July Data: Buying Is a Bargain, But Renting Remains Expensive
Buying a home remains a real bargain compared to renting in most areas nationwide, as the share of income typically needed to afford the average home is much lower today than it was in the past. But while buying a home is a great deal, for those current renters looking to buy — particularly millennials […]
Buying a Rental Property: 3 Important Decisions
Investing in a rental property can be an excellent way to build wealth and create an income stream at the same time. However, you have several important decisions to make before buying your first property. What type of property should you buy? Where should you buy it? And how active of an investor do you […]
Going Beyond Technology in the Media Room
Technology is only one aspect of media room design. The right furnishings also are key to creating a space in which family members will want to gather to enjoy TV, music, video games and digital media together. A media room can be the hub of the house, “so it’s important to make sure it’s comfortable […]
The Winter Vegetable Garden in Warm Climates
You can garden through the winter in almost any climate. Even northern gardeners can enjoy harvests of root crops and greens in the winter if they are willing to put in the effort to protect plants with cloches, cold frames, or hoop houses. However, gardeners in mild winter areas, such as coastal California, Oregon and […]
How to Know If Mortgage Refinancing Is the Right Move Now
Mortgage rates have been hovering near historic lows for five years. While the current average rate of 4.13 percent for a fixed, 30-year mortgage is not the lowest it’s ever been — that was 3.35 percent in December 2012 — it’s still lower than at any time between 2010 and 1971, when Freddie Mac started […]
Home-Buying Checklist: 20 Things to Consider Beyond the Inspection
If you are in the market for a house, you’ll likely want to make sure you have a roof that won’t leak, a solid foundation, proper wiring and so on. But what about the things not covered by the inspection? Sometimes it’s these less obvious factors that end up making the biggest impact on your […]
4 Factors That Shouldn’t Affect Mortgage Loan Approval
When you’re hoping to lock down a home loan, the focus is on making sure you look like a safe bet for prospective lenders. Conversation tends to drift to the key pieces of the pre-approval puzzle, from credit score and stable income to acceptable debt levels and suitable assets. No one’s arguing the wisdom there. […]
The 3 Things Homes With Great Curb Appeal Have In Common
While “curb appeal” remains one of those painfully overused real estate catchphrases (especially on house-hunting and renovation TV shows) we have to admit, it’s something we all wish we could master. A house with quality curb appeal doesn’t just welcome guests — it can actually help you sell your home faster, deter criminals and save […]
Bay Area August Events Not To Be Missed
Summer is in full swing. These August events and festivals in the Bay Area are some of the ones you can’t miss out on. As diverse as the San Francisco Bay Area is, it may be a bit overwhelming on the amount of events there is in just one month. Thankfully, we shortened the long […]
How Homebuyers Can Tell If a ‘Flipped’ House Is a Flop
Buyers often assume a flipped home is like new — move-in ready and free from hassles. The newly renovated home gets top dollar, and the buyer assumes it is perfect. Most buyers, however, don’t realize that some contractors or property “flippers” are anxious to move on to the next job, and their work may be […]
