lizlaurenb

03

Jan

Real Estate

Why Your Kitchen Features Matter

If you are interested in purchasing a house in the near future, you need to pay close attention to your kitchen. The kitchen is considered to be the heart of the home, and you need to make sure the kitchen is laid out appropriately. You need the kitchen to match your expectations, but you also need to pick a kitchen that will help you maximize the value of your home if you decide to sell it down the road. What are a few of the most important examples of kitchen features you need to pay attention to? The Cabinets Always…

02

Jan

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 2, 2023

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on U.S. housing markets, pending home sales, and weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. S&P Case Shiller Home Price Indices: Month-to-moth home prices fall in October U.S. home prices fell in October for the fourth consecutive month. Wavering demand for homes was caused by rising mortgage rates and high home prices in many regional markets. The 20-City home price index showed the top three cities with the highest month-to-month home price declines were Miami. Florida with a -1.0 percent decline, Tampa, Florida where home prices declined by -0,8 percent, and Charlotte, North…

30

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Around The Home

Creative Holiday Storage Solutions

Every holiday season when you get out the decorations, there always seems to be a period of organization where you need to untangle lights, sort out the broken ornaments and just get all of the trimmings in order. Next year, skip the hassle of sifting through everything. The year-to-year holiday storage strategies below will help make next December's decorating easy. Hide Paper Up High Utilize a space that is always vacant — the ceiling of your closet. Attach two strings of wire from the front wall above your closet door to the back wall. Make them parallel to each other…

29

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

Owning vs Renting: Why High Rents Are Worse Than a Mortgage over the Long Term

If you're at the stage in life where home ownership is nearly within your reach, you're probably wondering whether you should start looking for a home or whether you should just keep renting. Renting is easier, people say, and it gives you more mobility. But over the long term, all that rent money can really add up - and it eventually reaches a point where buying a home is a better deal. So why is paying a high rent a worse option than buying a house and getting a mortgage? Here's what you need to know. Renting Doesn't Generate Equity…

28

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

How To Finance A Home Renovation

The housing market continues to be very competitive, so you may have to be a bit more flexible with what you are looking for. For example, you may come across a home that is not quite perfect, but it has a lot of the features that you need. In that case, you may be wondering how you can finance a home renovation. One of the best ways to do so is using the FHA Streamline 203(k) program. What Can The FHA Streamline Program Finance? There are several examples of home renovations you may be able to fund using the FHA…

27

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

The Top Tips For Making A Successful Offer

Are you interested in purchasing a house? If so, you probably know that the market is more competitive today than it has ever been in the past. There are a lot of people who are interested in purchasing a home, and you need to take a few extra steps if you want to make your offer as competitive as possible. What do you need to do if you want to maximize the chances of having your offer accepted? Make An Offer Early If you want to increase your chances of getting your offer accepted, you need to make an offer as…

26

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 26, 2022

Last week’s economic scheduled economic news included readings on sales of previously-owned homes, housing starts, and building permits issued. Readings on the Consumer Price Index, which tracks inflation, were also released along with weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims. Sales of previously-owned homes fall in November The National Association of Realtors® reported fewer sales of previously-owned homes in November than in October. 4.09 million previously-owned homes were sold year-over-year in November as compared to 4.43 million sales reported in October. This was the tenth consecutive month showing fewer sales of previously-owned homes. Although mortgage rates and home prices…

22

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Financial Reports

NAHB: Home Builder Confidence in Housing Markets Slips in December

December’s National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index reported slipping builder confidence in U.S. housing markets. The Housing Market Index readings fell every month in 2022. Recently rising mortgage rates, materials costs, and inclement winter weather contributed to builder skepticism about current housing market conditions. December’s National Housing Market Index reading of 31 was the lowest since mid-2012 not including readings published during the pandemic. By comparison, the Housing Market Index reading for December 2021 was 84. The three indices comprising the Housing Market Index reported mixed readings in December. Current home sales decreased by three points and home…

20

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Real Estate

The Importance Of Paint Colors When Selling A Home

If you are interested in selling your house, you need to make sure you get as much money for it as possible. There is never a second chance to make a first impression, and every detail matters when you want to get an offer on the table. That means you need to pay attention to the color of your paint as well. Even though this might sound like a relatively minor detail, the color of your paint does matter. What do you need to know about paint color and its impact on your home’s value? The First Impression First, the…

16

Dec

By lizlaurenb

Home Buyer Tips

Landlord Squeezing You for yet Another Rent Increase? It’s Time to Buy a Starter Home

Did you recently receive your annual notice that the rent is going up? If so, you're not alone. Millions of renters are seeing more and more of their income drained away due to higher rents. To make matters worse, every dollar in rent is one that you are not saving, investing or using to build your net worth. If you're feeling the pinch of higher rents, it might be time to buy your first starter home. Comparing Rent With A Mortgage Have you ever done the math to understand how close your monthly rent might be to a mortgage payment?…