Tammy Gordon, Real Estate Consultant
The bedroom is a private retreat that should evoke a sense of calm—but getting to this sweet spot can take some work. Renovating your bedroom might be the solution, but a small budget or the fact that you rent might get in the way.
Still, you don’t have to settle for a hot mess in the boudoir. With some savvy updates and even DIY fixes, your resting place can be the haven you’ve always dreamed of and deserved.
Ahome’s risk of flooding—from hurricanes or a huge downpour—is probably not the first thing you’d think to check. However, the fact is that many U.S. homes lie within flood zones, and as the recent Yellowstone flooding illustrates all too clearly, many homeowners aren’t properly aware of the risks, or prepared to take them on.
Ideally, you want to size up this potential and take precautions if necessary well before you might end up underwater!
Most homes in high-risk flood zones are near a body of water. For instance, the Gulf Coast is one of the U.S. regions most vulnerable to hurricanes that cause flooding. Yet more than 20% of flood-related home insurance claims happen in non-flood zones, so no one should assume they’re safe.
In between barbecues and beach days, you still need to stay on top of maintenance around the home. Otherwise you might find yourself with big problems down the line—and big repair costs.
Taking on a new job can be exciting. But if getting a new gig happens to coincide with your plans to buy a home, it can affect your ability to get a mortgage—even if you make more money in your new job.
When you apply for a home loan, lenders take a deep dive into your financial history, including your current employment, to see if you can handle monthly mortgage payments.
Changing jobs while applying for a mortgage is not a deal breaker, but it can introduce a level of uncertainty that could make lenders tread more cautiously.
If you’re looking to sell your home, you’ll want to hire an amazing listing real estate agent to help—and there are certain questions to ask so that you can pinpoint the right professional for you.
After the mad dash by homebuyers to purchase larger places to live in at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, some experts are making a case for more efficiently designed, smaller homes.
With the pandemic seemingly waning, mortgage rates and home prices rising, and builders struggling to get anything up in the face of supply chain shortages, there’s a convincing argument to be made that home shoppers should consider seeking smaller houses.
A new book by Sheri Koones, “Bigger Than Tiny, Smaller Than Average,” posits that functionality is more important than square footage.
When you’re shopping for a home, it’s easy to get distracted by the shiny fixtures and fancy appliances. But there’s something far more important and not always easy to pinpoint that you should be looking out for: signs of good home design.
So how can you tell if a house is well-designed? A well-designed home makes you feel good when you walk in. It’s well-lit, with lots of natural light and glimpses of nature viewed through ample windows and doors. Where a poorly designed home might feel cramped and cluttered—despite the best efforts of the homeowner—a well-designed home has a place for everything.
Rooms flow naturally into one another, in a way that makes sense for the way the homeowners live.
Experts call this good “flow,” and they know it when they see it. But to the average homebuyer, it can be a tough thing to spot at first glance. And poor flow is an expensive—sometimes near-impossible—thing to fix.
Look for the following giveaways next time you’re touring homes.
Is it time to lighten up a little? Don’t fret over painting over dark colors. You can DIY it with a few insider tricks of the trade. Click HERE to watch a video!
The homebuying process is also complicated, so depending on whatever real estate curveballs come hurtling your way, your agent will likely become your shoulder to cry on, shrink, perhaps even your 24/7 hotline when you discover an email at 3 a.m. that your mortgage approval fell through.
In fact, a new survey from Century 21 finds that a majority of homebuyers and sellers say they value and confide in their agents more than they do a therapist, and even feel they know them better than their own neighbors.
Surprised? Find out more HERE.
Ah, spring! The days are getting longer, the flowers are blossoming, and, oh yeah, your head’s been throbbing for a solid two weeks from all the pollen floating around. If you feel you’ve been suffering a bit more than usual this allergy season, take some solace in knowing that you have plenty of company.
Due to the climate crisis and our ever-warming planet, future allergy seasons are likely to start more than a month earlier and be far more intense. Add that to an already arduous allergy season, which typically begins with tree pollen in March and ends with grass pollen in August, and you’re going to need all the antihistamines (and help) you can get.
So how the heck can you keep this pollen frenzy from entering your home and wreaking havoc on your system every minute of every day? Create an indoor sanctuary, of course.