As the housing market has improved, so has another aspect of real estate: the tech tools available to help you sell your home.“Before the recession, agents were still marketing to other agents,” says Brian Balduf, co-founder and CEO of VHT Studios, which provides digital marketing services … [Read more...] about 12 tech tools to help sell your home
Home & Garden
What you need to know before you buy rental property
Investing in rental property has long been a popular option for people who want to diversify their investments beyond stocks and mutual funds. But, unlike those more mainstream investments, rental properties can require significant hands-on work, including dealing with tenants and keeping up with … [Read more...] about What you need to know before you buy rental property
How to buy a home in a sellers’ market
If you’ve decided to buy a home, good luck to you. Your challenge will be not just finding a home you like, but also beating out all the other home buyers who like it and want to make an offer on it, too.The number of homes for sale is low nationwide, particularly in the price ranges desired by … [Read more...] about How to buy a home in a sellers’ market
Cheap and easy cleaning methods
I'm always on the lookout for tricks that make cleaning my house easier, but of course those tricks need to be cheap, too. If you feel the same, you're going to love this post. Who wouldn't want to clean their house in less time and with less expense? Many of these tips I've tried and use regularly, … [Read more...] about Cheap and easy cleaning methods
What you need to know about energy-saving light bulbs
Recently, I discovered that I was down to one old-fashioned incandescent 60-watt light bulb. The day of reckoning had arrived. I was finally going to have to figure out the new energy-saving light bulbs.The standard Thomas Edison incandescent light bulb is extremely inefficient, wasting about … [Read more...] about What you need to know about energy-saving light bulbs
Is it time to buy a house? 7 questions to ask
For many people, moving time means decision time: Do we buy a home or find a place to rent? This dilemma doesn’t just face young people starting out, but it also stumps established professionals relocating for a job and empty nesters who have sold the big family home.Corey Fick and his wife, … [Read more...] about Is it time to buy a house? 7 questions to ask
7 DIY projects to decorate baby’s nursery on a dime
Your baby’s nursery should be a calming retreat where you can bond and lull your little one to sleep, but that doesn’t mean it needs to cost a fortune. Save the money for items you’ll really need like diapers and wipes (although, the cloth options would help save there, too!).Once you decide on … [Read more...] about 7 DIY projects to decorate baby’s nursery on a dime
How to get the best refinancing deal
If you're paying an interest rate of more than 5 percent, now may be the time to refinance your home mortgage.Although interest rates have risen slightly in the past few weeks, they are still at historic lows. The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.89 percent in the last week, … [Read more...] about How to get the best refinancing deal
Downsize your home and build wealth
For many years the mantra, when buying a home, was you should buy the biggest home you could afford. This may have made sense years ago when homes were a better long-term investment. Nowadays that mantra may just be self-serving advice from real-estate agents and mortgage brokers. The more you … [Read more...] about Downsize your home and build wealth
How to get rid of your timeshare
In the glow of the vacation moment, it seems like a wonderful idea: Buy a timeshare so you can return every year to relive the wonderful experience again and again.But years later, when your life has changed and you no longer want to return to the same vacation spot, getting rid of that … [Read more...] about How to get rid of your timeshare
17 habits you can change to save money
Everyone wants to save money. It can be easier than you think. Here are 17 everyday habits you can change to stretch your hard-earned dollars. From the fridge to utilities to bill paying and even at work, revising even just a few of these habits could add up to significant savings.Seven food … [Read more...] about 17 habits you can change to save money
Is the tiny house movement for you?
When life seems too complicated, some people advocate this solution: Move into a smaller home to have a bigger life.For some, the tiny house movement has become a way of life, adjusting to a smaller space and fewer possessions, with a goal of saving money and focusing on relationships and … [Read more...] about Is the tiny house movement for you?
Age in place by joining or forming a retirement village
For every retiree that packs up and moves to Florida, Arizona or some other warm-weather spot, another four or five prefer to stay right where they are. But as they get older, many people find themselves needing more help, whether it's a referral to someone who can fix a leaky toilet, a ride to the … [Read more...] about Age in place by joining or forming a retirement village
How to put on a perfect real estate open house
When a home hits the market, one of the first tasks for the seller is to put on an open house. If your home is listed with a real estate agent, your agent will tell you how to prepare your home and organize the open house. If you list your home without an agent, then it's all up to you.Either … [Read more...] about How to put on a perfect real estate open house
Is it time to buy a home?
With interest rates expected to rise later this year, you may be wondering whether you should buy a home at today's low rates. The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.85 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey, about what it was at the end of … [Read more...] about Is it time to buy a home?
