Maybe you’ve heard horror stories about people who invested thousands in a home project only to be required to tear it all down because they didn’t have a building permit. Unfortunately, it’s an all too real possibility if you don’t get the paperwork right. The insights below will help you better understand just what a permit is, when you need one and how to get it.
Building Permit 101
A permit is official, written permission to move forward with your home project. Depending on where you live, a permit may be issued by a state, county or city government agency, such as the building division or permits department. Permits — and the related inspections — help ensure that home and yard updates meet local ordinances and other requirements. This helps ensure the safety of your home’s current and future occupants. Permits may address everything from zoning and fire protection, to water and sewer lines, to electrical service, to structural integrit. ...

For homeowners, fall is the last chance to lock down all your home maintenance tasks before winter comes, and with it threats of weather-related inconvenience and damage. With a little preventive maintenance, you can spend your winter cozy and secure in your home with no worries about freezing pipes or drafty windows. Here are a few things to do this fall in preparation for winter.
Make sure your house is sealed. If you’re not quite ready to invest in new windows, weatherstripping and door sweeps can prevent drafts and keep heat contained. If there are any weaknesses in your roof or gaps in your siding where water, air, or animals could enter, now is the time to seal them up!
Prep your plumbing. This is a good time to check to make sure that all of your pipes are properly insulated! Frozen pipes don’t just prevent you from accessing running water, but they can lead to pipes bursting, which makes for an expensive repair. Before the season turns, make sure to drain and stor ...

Laminate floors are a great cost-effective option, hardy and largely scratch-resistant, with a variety of high-end looks. It's also possible for a homeowner to install it themselves, saving even more.Despite their reputation for ease of use, though, laminates do present problems. And being a somewhat popular DIY project, it's perhaps not surprising that one common issue is the result of human error.Peaking is when your laminate floor has high points at the joints (picture upside-down v's where two boards meet). It happens when the flooring hasn't had enough room to expand and the two boards push against each other. With nowhere to go, each end pushes up.If you haven't installed it yet, make sure to let your flooring sit in your house for at least two or three days prior to installation so it can adjust to the climate.But if you do see peaking, the good news is that it's a fairly easy fix. Track the board back to the wall, where the molding is. Remove the molding and trim off enough of ...

There are many important factors to consider when selling your home/ preparing the home, setting the price, marketing & advertising, qualifying buyers, negotiating, setting appointments and navigating the closing process are all a part of a successful real estate transaction.

CAN YOU PREPARE AND STAGE THE HOME?
A Real Estate Professional can make recommendations based on current trends and best practices, resulting in the most favorable presentation of the interior and exterior of the home.
ARE YOU KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH TO EFFECTIVELY PRICE YOUR HOME?
Market conditions, seasonal trends, property condition, size, and location are a few of the many factors that must be considered when pricing the home competitively. A real estate professional is skilled at gathering data and formulating the optimal price approach with regard to the home and dynamic real estate market
 ARE YOU ABLE TO MARKET TO ALL POTENTIAL BUYERS?
Real Estate professionals are trained to strategic. ...

Every three years, the Federal Reserve conducts their Survey of Consumer Finances. Data is collected across all economic and social groups. The latest survey data covers 2013-2016.

The study revealed that the median net worth of a homeowner is $231,400 – a 15% increase since 2013. At the same time, the median net worth of renters decreased by 5% ($5,200 today compared to $5,500 in 2013).

These numbers reveal that the net worth of a homeowner is over 44 times greater than that of a renter.

Owning a home is a great way to build family wealth.

Simply put, home ownership is a form of ‘forced savings.’ Every time you pay your mortgage, you are contributing to your net worth by increasing the equity in your home.

That is why Gallup reported that Americans picked real estate as the best long-term investment for the fifth year in a row. According to this year’s results, 34% of Americans chose real estate. . ...