Everyone has that one neighbor. The one who's the last to know about the neighborhood garage sale. Who's left out of the weekly game of Bunco. But what if that neighbor…is you? If you're being ignored, left out, avoided, or whispered about, you just might be. (Doors slammed in your face may be an
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08/31/2014
Working title: Home buyers, sellers, and the real estate professionals who help them can get so fixated on the specific property to be bought or sold that they overlook a valuable information resource for both selling or buying—the neighbors. Who knows as much, or perhaps more, about a listed pro
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08/31/2014
Question : We are refinancing and our lender is requiring a survey. We paid for one five years ago when we bought our house, so we don' understand this requirement? Is it necessary? Answer : Yes and no. The lender needs a survey, but if you have not made any changes to the outside of your propert
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08/30/2014
In California, like many states, we're experiencing a drought again. About 50 percent of U.S. states are facing some level of drought conditions. If this California weather pattern continues through October of this year, this will be California's driest year on record in 500 years. To put it in p
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08/30/2014
Buying a house and moving in is gonna cost you. There's no way around it. Right? Well, actually, there may just be a way to make it not quite so painful. A willingness to negotiate and put in a little work plus a little inside info on special deals you can take advantage of can help you cut some
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08/28/2014
The rich patina of wood floors adds beauty and elegance to any home. Older homes were once routinely constructed with hardwood floors, but that practice was abandoned in the 1950s, when new technologies made wall-to-wall carpeting available. Builders were able to build more homes faster, for the
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08/28/2014
If you live in a condominium and you are delinquent on your monthly assessment, can your association disclose your name? If you live in a Montgomery County, Maryland condominium, the answer is yes. That's the decision of the Montgomery Commission on Common Ownership Communities (CCOC), which was
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08/23/2014
You've done the math. With the down payment you've saved, you can safely buy a home for less money than you could ever have as a renter. Yet, you seem unable to make a commitment. Are you sure you're really ready to buy a home? If you find yourself saying any of the following to family, friends,
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08/23/2014
