Updated: Sunday, November 18, 2018

Dos And Donts For Painting Your Bathroom Cabinets
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

Do: Get a paint sprayer: A paint sprayer will give you the cleanest, most professional look. You can buy a pretty basic unit for under 100, but for about the same cost, you can rent one for the day and get a much better version.Dont: Fret if a paint sprayer isnt going to work out. A foam roller and brush can give you a pretty clean finish.Do: Bu...

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How To Choose The Right Vanity To Kick Off Your Bathroom Remodel
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

"Its not always the most glamorous part of a bathroom remodel, but choosing the right vanity can make or break your bathrooms design," said Houzz. "If its placed awkwardly in a traffic route, uses poor or mismatched materials, or doesnt have enough storage, the rest of your bathroom will suffer."The right >Choosing a vanity can speak volumes abo...

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Lifting the HOA Veil
Written By: Richard Thompson

Anything that could negatively impact the value or marketability of the property needs to be divulged before closing. While there are usually statutory disclosure requirements of single family house sellers, these same disclosures are generally not required of homeowner association home sellers. This is a huge problem and herersquo;s why:Homeown...

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Why Get Involved?
Written By: Benny L Kass

A. You have lived in your community for a long time, and are pleased with the way it is working. Do you know why? Most likely it is because there is a conscientious, hard-working board of directors, who are concerned about the welfare -- financial and otherwise -- of your association.A community association does not function -- good, bad or othe...

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The Smartest Fall Renovations to Make if Youre Planning to Sell Your Home
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

While some trends carryover, there is some great info here for those who are looking to make some updates to enjoy now, while being able to reap the potential future financial benefits.Matte appliancesThese are a ldquo;hot trend of the moment,rdquo; said McGillivray. And while he says that he likes how they ldquo;lend a luxurious look to the kit...

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Credit Inquiries: Why Lenders Care
Written By: David Reed

FICO scores are calculated using an algorithm originally developed by The FICO Company. This algorithm considers five different characteristics of a credit file. Of course, payment history carries the most weight, contributing 35 to the total, three-digit score. The second most important >How long someone has used credit is also a factor, making...

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Making Canadian Suburbs More Age-Friendly
Written By: Jim Adair

As the population ages and the life expectancy of Canadians increases, therersquo;s a lot of discussion about where older people are going to live and how to make their communities more age-friendly.The baby boom generation is moving into their senior years, but most of them are not yet interested in downsizing to condominiums or moving from the...

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The Best Mobile Plans for Real Estate Agents
Written By: Christy Matte

Find the coverage you needIt may seem obvious, but the most important part of a mobile plan is coverage. It doesnrsquo;t matter how much data or how many minutes you have if you canrsquo;t use them, and this is true not only on your home turf, but wherever youre likely to go. If you typically stay local, that makes the search easier. But if you ...

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Ask the HOA Expert: Limited Common Elements, Quorum Rules
Written By: Richard Thompson

Answer: Common elements available to one or several members instead of all are referred to as "limited common elements". This means they are common but limited to exclusive use of one member as in the case of a unit deck or designated members as in the case of a private street.These limited common elements are typically identified on the legal p...

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Student Loans Proving a Barrier to Homeownership. We Have Solutions.
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

ldquo;Among buyers rejected for a mortgage from a lender, 40 percent had college debt, the NAR found.rdquo; Per the same study, 80 percent of millennials donrsquo;t own a home, and 83 of those non-homeowners said student loan debt was a barrier to buying.The NAR found that ldquo;Two in five buyers, like Jodi Meyers, cut out luxury or nonessentia...

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Will the New Congress Compromise on Flood Insurance or Are We All Going Under?
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

Part of the issue that has led the bill to ldquo;languish in the Senate since late last yearrdquo; is, not surprising: Republicans and Democrats are on opposite sides. ldquo;The GOP-led House voted in favor of the bill 237-189 despite significant opposition from coastal Democrats, who believe premiums on high-risk properties could skyrocket unde...

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2018 Homebuyer Survey Contains Valuable Information for Agents and Sellers
Written By: Bob Hunt

This is the 37th year that NAR has conducted an annual survey of those who have purchased and sold homes. The most recent version 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers became available in November of this year. The information is based on answers to a 129-question survey mailed to a random sample of 155,250 consumers who purchased a home betwe...

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Credit Inquiries: Why Lenders Care
Written By: David Reed

FICO scores are calculated using an algorithm originally developed by The FICO Company. This algorithm considers five different characteristics of a credit file. Of course, payment history carries the most weight, contributing 35 to the total, three-digit score. The second most important >How long someone has used credit is also a factor, making...

Full Story >


Essential Garage Equipment for Car Enthusiasts
Written By: Realty Times Staff

Garage SpaceFirst, you need a garage with adequate space. A small garage might provide enough space to park your car, but if you want room to work, you may prefer something bigger. Chicago architect Allan J. Grant recommends that a single-car garage should be a minimum of 10 feet wide, and a two-car garage should be at least 20 feet wide, with 2...

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7 Rules for Choosing The Right Area Rug
Written By: Merri Cvetan

There are so many questions: Should the furniture be placed on or off the rug? Does the rug go underneath or next to the bed? How big should a dining room rug really be? It can seem overwhelming, but here are seven simple tips to help you choose wisely. After all, a good rug is an investment, and you dont want to make any costly mistakes.Rule 1:...

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The Ultimate Contractors: Real Estate Agents as Independent Contractors
Written By: Lewis Fein

It is this tenacity that warrants our attentionmdash;and deserves our praisemdash;because each agent is an icon unto him- or herself. Each agent is responsible for how he represents himself to the public, regardless of his association with a firm of solid repute or a strong foundation.Pardon the construction metaphors, as they constitute a descr...

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Updating an HOA Reserve Study
Written By: Richard Thompson

1. Component cost changes that happen frequently can dramatically change the reserve study projections.2. Rate of Inflation. Changes every year and directly affects future dollar needs.3. Return on Invested Reserves. Changes every year and directly affects future owner contributions.4. Balance of money in reserves. Changes every year and impacts...

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What to Look for When Signing Your First Lease
Written By: Victoria Schmid

1. Do Your ResearchTreat your commitment to renting a property in the same way you would carefully consider buying an expensive appliance or a new car: do your research. Look for online reviews from previous renters attached to the property profile in Google or on other social media platforms like Facebook. Search under either the landlordrsquo;...

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