Search Results for: blog quick ways to boost the value of your home

Supporting Each Other in Times of Unemployment

Few things cause stress in a marriage like lack of employment, and with the economy suffering as it has, we’re seeing more and more couples facing this challenge. Money does strike at our sense of security, and when we don’t feel secure, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else, including our relationships. When the husband or wife is unemployed, it’s more important than ever that they stay united. Sometimes there is a tendency to blame the person who lost the job—if they’d only been a little more diligent in their work or a little more punctual or a little more … Continue reading →

Fostering Pretend Play

Pretend play is very important for toddlers. As their language skills grow, they become more adapt at telling stories and pretend play. At this stage, having the opportunity for make believe will help them grow and develop to the best of their abilities. As they get a little older, toddlers can benefit from different “props” that help them explore jobs and activities that adults do. Copying the adults around them is a way for them to explore the world, gain confidence in themselves, develop more language skills and try new things in a safe environment. For pretend play, simple toys … Continue reading →

The Frugal Benefits of a Small House

If you are one of the lucky few these days to be blessed with a small house then congratulations. Yes, a small house is indeed a blessing. Here is why you are so much better off than families with huge McMansions. Your property values In general, smaller homes will retain more of their value in a bad market. This is because people are more likely to buy a smaller home when times are bad. So while $500,000 newer home may be selling for only $300,000 now, a $200,000 home is selling for $195,000. This is a true example from a … Continue reading →

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA is a great way to have your household become connected with your community, while enjoying fresh food and even some great savings. In today’s modern form of CSA, community members buy shares in a farm or from a farming community. In turn, these members get to share in the bounty of the farm’s harvest. Members get local, seasonal produce and other farm products. There are a lot of rewards in this system for both the farmer and the member. Benefits to CSA Some of the benefits that you will experience when you are part of … Continue reading →

What Are Mortgage Points?

Whether you are thinking about refinancing or getting a mortgage for the first time, whether or not to opt for points can be a confusing and sticky decision. Here is a quick explanation of points and some general guidelines about whether or not it is worth paying down points to get a lower interest rate. What are points? When applying for your mortgage loan, you may be asked if you want to pay points. Points are a lump upfront sum of interest that you can pay at the initiation of your loan to lower your overall interest rate. The more … Continue reading →

Hiring a Professional Home Stager

These days, if you want or need to sell your home, you’ll need to do everything you can to make it stand out from the crowd. One of the ways to do this is to hire a professional stager who will stage your home the exact right way for your particular market. Here is some general information about professional home stagers. Within the last four years, the practice of staging a home has increased to the point where a majority of homes on the market feature some sort of staging, whether it is done by a home owner or a … Continue reading →

Get Fingerprinted to Sell Your Home

If you live in Cook County, Illinois, you might feel like a criminal when you go to sell your home. That is because a law quietly passed that requires anyone notarizing documents for selling a home in that area to provide a thumbprint. Lawmakers say that the legislation was put into affect to dissuade people from committing real estate fraud. Criminals may think twice about selling a home illegally if their thumbprint is on record, I suppose. The law, which was passed last October and goes into affect this June has residents of the county concerned about privacy issues. The … Continue reading →

Don’t Go Too Low When Buying a Home

We all know that it is definitely a buyers market right now. Anyone who is a good qualified home buyer has the opportunity to get so much more for their money today. Desperate home owners are throwing in all sorts of perks with the sale of their home, from free lawn service to fully stocked media rooms. With the situation being what it is, it may be tempted to make a really low offer on the house that you love. But this can wind up backfiring on you. A really low offer risks insulting an isolating your sellers, and it … Continue reading →

Home Bartering

If you have a home, then you have a valuable asset, even if it is worth less now than what you might have originally paid for it. Now is a great time to use that home of yours to barter for things that you may want or need. You can barter your home in exchange for home improvement services. If you have some extra space, you might be able to barter a room in exchange for professional improvements to your home. Craigslist is full of professional carpenters, electricians, landscapers and contractors who would be willing to offer their services in … Continue reading →

Quick Ways to Boost the Value of Your Home

The news for reselling a home is pretty depressing. Sales of existing homes are at their lowest point since the 1996, and home values are dropping faster than ever. But sometimes you just need to sell your home, and there is nothing else to do. If you are in this situation, or if you just want to boost your home’s value for a possible refinance, there are some smart moves that you can make. While redoing the kitchens and bathrooms are always a plus, they are expensive and time consuming. Instead focus on some quick tips that will pay off. … Continue reading →