Homeownership Articles
Sharing articles with clients and customers on all aspects of homeownership, buying and selling.
Screen in Your Deck for a Bug-Free Summer
You can make the most of your backyard by converting your deck to a screened-in porch, which turns mosquitoes, heat waves, and downpours into non-events.
Ikea Studied Americans at Home. Here’s What It Found.
Ikea was curious about what Americans want from their homes. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with expensive upgrades.
What’s the No. 1 Thing People Want in Their Bathroom?
Bathroom exhaust fans make air smell (much!) sweeter, paint last longer, and mold grow slower or not at all. Learn how to do a bathroom exhaust fan installation.
6 Tips for Buying a Home in a Short Sale
When sellers need to sell their home for less than they owe on their mortgage, they’re shooting for a short sale. Short sale homes can sometimes be bargains, but only if you do your homework, stay patient, and remain unemotional during the sometimes lengthy and difficult short sale process.
How to Pick Paint Colors
Every home suffers a few negatives, but not every solution requires pricey structural changes. Paint is an often-overlooked, low-cost remodeler’s remedy for common complaints with interiors, offering the chameleon-like ability to lighten, warm, enlarge, erase, or attract attention.
Extend the Outdoor Living Season
Make an outdoor living area comfy long after the sun sets or the leaves turn with outdoor lighting, a patio heater, and a glowing firepit or portable fireplace.
Think Your AC Won’t Make it Through the Summer? We’ve Got the Fixes
s your AC making ominous noises? Maybe it sounds fine but isn’t cooling. Here’s a list of common air conditioning warning signs and their likely causes and fixes.
Which Way Should Your Ceiling Fan Turn in Summer? The Cool Way!
Make sure your ceiling fans rotate in the correct direction to cool you in summer.
Quick Ways to Make Some Shade, But Don’t Forget: Trees Are Best
If you prefer a drier cool, read on to find some quick ways to make some shade. Plus, get some tips on getting shade with some quick-growing trees.
5 Deck Makeover Projects Under $300
Want to upgrade your deck but watching your budget? Here are 5 easy deck makeover ideas, many well under $300.
Patio Shade Ideas Under $300
During the heat of summer patio shades are a must, but there’s no reason to get burned on price; you’ll find plenty of low-cost shade-giving options to cool your tootsies.
Your Guide to Choosing Patio Stones
With so many patio stones on the market, it can be hard to choose. So we’ve done the research to help you make the right choice for your home.
7 Alternatives to a Reverse Mortgage
If you’re 62 or older, a reverse mortgage lets you keep your house and receive a lump sum or monthly payments that you don’t have to pay back until you move out or pass away.
Want to Complain About Your Lousy Mortgage Closing?
Think it took a long time to close your last purchase or refi mortgage? How about more than seven hours? That’s what happened to a couple of folks I know in Texas, and theirs is just one of many stories I’ve heard about things, ranging from interest rates that rise to mysterious appearance of random fees, that go way wrong at settlements.
Getting the Most Out of Your Remodeling Dollars in 2014
If you’re also dreaming about your next home improvement, these ideas can help you balance the impulsive and emotional with the long-term value-adds of remodeling.