The economy is growing and there are job gains, so consumers have the financial wherewithal to purchase homes. Sure, the rise in rates has been inhibiting buying recently. A lot of the boom markets that boomed over the last several years are cooling off and home sales are dropping. But if the economy were in a recession, this would be worse. And mortgage rates aren’t rising too high — they’re only going up to 7% by the end of the year.

The last two years of the boom were exaggerated because of lending. There were more loans, such as negative amortization loans, allowing people to put off their debt payments until later. In some metropolitan areas, this exaggerated home prices and increased them further than they should have gone. To that extent, there’s some risk in those local markets. For example, if you take any local market in California, they’ll have interest-only loans and adjustable-rate mortgages because prices got too high. If mortgage rates increase, then some of those markets are vulnerable. But the forecast isn’t for interest rates to go up significantly. I have mortgage rates going to 7%, not to 10%. (more…)

search for : mortgage rates, negative amortization loans, interest-only loans

Slow sales and dropping prices aren’t normally the stuff of real estate industry presentations. If they are mentioned at all, they are usually quickly skipped over or tempered with a quick nod to other, more positive economic signs. The housing industry, from Realtors to developers to builders, must adapt to weather the rough waters that are probably ahead for the real estate market. Homebuilders must provide products that focus on quality, not quantityt. Gone are the days when cookie-cutter designs that scrimp on design will be snatched up by buyers who are eager to get into the home-buying frenzy.

Concern about what will happen when the payments on all the loans taken out last year increase plagues many builders. If home prices do not rise significantly many borrowers with interest-only loans could be stuck with higher mortgage payments. Absent higher prices, the buyers won’t be able to refinance by cashing in on anticipated equity. It’s the loans that were taken out in 2005 that there’s an upside-down concern about. However, if those borrowers had two- or three-year introductory terms, many borrowers will manage to maintain their payments. It’s possible that borrowers could be actually helped in the next few years if interest rates — and consequently mortgage payments — come down. (more…)

search for : Slow sales, dropping prices, real estate, Realtors, home prices, borrowers, interest rates, mortgage payments

No other word quite equates to “indulgence” than “spa.” While California is generally known as the Queen of Spa Land, the South, mostly recognized for its grits and gravy and sweet potato pie, is quickly becoming the runner-up princess for a spa escape. Not all great spas are in big cities like Atlanta, Nashville, and Miami, though, so some may take quite the effort to get there. Consider these few options dappled over Dixie to say “Ah! Spa!”

Georgia’s Sea Island is tiny — only five miles long and a couple of miles wide — but it is perhaps most famed for its glorious isolation and stunning natural beauty. Edged by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and endless acres of salt marsh on the west, nature and quiet reign here among the massive oaks, willowy pines, Spanish moss, and crayon-colored foliage. The internationally acclaimed resort’s spa treatments are simply yummy, especially the “Georgia Mud Pie Wrap and Soak” that detoxifies and warms, and the “Ambrosia Body Scrubs” in flavors of coconut, lemon chiffon, and bamboo. Contact Sea Island toll-free at 800-732-4752 or visit www.seaisland.com. (more…)

search for : spa, Dixie, Georgia’s Sea Island, Atlantic Ocean, Georgia Mud Pie Wrap and Soak, Ambrosia Body Scrubs, seaisland.com

Over his six-plus decades, John Santosuosso has cultivated a soft spot for outcast nations, animals, and even plants. But none of that has kept him from earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in the stock market. To the contrary, he says, those values have for nearly two decades guided him to promising companies, often in far-flung places he’s researched as a professor of political science at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla. To him, a country known to brokers as an “emerging market” is sometimes “a good place to put money” in a moral as well as a financial sense.

But having high ethical standards can also lull investors into complacency, according to Santosuosso. He says he held for too long his stock in Nortel, a Canadian communications firm that joined the Dow Jones North America Sustainability Index this year. He watched as a profitable track record vanished. His lesson for other ethically minded investors: Don’t get greedy – or self-righteous. (more…)

The land where some believe the early 19th century Fort Daniel once stood — now surrounded by development — is for sale. But county officials say the price may be too high to buy it for a park — especially when the exact location of the fort is a mystery. “It’s one of the most historic areas of our county, but not an awful lot is known about Fort Daniel,” said Ben Satterfield, chairman of the Gwinnett Historic Preservation and Restoration Board. “I don’t know that there is anything there. You can’t even see where the fort was.”

