Title Insurance is the key to protecting your home.   A First American Title Owner’s Policy provides you with peace of mind. It takes the risk out of acquiring property whose legal history is unknown to you.  While, ideally, there should be no risks in acquiring property, they do exist.   Throughout the years, your new property may have changed hands many times through sale, inheritance, foreclosure or bankruptcy. Each...

February 2013 saw home sales higher than any February in the past five years. There’s a shorter supply of homes on the market, and buyers are competing for the ones that are available. Homes stayed on the market for a median of 98 days, a significant reduction from the median of 123 days in February 2011. In other words, half of the homes stayed on the market for less than 98 days while the other half were available for...

A recent study released by the National Association of Realtors and Google shows that there has been a 253% increase in using the Internet for home purchasing information. This trend signifies the increase in consumer confidence in the housing market and their willingness to purchase a home. The study tracked trends in online habits when a person decides to purchase a home. The study found: • When a person is first considering...

If you’ve lived in the same home for a number of years, the decorating style of your dwelling may have become stale and boring. There are a variety of different options you can try to liven up your space. Try creating a new habitat by utilizing your imagination and following these handy tips that are sure to help you spruce up your place. Reorganize the Furniture One of the most ideal ways to transform a home is by reorganizing...

A burglary is committed every 15 seconds in the United States. Burglaries do not just involve the taking of possessions; they can also leave you feeling vulnerable and unsafe. Fortunately, burglaries are preventable. Following these tips will help you keep your home and family safe from break-ins. Do Not Make it Obvious You’re Not Home Burglars may rob homes that appear to be unoccupied. Create the illusion that someone is in the...

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was created in 2010 along with the Unearned Income Medicare Contribution. This portion of the law mandates 3.8 percent surtax on certain types of unearned income, trusts, and estates. Individuals and estates that will be affected by this law have several ways in which they may prepare for the tax increase now before it goes into effect in 2013.   The article found HERE takes a...