Month: May 2017

Sometimes when everything goes right we have trouble accepting that fact. Perhaps nowhere is this phenomenon more clearly illustrated than in the case where a seller receives a good offer right away. The annals of real estate are well stocked with stories of sellers who refused to take a good, but not perfect, first offer, and who then waited a long, long time before finally accepting something else at a considerably lower price. And most agents who have been around for a while know to shudder when a good strong offer is made almost at the outset of a...

Now, most of us know that there’re plenty of things we can do in a home to bring an improvement, as far as our preferences go. But how many of these improvements actually bring in a return on investment (ROI) if or when an actual selling time approaches? As our likes may not be the likes of others, improving according to our preferences doesn’t necessarily give us more bang for our bucks, as some commonly say. That said, our article below centers on what are some of the areas of improvement that stand a better chance of a high...

What increases the value of one home might not increase the value of another. A resort-style pool and outdoor kitchen in Wyoming might not hold as much value for buyers as the same resort-style pool and outdoor kitchen added to a home in South Florida. What works and what doesn’t is dependent upon the current market conditions in your area, what buyers in your area want, and the overall feel of your neighborhood. It’s not to say you cannot add something no one else has, but you have to add the right thing. Building a 4,000-square foot addition to...

In Freddie Mac’s results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, average mortgage rates rose for the first time in five weeks. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.03 percent with an average 0.5 point for the week ending April 27, 2017, up from last week when it averaged 3.97 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.66 percent. 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.27 percent with an average 0.4 point, up from last week when it averaged 3.23 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 2.89 percent. 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage...

As with the inside of your home, outdoor living areas need attention and care to keep them looking their best. While you may not need to dust or vacuum your deck and furniture, there are a few maintenance chores that will get the warm-weather living off to a good start. Preparing Your Deck Before you bring out your furniture, give the deck a good sweeping. Make sure you remove leaves and other debris from between the deck boards. Then, take a few minutes to inspect the deck. Make sure the deck components are structurally sound. Railings should be firm...

Your home is your place to rest, play, and spend time with your family. It should be a place of comfort, and this comfort need not come at a high cost. Many homes, however, waste a lot of energy in ways that can be prevented. Here are five ways to make your home more energy-efficient. Replace or Weatherize All Windows Windows are one of the biggest sources of heat gain and heat loss in a home. Both heat gain and heat loss rob you of comfort and keep your energy bills higher than they have to be, whether during...