James White's (jamwhite) Blog

Understanding a construction bid may seem intimidating, but you can learn to sift through various bids to choose the best contractor for the job. The bid is an essential part of the process.The bid is not a contract. It is a document that gives you an idea of the how the builder will do the work ...

Storm damage is often unpredictable. Even if weather professionals accurately forecast a storm days in advance, it can be very difficult to comprehensively prepare your home. In the case of a very strong storm, homeowners often evacuate, hoping their home is in decent shape when they return.Storm...

Keeping a commercial property well maintained is an essential part of managing it, for several reasons. Property that’s well maintained will rent, lease or sell for optimal prices and will move at a pace in line with or better than the market.Property that isn’t well maintained may turn off poten...

As the weather turns warmer, your thoughts might be turning to being outside. What better way to be outside than to have a patio? It’s a chance to have friends over on warm summer nights, congregate with family on weekend afternoons and enjoy catching some rays.If you don’t yet have a patio, ther...

This winter has been one of the strangest ones in recent memory, with record snowfall in the middle of March while other parts of the country enjoyed spring-like weather. Thankfully, there is some light at the end of this frozen tunnel and the snow is starting to thaw.While that means we can star...

Will 2017 be the year commercial real estate, CRE, takes off? The signs, frankly, are mixed. It’s an important question because the answers have a significant impact on whether it’s a good idea for companies to buy, lease or rent, depending on when the market becomes more favorable.The forecast i...

It is getting more difficult to profit by flipping – buying, refurbishing and reselling – commercial real estate. Many players have gotten into the game, bidding prices up on prime properties. Whether you are a real estate agent wanting to advise clients or an investor/speculator with limited fun...

The old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is true in many ways, but not when it comes to potential homeowners. The first thing people see when they look at your home is the outside: the landscaping, the siding, the front door, the entire curb appeal. Should you put money into improving you...

Securing your own piece of the planet satisfies a primal urge in humans — especially for young couples — ever since the first cave dwellers painted “Home Sweet Home” with mud on the cave wall. Modern property ownership is not quite “so simple a caveman could do it,” however.Here’s a handy checkli...

Landscaping can be a large expense for your home, but you don’t have to generate the money and spend it all at once. During the winter, it’s a great idea to save some money and plan projects that you can tackle in the spring, when warmer weather finally arrives.By saving some money each month, th...