Whether you’re a Seattle, WA local, or just in town for the weekend, you may be looking for something to do to get out of the city. Fortunately, there are many day trips from Seattle ranging from half-day visits to
What Is a Craftsman Style House?
Craftsman-style houses are one of the most popular house styles in the U.S. While original craftsman houses are most heavily concentrated in the Midwest and Southern California, the architectural style can be found all over the country. Today, new-builds using
Moving Across Country? Here’s How to Do It
Whether you’ve moved into a new apartment or are preparing to move after selling your house, the process of moving can make even the calmest of people feel a little stressed. And if you’re preparing to relocate and are moving
Where Should I Move? It May Be Time to Say Goodbye to the City
The housing market is booming, and people are taking this opportunity to move out of cities and into suburban and rural areas. These migration patterns are largely due to record low mortgage rates and the fact that many companies are
4 Catio Ideas Your Indoor Cat Will Love
Indoor cats stare out the window for hours at a time envisioning what life is like outside but are often kept inside because their owners worry that they may run off. If this sounds like your cat, then cat-patios, also
Painting Brick: To Paint or Not To Paint Your Home
There are lots of mixed opinions when it comes to painting brick homes. Some homeowners love the idea of sprucing up their classic brick house with a fresh coat of paint, while others wince at the thought of covering up
Staging a Bathroom to Sell: A Complete Guide
When staging a house for sale, it can be easy to focus on big projects such as updating your landscaping, dusting your home, or repainting chipped walls. Oftentimes, this can lead home sellers to neglect focusing on important rooms that
Renovating A House Checklist: Where to Start
Home renovations provide homeowners with the opportunity to take their house and turn it into a home they’ve always dreamed of – all while increasing the home value. And, with the change of seasons, maybe you’ve decided it’s time for
Risk Rating 2.0: What to Know About FEMA’s New Flood Insurance System
For the past 50 years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has used the same flood risk methodology for calculating insurance premiums. The previous methodology, introduced as part of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, calculated homeowner’s risk by
Fall Home Maintenance Checklist: How to Prep Your Home this Autumn
Fall is here, which means the days grow shorter, the air has a crisp breeze to it, and the leaves begin to change color. It’s that time of year where you can cheer on your favorite football team, decorate the
Simple Shower Remodel Ideas That Will Breathe Life Into Your Bathroom
A shower should be a sanctuary, a stress-reducing environment, somewhere you can easily relax and free yourself of a hard day’s work. But if your shower is beginning to feel outdated or is showing signs of wear, a shower renovation
How to Stage a House: A Room by Room Guide
If you’re planning to put your house on the market, you’re probably wondering how to get the most money for your home. That’s where staging comes in. Home staging is a proven way to get more buyers interested and help
How to Achieve the Cottagecore Aesthetic: 4 Tips to Follow
If you spend any time on the internet, you may have seen photos of quaint, ivy-covered homes surrounded by a field of wildflowers in the middle of the countryside. You might also be noticing people redecorating their homes to have
What Is a Co-Op? The Pros and Cons of Housing Cooperatives
Investing in a housing cooperative can be a rewarding alternative to the traditional homebuying process. But buying a co-op comes with particular considerations and consequences. This article will review the pros and cons of investing in a co-op so you
How Wildfire and Smoke Damage Affect Your Home: What You Need to Know
Natural and environmental hazards driven by climate change are becoming key considerations for today’s homebuyers. Each year, wildfires burn millions of acres across the U.S. and cause severe damage to buildings, homes, and communities. Few homeowners can imagine the devastation
The American Colonial Style House
There are many popular home styles in the United States – contemporary, ranch, bungalow, English Tudor, Victorian, and log homes, to name a few. But no style has stood the test of time as the colonial house. With its defining
How Much Does Title Insurance Cost and Is It Required?
When the seller accepts your offer, the closing process requires verification that the seller is the sole owner of the home’s title. This is called making sure you have a “clean title” and no one else has a legal claim
Bring the Indoors Out! How to Make the Most Out of Your Outdoor Living Spaces
If you’re looking to make the most of your square footage, consider extending your living space outside. Whether you enjoy laying by the pool or cooking a nice meal at the barbecue, designing your outdoor living spaces using the same
How Much Should I Spend on a House? 4 Steps to Follow
Shopping for a mortgage, you might encounter lenders who pre-qualify you for a higher loan amount than you expected. Many lenders work with standard debt-to-income ratio calculations which don’t take into account other costs of home ownership. If you take
10 Beautiful Small Towns in America Worth Moving To Today
Are you looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life? Does the idea of a laid-back lifestyle sound appealing to you? If you answered yes, then you should consider moving to a small town. Small towns across the
How to Prepare for a Home Appraisal: 9 Tips to Maximize Your Home’s Value
The home appraisal is your last chance to ensure your home’s value comes in as high as possible, which is especially important since most offers you’ll receive will be contingent on the buyer acquiring financing from a mortgage lender. Basically,
The 10 Best Drought Tolerant Plants for Homes in Dry Climates
The Ten Best Drought Tolerant Plants If you live in a dry region or one that suffers from high drought risk, such as the southwestern United States, choosing the right plants for your yard or garden can be difficult. Fortunately,
How Does Climate Change Affect Property Values?
Dramatic weather events such as wildfires, flooding, extreme heat, drought, and storms are on the rise all over the world due to climate change. As a result, all of these climate-related events are posing an increasingly large risk to real
7 Steps to Take When Your Basement Floods
Owning a home is a big investment. And being a homeowner means preparing for unforeseen events that may threaten your home – including a flooded basement. A flooded basement can be caused by a variety of events, like an unexpected