Kitchens are the most valued room in the house. It's where everyone likes to gather and it's a huge selling point when your home is on the market. Your kitchen is going to be noticed. It pays to invest in it.

But full scale remodels can be expensive. And time-consuming. The average kitchen renovation costs $22,000 and takes anywhere from two to six months to complete. Before you get too discouraged, understand that you can install some kitchen upgrades at a fraction of the cost. Even the most inexperienced DIY-er has a few projects they can handle.

When you want to upgrade your kitchen on a budget, think of things like:

Cabinet Refacing

There are a few ways you can go here. Traditional cabinet refacing uses the existing cabinetry and is…

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Check the Location

It just makes good sense that before you hand over a down payment on a property that is going to increase your debt, you want to make sure that property is in a good location. You can use what is often referred to as "fixing and flipping". The investor can build equity by buying what would be considered the most run-down house on a street. By investing the money to put that house in good shape, you make it attractive to a buyer who wants a house in a nice area.

 

Don’t Buy the First Thing You See- Look Around

The initial appearance of a property may appeal to an investor, but don't give in to the urge to buy quickly. Your personal preferences should not come in to play here. If investing in rental property you may think that…

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Photo mistakes that will kill your real estate listing

First impressions are everything and if you are selling your home, often the buyer’s first impression is the photos that they see in an online real estate listing. The goal of photos is to entice the buyer to want to see more and schedule a viewing. A poor-quality photo can be a deal killer within only a few seconds. The following are mistakes are ones that you should avoid to put your best foot forward and present your property in a way that will entice buyers.

 

#1 Too Dark

The number one rule of real estate photography it is that it is all about lighting. If the room is naturally too dark, or if it is dark due to an error using the camera, it makes your home look gloomy and…

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How To Get More When Selling Your Home

If you are trying to sell your home, then you will want to maximize your profits. While you may need to spend some money to make your property more appealing to buyers, some of the home improvement projects only require hard work. Here are some tips for making the most money on your home.

 

Tip 1: Get Rid of a Home’s Clutter

Potential buyers want to see all of the areas of a home, but when the cupboards and closets are full of junk, they can’t see the spaces. If you are moving, then you don’t want to pack a lot of the things that you have currently, so you can make your life easier by getting rid of clutter far in advance.

 

Tip 2: Clean Your Home

When a home is dirty, any potential buyers will…

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Top mistakes to avoid when making an offer

You have finally found a house that you can call home and cannot wait to buy it and move in. You can already see your new life in the new yard. However, there might be a hurdle on your way to owning the house – the offer. Many people blow their chances of owning their dream home by making mistakes in their offer. In the competitive housing arena, you do not want to make these mistakes listed below.

 

Maxing out on the pre-approved amount

Given the number of people that may be interested property, you may end up in a bidding war. The best way to win the war is to have a strong financial backing. This starts with getting a pre-approval to show that you are prepared to take the home.

However, when…

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Why Investing in Rental Properties is Better Than a 401(k)

It's well known that putting money back for retirement is an essential part of achieving long-term financial success. To most people, this means contributing to a 401(k). Though a 401(k) can be a good way to save money, it is far from the best way to ensure financial security in retirement, since it will not continue to produce more income once it has been drawn out. For those who want to see a steady, reliable income in their retirement years, one of the best options is investing in rental real estate.

 

What Are the Advantages of Real Estate?

The greatest advantage of investing in real estate is that it can produce a largely passive income in the form of rental payments. According to…

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Tiny Homes - Are They For You?

In 1973, the average size of a home was just over 1,500 square feet. However, more than forty years later that size has grown to almost 2,600 square feet. While people may have much more space for themselves and their stuff, they also have much higher mortgage payments and property taxes to deal with each year. Because of this, there has been a recent trend to substantially downsize into what are known as "tiny homes." These homes, which are defined as those averaging between 100-400 square feet, are currently the hottest trend in today's housing market. However, as with anything that is relatively new, there are various pros and cons associated with these homes. If you're thinking of taking the plunge and going tiny,…

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How Much Does it Really Cost to Sell Your House?

Most of the homeowners are just focused on the amount of money that they would get after selling the house. They fail to plan for the costs that will come with selling the house. These fees may take up to 10 percent of the total selling price of the home. The good thing is that many of these costs are negotiable and can fluctuate as per the prevailing property market conditions. Here are some of the costs you may incur when selling your house.

 

Realtor’s Commission

The realtor’s commission is the highest fee that you will pay. Most realtors charge a commission of 5 to 6 percent of the total cost of sale. The commission is shared between your agent and the buyer’s agent. For example, if your…

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Top Home Buying Tips for Millennials

Millennials are quickly coming to dominate the housing market, but many of them are buying homes for the first time. That can make it hard to navigate the buying process, especially when competing with older, more experienced buyers. Fortunately, there are a few ways to make the process much easier.

 

 Get Financial Guidance

 Finances can be complicated, and not just because homes tend to be expensive. There are a number of programs that exist to support people who are buying their first home, plenty of loan offers to choose from, and it's easy to overlook potential costs. Inexperienced buyers often make expensive mistakes, so it's wise to get help from a financial advisor to prevent them.

 A good…

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Top 4 Reasons to Not Buy a "For Sale by Owner"

It can be tempting to navigate toward For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties when you start shopping for a new home. A FSBO has that neighborhood feel about it without the complication of realtors and big business. The trouble is, dealing directly with a home owner can be far more expensive for both your pocketbook and your schedule. Here are four good reasons to avoid the FSBO and work with a licensed realtor when considering a new property purchase.

 

1. Undisclosed Problems

 Realtors are required to disclose any problems with the property they are selling. A homeowner who is not a registered realtor is not held to the same standards. While most homeowners are not trying to intentionally cover up…

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