Author Archives: Sabrina Mapes

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 […]

Wondering if home solar is right for you, but don’t know where to start? This guide can help. Solar power can be an attractive prospect for homeowners and shoppers. Home solar technology offers electricity bill savings, more energy independence, and resilience in the face of an increasing rate of power outages. For the environmentally conscious, […]

Seasoned homeowners weigh in on what caught them off guard, what delighted them and what lessons you can learn from them. Talk to any homeowner and they’ll probably tell you how excited they were when they first bought their home.  After they’ve lived there a while, they’re likely to tell you about the things they […]

Applying these landscaping hacks now will give your home curb appeal that lasts all year. Having a lush, sun-washed garden is a dream, and if you’re willing to put in the work, getting there is totally doable, especially with the arrival of warmer weather. Despite the quick turnover that’s promised by home makeover shows, beautiful […]

Number seven is one LA-based interior designer’s “secret weapon” when staging a low light room. Plants can make a house feel like a home. They can make a statement, breathe life into a room and add a sense of calm. But the wrong plant can easily make a space feel off, and not to mention, […]

Dreaming of living on a houseboat or floating home? Here’s what you need to know about financing, dive inspections, life on the water and more. If you love being on the water, you may be considering buying a houseboat or a floating home instead of a more traditional residence. Before you venture out into open […]