Get a Home Inspection and Save Money

Get a Home InspectionOkay, you made one of the most important decisions in your life: you’re buying a home! You found your ideal home. It’s in your desired neighborhood, close to everything you need. You love its design and feel, and you’re ready to finalize the deal.

But, whoa … wait a minute! Buying a home isn’t like buying a toaster. If you discover something’s wrong with your new home, you can’t return it for a refund or exchange. You’re stuck with your buying decision. Purchasing a home is an important investment and should be treated as such. Therefore, before finalizing anything, your ideal home needs an inspection so you don’t throw your hard-earned money into a money pit.

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Should You Buy a New or Existing Home?

Should You Buy a New or Existing Home?Maybe your dream home has the intricate details that you usually find only in older construction — wainscoting and crown molding in the interior, a large yard with an older tree shading the back yard, and a white picket fence.

Or maybe your dream home has all the conveniences of modern living — open floor plan in the living and dining spaces, large windows, connected, “smart” appliances, and minimalist design elements.

Whether you go for a brand new construction or an existing home, both types of properties have their pros and cons when it comes to purchasing. What type of home is right for you will depend on which factors are most important for your lifestyle.

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14 Easy Fixes to Make Before Your Home Inspection

14 Easy Fixes to Make Before Your Home InspectionBefore your home goes on the market, you want to make sure it looks its best for potential buyers. Once you have an accepted offer, the next person you need to worry about is the home inspector. The home inspector will be looking at many things your buyer did not. Here are 14 easy fixes to make before your home inspection.

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How to Buy a Home: 7 Tips and Tricks from Real Estate Insiders

How to Buy a HomeNo matter if you’re in a buyer’s or seller’s market, there are a few critical steps you can take to make a smarter purchase. Since buying a home is likely the biggest single investment you will ever make, being prepared will help you make a better purchase. Here are 7 tips and tricks to buying a home.

Know Your Buying Power

What is your buying power? It is your ability to borrow plus the cash you have available for a down payment and closing costs. Your credit-worthiness and income will affect how much you can realistically borrow for a home.

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Three Negotiating Mistakes Sellers Make

Three Negotiating Mistakes Sellers MakeWhen you list your home for sale, you may think you’ve priced it right, staged it beautifully, and timed the market for a quick sale.

The reality is that buyers are full of surprises, nearly all of them predictable. They rarely pay list price; they discount or dismiss improvements you’ve made; their inspections usually turn up something for you to fix, and they may have terms that you weren’t counting on — like needing to sell their home before they buy yours.

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Top Homeowner Tax Deductions That Decrease Your Tax Burden

Top Homeowner Tax DeductionsYou 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.

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How to Review and Protect Your Credit Before Buying a Home

Updated July 24, 2026

Reviewing your credit before buying a home gives you time to find errors, spot signs of identity theft, and understand what a lender may see. Checking your own credit reports does not lower your credit score.

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Are You Covered?

Are You Covered?Insurance and homeowners go together like peanut butter and jelly. Lenders require fire insurance at a minimum for homes with a mortgage, but many owners opt for more comprehensive coverage with a homeowner’s policy.

However, comprehensive doesn’t mean that everything is covered. Filing a claim is not the time to learn that you don’t have the right coverage. Are you covered? Here are some topics you should discuss with your insurance agent to get a better understanding of your policy and whether some adjustments might be in order.

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How to Move But Not Increase Property Taxes

how to move but not increase property taxesAccording to a survey by the California Association of Realtors, one of the top reasons home owners have not considered selling is a concern that property taxes on another home would be too expensive.

For certain groups of people living in San Diego County and some other counties in California, there is a way to move but not increase property taxes.

California voters have passed several propositions, Propositions 60, 90 and 110, that allow eligible property owners to transfer the base year value of an existing principal residence to a replacement dwelling.

What do these propositions do? Who qualifies, and what are the benefits?

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You Need a Champion

championThe Super Bowl and World Series determine the football and baseball champions. Since there can only be one champion, the other team loses the competition. In feudal times, a knight might champion for the king or a patriotic, romantic or religious cause.

Fierce competition can occur when buying or selling a home because each party wants to get the best deal possible. When the buyer and seller are not be equally matched, and they rarely are, it is important to have a champion on your side to fight for your cause.

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