
13 Things to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor
You’ve heard horror stories of contractors doing shoddy work and make mistakes homeowners just have to live with. Or worse, costing them thousands of extra dollars. So how do you make sure you’re hiring a great contractor instead of your worst nightmare? Ask them these questions. What qualifications/licensing do you have?: This should be your first question to any prospective contractor. You don’t want just any schmuck off the street working on your house, right? Can I have a

Home Insurance 101: The Fundamentals of Home Quality
Buying a home represents one of the biggest purchases that an individual can make in his or her lifetime. As such, the decision should not be taken lightly, and you'll want to review many factors as you search for your dream residence. The U.S. Census Bureau reported 501,000 homes were sold in the United States last year, up from 437,000 homes one year earlier. Furthermore, the U.S. economy continues to rebound from the Great Recession. This means the number of homebuyers may

10 Steps to Home Ownership
Information To Help You Throughout The Home Buying Process 1. Are You Ready? Step 1 of 10 Knowledge and experience are the keys to successful real estate transactions. REALTOR.com® contains an enormous amount of valuable information, and such data -- combined with the expertise, experience and training of local REALTORS® -- can be the essential keys to your success. One of the keys to making the homebuying process easier and more understandable is planning. In doing so, you'l

First-Time Homebuyer's Guide
The challenge of buying a home for the first time can seem so daunting that it's tempting to either just go with the first place in your price range or continue to rent. To help you demystify the process and get the most out of the purchase, we'll examine what you'll need to consider before you buy, what you can expect from the buying process itself, and some handy tips to make life easier after you purchase your first home. Who Is a First-Time Homebuyer? U.S. Department of H

Home Sellers Have Closing Costs Also
We have all heard about the high costs imposed on homebuyers -- ranging from lender points, title insurance and settlement fees. However, if you are selling your house, you should understand you will be hit for some closing costs also. When a seller signs a listing agreement with a Real Estate Broker, authorizing that person to sell the house, in addition to all the other forms which sellers receive, the seller should be given an estimated settlement statement. This statement