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Should You Remodel or Just Move?

August 8, 2014

in Home Improvement | Tagged , , ,

If your home no longer fits your needs, it may be time to either move or remodel. But which makes the best sense in your situation? Whether to move or remodel is an entirely personal choice, based on your financial situation and your personal preferences. Ask yourself first if you can renovate your house, then […]

Measuring the Value of a View

August 1, 2014

in Home Appraisal, Tips When Selling a Home | Tagged , , ,

Suppose you own a castle on the flats and your brother owns one high atop a hill that features amazing, unobstructed views. Aside from location, the two castles are identical. Which one has the higher resale value? If you guessed that it’s the hilltop castle, you are correct. When valuing two similar pieces of property, […]

Are You Ready to Move Up?

July 4, 2014

in Home Buying Guide | Tagged , ,

Houses are a little like the clothes you buy your kids – they get outgrown. It doesn’t happen quite as frequently as your child needs new shoes, but at some point, the house you bought pre-family won’t fit anymore, and you may start entertaining thoughts of moving up. It’s easy to imagine that if you […]

Writing a Home-Offer Letter – Is It a Good Idea?

June 13, 2014

in Home Buying Guide | Tagged , , ,

The most important letter you’ll submit to a home seller is the one you’ll get from your lender stating that you are preapproved for a mortgage. Savvy listing agents will counsel their clients to refuse offers from unapproved buyers, so all the flowery prose of a home-offer letter will mean nothing without loan preapproval. Assuming […]

Houseboats and Floating Homes: Pros and Cons of Living on the Water

April 18, 2014

in Home Buying Guide | Tagged , , ,

Singer Otis Redding sat on the dock of the bay, wrote a song about it and made millions of dollars. What his song didn’t tell us, however, is that he was sitting on a docked houseboat in Sausalito, Calif., and the “bay” is Richardson Bay. Houseboat living was definitely the inspiration for the singer’s all-time […]

Scoping Out a Neighborhood

January 3, 2014

in Home Buying Guide | Tagged , ,

Homebuyers enter the process with one of two mindsets. There are those who know what kind of house they want – the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the type of kitchen and maybe whether or not they want a yard. Then there are those who know where they want to live, such as a specific school […]

Buyer’s Perspective: Short Sales vs. Foreclosures

August 2, 2013

in Home Foreclosures, Short Sales | Tagged , , ,

They are known as “distressed properties,” when in reality they are properties that belong to distressed homeowners. Foreclosed properties and those being sold short are homes that the homeowner can no longer afford, for any number of reasons. If you have your heart set on purchasing from among an area’s distressed properties, you may have […]

5 Tips for the Best Home Showings

July 12, 2013

in Tips When Selling a Home | Tagged , , ,

Home routines tend to come to a standstill while your home is on the market. The need to keep the house clean  – and not scare potential homebuyers away – means that kids can’t throw their school books on the dining room table, Dad has to pick up his stinky socks, and even the pets need […]

Don’t Sacrifice Style for Budget

July 8, 2013

in Home Buying Guide | Tagged , , , , , ,

When it comes to searching for your perfect home, you don’t have to sacrifice style for budget. Your hunt for your dream home should not be limited by your financial situation, no matter how much or how little you have to spend. Here are three ways you can maximize your housing’s style on your limited […]

Tips for Buying a Foreclosed Home

July 5, 2013

in Home Buying Guide, Home Foreclosures | Tagged , , , , , ,

Homebuyers in the market for a deal on their dream home needs two things: lots of patience and the stomach to do battle with investors. Any home that is in a decent area and priced right is facing keen competition in today’s market. Homebuyers in the market for a foreclosure need those qualities tenfold. Buying […]