Housing Market News: A Shrinking Inventory
 With mortgage rates dropping lower, housing affordability is higher than ever. But home buyers looking to take advantage of low mortgage rates are facing an unexpected obstacle—a lack of inventory. The limited number of homes available for sale is reflected in the Pending Home Sales Index.
Still High?
In February, the Pending Home Sales Index fell by 0.4 percent to 104.8. But even with the drop... Read More
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Is It Time to Replace Your Roof or Windows?
 Owning a home means giving constant attention to the building products that go into protecting the structure of your house. While we'd like to believe items like our roof, siding and windows will last forever, that's not the case.
Mark Clement, co-host of the national home improvement radio show MyFixitUpLife, offers a variety of tips for knowing when it's time to replace products on your home... Read More
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A Strong Rental Market Makes It A Good Time to Buy
 The cost of renting is going up in markets across the country, as the number of available rental units shrinks. According to investment research firm Marcus & Millichap, apartment vacancies fell 0.8 percentage points to a national vacancy rate of 4.4 percent in 2012, almost half that of the recession high, which saw vacancy rates of around 8 percent. Effective rental prices increased nearly 5 percent in 2012 and are expected to increase at similar rates in 2013. Prices may rise even... Read More |
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5 Ideas for Landscaping that Will Increase the Value of Your Home
 Whether you are preparing to sell your home or you just want to increase its value, there are some simple landscaping projects that you can undertake to add curb appeal and to increase your asking price. If you are on a tight timeline, you should create a list of the projects you would like to see finished by a certain date. This will help to keep you on track and focused on the completion of your list.
1. Plant low maintenance shrubs and hardy plants.
Most people do not have the time to dedicate to fancy and expensive plants that need substantial care. Shrubs only need annual pruning and... Read More |
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A Strategy to Keep Your Home Organized In 15 Minutes Per Day
Do you feel overwhelmed by piles of laundry, dishes in the sink and piles of bills strewn all over your desk? This guide will help you organize your home and other aspects of your life in 15 minute segments. The basic plan is to set a timer for 15 minutes every time you begin housework. Follow these simple guidelines to put your plan into action.
1. Use a timer.
You need to set a timer to make this work. Do not rely on a wall clock, your phone or your personal estimate of how long 15 minutes is. Our brains are notoriously horrible for keeping time and part of this plan is understanding everything you can... Read More
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