Karen Simms' Blog

Fannie Mae, in a recently released study, states that consumer attitudes continue to be favorable about homeownership, particularly with the younger generations, ages 18 to 34. Slightly over half of them think that owning makes more sense than renting when comparing the financial and lifestyle be...

How much is a one carat diamond worth? Anyone who has shopped for one knows that the price could have a significantly wide range of value. It's been said that purchasers  should consider the color, cut, clarity and carat size to compare stones but when it gets down to decision time, buyers still ...

Will The "Good Life" Be Ready When You Are?   The Life of Riley was a TV show from the 50’s starring William Bendix but the title’s origin came from an expression meaning that a person was living the “good life.” Most people envision themselves living the good life by retirement but don’t really ...

Boomerang Buyers   It's estimated that 10% of the homes sold in 2013 will be to buyers who lost a home in the past five years.  Approximately 500,000 buyers who may have thought they wouldn't own a home anytime in the near future will be homeowners again.   It's estimated that several million of ...

Some homeowners, who were not able to sell during the recession, chose to rent their homes instead.  In some cases, they didn't need to sell their home at the depressed prices and opted to rent it until the market recovered. It's a valid strategy but there are time restrictions that could have se...

Every single day, homeowners who are excited about lowering their rate have a tendency to ignore the refinancing costs because they’re being rolled back into the new mortgage. If the payment is lower than what they’re currently paying and there’s no money out of pocket, it seems like a good deal....

The Mortgage Interest Deduction is available to homeowners for up to $1,000,000 of acquisition debt on the combination of their first and second home.  They can also deduct interest on up to an additional $100,000 of Home Equity debt. While Acquisition Debt is used to buy, build or improve a prin...

It’s interesting that the housing climate has changed so quickly. Some buyers, who think they’re still in the driver’s seat, find the market is now going up and they’re losing the home that they really want. Multiple offers are increasingly more common and buyers are frustrated because even full-...

Selling homes and pets can be a real issue for buyers and sellers.  Sellers need to realize not all people feel comfortable walking into a home with a pet they don't know without the owner being there.  Even The Friendliest Dog May Be Cujo When You're Selling Your Warren County Home! "Why do you ...

Maintaining Comfort in Your Home Some people refer to the heating and air conditioning systems as the "comfort systems."  If you've ever had to be without one in the dead of winter or the heat of summer, lack of comfort may be an understatement.  Simple maintenance with a HVAC checklist is someth...