Blog

Mar 9, 2017

Your home’s foundation is an critical part of its wellbeing. If something goes wrong in your foundation, your home can can develop structural problems that cost significantly more to repair than foundation problems alone. There are three major reasons home foundation problems occur: Stem walls can deteriorate. Stem walls sit on your home’s concrete slab […]

Mar 8, 2017

If you’re a homeowner (or planning to become one), upgrading your home is an empowering activity. Whether you want to knock down a wall (to create a larger room), upgrade your energy efficiency, or improve your lighting, there are a variety of exciting possibilities. Regardless of your home upgrade project, you’ll likely wonder whether the […]

Mar 2, 2017
Whether you’re a long-term homeowner or ready to buy your first home, you’re likely aware of rising energy costs. America’s lowest-income families currently spend around p22% of their total income on energy while electricity prices have risen by 30% over the last decade. This has caused many Americans to consider alternative methods of powering their […]
Feb 27, 2017

If you’re a homeowner or planning on becoming one, it’s normal to want to upgrade your home. While there are many exciting home upgrade methods, such as improving your kitchen or adding a swimming pool, one of the best is improving your home’s energy efficiency. Fortunately, improving your home energy efficiency doesn’t have to break […]

Feb 14, 2017

If you’re a homeowner (or planning on becoming one), you can incorporate fantastic technology into your home at budget prices to create a “smart home.” Whether you want to adjust your lighting using your voice or control your home thermostat using your phone (while not at home), there are options galore. Here are some affordable […]

Feb 9, 2017

Valentine’s Day is big. In fact, Americans spent around $20 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2016 alone (or $146 for each person who celebrated). But you can have a fantastic and romantic Valentine’s without spending lots, which is important if you’re saving to become a homeowner (or saving for other goals such as retirement). Here […]

Feb 8, 2017

If you’re planning on buying a home in early 2017, you can expect a substantially different housing market from the beginning of 2016. How could this impact you as a potential homebuyer? While there is still uncertainty in the economy and housing market (and predictions are often wrong), here are some things to consider: Homes […]

Jan 30, 2017

As we move into February, many of us are still following our new year’s resolutions and goals. One of best resolutions (or goal for any time period) is improving our finances. Open Mortgage provided some financial resolution tips and strategies in a recent blog post. Whether you want to maintain your financial resolutions or simply […]

Jan 26, 2017

As discussed in part one and part two in our identity theft blog series, everyone is at risk of  identity theft. But by learning how identity theft occurs, and staying alert for signs that it happened, you can create strategies that help prevent it. Unfortunately, there is no one single tool or action (or combined […]

Jan 25, 2017

Are you self-employed? If so, you’re part of a rapidly growing segment of the US economy. In fact, an October 2016 study found that America’s freelancing economy has grown to 55 million people, or 35% of the entire workforce. Getting a mortgage can be harder and more expensive if you’re self employed, but there are […]

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