Staging Strategies For Your Home

Staging your home is all about putting the best foot forward for potential buyers. By highlighting its most desirable features, you can draw more interest for your home and leave a lasting impression that is sure to help you sell …

How To Decide If It’s Time To Replace Your Windows and Where To Get Started

Before you dive into replacing your windows, the first step is to carefully evaluate the pros and cons. Replacing your windows is no small investment. The average cost to replace the windows in a home is in the five-figure range. …

Spice Up Your Kitchen With A Pop Of Color

In the past few years, the biggest kitchen trends revolved around stainless steel appliances, bright white or light gray cupboards, granite countertops, and minimalist decor, maintaining a clean, sleek look. And although this style maintains its popularity among homeowners, color …

Create A More Energy-efficient Home Without Breaking The Bank

Many homeowners would love to invest in making their property more energy-efficient. Going green can save you a lot of money over time and is great for the environment, but the up-front costs can be significant. Fortunately, there are some …

Reliable Tactics For When The Appraisal Is Low

Few things in the home buying process are more frustrating than having your offer accepted, only to have the appraisal fall below your offer. But all is not lost! If the appraisal comes in below your offer, there are several …

Analyze The Little Things Before You Fall In Love With A Home

It’s easy to be wowed by a house. You’re anxious to discover your dream home and accomplish a big goal. You can’t wait to cook in the brand new kitchen or relax in the spa-style tub. All that excitement can …

Five Hidden Renovation Costs

Renovations never seem to go as planned. There’s always a cost you didn’t anticipate, or a problem that didn’t reveal itself until the project was underway. Here are five common costs to look out for.

Higher utility bills: If contractors …

Tips For A Better Closing Day

Buying a home can be a long process. The last thing you want after all your time spent searching for homes and getting the best mortgage rate is to have everything go wrong on closing day. Here are five tips …

A Little Extra Preparation Goes A Long Way Toward A Better Paint Job

Painting is one of the most inexpensive ways to give your home a makeover. Whether it’s updating an old bathroom paint scheme or adding a bold accent wall, painting can totally transform a room. But painting can be a big …

Tips For Maintaining Houseplants

Adding plants to your home will give it a fresher and brighter feel and will also improve your home’s air quality. Although it does take a little bit of work and consistency to maintain your plants, but it’s well worth …

Need-to-knows For Buying Your First Home

Buying your first home can be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of your life, but it can also be a scary and stressful process. To ensure you have a smooth transaction from start to finish, familiarize yourself …

How Your Daily Drive Time Can Factor Into Your Mortgage

It’s easy to overlook some of the things that can affect your budget and purchasing power when you’re considering a home, and one of the biggest factors that buyers overlook is the cost of their daily commute.

We’ve all heard …

Wallpaper: Don’t Call It A Comeback!

Guess who’s back, back again? Wallpaper has risen to the top of homeowners’ favorite ways to spice up a room again and its easy to see why.

Options

With a variety of colors, patterns, and styles on the market, it’s …

Tips For Speeding Up Your Home Sale

Selling your home is a huge undertaking to begin with, but if the process drags on for months and interest trickles in much slower than expected, it can be frustrating and stressful. To avoid this, there are a few steps …

Mortgage Rate Math

Shopping around for the best possible mortgage terms is an important part of the home buying process. A few percentage points can make a difference of thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage. Mortgage rates can be a …

New Home? Here’s How To Save

Here are a few things new homeowners can do to save on energy and maintenance.

When you’ve just purchased a new home, there’s a ton on your mind. There’s moving, decorating, getting to know your new neighborhood, and more. Here …

Create The Gallery Wall Of Your Dreams

Creating a gallery wall in your home is an easy, do-it-yourself way to bring your personal style into any room. There is no right or wrong way to create one and no limit to the possibilities. Before you get started, …

Big Ideas For Small Spaces

Smaller rooms can be difficult to decorate, because if you don’t know a few important tricks, the space can end up feeling a little claustrophobic. Here’s how you can keep a room feeling airy and spacious, even if it’s just …

What Affects Your Home Insurance?

