Homes.com Staff

8 Questions You Need to Answer Before Listing Your Home for Sale

There are two types of home sellers: those who want to sell their homes and those who need to. Of these two groups, those who want to sell have the most flexibility in terms of how and when to sell their home. They can plan and watch the market, so they can position themselves for the best opportunities. If you are among the group who wants to sell, then you should take the time to research the market, find out what buyers are looking for, and stage your home accordingly. Here are eight questions you’ll want to answer before listing your home.

May 6, 2025

Building a Home? How Do You Even Begin?

How to Build Your Own Home From the Ground Up

May 6, 2025

3 Tips for Buying a Pet-Friendly Home

Most of us know what features we want in a new home. However, beyond a yard or other pet-specific feature, most pet owners don't consider other features they may need. And if you're selling a home to pet owners, knowing what benefits to promote may just help you make a sale."Before you choose a real estate agent make sure they are pet-friendly and understand your needs as a pet owner," said Jill Barsky, an associate broker located in Virginia. Barsky is licensed in MD, DC, and VA, and sees a lot of homes from city condos to rural farms." Agents want to be helpful and may say they're pet-friendly, but unless they have pets, they may not understand. Ask for references, and look at their ads and website. Do they make a point of letting buyers and sellers know they're pet-friendly?" Barsky advertises herself as "The Pet-Friendly Realtor," so clients know right away they're in the right place.As a real estate agent, Barsky has tapped into a huge niche — pet owners in search of homes. According to a 2015/2016 poll by the Humane Society, pet ownership in the U.S. there are 163.6 million cats and dogs in 79.7 million homes.A strongly pet-friendly broker, Barsky encourages her clients to bring their pets with them when looking at houses. "It's a huge plus for buyers to be able to see how their pet responds to the home too," she said. Barsky began volunteering at an animal rescue at age 14. Now, in addition to her real estate practice, she also runs an animal rescue.

January 1, 2025

How to Price Your Home in an Extreme Market

Most sellers want two things: the highest possible price and the shortest possible time between listing to close. Hot markets (like the current one!) can be hard on sellers. Sure, inventory generally sells quickly, and bidding wars skyrocket offers higher than list prices. But one of the greatest threats to sellers during sellers' markets is low appraisals — a by-product of those same bidding wars and accelerating home values. Given all these fast-paced challenges, how should you price your home in an extreme market?

January 1, 2025

The 10 Most Bike-Friendly Cities in the U.S.

Love to Travel by Bike? Here Are the Best Cities to Move To

January 1, 2025

8 Things To Understand Before You Buy A Home In A Flood Zone

Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States, and if you own a home, you're probably at risk from water damage. Because recent Federal Flood Insurance Reform has caused flood insurance premiums to soar — from $2,500 a year to $9,500 a year and more depending on your zone, it's important to know whether your new home is in a flood zone. Whether you're a buyer, seller, or real estate agent, you can learn more about flood insurance through FEMA's website.

January 1, 2025

The Best U.S. Suburbs to Move to in 2021

The remote work tidal wave during 2020 dramatically reshaped the way many Americans are making their homebuying and rental decisions. Working from home and the elimination of long commutes has prompted a mass migration away from large metropolitan areas into smaller surrounding suburbs, where overall costs of living are usually more accessible. Higher demand for larger lot sizes, more square footage, and pools have also have emerged. It makes sense — if we’re going to spend so much more time at home, we want our spaces to be as comfortable as possible! It begged the question: what are the best suburbs to move to in 2021?Homes.com wanted to dive deeper into this shift in consumer behavior, and how the sudden freedom from being tethered to the office has affected where to call home. We compiled a listing of 50 suburbs, based on the U.S. Census’s list of fastest-growing towns in each state, and ranked them against a set of homebuying criteria to uncover the best U.S. suburbs to move to in 2021.Read on to see where your area stacks up!

January 1, 2025

What REALLY Happens to HGTV Dream Home Winners?

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of HGTV’s Dream Home giveaway, the popular cable network is sparing no expense. Not only will the winner receive a sprawling 3,300-square-foot seaside house 10 minutes from Newport, Rhode Island, he or she will get a $250,000 mortgage and a brand new motor home.It sounds like the perfect prize, and millions of past entrants no doubt have thought the same. But, we're all adults here, so we know that if something sounds too good to be true it probably is.

January 1, 2025

Renting Out Your Spare Space: Exploring How People Rent Out Space In Their Homes

It's no secret that the road to homeownership is an expensive – albeit rewarding – one. Between mortgage payments and renovations, homeowners may feel their budgets stretched thin. There is hope, however: renting out your spare space.The search term "renting your home" yields over 180 million search results on Google, so homeowners are certainly interested in this form of cost mitigation. Wanting to know more, we surveyed 950 people who own a home. We learned which spaces homeowners are renting out, how much money they're making, and even dove into some of their biggest regrets. Continue reading to see just how rewarding or frustrating in-home rental units can be.

January 1, 2025

What Is a Mother-in-Law Suite? Benefits, Design Ideas and Costs

The concept of a mother-in-law suite stems from early 20th-century traditions when caring for aging parents was a societal expectation after marriage. However, you don't need to have in-laws to reap the benefits of having a second, private living space as part of your home. 

January 1, 2025