Entries by altpdx

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Buying a home together? Avoid these common co-buying mistakes

Lessons from the field that will save you time, money, and stress along your co-buying journey. Most co-buyers are excited about the adventure of buying and owning a home together. At some point, many feel overwhelmed. This is normal. Buying a home is complicated, full stop. Compared to a married couple or a singleton, co-buyers […]

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Marie Kondo Reveals Her Vows for the New Year—and How Her Tidying Advice Has Changed

Every new year, countless vows are made to declutter—which explains the enduring popularity of Marie Kondo. This tidying expert “sparked joy” around the world with the release of her bestselling book in 2010, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” Since then, she’s starred in her own Netflix series, “Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo,” recently released yet […]

7 Bathroom Renovation Projects That’ll Help—or Hurt—Your Home’s Value

Home improvements are—or should be—as much about the future value of your home as they are about improving your quality of life today. You might think installing a lap pool–size bathtub in your bathroom is a great idea. But before sinking thousands of dollars into any home project, you might want to consider whether that $10,000 will […]

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The Pros and Cons of a Mortgage Buy-Down for Homebuyers, According to Loan Experts

Tough financial times call for creative financing. Historically high mortgage rates and a cooling housing market have caused buyers and sellers to look for novel ways to stretch their dollar and seal a deal. Buyers, scared by lofty mortgage rates that threaten to add hundreds of dollars to their monthly housing bill, are seeking out mortgage buy-downs as a way to […]

Poll: Homeowners Value Their Yards More

More than three-quarters of Americans who have a yard say the family yard space is one of the most important parts of their home, according to a poll of 1,700 consumers by the TurfMutt Foundation. Since the pandemic began, homeowners are showing more appreciation for their yards and spending more time in them, the poll […]

It’s What’s on the Outside That Matters: 5 Trends in Exterior Home Colors

Choosing a paint color for your home’s exterior can seem like a crazily daunting task. So many options! So crucial in making the right first impression on guests or potential buyers!  Should you go with basic beige, ho-hum neutral colors or (way) outside the paintbox? Thanks in part to influential designers like Joanna Gaines, more homeowners today are stepping away from […]

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How to Clean Painted Walls

Your home’s floors obviously need regular cleaning, but what about your walls? Although painted walls don’t accumulate dirt the same way that floors do, they will start to gather dust, grime, and stains over time, particularly in high-traffic areas. Plan to clean your painted walls about once a year, doing so gently so as not […]