Research suggests that about 1 in 20 homeowners will make an insurance claim each year. So while it may seem that your monthly home insurance expenses aren’t worthwhile, the chances of needing your insurance are higher than you might think.…

Thinking About Buying Soon? Make Sure Your Credit Is In Order

There’s no more important time to work on your credit score than when you’re about to apply for a mortgage. Improving your credit can save you a ton of money—we’re talking about thousands of dollars over the life of the …

Things You Should Not Throw in the Trash

Most of us fall into the habit of disposing of all of our household items when they’ve broken, expired, or simply are no longer useful. But for environmental and safety reasons, here are some items that need to be disposed …

5 Hot Home Trends

When selling a home, it is incredibly important to consider who you are selling to and what they are looking for. Fixr recently surveyed influencers in the industry to discover who’s in the market to buy and what home features …

5 Simple Steps For A Better Home Appraisal

If you’re looking to refinance your home or possibly sell, you’ll need an amazing appraisal. A bank will not refinance a home for more than it is worth, and a potential buyer will not pay more than the recognized value …

Prep Your Budget For Buying A Home

Choosing to enter the home buying process is likely the largest financial decision you will make in your lifetime, so it is not one that should be taken lightly. Ensuring that your other current and upcoming financial responsibilities are under …

Top Tips For Decorating With Area Rugs

Looking for a fun way to bring an additional pop of color or design to a room with minimal time or money investment? Consider trying out an amazing area rug! Check out these tips for revamping your space with this …

4 Things You Need To Know About Making An Offer

You’ve narrowed down your wish list, viewed many homes, and finally found your perfect fit. Time to take the leap and make an offer! This can be both incredibly intimidating and exponentially exciting. So how can you throw your hat …

What You Should Know About Using Home Equity

One of the huge benefits of owning property is the home equity you can build. But with equity comes the temptation to dip into it if a large expense or possible investment arises. There are many strategic ways to use …

Hidden Fees To Be Aware Of When Purchasing A Home

Purchasing a home is arguably one of the biggest financial decisions you will make in your lifetime. As you start your hunt, don’t forget there will be other costs associated with your purchase then the price of the home. Here …

Create The Home Office Of Your Dreams

Whether you work full-time at home or occasionally need to conduct business in the evenings or on the weekends, a home office a great way to utilize an extra room. A dedicated workspace in your home can be designed to …

5 Fall Design Ideas That Will Boost Your Creativity

As homeowners pull out Halloween decorations, however, they often take the opportunity to look around their homes and make some more permanent changes. Whether it means splashing walls with a fresh coat of paint or rolling out a new rug, …

Remodeling Mistakes You Should Avoid

Remodeling your home? If so, there’s some planning required on your part before you dive into whatever project you’re working on. Keep in mind that while certain things you do will help the project in a positive way, there are …

How to Boost Your Chances of Getting Approved For A Mortgage

Roughly 8% of all mortgage applications are denied by lenders. But as challenging as it can be to get approved for a mortgage, it’s not impossible, as long as you’ve got all your ducks in a row. Here are a …

Should You Paint or Stain Your Kitchen Cabinets For an Easy Upgrade?

If you’re looking to change or update the look of your kitchen on a budget, simply changing the face of your cabinets can work wonders. Not only is this a cost-effective option, it can completely alter the look and feel …

Types of Inspections a Property May Need Besides the Typical Home Inspection

A home inspection is one of the most common contingencies to be included in a real estate contract. Even if a home is only a couple of years old, anything can happen, which is why it’s important to take the …

Affordable Ways To Enhance Your Bathroom On A Budget

Updated Accessories

Accessories can never be underestimated, no matter what room you’re using them in. You can easily create a luxe look by sprinkling your bathroom with opulent accessories such as candles, perfume bottles, soap dispensers, and others to make

4 Ways to Give Your Home A Fresh New Look

Freshly Painted Walls

Perhaps the easiest and most cost-effective way to give your home a fresh new look is to simply give the walls a fresh coat of paint. Newly painted walls can give a home a new and updated …

What You Need To Know About Home Warranty Plans

Many purchases that you make come with the option to buy a warranty in the event that the product is damaged, such as small appliances and electronics. This helps cover the cost of repair should they break down so you’re …

Top Tips For House Hunting Online

Hunting for a new home online is a great place to start your search, but it should not be your end all be all. Good listing agents are excellent at highlighting the best features of the home, but keep in …

Finding The Right Mattress

You’ve got more options than ever when mattress shopping these days with no shortage of brick-and-mortar and online-only retailers to choose from. Here are the factors you should consider when you’re shopping for a perfect night’s sleep.

1. Mattress construction:

Dispelling Refinancing Myths

“Refinancing” is a scary word for many people, but that shouldn’t be the case for you. For many homeowners, refinancing can not only lower your monthly payments and help with your monthly budget, but it can save you thousands of …

5 Negotiating Tactics That Can Hurt A Sale

Negotiation is a subtle art in real estate, but skilled negotiators can usually find some common ground that satisfies all parties. On the other hand, using the wrong negotiation tactics can sink a deal pretty quickly. Here are some negotiation …

8 Must-Have Tools For Every Homeowner

From replacing cabinet doors, to burned-out light bulbs, to everything in between, all sorts of scenarios will sneak up on a regular basis in your home that will require your handiwork. Even things like hanging a picture on the wall …

Short Sale And Foreclosure: What Sets Them Apart?

