can be a quick and easy way to spruce up your home, and even help sell your house faster. With projects like polishing brass doorknobs, replacing light fixtures, and painting bathrooms, you can do it yourself and save quite a bit of money from hiring a handyman. DIY projects and home repair can be…
Winterize Your Home And Get A Tax Credit
The IRS has advised taxpayers that the Expanded Recovery Act Tax Credit will help homeowners winterize their homes so they can save energy and save money at the same time. But the IRS cautions homeowners to check the tax credit certification before they buy winterizing tools.
Seller Disclosure: Lawsuit May Not be Worth Time and Effort To Fix Problem
Seller disclosure is required in most states, meaning a seller has to reveal any defects or problems with the house to a buyer. However, the seller disclosure laws and requirements vary greatly from state to state. If a buyer discovers problems with the home that they think were not revealed through…
The FHA 203k rehab loan (or 203(k)) Program offers government-backed loans to rehab and refinance a borrower's property. According to the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, this is an important program that can help stabilize the nation's struggling neighborhoods. Learn more about the FHA 203k…
ThinkGlink Radio Show for Jul 26, 2009
Today on the Ilyce Glink Show, Ilyce talked about the minimum wage increase (and who to call to find out whether you qualify), the stock market surge, cash for clunkers scams to avoid, $8,000 federal tax credit, Georgia State Tax Credit, and the DeKalb Down Payment Assistance Programs. She also took…
Home Ownership Costs: The True Cost of Owning and Maintaining a Home
What are the true costs of owning and maintaining a home. If you're preparing a budget, you need to factor in these cost of ownership. Not only will you have to replace fixtures, appliances, and carpet, but you'll need to change filters, batteries and smoke detectors regularly as well. Landscaping…
Hire A Home Inspector To Assist With a Masonite Siding and Wood Rot Problem
A homeowner's supporting wood structure is rotting. He discovered the problem when replacing decayed Masonite siding, and wonders whether he has any recourse with the seller for not informing him about the problem. He might want to hire a home inspector now to determine the source of his problem and…
The More Things Change, The More Things Stay the Same, Location, Location, Location
In the new world of real estate there are many changes to keep track of, but there are also some key parts to the home buying process that haven’t changed. Real estate agents are still a good deal for home buyers. You’ll get the best home loan rates and save money if you shop around. Home repair and…
Home Repair Responsibility Differs For Foreclosure
When you're buying a home, the seller is usually responsible for making repairs before closing. But when you're buying a foreclosure, the responsibility for fixing the home does not usually lie with the mortgage lender who's selling it. When you're trying to decide whether to buy a foreclosure you…
Fixing Home Inspection Issues When Home Buying
When you're buying a home, a home inspector will go over the property with you to point out any issues that may require home repair. It's a good idea to walk around with the home inspector during a home inspection because he may make comments that won't appear on the final report. After you know the…
Renovate Or Start With New Construction?
How should you make the decision to renovate or gut rehab your existing home, or if you should tear down your home and start from scratch with new construction? Good builders can make a renovation just as good, if not better, than new construction. The price of completely renovating versus new…
Inexpensive Improvements To Make Before Selling Home
Today's home buyers are spending too much money to buy a home that they typically don't have the cash left over for improvements such as painting and carpeting. By making these home improvements before selling, your home will sell faster and for a lot more money. Paint is a cheap and easy…
Can Reverse Mortgage Be Used To Finance Home Repairs?
A reverse mortgage can only be used on a home that is the primary residence of the homeowners, and could not be used to finance repairs for a family's vacation home. A home equity loan would be the more logical way to pay for home repairs, even for a home held in a trust. As long as the value of the…
Sellers Responsible For Recalled Furnace In Sold Home?
Home sellers received a letter that the furnace in their sold home has been recalled. If a product is recalled, typically the company that manufactures it will repair or replace it. The contract will determine if the buyer or seller is responsible for getting the recalled furnace fixed.
Ilyce Glink from ThinkGlink.com and ExpertRealEstateTips.net shares advice, tips, and how to help in this video series dedicated to home renovation and remodeling. With help from contractors, construction professionals and experts, Ilyce brings you the best advice in the industry. If you're thinking…
Finishing The Project With The "Punch List"
When you're stuck in the middle of a home renovation, gut rehab, or construction project, it may feel like the work will never end. But at a point called "substantial completion," you will go through the home room by room with the contractor and put together a punch list. A punch list is a list of…
Home Renovation: Demolition Phase
The demolition phase is usually the fastest (and the most fun) part of a construction project. With demolition, you may want to retain some aspects of the old home, but you are mostly concerned with tearing everything out. In a construction project, demolition goes by very quickly, then the real…
A homeowner wants to know where to find services for "freshening up" his home. Home improvement services may be offered through a membership warehouse.
An ex-husband and ex-wife are selling a home they own together, but the ex-husband will not make the house presentable for sale.The ex-wife has a right to make sure the home is presentable for sale. But the ex-husband may try to make it difficult for her and the real estate agent to view the home…
Adding An Elevator To Your Home
As baby boomers are entering retirement, more people are trying to make their homes work for them. Instead of moving to a smaller home or even moving into a retirement home, people in their 30s, 40s and 50s are following a trend called "aging-in-place." They are taking their home renovation projects…
How To Find A Good General Contractor
You will spend a huge amount of time with a contractor and put complete trust in him to do your home renovation or remodeling. How do you find the right contractor for your job? Get recommendations from friends, neighbors, even architects who have recently completed a construction or renovation…
Get Competitive Bids From Contractors
Before hiring a contractor to do any home remodeling or home renovation, you need to get competitive bids from several contractors. A contractor will take all the information you give him about your house, what you want done and any other information from the architect or interior designer, and put…
Sell Your House Faster With New Paint
A new paint job is an easy, inexpensive way to give your house a facelift before placing it on the market. A fresh coat of paint in a room like a bathroom can help sell your home faster. Whether you do it yourself, or hire a handyman, a paint job will be quick, and give you a lot of value for your…
Before Closing Walk Through And Write A Punch List
When you buy a new home you should walk through it before closing. As you walk through your new construction home you can write down anything that you think the builder needs to fix. If there's something significant such as landscaping, you can hold back some money in escrow until the developer…
How Much Will Your Home Renovation Cost?
Are you realistic about the cost of your home renovation? When you're going through a "gut renovation," the costs can quickly add up. The final price can vary drastically depending on if you want high-end finishes, and if you change your plans during the renovation process. How much should a…