Satterfield said officials wanted $140,000 an acre for the lot at the corner of Ga. Highway 124 and Ga. Highway 324. A real estate agent is marketing the 4-acre tract along with another 6 acres beside it and wants to sell the entire 10 acres, Satterfield said.
“I don’t believe we’re going to be able to do anything,” he said. “I don’t want to spend the taxpayers’ money on something that isn’t worthwhile. The jury is out until we know more.”
Staffers in U.S. Rep. John Linder’s office have agreed to research the former stockade in the National Archives and the Gwinnett Historical Society is pulling together information.
“We’d like to know more about the historical significance,” he said. “Any history we lose we can’t get back.” (more…)

search for : Fort Daniel, Gwinnett Historic Preservation and Restoration Board

One in four Americans born from 1946 to 1964 own more than one property, according to a survey of nearly 2,000 boomers done this spring by Harris Interactive for the National Association of Realtors. They’re also much more likely than the total U.S. population to own their primary residences. Boomers have “an almost insatiable desire for real estate,” David Lereah, the NAR’s chief economist, said in a statement. They see real estate as “a way to build and protect a nest egg.”

Real estate ownership has become a key part of boomers’ retirement plans, says Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. That’s largely because the national savings rate is so low, she says, and the availability of pensions is declining. Unlike previous generations of retirees who tended to pay off their mortgages and live “rent-free” in retirement, many boomers see their homes as money in the bank, Munnell says. Many previous retirees also chose to hang on to a house to pass down to their children. (more…)

search for : National Association of Realtors, real estate, retirement, enter for Retirement Research, boomers

Stretching some 469 miles along the Southern Appalachian Mountains and linking two eastern national parks — Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and North Carolina/Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains — the Blue Ridge Parkway has often been referred to as “America’s Favorite Drive.”

It’s certainly the country’s first rural route — parts of it date back to 1930s (when construction began as a make-work project during the Depression) -– and one of its longest, with breathtaking scenery and dozens of recreational opportunities to distract you when you need to stretch your legs. (more…)

search for : Southern Appalachian Mountains, Virginia, Shenandoah National Park, North Carolina, Tennessee, Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway, America’s Favorite Drive

Adam Bridges is tearing through Damascus, Va. After weeks of hiking the Appalachian Trail and 10 days without seeing a town, he’s back on the grid. He has just devoured a large pizza topped with broccoli, pepperoni and hunks of ricotta cheese, sharing it with his hiking partner, Plunger. Now, sifting through the contents of a small brown box he picked up at the town post office — duct tape, cell phone charger, wallet-size picture of his two nieces — he asks Stumpjumper about the hikers’ bug that’s been going around. At the library across the street, he updates his online trail journal and waves to Bill E. Goat. Then? Beer, where he’ll find Yield.

From Friday through Sunday, Damascus will stage what has become probably the largest single gathering of hikers anywhere: an annual festival called Trail Days. Last year, despite a steady rain, an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 people showed up for the celebration in a town with an official population of 1,094. It is during Trail Days that Damascus, a place shaped by the walkabout spirit of the Appalachian Trail and all the nicknamed hikers who pass through, puts on its brightest display. The festival is a backpacker’s Mardi Gras. It’s an alumni reunion for anyone who has ever hiked the 2,159-mile Appalachian Trail, a moment in time when America’s most famous long-distance footpath goes nonlinear. (more…)

search for : Damascus, Va, Appalachian Trail, hiker, Trail Days, Mardi Gras

So, there I was, weaving through more naked bodies than I’d seen since the showers after high school gym class. Except there weren’t girls in those showers (OK, maybe one time there was, but that’s another story). The scene is Paradise Valley, 110 acres off a winding mountain road near Dawsonville. On a chilly Saturday morning in April, more than 100 nudists were gathered for the Fig Leaf 5K. It was certainly a visual spectacle, ranging from the sublime to the … um … pendulous.

