Should You Consider A Condominium Or Townhome?

If you are buying a new home on a tight budget, one of the options that will come to your attention is purchasing a condominium or townhome instead of a standard single family home.

When we think of selling a home, the services a REALTOR® can provide usually seem worth the cost of their commission, but what about as a buyer?  What can a REALTOR® do for you as a home buyer, and is the commission worth the services they can provide?  Here are five great reasons you should hire a REALTOR® when you are in the market for a new home!

REALTORS® Can Help You Determine Your Budget—With a few simple pieces of information, a REALTOR® can help you pre-determine what kind of budget you may be looking at for your new home, and can match you with potential lenders that are right for you.

When it comes to buying a home, having bad credit is not the end of the world.

When purchasing a home, especially for the first time, you are going to encounter a lot of terms and jargon you may never have heard before.

Finding A Neighborhood With Great Schools

If you have children, or even if you don’t yet but plan to in the future, schools are something you will need to take into consideration when you search for a new home.

There is a reason the term “location, location, location” is used so commonly within the real estate industry.

The traditional view of home ownership usually includes a married couple, but times have changed, and more and more single women are entering the housing market.

If you are a first time homeowner, or are purchasing a home after a major life change such as marriage or having children, what should you consider to be sure your new home can grow with your changing family?  The time and effort that go into purchasing and decorating a new home, not to mention finding it in the first place, means that you’ll want to ensure that your home will be right for you and your family for years to come.

An earnest money deposit, also known as a good faith deposit, is a specific dollar amount that a potential buyer pays to the seller in an effort to display their serious interest in a property.

Choosing A REALTOR® You Can Trust

When it comes to shopping for a home, especially if you are buying for the first time, having an agent on your side is extremely helpful.

So you have found the home of your dreams, it has all the features you want, and it is in the right neighborhood.

Examining A Home Objectively: What Matters And What Doesn’t

Everyone heads out to look at potential homes with a list of the things they want in a house, and a list of the things they definitely do not want.

Now that you’ve signed all the paperwork and your loan is approved, it’s time to move in.

Once you’ve made the decision to buy a home, it’s time to start thinking about what comes next.

Making An Offer: Negotiating Your Buying Price

There is perhaps no more exciting and nerve-wracking time in the home buying process than when you decide to make an offer on a home.

Homeowner’s Associations: What You Need To Know

As you begin looking for a home to purchase, you will start to come across houses that have a homeowner’s association.

While it may be nice to have a home with five bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen, and a four-car garage, how many of us really need this much space?  The best approach is to look at a few particular aspects of your life and lifestyle to make the right choice.

The process of purchasing a home can be a complicated and stressful experience, but if you have to purchase a new home in another city the experience can become even more complicated.

Always dreamed of renovating a home exactly to your specifications, or have you found an older house that is structurally sound but needs a lot of work inside?  Perhaps the price is right and you can’t resist all that house you can get for your money.

The appeal of income properties and the potential for what may seem like easy money and early retirement have likely crossed the mind of anyone who has heard of this business venture.

As the old saying goes, real estate is all about location, location, location.

A home warranty plan, also known as a home protection plan, is a service contract that offers homeowners a way to safeguard themselves against possible breakage or a malfunction within the home.

Often ads for homes on the market include the phrase “motivated seller,” and while this sounds as if it may be to your benefit as a home buyer, what does it actually mean?  If a seller is truly motivated you can benefit from a number of potential perks they may be willing to throw in to get their home sold, or they may even be willing to accept a lower offer than the asking price.

When To Consider Raising Your Home Buying Budget

Setting a budget for your home purchase is an important decision.

There is a lot more to putting your home up for sale than placing a sign on the front lawn.

If you’re selling your home, there are a number of things you can do to improve your property’s potential value and appeal.

Selling your home can cause potential anxiety about your personal privacy.

When listing your home with a REALTOR®, you will be required to sign an agreement.

You have put your home up for sale and done everything your agent has advised you to do to prepare your property for sale, but still no offers have come in.

Home staging is the latest trend in real estate, and if you are selling your home you are likely at least aware of what this growing practice involves.

The temptation to save yourself the cost of hiring a real estate agent when selling your home can be overwhelming, and with more websites, books, and other resources popping up that claim to give you all the know-how and tools you’ll need to sell your home yourself, why should you consider hiring a REALTOR® at all?  Like any job that requires a lot of insider knowledge and experience, hiring a REALTOR® will ensure that you are getting the best price for your house with the minimal amount of work and worry.

