News Articles for Buyers


3 Mistakes Every Home Buyer Should Avoid - Ensure you do not make these 3 costly mistakes as a home buyer.

6 Top Benefits of Owning a Home - The responsibilities that go with homeownership can be a pain, but the financial and "feel good" rewards make it all worthwhile.

8 Tips for House Hunting on Vacation - Some say it's no way to spend a vacation, but checking out the real estate market in your favorite corner of paradise actually may be a smart way to multitask.

10 Biggest Mistakes Home Buyers Make - If you can avoid falling into these traps you're likely to get a much better deal.

10 Mistakes Do-it-Yourselfers Make - Home improvement projects often require more time and money t han you expect. Four experts share the ten most common mistakes.

12 Country Building Suprises and How to Avoid Them - The air may be cleaner, but important things like building codes can be a bit murky.

12 Tips for Building Your Own Home - Want to bring in your home-building project on time and close to budget? Here are some tips from the pros.

17 Ways to Reduce Home Energy Costs - Money-saving tips for managing your home energy expenses.

Anti-Flipping Rules Aimed at Investors - Stricter lending rules on homes that are bought and quickly resold are having a negative effect on investors.

Beefing Up Your Home's Security - You can keep the bad guys at bay without having to rob a bank to pay for the cost of additional security.

Condo or House? What's Best for You - Condo units sometimes appreciate faster than single-family homes, but that's just one factor to consider when deciding between the two.

Cutting Your Home Energy Costs - Cooling your home this summer will be pricey, but a few changes can make a big difference. And, many changes don't cost much in cash, or comfort.

Get Ready Check List for the Next Disaster - About 64 percent of U.S. homes are underinsured. Use this checklist to make sure you're ready for the next calamity.

Here Comes the 40 Year Mortgage - For years a niche product found mostly on the west coast, it will become mainstream this month.

Home Buying 101 - Escrow? Jumbo loan? PMI? Before your head is swimming with these house-buying terms, get a quick vocabulary lesson in some real estate and mortgage terms.

Home Inspections: What Really Matters? - Most of your inspection will be maintenance recommendations, life expectancies and minor imperfections. However, the issues that really matter will fall into four categories.

How Much Do You Know about Home Equity? - Take this quiz to see if you understand how home equity loans and lines of credit work.

How to Hire a Contractor - Remodeling or repairing your home is not something you do every day. Here's how to be selective when choosing a contractor.

Interest Only Mortgage Deja Vu - That last craze for interest-only mortgages craze ended with a Depression-era wave of foreclosures. The new variety of this loan is even riskier, says Jack Guttentag, the Mortgage Professor.

Investing in Foreclosures: For Novices it's a Crapshoot - Getting rich from buying foreclosures is the fantasy of many Americans, but it's much like most other things that seem too good to be true.

Investing in Pre-Foreclosures - Investors are intrigued by the return potential on distressed properties, but the best deals occur at the preforeclosure stage.

Know Your Option ARM Choices Well - Like a chainsaw, these new and popular adjustable mortgages can be useful or harmful, and the risk is borne entirely by the user.

Locking a Rate versus Paying Discount Points - Those waiting for a house to be finished often spend thousands on long rate locks, but there is an alternative: Pay that same money for discount points.

Should You Be Your Own General Contractor? - So, Mr. Handyman, you think you're ready to build your own house. Or at least to supervise the people who do the actual construction work. May you should think about it some more.

The Truth About Buying Foreclosures - Everyone wants to buy a foreclosure for a song. But they're not that easy to find and there's no guarantee it's a good investment.

Top Ten Mistakes by Novice Real Estate Investors - Real estate has become the investment everyone sees as their ticket to easy wealth. It's not that easy.

Vacation Homes: Not Just for the Rich and Famous - You, too, can own a vacation home, even if you're not rich. The trick is in avoiding the property-management middleman.

What's Better: New or Existing Home? - Different strokes for different folks. Here's a review of the pros and cons of each.

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Alexia and Bill Gallagher