Although summer officially starts on June 21st, for most residents it might already feel like summer is here! As we gear up for the summer solstice (the longest day of the year), check out these cities that get the most sunshine!

The summer solstice is still celebrated by cultures all over the world. Many of us choose to enjoy this time by heading to the beach or having a BBQ – tipping off the next few months of amazing weather and fun with friends and family.

It’s no wonder that the cities in the southwest get the most sunshine. Texas, Arizona, and Nevada are the only states that made our list. The hot desert and desert-like climates in the cities [...]

Have you ever wondered what America’s “dream” home would consist of? What features would it have? How much would it cost? From childhood, many Americans envision their very own dream home specially tailored to meet their specific wants and needs. While each person has a unique taste in home decor and design, many Americans can agree that certain features should be present in their dream homes.

We surveyed 2,000 Americans to find out what the average person visualizes when conceptualizing their dream home. You’ll be surprised with what we found:

Dream features and amenities add up. The survey results revealed that the average American [...]

The two rooms of a house that make or break most home sales are bathrooms and kitchens, which explains why those two rooms dominate the remodeling business. Last year, bathroom renovations edged out kitchens as the most popular remodeling project by a margin of 81-to-78 percent. At 49 percent, renovations of entire homes were a distant third, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders.

Though both rooms top the popularity list for remodeling, the value that they add to a home’s sale price is almost always less than the costs of remodeling. Very few remodeling projects pay for themselves by recouping their costs when the house is sold. As a [...]

Take a look around your neighborhood – do you see any litter on the sidewalks? What about in the grass? The majority of realtors believe that litter can reduce property values from 7% to 12%, and home buyers report that seeing significant trash would definitely factor into their decision to make an offer on a given property. Litter is not just unattractive, it can also present a physical danger (such as sharp edges on cans and broken glass) or can increase the danger of disease, serving as a reservoir for germs and biological hazards, not to mention the danger to wildlife.

Litter happens in every neighborhood, on every street, and in every business district, [...]

We all have those television shows we’ve binge-watched episode after episode, rerun after rerun, for as long as they’ve aired and in the years after. Many of those shows took place inside of a family’s home with the living room area as the most popular focal point of the set, and many of them are as familiar to us as our own living rooms. For example, at first glance, most people are able to immediately recognize the white couch and curved stairway that stood behind it from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or the floral and bamboo couches displayed in the living area of Golden Girls. What other obvious living rooms come to mind? Well, let’s take a trip down memory [...]

The emotional toll of losing a home, or even the threat of a loss, is tremendous. Leaving your home when you have time to gather your things together is already stressful, but escaping with only the clothes on your back can be devastating.

If you live in an earthquake, fire, flood, tornado or other natural disaster zones, you know losing your home is a possibility, but no matter how “prepared” you think you are, you’re not really ready when the time comes.

“Don’t underestimate the challenge of evacuation, relocation, and rebuilding after a fire. It doesn’t matter if the loss is expected or not, [...]

In an ideal scenario, the perfect house shows up when you are ready and have the cash flow to cover the down payment, closing costs, and first month’s mortgage. However, this isn’t always the case. If crunching the closing cost numbers is beyond stressful, rather than missing the opportunity to buy now, you might see if a lender credit could make it happen.

A lender credit is also called a lender assist, though you may want to sit down with your mortgage broker to more solidly understand the verbiage he/she uses. What is a lender credit? Essentially, as a borrower, your lender could agree to credit closing costs. For instance, you might [...]

The Millennial Generation is next up to endure the homebuying process and is currently taking over the market. As the largest living generation, their buying habits and attitudes toward homebuying will definitely shape the future of the real estate industry. With this, we decided to do a little research to see how the average millennial feels about home buying. After conducting a survey we, here at Homes.com, found out that this open-minded, liberal, and self-expressive generation has a unique attitude toward home buying. 7 in 10 non-home owning millennials feel it will be difficult for them to get a mortgage – with close to 1 in 10 (nine percent) saying they’ve given up [...]

If you’re thinking of putting your house on the market, you probably already have a giant to-do list. You want to paint the bedroom, hang new curtains and fix the broken planks on the deck. In reality, those might not be the best places to concentrate your energy. An updated bathroom can make or break a home’s appeal and value.

“Some people want new, clean spaces,” said Ken Kostecki, Maison Construction & Renovation president. “Kitchens and bathrooms are the places where you get top value. You’re going to get that money out of it.”

Here are some signs that it’s time to update your bathroom:

Real estate is no longer a one-size-fits-all business. Technology and a competitive market give you more options and provide you with new ways of saving money on a real estate transaction. The trend is clearly apparent in brokerage fees, generally one of the most expensive parts of selling a home.

Brokerages have historically split a 6% commission when a home is sold. The buyer’s agent got 3%, and the seller’s agent received 3%, and you had little to no negotiating power with the arrangement. That model worked well when homes sold for $50,000, as the fee was relatively small. Now, with homes selling for $500,000 or more on average, the fee has become larger, and [...]

Bow wow wow yippy yo yippy YAY! In light of all of your hectic Christmas and New Years travel plans, have you secured a place for you and your furry friend(s) to lodge this holiday season? If you haven’t, have no fear. Homes.com has compiled a list of some of the best pet-friendly lodging across the country.

Located in sunny Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, your pooch will go crazy for the amenities offered at Edgemere Cottages. This quaint bed & breakfast has a country, cottage style with lush gardens and is just a mere one mile from the beach – perfect for an evening walk! For humans, the cottages offer homemade breakfast, cottages available [...]

We all know that the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the dessert that follows. After stuffing your face on Turkey Day, National Cake Day rolls around on November 26th. Here at Homes.com, we’ve compiled a map of some popular cake specialties in the US. Who typically bakes the cakes in your family? Do you prefer coconut cake like the people of South Carolina, or Meyer Lemon like California residents?

Other popular cake varieties across the country include red velvet (Arkansas), Smith Island Cake (Maryland), and gooey butter cake (Missouri).

According to The Bulletin, a Central Oregon publication, there are only eight states with an official state [...]