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Is a Home Security System Worth the Expense?

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I have a friend whose husband travels frequently for work.  After one of these trips, she mentioned how poorly she had slept because she had been listening for intruders.  I knew that she had a home security system, so I asked the obvious, “Didn’t the security system make you feel better?”

“I don’t use that!” she said in a voice filled with disdain.  “I don’t want to pay $30 a month for that!”  (She and her husband bought the house about five years ago, and the system was already installed.)

I bit my tongue from saying more, but by not using the security system she already has, I think she is making a big mistake.  People have the tendency to think they are safe in their homes and that other people’s houses get broken into, not theirs.  However, it only takes one incident to shake this view.  Still, many want to know — Is a home security system worth the expense? [Read more…] about Is a Home Security System Worth the Expense?

5 Must Follow Home Energy Savings Tips for Summer

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Everyone can take a few key steps to lower the amount of energy they use in their home. While you are reducing your carbon footprint, you will also be reducing your monthly utility bills.  Check out these five home energy savings tips for summer that are a win-win for everyone.

Replace those old air filters!

It may seem like a no-brainer, but many people overlook the main air filter on their air conditioner.  When the air filter is dirty, the unit has to work much harder to push the air through the dust and dirt.  Unfortunately, air filters are not quite as cheap as weather stripping.  If you want to avoid this cost, simply clean the filter regularly yourself.  It is recommended that this be done every three to four months to keep it from getting to the point of no return.  A good way to remember is to perform the routine cleaning on the first day of each season. [Read more…] about 5 Must Follow Home Energy Savings Tips for Summer

HUD Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP): Home Loans for Those Facing Foreclosure

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One of the most difficult things for many a homeowner during the recession following the recent financial crisis is that through job loss, or through underemployment, foreclosure might be imminent. In order to help those who are in danger of foreclosure due to income loss, the government is offering the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP). This program is limited, though.  You only have until July 22 to get your preliminary application in, so you need to act fast!

Who Qualifies for HUD Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP)?

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What is Better: A Foreclosure or a Short Sale?

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You want to buy a home for less than market value, or do you want to own a second home and are looking for a deal?  There are few active buyers in the real estate market nowadays but those who are seriously looking are considering short sales or foreclosures.  If you are one of these people then what is better for you – a short-sale or a foreclosure?

Is a short-sale best?

Short sale signs are popping up everywhere yet many people do not know what this means.  The seller who chooses a short sale is in a hurry to get out of their mortgage so the lender agrees to accept a mortgage payoff amount that’s less than what’s owed in order to help the seller get out fast.  The lender ultimately forgives the remaining balance of the mortgage loan.
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8 Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Home Before Buying a New One

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When it comes to buying a home, buyers try to engineer the ultimate balancing act of buying the new one first, THEN putting the current one up on the market before the ink is even dry on the purchase contract.

The object—and expectation—is to find that perfect home, then to put the old one on the market in the hope of selling it in the treasured but increasingly mythical simultaneous closing.

Just playing it out in your mind is exhausting, but making it actually happen is a truly massive undertaking.  What would make anyone think that such an effort is worth trying?

Fear! Fear that you might not be able to find the right home after selling your current home.  Fear of being homeless.  Fear of temporary housing.  Fear of the dreaded “double move” (moving from the old home to temporary housing, then again to the new home).

Those fears may be legitimate at some level, but there are even greater causes for concern if you plan to buy before selling.  Here are eight of them… [Read more…] about 8 Reasons Why You Should Sell Your Home Before Buying a New One