Are You an Ideal Mortgage Applicant?
By Susan Keenan
 Most lenders check on three main criteria when evaluating a mortgage application. The amount of loan you qualify for and the interest rate quoted will be based on an assessment of your credit score, available cash for a down payment and your ability to make monthly payments. These factors help a lender to decide on their perceived risk in giving you a loan.
What is your credit score?... Read More |
|
|
Design Techniques to Create a
Spacious Home
By Mary White
 A home that is crowded, cluttered or cramped is unappealing to its occupants and to prospective homebuyers—no one likes feeling confined. Take steps to make your home more appealing by using decorating techniques that can make any home feel spacious and inviting.
Sufficient Lighting - Rooms that are dark tend to look smaller than rooms that are well lit. So make sure that each room in your home has plenty... Read More |
|
|
Can't Live Within Your Means?
Rethink Your Budget
By E. E. Kane
 If you have been living beyond your means, it's time to buckle down and stop breaking your budget. Here are some tips that will help you get serious about your financial health.
Review your budget.
Were you realistic about the fluctuation of gas prices and groceries? Did you allow for one-time expenses that you didn't anticipate? Find out why you are routinely breaking your budget, and adjust it accordingly.... Read More
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
The Benefits of a Great
Real Estate Agent
By Angela Baca
 Real estate agents do more than just help you search for a home; they provide indispensable advice during the entire home-buying process. Here are three ways that your agent will protect your interests in the steps toward buying a home.
1. Finding Your Ideal Home - If you've already searched for a home for several months, you probably have a few prime properties in mind. Your agent will help you sift through your choices to ensure that the property you think you want is really going to serve you well long-term.
As an added bonus, an experienced agent has a knack for sniffing out things like dishonest sellers, lemon houses, and bad deals. Buying a home... Read More |
|
|
Use Less Stuff to be "Green"
Courtesy of ARAcontent
 If the desire to "go green" leaves you feeling a bit overwhelmed, keep it simple with a "less is more" attitude, advises Bob Lilienfeld, sustainability expert and author of "Use Less Stuff." You'll be amazed at how simple lifestyle changes can affect your impact on the environment and your budget.
Recycling has long been touted as the centerpiece of environmentally conscious behavior, Lilienfeld notes. But the truth is that recycling by itself can't solve the environmental issues we're now facing. "The real key to saving the planet is to shop smarter so that we manage our consumption and stop... Read More |
|
|
