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Showing posts from 2016

Keeping your home functioning safely and efficiently in the winter

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National Home Search When you sleep to sleep at night, can you rest easy knowing that your family is protected? There may be some neighborhoods that are considered safer than others to live in. However, it is always a good idea to do what you can to help protect your home to avoid unwanted entry. Here are a few things that you can do to protect the safety of your family: Assess the Lighting In and around Your Home Proper lighting is essential to deter intruders.  Good lighting makes it harder for anyone to sneak in undetected. If possible put some lights on automatic to come on in the evening until early morning. Lights on in the evening make it appear as though someone is home even if no one is. In some areas on the outside, you should consider installing motion detector lights. If someone approaches your home and the lights come on it increases the likelihood that they will turn around and leave.  It’s also a good idea to leave a bedroom light on a radio or TV ...

Avoid These Common First-Time Home Buyer Mistakes

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National Home Search Buying a home for the first time can be cumbersome. You’ve never done it before, so it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed. Luckily, we’ve pulled together some of the common mistakes first-time homebuyers make. Learn from them, and you may have a smoother home buying process. ·          Forgetting About Costs: Your mortgage will probably not be the only cost when it comes to buying a home. Smaller costs like property insurance, taxes, electric and water bills, and other fees may start to pile up. Before buying a house, you may need to look further into your savings to figure out if you can pay for all of these additional charges. ·          Looking for a Home Before the Loan: Once you find a house and decide to buy it, you don’t want to spend time wondering if you can afford it. Knowing your budget, and that you are a qualified buyer before you begin your search may ma...

HOME BUYING ADVICE

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  Buying a home is a significant and exciting decision. This section provides professional real estate advice and helpful home buying tips. First Steps The Internet and real estate professionals are the top two resources most buyers turn to when searching for a home. 1   When it’s not convenient for you to speak directly with a real estate professional, century21.com can help improve your overall home buying experience and provide guidance to reduce stress, save time, and make you a savvy, successful consumer. A CENTURY 21 ®  Agent is ready to make a full-time commitment to help you capitalize on current market opportunities and assist you in making an informed decision. To ensure you make the right choice for the long term, a CENTURY 21 Agent  offers extensive knowledge in:           Neighborhoods, schools, and market conditions           Mortgage specialists who can assist you with you...

Home Improvement Tips

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Making home improvements not only creates beautiful upgrades to your home but can also increase its overall value. Using a Home Equity Line of Credit can be the smartest way to manage the expense associated with making home improvements. The following tips from industry experts offer some of the most cost-effective and valuable enhancements you can make to your home. Tip #1 Updated homes frequently sell faster. The renovation of dark or dated kitchens is one of the most profitable home improvements you can make. Tip #2 Time to refinance your mortgage? If interest rates are lower now than when you closed on your current mortgage, you may be able to save money by refinancing.   Tip #3 Updating an old bathroom is one of the most profitable home improvements you can make.   Tip #4 Adding casual living areas like a den or family room is smart home improvement.   Tip #5 Thinking of updating your home with one of these home improvements and wondering how...