Making a long-distance move can be exciting but comes with big decisions—like whether to buy a house or rent for a year. This choice depends on various factors unique to your situation. Here’s a helpful guide to get you started: Step 1: Understand Your Budget What can...
When house hunting, many people envision how they'll use their new home for years to come. For some, it's the perfect dining room for Thanksgiving dinners; for others, it's a spacious family room for game nights or a Super Bowl party. Here’s a guide to help you choose...
How Builders Shape Neighborhoods: A Guide to House Styles and Choices When builders decide what types of houses to construct, they consider not just current trends but also practical factors like the landscape, materials, and potential buyers’ preferences. Key...
Moving to a new state or region can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to settling into an unfamiliar community. Whether you've moved locally before or this is your first big relocation, there’s more to it than just packing boxes and changing addresses....
In light of the recent settlement between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the plaintiffs represented by class-action attorneys, home buyers need to be aware of new rules that will take effect nationwide on August 17, 2024. Here’s what you need...
When deciding on whether a pool should be on your house hunting wish list, balance these two factors: Any increase in the value of the house will be less than what it costs you to install, maintain, and insure a pool. That is true everywhere in the country. How much...
Short sales are often promoted as an easy way to buy a property at under-market value. That certainly works sometimes, but the majority of the short sale transactions present a very different reality to buyers. This report will help buyers objectively evaluate short...
Indoor plumbing has been a thing for a long time now. If you read about housing in the early 20th century, you will read about apartment buildings with one bathroom shared with several households. That is mostly unheard of now. Before 1980, many single family houses...
Especially since 2020, it has become clear to buyers that having access to outdoor space and natural lighting is good for their quality of life. Being able to get outside makes it easier to get a bit of direct sunlight every day. Light is part of why we enjoy outdoor...
Suppose you see a house that seems like a great deal. If it is too-good-to-be-true, it is time to figure out if it really is true. The house is listed on your local multiple listing service, or Zillow, or Realtor.com for much less than other houses of its size...
Acquiring the home of your dreams is an exhilarating experience, but this joy can turn into dismay when the specter of foreclosure looms six years later due to seemingly minor oversights, such as unpaid taxes. A homeowner in D.C. found themselves ensnared in this...
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the popularity of vacation rental investment properties. The surge in demand for vacation homes and local getaways, driven partly by prior travel restrictions during the pandemic, created an opportune moment for...