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What's the difference between the two, and which one do you need? Here's what you need to know.

Preapproval or prequalification? Knowing the difference can impact your offers.

These helpful infographics outline what projects homeowners took on according to when their house was built, as well as their average budget and more.

How a Home's Age Influences Owners' Renovation Plans A new study identifies the improvement projects homeowners prioritize based on how old their home is.

Thinking of updating your kitchen space soon? Consider these three tips from someone who learned firsthand through multiple renovation projects.

6 of the Most Important Tips I’ve Learned from Renovating 3 Kitchens in 5 Years Renovating a kitchen is kind of like getting a tattoo. It can be painful while it’s happening, but the end result is so worth it that you forget the bad parts. I’ve done three total-tear-out kitchen renovations in the last five years (plus three more non-gut-job remodels in the last six), with a...

If you're buying or selling an older property, enlisting the help of these expert services can help make the process smoother and more transparent.

12 Specialists You Need If You’re Buying an Old House Before buying an old home, enlist the help of niche professionals to help you navigate potential repairs and renovations and avoid unpleasant surprises after the sale.

The search for your dream home doesn't have to take a back seat over the holiday season -- this guide outlines some helpful tips to navigate the market this time of year.

Holiday Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide - Realty Times There’s a myth that the real estate market shuts down over the holidays and that it’s a terrible time to buy a home—because who wants to buy a home when you could be spending that time with family. You saw where we said “myth,” right?  The truth is that buying a home over the holidays...

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Tips for Buyers, Sellers and Homeowners Sign up and stay tuned for this week's posts.

The market is shifting, but that doesn't mean it has to be a bad time for sellers. Keep these three things in mind to help make your selling experience as smooth as possible.

It’s a Great Time to Sell Your Home in This Market—IF You Keep These 3 Things in Mind Get the latest real estate news and trends.

It's easy to confuse an appraisal gap clause with an appraisal contingency clause. But in fact, they're pretty much opposites of each other -- here's a helpful overview.

What Is an Appraisal Gap Clause? If you have an appraisal gap when the home you buy is valued, there is a difference between the amount

Zombie properties are abandoned by the owner due to foreclosure. Now that the foreclosure ban has been lifted, the number of zombie properties are increasing back to pre-pandemic levels.

Zombie Property Count Ticks Upward Again Across U.S. In Fourth Quarter But Remains Tiny Portion Of Housing Market ATTOM's Q4 2022 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report shows that 1.3 million residential properties in the U.S. sit vacant.

Homeownership is a long-term dream, but what are the differences between buying your forever home and buying the best home for your situation right now? Here's what you should know.

Will your first home be a starter or forever home? Learn the pros and cons for both homebuying strategies.

The color blue is proven to evoke a sense of calmness and peace. If you're planning on adding some beautiful blues to your home interior, here are a few professional tips to make it look perfect.

I'm an interior designer and this is how I use blue as an accent color Whether you’re looking to achieve a soothing space, or a smart and sophisticated look, there are so many ways to make your home pop with blue

This recent survey gives a deeper look into the large number of Americans moving out of state, where they're going, and why they're hoping to move.

Study Finds More Than Half of U.S. Considering a Move As many struggle to afford a mortgage–let alone their dream home–nationwide, many are migrating in s...

Is it still a starter home if it costs $1 million? Many would-be homebuyers are facing this reality, and rent hikes are leaving even more in a saving limbo.

Have Starter Homes Gone Completely Extinct? A new report found that the once-standard first-time home has become “the stuff of myths and legends." However, there's still hope in these four cities.

If someone gives you the gift of cash toward your down payment this holiday season, this handy guide to gift money can help ensure your mortgage application stays problem-free.

How to Use a Down Payment Gift Learn how to add gifts toward your down payment correctly.

Expert help for your home financing needs is always a call or email away. But you can also get it sent straight to your inbox twice a month when you sign up for the newsletter.

Get More Out of Your Mortgage Sign up and stay tuned for this week's posts.

Transitioning to suburban life can come with a lot of upgrades, but creating meaningful connections in suburbia can be harder than in a city. Here's how to find your place in your new community.

