Andrew Lowell's (diverman) Blog

Title Insurance - What You Need to KnowWhether you are a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned veteran in homeownership, title insurance is often a mystery. This article explains the purpose and reasons for title insurance and provides insights for the next time when you are ready to buy (or refinan...

Earnest Money 101 Earnest money is the buyer's way of letting sellers know that he or she is serious about buying a home. Earnest money is a sign that buyers are willing to put their money where their mouth is. Often the amount of earnest money is unimportant. In other cases, the more earnest mon...

Make your home smell its holiday best with this quick potpourri recipe made from ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! INGREDIENTS · 3 cinnamon sticks · 3 bay leaves · 1/4 c. whole cloves · 1/2 lemon, halved · 1/2 orange, halved • 1 qt. water   PREPARATIONCombine all ingredie...

One trick for selling during the winter is to use incentives. If you can cover the buyer's closing costs, or a portion thereof, you may attract potential buyers to your home by advertising this information. Some realtors advise their winter sellers to offer a "decorating allowance" (a.k.a., a cas...

Buyers are in short supply during this time of year, but some people have no choice but to purchase a home due to relocation or family changes. Sellers may need to be more flexible in their selling price and other areas of the negotiations, because buyers are in high demand. However, there are fa...

Holiday festivities abound at this time of year. If your home is on the market, your celebrations may feel constrained by the need to keep your home ready for a showing at a moment's notice. Your family's favorite holiday decorations may have been replaced this year with less traditional winter d...

The Federal Reserve's plan to spend $600 billion buying mortgages is driving down lending rates and boosting home affordability, which combined with decreasing inventories may signal a 2009 recovery for the battered home-building sector The recent decline in mortgage rates, primarily resulting fr...

The National Bureau of Economic Research has finally confirmed what the real world has known for at least a year: The U.S. economy is now well into its 11th postwar recession. The Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates just about as far as they can go, but the U.S. central bank still has plen...

Prepare for Spring Flowers! Fall Gardening TipsSummer has not yet ended, but it is time to start thinking about how you can improve your gardens this fall. You can do many things now to improve the condition and beauty of your lawn and garden while enjoying the end of a beautiful summer season.Mi...

The Fine Art of Choosing the Right ContractorWith autumn approaching, now is the time to tackle home-improvement projects. This is the season for installing decks, in-ground swimming pools and central air-conditioning. Autumn remodeling often has bargain-pricing, but choosing the right contractor...