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If your home has been listed for a number of weeks and you have only seen it featured in one newspaper ad, you may start feeling anxious. Although your house is being shown regularly, you wonder if the agent is doing enough.Home sellers often equate effective marketing with classified ads in the ...

When you are buying a new home or refinancing your present one, it is wise to do some comparison shopping among lenders. A low interest rate isn't the only criterion by which to evaluate a loan. You should also consider the terms of the mortgage, what your closing costs will be and the reputation...

When you consider what price you should accept when selling your home, there are two important factors that will influence your decision. The first factor is the basic sales price. The second, and more important, is the amount you will actually receive from the proceeds at the closing.Your real e...

When starting out as a real estate investor, you can choose either the conservative approach of holding a property until it increases in value or the riskier approach of "flipping" - reselling very soon after making some improvements that add value. If you plan on taking the safer approach, keep ...

American tax law offers a significant capital gains tax exemption that allows taxpaying homeowners to unlock home equity and end the spiraling cycle of "investing up." First-time buyers enjoy expanded rules for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) and 401(k) plans, rules that allow penalty-free w...

There are two schools of thought about whether it is better to show a house empty or with the furnishings in it. An empty house is like a blank canvas, and prospective buyers can more easily imagine what their things would look like in it. But buyers could take the fact that the house is vacant a...

Timing can sometimes be difficult if you have to sell a home before you can buy another one. Most people need the equity from the sale of their first home for the down payment on the new house. If your present home goes on the market first, you may be concerned that it will sell before you find t...

Real estate transactions can be tricky. The widespread myth that selling real estate is easy has lured many home sellers into making expensive mistakes by trying (and failing) to sell their own home.Many people assume that all you need is a sales contract, a classified ad and a "For Sale" sign. B...

Every property has some kind of easement--utility, water and sewer or driveway easements which give access to landlocked parcels. As a property owner, you may be affected by easements at some point.The easement in gross is the most common type of easement used by public utilities. These easements...

Your real estate agent's job is to find you the perfect home, in the right location, with all the amenities you want--and at the right price. It is the home inspector's job to find any skeletons in the closet -- or in the plumbing, wiring, roof, basement and beams.The inspector won't pass or fail...