Seventy-five percent of Americans believe their local housing market is "cooling off" following five consecutive quarters where most viewed it as “overheated,” according to the results of ValueInsured's Q4 2018 Modern Homebuyer Survey.  In those states where homes are selling at a rapid-fire pace, 22 percent of residents in California, 19 percent in Colorado, 36 percent in Texas and 22...

Protecting your home’s value means taking good care of it during the more demanding winter months, especially if you’re eyeing a spring sale. According to the Appraisal Institute, winterizing your property will go a long way toward reducing future costs, not to mention keeping you more comfortable in chilly weather.  Winterization projects that will contribute most to your home’s value are those...

Have company coming for the holidays? Entertaining a fleet of friends? Your home may need a little advanced TLC to support your incoming crowd. DFW Properties presents the following five tips from 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electric, who recommend: Clean and treat the disposal When entertaining for the holidays, disposals will be used much more frequently. Make sure to run an all-natural...

Sure you recycle, compost, and have long ago ditched plastic single-use bottles. But how environmentally-friendly is your holiday routine? According to Republic Services, 80 percent of what is thrown away during the holidays can be recycled or repurposed. "Many of us want to be better recyclers during the holidays, but we aren't sure how or just don't have the time," says Pete Keller, vice president of...

As a renter, finding a flipped property can be great. After all, you're moving into a recently renovated space that's clean, modern, up to code and more visually appealing, right? Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Take care when renting a flipped property. Some of these homes are flipped very quickly, and in the process, hazardous shortcuts might have been taken. It's important to know what to...

Selling a house around the holidays can be a difficult task for your clients. There's a traditional assumption that this is when the market slows down. Despite that, many real estate agents earn more by capitalizing on less inventory to drive demand for buyers who truly are looking to move before the new year. Don't assume that homes won't sell this time of year. They can—if you know how to do it...

If you want to get a better hold on your finances, consider using the year's end to review your spending and saving history, and think ahead for next year, and tax time.According to Senior CFP Board Ambassador Jill Schlesinger, CFP®, for millions of Americans, the new code should make filing easier since nearly 90 percent of taxpayers are likely to claim the standard deduction this year.We at DFW...

Lately, there's been a growing chorus warning utility customers to be hyper-aware of unscrupulous callers and visitors set on stealing everything from an energy supplier authorization to your personal and financial data and your hard-earned cash.As we make our way through the winter season, utility companies want customers to be reminded about common utility scams - and have banded together to promote a...

Year after year, many homeowners find themselves surprised when their first heating bill arrives. The frugal-minded tend to turn to extra blankets and multiple layers in lieu of paying expensive heating bills, but at the end of the day, you should be comfortable in your own home. With a little knowledge and a few behavior tweaks, you can heat your home much more efficiently, without sacrificing your...

After receiving a piece of furniture as a last-minute gift from a friend who was selling and moving, the buyer became upset assuming they would inherit the item even though it had not been agreed upon.  Something that should be assumed to come with the house is known as a 'fixture.' But what counts as a fixture is the basis for many real estate disputes, according to Elizabeth Weintraub...