While undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer, interior designer Sarah Stacey's mother-in-law made a decision to edit down her life and get more enjoyment out of her home. "She had been living with boxes for years after downsizing and realized she wasn't going to live forever, so she wanted to surround herself with the things [...]
It’s easy to see the value of an open house—a designated time for real estate agents and prospective buyers to scope out your home while on a Sunday spree of house tours. But if you’re worried about getting lost among the competition, creative open house ideas are a must if you want to make a [...]
There’s always a lot of news around housing numbers. Whether home sales are up or down, hot or cold, when they’re released, housing numbers grab headlines. According to the most recent numbers from the National Association of Realtors, nearly 5 million homes will be sold in 2014. That’s a lot of homes! One thing that [...]
You know that 10 or 20 pounds that you just can’t seem to lose? You do the right thing — eat kale or log time on the StairMaster — but the weight clings. You feel powerless. It’s like that with our energy bills, too. Eighty-nine percent of us think we’re not using as much energy [...]
Smart amenities posed to revolutionize the way we live. Imagine waking up, the lights flicker on and your home greets you, “Good Morning,” along with the day’s weather report and news headlines. No, this isn’t a scene from an episode of the Jetsons, but something that’s already playing out across several American homes today. As [...]
Most people have a positive association with the beach, whether it came from a single family vacation long ago or comes from a wave-crashing view that greets you every morning. Either way, it's a good feeling to evoke in your home. Bathrooms in particular are good spaces in which to inject a nod to the [...]
What is the best price for a piece of real estate? Mortgage lenders, appraisers, and real estate brokers use what is called the "fair market value" (FMV). FMV has been defined as "the price that a buyer is willing to pay and the seller is willing to accept, when both parties are knowledgeable about the [...]
Those that choose to sell their own homes often hope to avoid the commission paid to real estate agents. While those familiar with the housing market and process of selling a home may enjoy a successful sale, plenty of inexperienced home sellers have encountered nothing but headaches. Besides limiting the number of potential buyers, the [...]
Here are some positive possibilities: • In a home that the temporary slowdown in real estate made it possible for you to own… with its value climbing and your equity growing rapidly. • Living in a larger home with amenities you never expected to have… yours because you acted when others were fearful. • The [...]
Homeowners are commonly advised to consider energy-efficient improvements before selling a home, but the ever-evolving field of environmental technology makes it tough to stay on top of the most beneficial – and practical – green energy developments. While it might impress the neighbors to convert a standard home into an energy-saving powerhouse, doing so can [...]