Howard County Happenings

If you saw the recent Good Morning America feature on the three-story, 3000 square foot closet located in a home in the Woodlands area of metro Houston, you may have also seen the follow-up story – the homeowner failed to set the home security system upon leaving the house and returned home to f...

Over the last six years, homeownership has lost some of its allure as a financial investment. As homeowners suffered through the housing bust, more and more began to question whether owning a home was truly a good way to build wealth. The Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances, e...

An agent was presenting a contract to a single, senior woman who was moving into a retirement home. It was a full price offer with reasonable terms and timelines but the seller wouldn’t accept it. When the agent probed deeper, she discovered that the seller was concerned with her dining room tab...

Sometimes, there are costs associated with not taking a particular action. If a person left their money in a certificate of deposit earning 2% when they could have made an investment that earned 8%, the difference is the opportunity costs associated to not taking action. If a couple has a down p...

) Homeowners can raise the basis or cost in their home by money spent on capital improvements. The benefit is that it will lower their gain and may save them taxes when they sell their home. Improvements must add value to your home, prolong its useful life or adapt it to new uses. Repairs are rou...

Discover Home Loans conducted an interesting survey that revealed how prepared homebuyers are for the actual mortgage process. The survey reported that 94% of prospective buyers believe they are making a good investment decision if they buy a home. The survey also explained that 66% of buyers re...

Do you really need an agent to sell your house in today’s market? Here’s what Fannie Mae suggests to sellers on the Know Your Options section of their website: “Select how you’ll market and list the home (e.g., with a real estate agent or for sale by owner). There are pros and cons to each, but ...

Are you thinking of selling your house? Are you dreading having to deal with strangers walking through the house? Are you concerned about getting the paperwork correct? Hiring a professional real estate agent can take away most of the challenges of selling. A great agent is always worth more tha...

If you invest in a savings account, you’ll make less than 1% and would have to pay income tax on the earnings. On the other hand, contribute something extra to your house payment and you’ll earn at the mortgage interest rate which is certain to be more than you are earning in the bank. Making ad...