record for the housing industry. An unprecedented housing boom increased throughout the 1990s and continued into the new millennium, thanks to relaxed credit standards, sinking interest rates, low unemployment, and insufficient housing supply. But signs now point to the impending end of the boom.   In more than 100 U.S. cities, home...

How To Buy A HUD Home

How To Buy A HUD Home HUD homes are houses acquired by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If a foreclosed home was purchased with a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the lender files a claim for the balance due on the mortgage. The FHA pays the claim, then transfers ownership of the property to HUD, which sells the home. The properties include...

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