How to Find Community in the Suburbs, According to a Pro Networker What’s not to love about the suburbs? Whether you’re expanding your family or want to upgrade from your teeny, tiny city apartment, moving outside of a bustling metropolis has a lot to offer. That said, the suburbs aren’t the easiest environment to make friends and find community.

Older houses can come with a lot of charm -- and often a few things that aren't up to code, like staircases. But if you plan on renovating, these grandfathered-in features can get complicated.

How to Live With Stairs That Aren't Up to Code Most stairs in older homes don’t meet current codes. That might complicate your next renovation.

Data within the U.S. for September shows that house flipping activity has decreased overall, but profits for this real estate investing strategy have increased.

Home Flipping Dips Across U.S. During Second Quarter of 2022 While Profits Grow ATTOM's Q2 2022 U.S. Home Flipping Report shows that while the home flipping rate is down, it's still at the third-highest level since 2000.

What is house hacking? How can it help buyers save on their mortgage costs, and what are the risks? The newsletter answers these questions and more about this real estate investment strategy.

House Hacking Strategies Explained It can supplement housing costs, but comes with extra responsibilities.

Decorating your new home or adding final touches on your renovations? These sofas are all $500 or less -- but they certainly don't look below designer budgets.

5 Sofas Under $500 That Don’t Look (or Feel) Cheap Good quality furniture doesn’t always need to be expensive, and these five elegant sofas under $500 prove it.

Being late to an appointment is definitely not ideal. But on a scale of one to 10, most real estate agents won't hold it against you in these instances.

Reasons It’s OK to Be Late for an Appointment with Your Real Estate Agent, Ranked on a Scale of 1-10 Running late for an appointment can happen to even the most timely person. For instance, who hasn’t gotten stuck in traffic at some point in their life?! Something like that is a legitimate excuse that you can’t predict or avoid, unless you always leave ridiculously early just to make sure you d...

This infographic uses historical rates and prices to help uncover whether we can expect home prices to change and what other factors might need consideration.

Historical Mortgage Rates vs Housing Prices (1992-2022) With mortgage rates climbing, could housing prices drop? We explore the relationship between historical mortgage rates and house prices.

The supply chain has created uncertainty for borrowers with construction loans, which often have strict budgets and time constraints. Reach out for help preventing or overcoming these hurdles.

Supply Chain Disruptions Affect Construction Loans and Defaults | Barnes & Thornburg Since the beginning of the pandemic, supply chain issues have had an impact on every aspect of consumers’ lives. The supply chain breakdown has also

The short answer is yes -- in fact, if you want to buy land and build your own home, you have a few options for financing. Here's what you should know about construction loans.

Can a loan cover buying and building on property? Learn how construction loans work and the different options available.

The newsletter gives helpful tips and useful things to know about mortgages, homebuying, homeownership and more.

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A garage is a great place to keep clutter out of sight. But if you're tidying up and getting ready to sell your home, you might benefit from clearing out the garage too.

Home Makeover Tips: Decluttering a Garage to Sell | Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Looking for tips to sell a home faster? Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate explains why decluttering a garage can help attract more buyers.

Some experts think that our housing market is in or nearing a recession. Find out what this means for buyers, sellers and homeowners (and how it differs from an economic recession).

We're in a 'housing recession,' experts say. Here's what that means for homeowners, sellers and buyers While home sales last month were down more than 20% from a year earlier, prices are up more than 10% and demand remains strong despite a slowdown.

Staging can help showcase home features to potential buyers. But it's important to know how staging tricks can be used to hide things too -- and how you can spot them.

Buying A House? Don't Be Fooled By These Home Staging Tricks These common staging tricks may not all be deal breakers, but it's good to recognize any red flags before you move forward in buying a home.

When lenders assess risk for a mortgage, this includes the home you'd like to buy. Here are four potential property risks that lenders look out for and buyers should know.

These 4 Property Risks Matter for Your Mortgage As a buyer, you should look out for these features.

Having a trained eye can help you identify and evaluate these important property and construction factors before you buy.

Don’t Forget This Crucial Step When Shopping for a House to Flip Flipping a house is exciting but requires careful analysis of the home itself, so don't bypass this essential step.