If you havenrsquo;t caught the show and you arenrsquo;t familiar with its namesake star or her famed KonMari Method, let me give you a quickie overview, courtesy of Netflix: ldquo;In a series of inspiring home makeovers, world-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo helps clients clear out the cluttermdash;and choose joy.rdquo;Yes, ldquo;choose joy....
Full Story >Government-backed mortgage loans, VA, FHA and USDA, require little to no down payment. FHA loans ask for a down payment of at least 3.5 percent of the sales price while the other two donrsquo;t require any down payment whatsoever. But did you know there are conventional loans that also accept a down payment of just 3.0 percent? There are three s...
Full Story >Itrsquo;s what you donrsquo;t know about real estate that could cost younbsp;when buying or selling.bull; First-time buyers usually havenrsquo;t seen enough houses or condominium units to fully understand where real estate value lies.They may not have been caretaker of a house and, therefore, donrsquo;t notice subtle signs of damage, sloppy cons...
Full Story >.It costs lessldquo;Fixer-uppers list for an average of 8 below market value,rdquo; said LearnVest. If yoursquo;re on a budget or are being priced out in your market, this is a way to get a literal foot in the door. How much depends greatly on the location. ldquo;Fixer-uppers in Phoenix have the smallest cash discount, saving buyers just 1,000 o...
Full Story >ldquo;An NAR survey of 2,211 members found 75 percent had no impact to their contract signings or closings. However, 11 percent did report an impact on current clients and 11 percent on potential clients,rdquo; said the National Association of Realtors. Among those impacted by the shutdown, 17 percent had a closing delay because of a USDA loan.r...
Full Story >Question: I am the President of a mid-size condominium in Washington.Our Bylaws specifically prohibit short-term rentals of any kind. The board ndash; and most of our members ndash; agree that cutting out short term rentals and subleases of less than a year helps cut down on the move in and out traffic that creates maintenance distress, having r...
Full Story >Wrap it upOne of the most painful tasks associated with the painting is having to clean up at the end of the day. If you hate cleaning your brushes, this tip is for you. The best way to preserve your brush if youre done for the day or the time being but not done with the job, is to wrap it in plastic wrap and throw it in the freezer overnight. B...
Full Story >Replace or Weatherize All WindowsWindows are one of the biggest sources of heat gain and heat loss in a home. Both heat gain and heat loss rob you of comfort and keep your energy bills higher than they have to be, whether during the summer or winter months.Windows rank high on the list because of air leakage around the frame and the heat that tr...
Full Story >If yoursquo;ve come to a point in life where you have saved up enough cash to put down on a house, it is the smarter financial move to buy an investment property and not a home. You are better off investing your money in a rental property, which will make more money for you while continuing renting. In a few yearsrsquo; time, you will have enoug...
Full Story >Maybe you said something in a sales meeting that was misunderstood that got a big laugh. Maybe you dropped a dessert in your lap at the company party and everyone laughed while you sat mortified, or you forgot how to open an MLS-locked door, with just your prospects watching.How you respond when something happens to you can make or break the sal...
Full Story >Well, this was certainly a surprise. The first business Friday of each month is when the Labor Department >The more important number from the Labor Department report is how many new jobs were created in December. Analysts were expecting a solid number but something closer to 177,000 new jobs. Instead, the number of new jobs hit 312,000. Thatrsqu...
Full Story >In a perfect world, the overwhelming majority of young urban Canadian families would purchase a single-family home in move-in condition with a nice yard and a garage. In the real world, affordability issues require families to make compromises when they purchase real estate -but theyrsquo;re okay with that.A survey of urban families where the ad...
Full Story >In a >Those who have avoided Los Angeles for fear of an impending earthquakemdash;or simply lived with the fear of overstressed faults and grinding tectonic platesmdash;may be able to make those plans to move, or breathe a little easier from their So Cal home.ldquo;Los Angeles has unveiled its long-anticipated earthquake early warning app for An...
Full Story >A few smart strategies can help you avoid becoming house poor.Think hard about that preapproval amountJust because the bank tells you that you can buy a 400,000 home doesnt mean you have to spend all 400,000. It might be that youre not comfortable with a payment that high if it means you wont have a cushion and cant continue to contribute to you...
Full Story >While whatever security measures you had in place to keep the burglars out may have failed here, you now have a better chance than ever of getting your things back, thanks to a cool new product from ProTech DNA called DNA for Property.And, the best part is: Itrsquo;s free, courtesy of the insurance industry, who was smart enough to see the advan...
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