Homes.com Staff

Escape the Crowds of Tourists and Settle Down in These Virginia Beach Suburbs

Suburbs Made for Virginia Beach Lovers

January 1, 2025

What Your Feelings Could Cost You: How to Keep Your Emotions Out of Selling Your Home

7 Ways to Control Your Emotions When It's Time to Sell

January 1, 2025

The 10 Best Bargain Places to Retire in the U.S.

Retirement is something that almost everyone looks forward to. Unfortunately, the economic downturn in the U.S. has been so severe that it has put a serious dent in many people's retirement plans. Add a prolonged housing decline and the nest egg many thought they had years ago is only a fraction of what it once was. That doesn't mean that all hope is lost. U.S News, together with Onboard Informatics, found ten bargain cities for people to retire to in the U.S. The study is the result of a formula determining cost of living plus the real estate value decline in these cities.Here are the Top Ten Best Bargains for retirees:

January 1, 2025

Downsizing 101: What to Toss, What to Keep, and How to Deal With It All

De-Clutter Your Life

January 1, 2025

Six Warning Signs Your Roof Needs to be Replaced

Roofs: they're what protect us from the elements. They give us privacy. They give us shade. And most importantly, they give us a shelter. A home wouldn't be complete without a roof, so it's important to keep yours is in tip-top shape. But is it? It's best to find out before problems mount so you can avoid costly and dangerous repairs. Here are six warning signs that should be on your radar.

January 1, 2025

7 Things You Should Know Before You Power Wash Anything

Pressure washing or power washing is the use of spraying water under high pressure to remove loose paint, mold, algae, grime, dust, mud, chewing gum and dirt from surfaces and objects like buildings, fences, masonry, some vehicles and concrete or asphalt surfaces such as driveways or patios. The terms "power washing" and "pressure washing" are often used interchangeably, but the fact is they're two different processes. Both use water under high pressure to clean surfaces, but power washing has a heating element to heat the water and pressure washing does not.As with any cleaning process heated water cleans better. Some things should be power or pressure washed with added chemicals, like baking soda, vinegar, citric acid or commercial power washing soaps, detergents, sanitizers, or disinfectants. Here are seven other things you should know before power or pressure washing anything around your home:

January 1, 2025

11 Pros and Cons of Buying a New Construction Home

A new construction home offers many benefits, including a modern layout, custom design options and a clean slate for starting your next chapter. However, it’s essential to be aware of the potential hiccups that can happen along the way, such as construction delays and the additional costs that could be associated with purchasing a newly built home. 

January 1, 2025

Safety First: Here Are the Five Safest Neighborhoods in Boston, MA

Low Crime Areas Do Exist in Boston

January 1, 2025

6 Steps to Challenging a Low Home Appraisal During a Mortgage Refinance

Don’t Let a Low Appraisal Ruin Your Real Estate Transaction

January 1, 2025

5 Hardscaping Projects That Can Improve Your Home’s Value

If you're thinking about improvements to your home, some home improvements raise potential resale value more than others. The key consideration, of course, is that you and your family will get use out of and enjoy the improvement, but it never hurts to think strategically. A home project you enjoy every day that will hike your home's resale value is a terrific two-fer. But what projects improve resale value the most? Projects that add curb appeal can raise a home's value by as much as 20 percent."Curb appeal" refers to what potential buyers see when they drive up and park. Landscaping, hardscaping and home exteriors all count. Hardscaping, by the way, is any structure or hard materials that are part of the landscape. A beautiful garden, a spacious deck and shining new paint can all make prospective owners take notice. Homes with curb appeal also tend to sell more quickly, which can be an attractive quality when you come to sell your home.Within the hardscaping category, some improvements give you more bang for the buck than others. Swimming pools, for example, were once very popular. As a result, they were common features in a lot of sunny climate backyards. Now, though? Many people see them as a potential danger to small children, an insurance risk and a maintenance time and money suck. They only yield a 7 percent return on investment (ROI) in terms of resale value. Many hardscaping projects return more.Which ones? Well, here are five.

January 1, 2025