If you’re ready to make the jump from renter to homeowner, you’ll most likely need to save for a down payment. The Even if you’re just window shopping, these 10 steps will help ensure your finances are ready when the right house does come along. down payment on a...
If you’re ready to make the jump from renter to homeowner, you’ll most likely need to save for a down payment. The typical down payment on a home is between 3% and 20% of the purchase price. While 56% of buyers with a mortgage put down less than 20%, saving...
As you close in on making an offer on a home, your real estate agent – or the seller’s agent – will ask about “earnest money.” Earnest money is a type of security deposit, also known as a “good faith” deposit, offered to show the seller of a home...
Escrow is a legally binding arrangement where a third party holds assets from a buyer and seller during the sales process until a transaction is complete. While escrow can be used for various purposes, from online purchases to home buying, the most common use is to ensure fair real estate...
Do You Need a COVID-19 Booster Shot? Most people who are fully vaccinated against thecoronavirusare relatively well-protected from serious illness and death from COVID-19. But even highly effectivevaccinesoften become less so over time. Early research on vaccines that use mRNA to protect you from the coronavirus, like those from...
A Homeowners association, or “HOA”, is a community of homeowners who abide to a governed structure formed by the neighborhood. It’s an association created to care for the neighborhood formed by the residents within that community. The association maintains and cares for the integrity of the community, similar how...
If you are reading this, congratulations! Finally deciding on taking this important and crucial step is a huge accomplishment. But like all big steps in life there are risks, big and small, that need to be carefully considered and navigated. This list will help you traverse the hardships of...
We get it. You love your pets, and you love your houseplants—they’re almost like pets themselves! In many cases, pets and plants can safely co-exist, but there are also a large number of well-known houseplants that are toxic to cats and dogs. This can be a dangerous issue if...
“Staging” is the practice of setting up and furnishing an empty house being sold, rather than leaving it empty. It’s all for cosmetic purposes. Staging is a relatively new practice that has exploded in popularity in the past 2 decades. It was discovered that furnishing homes when selling had...
Now that the weather is warming up (perhaps a little too warm this year), it’s time to air out the house, mow our lawns, and most importantly: clean our grills. Besides warmer weather, this sensational season brings out the best in summer cuisine and all the refreshing flavors we’ve...