home ownership: Don't Forget to Water Your Slab
- 06/24/11 03:01 AM
We're experiencing one of the hottest, driest summers in history. We all know we need to water our plants and yards but even more importantly, we need to keep the foundation under our homes moist. Texas soils are expansive soils that act like a sponge, swelling as they absorb water and shrinking as they lose water. Soils tend to dry out and shrink during the summer and absorb water during the winter and spring. As the soil under a home shrinks and swells with the seasons, the foundation will shift or move. As long as the foundation movement is not great … (3 comments)
home ownership: Does the Zillow Price Represent the True Market Value?
- 04/30/11 05:07 AM
Does the Zillow price represent the true market value? I was asked this question yesterday by a client and my answer is that it all depends upon how you're using the information. Most people use Zillow pricing or "zestimate" to get a quick "price" of how much a home should sell for. They want the quick answer. They seem to think that Zillow is an authority on home pricing and if Zillow says the home should sell for XXX then that's the price they're willing to pay. Unfortunately, they fail to realize it is an estimate that is sometimes not based … (4 comments)
home ownership: Does Financial Strategy Trump Ethics When it Comes to Home Ownership?
- 04/20/10 10:49 AM
The question of financial strategy and ethics apparently are polar opposites when talking about home ownership according to Jean Chatzky on the Today Show this morning. A short piece ran this morning showing the growing number of homeowners who aresimply choosing to walk away from their homes because the home value hasfallen to 75% of the amount owed. They have made this choice based on financial strategy,or as Jean Chatzky calls it, "strategic default". When asked by Matt Luaer if this is an ethical decision, her response was basically that ethics has nothing to do with the decision. It is a financial … (0 comments)
We're experiencing one of the hottest, driest summers in history. We all know we need to water our plants and yards but even more importantly, we need to keep the foundation under our homes moist. Texas soils are expansive soils that act like a sponge, swelling as they absorb water and shrinking as they lose water. Soils tend to dry out and shrink during the summer and absorb water during the winter and spring.
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