Lori Blank

16

Jan

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Home Selling Tips

Why January Is The Best Month For House Hunting

Have you made it your New Year's resolution to find that perfect home for you and your family? You might have thought that you needed to wait until spring to start house shopping, but the fact is that January is a great time to begin. Put on your winter jacket and get out there while the leftovers from the New Year's party are still in the fridge – you'll have the upper hand. House hunting in January offers a number of advantages that will work in your favor. Here are some of the main reasons: Busy Social Calendars First of…

15

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Dine In Style, Kitchen Design Dos And Don’ts For 2014

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms of your home. It is where you prepare all of your meals and it is often a hub of family activity. When you host a party, the action often ends up in the kitchen. Where drinks and snacks are enjoyed into the early hours of the morning. It's crucial that your kitchen functions well because you will use it every day, but you also want to make it beautiful and stylish. Renovating and decorating your kitchen can also be one of the best ways to increase the resale value of your…

14

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Home Selling Tips

Improve Your Curb Appeal This Winter

After all of the excitement of the holidays, the sparkle of the lights and the overstimulation of decorations, the rest of winter can seem lackluster. Don’t let your home add to the dreariness of the season. Spruce up your curb appeal with the tips below and inspire your neighbors to create well-groomed street that will make driver’s passing through smile. Tend The Plants If you’re currently located in a winter wonderland, then dig up any dead plants that won’t grow back. Replace them with cold-loving flowers, such as snowberry or lambs ear. In warmer climates, this is the time for…

13

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 13, 2014

The first post-holiday week of 2014 brought mixed economic and housing-related news. CoreLogic reported via its Housing Market Index that November home prices grew by 11.80 percent year-over-year. This was just shy of October’s year-over-year reading of 11.90 percent. As with Case-Shiller’s recently reported Home Price Indices, a slower rate of home price growth suggested to analysts that the housing market is cooling down. The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee released the minutes from its December meeting. The minutes reiterated the Committee’s decision to begin tapering its asset purchases this month. The Fed announced that it would reduce its…

12

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Home Selling Tips

Market Your Home For Sale Like A Professional

Anyone preparing their home for sale can get focused on all the little updates they need to make before it’s ready to be put on the market. However, once the property is listed, they usually just sit back and wait for the offers to roll in — which can be disappointing. For A Fast Sale Real estate agents know that the work never stops. Below are insightful tips from property experts to create buzz around your house and get it sold quickly! Bait Buyers With Visuals Most buyers do their preliminary searches online, so this will be their first impression…

10

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Build A Home Gym For Your New Year’s Resolution

While many people claim every January that they are going to exercise more, a lot of them give up after the first couple of months. It takes a great deal of effort to make it to the gym before work or have the energy to go afterward. So don't make a New Year's resolution you know you won't keep. Set yourself up for success by bringing the workout to you. Build your own home gym. Designate A Space The ideal situation would be to dedicate an entire room to your new home gym. That way you can close the door,…

09

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Home Selling Tips

Flaws You Cannot Hide By Staging Your Home

When you sell your home, you want it look as good as possible. To do this, your real estate agent will help you stage your home or, if needed, help you find a professional to stage your home. This means de-cluttering your home, re-arranging furniture, and de-personalizing each room. A staged home is more appealing to buyers and helps to highlight your home's positive features. However, staging is not meant to cover major flaws in your home. Some things just have to be repaired. Roof Problems It doesn't matter how pretty your home is, your buyer is going to expect…

08

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

2014 Cutting Edge Home Decor Trends

Your home is your castle and its decor is a unique artistic expression of your tastes and aesthetic. In order to keep your home decor looking fresh and up to date rather than stale, it's important to pay attention to the trends as they shift and change. This is especially important if you are selling your home, because outdated decor can make a negative first impression on the buyer. If you are planning to redecorate this year, what are the hottest trends when it comes to home decor in 2014? A Breath Of Fresh Air Benjamin Moore Paints has announced…

07

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

Case Shiller Price Index Shows Highest Year-Over-Year Gains Since 2006

The Case-Shiller 10 and 20-City Home Price Indices for October were released on December 31. Although home prices in most cities continued to show year-over-year gains, the pace of home price appreciation is expected to slow in 2014. Year-over-year increases have been in double digit territory since March 2013, but month-to-month readings suggest that the rate of increasing home prices is slowing. According to David Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, "...the monthly numbers show that we are living on borrowed time and the boom is fading." The 10 and 20 city indices are showing…

06

Jan

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 6, 2014

The last week of 2013 brought relatively good news in view of the economic roller coaster rides caused by legislative impasse. A brief shutdown of federal government agencies, and nail-biting suspense over if and when the FOMC of the Federal Reserve would taper its quantitative easing program. Last week's news was not high in volume due to the New Year holiday, but it does suggest that a general economic recovery is progressing and that housing markets are leading the "charge!". Here are the details: The NAR's data of month-to-month reading of 0.20 percent showed an increase of 0.20 percent over…