Monday, October 22, 2018 / by Leon Zhivelev
Contributed by Jim McKinley
How to Give Your Bathroom the Upgrade You Deserve for Less
When you think about remodeling your bathroom, you may feel those pursestrings instinctually tighten. That’s understandable; the average price of a full-scale bathroom remodel is over $19,000, and that figure can hit upwards of $25,000 for fancier projects. That’s not too friendly to the homeowner on a budget. However, the good news is you don’t have to spend anywhere close to that. Here’s what you need to know if you want to give your bathroom a significant upgrade without breaking the bank.
Set a Realistic Budget
Don’t do anything before you figure out a realistic budget — don’t call a contractor, don’t knock out a single piece of tile, and don’t change your toilet seat. A proper budget is crucial to getting your remodel done at a reasonable price. First, you have to decide exactly what you’ll be DIYing and what youh ...
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investment, single-family homes, buying a home, remodeling
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 / by Leon Zhivelev
Obtaining a mortgage requires several steps, including preapproval, appraisal and underwriting, before you’re ready for closing.
1. Prequalification: Prequalification will give you a quick estimate of how much you can borrow for your mortgage. You’ll share basic financial information, including your income, savings and outstanding debts. There’s usually no fee to get prequalified, and you can apply quickly by phone or online. However, getting prequalified doesn’t guarantee you’ll qualify for the mortgage.
2. Preapproval: Preapproval is much more thorough than prequalification. The lender will review your financial situation, similar to when you officially apply for a mortgage. You may be required to pay an application fee.
Expect to submit complete financial documents, including:
W-2s for the previous two years
Pay stubs
Proof of bonuses
Your most recent federal tax return
Two to three months of bank and investment statements ...
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investment, market update, single-family homes, mortgage
Monday, June 25, 2018 / by Leon Zhivelev
Written By: Jim McKinley
According to a 2017 report, about one-third of homebuyers aged 18 to 36 said their desire to
have room for their pets influenced the decision to buy a home. Experts recommend the
following tips if you have or plan to get a dog.
Inside and outside space to zoom. Wider hallways and open spaces give dogs plenty of room to
play. See if your new home will accommodate an area you can fence off for the dog to call
“home,” especially when you’ve first moved in.
Backyard size. Some dogs require minimal space to toilet and zoom. Other breeds like lots of
room to stretch their legs. Examine home backyards for landscape designs that might be dog-
incompatible. If you’re downsizing, check for other areas where you can get your dog the
exercise they need.
Durable floors. Dog claws do a number on hardwood floors. Carpet’s practical, if it’s a durable
style that doesn’t show wear and tear. Also, it cleans easily, asm ...
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investment, single-family homes, buying a home, dog
Wednesday, June 6, 2018 / by Leon Zhivelev
According to the county’s Property Appraiser, as of June 1, overall values are estimated to have risen 6% compared to their level 12 months ago to a whopping $291 billion.
The total gain to the county tax rolls from property values and new construction was 6%, which is a new record for a single 12 month period. Excluding new construction, the gain was 3.9%.
This is a new record but it just about equals the property values in Dade-County from 2007-2008 when adjusted for inflation over time. $256 Billion in June 2007 is worth about $294 Billion Today.
Inflation Calculator
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investment, market update, pre-construction, single-family homes, downtown miami, south beach, sunny isles beach
Friday, December 1, 2017 / by Leon Zhivelev
Just one year ago, if a buyer approached you and offered you Bitcoin for your home, the majority of home-sellers would have kindly rejected the offer. We all know the saying, "Cash is King".
One year later, that same seller would have ended up with ten times as much profit for the sale of their home versus a traditional sale, as long as they held on to the digital 'crypto-currency.'
In December 2016, one BTC (Bitcoin) was valued just around $750 dollars. And today? It’s just a cool $10,500 per single BTC.
To put into simple math, if your property was listed for $300,000 and you accepted this prospecting crypto-buyer's form of payment and held onto it, you would now have roughly $4.2 million dollars after the 1,300% climb in value of bitcoin in the last year.
Cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange using cryptography to secure the transactions, to control the creation of additional units, and to verify the transfer of assets. Cr ...
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single-family homes, market update, bitcoin, investment