Posts with tag 'Recently Read'
Subscribe and receive email notifications of new blog posts.
RSS Feed
- 2026 | 15 Posts
- 2025 | 77 Posts
- 2024 | 85 Posts
- 2023 | 73 Posts
- 2022 | 72 Posts
- 2020 | 44 Posts
- 2019 | 27 Posts
- 2018 | 20 Posts
- 2017 | 29 Posts
- 2016 | 85 Posts
- 2015 | 85 Posts
- 2014 | 117 Posts
- 2013 | 50 Posts
- 2012 | 32 Posts
- 2011 | 35 Posts
- 2010 | 16 Posts
15
The 3 Ds of Staging
(BPT)—Staging your home ensures a speedy, profitable sale—if the senses are considered. Prospective buyers interpret a potential home through all of their receptors, and that includes senses like sight and smell.
To stage to this effect, remember the three Ds:
Deep-Clean the Selling Points
Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes—but they must be immaculate to do so. In the kitchen, clean inside appliances that are staying put: the dishwasher, oven and refrigerator. Replace the filter in the range hood, if you have one, and polish windowpanes to a sparkling finish. In the bathrooms, de-scale glass shower doors and showerheads and scrub the grout. Clean metal drain grates, and add in a few drops of sweet-smelling essential oils to maintain a "freshly-cleaned" aroma.
Deter Odors
Most households have their own unique scent, likely indistinguishable to the seller, but potenti...
28
What Actions Impact My Credit Score?
Credit scores factor into the majority of lending decisions, including those for mortgage and rental applications. In most of these scenarios, lenders determine an applicant's eligibility by weighing his or her FICO® Score.
FICO recently rolled out an enhanced version of their Score Simulator that helps prospective homebuyers and renters understand the impact their actions have on their credit scores. The tool simulates actual FICO Scores, allowing users to enter multi-action simulations and providing side-by-side comparisons with data from the three major credit bureaus.
The what-if simulations include over 20 distinct actions, such as:
• Forgetting to Pay a Bill
• Increasing a Credit Account Limit
• Maxing Out a Credit Card
• Paying Down a Credit Card Balance
• Refinancing a Mortgage
• Taking Out a Car...
28
Remodeling? High-Ranking Kitchen Brands to Consider
Quality materials matter in any remodel—and when renovating the kitchen, no material matters more than the cabinets.
"One of the most critical times in a remodel or new construction is when customers order their kitchen cabinets," says Greg Truex, senior director of the at-home practice at J.D. Power.
J.D. Power recently released their annual report of the kitchen cabinetmakers ranked highest in customer satisfaction, rated by factors including design, operational performance and price. The top five are:
1. Thomasville
2. SEKTION (IKEA)
3. American Woodmark
4. KraftMaid
5. Hampton Bay
Also included in the report are the purchasing behaviors of kitchen remodelers. Notably, 66 percent are first-time kitchen cabinet buyers, and 34 percent have not purchased a kitchen cabinet in nine years—possibly signaling a correlation between the rankings and the preferences of new...
21
Moving? Here's Your Checklist!
Whether you're moving across town or across the country, getting ready takes lots of pre-planning. From Real Simple magazine, a moving checklist:
Two Months Before
• Sort and Purge – Go through every room in your home and decide what you will take and what you will get rid of. Plan a garage sale and/or gather up your charitable donations now.
• Get Estimates – Get a few onsite moving estimates—not over the phone—in writing. Keep all estimates, receipts and notes in a binder.
• Transfer School Records – Arrange for all school records to be transferred to the new school district.
Six Weeks Before
• Gather Supplies – Start stockpiling moving boxes, tape and markers.
• Pare Down – Begin...
17
Sellers: Remember These Tips for a Safe Showing
Selling your home can be exciting, but unfortunately, it can also heighten the risk of crime when showing the home.
A recent blog from realtor.com® outlined the following points to remember—all of which will be practiced by your real estate agent.
- Schedule an appointment for showings.
- Keep records of every guest's identity.
- Watch for unexpected guests.
- Do not show your house without your real estate agent, or if you are otherwise alone.
- He or she spends too much time in one room, checking windows, doors or even security devices;
- A couple separates during the showing (Professional burglars usually have one person talking to the...