Have you ever had to go last-minute gift shopping? If so, you know what that can be like. You don’t have time to amble casually through numerous stores in hopes of coming across something suitable. The clock is ticking. You need to find the right gift, now!

A similar thing can sometimes happen when shopping for a new home. You may not have a lot of time available in your schedule. Yet, you need to view properties and find the right home, quickly.

So, how do you do that on a tight schedule?

One way is to be clear on the type of home you want to get into. The more narrow your search parameters, the more likely you are to view properties that are strong candidates.

Create a profile of your dream home, including property type, number of bedrooms,...

Until a couple of years ago, internet access was a nice-to-have for most homeowners. But these days, it’s fast becoming a necessity. Kids need good internet to do homework assignments. You may need reliable internet to work from home and attend online meetings.

So, when shopping for a new home, it’s wise to check if the property which you’re interested in making an offer on has good internet available. The last thing you want is to move into a home only to discover that the internet service is slow and faster options are unavailable.

There are many ways to do find out.

For example, most internet services websites have a feature where you can type on the address and find out what type of internet services are available. Pay attention...

Even during the warmest seasons and under ideal circumstances, moving home is a massive undertaking. And if your time line happens to coincide with those colder seasons of the year, cold temperatures and unpredictable weather can easily cause things to go sideways at the wrong time. Sometimes, the only way to forward is to be as prepared as you can be, so here are some tips to help you prepare for a successful move during the winter.

Seek Help

Moving all of your furniture and belongings during the winter won’t be easy; you’re going to need some help, whether its friends and family or a moving service.

If you’re only moving around the corner with a few items, a few friends and family will probably do the trick, but if you are...

These days, people are more environmentally conscious. When it comes to their homes, that often starts with being more thoughtful about heating and cooling so they’re consuming less energy. With that in mind, here are some tips for making your home even more eco-friendly:

1. Install a smart thermostat. Modern thermostats come with a range of features that help you manage heating and cooling, so you use less energy. For example, you can program a thermostat to adjust temperature during the workday and then turn on heating or cooling an hour before you get home.
2. Take advantage of non-peak times. Many utilities (electricity, water, etc.) offer price breaks at non-peak periods. For example, washing your clothes later in the evening might reduce...

Positive Buyer Strategies for a Tough Market

With the way the housing market is at present, it’s tough for buyers to compete and even harder to stay positive, and things may seem especially hopeless for first-time homebuyers; they have no previous home on which to draw equity, and they can also be dealing with sky-high rent and high student debt balances, making it extremely difficult to save for a down payment.

Buying a home is always emotional, and having to deal with disappointment and uncertainty just adds to the stress levels. So how can buyers stay positive in a market like this? We’ve put together a few tips on how buyers can make smart decisions, and move in the right direction towards finding their new home.

1) Mortgage ...

Imagine you’re shopping for a car. You find one that’s a suitable model, a recent year, and hasn’t been driven a lot. The price is right, too.

But, there’s a caveat.

The paint is worn off in several places. The driver’s seat upholstery is torn and requires repair. And, the tires needed to be replaced… a long time ago.

Would you still buy it? You might. However, unless you enjoy fixing up cars, you’d probably hesitate to make the purchase.

After all, in addition to seeing the car itself, you’re noticing the work that needs to be done to fix it.

The same holds true when selling your home.

The more “move-in” ready you make the property the more likely buyers are to become interested in...