According to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, interest rates for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage are currently at 4.09%, which is still very low in comparison to recent history! The interest rate you secure when buying a home not only greatly impacts your monthly housing costs, but also impacts your purchasing power. Purchasing power, simply put, is…

Mix up your own natural potpourri with fruit, pine cones and spices to perfume your home or give as a gift! Collect pine cones and decorate your home with them in the fall. In the winter, use them to create holiday decor  and an enticing all-natural potpourri. At this time of the year, it’s easy…

Reviving a tired washroom needn’t require a total overhaul. Learn how to add style and character at an affordable price. 1. Coordinate Accents Give your bath a designer touch with matching accessories. Here, the medicine cabinet’s silvery frame is echoed by the decorative metal outlet covers. 2. Tile the Countertop An alternative to a stone…

Highlights: 5.45 million existing homes were sold in 2016! This is the highest mark set since 2006. Inventory of existing homes for sale dropped to a 3.6-month supply, the lowest level since NAR began tracking in 1999. The median price of homes sold in December was $232,200. This is the 58th consecutive month of year-over-year price…

What does your winter garden look like? We find that gardens become a bit of a dumping ground between November and February. But sometimes the light catches the bark of a silver birch, or the frost outlines dying seedheads. It is so poignantly beautiful that we realize how much winter has to offer gardens. Gardens…

Did you know your home’s design can affect your bank account and love life? Try these feng shui tips based on the ancient art of balancing energy. Put Furniture Legs on Rugs “Never put all your furniture against the walls,” says Karen Rauch Carter, feng shui consultant and author of Move Your Stuff, Change Your…

There are plenty of reasons to attend open houses, whether or not you are looking to buy. Here are eight reasons to check out those weekend open houses near you. 1. Get to know your local housing market before you sell.  Simply attending a few open houses in your neighborhood can give you an education…

Adding nature, via plants, has always been a popular way to help spruce  up a home for sale. But Pantone’s 2017 choice for Color of the Year wants you using the color of nature in a bolder way in the new year. Pantone named Greenery its 2017 Color of the Year. The tangy yellow-green hue…

If you have plain old stairs, a runner can make a statement and soften your footsteps. Runners made of woven cotton are affordable and easy to work with, and they range in style from beachy to baroque; here, we chose heathered stripes to complement a cottage-style interior. To simplify the job, This Old House senior…

Over the next five years, home prices are expected to appreciate 3.24% per year on average and to grow by 21.4% cumulatively, according to Pulsenomics’ most recent Home Price Expectation Survey. So, what does this mean for homeowners and their equity position? As an example, let’s assume a young couple purchases and closes on a…