Home technology smarts are the new area for real estate bragging rights. You often judge a house by it’s good looks. But guess what? Now you can also judge it by its IQ. Long-buzzed about smart home technology — think smart thermostats, smart lighting, and app-controlled security systems — are moving into more homes. Smart home tech can up your coolness factor and make homes … [Read more...]
What You Need to Know About Buyer Love Letters to Home Sellers
Think twice before you write or receive a home love letter. Did you hear the one about the dog who wrote a love letter? Not to his owner, but to a home seller. Well, actually the dog’s owner wrote the letter in Buddy’s voice, describing how wag-worthy the house was and how much he craved a game of fetch in the backyard. Doggie ghostwriting, which happened IRL, is … [Read more...]
How I Turned “What I Could Afford” into My Dream Home
When you can’t afford what you want, you’ve got to be creative. That moment when you realize the home you want to buy is not the home you can afford: What do you do? Eve and Jason Trombley didn’t give up. Nor did they wait until they could save up for their dream home. They were ready to buy, so they did. Even though it wasn’t what they first imagined. Then bit by bit, … [Read more...]
5 Relationship-Saving Strategies For Any Couple Buying a House
Buying a house is exciting. Arguing while buying a house? Not so much. Here’s how to keep the peace while house hunting. Before you and your partner start sending each other links to the home of your dreams, have a few conversations about the home buying process. A couple buying a house should talk about money, of course, but also about their expectations for their first … [Read more...]
What You Should Really Know About Browsing for Homes Online
It’s fun! It’s exciting! It’s important to take everything with a grain of salt! Oh, let’s just admit it, shall we? Browsing for homes online is a window shopper’s Shangri-La. The elegantly decorated rooms, the sculpted gardens, the colorful front doors that just pop with those “come hither” hues. Browser beware, though: Those listings may be seductive, but they might not … [Read more...]