Updated: Saturday, September 22, 2018

Decorating Tricks for Hiding Kids Messes While Selling Your Home
Written By: Heather Cordonnier

Hide in Plain SightWith overflowing toy boxes and tea-party set-ups overtaking the living room, it may be unrealistic to banish all kid stuff to other rooms. Instead, make use of your furniturersquo;s built-in compartments and drawers. Have a storage ottoman next to the sofa? Fill it with everything from action figures and dolls to coloring book...

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The New District of Columbia TOPA Law
Written By: Benny L Kass

In July, the D.C. Council revised the law - exempting most single-family homes, including those with basement rentals also known as "accessory dwelling units." The council opted to exempt single-family homes based largely on a study showing that only 5 percent of renters ended up buying their homes under the previous law.If youre a renter disapp...

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Construction and Permanent Loans Explained
Written By: David Reed

A construction loan is one where funds are issued to build a new home. Some construction loans provide financing to build on someonersquo;s lot they already own while some construction loans provide funds for both the lot and the construction. Construction includes funds for both soft and hard costs. Soft costs are those for things such as permi...

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HGTV Designer Leanne Ford Simplifies Finding the Perfect White Paint with PPG
Written By: Realty Times Staff

ldquo;We all should feel empowered to create a space for ourselves that we love coming home to at the end of the day,rdquo; said Ford. ldquo;Color is such an impactful way to do this, so Irsquo;m thrilled to work with PPG, a leader in paint and color that is headquartered in my hometown of Pittsburgh, to bring the power of paint to life for home...

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Study Says Buying a Home is Cheaper Than Renting
Written By: Jim Adair

"The report demonstrates that the money Canadians are spending on monthly rent, if used instead to finance a home, would be a very beneficial investment over time," says Will Dunning, author of the report. "The costs of owning and renting continue to rise across Canada. However, rents continue to rise over time whereas the largest cost of homeow...

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quot;Cite and Finequot; Policy is at Work in California
Written By: Bob Hunt

The departmentrsquo;s ldquo;cite and finerdquo; authority is found in California Business and Professions Code sect;10080.9 and Commissionerrsquo;s Regulations 2907.A 2014 DRE Bulletin explains the workings of ldquo;cite and finerdquo; this way: ldquo;A citation or other formal action will be considered when a violation is found after an investi...

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Chimney Liners: Does Your Home Have One - Do You Even Need One?
Written By: Realty Times Staff

Chimney liners are a protective barrier usually made of metal or ceramic. Liners insulate heat moving through the chimney, protecting flammable areas of your homes structure. They also protect flue masonry from cracks or crumbling mortar due to repeated heating and cooling.Why worry about your chimney liner?Cracks or damage can lessen the effect...

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How to Stay Safeand Safeguard Your Homein a Flood
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

Many flood safety tips concentrate on what you can do to prevent one, but the most immediate concern for those who are in the path of rising waters is what to do to remain safe, protect others, and maybe even safeguard their cherished things at that very moment.The most important tipThe single most important thing to do leading up to any storm i...

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Seize the Savings: What to Buy in September and October
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

Yoursquo;ve already done the back-to-school thing, Labor Day is over, and yoursquo;ve got a bit of time before those Black Friday sales kick in. Whatrsquo;s a mega-shopper to do? Donrsquo;t worry. There are plenty of deals to be had right now, if you know what to look for. Wersquo;re breaking down the best things to buy in the second half of Sep...

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5 Mistakes Home Sellers Make
Written By: David Reed

nbsp;Wrong PriceThe first misstep is to price the home wrong. Either too high or too low. Getting the price ldquo;just rightrdquo; means getting the most out of your home while at the same time not pricing it out of the market to the point where very few, if any, potential buyers reach out. If you have some time to sell, you could list your home...

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5 Ways Moving Improves Your Happiness
Written By: Darina Murashev

This Is Your Brain on MovingWhether yoursquo;re moving out of necessity or out of desire, the act of >1. Nicer NeighborhoodsIf yoursquo;re not happy with your quality of life in your current neighborhood, apartment building, or town, a move can help you find greener pastures. A sense of community can be a big indicator for personal happiness; wh...

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Renovating With Your Kids: Projects You Can Do Together
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

Renovating your home? Why not make it a family affair, getting the kids involved in projects that can make them feel included and proud of their work.Not every job is gong to be right for your kids.But there are several tasks they can do with supervision, and a few they might be able to handle on their own, depending on their age and maturity le...

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7 Home Items That Will Absolutely Make Your Life Easier
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

A crumb and dog hair vacuumWe were at the hairdresser when we first spotted the EyeVac Home Touchless Sensor Activated Vacuum. She swept up a big ball of hair into this wondrous little stationary machine in the corner and it gobbled it all up. Clearly this had to be purchased for a home with three shedding dogs. Magic happens when you sweep with...

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The VA Streamline
Written By: David Reed

nbsp;But beyond all of these advantages, there is another that comes into play when someone decides to refinance an existing VA loan. Maybe rates have fallen or home owners want to switch from a hybrid to a fixed. With a refinance, either or both can be accomplished. When replacing an existing VA loan with a new one, borrowers can take advantage...

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Smart Homes: Backed-Up Your Fridge Lately?
Written By: PJ Wade

Computers may make life easier, but they dont necessarily make things simpler or automatically safer.This is very true for smart home technology or intelligent home automation which aims to combine internet-connected computers with every aspect of home life. According to Digital Journal, "the smart or automated home applies new technology to con...

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Making Ethics Important
Written By: Bob Hunt

In last weeks column we emphasized the distinction between ethicsas a body of rules and principles and being ethical as a disposition to conform to those rules and principles. We noted that it is certainly possible to teach someone ethics, but it is a different task to lead someone to be ethical -- to internalize those principles and to be guide...

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Prep Or Pay The Price: What You Do Before You Paint Matters More Than The Paint Itself
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

So youre sitting there on a Saturday morning, watching HGTV and drinking your coffee, when it hits. Its the urge to paint a room, and its not going away. Next thing you know, youre dipping that brush right into the paint can and slopping that blue hue up on the wall.Itll all be fine, right?Its a scenario well admit to knowing all too well - one ...

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Legal Marijuana: Where To Move, And Why
Written By: Jaymi Naciri

Because you need it for medical reasons. Because you want to become a grower or open a dispensary. Or because youre simply a fan of getting high. Theyre all reasons for moving to states where marijuana is now legal. But there are also a few you may not have thought about, like the fact that, "Legal marijuana is a boon to the economy," said Forbe...

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