Author: admin
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Quick Rent-to-Own Guide
With a red-hot real estate market being the new norm, more and more attention is being brought to the difficulties of homeownership for first-time buyers. However, with a steep learning curve for real estate lingo and time being the most critical factor in this market, one option stands out for homebuyers who may need a…
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Evaluating School Districts before Moving: Do Your Homework
A Comprehensive Guide to Evaluating & Comparing School Districts Clothing store jingles, parents and children stocking up on classroom supplies, traffic behind the yellow bus. These telltale signs can only mean one thing: back-to-school season is upon us once again. Moving to a new location can be an exciting yet daunting task — especially when…
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FHA Loan Down Payment and Closing Costs
Buying a home for the first time is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make — which is why it’s so important to learn about FHA loan down payment and closing costs. After all, becoming a homeowner is a massive investment, and the journey to homeownership includes all kinds of twists and turns —…
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For Sale By Owner: Everything You Need to Know
In most real estate transactions, homebuyers and sellers hire real estate agents to represent them. In many cases, buyers and sellers never interact with each other; the agents work as intermediaries and do all the negotiation. Every now and again, however, you may run into the acronym FSBO on your house hunt. This means “for…
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Is Well Water Safe to Drink?
When you’re buying a home, it’s easy to get caught up in focusing on things like a property’s appearance, price, and location. But homebuyers also need to carefully consider other factors, like the water you’ll have access to. Unless you’re a robot or an advanced artificial intelligence algorithm, you need water to survive. After all,…
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What are HOA fees?
Before you become a homeowner, it’s essential to think about how much responsibility you want to have when it comes to managing your property. Are you the type of person who likes to mow their lawn on a Saturday afternoon, cold beverage in hand? Or would you rather write a check and have someone else…
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Septic vs. Sewer: What Homeowners Need to Know
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about wastewater. But when you’re buying a new home, it’s a good idea to understand the essential role that wastewater management plays in maintaining a healthy, sustainable, and efficient living space. In fact, when it boils down to it, wastewater management is one…
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PMI Guide: Your Guide to Private Mortgage Insurance
What is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)? Conventional wisdom says paying less for something like a car or computer upfront is better. But when it comes to real estate and homeownership, this doesn’t always apply. In some cases, paying more upfront can lead to substantial long-term savings. While it may seem counterintuitive to part with a…
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Energy Efficient Homes: A Primer
Let’s be honest: Nobody likes bugging family members to tweak the thermostat or air conditioner for energy savings gains. Facing record-setting temperatures and rising energy costs, most homeowners need to figure out how to strike the perfect balance between comfort and cost-efficiency — which is no easy feat. But with climate change wreaking havoc on…
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HELOC Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Home Equity Lines of Credit
What is a home equity line of credit? When you buy your first house, you typically have to save a boatload of cash — tens of thousands of dollars or even more — depending on your financial situation and the price of your property. It’s a big chunk of change, to be sure. But once…