It’s Not Just Car Storage: How to Transform Your Garage into a Brand New, Highly Usable Space

In some homes, garages are used only for car storage. They may appear to be bare and without real functional use for homeowners. However, other garages may be an envy of the neighborhood - they may have floor to ceiling shelving systems, and they may be the picture-perfect image of organization. With a bit of planning and creativity, you can turn your garage into a much more functional space. Here's how you can make your garage the most useful space in the house. Determine What You Need To Store One of the most important steps to take when improving the functionality of your garage is to determine which items you need…
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Thinking About Downsizing? Here’s What You Need to Know About Life in a Condo

The shift from home living to condo life may seem like a minor one, but there are plenty of things that will differentiate your lifestyle other than size when it comes to making a condominium purchase. If you're contemplating this move and wondering about some of the things that this might entail, here are a few factors that are worth considering. The Fees You'll Have to Pay While a smaller condo is unlikely to have the same associated costs as a large home, you will be paying a monthly condominium fee that will be covering maintenance and insurance so that many repairs and upgrades won't have to be paid out of…
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How Long To Save Mortgage Documents

Purchasing a house involves a tremendous amount of paperwork. There is even more paperwork involved if the buyer goes through a lender. With so much paperwork, some homeowners might be wondering how long they have to keep all of these documents. Ideally, homeowners should keep these documents for the life of the loan, but there are a few other points to consider.  What Documents Come With The Home? Even though the exact documents that come with the home can vary depending on the type of purchase, there are a few common pieces of paper. The deed is one of the most important documents that come with the house. It indicates that…
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Housing Needs May Change Following Retirement

Life has changed for a lot of people during the past few years. Some people reached retirement age while other people decided to retire early due to other reasons. As the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, millions more people are going to retire during the next few years. As a result, they might be thinking about moving to make some of their dreams come true. At the same time, retirement might change what people need in a home. What are some of the most important factors retirees need to consider when looking for a home?  Moving Closer To Loved Ones Location remains one of the most important factors when looking…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 13. 2021

Last week’s economic reporting included readings on job openings and quits, month-to-month and year-over-year readings on inflation,  and the University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment survey for December. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also released Job Openings Increase as Quits Decrease as Inflation Remains High The U.S. Labor Department reported that workers quit their jobs at record levels in October as job openings rose to 11 million openings as compared to expectations of 10.6 million job vacancies, which matched September’s reading for job openings. Fewer people quit jobs in October as 4.2 million workers left their jobs as compared to 4.4 million quits reported in September. The…
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Smart Ways To Create Equity Within Your Home

Home equity is the difference between what your home can sell for and what you owe on it. Generally, the longer you own your home, the more equity you build. This is money you can use before you sell your home through a home equity loan. Just keep in mind that a home equity loan is secured with your home. If you can't make the payments, you can lose your home. Use Your Home Equity In Smart Ways: Remodel Your Home - If you've wanted to add on a family room or modernize your kitchen, consider using your home's equity to fund the project. Home improvements usually increase your home's marketability and value.…
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