Advantages of Plastic Composite Decking

Home improvement expert, Danny Lipford, explains the advantages of plastic composite decking over wood.

Owning a Home and Renting: Cost Spread is Narrowing

With mortgage rates at record lows and housing markets stuffed to the gills with cheap distressed properties that's led to declining home prices, the cost to own a home is sometimes cheaper than renting an apartment in many markets, according to analysts at Credit Suisse.

While a segment of the renting population continues to rent, many are looking to dip their toes in the homeownership waters. Credit Suisse said the percentage of median household income needed to pay the mortgage on a median priced home is at a 30-year low.

Low mortgage rates and property values makes homeownership more attractive than renting for many. In many markets paying for a mortgage is less expensive than renting.

Despite individual variables used in their study, Credit Suisse said its analysis illustrates that the relative cost of owning versus renting has contracted considerably in the recent credit crunch.

Want to see if owning would be cheaper than renting? Contact us, or use the comment link below to initiate your contact with us. Your email address and privacy are protected.

Just Before Closing, Get A Home Inspection

It doesn’t matter how good a home or condo looks, looks can be very deceiving. The thing you don’t want to occur after you move into your new home is replacing major items.

Do yourself a favor and spend the money on a home inspection and make sure it is someone you can trust. Most home inspections are guaranteed for about one year.

Having a home inspection may uncover things like a poor foundation or roof that will soon need repairs and will cost an enormous amount of money when you do. Better to learn this BEFORE you close on the home than afterwards.

Tag along with the home inspector as they inspect your home. At this stage trust is not the issue, rather, it is only that you need to feel comfortable they are looking at everything. When you are not certain what they are seeing, stop and ask questions. Be sure they look at things like the heating and air conditioning system, the sewer and plumbing, the attic, underneath the home or basement. This is not a time to sit back and hope they covered everything. Follow them around and verify with them.

Knowing that your home is the largest investment you will make in your life, it is worth the money to have a home inspection done. If nothing else you will have confidence that everything will go smoothly, and there is nothing like the piece of mind that comes in knowing the home you are buying is in good shape.

Of course, no home inspector will guarantee that what works when the inspection is done will be working a month after you close, as things do break down. However, if something isn't working before you buy your new home gives you the negotiating power to ask the seller to fix it before you agree to buy it.

Time to Cut the Cable on TV?

Are you looking for ways to save money on things you may not be using anyway? With options like Netflix and Hulu, is it finally time to cut the cable on your expensive cable tv bill?

Ways to Profit from Financial Reform

Four ways the newly passed financial reform bill could make you richer.

Have questions or comments? Use the link below to contact us.