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Downsizing: It is not just for Retirees There's a lot to like about a more minimalist lifestyle. For some, the pursuit is liberating, for others it's terrifying. If the thought of ditching your belongings and moving into a smaller space makes your heart sink and your palms drip, don't think of it as 'downsizing,' suggests the National Ass...

3 Renovations that Will NOT Increase your Value It's one thing to make renovations to a home with the goal of making it more enjoyable or comfortable for you and your family and quite another to make these renovations solely to boost the home's value. It's the latter we want to take a look at today. In fact, these three renovations are only...

Is a Smart Home in your Future? Remember when microwave ovens first hit the consumer market? Folks were scared of them, for the most part. I mean, you can't blame them. How can something with no visible heat source boil a cup of water? It might also have had something to do with the fact that they were originally known as 'radar r...

Autumn DIY Project: The Mudroom Mention the word 'mudroom' to folks from southern states and you'll be greeted with a puzzled stare. It's a room unique to homes in cold and damp regions and one that most residents of those areas take for granted, yet wouldn't dream of living without. Mudroom design runs the gamut from lavish to...

4 Steps to an Organized Garage Did you know that only 30 percent of us actually use our garages to park our cars? Today's garage is more of a storage unit than shelter for an automobile but that doesn't mean it has to look like a giant version of the inside of a kitchen junk drawer. When you just can't stand the mess any longer,....

3 Steps to a Healthier, Happier Home When we think of interior design and décor, most of us contemplate the aesthetics, or how the home will appear to the eye. We're missing the boat, according to Dr. Sally Augustin and Dr. David Fell of FP Innovations. Incorporating certain outdoor elements in our décor can improve our health and me...

Your Part in the Home Sale Process The two most important jobs of the seller during the marketing period are to keep the home clean and to be as accommodating as possible to buyer's agents who request a showing. Sounds pretty easy, right? Not if you have a full-time job, a family and you like to enjoy at least a modicum of leisure ti...

3 Ways to Keep a Low Appraisal from Derailing the Deal One of the most devastating problems a homeowner and the buyer attempting to purchase the home may run up against is a low appraisal. Luckily, there are several ways of dealing with the situation. Challenge the AppraisalAppraisers sometimes make errors. When confronted with a low appraisal it's...

3 Things that can Negatively Impact your Home Things that impact a home's value are a bit of a mystery to those not employed in the real estate or finance industry. Sure, some of them are obvious, such as the positive impact of living within a strong school district. Others, though, aren't quite so obvious. Let's take a look at some negative ev...

3 Surprising things that Positively Impact Home Value In our last post we took a look at some events and conditions that negatively impact home values. As promised, this time we'll expose conditions that have a positive impact on value and some of this may surprise you. The appeal of graveyards A few years ago a large real estate news...

The Pet Predicament The most obvious similarity between children and pets is that we can count on them making messes. Every pet owner has experienced the pet 'accident,' either vomit or urine on the floor. Usually, it's no problem to just clean it up and go on your way. Potential buyers, however, tend to pick up on the...

Selling the Home Yourself: Is it a Good Idea? When you toy with the idea of going FSBO (For Sale by Owner) you aren't alone. Although the number of homeowners who decide to sell without the assistance of a broker has fallen over the last decade, plenty of them still do it. Some are successful while most, sadly, are not. If you're thinking of se...