Author Archives: Sabrina Mapes

Buying a home is a significant financial transaction and a major decision. That’s why 89% of buyers use a real estate agent or broker to help them navigate the complicated home search and purchase process. For most buyers, having an expert by your side who has your best interest in mind is a no-brainer. Why […]

Thinking about buying? Be sure to include these five items in your calculations. Homeownership may be a goal for some, but it’s not the right fit for many. Renters account for 37 percent of all households in America — or just over 43.7 million homes, up more than 6.9 million since 2005. Even still, more than half of millennial […]

Whether you’re ready to buy your first home or just need an acronym refresher, keep this glossary handy. You don’t need a real estate license to find your dream home, but it does help to become familiar with real estate jargon you might encounter during the process. When searching for a home or applying for […]

Set yourself up for success and give your living space a refresh. With self-care becoming more of a priority than ever, many people are focusing on turning their homes into dedicated spaces that help them prioritize their health and wellness. And just like they’ve gotten creative with WFH setups, homeowners have come up with a variety […]

How home shoppers feel, why they feel it and what they can do about it. Looking for a home — and eventually buying a home — can be a roller coaster, filled with ups and downs. It’s one of the biggest decisions you can make, and while at times, you’ll feel elated, moments later, you might find yourself feeling […]

Discover homeowner tax deductions that may save you money during tax season for simply owning a home. Owning a home has its rewards and challenges — and that’s especially true at tax time. Depending on your circumstances, tax rules around homeownership can reduce the amount of income taxes you owe at filing time. This is […]

Whether you just bought a house or want to upgrade your tired tool kit, use this guide to nail down the essentials. There’s something empowering about having your own set of tools to take care of the home you own. Having a well-stocked toolbox can be liberating — it means you don’t have to call […]

Budgeting for your first home? Try these tips for boosting your savings. To make the leap from renter to homeowner, you’ll need to save, or have already started saving, for a down payment. A down payment is typically between 3% and 20% of the purchase price of a home, but if you’re like the median […]

Selling a house is time consuming and expensive — often much more than sellers might expect. When you’re thinking about selling, it’s easy to get excited looking at your Zestimate® home valuation tool and seeing how much your home value may have increased over the years, but it’s important to be prepared for the hidden, and sometimes […]

From refrigerators to locks, almost anything in your home can be upgraded with a smart home device. Here’s a guide to get started. Once the exclusive domain of the wealthy and technologically inclined, smart home tools and systems are becoming more accessible and new products are constantly coming on the market. Here’s a brief smart home […]