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How to Destress Downsizing
 There are a lot of reasons you might feel like it’s time to downsize and move into a smaller home.
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If you’re now an empty-nester, that’s one good reason. Even families who still have children at home often opt to downsize to save money on their mortgage and to have less upkeep and maintenance.
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If you spend all of your free time maintaining a larger home than what you need, you have less time to enjoy your life.
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When you downsize to a smaller home, you can declutter and enjoy lower utility bills.
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Living in a smaller home requires you to think about your priorities and get
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MORTGAGE RATES
U.S. averages as of January 2024:
30 yr. fixed: 6.67%
15 yr. fixed: 5.95%
5/1 yr. adj: 6.42%
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get rid of things that aren’t needed.
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If you plan to downsize, decluttering and preparing can be intimidating, and the following are some tips to take some
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Should You Buy a Home Warranty?
      We’re buying a house. Should we buy a home warranty?” Seems like a relatively tame question, right? But post it on Facebook or Nextdoor and watch the impassioned responses roll in. You might as well ask, “What political party should I belong to.
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Who knew people were so fervent about home warranties! Everyone has their own experience; expect to hear a few people call them “a scam” or at the very least a waste of money. Others will regale you with their tale of how having a warranty saved them from a freezing winter because they couldn’t afford to fix their furnace without it.
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In the end, the decision is personal and largely based on how comfortable you are coming out of pocket if one of the more expensive
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Decorating Tricks for Hiding Kids’ Messes While Selling Your Home
      Keeping the house together during the selling process is a challenge. Making sure everything is just right for showings and open houses can be exhausting and overwhelming. Throw kids into the mix, and things can get downright chaotic. Fortunately, a few small decor choices can help conceal kid clutter—changing your “for sale” sign to “sold.”
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Hide in Plain Sight
With 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 furniture’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 books, art supplies, stuffed animals and more. Divide the credenza in the family room so that your little ones can store toys behind its closed doors. Accent the open shelves with ceramic vases, family photos, decorative carafes and other appealing decor
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When You Want To Renovate Everything, How Do You Choose What To Do First?
      New fence. Covered patio. Expanded bathroom. Painted kitchen cabinets. They all cost about $3,000 (give or take a couple bucks). So when you want to renovate everything, how do you chose? What comes first, and what shouldn't you bother with at all? It's all so confusing.
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That's the conundrum many people face when they go to renovate, or they're simply trying to make a plan of action that doesn't include having to sell their house because they've gone broke fixing it up. Moving forward can be tricky, and the renovation process can be anxiety-producing. Taking the time to properly research, set your budget, and determine the return on investment of individual projects - if that's even important to you - are the keys to success. Follow these tips before you swing that hammer.
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Ask yourself why you're doing it
"It is vital that you know the objective of the renovation before you start as this will help you keep on track and make the appropriate decisions once the work has started," said Your Investment Property. "The objective may be any one of the following: increase rental return; improve capital value;
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