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Selling a home as is sounds like a pretty sweet deal for sellers. Sellers don’t have to scurry around fixing the place up. But what does an as-is sale mean for buyers? When looking through property listings and the term “as is” appears, some people see it as a warning. Others, such as real estate […]

St. Nick packs his pipe and moves to the North Pole St. Nicholas’s migration to the North Pole is due most directly to Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist who submitted 33 Christmas drawings to Harper’s Weekly magazine between 1863 and 1886, one of which featured a village called “Santa Claussville, N.P.” N.P., as you may have guessed, […]

Keep decorations simple There’s something about the holiday season that makes a house feel like home. But when selling, less is more, so avoid excessive Christmas decorations. Aim for tasteful holiday decorations like a small tree in one corner, a few wrapped gifts underneath (consider wrapping empty boxes in case of package thieves!), a nice […]

How to sell a home in the winter Winter is not the peak real estate season, but winter home sales are becoming more common, as home sales increase across all seasons. According to Zillow research, 23 percent fewer homes are sold in winter than in spring, and homes listed for sale in the winter stay […]

It feels great to get a high price for the sale of your home, but watch out: The IRS may want a piece of the action. That’s because capital gains on real estate are taxable sometimes. Here’s how you can minimize or even avoid a tax bite on the sale of your house. How does a […]

What are closing costs? Closing costs are fees associated with your home purchase that are paid at the closing of a real estate transaction. Closing is the point in time when the title of the property is transferred from the seller to the buyer. Closing costs are incurred by either the buyer or seller. What fees can you […]

In school, it’s graduation. In romance, it’s the wedding. And in real estate, the magic day is closing. Unlike those other big life-changing moments, closing day (or settlement day) is short on ceremony and long on signing. Closing day can also seem mysterious and confusing, so here’s a rundown of what you should expect. Your […]

Selling a house can feel like the short end of the real estate transaction. After you’ve prepped and staged the house to perfection, strangers get to walk through and cast their judgments while the sweat drips from your brow. In the end, you’re the one who has to say goodbye to a place you called home. But if you manage to […]

What Is The Difference Between Due Diligence Money and Earnest Money? If you are shopping for a home and are hearing terms you aren’t familiar with such as due diligence money and earnest money, you might be wondering what the difference between the two is, how they affect you, how much they will cost you, […]

Thinking about buying a home in a community with a homeowner’s association (HOA)? Before you make an offer, make sure you understand how these organizations work.  An HOA is run by a Board of Directors (homeowners elected by other residents), and it’s the responsibility of the association to set rules and regulations for the neighborhood. […]