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Five ways to cut heating costs
If you're thinking it's time to do something about your cold house and your high heating bills, here are five win-win suggestions that will help you do both.
1. REPLACE YOUR FURNACE FILTER
A clogged filter makes your furnace work harder to deliver the same amount of heat, which wastes energy by keeping the furnace on for a longer period in order to bring the house up to the requested temperature.
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Contingencies frustrate buyers, sellers
There are many frustrating aspects associated with buying or selling a home today. One is that contract contingencies -- such as inspections, financing or the sale of another property -- often aren't removed on time. It's not uncommon for closings to be delayed, usually due to the buyer's lender.
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Rethinking your home search
Most home buyers claim they're picky. And why shouldn't they be? The real estate they buy will be home. It needs to provide more than just a roof over their head. It needs to satisfy emotional needs that aren't easily quantifiable. The home is a reflection of the self, which makes the quest for the right place to buy complicated.
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Southern California Home Buyer's Fair March 13 and March 14
With interest rates at historic lows and home prices at affordable levels now is an ideal time to buy a home. Chances are you have many questions, ranging from how to find and qualify for a mortgage loan to what steps are required to get from finding a home to closing escrow and moving in.
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A primer on purchase offers
Decades ago, sellers priced a little high to leave room to negotiate down. Buyers typically offered 5 percent less. Then they negotiated and settled at a price in between. Today, there is so much variability in the housing market that it's impossible to use a pat formula for coming up with an offer price.
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Don't flush the toilet, I'm showering
Q: When someone is using any of our three showers and the water is turned on elsewhere in the house, the water temperature in the shower fluctuates instantly. Several months ago I saw a product at the end of, I think, "This Old House," that is installed near the showerhead and ensures a constant temperature even when other water sources are used at the same time. I believed they called it a surge protector. No one appears to know what I am referring to. Could you please help?
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Fixing to sell: Don't go overboard
Fixer-uppers with upside potential were in high demand when the market was appreciating at a fast pace. Once depreciation took over, speculators disappeared until 2009, when low-end foreclosure properties in some areas became hot properties -- particularly if they were selling at a 50 percent discount from the peak in summer 2006.
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2010: year of the turnaround?
A spurt in home sales in 2009, aided by low interest rates and the first-time homebuyer tax credit, has led some economists to forecast a turnaround in the housing market this year. Other forecasters feel this is too optimistic a projection.
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Make your short sale shine
Short sales, where the lender agrees to take less than amount due to them, have tended to sell for less than similar homes in the area. One reason for this is that short-sale listings usually don't look as good as the competition. Another reason is that short sales require lender approval.
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Home Buyer's Fair less than two weeks away!
With interest rates at historic lows, declining home prices and a wide range of homes from which to choose, this may be an ideal time to buy a home. Chances are you have many questions, ranging from how to qualify for a mortgage loan, to what steps are required to get from finding a home to closing escrow and moving in.
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Home mortgage provides array of tax breaks
If you feel better knowing you can deduct the mortgage-interest portion of your huge annual housing expenses, make sure you know exactly how much you can deduct.
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Design tips for updating 1950s tract home
Q: Our house is a nondescript 1950s ranch tract home with a light-gray composition shingle roof. It's currently a dated white with blue trim, and we'd like to update the paint job. We're also relandscaping with drought-tolerant tropical and contemporary plants, and not much grass -- mostly bark and flagstone walkways. Is there somewhere where I can see other updated tract homes? Do you have any color suggestions?
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Find property problems before you buy
To avoid a bad experience that could end up in a legal battle with the sellers over property problems, make sure your purchase agreement includes an inspection contingency.
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Tips for avoiding surprise defects
A homebuyer in the hills above Oakland, Calif., recently closed on a home that matched her wish list almost perfectly, which is as good as it gets. Before closing, the new home was inspected and no major defects were discovered.
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Is now a good time to downsize?
Interest rates are low. Prices have come down in many areas. More buyers are deciding it's a good time to buy, even though it may be awhile before the housing market stabilizes.
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Presale inspections for smoother sales
Homes are selling for less. Everyone's trying to cut back. Yet, many real estate agents think it's wise for sellers to provide presale inspections for buyers to review before they write offers. Is the cost, which could run from a few hundred to $1,000 or more, worth the expense?
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Why “silent” second mortgages are so risky
The term "silent second" is used to describe self-serving or perhaps fraudulent schemes where house sellers accept second mortgages as part of a sale transaction, without the full knowledge of the first mortgage lender. The "silence" refers to the absence of full disclosure to the first mortgage lender.
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Foreclosure rescue scams on the rise
Are the usual suspects returning to mortgage-related scams as a result of the subprime lending fallout? Does the practice of illegal "foreclosure rescue" operations extend even into the second-home market?
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Six ways to boost curb appeal
If you're thinking of listing your home this spring, now is the time to be thinking about one of the most important elements of real estate marketing: Curb appeal. It's your one and only chance to make a first impression on a potential buyer, so make it a good one! Here are some suggestions to make your home stand out from the rest:
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Appraisal rules tough on additions
Recently a homeowner in the hills above Oakland, Calif., applied for a refinance. An appraiser visited the property and measured both levels of the house. The appraiser called the homeowner a few days later to find out if the lower level had been added with a permit. The public record indicated the house had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 1,513-square feet.
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Buying house? Think long term
Now would seem like a rotten time to sell. The economy is in recession and many housing markets around the country have suffered serious downturns.
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Is security sign advertising?
DEAR BENNY: I am an 81-year-old widow who bought a townhouse four years ago. There were some odd things going on here so I installed a security system. I have been told that the security sign I have in front of the townhouse is considered advertising and I have to take it down. There are three other areas in town that have townhouses and none of them have a problem with this. What happens if I refuse to take the sign down? --Lillian
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Facing foreclosure: When must I move out?
DEAR BENNY: I am one of the unfortunate who has to deal with eventual foreclosure. Can you tell me how long I can remain in my home until legally having to vacate? –Constance
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