Home Inspiration Plant Bulbs Now for Spring Blooms This week’s blog post is provided by Artscapes Living. Planting a garden that blooms throughout the year takes a little planning, so here’s a little tip for spring blooms: you need to plant bulbs NOW. One of the most popular and beloved choices for spring gardens is the tulip. Tulips: A Classic Choice Tulips are […]
Real Estate Homebuyers, Prepare! Strategic Advice From a Financial Planner Economic signs point to some financial breaks for homebuyers through the end of 2024 into 2025. September brought several positive changes to the real estate market for homebuyers, including the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates for the first time in more than four years, an improvement in the home affordability index by 4.1%, and […]
Real Estate Rate Cuts, Inflation, Elections…Oh My! How Housing Will Be Affected By Upcoming Market Changes By Bill Stern, Branch Manager for CMG Home Loans A combination of political uncertainty, economic policy shifts, and broader market forces makes this a complex time for the housing market. The housing market is at a crossroads, and a combination of economic policies and political developments will determine its path in the months ahead. One […]
Real Estate What Your Realtor® Wants You To Know About Home Safety Take a look at these smart and handy tips to keep yourself and your property safe. September is Realtor® Safety Month and keeping a home safe takes the work of everyone. Here are some things your Agent would like you to keep in mind to protect both your person and your property as compiled from […]
Home Inspiration 3 Area Designers Share The Most Common Kitchen Requests They Receive Kitchen trends come and go—for example, a few years back, all-white kitchens were all the rage, while nowadays, people are enjoying experimenting with bolder colored cabinetry and finishes. When locals dial up an interior designer to get some help revamping their cooking space, what exactly are they asking for? We spoke with three designers—one in […]
Real Estate Is That Condo You’re Eyeing (or Selling) on a Lending Naughty List? Stricter lending guidelines for condominium sales mean some properties may not be eligible for certain financing. Underwriting a residential mortgage loan involves a detailed review of the prospective borrower’s financial picture. It also involves a review of the property to be pledged as collateral for the loan. In the case of loans for condominiums, that […]
Real Estate Exploring The Right Retirement Move For You Whatever lifestyle you want to lead in your Golden Years, there’s a way home. As we age, our housing needs and preferences evolve. For many seniors, part of that evolution involves choosing the right retirement community that can significantly impact quality of life, access to care, and overall well-being.  Retirees are a significant demographic with […]
Home Inspiration Design Report: The Hottest Interior Gray Paint Color This week our partners at The Scout Guide give us inspiration on trendy gray paint colors for your home. For most of this century, gray paint has reigned supreme as the neutral interior color of choice. Embraced for its timeless and versatile nature, from warm organic greiges to darker, steely tones, gray continues to check the […]
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Real Estate Senior-Sharing As a Way to Bind Communities Together There are different options for living out your Golden Years at home with benefits for more than just homeowners. A first home purchase. Moving to a larger home. A major remodel. Downsizing. And then… There are as many stages to homeownership as there are stages in life. Major milestones throughout careers, families, and financial circumstances […]
Home Inspiration Designing Your Dream Patio This week’s blog post is provided by Artscapes Living, giving us inspiration on how to design your dream patio. A patio is more than just a concrete slab; it’s an extension of your living space where you can relax, entertain, and connect with nature. Installing a patio requires careful design upfront, so here are six […]
Real Estate NAR Changes Impact Lending For those following the news, many consumers are aware that the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) entered into a settlement agreement with plaintiffs in a lawsuit over how Realtors® are paid. The settlement effectively ended the common practice of home buyer’s agents automatically being paid a cooperating brokerage fee from the amount the seller agreed […]
Home Inspiration The Biggest Landscaping Trends You Can Expect to See This Fall It’s never too early to start thinking ahead to your fall landscaping. Though it’s only the middle of August, autumn will be here before we know it! To find out what’s trending this season in the landscape world, we spoke with Jordan Clough, associate principal at Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture in Washington, DC, who […]
Real Estate What’s REALE Behind Renewable Home Initiatives? Real estate agents across our region are working together to educate homeowners about the affordability and benefits of renewables while increasing home values, one property at a time. In 2022, DC became the second major city in the country after New York City to enact a ban on natural gas in an effort to curb […]
Real Estate Real Estate Appraisals in a Shifting Market One of the most important players in a real estate transaction often flies under the radar: The Appraiser. How do you know that your home was worth what you paid for it? How did the bank determine if the loan was secured properly? How did the seller and their agent come up with the list […]
Home Inspiration 5 Kitchen Cabinet Color Trends We’re Loving This week we would like to share an article from our partners at The Scout Guide informing us of trendy kitchen cabinet colors. Thanks to the sage advice of our Scouted design experts, we’ve uncovered the kitchen cabinet color trends you’ll increasingly find in the most stylish homes. The key to superior storage? Injecting a healthy […]
Real Estate Why Is Climate Change More Dangerous For Some Communities Than Others? It’s been the hottest year on record. How are you and your home holding up? There’s no other way to describe it: this summer’s heat has been brutal. The DC-Metro area has been crushed by oppressive heat – The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang reported “every metric used to assess heat ranks among the most […]
Neighborhood Guides 15 Best Beaches, Lakes, & Rivers Near Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia Water recreation may not be the first thing you’d think to associate with the Greater Washington area, but it is a surprisingly rich region for a variety of activities– from beaches and boardwalks to sprawling lakes to nearby walking trails and dining.  Grab your new swimsuit, a boogie board or floatie, and favorite snacks, then […]
Real Estate How Industry Changes Will Impact the Homebuying Process Changes are coming to common real estate practices. Find out what they are before you buy or list a home for sale.  If it’s been some time since you bought or sold a home, there are recent changes to the selling process you need to be aware of. These are part of nationwide changes from […]
Home Inspiration To Install Upper Cabinets or Skip Them—That’s The Question These days, deciding whether to incorporate upper cabinets in a kitchen or to forgo them entirely is a hot topic among interior designers. We spoke with three DMV area experts to gather their thoughts on the pros and cons of upper kitchen cabinetry.  Pros:  It’s easy to conceal clutter. Closed upper cabinets make it easy […]
Home Maintenance Summertime And the Living Is … Easy If You Follow These Home Maintenance Tips Home maintenance never takes a vacation, especially during the summer months. Here are tips and resources to help you keep up-to-date. Summertime is the season of recreation, relaxation, and road trips. It’s also the perfect time to catch up on home maintenance. Whether you own your home or are renting, take an overview of the […]