Over three-quarters of Americans own smartphones. We check them on average 46 times per day whether it’s a Facebook notification or a Snap, a work email or a text. But with apps, there’s so much more those smartphones can do. Here are 17 top apps for homeowners and renters. Whether you’re looking to remodel, buy, sell, or rent, these apps will help you get inspired, informed, organized, and back on budget.
Continue reading 17 Top Apps for Homeowners and Renters
The current trends are all about utilizing rich color, maximizing texture and creating comfortable interiors. Use these top 5 home design trends of 2017 to get inspired. Makeover your home’s interiors and create spaces you love that also appeal to your personal style. Remember, if you plan to sell in the next few years, you may want to avoid doing anything dramatic. Instead, incorporate small changes that would appeal to buyers.
Continue reading Top 5 Home Design Trends of 2017Bathrooms and kitchens are still the rooms consumers are most willing to remodel or upgrade according to the National Association of Home Builders. These have been the top rooms since 2001.
Whether you’re putting your home on the market this year or in the next five years, it is a smart decision to start building your home’s resale value now. Here are some ways to create a comfortable home while making it easier to put more money into your bank account on closing day.
You can’t avoid paying taxes, and we all need to pay our fair share. However, paying your fair share shouldn’t place an unjust burden on you. As a homeowner, your tax burden is doubled because you pay both income and property taxes. To decrease that burden and boost your tax savings, take advantage of these homeowner tax deductions. As a result, you can use your tax savings to go on a vacation, increase your child’s college fund, build upon your retirement fund, or complete another home improvement project.
These values come from the 2015 Cost vs. Value Report published by Remodeling magazine and show statistics for the Pacific states.
Continue reading Home Improvements That Pay OffIf you need to hire a contractor for a project in or around your home, you want to make sure you hire the right one. Here are some tips to help you do that.
Get recommendations from family or friends. I can recommend contractors and am always grateful for any recommendations you have for me. You can also check with building inspectors and supply houses to see who they recommend.
Continue reading How to Hire a Contractor
Even if you’re having a professional help you with your income tax return, you need to provide them with information on the money you spent that might be deductible. Look at the following list of homeowner tax tips to see if any of these things need a little more investigation to determine if they apply to your situation.
With roughly 12.5% of the population over 65 years of age, it is understandable that some people are thinking of downsizing because they may not need the amount of space they did in the past. There is something to be said for the freedom acquired by divesting yourself of things that have been accumulated over the years but are no longer needed. Should you downsize your home? It does have its benefits.
Homeowners can raise the basis or cost in their home by money spent on capital improvements. The benefit is that it will lower their gain and may save them taxes when they sell their home.
Improvements must add value to your home, prolong its useful life or adapt it to new uses. Repairs are routine in nature to maintain the value and keep the property in an ordinary, operating condition. They do not raise its basis.
Continue reading Raise the Basis and Lower the Gain