Home Warranties: Are They Worth It?

Owning a home comes with major responsibilities and also offers major questions. One of the biggest questions that people will have to answer is whether or not they want to take out a home warranty. In order to decide whether a home warranty is worth it, it is important to first understand what a home warranty is. What Is A Home Warranty? A home warranty is not the same thing as home insurance. First of all, homeowners insurance is something that is required to purchase a home in the first place. Home insurance is in place to protect the homeowner, and the lender, from disaster. In contrast, a home warranty is…
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Safety First! How Often Should You Clean Your Chimney?

Chimneys are as old as homes themselves. Yet, when it comes to chores, cleaning the chimney is one of the most neglected tasks. While people often think about yard work and housework, they often forget to clean the chimney. When someone neglects to clean the chimney, they risk the development of mold. This can influence the efficiency of the chimney, causing debris to back up into the home. For this reason, it is essential for people to clean their chimneys on a regular schedule.  Make Sure To Inspect The Chimney Properly Chimneys are used seasonally. When the temperature starts to drop outside, people are going to start up the fireplace and…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – January 21st, 2020

Last week’s economic reports included the National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index along with readings on consumer sentiment and weekly reports on mortgage rates and new jobless claims. NAHB: Builder Confidence d in Housing Markets Drops 1 Point in January Homebuilder confidence in overall housing market conditions dropped one point in January, but analysts said that a new trade deal would likely benefit builder interests. The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index dropped to an index reading of 75 from December’s reading of 76; December’s reading was the highest since 1999. The reading for builder confidence in January 2019 was 58; while any reading over 50 is…
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5 Important Mistakes To Avoid When Selling A Home

Sellers of homes often make mistakes that are not in their best interests. Here are common mistakes people make when selling a home and how to avoid them. Using Bad Photography Using lousy photos or no photos to promote the property for sale is foolish. Professional photography is not so difficult or expensive that sellers should settle for the use of bad photos. Sometimes all the potential buyers will see is the photos they find online. If the photos are bad or not there at all, then that is the end of their interests.  To stimulate interest in a property, it is even better to use a high-quality video walk through…
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How A Reverse Mortgage Can Help With Long-Term Care

Anyone who has paid attention to the TV recently has likely seen a lot of commercials for something called a reverse mortgage. For those who might not know, a reverse mortgage is exactly that. In this option, people receive monthly payments from a lender in exchange for equity in their homes. In essence, this functions as an annuity. One of the major benefits of a reverse mortgage is that it can be used to cover the costs associated with long-term care. Over the next few decades, the number of elderly individuals in the United States is projected to double. For this reason, long-term care is projected to become a major expense.…
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What Does A Property Management Company Do?

For those who are interested in learning more about real estate, property management companies are an important topic of discussion. Some people might not ever consider hiring a property management company. Other people wouldn't ever invest in real estate without a property management company to help them out along the way. This can be a hard decision for people to make. In order to figure out if hiring a management company is the right decision, it is important to think about what they do. What Is Property Management? It is the job of a management company to both maintain the quality of the residence while also keeping the occupants happy. Typically,…
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