Home Value

Avoid Surprises When Selling: Here’s What to Do Before Your House Inspection

You’ve accepted an offer on your home, but suddenly your dreams of a smooth transaction are shattered by a home inspection report. The buyers are requesting over a dozen repairs and say they will walk if the issues aren’t addressed. Even in a seller’s market, the thought of starting all over again is less than appealing. Besides, the next buyers may ask for the same repairs. You can market your home...

Considering a Lease Back Option? Here’s What Sellers and Buyers Need to Know

There are a lot of times when a seller wants to sell their home quickly, but that doesn’t always mean they are ready to move quickly. Situations like waiting on a new construction home to be finished, the start or end of the school year, problems scheduling movers or the timing of a work-related relocation are just a few of the reasons a seller may want to stay put for just a bit longer.Rather than...

Maximizing the Sale: Here Are Six Steps to Perfect Home Staging

Staging your home is a proven way to help bring top dollar. Even in a seller’s market, it is to your advantage to have your home looking its best. Professional home stagers are the experts, but if you don’t have any room in your budget, there are still plenty of things you can do to present your house at its very best. Here are six steps to take as you prep your home for buyers: 1. Start...

The Color of Money: These Paint Colors Could Boost Your Home’s Value By Thousands

Painting is one of the easiest and least-cost ways you can update your home–and the transformation is often nothing short of amazing. But did you know the paint colors you choose could have a significant impact on your home’s value if you’re planning to sell? Recent surveys of 1,400 new or prospective homebuyers suggest that certain paint colors could increase your home’s value by as much as...

Many Factors Determine Your Home’s Value

Whether you are thinking about putting your home on the market or simply want to keep up with the market value of your largest investment, it’s helpful to understand the primary factors that can impact your home’s value. While homes in the same neighborhood may have comparable values, a number of things go into determining a home’s value that can differ from home to home. Here is a look at some of...

Choosing Your Real Estate Agent When Family Ties Become Part of the Picture

You never know how many family members are in real estate until word gets out that you are putting your house on the market. While your family member may be a very competent real estate agent, if you’re choosing an agent based only on the fact that they are a relative, you could be in for a bumpy road. Here are some things to think about when a family member wants to list your home: Revealing...

Empty Nester? 3 Things to Ask Before You Downsize to a Smaller Home

If you are about to become an empty nester–or even if you’ve been one for a while now–you may be thinking about downsizing from the family home. After all, bigger isn’t always better, especially once the kids are out of the house and you start to find you’ve got a lot more space than you know what to do with. The larger the home, the more time and money it takes to maintain.  Downsizing...

Your Debt-to-Income Ratio: What It Is and How it Impacts Your Ability to Get a Mortgage

Your debt-to-income ratio is one of the key factors in qualifying for a new home loan. But how much do you really know about this important calculation and what can you do to move it in your favor? Your debt-to-income ratio, or DTI, is used by mortgage lenders in making a decision regarding your worthiness for a home loan. If your DTI is too high, you could end up paying a higher interest rate or worse...

When the Offer Includes a Contingency: What Home Sellers Need to Know

When you’ve got your home listed, getting an offer can be exciting. And, in today’s market, it’s more likely you’ll be looking at multiple offers at one time. Comparing those offers can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to understanding the contingencies that you might see. Read on to learn what you need to know as the seller. Three common contingencies While these are common...

20 Home Maintenance Hacks Every Homeowner Should Know

Maintaining a home, and all it holds, is an important part of being a homeowner. Keeping your house is good repair not only protects your investment, but ensures you a living space that you can enjoy to the fullest. But, keeping ahead of all the tasks that can pile up on your to-do list isn’t always easy.  Here are 20 hacks that can make home maintenance and everyday repairs a bit easier: 1....

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