Until about three years ago, the resort was known as Hidden Valley. It was located here in 1978 by the Dixie Sun Club, after being run out of a nearby town, Maysville. “All we wanted was our own place,” says Jackie. When I ask for her last name, she hesitates and turns to her husband, Donnie. “Do we want to use our last name?” She shrugs. “Sure, it’s Johnson. We’re retired, so who cares?” The Johnsons — two of the few Paradise members who volunteered full names — have been nudists since 1974, and they scouted out the land that became Paradise Valley. (more…)

search for : Paradise Valley, Dawsonville, Fig Leaf 5K, Dixie Sun Club, Maysville

At one time I wanted to build myself an earth home (meaning 1 or two sides of the house would be underground); heated by solar power; and operated by photovoltaic panels, which would convert solar energy into electricity stored in a bank of batteries. Ah, yes, the dream of green living. Unfortunately, builders have not seen the public support swelling for such alternative, renewable energy sources, thus houses are continuing to built with energy technologies that haven’t changed at there core over the last several decades: central air conditioners, forced air furnaces, heat pumps, fossil fuels and natural gas. At least the politicians are getting it

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by the Department of Energy, is the nation’s primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. The group operates on a $220 million budget, dedicated to the development of renewable energy. An example of the group’s mission was depicted in a Habitat for Humanity house build last year in Wheat Ridge, Col. The home, on Carr Street in that town, is a net zero energy house, meaning it creates as much energy as it consumes — now that’s what I’m talking about. (more…)

search for : solar power, photovoltaic, solar energy, electricity, batteries, central air conditioner

The woods that were a magical playground for Charles and Lessie Smithgall’s children will, with $5 million in community donations, be transformed into a garden for all to enjoy. Six years ago, the influential Gainesville couple donated to the Atlanta Botanical Garden 185 acres they lovingly called Huckleberry Hill. A greenhouse was eventually placed on the property, the bud of a plant collection that will one day blossom into the Smithgall Woodland Garden.

The first construction phase includes less than a tenth of the total acreage. The property is located inside the Gainesville city limits and will be accessed by Lakehill Road off Cleveland Highway (U.S. 129). Mildred Pinnell Fockele, horticulture director for the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the new Smithgall Woodland Garden, said initial plans call for an entrance drive, parking and a visitors center and private events facility overlooking the “Enchanting Woodland Garden.” The “enchanting” first garden centers on the elements of wind, water, earth and sky. Stone stairways and a bridge will lead visitors to beautiful plants, relaxing swings and intriguing artwork. The second phase will include a waterfall trail with off-shoots that lead right to the water’s edge, Fockele said. (more…)

search for : Gainesville, Smithgall Woodland Garden, Cleveland Highway (U.S. 129), Enchanting Woodland Garden

John Sheirer dreamed of quenching his thirst for adventure by taking a trip along the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine or the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

Since that first day, Sheirer – a professor of English and communications at Asnuntuck Community College – has walked along the 2-mile loop trail, known as the “Shady Brook Trail,” some time each day between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. On New Year’s Eve, Sheirer walked the trail and finished right before midnight. Then walked it again a few minutes later after toasting the new year. The walks take between 30 minutes and three hours and average about 45 minutes. Sheirer said some journeys take a little longer because he will do some trail work – pull out invasive plant species or other weeds, do some bird-watching, talk to people or just sit and admire Mother Nature. He estimates that 300 of the days he was all alone in the wilderness. (more…)

search for : Appalachian Trail, Georgia

High gas prices, traffic tie-ups, expensive housing – who needs it? Most Americans, if they want a good paying job. But an increasing number of people are opting out by telecommuting, giving them access to companies in high-paycheck areas while at the same time being able to live in areas with more reasonably priced real estate.

Rural communities are especially interested in promoting telecommuting. These areas have hemorrhaged population in the past few decades as agricultural jobs dried up and the best and the brightest of the young pursued opportunities elsewhere. Some of those migrants eventually return when they get older and begin to raise families. But often they can’t find suitable work. (more…)

search for : High gas prices, expensive housing, real estate, telecommuting

Collusion between mortgage brokers and real estate agents is illegal. However many homeowners have been put at risk of foreclosure because this unethical practice is carried out in subtlety. A couple get pre approved financing and see a real estate agent that shows them homes beyond the price range that they can afford.

