Why finding a qualified real estate expert can help make the home-buying process more enjoyable. Are you done paying someone else’s mortgage (goodbye, rent money!) and ready to find a home to call all your own? As a first-time homebuyer, the process of purchasing real estate can be daunting. If you’re soon to buy your…

You did the work, painted your home (or had it painted for you), and the results are fantastic. Congratulations! Now the question is: How do you keep it looking that way? Behold, our Bible on how to maintain a paint job, so that it remains looking fabulous for years to come. Which paint lasts the…

You’re ready to list your house—but are your dated bedrooms a turn-off to prospective buyers? Today’s buyers are more focused than ever on finding luxe master suites that double as relaxing retreats. “Pre-pandemic, nobody really cared about the bedroom. Now, people need somewhere to get away,” says Brad Whittaker, an agent with Realty ONE Group…

With their vibrant yellow petals, set off by fuzzy brown centers, sunflowers easily steal the show in any garden or bouquet. “Sunflowers have an uncanny ability to make you happy. Whether they’re bright yellow or burnt orange, they bring a sense of warmth and joy to a home,” says Alison Katz, a gardening expert for…

There’s a host of reasons for downsizing to a smaller home. You might want to pocket the savings and build upon your nest egg. Maybe you’re ready for a new adventure and eager to move to a high-rise condo in the city. Or finally—the kids have flown the coop, and you don’t need the extra…

From lower upfront maintenance costs to design flexibility, new construction can provide opportunities for homebuyers navigating a low inventory market. While some homebuyers are holding out for the right house to become available – one with historic charm, outdoor space, square footage or whatever they’re seeking – others are skipping the search (and bidding wars)…

Maybe you spent all the pandemic making your backyard an oasis, with lush landscaping and even a victory garden. What’s missing: some comfortable patio furniture to truly enjoy it. “Spring and summer always brings people outside, which sparks their interest in looking for outdoor furniture,” says Serena Appiah, owner of “Thrift Diving,” a blog about…

If you’re selling a home, these features may remind buyers of days past – and have them looking elsewhere or plotting future renovations. We reminisce for many elements of decades gone by, from the resurgence of music (ahem, record players) to fashion choices (cue the bell-bottom jeans). But when it comes to home features, there…

Professional home stager and real estate agent Kim Gaston gets candid about Pantone’s 2021 Colors of the Year, Illuminating and Ultimate Gray. Each year, color matching company Pantone announces a color, or colors, that set the tone for current events, social happenings and design trends for the year ahead. For 2021, Pantone chose the colors…