Real estate agents use comparable sales or “comps” (properties recently sold in the area) to see what the market bears for a listing price or value range marketing. But what makes a home a good comp? A few things must line up in order for the agent to utilize the comp to justify your listing price. The same neighborhood, school district, similar street and, of course, similar housing features and size. If these...

    If you’re hiring someone to inspect the home you want to buy, or you’re a seller trying to find out if there are any hidden problems that need fixing before you put your home on the market, here are five things you need to know: You can choose your home inspector. Your real estate professional can recommend an inspector, or you can find one on your own. Members of the National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc....

    No matter how intensely you prepare for moving day, you may still face problems if you overlook three sanity-defeating challenges. Can you and your partner really think clearly when swamped by distractions, exhaustion, and disorientation? If the ramped-up activity of moving day represents less pressure than a typical day for you, you’ll probably find your upcoming move-in day a breeze. Most people do not regularly handle...

You may be sitting on a goldmine. Or a small fortune. Or at least a little chunk of cash. Rising home prices across the country means homeowners have some equity. So what can you do with it? More importantly, what should you do with it? If you’ve got money in your house, you’ve got some options. “Done wisely, you can use the lower-interest debt secured by your house to pay off debts with high interest rates, like credit...

The National Association of Home Builders’ Remodeling Marketing Index (RMI) for Q2 2014 has a composite score of 56, up three points from Q1. A reading over 50 indicates that more homeowners and remodeling firms are reporting renovation activity versus inactivity. Large jobs costing over $25,000 scored a 54. The RMI has now been above the 50-point mark since April of 2013. Regional differences play a major role when deciding on...