Author Archives: Sabrina Mapes

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 […]

Avoid these landlord and property manager pitfalls, and feel more confident in your rental investment.  People enter the landlord business for many different reasons. Maybe you’re an “accidental landlord” who decided to rent out your former residence, or you gained a property through an inheritance. Or, maybe you diligently researched properties for sale and chose […]

Flipped homes can provide you with a spiffed up house that’s move-in ready or a lemon hiding behind freshly painted walls. A flipper house is one that an investor buys for the purposes of fixing up and reselling for a quick profit. When buying a flipped house, you could be getting a home that’s been […]

Looking for home upgrades that add value without blowing your renovation budget? This list has great suggestions. A farmhouse sink. LED lighting. A pot filler. You might think these relatively low-cost home upgrades wouldn’t add much value, but our research shows that these and other home upgrades with modest price tags could pay for themselves — or […]

An agent explains what buyers with dogs or cats are looking for (and what they aren’t). Some people choose a home because it’s adjacent to a hopping entertainment district or close to their job. But those of us with dogs, cats and other animals that are like our children, we pick homes that will make […]

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 […]