A home purchase isn’t complete until you make it to the closing. Until then, the transaction can fall apart for many reasons. Here are five tips for avoiding mistakes that cause a home sale to crater. 1. Be truthful on your mortgage application. You may think fudging your income a little or omitting debts when […]
Keep Your Home Purchase on Track Read More »
You’ve worked hard to get your home ready for sale and to price it properly. With any luck, offers will come quickly. You’ll need to review each carefully to determine its strengths and drawbacks and pick one to accept. Here’s a plan for evaluating offers. 1. Understand the process. All offers are negotiable, as your
6 Tips for Choosing the Best Offer for Your Home Read More »
This being my last article until after the New Year, I want to wish all my friends a Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and most of all a Very Happy and Healthy New Year. I hope you all get everything you wish for. This post is being written to remind you when decorating for the holidays
Safety First When Decorating for the Holidays Read More »
You love it, but sometimes you have to leave it. Whether it’s the eight hours a day or eight days on a dreamy beach, allowing your biggest investment to fend for itself can be stressful. And it’s a legit concern; when your home looks empty, break-ins happen. A lot. Ugh. You could deter burglars by
6 Near-Genius Ways to Fool Burglars Into Thinking You’re Home Read More »
Private mortgage insurance is unavoidable for some homeowners, but don’t pay PMI premiums a day longer than required by your lender. Private mortgage insurance provides protection to a lender in case you default on your home loan. Unless you make a 20% downpayment on a house, you’ll most likely be required to purchase PMI. PMI
When is the Right Time to Cancel Your Private Mortgage Insurance? Read More »
For-sale-by-owners tend to sell their homes for lower prices than homes sold through traditional agents via the MLS, and in many cases below the average differential represented by the prevailing commission rate, according to a new study by Collateral Analytics. The study examined the price differences between homes sold through traditional agents versus those sold by FSBOs
Study: FSBOs Net ‘Significantly’ Lower Profits Read More »
You finally found it: the two-story bungalow in the trendy part of town you’ve been eyeing for years – the one with the best coffee shop (hello, foamy latte) and favorite farmer’s market. You made your best offer (they accepted!) and now you’re about to close on your dream home. Then just before closing, an
Hackers Are After Your Down Payment. How NOT to Get Scammed Read More »
There is one paint color you must avoid at all costs (see #5). A clean, well-planned, and stunning bathroom is every homeowner’s goal. But creating it can be a bit of a sticky wicket. All that water, humidity, and artificial lighting, and those tight corners make the space a real challenge. Don’t make it worse
5 Bathroom Things You’ll Hate If You Install Them Read More »
Paint colors can do a ton to fix a room’s flaws for not much money Every home suffers a few negatives, but not every solution requires pricey structural changes. Paint is a frugal remodeler’s go-to solution to perk up a problem room. Here’s how to pick paint colors to give any room a facelift: Choosing
How to Pick Paint Colors to Fix Any Room’s Quirks Read More »
Non-toxic. Low-cost. Hydrogen peroxide is your cleaning arsenal’s secret weapon. In Your Kitchen 1. Clean your cutting board and countertop. Hydrogen peroxide bubbles away any nasties left after preparing meat or fish for dinner. Add hydrogen peroxide to an opaque spray bottle — exposure to light kills its effectiveness — and spray on your surfaces.
10 Clever Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide Read More »
