Who doesn’t love a snow day? Cuddling on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa while watching holiday movies can make anyone not want to venture out into the cold. Next time you find yourself in this spot, it will be a good idea to head out for half an hour to protect your home, especially if you want to sell in the future. Once your driveways and sidewalks are shoveled, check out these tips on protecting your home that you may not have considered.

Clear Your Vents: Make sure your furnace vents are clear of snow. Carbon monoxide could build up if your furnace vent is blocked.  A blocked vent may also cause a hot water heater to quit functioning. Use a broom to remove any snow.

Uncover Fire Hydrants: If you live near a fire hydrant, you should take a few minutes to dig it out if you notice it is covered - this can help a firefighter if there is an emergency!

Unblock Ice Dams: Be sure to check your gutters for ice dams. When ice dams are present and water backs up, i. ...

Winter is coming which means an increased risk of ice on your property. While bad weather can be inevitable, decreasing fall risk at your home can help. Here are a few ways to just do that:
INDOOR TIPS
The first step to preventing your own falls start indoors. Preparing your entryways can help! Try placing skid-resistant door mats near entrances to dry your footwear. Make sure you check the bottoms of your feet each time you enter the home, and clean off the accumulated ice, snow or water. Keeping your floors as dry as possible is another great way to prepare your home.
OUTDOOR TIPS
To start, you will need adequate supplies of salt and sand. Clear your walkways and treat outdoor surfaces to prevent falls. Wooden porches, decks or steps can become especially slick in winter. Be sure to shovel and treat pathways with salt or sand immediately after storms. Prevent dangerous ice buildup by clearing sidewalks before snow is compacted by footsteps or melts and refreezes. Salt lowers the . ...

There is high buyer activity and a historically low number of houses for sale right now. The perfect time for homeowners to sell their house is when the demand for homes is higher than what’s available for sale. Here are a few ways that low inventory can help you get a great deal if you’ve been on the fence about selling your current home.
Better Seller Terms
When there is a seller’s market like there is today, it is much more like being in he driver’s seat when you choose to sell your home. The ball is in your court and you have the power to sell on your own terms because low inventory means less choices for buyers. Buyers are more likely to work with you if it means they can purchase a home in a market where they are hard to find.
Greater Investment Return
ROI is a major focus in real estate. As prices rise, homes gain value. This drives equity increases - in just the second quarter of last year, homeowners were gaining an average of $9800 in equity. Growt ...

Not every room is blessed with good natural light.. Sometimes when a window isn’t placed well, or isn’t there at all, it can be hard to work around, while other times, the window is in a great spot but is being blocked outside by trees or other plants. If you struggle with poorly lit rooms, there’s a simple trick to try to boost the light in that spice.
The trick is to place a lamp in front of a mirror. The idea is that the mirror will bounce back any of the light the lamp gives off, easily growing your light source. One of the best uses of this trick is in the bedroom on a nightstand or dresser.  If your bedroom isn’t dark in terms of sunlight, but dark in terms of decor, this trick also works well to liven up the space.
Apart from being a smart way to spread light in a darker space, symmetrical mirrors, lamps and nightstands also add the perfect touch to most rooms to help them feel cozy.. Darker shades force light up and down from the lamp, so placing . ...

An increase in foreclosure rates will inevitably bring with it an increase in short sales. But what is a short sale?

A short sale happens when you sell your house for less than your remaining mortgage balance, the proceeds of which go to the lender and in return the lender forgives the remaining balance. Selling your home as a short sale is one way to avoid foreclosure.

As a general rule, lenders lose money when they foreclose on a property. Consequently, they would rather not have to foreclose if it can be avoided. A short sale represents an opportunity to cut their losses because a short sale usually allows them to recoup more of the cost of the loan than a foreclosure process would.

However, don’t think that a short sale is an easy thing to accomplish. In order to get permission for a short sale, you must provide documentation showing a genuine financial hardship. And don’t think that the decision for accepting a short sale is solely in the hands of the lender. . ...