Lori Blank

13

Sep

Real Estate

How Your Home Equity Can Help You Reach Your Retirement Goals

If you plan on retiring soon, you are probably looking at a few options that can get you over the hump. You are probably excited to start a new phase of life. With a record number of people closing in on their retirement age, many are starting to assess their resources to make sure they have enough money to last them for the rest of their lives. If you already own a home, you might be able to tap into your home equity to help you fuel your retirement. Your Home Has Probably Gone Up In Value Your house is…

12

Sep

By Lori Blank

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 12, 2022

Last week’s economic reporting was minimal due to the Labor Day Holiday. Fed Chair Jerome Powell Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. Fed Chair: Rates Expected to Remain Higher Chair Powell said that interest rates will remain high for a longer than expected time as “history cautions against prematurely loosening [monetary] policy.” The Federal Reserve has a legislative mandate to maintain its target interest rate range at or near 2 percent, During a discussion at the Cato Institute, Chair Powell said that the longer inflation remains above the target rate range the more likely the…

09

Sep

By Lori Blank

Real Estate

Consider A Home Renovation Loan To Navigate A Challenging Housing Market

Today, there are many people who are having a difficult time purchasing a house. Even though interest rates have gone up, sales are still happening quickly. Therefore, it can be difficult for people to qualify for a mortgage, purchase a house, and get to the closing table before the property is sold. One potential way to get around the hot housing market is to consider a home renovation mortgage. How can a home renovation mortgage help you? A Renovation Loan Can Help People Buy A Less Desirable Home If you want to close on a home, you might be interested…

08

Sep

By Lori Blank

Home Tips

What To Consider When Shopping For Interior Paint

If you are looking for a way to increase the value of your home, you may have thought about putting a fresh coat of paint on it. If you have beautiful paint throughout your home, you can increase the value of your home. Even though you are probably focused on the color, you need to think carefully about several other factors. What do you need to consider when looking for interior paint for your home? Where The Paint Is Going You can start by thinking about where the paint is going. Some people like to use the same color throughout…

07

Sep

By Lori Blank

Home Buyer Tips

Getting Tired of Renting? Here Are the Top 5 Reasons Why Young People Prefer Owning a Home

At some point in their lives, every renter thinks about home ownership and whether or not it's worth it. Let's explore the top 5 reasons why young individuals prefer the idea of owning a home over renting. It's All About Control It's unlikely to come as a surprise that having control over their living space is the number one reason that younger buyers prefer owning over renting. Living in a home owned by someone else limits your ability to customize your home. Want to expand a room or rip out the kitchen cabinets? Good luck with getting your landlord to…

06

Sep

By Lori Blank

Financial Reports

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – September 6, 2022

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on home price growth, federal data on public and private sector job growth, the national unemployment rate, and data on consumer sentiment. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released. S&P Case Shiller: Home Price Growth Slows in June The S&P Case-Shiller National Home Price Index reported slower home price growth in June as home price growth slowed to a year-over-year pace of 18.0 percent as compared to May’s reading of 19.9 percent. The 20-City Home Price Index posted 18.6 percent growth in June as compared to May’s reading of 20.50…

02

Sep

By Lori Blank

Around The Home

3 Tips for Creating a Warm, Welcoming Guest Bedroom

If you're a homeowner with children, at some point, you'll be saying goodbye. They'll move off to college or to start their career and adult life. As children move out, you'll discover that you have extra bedrooms and other living spaces that will need a new purpose. Let's take a look at three ways that you can transform an unused bedroom into a welcoming place for guests to stay. Get Started With A Deep Clean The first thing you'll want to do is engage in a top-to-bottom deep clean of the room. Get everything out of the room so that…

01

Sep

By Lori Blank

Home Tips

What To Know About Renting Out Your Home

If you are looking for a way to diversify your investments, you may have thought about renting out your house. On the other hand, renting your home does have a few challenges. It could be a way for you to make some extra money, but you need to prepare accordingly. How can you get the most out of your rental investment? A Fresh Coat of Paint You need to attract as many potential renters as possible. The more demand you have for your home, the easier it will be for you to rent it out. Neutral colors like gray, white,…

31

Aug

By Lori Blank

Home Buyer Tips

3 Things You Need to Consider Before Buying That Fixer-Upper Home

What Will It Cost? If you're going into a home expecting a few renovations costs, a minor detail here or there may not add up to much. However, if you're not interested in spending the big bucks on making changes, you'll want to estimate an approximate amount of how much the renovations you don't want to live without will amount to. By including all the necessary labor and materials, you'll be able to determine if the price-point of your offer will be worth it. Keep in mind that if there are any serious issues with the house, it may not…

30

Aug

By Lori Blank

Home Tips

What To Know About Cleaning Vinyl Floors

There are a lot of people who enjoy having vinyl floors in their home because they are cost-effective, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. Even though they can take a significant amount of punishment, you still need to keep them clean if you want them to last as long as possible. Take a look at a few of the top tips you should follow if you want to clean your vinyl floors. Quick Spills And Messes First, you need to wipe up spills and stains quickly. If you let them sit, they could become permanent. You should start with some clean water, but…