Even though everyone seems happy in the beginning, the only winners are the dealmakers who pocket the higher commissions from the sale of the house and the mortgage. In the long term it is homebuyers that pay the price when clauses in their mortgage contract kick in to increase the payments beyond what they can afford. They then either have to sell their home or are foreclosed upon. (more…)

search for : mortgage brokers, real estate agents, homeowners, unethical practice, pre approved financing, commissions

A rock outcropping in south Georgia’s sandy, coastal plain is unusual enough. Add a few plants that don’t normally grow in the area _ some native to the tropics, others to the Appalachian Mountains _ and you have a natural wonder. That’s the Broxton Rocks, an alluring, mysterious and somewhat dangerous place, where the nation’s most venomous snake slithers among mosses, ferns and colorful flowers and large poison ivy leaves glisten in sunbeams streaming through the trees.

The rocks are part of a 15,000-square-mile band of subsurface sandstone known as the Altamaha Grit. They were pushed up by shifts in the Earth’s tectonic plates eons ago. During wet periods, the creek gushes over the rock ledges to form roaring waterfalls, a rarity in south Georgia. When it’s dry, the flow slows to a gentle trickle.Douglas naturalist Frankie Snow recognized the ecological importance of the rocks in the 1980s, when it was a popular swimming hole and picnic spot littered with cans and beer bottles. He persuaded the Nature Conservancy to purchase a core area in 1992 and began cleaning it up. (more…)

search for : Georgia, Appalachian Mountains, Broxton Rocks

Gone are the days when real estate agents could guard the information about homes for sale in their Multiple Listing Service. Now, buyers and sellers can see all the homes for sale on 800 regional multiple listing services on the Web. They can see thousands of newly built homes for sale and apartments for rent nationwide. They can view aerial photos of homes and neighborhoods. They can get appraisals or see how much the house down the block fetched. They can shop for loans and compare mortgage rates. They can check out local schools and community features for towns across America. They can ask questions and get answers in online forums.

The rising dominance of the Internet comes at a pivotal point in the real estate market. After a five-year feeding frenzy, home sales are expected to drop at least 6% this year. Some sellers are already chopping their prices from last year’s record levels. Home buyers and sellers, meantime, are seeking new ways to save money, and they’re finding them on the Internet. Armed with more information, sellers are bargaining down agents’ commissions, and buyers are asking for rebates. They are turning to a growing number of brokers who offer discounted or a la carte services. And some are even cutting out the agent altogether and forging deals directly on the Internet. These factors have pushed commissions to an average of 5.1%, down from the long-standing 6%, according to Real Trends, a real estate newsletter. (more…)

search for : real estate agent, Multiple Listing Service, mortgage rates, Internet, commission

Stretching 469.1 miles from the Shenandoah mountains of Virginia to the Smokies of North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Parkway provided jobs not only for skilled engineers but for hungry men with haunted eyes, calloused hands and families to feed. For many young men, a Civilian Conservation Corps job in the high country was a prelude to the rigors and regimen of World War II.

The Parkway is America’s most popular national park. It draws more visitors than the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, combined. Yet its budget is inadequate to cover even basic needs. Maintenance is lagging, rest rooms are not being cleaned and grass is not mowed. The problem is money. The National Park Service does not have the budget necessary to protect and repair the parks its has, much less to expand. (more…)

With green space and tranquillity at a premium in greater Atlanta, the last thing Stone Mountain Park needs is shriek-inducing amusement rides. So it’s reassuring that the state authority that owns the park and the private company that runs it promise not to blight the 3,200-acre gem by catering to noisy thrill seekers. A survey of visitor interest in new attractions — including a theme park with amusement rides — triggered concern that the park might invest in more high-thrills entertainment.

But Stone Mountain, the huge chunk of granite that gives the park its name, will not serve as a backdrop for a roller coaster, according to Thomas Gilliland, chairman of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. That body is the self-supporting state authority that governs the park; board members are appointed by the governor. (more…)

search for : Atlanta, Stone Mountain Park

Thousands of people used the non-traditional mortgages last year to afford a house in many locales, where home prices increased nearly 50 percent from 2004. They’re paying for that decision today. On many adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, the interest rate adjusts twice a year after the teaser period. As a result, each year, the monthly payment on a loan for a $250,000 Valley home could climb by more than $100.

