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A house is an enormous financial investment for most people who own one, and unlike an asset like a car, it grows in value over time. One way homeowners can increase their investment is to make improvements or upgrades to the house.

Hopefully, you've started your real estate business plan for 2020 by now (if not, better get cracking!). Even if your plan has been finalized for months, though, there might be some components you could add to make it even better.

Staging a home isn't an exact science — it's more of an art, one that covers several rooms and flows throughout a home. The goal is to create a warm, welcoming space that will resonate with buyers. Here are the biggest mistakes you can make when staging your house for…

A home inspection is part of many real estate transactions. Here’s how it works.

You don't need to put 20% down These lenders offer low-down-payment or no-down-payment options: VA loans: 0% down* USDA loans: 0% down FHA loan: 3.5% down Some conventional loans: 3% down

If you've always rented before, then you might not have put too much thought into which neighborhood you were planting your (temporary) roots. After all, most leases are up after a year, so you can change your mind in a matter of months. Buying a house, however, is a…

An open house is a huge opportunity for anyone hoping to sell — but you can't just throw open the doors of your home as-is and expect great results. Before you get ready to open your house up to the masses, make sure you're following all of these steps.

Daydreaming about owning your own home is one of the most intoxicating practices known to modern man, especially now that HGTV is a thing. But when the time comes to actually put your money where your daydream is, it can be challenging for first-time buyers especially to…

Style is as individual as human beings are, but we can generally agree that there are some style trends that should be left in the past -- some in the very recent past, others long ago -- because they make your rooms look, well, terrible. And dated. Before you jump on the…

Flakes aren't welcome in any industry, but they're particularly problematic in real estate, where you don't get paid until close. In other words, instead of merely causing an annoyance and possibly wasting your time, flakes can actively cost you money as a real estate…

Escrow is a critical component of the home sale that typically takes between 30 and 45 days — but for many buyers it seems to stretch on for centuries. What should you do?

You hear it on the news all the time: "It's a buyer's market," "It's a seller's market," or "The housing market is on the rebound." And while you probably get the gist of what these folks are talking about, having a deeper understanding of the housing market and how it…