As unfortunate as it can be when homeowners fall behind on mortgage payments and must face the possibility of losing their homes, short sales and foreclosures provide them options for moving on financially. The terms are often used interchangeably, but …

4 Ways To Eat Organic Food On A Budget

Organic food usually tastes better, and is better for you, but it can also be very expensive compared to non-organic products. Organic food can cost nearly 50 percent more, thanks to the extra labor required to produce it and consumers’ …

Priority Tasks For Your Move In

Moving into a new home is an exciting time, and you’re probably daydreaming about decor and paint schemes and new furniture. But before you get into the fun stuff, there are some basics you should cover first.

Change the locks

5 Criteria For Pricing A Home

When you put your home up for sale, one of the best ways to determine the asking price is to look at comparable sales. There’s rarely a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, so a pricing decision often relies on comparisons to several …

Consider This: When To Refinance

Refinancing your mortgage is something most homeowners consider at least once throughout the lifespan of their home loan. It allows you to pay off your previous loan by applying for a new one that has better financial advantages. While there …

These 6 Things Can Cause Water Damage in Your Home

Water might be a necessity in life, but it can also wreak havoc in your home when it’s not properly contained. Water can cause mold, mildew, and major damage to surfaces in your home. It can even compromise the integrity …

What’s the Purpose of a Building Permit When Renovating Your Home?

Improving your home is a great way to not only improve its aesthetics and functionality, but it’s also an effective way to add value. Certain projects can bring in a high ROI, adding more value to your property compared to …

What Are the Different Liens That Can Be Found on Title?

There are plenty of terms to agree to when you sign a real estate contract to purchase a home. But one thing you likely would never agree to take over are liens on title. Unfortunately, liens can derail real estate …

Turning An Ordinary Bedroom Into A Luxurious Bedroom

For most of us, our bedroom is little more than a place to sleep and relax. However, just because it’s always been that way doesn’t mean that we have to settle for drab and dreary.

One trend that’s gaining steam …

Which Down Payment Strategy Is Right For You?

You’ve most likely heard the rule: Save for a 20-percent down payment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20 percent is solid, as it shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a …

How To Become A Morning Person

Ever wish you could become one of those rare morning people? The ones that wake with a start, feeling refreshed and energized. The ones that get in that morning workout or wrap up some work before many of us even …

What To Negotiate When Buying A Home

Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned veteran, the negotiation part of the transaction can be a little daunting and stressful. However, it is necessary to ensure you are getting the best possible deal for your money. So, …

What To Negotiate When Buying A Home

Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned veteran, the negotiation part of the transaction can be a little daunting and stressful. However, it is necessary to ensure you are getting the best possible deal for your money. So, …

4 Repairs To Make Before You List Your Home

When you’re getting ready to list your home, it’s of the upmost importance to ensure you are showing it in the best light. Taking time to highlight its strengths and fix up some of its possible weaknesses can make a …

IS IT TIME TO UPSIZE YOUR HOME?

Unfortunately, our homes don’t always grow with us. What may have initially worked fine for a single person, a young couple’s starter home, or a family with a newborn can quickly become too small as families expand and multiple generations …

Create An Evacuation Plan For Your Pets

An evacuation plan is a necessity for every home, especially if you live in an area where fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and other disasters are a possibility. Many homeowners create evacuation plans for their homes and practice them with their …

EASY LANDSCAPING DIY PROJECTS

Ever get the itch to do a DIY project? Whenever we do, our favorites involve getting outdoors and mixing up our landscaping features. Whether it’s as simple as installing some lighting or a little more time-consuming like re-plotting plants, a …

Should You Test For Radon in Your Home?

Imagine something dangerous lurking in your home that you can’t see, smell, touch, or taste. That’s what radon gas is, and it can be hazardous to your health and that of your family. But it’s virtually impossible to detect without …

Should Sellers Bother Staging a Vacant Home?

There’s a lot to do when it comes to getting a home ready for sale, and staging it is one of them. 

Obviously, a home that’s properly furnished with pieces that are appropriate for the size of all rooms and …

Are You Subject to Paying Capital Gains Taxes When You Sell Your Home?

