Blog

Mortgage rates are one of those numbers that most people don’t pay any attention to unless they happen to be trying to get a mortgage—a loan to buy a house. Then, mortgage rates become pretty critical!

Most of us have had this experience: Walking through a cute town, you see a house that pops with character—because it’s one of the first ones built in the region. And as you continue on your stroll, you’re probably imagining what it would be like to wake up…

Open houses are a real estate tradition, and sometimes (in an era of hot home sales and strong seller’s markets, especially) they might be a buyer’s only opportunity to walk through the house they end up buying. As a seller, the pressure is on to ensure your home…

If the coronavirus pandemic taught us anything, it’s that when you spend a vast amount of your time in your house, that house is going to start to feel … smaller. Maybe too small!

You’ve got some extra money in your pocket—maybe from tax returns, maybe a bonus windfall—and you want to use it to beautify your house. Excellent choice! Your home is one of the biggest financial investments you’ll make in your lifetime.

Curb appeal is critical when you’re selling a house. And nothing can spruce up a property quite the same way that a healthy, thriving garden can.

Finding and choosing a reliable plumber is one of those things that most homeowners know they should do at some point ... and they usually wait until there's an emergency to find someone, prioritizing availability over quality. That's an understandable situation to find…

In real estate, escrow refers to the window of time in between a buyer's offer being accepted and meeting the seller at the closing table to sign the finance and title transfer documents and receive the keys to their new house. It's managed by a third party (often a title…

Pets are a joy and a delight that help make our lives feel more meaningful -- but let's face it: The folks who have a problem with pets because of the mess and wear and tear on an average home kind of have a point. Pets shed their fur everywhere. They don't always smell…

There's a reason why estimating a home's value is a specialized process that's typically executed by a licensed professional (also known as an appraiser) -- it's not easy to determine the fair-market value of a home in a particular point in time. Dozens of factors influence…

Flipping houses can be a path to wealth if you play your cards right, but it can also result in money pits and small returns if you don't know what you're doing. Before you get ready to flip your first house, make sure you're considering (and finding answers to) all of the…

Is teaming up with a friend to buy a house a good idea? Here are the pros and cons, plus some tips to make it work.