Your home is likely your largest asset, so selling it may be the biggest financial move you’ve ever made, one that requires significant thought and strategy.  However, once you’ve entered the market, the process may move very quickly:  your property has the best chance to sell within its first seven weeks on the market.  Studies indicate that the longer a property stays on the market, the less it will ultimately sell for.  So, you need to ensure you’re ahead of...

You’ve been saving for a while, weighing your options, looking around casually.  Now you’ve finally decided to do it—you’re ready to buy a house.  The process of buying a new home can be incredibly exciting, yet stressful, all at once.  Where do you start?

It is essential you do your homework before you begin. Use the following list of pitfalls as a guide to help you avoid the most common mistakes.

1. Searching for houses without getting pre-approved by...

Finding a real estate agent who is right for you requires doing a little homework, and asking the right questions. Experience, interests, and expertise vary from agent to agent, so you should be asking very specific questions in order to align your own needs with the abilities of an appropriate representative.  Use the following list of questions as a guide to finding the agent that is right for you:

1. How long have you been involved in residential real estate in this area?

If the agent...

The thousands of dollars in rent you’ve already paid to your landlord may be a staggering figure—one you don’t even want to think about.  Buying a house just isn’t possible for you right now, and isn’t in your financial cards for the foreseeable future.  Or is it?  The situation is common and widespread: countless people feel trapped in home rental, pouring thousands of dollars into a place that will never be their own—yet they think they’re...