There are so many perks to homeownership, including certain tax breaks. For instance, if you own a home, you may be eligible to deduct interest expenses on up to $750,000 of mortgage debt, which can save you some cash come

How to Ensure a Vacation Home Purchase is a Good Investment

If you’ve been thinking about investing in real estate and buying a property to rent out over the long haul, you might want to consider a somewhat unique investment opportunity: vacation rentals.

In fact, renting out vacation properties has become

Should You Buy the Best House in the Neighborhood?

A gorgeous house in a great neighborhood is definitely something that will catch buyers’ attention. And the best house on the block will certainly stand out from the rest.

But is purchasing the best house in the neighborhood a sound

These Home Improvements Could Hurt Your Home’s Value When You Sell

Every seller wants to snag the highest possible price for their home when they sell, which is why certain measures should be taken to prep a home and craft a solid listing for buyers to see. And one of the

Should You Refinance Your Home?

If you own a home and have some equity built up in it, you may have the opportunity to refinance your current mortgage. And there may be some good reasons why may want to consider refinancing, depending on your situation.

Short-Term or Long-Term Amortization Periods: Which One is Best For a Mortgage?

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a particular mortgage product. While the interest rate and fees associated with a home loan are certainly important factors to consider, so is the amortization period.

Basically, the amortization period

8 Best Paint Colors For Your Front Door

Curb appeal speaks volumes. It not only creates a welcoming vibe to your home, but it also plays a key role in its value, too. Given this, it’s important to keep up with your home’s curb appeal and spruce it

6 Ways to Boost Security in Your Condo, Even Without a Concierge

All homeowners want to take measures to make sure their homes are secure and that all occupants within their homes are kept safe at all times. When it comes to condos, there is usually an added level of security in

How Do Appraisers Determine the Value of a Home?

Sellers are obviously interested in knowing the value of their homes so they can figure out roughly how much they can potentially sell for. But buyers also want to know the value of homes they’re interested in and may put

What is “Virtual Staging” All About?

There are a handful of important steps that should be taken when you list your home for sale, and staging is one of them. Prepping your home for the market is a crucial step to take, both for your listing

How to Stage Your Home For Airbnb

Listing your property on vacation rental sites like Airbnb can be a great way to supplement your income. It can also be a great way to earn a full-time living, especially if you’ve got a handful of vacation properties on

Pros and Cons of an FHA Home Loan

Getting a mortgage these days can be quite a challenge. Lenders have adopted stringent lending criteria in order for borrowers to get approved.

A healthy credit score, relatively low debt-to-income ratio, and a decent income are necessary to qualify for

What Homeowners Should Know Before Putting Up a Fence

Everyone needs their own space, and fences can provide homeowners with just enough privacy to enjoy their homes without feeling like they’re constantly on display. Fences also help specify exactly where property lines run between lots so there’s no confusion

What Does it Mean When a Deal is “in Escrow”?

You’ve found the house of your dreams, put in an offer that was accepted, and are ready to make the big move. But even though both you and the seller have agreed on an offer, the deal isn’t done quite

Thinking of Selling Without an Agent? 6 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t

You wouldn’t try to rewire your home, give yourself a root canal, or replace the engine in your car on your own without the help of a professional, would you?

Well, selling a home is no different. This is a

INFOGRAPHIC: 10 Most Affordable Places to Rent in the US

Investing in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): 101

Investing in real estate is a great way to build wealth over time and even make a very handsome income as a career. Whether you buy a property to rent out, fix and flip a fixer-upper, or just buy in

How Do Short Sales and Foreclosures Compare?

No buyer wants to pay more for a home than they have to. Instead, buyers are typically on the prowl for a good deal, and some look to short sales and foreclosures in an effort to slash a few thousand

What Buyers Should Know About Buying a House at an Auction

The more common way to buy a home is to peruse listings on the MLS and make an offer with the help of a real estate agent. But some buyers may look for other platforms to make a home purchase,

Why Do Listings Go Back on the Market?

Sellers have the best of intentions when they put their home on the market. Obviously, the goal is to find a willing and qualified buyer as soon as possible who will offer the big bucks. But sometimes things don’t go

Are You Ready to Move? 11 Signs That the Answer is ‘Yes’

Moving is a big deal. Think of all the things that you’ve likely accumulated over the years and have stored all over your home, not to mention the process of selling your home and looking for a new one that

How to Snag a Low-Interest Rate on Your Mortgage

Out of all debt payments that you may have on the books, a mortgage payment will likely be one of your biggest. After all, mortgages are taken out to pay for real estate purchases, which are hefty expenditures. Thanks to

10 Things All Homeowners Should Know About Home Security

Your home is your haven. It’s where you create memories, spend time with family, and retreat to after spending the better part of your day dealing with the hustle and bustle of the world outside. As such, it should be

Should You Accept the First Offer on Your Home?

