Buying

Finding a Home

7 Issues You Should Consider Before Buying Waterfront Property

Property that fronts directly onto water brings tranquility, privacy, breathtaking views, and the opportunity for water recreation. It’s a great...
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Go With the Flow: Landowner Water Rights and Responsibilities

Real estate owners have rights to the available supply of naturally occurring water to their property. How you use that...
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The Benefits of a Geographically Savvy Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent who knows the area like the back of her hand can make all the difference in...
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The Starter Home: An Endangered Species?

Time was when first-time homebuyers could pursue the American Dream by purchasing a small, simple house that allowed them to...
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Can You Benefit From an Agricultural Tax Exemption?

Homeowners who live on agricultural acreage that meets a minimum size standard may qualify for a significant property tax break....
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Condominium or Landominium: Similar or Different?

You are familiar with condominiums, but did you know there are also landominiums? What’s the difference, and what do these...
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Who is a REALTOR® and Why is it Important?

For much of the public, the terms “real estate agent” and “REALTOR®” are used interchangeably. In reality, they are not...
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How the Covid Pandemic Is Changing Home Designs

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought changes to every aspect of our lives, even where we live. More adults work from...
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A Bigger House Means a Bigger Budget

You’ve saved money, your family has grown and you’re thinking of buying a bigger house. Of course, it will come...
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Buying When They Aren’t Selling

These days houses are attracting so many competing offers and selling so fast that many buyers become frustrated and fear...
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Is a Zero-Lot-Line Home for You?

For homeowners wanting little or no yard to maintain, a zero-lot-line home may be the answer. What is a zero...
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Housing Inventory Shortages Drive Sales Despite Pandemic Recession

The COVID-19 global pandemic has brought periodic business shutdowns across the country and a huge spike in unemployment. The conventional...
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Building a Home

Is Modern Farmhouse Style On Its Way Out?

Modern farmhouse style has been incredibly popular among homebuyers and renovators for nearly a decade. But some architects report that...
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What You Need to Know About a Steel Frame for Your Next Home

Have you ever seen a commercial building under construction with a steel frame and wondered whether you could build your...
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Ceiling Beams Are Both Fashionable and Functional

Ceiling beams add style and interest to rooms, especially those with high or vaulted ceilings. They can also add structural...
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You Won’t Believe Your Eyes! Veneer Stone Versus Natural Stone

Houses or landscape walls made of natural stone have a timeless elegance. Increasingly, those gorgeous stone walls may not be...
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Why a Vapor Barrier in a Crawlspace is a Wise Investment

Homes with a crawl space are at risk of soil moisture creating a humid environment, resulting in mold and wood...
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Emergency Egress Window: A Home Safety Essential

The grim statistics say that half of all residential fire deaths occur in bedrooms between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m....
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Post-Pandemic Interior Design Trends

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted fundamental changes in most aspects of American life. Interior design is no exception. As people...
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Post-Pandemic Home Design

The Covid-19 pandemic sent Americans home, not just for shelter but for work, entertainment, exercise and more. As the virus...
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Can You Be Your Own General Contractor?

It can be tempting to tackle home remodeling projects yourself to save money, whether by doing the work subcontractors would...
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Your Next Home Could Be 3D Printed

A growing number of products are manufactured with 3D printing, and now the technology can even build houses! Is a...
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Your Guide to Buying a New Construction Home

Getting the keys to a freshly built house is exciting, but buying one requires the same steps as purchasing an...
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Now You See Them, Now You Don’t: Home Trends That Create Space

Pocket walls and doors, floating plumbing fixtures, mirrors that talk to you — all of these trends and more are...
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Buying a Home

You Must Get This Right: Calculating Square Footage of a Home

Knowing the square footage of your home or one you may buy is crucial. Square footage is the baseline metric...
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Should You Wait Until Interest Rates Drop to Buy a House?

Today’s mortgage interest rates are a good bit higher than those of a few years ago, and that’s keeping many...
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How to Deal With Unpermitted Renovations

When you are buying a home, it’s important to determine whether any renovations or remodeling projects were properly permitted. It’s...
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Yours, Mine and Ours: Combining Furnishings With Your Partner

You’ve found your soulmate, and the two of you are moving in together. There’s just one problem: You and your...
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Protecting Your Home From Dangerous Radon Gas

Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless gas that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. The gas is everywhere,...
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Country Life Brings Star-Filled Skies

Working remotely has allowed some homeowners to leave city life behind and move to the quiet country. One of the...
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Will a Nearby Wind Farm Blow Away Your Property Value?

Today, huge wind farms are spreading across parts of America. How does having a wind farm next to your property...
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Are You Buying a Meth House?

People who would never use drugs can inadvertently purchase a home where methamphetamine was produced. Meth production leaves behind a...
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Don’t Rely on Technology Alone When Buying or Selling a Home

Advancing technology has transformed home shopping. More than 80 percent of prospective buyers begin their home search online. A consumer...
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Can They Do That? Taking Property Under Eminent Domain

It comes as a severe shock to a real estate owner when a government agency takes his property from him...
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Is It a Good Idea to Buy a House With a Friend?

A growing trend with younger generations is friends buying a house together. It’s easier to buy a home if someone...
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Do Your Due Diligence When Buying a Condo

If you’re thinking of buying a condo, the condition of the building and its finances will have a direct impact...
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Financing a Home

Should You Wait Until Interest Rates Drop to Buy a House?

Today’s mortgage interest rates are a good bit higher than those of a few years ago, and that’s keeping many...
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Creative Mortgages in Times of High Interest Rates

Today’s higher interest rates are squeezing would-be home buyers. Less than three years ago, rates were below 4 percent. Now...
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Understanding Your Property Taxes

Paying property taxes is an unavoidable part of homeownership. But why are you charged these taxes, and what determines how...
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Don’t Be Blindsided by FHA Minimum Property Requirements

The Federal Housing Administration’s accommodating lending standards help financially challenged Americans achieve the dream of homeownership. But buyers may be...
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Homeownership Incentives for First-Time Buyers

Owning a home is an essential part of the American dream for most people. Did you know that federal and...
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Hope for Homeownership After Bankruptcy

Significant financial misfortune may lead you to do the unthinkable: file for bankruptcy. You may fear that this means the...
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What Are the Differences Between Distressed Properties?

When a homeowner is forced to give up a home because of financial hardship, the house is referred to as...
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Buying Your First Home in Your 20s

If you’ve recently graduated from college and are just getting established in your career, you may think you’re destined for...
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Buying a House with Your Significant Other

Sometimes unmarried couples want to buy a house together. Homeownership is a great goal, but before you take the plunge...
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Single Women Making Their Place in the Housing Market

Women still face hurdles when it comes to equal pay and job opportunities. Even so, sales to single women home...
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What is the Role of the Mortgage Underwriter?

The loan processor you work with when you apply for a mortgage isn’t the person who decides whether you qualify...
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Purchasing a House at a Property Auction

If you’ve wanted to buy real estate as an investment, you might consider buying a house at a foreclosed property...
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