The Home Remodels That Will Most Increase Your Selling Price

So you are ready to sell, but you know that there are a few things in the home that could stand some updating in order to increase your selling price.

The process of selling your home at any time of the year can be a stressful experience, but if you are trying to sell your home during the busy holiday season it may seem to be almost impossible.

If you are thinking of putting your home up for sale, or already have your property listed, you may want to consider hosting an open house as part of your marketing strategy to get your home sold.

If you want potential home buyers to fall in love with your house, they first have to know it’s for sale.

An open house is one way that REALTORS® attempt to expose a home to multiple buyers at once.

Five Things You Should Put In Storage While Selling Your Home

When your home is on the market but you are still living there, you can’t very well make it a model show home.

When selling your home, the last thing you want to do is invest more into it, but in most cases making a few repairs or renovations to your home before putting it on the market can really be worth the financial and time investment.

The process of selling your home can be a stressful and time-consuming event.

Negotiating With A Buyer

Depending on the market in which you are selling, your position in the negotiations with a potential buyer can be either a very comfortable one or a difficult one.

Every homeowner must set an asking price when listing their home on the market, but what happens when you don’t receive any offers?  Just as it’s important to know when it’s time to sell, it’s important to recognize the right time to reduce the price.

Selling A Home When You Have Kids

Selling a home is stressful for everyone, and having young children in the house can add to the stress for the parents.

What Season Is Best To Sell?

So you are ready to sell your house, but you look out the window and see several feet of snow on the ground.

An aquarium is designed to simulate a natural environment for freshwater life.

Let’s face it, most of us have at some point thought about the luxury of spending relaxing and romantic evenings soaking in our very own hot tub.

To clean your home is to free it from dirt, pollutants and other elements.

Decorating For Small Spaces

If you live in a smaller home or condo, you face some particular decorating challenges.

When choosing the perfect grill, it’s important to understand the different types and their functions, but also how each relates to your particular needs.

These days, a home theater is one of the most popular trends in the nation.

Summer is a special time for having fun in the backyard pool, yet drowning is a leading cause of accidental death.

As adults, we often assume that gardening is designed exclusively for us.

Home Theater Tips And Tricks

With home entertainment equipment becoming more and more advanced and the cost of going out for entertainment making it less realistic for many people, creating the perfect home theater is on the list of many homeowners.

The Best Ways To Reduce Your Water Bill

Although a lot of the energy efficiency efforts tend to be focused on saving on electricity bills, you can also save a lot of money on your water bill and save water, too, with only a few simple steps.

Whether you are looking to sell your home or just think it’s time for a new look to improve your curb appeal, giving your front porch a makeover is an easy and inexpensive way to give your home’s exterior a fresh look.

Maintaining Air Quality In Your Home

Whether you have allergies or simply prefer knowing that the air in your home is as clean as you can make it for better health, achieving and maintaining good air quality is an important issue.

Long gone are the days of plastic vertical blinds and grandma’s lacy curtains.

The cool refreshing look of water on a hot summer’s day can make any homeowner wish they had a pool in their backyard, but making the decision about whether a pool is right for your property is more complicated than buying an inflatable bed with a cup holder.

Let’s face it—two of the biggest issues most of us face in today’s world are concerns over the environment and the economy.

As a homeowner, you can use a number of landscaping design tips to make your house look just as polished on the outside as it does on the inside.

A home is a place where we create precious memories with those that we love, which is why photos are a big part of what makes a house into a home.

There is nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables from your own garden to give your health and taste buds a treat.

Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, it’s important to take the necessary steps to keep your home standing tall every day.

If you have the islands on your mind, you will be glad to know that you can bring the charm and decor of your favorite tropical paradise into your own backyard.

If you love your lawn, it’s only natural that you would want to give it the proper care to help give it a healthy appearance.

To many, a rose is one of the most beautiful flowers in existence.

The beauty and relaxation that your garden can provide you and your family is certainly worth all the work you put in each year.

An antique is a decorative object that is valuable because of its age.

If you have a room that requires a feminine touch, don’t fret.

When it comes to entertaining outdoors, there’s no place quite like your very own backyard.

When it comes to watering your lawn, the who, what, when, where and why rule applies.

Making sure that your home is secure should be a priority in your life not only because you want to protect what’s rightfully yours, but more specifically because it could be the most important thing that you do for your family and for yourself.

If you are like most people, dust is a part of life.

Whether it is a romantic dining room or a home office, finding the right lighting for each space in your home is essential to making it functional and inviting.

Storage Solutions For Your Child’s Toys

If you have children, you know how quickly they can accumulate toys and other items.

