Nobody becomes a landlord thinking, “I sure wish I had something else on my plate right now.” No … in most cases, people invest in rental properties with the dream of generating passive streams of income that require little work or effort.
20 Sep
18 Sep
8 Reasons You Probably Aren’t Cut Out to Buy a Fixer-Upper
If you binge-watch enough 30-minute TV episodes, or spend a substantial amount of time scrolling through Pinterest boards, you might eventually be tempted to buy a fixer-upper for your next home.
16 Sep
Buying a House: It’s Not For Everyone
Conventional wisdom says, “Buy a house! It’s the American Dream!” Indeed, millions have found this works for them over the years … but many have also had the opposite experience.
13 Sep
When Is It Appropriate to Make an Offer Over Asking Price on a Home?
For the most part, properties are priced at an amount slightly to moderately higher than the true value of the home. This is because most real estate agents and homeowners expect buyers to make a bid that is less than the “true” value of the home, allowing there to be some room for negotiation. It also increases the likelihood of someone paying the asking price, which results in higher profitability for the homeowner.
… [Read More]
7 Nov
7 Things You Should Do After Moving Into Your New Home
Whether you’re buying your first home or this is the tenth time you’ve moved in a decade, it’s important for you to have a plan for exactly what you’ll do after closing and moving in. Being systematic and purposeful in your approach will prove to be enormously helpful.
17 Oct
The 9 Tools Every Homeowner Should Own
With homeownership comes great responsibility. When something breaks, stops working, or needs to be upgraded, there isn’t a landlord or property manager you can call to take care of it for you. It’s up to you to find a solution and, if necessary, handle the repair on your own. But in order to do so, you’ll need to make sure you have a quality selection of tools available at all times…. [Read More]
3 Aug
6 Simple and Effective Ways to Make Your House Smell Good
Smell is a funny thing. All it takes is one whiff of something and your mind can be taken to a totally different place.
For many, fresh cut grass takes them back to summers playing baseball in the backyard. Popcorn is associated with movie theaters. That one perfume your best friend wears reminds you of high school prom. There are smells you don’t even know you’ve committed to memory until you encounter them again many years later – such as your grandparent’s house. … [Read More]
23 Jul
How to Pay Off Your Mortgage in a Fraction of the Time
Owning a home is a quintessential part of the American Dream. There’s nothing like being able to live on a piece of land and call it your own. But for most people, the process of home ownership is one that extends across many decades – even a lifetime.
A large portion of “homeowners” never fully pay off a mortgage – meaning they don’t actually own their homes. And if they do pay off the mortgage, it takes at least 30 years. But just because you have a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, doesn’t mean you have to wait that long to own your house free and clear.
20 Jul
How to be a Proactive Homeowner
When buying a house, we all have the best of intentions. We tell ourselves that we’ll be meticulous in how we care for the property and won’t let things get out of hand. Then life happens, and little issues crop up here and there. Before you know it, the house is in disrepair, there’s not enough money to fix the problems, and you just live with the consequences and hope everything will miraculously come together.
But what would it look like if you stopped being passive and actually became a proactive homeowner who took initiative and did things right the first time around? Believe it or not, you’d save a lot of money and experience far less stress and anxiety.
25 Apr
How to Maximize Privacy in Your Home
One of the best parts about owning a single-family home – as opposed to an apartment, townhome, or duplex – is the privacy. While you may still have neighbors on either side of you, at least you have separate structures and your own plot of land. The question is, how do you maximize this privacy for your own comfort and peace of mind?… [Read More]