It’s easy to see how people fall behind. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages are hovering around 5.7 percent, almost a percentage point less than a 30-year fixed mortgage, which hit 6.59 percent Thursday, the highest level since June 2002. But the interest rate on a one-year ARM can go up as much as 2 percentage points a year. So someone who takes out one of those mortgages today could see his or her mortgage rate hit 7.8 percent next spring, which would erase all the savings of the past year. The monthly payment on a $200,000 mortgage would climb from $1,167 to $1,432 with that rate jump. (more…)

search for : non-traditional mortgage, home prices, adjustable-rate mortgage, ARM, interest rate, monthly payment

Vertical search is the new cyberspace wrinkle and a lot of people who spend their lives dreaming of the future of the Internet are predicting that it is going to change the way we look for jobs, love, hotel reservations, and real estate on-line. Vertical search engines are a response to the tremendous success of Google and Yahoo and a reaction to some of the problems using the technologies they employ.

A vertical search engine, on the other hand, is dedicated to a particular area of interest such as employment opportunities, travel, entertainment, or real estate. Thus while a Google or Yahoo search is sorting through millions of web sites a vertical search tool will concentrate on those sites it has previously identified as most likely to be relevant to that search. (more…)

search for : Vertical search, cyberspace, Internet, Google and Yahoo, real estate

Condos offer a realistic and affordable compromise between renting an apartment and buying a house. But before you decide to buy a condo, you need to ask yourself some important questions. Here are the top five questions you should ask before buying a condo.

What are the monthly fees and how do they compare with other complexes? Do your research and compare condos fees between similar complexes in the area. Also, be sure to check out a condo’s maintenance reserves (used to pay for maintenance and emergency repairs). If you’re looking into an older condo, the reserves could be relatively high per unit to provide for unexpected repairs, whereas newer complexes should be lower. What is the financial condition of the homeowners’ association? You can find this information by obtaining a copy of the CC&Rs (conditions, covenants and restrictions), bylaws, rules and latest financial reports for the homeowners’ association. It’s also a good idea to ask to read the board of director’s minutes for their last few meetings. (more…)

search for : Condos, enting an apartment, buying a house, monthly fees, condo’s maintenance, CC&R, conditions, covenants and restrictions, bylaws, financial reports, homeowners’ association

A tenants-in-common “TIC” is a fractional interest in real estate with ownership evidenced by a recorded deed of trust. You share in your portion of appreciation, depreciation and debt payment, if applicable. Your money is pooled together with other people’s money facilitating the purchase of large dollar investment properties, i.e. commercial buildings, industrial complexes and popular condominiums projects cropping up in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For the enormous number of baby boomers who are retiring (or retiring early), TIC’s are a viable, easily managed investment vehicle providing diversity while spanning real estate markets. With the aftermath of 9-11, stock market sack stories (remember Enron?), lack of certainty in Social Security and folks living longer; creative solutions are needed for Boomer’s who have become accustomed to a high level of living. Having spent decades accumulating wealth from rentals, they now want to be free from the day-to-day drudgeries of real estate management. They want less tenants, late (or eviction) notices and more time for travel, golf and time off! (more…)

search for : tenants-in-common, deed of trust, ommercial buildings, industrial complexes, condominiums, Social Security, real estate management

The Union County Historical Society presented a framed photograph of the Old Courthouse to Jim Jones, Jody Payne, and Rusty Royston, owners of Southern Geosystems. This presentation is in recognition of Southern Geosystems upgrading its membership to Corporate Partner of the Union County Historical Society, the highest level of annual membership.

