Points on your mortgage settlement statement: What are they?
When you close on a home, you will be faced with a settlement statement. If you are taking out a mortgage to finance your home, that statement will include a mortgage settlement statement from your lender detailing the costs and fees associated with your loan....The real costs of home ownership
The true costs of owning a home can be staggering for a first-time homeowner. In addition to the expenses you might expect (like your mortgage) other costs, like maintenance and utilities, can run up the bill. Here's a list of what you can expect to pay beyond...Tax tips for home owners
Buying and owning a home is a big expense -- besides the purchase price, there are the property taxes, heating and cooling costs, maintenance expenses…the list goes on. But the good news is that there are tax savings available to homeowners. Read on...
How does the closing process work?
It would be great if closing a real estate transaction was like buying a new bike or TV, just cruise through the aisles, pick your favorite model and head for the register. But this just isn't the case. Real estate transactions are complex and involve as many...Re-negotiating the sale: how and when sales are renegotiated
Standing on your lawn three days ago you shook hands with the buyer. Everyone was smiling and laughing and you thought you had a deal. But now suddenly the buyer wants to re-negotiate the sale. Should you tell the buyer to go fly a kite or is it better to...Five ways to research your local real estate market
Is now a good time to sell your home? In today's highly competitive real estate market this question is more relevant than ever before. After all you don't want to walk into a firing squad when you put your home on the market (but if you must, you want to...
What to do: refinance basics
If interest were the only "cost" in borrowing money, life would be a lot simpler. There would be no application fees, title insurance premiums or "points" to consider, and whenever rates fell by some significant fraction, you'd run out and refi. Life is more...What is a reverse loan?
After paying to live in your home for years, wouldn't it be nice if the home started paying you? Reverse mortgages enable homeowners 62 and older to convert part of their home equity into tax-free income. The lender provides income to the homeowner in one...Sculpting your score - top ten ways to chip away at poor credit
What's harder to improve—your credit score or your bowling score? I'd say the latter. In bowling, eventually you'll hit a wall (not literally) where you've exhausted all the ways to improve. If you ever miraculously roll a 300, you're definitely done....
Selecting the Right Interior Colors
Decorating your home is an exciting event, and paint offers you the ability to make colorful changes to your home’s décor. You can create a dramatic difference and make your home reflect your family’s personality. It’s easier than you...Selecting the Right Interior Paint Finish
The right paint could last you a lifetime, and finding the perfect paint is actually quite easy. Most interior paint is made to handle everyday wear and tear and look great for years to come. Don't worry about scuffs from the kids or stains from cooking. A...Beginning Your Decorating Journey
When beginning any major interior painting project, it’s important to think about how you want each room to feel. The colors used in your room will help achieve a certain mood and make your guests feel right at home. Here are some pointers to think...
Moving checklist
Use this checklist from Trulia to make sure that all these needed tasks for your move are completed before the big day: Hire a moving company Using recommendations from people you know and organizations like the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA)...Moving tips for homeowners
Transporting belongings from one home to another is a big task that's often fraught with anxiety, even when a move is efficiently planned and coordinated. Follow these tips from Trulia to make your next move as stress-free as possible: Get recommendations Ask...
Sharing food with roommates
There's no getting around it: food makes people emotional, and emotional roommates equal challenging roommates. Even if you're sharing living quarters with three equally-sized people with the same budgets and tastes and no eating disorders or special dietary...How to choose the right neighborhood
There's no substitute for an in-person visit to help you choose your new neighborhood, but before you set off in search of a new community, visit Trulia's Stats & Trends for information on market trends, background on schools and parks, and crime statistics....Renting near a college campus
Living near a college campus has its pros and cons. If you're an undergraduate, graduate student, or work on campus, living near campus is convenient. But depending on your age, personality, and temperament, living near campus can have its downfalls too: Parking...
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