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The National Association of Realtors® Issues Mobilization grants help keep you and your neighbors aware and informed about public policy changes that would impact your wallet and your home. WHY IT MATTERS: Connects the Dots Between Content Topic and Consumer’s Family, Life, Home, Wallet. Too often, legislators target homeowners when seeking to fund federal programs. Even recently, some tried to put the financial burden of highway and transportation programs on the backs of homeowners. A proposal in Congress would have diverted Fannie…

By: G. M. Filisko Don’t rouse the IRS or pay more taxes than necessary — know the score on each home tax deduction and credit.   As you calculate your tax returns, be careful not to commit any of these nine home-related tax mistakes, which tax pros say are especially common and can cost you money or draw the IRS to your doorstep.   Sin #1: Deducting the wrong year for property taxes You take a tax deduction for property taxes in the year you (or the holder of your escrow account) actually paid them. Some taxing authorities…

Realtors® might not have been courting couples this Valentine’s Day. As new data from the National Association of Realtors® suggests, single women will be a growing homebuyer-demographic in 2016.   Single women buyers have made up a larger share of the housing market than their male counterparts since the early 1990s, buying at nearly twice the rate. According to NAR’s 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, single women accounted for 15 percent of all homebuyers, and many believe that number will increase in the next few…

Having lived in your home for years, if not decades, there’s no arguing that you know the ins-and-outs of your current residence better than anyone else. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re going to be the best person to sell your home when you decide to move. Though tempting, For Sale By Owner transactions are not as successful or lucrative as some might originally assume — even in a seller’s market.   Instead, contracting a New Jersey Realtor who has years of experience, is well-versed on the current market conditions…

When it’s time to finally take the dive and list a home for sale, many sellers will rush to update, reconstruct, and replace the lackluster parts of their home. But are they picking the right projects? In order to get the maximum return on investment on any pre-sale construction job, consult the 2015 Cost v. Value Report, put out by Remodeling magazine each year, which compares job cost changes to Realtors’ perceptions of what the projects bring to a selling price when the property is resold.   This year’s cost-value ratio of…

When it’s comes to buying and selling homes, first impressions start on the sidewalk. Though a home’s interior is profoundly important — and where new residents will spend a vast majority of their time — the significance of a home’s exterior cannot be negated. Curb appeal is real. And it’s important. In the second part of this two-part article, we cover additional elements of your home's exterior that should be tended to.   Driveway If a driveway is littered with oil stains or cracks these might be eye sores worth addressing…

When it’s comes to buying and selling homes, first impressions start on the sidewalk. Though a home’s interior is profoundly important — and where new residents will spend a vast majority of their time — the significance of a home’s exterior cannot be negated. Curb appeal is real. And it’s important.   Front Door   A home’s front door is often a focal point and should be treated as one of the best ways to make a positive impression. Any signs of peeling paint or rusted hardware should be replaced to reveal a fresh, new…

When it comes to listing a home for sale, New Jersey Realtors has found that there are a few minor changes and upgrades that can be done to help a home stand out positively amongst other houses on the market. Some of these require a little elbow grease and others need some strategic planning, but all of them can help to boost a home’s profile.   Remove Outdated Fixtures This includes popcorn ceilings and any wallpaper that doesn’t read as neutral. Popcorn ceilings are a hassle to remove, but many buyers view them as antiquated…

Open houses have remained a tried-and-true way for New Jersey Realtors — and their colleagues around the country — to effectively present and market a client’s home to potential buyers. But because the success of many open houses is based on first impressions, prepping your home so that it excites attendees is an important step in selling your home.   Remove Clutter and Personal Items   Given the fact that you’ve lived in, and presumably enjoyed, your home for the last few years, if not more, it’s a fair assumption that…

When it comes to freshening up a home, whether it’s for an immediate sale or future resale value, the age of Pinterest has a lot of homeowners considering D.I.Y. projects. If a homeowner can re-stain all the kitchen cabinets for half the price of a contractor, and their New Jersey Realtor advises it would be a great selling point, why not give it a whirl?   But before cracking open that can of paint, save your client (or yourself!) a lot of future headaches and do your homework on do-it-yourself.   Don’t Bite Off More Than…