If you’ve been renting, you may wonder whether it makes sense to buy a home. You may have heard that inventories are tight right now or that the home-buying process is challenging. Maybe you have questions over the financial side of buying a home—and whether it’s better to rent or buy. If you’re still trying to figure out whether it’s better to rent or to buy, here are seven reasons you may...
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the finish line and have sold your home. The boxes are all packed, you’ve done a final cleaning and you’re ready for the move. But before you close and the new owners move in, here’s a checklist for making the transition go smoothly for both you as well as the buyer. 1. Garage door openers. You should provide one opener per garage door and they should...
There’s a lot of attention paid to first-time homebuyers and what they need to know when buying a home. But what about first-time home sellers? No matter how much an agent tries to prepare a homeowner for the listing and selling process, every sale is different and there are some nuances that are difficult to anticipate. At the same time, there are certain things that are to be expected—but for one...
Applying for a mortgage as a first-time homebuyer seems so simple these days. Upload some information online, hit submit and you’re good, right? Maybe not so fast. There are certain questions you can expect to be asked in one form or another, whether it’s during your online app or in follow up. It’s always best not to be blindsided, so here is a heads up on what you’re likely to be...
Down payments can be the bane of many would-be homeowners. Add to the challenge all the free advice many would-be homeowners are bombarded with by well-meaning friends and family. In many cases, the information isn’t true or is only partially so. Here’s a look at three of the most common myths surrounding down payments: Fiction: You can’t buy a house unless you’ve saved 20% of...
You don’t always need to do a major renovation to get your home ready for market. Beyond a thorough cleaning and decluttering, here’s a checklist of cosmetic updates that can have your home looking its best without a lot of investment: Switch up the hardware. Kitchen and bathroom cabinets can become instantly updated when you switch out their outdated hardware for something more clean and...
Getting your financial house in order before applying for a mortgage includes a lot of things, from saving your down payment to pulling together your paystubs. But one thing that may not be so evident is the need to pay down credit card debit and avoid opening new lines of credit. That’s because too many open lines of credit and balances that are over 30% of your available credit limit can...
Are you ready to give your landscaping a facelift? Just as with an interior home renovation, investing in the grounds surrounding your home should start with a prioritized list of what you want to accomplish with your investment. Create a budget, define the scope of your project and stay within both. When you’re ready to bring in a pro, you’ll want to interview several landscape designers to find one...
If you’re thinking about a major renovation on your home or planning to buy a fixer-upper, you’re probably not looking forward to the renovation process. But, there are also specific steps you can take that will not only reduce your stress, but also reduce the risk of a major delay or misstep. Here are 10 tips based on advice from San Francisco-based architectural color specialist...
You follow the trends. You have good design sense. Then, why do your best intentions at decorating your house sometimes fall flat? Whether you’re sprucing up your home so you can put it on the market or simply want to keep it looking its best for your family and friends to enjoy, it can be disappointing when the results aren’t what you expected. Here are fixes for four decorating...
