Money management guru Dave Ramsey advises that “The ideal way to buy a house is the 100 percent down plan—pay cash for the whole house.” Wouldn’t it be nice if all of us could participate in that plan? The fact is, in February of this year, 77 percent of American home...
A Dallas homeowners association (HOA )sent a letter to homeowner Frank Larison, a 58-year-old Vietnam veteran, threatening to have his car towed, at his expense. His crime? Displaying Marine Corps decals on the car’s bumper and in the rear window. Jim Lane decided that the common areas in his community needed...
What happens – or doesn’t – between the curb in front of your home and the home’s front door is known as curb appeal. It makes or breaks the potential buyer’s first impression. It’s that important. But, it’s the area around the front door that’s considered the focal point of the exterior...
If you’ve toyed with the idea of moving up, downsizing or just craving a change of scenery, you may want to consider selling your home a.s.a.p. In pockets across the country, the housing market is showing signs of change. Yes, in June we saw record high median home prices nationwide. But...
From humans to rocks, everything ages. The average life expectancy for a water heater, for instance is between 8 and 12 years, according to the experts at Lowe’s. Fortunately, the windows in our homes have a much longer life span–up to 20 years, depending on how they’re maintained, what they’re made...
Since 1988, the average rent has increased at a rate of 3.5% per year. To show your projected rent in 5 years, we include a 3.5% appreciation in rent Check out this mortgage calculator and you will be surprised to learn that you are just losing money every single month paying...
One of the choices you may be faced with when you decide to buy a home is whether to buy a newly-built home in a new home community or an existing house. Sure, you can remodel an older home to suit your needs, but do you have the time and...
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com It’s hot out there, and we don’t just mean the weather. The real estate market is one of the fastest moving in the country’s history and, although there are signs it may be slowing, we aren’t holding our breath. Sellers are large and in charge and know...
On the face of it, there seems to be no rhyme or reason that home prices are rising and how quickly they’re rising. Right now, the main reason for this seemingly uncontrollable rise is supply and demand. There are just not enough homes for sale for the amount of buyers in...
Probably the least fun part of buying a house are those first steps. Shopping for a lender, applying for a mortgage and waiting to find out how much you can afford to spend on that new house is tedious – especially when all you really want to do is look...