When it comes to real estate transactions, sellers may often hold out for a better offer and might not necessarily take the first offer too seriously. They’ll often hold out in hopes of something bigger and better coming along.

Not

Tips to Creating an Efficient Home Office

There are definitely perks to working from the comfort of your own home. There’s no need to fight a busy commute, deal with cranky co-workers, or even get changed out of your PJ’s. Instead, you can roll out of bed

INFOGRAPHIC: Expected Trends For Buyers and Sellers in 2019

How to Create a More Sustainable Home

The average household wastes 51 MMBtu’s every year, and a typical home wastes about 30% more energy than an energy-efficient home does. What’s more, the average household creates 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day.

That’s a lot of

What Are Fintech Lenders and Should You Consider One?

If you’re thinking of applying for a mortgage any time soon, you really don’t have to go any further than your computer, tablet, or even your smartphone to get one. These days, applying for a home loan can be done

Myths and Facts About Selling Your First Home

Everyone will give you their own piece of advice when it comes to successfully selling a home. But not all advice is necessarily sound advice.

There are plenty of myths floating around out there when it comes to selling real

What Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Transfer Taxes

It seems as though there’s a tax for just about everything. And when it comes to buying and selling real estate, taxes are certainly part of the process.

One of the tax types that buyers and sellers should be aware

Things Buyers Should Never Do When Negotiating on a Home

Negotiating a real estate deal requires a lot of skill, know-how, and a check on your emotions. As a buyer, you don’t want to spend any more than you should for a home, no matter how much you fall in

8 Reasons to Speak With a Lender Long Before Buying a Home

You might not be entirely ready to start shopping for a home just yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to speak with a mortgage lender. If buying a home is on the horizon at some point in the

8 Affordable Ways to Improve Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is the hub of your home. It’s not just where you prep meals, but it’s often a place of gathering and entertaining. Kitchens serve not only to eat in but to spend time in with friends and family.

INFOGRAPHIC: 15 Easiest House Plants to Care For

Why Do Mortgage Lenders Require a Home Appraisal?

There are so many factors that go into finalizing a mortgage for a home purchase. Aside from the obvious factors – such as your credit score, income, and down payment – the house itself needs to pass the test in

Should You Get a Mortgage Online?

Unless you’ve got a lump sum of cash to put down, getting a mortgage is part and parcel of buying a home. Luckily, there are plenty of different mortgage products and sources available these days to accommodate the varying types

9 Home Cooling Mistakes That Are Costing You

California is known for its perpetual summers, allowing residents to enjoy outdoor time year round. But with this climate comes hot temperatures, especially during certain times of the year. Air conditioners are a homeowner’s best friend, and these systems work

What’s the Difference Between Foreclosures and Short Sales?

Short sales and foreclosures were rampant a decade ago when the housing market crashed and millions of homeowners found themselves underwater on their mortgages. While the rate of foreclosures and short sales have certainly diminished since then, they still occur,

What Repairs Provide Sellers With the Highest ROI?

Updating and upgrading your home is a great idea if you plan to sell any time soon. After all, you want to put your best foot forward and showcase your home in the best possible light in order to attract

7 Tips For Buying a Retirement Home

It’s quite common for people who are nearing retirement age to consider moving from their family home and into one that better meets their newfound needs. What you may have needed in a home when you’re in your 30s and

What Happens to Your Deposit if a Condo Developer Goes Bankrupt?

Lots of buyers consider purchasing pre-construction condos for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the biggest one is to lock in at the current price per square foot before prices start to rise. By the time the development is complete,

What Exactly is a “Second Mortgage”?

When you buy a home, you normally take out a mortgage to finance such a huge purchase. That’s considered your first mortgage.

But have you ever heard of “second mortgages?” What exactly are they? And why would you ever need

What Happens if the Home Fails the Home Inspection?

It’s pretty common for home inspections to be part of the home buying process. In fact, it’s highly recommended that buyers insert a home inspection contingency in their real estate agreements in order to protect themselves should something be found

Is a Rent-to-Own Program Right For You?

What if there was a way to pay rent and not have to come up with a massive down payment for a home, but end up owning your home at the end of the day?

There is, and it’s called

Things to Consider Before Deciding on a Resale or Pre-Construction Condo

Condos are great options for buyers who may be looking for something more affordable than traditional single-family homes. They’re also great for people who like the idea of less maintenance and more built-in amenities. Further, condos tend to be in