Fiction.

I’d put this in the same category as “You should wait 45 minutes after eating before going swimming.” I suppose it’s good advice, but it’s not a requirement.

In general, the bigger the down payment you’re making, the better terms the lender will give you. Recently, we’ve seen lenders waive the requirement of having an appraisal [...]

Question:

How does an appraiser get selected by a lender, or what's the process for connecting an appraiser with a property that's being bought?

Appraisers are typically asked by a lender or appraisal management company to submit their recent credentials (basically a resume), current license and current E/O insurance. With those, [...]

Some Highlights

• The biggest challenge in the housing market is how few houses there are for sale compared to the number of people who want to buy.
• The number of homes for sale is up from last year but below pre-pandemic numbers, and that means we’re still in a sellers’ market.
• The housing market needs more homes for sale to meet the demand of today’s buyers. If you’ve thought
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There’s almost always a good reason to go to a great cafe. Whether you want to spend time with a good book, do some computer work (but not at home, and definitely not at your office), meet with friends, or just change your scenery, we’re big fans of our local [...]

Looking to get sweaty and dirty with a real estate project? Buying a “budget friendly” (or, the less eloquent term, “fixer upper”) can be a great way to get a property with potential at a price you can afford. I’ll use the terms interchangeably in an effort to put the right spin on these properties. As a bonus to getting into a house at [...]

Increasing your home's energy efficiency can help you save money on your energy bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and contribute to a more sustainable future. It can also improve the comfort and indoor air quality of your [...]

You’re getting into the real estate market, spending hours looking at listings online, talking with friends, reading blogs (see what I did there?). Maybe you have a Realtor that you’ve been in touch with to help move the search/buy [...]

The biggest challenge the housing market’s facing is how few homes there are for sale. Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American, explains the root causes of today’s low supply:

“Two dynamics are keeping existing-home inventory historically low – rate-locked existing homeowners and the fear of not finding something to buy.”

Let’s break down these two big issues in today’s housing [...]

Bill Bryson once said “A year in Vermont, according to an old saw, is nine months of winter followed by three months of very poor sledding.”  Every Vermonter knows the accuracy of this.  Because we’re so used to very long winters we’ve come to look forward to a variety of activities and we are sharing our favorite activities to do in [...]

As a homeowner, there comes a time when you want to improve your living space. Maybe you want to upgrade your kitchen or add a new room to your home. Whatever the project, you have to decide whether to do it yourself or hire a contractor. This article will explore the ideal DIY home improvement projects and which ones require professional [...]