Transumerism vs. Consumerism - The New American Dream? - 05/28/09 06:28 AM
Is the old American Dream of owning your own home or your own car or at least your own purse going down the tubes? If the proponents of transumerism are right, then maybe it is. Let's hope they're not right! 
Just what is transumerism, you may be asking. It's a supposedly anti-materialistic, leasing lifestyle where buyers don't buy individual things they have to take care of and keep, but rather purchase access to a variety of things that come and go. So in the long run, transumers are no less materialistic as they would have us believe, they just prefer different … (5 comments)

Ten Tips for Maintaining Your Biggest Investment - Your Home - 05/26/09 09:23 AM
Selling your home may not be in the near future for you, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't conduct proper maintenance on it to keep it in the best shape for a future sale. Here are some things to do every spring:
First, open the doors and windows and let the sun shine in. This can even kill some mold and other pests and put you in a great frame of mind to complete the other necessary maintenance chores. Be sure to change or clean the air filters on your air conditioning and heating units. A good plan is to change … (0 comments)

How to Become an Instant Landlord - And Be Successful - 05/21/09 08:56 AM
In today's sluggish real estate market, if you really need or want to move out of your old residence but are having a problem selling it, turning it into a rental property may be your answer. Here are some tips to help you with your new role as a landlord: 
1. Be Sure You Know the Law. A good place to start is by looking at the Dept. of Housing & Urban Development website and reading up on how to stay within the law while renting property. 
2. Be Careful How You Advertise. Don't have any discriminatory language. If there are … (0 comments)

When is It a Good Idea to Miss a Mortgage Payment on Purpose? Never! - 05/19/09 08:47 AM
From just about every perspective, missing a mortgage payment on purpose in the hope of convincing your lender to modify your loan is a bad idea. In days gone by, when the mortgage market worked a bit differently, skipping a payment or payments might have helped your lender get the message that your mortgage payments were simply too high and they needed to help you by changing them to something more affordable. That is not the case today, however.
In fact, skipping payments can cause other major problems down the road. For example, your credit report will suffer and your chances … (0 comments)

Is a Great Deal on a Half-Finished House Really Such a Great Deal? - 05/14/09 10:53 AM
When builders go bankrupt in the middle of finishing that handsome house, banks who wind up with the house have two options: either hire another contractor to complete the job so the house can be sold or sell the house in its unfinished state. 
Should you buy such a house? Is it really as good a deal as it seems or will it wind up being a money pit? Here are a few suggestions of ways you can try to make sure that this great buy you've found is really such a bargain after all: 
Talk with the home's neighbors. They … (0 comments)

12 Ways to Come Up With That All-Important Down Payment - 05/12/09 07:36 AM

So you've finally found the house of your dreams. The price is right, the landscaping is perfect, it's close to school and work and you simply must have it. You can handle mortgage payments but there's one obstacle that still stands between you and your dream house. The down payment.
In days gone by, it was sometimes possible to buy a house without a down payment, but for the most part, those days are long gone. Perhaps if you're a veteran, you may be able to get a no-down-payment VA loan through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or you … (0 comments)

Mature Trees - A Beautiful Way to Add Value to Your Home - 05/07/09 07:22 AM
Landscaping can be the perfect way to increase the value of your home by a whopping 7 to 19 percent. According to the National Association of Realtors, one thing that all home buyers want is trees. 
Mature trees and bushes, which take from five to seven years to mature, offer 100 percent return on the money spent to add them to the landscape. They can even be the difference between breaking even on the sale of your home and making a profit.
If you're planning to add some new plants to your home's landscape, don't do it haphazardly. One option is … (5 comments)

Right Now is a Great Time for New-Home Buyers to Get a Deal - 05/05/09 08:48 AM
Is purchasing a new home something you've always wanted to do but felt you couldn't afford? Well, now may be the time when you can take steps to get that new home you've always dreamed of.
According to the Department of Commerce, prices are down 13.5 percent from December of 2007. Add to that tax credits, low interest rates, and even special incentives from new-home builders, and buyers now have ideal financing conditions.
First things first. Be sure to get a mortgage contingency built in to any contract. This is vitally important in this day and age when getting a mortgage … (0 comments)