Although the federal government has offered homebuyer programs in the past, for Tax Year 2015, most of the available home buyer programs will be at the local and state levels. State and local agencies, along with lenders and non-profit organizations often offer support for homebuyers in the form of grants or lower-interest loans, or assistance […]
When to Get Pre-Approval for a Mortgage
If you’re even considering purchasing a home in the next year, the time to start the pre-approval process is now. Why so early? Here’s some advice to get you on track to a smooth purchase transaction. While you don’t want to actually apply for the loan until your are ready to make an offer on […]
Futuristic Kitchen Upgrades
A recent display at the Saloni design fair in Milan, Italy, featured parts of Concept Kitchen 2025, a collaboration between IKEA, the IDEO design firm and Swedish design students. Their exhibit showcases concepts from tables that double as computers and cooktops to food storage appliances that read RFID chips on food packaging that programs the […]
Should You Remodel Your Home?
Is your home no longer the home of your dreams? Do you look around your home with your partner and constantly see outdated rooms and projects that you would love to see completed? If you answered yes, you need to realize that you are not the only ones facing this issue. Yet, the options can […]
Tips For Upgrading Kitchen Flooring in Your Home
The kitchen is the heart of your home, literally as well as figuratively. That means it’s a room in need of a sturdy floor that can cope with spills, dropped dishes, and stomping feet (even if the feet are small). It’s also a room that has a lot of foot traffic and may even the […]
Smart Selling to Today's Homebuyers
If you’re considering selling now that the housing market outlook is improving, take a few moments to consider how buyers have changed what they look for in the home buying process. During the past six years, changes in how buyers communicate, share information, research, and decide what they’re looking for, mean that you need to […]
What to Know about Your FHA Mortgage Insurance
An FHA mortgage is a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration. The FHA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, insures loans so that lenders will offer appealing rates to less qualified borrowers at a lower down payment. Typically, an FHA loan requires a down payment of just 3.5 percent […]
What to Know about Summer Lawn Care
Lush greens and rolling verdant fairways stoke homeowner dreams of the perfect lawn. In most areas, July starts the season with the highest demand on the water supply. So maintaining those lavish landscapes takes knowledge and a plan. Planting Not all grasses are equal. When designing your lawn, be sure to use a grass that […]
How to Make Your Living Room Flow
One of the first decisions you make in your new house is where to place your furniture. In the living areas, furniture placement can make or break your home’s “flow” or ease of movement. A sofa placed just two feet one way or the other, a side table too far out of reach or a […]
Can I Sell My House with a Reverse Mortgage?
To help you through your retirement, you took out a reverse mortgage on your family home. Now, several years into your retirement, you son wants to buy his childhood home so you can move to a warmer climate. Can you sell your home? Reverse mortgage A so-called “reverse mortgage” is a home loan that offers […]