Circumventing a mortgage may speed up the deal, but both buyers and sellers must consider many factors. Liquid assets like cash represent flexibility and efficiency, and there are few areas of our financial lives in which the phrase rings truer than in real estate transactions. Given changes in the interest rate environment over the last…
Compensating for a lack of view is not insurmountable. Here are some clever ways to create your own. Prestigious addresses in desirable neighborhoods may suggest apartments and townhouses that check all the boxes, but sunlight and views are not guaranteed. It is a simple matter of geometry: Each building may be a square or rectangular box, or a series…
Each room in your home requires a different staging approach, showcasing both functionality and unique charm. As a home stager and real estate salesperson, I often encounter clients and agents who conceptualize staging as a process synonymous with “decorating.” The truth is that effective and successful home staging is a strategic process designed to represent your property…
Get inspired by your closet, do some math, or keep it simple with monochromatic designs You just rented or purchased your first home and are ready to move, but where to start with furnishings, decor, lighting, artwork, and most importantly, wall colors? Furnishing a first home can be overwhelming and expensive, but of all the elements that comprise…
Designing your home based on the past will assure it a place in the future. Discover five eras of vintage interior design. Home furnishing trends, colors and styles come and go with amazing speed, making it a challenge for even the most dedicated homeowner to keep track of what is “in” and “out” at any given moment. The…
A lawsuit from the CFPB proves just how popular the peer-to-peer service is with fraudsters, and what makes it especially vulnerable to scams. Zelle is an electronic person-to-person payment service offered by many U.S. banks as an alternative to nonbank P2P services, like PayPal or Venmo. Zelle is convenient if you have a bank checking or savings…
Learn how many branches and ATMs the largest banks have. When it comes to choosing a bank, you have many options throughout the U.S. However, if you’re looking for a bank with robust offerings and a large presence, it can help to start with one of the country’s biggest banks. Read on to learn more…
If you need to send a large sum of money securely, learn how to do a wire transfer. Imagine you need to pay money to a title company to wrap up a home purchase. Or perhaps you need to send cash to your grandmother in Mexico. In both of these cases, and many others, you need…
Opening an account with a new bank doesn’t have to be a challenge. There are many reasons to switch banks. Perhaps your new bank is in a better location, has fewer fees, offers higher interest rates on savings accounts or has friendlier customer service. But after you’ve made the decision to switch, the actual process of transferring…
Credit unions and banks offer many of the same types of financial products and services. But there are some key differences between the two. From ownership structure to membership requirements, there are a lot of differences between banks and credit unions that are essential to know before choosing where to put your money. You may…
