Spring Cleaning Checklist for Sellers Some Highlights If you're thinking about selling your house this spring, here are some things you'll want to tackle before you list. Spend your time on tasks that make it feel inviting, show its cared for, and boost your curb appeal. To determine the full list of things you'll want to tackle for your home, you need the opinion of a trusted expert. Lets connect to help make sure your house shows well this season.    03/21/2022

Is It Time for New Cabinets?Cabinets play an important part in the functionality of your kitchen. Unfortunately, over time you might find that your cabinets no longer really meet your needs. This could be because they’re falling into disrepair, or it may be a result of you gradually needing more storage than your cabinets can provide. You might even realize that the decoration of your kitchen and surrounding rooms just don’t match your cabinets anymore. Regardless of the reason, it could be time to consider some new cabinets.Have you actually reached the point where you need to get new cabinets, though? If you aren’t sure, spend a little time considering how well your cabinets truly meet your needs and what it is that you ideally want. Here are a few things to think about to help you ma... 01/23/2022

Are you one of the many renters thinking about where you'll live the next time your lease is up? Before you decide whether to look for a new house or another apartment, its important to understand the true costs of renting in 2022.As a renter, you should know rents have been rising since 1988 (see graph below):In 2021, rents grew dramatically. According to ApartmentList.com, since January 2021:. . . the national median rent has increased by a staggering 17.8 percent. To put that in context, rent growth from January to November averaged just 2.6 percent in the pre-pandemic years from 2017-2019.That increase in 2021 was far greater than the typical rent increases we've seen in recent years. In other words rents are rising fast. And the 2022 National Housing Forecast from realtor.com proje... 01/13/2022

Tips for Painting Over Dark WallsHooboy. You’ve finally bought a house, but the paint is so, so dark. “It’s only paint,” you told yourself as you walked through the place, and repeated at your walkthrough prior to closing. “It’s only paint.” And while it’s true that it’s only paint, and paint can always be painted over, going over dark walls is a much different story than trying to paint over light colored walls. Reds, purples, browns, and dark grays are particularly tricky, though anything with much pigment can pose a significant challenge if you’re not prepared. But don’t worry, we’ve put our best painting tips together to help you conquer your dark wall challenges.Tip #1: Primer Is Not Optional It can be easy to scoff at basic prep work when you’re “just painting,” but as with any pr... 01/05/2022

If you're thinking of buying a home in todays housing market, you may be wondering how strong your investment will be. You might be asking yourself: if I buy a home now, will it lose value? Or will it continue to appreciate going forward? The good news is, according to the experts, home prices are not projected to decline. Here's why.With buyers still outweighing sellers, home prices are forecast to continue climbing in 2022, just at a slower or more moderate pace. Why the continued increase? Its the simple law of supply and demand. When there are fewer items on the market than there are buyers, the competition for that item makes prices naturally rise.And while the number of homes for sale today is expected to improve with more sellers getting ready to list their houses this winter, we... 12/22/2021

Your home’s windows fill a number of important roles. They let natural light into the house, allow you to see what’s going on outside, and serve as a barrier against inclement weather. Unfortunately, your windows aren’t immune to the ravages of time, weather, and various other hazards that can damage or weaken them. You may find yourself in a position where you have to replace one or more windows in your home, especially if you’re hoping to prevent drafts and leaks heading into the winter.Not all replacement windows are created equal, however. Depending on your situation and the condition of your existing windows, there may be a few different options to sort through when choosing replacements. While a lot of this will depend on your specific circumstances and your own personal preferenc... 12/05/2021

As the days are gradually getting shorter and the nights grow a little cooler, it’s a good time to start thinking about how you want to handle your fall landscaping. It’s possible that you’ve never really put much thought into what your fall landscaping will look like; after all, many people see fall as a time to start prepping for winter and let the look of their landscaping kind of fall by the wayside until spring. With a little bit of TLC, though, you can transform your landscaping and create a striking contrast between spring and fall without having to break the bank or spend all your time working in the yard.One easy way to do this is to add some new plants to your landscape as the season change approaches. There are a wide range of autumn-hardy plants in both flowering and ornamen... 09/09/2021