Moving can be a stressful time, however, there are several things that you can do to make your move a smooth one.

If you are planning to entertain outdoors, then you may also be considering the addition of an outdoor music system to help complete your theme.

Gardening is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors, but it is also a livelihood for many.

When you save on energy, you also save money.

Solar Lighting For Your Yard

One of the simplest, most economical and also eco-friendly ways to provide lighting in your yard is to use solar lights.

A backyard deck is a great way to not only improve the value of your home, but also make your outdoor living space more enjoyable for you and your family.

If you’re facing an upcoming rate change on your adjustable rate mortgage, you may be a bit worried.

First Time Buyer Loan Tips

For first time buyers, the mortgage loan process can seem complex and confusing.

Insurance And Property Taxes: Should You Add Them To Your Mortgage Payment?

When you buy a home, the mortgage payment isn’t the only regular expense you will have to consider.

Can You Buy A Home With No Down Payment?

Coming up with a down payment in today’s economy can be difficult.

Congratulations!  Now that you have found the perfect home, all that’s left is getting the perfect mortgage.

With mortgage rates on the lower side, the choice to cash in and refinance your mortgage may be tempting, but before you make that decision here are a few facts to help you decide if it is the best financial choice for you and your family.

If you are in the market for a new home, or looking to refinance your existing mortgage, then you will want to consider the option of hiring a mortgage broker rather than an individual lender or lending institution.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to the affordability of a house and, as a potential homebuyer, it’s important that you know what type of mortgage payments are within your budget.

If you are a first time homebuyer, navigating all the new information about homeownership, the home buying process, and mortgages can seem overwhelming.

The decision to purchase a home can be an exciting but sometimes confusing undertaking.

Looking to buy your first home, but having trouble coming up with the down payment?  Typically you need to have between 5-50% of the purchase price of your home, so here are a few tips to help you save your down payment faster!

Save Your Tax Refund—Doing this alone for a few years may add up to a considerable amount to contribute to a down payment, especially if both you and your spouse commit to contributing the full amount.

Saving for a down payment can be a difficult and time-consuming task, but there are options for financing a home purchase other than saving or the traditional borrowing options.

A predator is defined as one that preys on others, which is why some lenders have fittingly earned the title as predatory mortgage lenders.

With all the financial decisions that need to be made when purchasing a home, choosing the options that make the best sense for you can seem overwhelming.

A reverse mortgage is a financial option available to seniors which allows them to free up some of the accumulated equity in their home.

All About Home Equity Loans

You have probably heard a lot about home equity loans if you have spent any time at all looking at home financing options.

Interest Only Loans: What You Should Know

Of the many different types of home loans out there, interest only loans are one of the more unusual types.

Paying off your mortgage is one of the biggest financial goals of most homeowners, and retiring debt-free can certainly give your golden years a greater sense of financial freedom and stability.

Now that you’ve decided to purchase a new home, it’s important to know what to expect throughout the loan process.

Purchasing a home with a low down payment is important for a number of reasons, including the buyer’s ability to have extra cash left over for closing costs, decorating expenses, upgrades and/or other essentials needed to turn their new house into a home.

Valentine’s Day Crafts For Kids

Valentine’s Day is all about love—and not just between couples!  Kids love to get in on the action, and creating fun Valentine’s crafts to share is a great way to let them have a good time and make something they can give to friends and family to show their love on this special day.

With times being as tough as they are, finding the money to make a special Valentine’s Day for your sweetheart can be difficult.

Is A Real Christmas Tree Right For You?

There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh pine filling your home during the holiday season, and a real Christmas tree can do that better than any candle or air freshener.

A Mother’s Day Menu Your Kids Can Prepare

Mother’s Day is the perfect time for your children to show their love and appreciation for everything Mom does by preparing her a simple but delicious meal she will really appreciate.

Hanukkah is a very special time of year on the Jewish calendar.

Every year, the Fourth of July holiday honors the birth of our nation.

Thanksgiving is an annual national holiday commemorating a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1621.

New Year’s is a great time to host a party for friends and family.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve With Children

Partying until midnight may not be in the cards for you come New Year’s Eve if you have small children.

Decorating for the Fourth of July is really a great and easy way to show your patriotic pride, and with our nation’s colors of red, white, and blue going so well together, it also couldn’t be easier.

Every June, we celebrate our love for dad with Father’s Day and, although we don’t always know exactly what gift to give that could possibly express our gratitude, it is possible to get him something that he will love.

Holiday Meal Ideas You Can Prepare Ahead Of Time

Preparing large holiday meals for a crowd is time consuming and a lot of work, too.