Not every buyer may want a fixer-upper. While your home for sale doesn’t need to be turn-key or move-in-ready, there are certain fixes that are important to many buyers and that can help make the sale. 1. Landscaping It all starts with curb appeal. Landscaping helps set the mood and makes the first impression. It can be worth the time and money to replace missing mulch, pavers, or rock. Remove dead plants and shrubbery. Trim bushes and prune trees, especially lower limbs that hang over walkways or brush too close to the house. Add pops of color with planters and healthy blooming, … [Read more...]
Guide To Buying An A-Frame House
A-Frame houses have spiked in popularity over the last couple of years. These adorable homes can be quirky or sleek and modern. They are shaped like a triangle -- hence the name. A-Frame houses are shaped like the letter A. The walls begin near the foundation and slope upwards in a slant. The walls meet at the top to form a triangle or A-shape. A-Frame houses are popular all over the United States. They are ideal for second or vacation homes. The big windows make them especially popular in very picturesque locales. This feature allows homeowners to enjoy fabulous views of the ocean, … [Read more...]
House Hunting When You Are In A Time Crunch
In an ideal world, you'd have plenty of time to find the perfect home. However, that does not always happen. Maybe you are relocating because of a job transfer. Fortunately, it doesn't have to take months to find the perfect home. You can speed up the process of buying a home utilizing some tried and true tips. Here are some of the best ways to speed up the house buying process. Find An Experienced Real Estate Agent An experienced agent likely has an extensive network and many connections. They might know what properties are coming on the market before anyone else does. … [Read more...]
Rebuilding Costs: Rethinking How Much Homeowners Insurance You Really Need
Buying a home comes with numerous financial planning obligations. It's far from a turn-key operation and one of the significant challenges involves developing a working knowledge about things often outside your area of expertise. For example, working as an educator, police officer, investment banker or office staffer does not necessarily make you an expert about home repairs or insurance coverage. Yet, the average homeowner is tasked with carrying a certain level of homeowners insurance coverage without a strong working knowledge. Many homeowners just purchase enough insurance to cover the … [Read more...]
What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – June 18th, 2018
Last week's economic reports included the post-meeting statement by the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee along with readings on retail sales and inflation. Weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims were also released. Fed Raises Key Interest Rate on Strong Economic Indicators The post-meeting announcement by the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve indicated that committee members voted to raise the target federal funds rate to 0.175 to 2.00 percent from the prior rate of 1.50 to 1.75 percent. The post-meeting announcement cited strong economic conditions and … [Read more...]