Home buyers would be wise to interview a home inspector before they hire one. But what should they ask? Here are a few questions to consider.Read more: Do You Trust Home Inspectors?1. What do you check?A home inspector will look at everything from the roof to the foundation and in between, Frank Lesh, executive director of the American Society of Home Inspectors, told realtor.com®. But they are restricted to visual, general inspections. A speci
Instagram boasts more than 200 million active monthly users. It has quickly emerged as one of the most popular social media platforms. How can you use it to grow your own network? Forbes.com columnist Tom Ward recently offered a few tips, including:Create a theme for your page. Figure out what you are trying to promote on Instagram and stick to it, Ward writes. Have a separate account for your personal posts, if necessary. “You can’t expect
Here are some sobering stats from the FBI: A robbery occurs every 1.6 minutes in the U.S., a burglary every 18.2 seconds, and a larceny theft every 5.4 seconds.SafeHome, a home security systems reviews resource, analyzed FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data from 2015 to determine the items thieves most commonly target.The most stolen items were classified as miscellaneous valuables, jewelry, and precious metals, according to the report. In some state
The Motley Fool recently featured a range of mortgage tips to help educate first-time buyers, including:Know their credit score. The credit score can be a big key to knowing how much buyers can afford and how much interest they’ll be paying. Home shoppers should be encouraged to check their credit report and FICO score before even starting the homebuying process.Estimate how much can be borrowed. Lenders generally don’t like to see a mont
1. Window shoppers: Some clients will take you on a wild hunt for the perfect home, but they aren’t committed to purchasing and say they hope to buy “someday.” “Some home buyers want to see every single house that’s on the market,” even if the home doesn’t match their criteria, says Rae Wayne, a sales associate with the Bizzy Blondes team in Los Angeles. You may want to encourage these types of buyers to attend open houses so they
akurtz/Getty ImagesBuying a home—especially if it’s your first—can be a lot like losing weight in the sense that people end up doing, well, some pretty dumb stuff in the process. But while desperate dieters might waste money on “magical” weight-loss pills or silly exercise equipment (remember the shake weight?), misguided home buyers could be doing far more serious damage—like undermining their ability to purchase a house at all
EpicStockMedia/iStockBalancing trendy touches with classic appeal can be tricky in your home and even trickier in your outdoor spaces. After all, you can always repaint a wall, but no one wants to tear up their entire hedge every year.Luckily for you, we consulted with experts on the top landscaping trends that homeowners are loving right now—and that won't go out of style any time soon. So take a good look at your landscaping and decide whet
Lure potential buyers with a simple and clean palette. Shades of white and off-white are the top colors for a quick home sale, Jody Finglas of Finglas Painting in Ossining, N.Y., told USA Today.“White is the foundation that anchors the home,” adds Friley Saucier, a broker-associate with Sotheby's International Realty in Naples, Fla. “This is absolutely what is most requested when I’m working with home buyers.”Finglas says less is m
Remember, social media success means being socialKey Takeaways Take advantage of all the platform's updates, make sure to use different content types, and keep it social.Instagram has been dominating 2017.The platform updates regularly, it recently hit over 700 million monthly users,and over 250 million users are using the stories feature daily.Real estate agents can use Instagram to build their brand and their business.Engagement on the plat
Not every improvement made to a house will ultimately raise its value. Homeowners who are looking for projects that will pay back at resale would be smart to consult a local real estate professional to determine whether the project they have planned would help boost their home’s value. Home office remodels.More people work from home nowadays, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily want a dedicated office. As such, investing more than $2
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