Jul 02
Investing In Real Estate Doesn’t Have To Be A Local Endeavor If you are looking at investing in real estate, please take this word of advice – real estate investing doesn’t have to be local. Many real estate investors make this mistake, and as a result miss out on a world of opportunity. Sure, there …
Jul 02
Turn Your Garage Into a Fun Fitness Recreation Area. When I was a little kid, I spent countless hours every week in my friend’s garage playing basketball. The ceiling was only 9 feet high, but I was so tiny the garage felt like a basketball gymnasium. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, my …
Jun 29
About to Buy a New Home? Don’t Show It to These People. A listing agent may have shown a prospective buyer a specific house two or three times. Now the buyer wants another showing, which is surely a good sign that she’s ready to make an offer. The buyer also tells the agent that she …
Jun 27
30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Ties Record Low. Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed mortgages were unchanged this week, with the current rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace at 3.48 percent. Reported for the first time last week, this represents the lowest rate reported since Zillow Mortgage Marketplace launched in April 2008. The 30-year fixed …
Jun 26
Swimming Pools: Everything You Need to Know From Style, Safety & Cost. by: Bob Vila An in-ground pool is the ultimate in backyard upgrades. If you’ve always wanted one, now may be the time. Prices have fallen during the recession by up to 30 percent. Nevertheless, it remains a big investment, so it’s important to …
Jun 26
Floating homes: What it costs to live on the water NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Many people dream of living near the water, but a few people take it to the extreme: Living on top of the water — in a floating home. “It’s a beautiful lifestyle,” said Robert Oshatz, the designer of a new floating …
Jun 22
Ideas Abound for for Kitchen Flooring. While design, color, and surface appeal are important considerations, you’ll also want kitchen flooring that can live up to your lifestyle and provide the comfort and durability you need. Here are some favorites, with their pros and cons: Natural Stone Flooring Durable and easy to clean, stone offers a …
Jun 22
Single-Family Homes a Hot Rental Item. Are your clients reluctant to sell their homes in a down market? Well, you’re in luck: Fannie Mae reported that the single-family home rental was the fastest-growing sector of the rental market from 2005 to 2010 — and it’s still growing. While it might not be the best time …
Jun 20
Want an Energy Efficient Home? Start With Good Design. If you’re not yet giving much thought to how much energy your new house is going to use, and how much it’s going to waste, then it’s time you started. It should be one of your top priorities – if for no other reason than your …
Jun 20
Foreclosures spike 9% in May. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Foreclosure filings in May spiked 9% compared with a month earlier, according to an industry group. RealtyTrac reported that 205,990 U.S. properties received filings last month, including default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, marking the first monthly increase since January. Bank repossessions climbed steeply, up …
Jun 08
Foreclosures made up 26% of U.S. home sales in first quarter. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Homes in some stage of foreclosure accounted for more than one in four home sales during the first three months of the year, according to a report released Thursday. Distressed properties that were either in default, scheduled for auction or …
Jun 08
4 ways to save on landscaping. (Money magazine) — There’s no better place to build sweat equity than landscaping. A high-end landscaping contractor will charge at least $5,000 to remodel a typical compact suburban front yard. Yet if you can handle a shovel, hose, and wheelbarrow, you have the physical skills to replace overgrown or mundane …
