How To Turn A “Dumb” Home Into A Smart Home

Having a "smart home" is a trend that is popular. What does it actually mean? Smart home technology improves energy-efficiency, increases security, and creates more convenience for the home's occupants. Innovative smart home technology improves with the deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G wireless broadband, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) programming. Many things that an owner and/or occupant of a home needs or wants may be done for them by smart home technology. Energy-Efficiency Green energy systems include installing energy-efficient windows and perhaps solar panels along with battery storage. Moreover, by managing micro-zones within a home,…
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4 Tips To Ensure A Successful Closing

As you come up to the date of your closing, there's time to reflect on everything that led to this step. Your real estate agent, mortgage broker, title company and others all work hard to ensure a successful closing for you. They're all in your corner, hoping for the same outcome as you. They've had to do a lot of work behind the scenes that you may not even be aware of. Their diligence and professionalism has already benefited you. But did you know that it's not all riding on your team of real estate professionals? There are things you…
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What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – July 1st, 2019

Last week's economic reports included readings on home prices, sales of pre-owned homes and pending home sales. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released. Case-Shiller Home Price Index: Home Price Growth Slips in April Case-Shiller reported slower home price growth in April; home prices were 0.20 percent lower at 3.50 percent. Increasing inventories of homes for sale provided buyers with more choices and eased demand, which increased in recent years due to severe shortages of available homes. Cities on the west coast previously dominated home price growth, but the top three cities with highest home…
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Home Staging Tip – Urban Gardening in Small Spaces

Home staging means getting a home ready for sale with the goal to maximize the sale price and close a sale as fast as possible. Some home staging tasks are very dreary, like having to get the place sparkling clean. That is really not fun work. It may be better, if it is affordable, for the homeowner to hire professionals to do that grunt work. Another part of home staging is really fun and even can start long before putting a home on the market for sale. Children like to participate in this as well. It is creating an urban…
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Case-Shiller: Annual Home Price Growth Slows for 13th Consecutive Month

Case-Shiller's 20-City Home Price Index for April showed further declines in home price growth with 2.50 percent year-over-year home price growth as compared to March home price growth of 2.60 percent. New York City home prices held steady month-to-month and Seattle, Washington's home prices were unchanged year-over-year after posting 13 percent home price growth in 2018. The top three cities with the highest rates of year-over-year home price growth were Las Vegas, Nevada with 7.10 percent growth; Phoenix, Arizona followed with 6.0 percent growth and Tampa, Florida reported 5.60 percent home price growth. All three cities were hard-hit during the…
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Simple Tips To Pay Off A Home Mortgage Loan Faster

It is a major life decision to buy a home and yet many do not consider how much they will pay on the interest over the life of the loan. All they usually think about is if they can afford to pay the monthly mortgage payments. It is helpful to learn how different loan structures impact the amount of money wasted on the interest paid for a home loan. Here is a comparison of different loan lengths and payment options to show some helpful ways to reduce the total interest paid. Standard 30-Year Fixed Mortgage For a buyer who has…
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