Finding the perfect starter home is a journey as well as a destination. You've got to know what you want, then adjust expectations to meet the reality of the market. In the end, you don't have to settle on your "forever home"—just a place you'll call home for at least five to seven years.

But that's a long time in homeowner years, especially if you wake up each day in a place you wind up hating.

So how do you know what's going to stand the test of (a decent amount of) time? You've never done this before. You're taking a leap of faith that you have the money, skills, and tem...

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Ready to purchase your first home? Though the process may seem overwhelming, knowing where to start is half the battle. Follow these five tips to help ease your stress and prepare for a smooth home buying experience.

Clean Up Your Credit Score

Having good credit is one of the most important factors when qualifying for a loan. Depending on where your score stands, it may take six months to a year to improve your credit. A...

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10 Tips for Making Your Home More Sellable

Selling a home isn't always a sure thing. With so much inventory on the market, a home needs to really stand apart from the crowd if the seller wants to draw the attention of buyers. The last thing you want to do is have a messy, congested home when it comes time for your agent to host an open house or to schedule a showing.

The trick to making your home more appealing to buyers is to make it as clean and neutral as possible. You want the buyer to be able to imagine themselves living...

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Finding your dream home can be difficult for many reasons, one of which is that your budget often restricts your choices. Keeping a healthy budget coupled with strategic house-hunting practices can yield the best possible property that not only fits your personal budget but also meets your lifestyle needs. Here are four things to keep in mind during your search.

Determine Your Budget

You can't make a budget if you don't know how much you make and spend every month. Sit down and write the hard numbers. Are you mortgaging a ho...

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Homes cost a lot of money to maintain. But are you spending extra money unnecessarily on the upkeep of your home? Here are 10 of the most expensive mistakes you could be making in your home.

1. Using Traditional Light bulbs

If you still have incandescent light bulbs in your home, you could be throwing a lot of money away every month on inflated electric bills. Over its life span, an incandescent bulb can use $180 worth of electricity. A CFL will only use $41 worth of electricity over the same time period. Even better is the...

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