Homeowners across the country are sitting on a record amount of home equity. Home equity refers to the difference between the current value of a home and how much is still owed on the mortgage. Therefore, if you have a house worth $400,000 and you’ve paid $100,000 toward your mortgage, your equity is equal to 25%. […]
Buying a house while simultaneously selling your current home is always a treacherous tight wire to traverse—but in today’s high-priced, high-interest-rate housing market, it’s both a blessing and a curse. The good news for home sellers is that over the past year, demand for homes has driven prices through the roof, pushing home equity to record levels. […]
Renovating a home, no matter the time of year, can be equal parts exciting and overwhelming. However, renovating in the winter may come with its own set of additional issues. Exterior renovations are especially risky during the colder months since the ground at your construction site can be slippery and wet. Plus, you need to take holiday […]
Two smart moves when updating your kitchen cabinets include fresh paint and new hardware. But you should also look beyond paint samples or the shape of drawer pulls and think about how you use your kitchen, and whether the organization of your kitchen is doing the best job. “The best design in any room incorporates […]
When you hear of a friend or family member buying a home, it sounds like a very wise thing to do—a savvy investment and a nice step to take in life. However, when roles are reversed and you are the prospective home buyer, you will quickly realize just how emotionally complex the process can be. […]
Are property taxes lower for condos? What about townhouses? If you’re buying your first home, you might wonder how the type of home you buy may affect your taxes and whether buying a condo or a townhouse makes a difference. It seems plausible that a smaller home might come with a smaller tax bill, right? But […]
Would-be home sellers have been facing quite a conundrum for the past few months. Sky-high mortgage rates and inflation have kept homebuyers from coming in droves like they did last year, and that, in turn, has caused homeowners to consider one crucial question: Should I list now or wait until the real estate market cools? If you’re […]
Cool new choices and YouTube tutorials help resurrect the midcentury trend. Local interior designer Mandy Riggar chose this paper from Portland-based collective Makelike for a client’s stairway. IMAGE: CHRISTOPHER DIBBLE Remember the glory days of patterned wallpaper? We’re thinking 1950s floor-to-ceiling patterns, more-is-more florals, and geometric shapes on every vertical surface. That was before the backlash—for decades, nobody would be […]
Named for the shape of the container used to hold salt in colonial times, these homes have a steeply sloped roof that is much longer on one side than the other. Saltbox houses are common in New England, and back in the 18th century, housed many famous pioneers and patriots, including the second U.S. president, John Adams. Sturdy […]
Glamming up a guest bathroom is often a lower priority than, say, modernizing your kitchen or replacing your roof. But as the holidays approach—and your regular guests come a-calling—you might be looking for ways to spruce up your spare loo on the cheap. This week we gathered five trendy decor looks from Instagram—with affordable ways to get these […]