Everyone’s Talking About Home Equity: Here’s What Yours Means in Today’s Market
By Lisa Marie Conklin Jun 8, 2023 (Realtor.com / Getty Images) Homeownership has long been tied to building wealth—and for good reason. Instead of throwing rent money out the window each month, owning a home allows you to build home equity. And over time, equity can turn your [...]
Impossibly Cute Gingerbread Cottage on Martha’s Vineyard Delights for $875k
By Kellie Speed Jun 6, 2023 (Realtor.com) An adorable gingerbread cottage in Oak Bluffs, MA, is now available for $875,0000. Known as The Pink House, for its bubblegum-hued exterior, the aesthetically unique residence is one of 312 Victorian cottages on Martha’s Vineyard. The brightly colored cottage was built in 1870 and [...]
A Red Flag or No Big Deal? The Home I Want to Buy Was ‘Sold 6 Times in the Past 10 Years’
By Kathleen Willcox Jun 1, 2023 (Getty Images) Savvy homebuyers always look at the sale history of a property before making an offer. Why? Aside from seeing how the home’s value has held up over the years, they want to learn how many times the house [...]
What is a Real Estate Excise Tax? (And How Much Does it Cost Buyers and Sellers?)
By Meera Pal May 19, 2023 (Photo-Illustration by Realtor.com; Source: Getty Images) Nobody enjoys discovering surprise fees when selling a home. And anyone who has sold a home can tell you all about sellers’ closing costs, which most commonly include real estate commission fees, loan payoff fees, [...]
Save For a Down Payment or Retirement? Here’s What to Know Before Lowering 401(k) Contributions
By Lisa Marie Conklin May 11, 2023 Photo by Thgusstavo Santana: https://www.pexels.com/photo/yellow-concrete-house-2102587/ Saving up for a down payment is usually the biggest hurdle for first-time homebuyers, especially when you’re feeding a healthy chunk of your paycheck to fund a 401(k) for retirement. Add living expenses to [...]
Closing on a House: Settlement Tips for Home Sellers
By Michele Lerner May 17, 2023 (Getty Images) Before closing on a house, you need to get to the settlement table. You’re near the end of the process of selling your home, but don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet. While it’s certainly true that [...]