Today's Current News, Opinion & Advice
Selling a home is a major financial decision, with a lot of uncertainty involved every step of the way. There’s no doubt that agents provide local knowledge and expertise for customers who want the support. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), 91% percent of sellers chose to sell with an agent in 2018,…
Well, that was fast. 2019, that is. Especially so during the holidays. It seems that the days leading up to Thanksgiving and then January 2 are a blur. The mortgage industry is no different as new guidelines will be in place for the new year. Some of these guidelines are a big deal and some…
The number of people who prefer to work from home continues to increase. Statistics show that the number of Americans who do at least some of their work from home has increased up to 35 percent in the past decade, with 68 percent expecting to work remotely in the future. This can be attributed to…
If you are looking to purchase new condos for sale in North York, then you will be happy to know that condo sales have grown exponentially in recent years, particularly in bigger Canadian markets. Many investors have shifted gears towards the purchase of pre-construction condos, as competition in the industry has grown substantially in the…
You wouldn’t dream of going to a party wearing a leisure suit or dress from the 1970s. So why host a backyard barbecue in an outdated yard? Improving your landscaping has a lot of benefits. It demonstrates pride of ownership and is one of the best ways to increase your home value should you want…
Meetings are a necessary component of homeowner association operations. The seating arrangement at HOA meetings is critical to a productive outcome. Foreign diplomats are particularly careful in choosing the shape of the table and who sits next to who since the slightest faux pas can have disastrous results. In King Arthur’s day, meetings were held…
Becoming a homeowner is more than having a set of keys and your name on the deed. You may have a rush of emotions the day you take possession and recognize you now have your place in the world—literally. And that’s just the beginning. Here are a few more things you can expect. You learn…
There are plenty of benefits to buying a home during the cold winter months. Generally, there are fewer people shopping for homes in the winter, which means you might have less competition when bidding on a house. Additionally, you have a higher chance of closing a deal – according to Zillow. However, you need to…
Where are you going to move to next? Will you find another house you love? Will the moving process go smoothly? They’re just a few of the dozens of questions you probably have if you’re getting ready to sell your home and look for another. But first things first: You have to find that buyer!…
We’ve talked at length about the issues with Zillow’s Zestimate, which, despite a retooling, can still be off by tens of thousands of dollars. That creates frustration and mistrust among home sellers and buyers. But, there’s another reason real estate agents, buyers, and sellers are aggravated with Zillow. Agents are checking their personal listings on Zillow’s…
Is 2020—the start of a new year and a new decade—the year you look forward or the year you look backward? PJ Wade examines the benefits and shortcomings of your directional approach to context, process, and content. January 2020 is the official “forward-thinking” month since it starts the calendar year and, this year, a new…
The mortgage industry sometimes refers to as a “goodbye” letter. In essence, it’s an advance notice that a homeowner’s mortgage has been sold and transferred to another entity. For many, this might be somewhat surprising. A borrower and a loan officer form a relationship during the homebuying process or when refinancing an existing mortgage but…
Diamonds in the Rough Many homeowner associations find it difficult to hold the line on expenses. Inflation erodes endlessly increasing budgets and members scream for relief. But help is on the way. There are practical ways to reduce costs without cutting services. The HOA’s budget is like a collection of uncut gems of different type,…
As a homeowner, any investment in your home should be one that enhances its overall value. There are many different ways to improve the value of any home. The trick is to choose those features which will bring you the most return on your investment and satisfaction for your everyday living environment. Here are our…
Buying or selling a home is a big decision with massive financial implications. It is for this reason alone that you want to work with a reputable estate agent who has your best interests at heart. An estate agent should be reliable and have a substantial presence in the local market. This gives them the…
Question: Can a board require unit owners to have background check conducted on their renters and control the tenant approval process? Answer: The board has no direct legal authority over renters. The board has the right to require that all rental agreements are subject to the HOA’s rules and regulations and that the landlord be…
Buying your first home can seem like an insurmountable goal, especially if your expenses are already high. Pricey rent, not to mention car payments, insurance, utilities, groceries, and all the other realities of life, can make it hard to save. Many renters assume they’ll never be able to buy a house for this reason. They…
When it’s time to sell your house, you want to do it as quickly as possible and for the most money, right? Of course you do. Nobody wants their house to sit on the market and they certainly don’t want to leave money on the table. You might not want to think about making renovations…
Your home is outfitted with some type of heating and cooling system. When things go wrong, you need to know what you can do on your own, and when it’s time to hire an expert for HVAC repair. While most homeowners can handle some general maintenance like replacing a filter, there are signs to watch…
Splash a new color up on the walls. Redo your floors. Buy a new couch. They might be on the long list of things you’d like to do to your house in 2020. But you know what should be at the top of that list? Buying new plants. So key are plants to the overall…
Conforming loan limits for 2020 have recently been announced. Each year in October, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, of FHFA, collects data on the national median home value and compares that number from October of the previous year. If there is an increase, the conforming loan limit will increase by the same amount. Conforming loans…
Putting your home on the market can be a stressful time as you’re transitioning to move out and also preparing your house for showing. We’ve got your back with these 10 affordable tweaks that you can DIY in just a few hours or a few days and are bound to be investment well spent. Landscape…
After years of preparing for this moment in your life you are finally ready. No, not marriage, but buying your first home. It’s taken you a long time to get here and there was a lot of sacrifice along the way but it paid off in the end because you have enough money saved for…
Every homeowner has no doubt dealt with the unwanted pests in and around their homes. This guide will explore the steps you can take to identify pests and recover from the damage they have done to the exterior of your home. Common Exterior Pests Exterior pests can take many forms. Some of the more common…
