Anyone who has tried to either buy or sell a house during the winter season knows that it isn’t the easiest time of year to find success. Here are three reasons you might want to reconsider before you stop trying in this season.
Nice To Know
See What is ‘Nice to Know’
We want you to be aware of important information as you are search homes and loans. We have crafted tabs of things you “Need to Know” and things that are “Nice to Know”.
Here is a list of Nice to Know items:
1. Family Resources:
10 Ways to Save While Winterizing Your Home
When Jack Frost comes knocking, you’re not going to want to let him in.. But keeping the cold out of your house can sometimes be a little pricey. From an article in Business Insider, below are 10 ways to save on winterizing your home.
- Protect from drafts! Using a draft snake to place under your door will allow you to keep the warm air in your house, while keeping the cold air out. The U.S. Department of Energy claims that drafts can be attributed 5-30% of energy use per year. Read more
Reasons Fall is Great for the Housing Market
There are many reasons why fall is a great time for the housing market. This RealtyTimes article gives 6 reasons why buying and selling homes is the best during the fall.
The 6 reasons they give why you might have more success in the fall include: Read more
6 Houseplants That Could Kill You and Your Pets
Houseplants are a decorator’s best friend, adding pops of color and a vibrant touch to even the blandest home interiors. And studies show that they also improve air quality, lower your stress level, generally make you happier, and just might even make you smarter.
But what if those seemingly innocent buds are doing just the opposite? What if they’re actually trying to kill you? Maybe even your pets?
Back to School – Returning to the Routine
With the start of school just around the corner, children and parents likely are having many mixed emotions.
While the possibilities that lie ahead with new classrooms, new teachers and new friends are exciting, the transition from summer to school can be challenging for many children. The following tips can help:
New Credit Bureau Ratings
When it comes to having good credit, you already know how important it is to pay your bills on time. But how you pay your bills — not just whether you pay them — is becoming increasingly important.
In the past two to three years, all three major credit bureaus have added a treasure-trove of new data to their credit reports. Analysts are slicing and dicing “trended data” in hundreds of ways, but probably the biggest change is that lenders now know exactly how you pay your bills: whether you’re a high-risk “revolver” who carries a balance, or a low-risk “transactor” who pays your credit cards in full every month.
Keep Your House Cool this Summer
As the temperature rises, so does the cost of cooling your home.
Obviously, the best way to keep your home cool during the summer is to use an air conditioner to keep the temperature down, but there are other options that don’t raise your energy bill quite significantly.
The Emotions of Buying and Selling a House
Homes come with far more emotional weight than any other investment we make.
A home is a refuge from the world, a place to raise a family and, for some people, an investment they hope will bring them a good chunk of money down the road.
All too often, though, we don’t realize that how we feel about homes blinds us when it comes time to buy or sell. We let our emotions blind us to cold facts about the market or the realities of ownership. Or we prioritize one set of emotional needs over others that are just are strong but may not be evident at first. And ignoring them can lead us to make bad financial decisions that can affect us for decades to come.
Here’s a closer look at some psychological missteps that buyers and sellers often make as they wade into the housing market.
Make the Most of a Small Back Yard
Small backyards can sometimes seem limiting in terms of what you can add to them. Small backyards have many landscaping options to make them beautiful and open. Here are some ideas to help.