VA appraisals are a critical part of the 70-year-old VA loans benefit program. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. VA appraisals help ensure veterans purchase homes that are safe, structurally sound and salable. There are two elements: a valuation of the property and an assessment of property conditions. We’ll take a… read more →
No matter who you are, or where you live, everyone needs to reduce the amount of mold and mildew in the air they are breathing in. If you smell a musty odor in your home or workplace, there is a good chance that it is probably mold or mildew. Of… read more →
Getting denied a home loan can be caused by a number of factors. Before you apply, check out with these factors may be – and what you can do to avoid rejection. No matter how you look at it, getting rejected for a home loan can hurt. With some new rules… read more →
Summer may be real estate’s busy season, but winter offers great opportunities for buying a house, especially for renters looking to become homeowners, growing families trading up to larger houses and baby boomers seeking homes to fit their evolving lifestyles. Generally speaking, your housing choices during the late fall are still healthy. October and… read more →
Homeowners in cold-weather climates—such as the Northeast, Midwest, and mountain areas—face icy conditions, blizzards and other cold-weather storms. Beyond requiring a quick trip to the convenience store for milk and bread, severe cold weather can threaten your home’s structure and your safety. Therefore, it’s important to take measures and invest in… read more →
Selling your home in the winter is hard enough without snow. Add some frozen tundra or gray-brown slush, and you might be tempted to put that “For Sale” sign away until spring, when budding flowers and lush lawns entice buyers on their own. But waiting isn’t an option for everyone. If a job transfer… read more →
Family togetherness isn’t just for Thanksgiving dinner. More young adults are now living with their parents than during the recession, according to U.S. Census data. The share of 18-34 year olds living with their parents was 31.5% as of March, 2015, up from 31.4% last year, according to a report from the Commerce… read more →
When you’re house hunting, finding an amazing house in your location of choice that doesn’t require much additional investment seems like a huge score. But is it really? Before making an offer on that picture-perfect home, take a look at the surrounding houses. If they’re all in disrepair—or just obviously less nice… read more →
Home shopping makes you a little (OK, a lot) house-obsessed. Between stalking online listings, flipping through all the design magazines, and gorging on HGTV marathons, you know exactly what you want in painstaking detail. Ain’t nobody gonna say you can’t have what you want. And hey, we’re totally on board. You’ve earned this! Buy… read more →
Timing your move out of one house and into another is a delicate feat that might seem as tricky as determining the next GOP presidential nominee. Trickier, even! In addition to the usual stress of packing and arranging to have your things transported (we’re talking about housing again), you also need to coordinate… read more →