After raising the target range for the federal funds rate in 2018, the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee did not raise the Central Bank's key interest rate at its meeting of January 29 and 30. While Committee members did not raise the Fed's key rate, members were divided on the interest rate decision. FOMC Members Divided On Interest Rate Decision Minutes of January's FOMC meeting indicated that member viewpoints varied about how the Fed should deal with the Fed's target interest rate range. One group said that interest rate increases may be necessary if inflation increases above the Federal … [Read More...]
While you could spend tens of thousands of dollars or more completing a home makeover, there are more than a few budget-minded ideas that you may consider. Add Color To Molding And Trim One cool idea in home décor and interior design is to get rid of the standard white trim and molding and to add color to these areas. Neutral hues like grays and browns have universal appeal, or you can give your space a more contemporary look by adding black to these areas. Generally, you will want a more neutral color like a creamy beige on the walls when executing a look with colored trim. Another … [Read More...]
Your real estate agent will likely give you 24 hours' notice before bringing over interested buyers to see your home. Sometimes eager buyers may request less of an advance, or even ask for a last minute showing. Since you're eager to be accommodating, you may agree to consider such requests. Whether you have 24 hours to prepare for a showing or 15 minutes, these tips will make showings easier for your family. Keep The Family Pet Carrier By The Door Real estate agents advise not leaving your family pet at home during showings. Make it easy to bring along Fido or Fluffy by keeping their carrier … [Read More...]
Last week's economic reports included readings on the Consumer Price Index, Core CPI, Retail Sales and Retail Sales excluding autos. The University of Michigan also released its Consumer Sentiment Index. Weekly readings for mortgage rates and first-time jobless claims were also released. Retail Sales Slip in December, Inflation Holds Steady December retail sales were 1.20 percent lower in December; analysts expected no growth as compared to November's retail sales growth of 0.10 percent. Readings for retail sales excluding the automotive sector were also lower in December with a negative … [Read More...]
Kids of all ages often have a hard time dealing with moving. They may not be able to understand why the family can't stay in the same place forever. Even with explanations, children often can't readily envision how amazing the new place will be. Here are some ideas for helping your kids deal with the move. 1. Make It Easy To Stay In Touch For a lot of kids, a big sore spot with moving is having to say goodbye to friends and schoolmates. They may even feel like you're intentionally wresting them away from their friends. To demonstrate how much you understand the sacrifice, make a gift of a cute … [Read More...]
Many home sellers are confused about how to price their home to sell. It's definitely challenging to try and find that sweet spot between pricing it low enough so it flies off the market without undercutting the home's value. Emotions play into the decision, too. If the seller has a lot of sweat equity in the home, or the property is the only place the children have ever called home, owners may tend to place a higher value on the house. Here's how to correctly price a home to sell in any market. Rely On Your Real Estate Agent Your Realtor is an expert in all matters related to home buying and … [Read More...]
Now that you have a beautiful new home with a garage, the fun of organizing can begin. When your garage is well organized, everything is much easier. You can get home projects finished faster, get out the door quicker and better enjoy all your sporting activities. Here are some tips to organize your new garage. Make Use Of The Walls A lot of homeowners overlook the wall space when organizing the garage. If your garage has exposed studs, this is actually a benefit in terms of storage space. You can easily create shallow shelves in between the studs using 2 x 4 and shelf brackets. Use … [Read More...]
Bridge loans, which are also commonly referred to as interim financing, gap financing or swing loans, help a motivated home buyer to secure financing before their home or investment property sells. Lenders can usually modify these flexible loans to accommodate a person's unique needs. Current real estate market conditions allow savvy investors to make big profits as long as they can move quickly on good opportunities. Low inventories of existing homes and slower than normal construction developments have combined to drive the median home price across the US to $223,900. This represents a 7.6% … [Read More...]
