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If you’re like most people, a lot of the work you do on your home is meant for you to enjoy--at least for a little while. But you also want to make sure you get some of that money back when it’s time to sell or refinance. So which improvements are also smart investments? Here’s what the numbers say for 2014. Stay away from... Home offices: Having your own kid/pet/clutter-free space to telecommute from seems like a no brainer, right? But what happens when your potential buyers

Your DVR is full of home improvement shows, you’ve got the soul of Bob Villa, and a masters degree from YouTube University. Now that you finally ready to buy that fixer upper home, you have an outlet for your DIY ambitions. But there’s one more checklist you need to go through before you get started. The bones and guts Have a professional check the structural integrity, electric wiring, and plumbing before you buy. You should also check to see if there’s any lead paint or asb

When you start thinking about selling your first home, you may look around the rooms you love so much and see them in a different light. You already know the rules about keeping your closets half empty when you show the house, making sure the kitchen and bathroom counters are free of clutter, hiding pet bowls and beds, and keeping the house spotless, ready at any moment for potential buyers. But there are some things that need to be fixed or updated before you sell. First hom

Often, people sell a home and buy another, rolling profits from the sale of the first home into the down payment for the new house. But if you make enough of a profit on the sale of your house, you may have to pay capital gains tax. Read on to find out what you might have to pay. Homeowners benefit from all kinds of tax exemptions, including a big one when it comes time to sell. The capital gains tax exemption allows a homeowner to make $250,000 from the sale of a house witho

Selling a home has its typical challenges. Maybe the couple across the street just listed their house, which you know has an amazing kitchen (while yours is just slightly less so). Maybe values have started to drop a tad. Or maybe you're getting transferred and you have to sell - and find something new in your future city - in what seems like an impossibly short amount of time. Whatever the circumstances, you want the sale to go as smoothly, and take place as quickly, as poss

Residential homeowners have a number of tax benefits, the most important of which is the exclusion of up to $500,000 profit made on the sale of the principal residence. But real estate investors -- large and small -- still have to pay capital gains tax when they sell their investments. And since most investors depreciated their properties over a number of years, they often have to "recapture" the depreciation, as well as paying a lot of capital gains tax. There is a way of de

You have signed a contract to purchase a house. Your potential lender has qualified you for the mortgage loan, on the condition that the house will appraise high enough to support the loan. Now you have learned that the appraisal has come in too low, and the lender is not prepared to commit the loan. You have a number of options. Let's take this example. Your contract price is $500,000, and you are seeking a loan which will be 80 percent of the purchase price -- or $400,000.

Thinking about selling your house without a real estate agent? It's a choice some people make, mainly to try to save some money. But the number of people who list their home For Sale By Owner is in decline. "Eight percent of home sellers chose to list themselves - a record low of for-sale-by-owner transactions," according to a National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) survey. So why isn't it a good idea to go it alone? Let us count the ways. 1. Because you're not thinking with

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

Winter can be a harsh, unappealing time of year to sell your home. With 2016 about to rev up, it's especially important to make your home stand out if you want to sell in the New Year. Here are some essential tips for making your house #1 on the market as the year begins: #1 Warmth is top priority. Your home should always be warm when a realtor conducts a walkthrough with buyers. Set a timer on your thermostat so it's warm when they arrive. Also make sure to check there are n