Southern Geosystems began life 25 years ago as North Georgia Land Surveyors. In 1987 it was purchased by Rochester & Associates. In September 2005 the business was bought by Jim Jones, Jody Payne, and Rusty Royston. With over 75 years of surveying experience between them, Jim, Jody and Rusty have witnessed a lot of changes in our county over the years. As a supporter of the Historical Society, Southern Geosystems realizes the importance of preserving the special character of our mountain community, particularly in this time of rapid growth and change. We thank them for supporting our goals and efforts. (more…)

search for : Union County Historical Society, Southern Geosystems, North Georgia Land Surveyors, Rochester & Associates

Gainesville City Council Thursday agreed to let INK, the Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, take custody of the city’s vintage 1927 fire truck for their new fire station display. Gainesville’s 1927 American LaFrance pumper, nicknamed “Leapin’ Lena”, will emerge from a dusty warehouse for initial clean-up and be sent to INK’s new location at the Warren Featherbone building for restoration as a child friendly exhibit next month.

The truck was retired from active service in the 1930’s but was on duty as a reserve truck during the April 1936 tornado. The storm collapsed the building around the truck and it could not move out, but fire fighters hooked hoses to it anyway and used it to battle the flames downtown. (more…)

search for : Gainesville City Council, Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, American LaFrance pumper, Leapin’ Lena, Warren Featherbone building

The basic economics of leads and referrals are virtually identical. For example, assume I place an ad on my Web site that entices readers to enter information about themselves, information that I sell to a loan provider (LP) for $10 per lead. Assume further that 10 percent of the leads result in a closed loan. This means that in obtaining loans through me, LP has a marketing cost of $100 per closed loan.

Some differences between mortgage leads and mortgage referrals have no bearing on borrower protection. These include the greater uncertainty in pricing leads, and the need for a referrer, but not a lead generator, to obtain accurate information about the number of closed loans. But there is another difference between leads and referrals that is very relevant to borrower protection. Lead generators–the ones who entice you with promises of fantastic mortgages at rock-bottom rates–accept zero responsibility for the actions of the loan providers who are supposed to redeem the promises. Those who refer borrowers to loan providers for a fee, in contrast, may accept some responsibility to the borrower. (more…)

search for : mortgage leads, mortgage referrals, borrower protection, Lead generators, mortgage, borrower, loan provider

Economists are reluctant to forecast recessions, especially since they have become less frequent in recent years. It is professionally damaging to wrongly predict such a slump. Economists are less reluctant to warn of trouble ahead, such as a housing bubble bursting, trillions of dollars in loan-related financial packages coming unglued, or the dollar plunging as huge United States trade deficits continue.

Economists and policymakers at the US Federal Reserve also have a history of upbeat forecasting. They didn’t see the last recession in 2000 and 2001 until about nine months after it started. That’s typical, because the Fed and other economists rely on financial data collected with a lag of a month or more. “It is like driving down the road with your eyes glued to the rearview mirror,” says Harald Malmgren, a Washington consulting economist. “When a bend in the road comes, this navigational technique is unreliable.” Many stock-market investors are aware of this risk. Late last month, the Fed raised short-term interest rates one-quarter of 1 percent for the 15th time since June 2004, to 4.75 percent. With long-term interest rates also rising, many investors wonder if the Fed will overdo monetary tightness again, causing an economic downturn. (more…)

search for : recession, slump, loan, US Federal Reserve

Real estate is the easy path to riches. Anyone who has been even barely conscious in the last five years or so has heard about how hot the real estate market is, how quickly investors can flip properties and make tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For hundreds of these investors, however, the promise of outsized profits has morphed into the reality of big headaches. State and federal securities regulators said they all were victims of real estate investment schemes and have accused four New Jersey businesses since late 2003 of convincing nearly 1,000 people to fork over more than $100 million. (more…)

search for : Real estate, real estate market, flip

There may be a huge difference between the house the bank says you’re qualified to buy and what you can afford. The bank and your real estate agent have a vested interest in getting you into the biggest house with the fattest mortgage for all the obvious reasons. But you don’t want to struggle to make the house payments and related expenses each month while subsisting on hot dogs and alfalfa sprouts.

Your first house is likely to be a fixer-upper, so budget for that, too. In general, expect to spend about 15% of the purchase price to bring the house up to neighborhood standards. The work can be spread over several years, so you don’t need the money up front. You’ll also need money for unexpected repairs to the furnace, roof or plumbing. Consider it one of the joys of homeownership and standard procedure for an older house. (more…)

search for : bank, real estate agent, house, mortgage, fixer-upper, homeownership