The Department of Defense (DoD) Skillbridge program allows for active duty service members to have paid internships with businesses to ensure a better transition into civilian life. Click here to find out more...
Solutions to the Challenges Military Children Face During PCS Moves and Transitions
The average military child moves approximately six to nine times within their school career. With each relocation brings academic challenges, they often face midyear transitions, extra classes to reach achievement standards, single parent to dual parent transitions when the active-duty member is away, relationship transitions, as well as medical record updates for school protocols. Click here to find out more...
The kitchen is one of the most popular rooms of the house to renovate. Whether you’re thinking of updating the room or completely overhauling it, this month, Military Mutual has you covered. In addition to outlining the five most popular kitchen trends, we also offer tips to help your room appear more spacious and things to consider before you remodel. Click here for more....
The home inspection, one of the most important aspects of a home purchase a new buyer (should) perform with a licensed professional. You the homebuyer, have up to this point, painstakingly searched for a home, possibly submitted multiple offers and negotiated and renegotiated a purchase agreement and somehow managed to get the fridge, washer, and dryer thrown in! But do they work?!! Click here to read more...
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Millions of people indulge in reality television—it’s what we do. In recent years reality TV has expanded to include home improvement shows where seemingly average couples meet with professional decorators and builders, armed with an insane budget and even more insane expectations. Click here to read more...
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Buying a house is one of the most exciting, and costly, times in your life. While many of the costs are obvious—the down payment, taxes, and utilities—more often than not, a homebuyer will run into various unforeseen costs throughout the process. However, deciphering these expenses beforehand will not only help keep your budget in check but also your nerves at bay—making a smoother process for all parties involved! Click here to read more...
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What's in store for the national real estate market in 2019? While it's impossible to predict the future, experts have outlined forecasts based on current trends. [Some] experts predict another recession is on the horizon, we discuss why you should take these predictions with a grain of salt. Current trends and statistics will help create a better picture for you about the market health. Click here to read more...
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If you’re on the fence of whether to move or not, it’s crucial that the entire family sits down and makes a list of pros and cons. But sometimes, even that’s not enough, and you can be left wondering whether or not it’s the right time to get the moving boxes ready. These are some reasons to keep in mind as you prepare to make this life-changing decision. Click here to read more...
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Now that the the major holiday season is coming to a close, many will start to think of their New Years resolutions. One of the top resolutions year over year is to save more... But are you thinking about in the right way? The financial goals you set in your 20's will differ from your 30's, 40's, 50's and into retirement. This week, we look to provide you with differing financial goals you can set into each decade of your life from your 20's to your 60's to help you build wealth and create a financial legacy. Click here to read more...
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Is Commercial Development affecting the value of your home? If you had to choose between a neighborhood that has a Starbucks, a few grocery stores, and a mall, versus a neighborhood with non of those things, which are you more likely to pick?... Click here to read more about how commercial develop is affecting your homes values.
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Winter weather usually has everyone hiding indoors - waiting for the spring to start the home buying and selling process. If you are interested in buying or selling a home, don't wait! There are plenty of advantages to buying and selling during the winter season. Click here to read the reasons why the real estate market can be hot during the cold months!
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Whether you’re interested in buying a home or you’ve just made the switch to homeowner, there are a lot of added responsibilities to prepare for. Even if you’ve made it to closing day and the brunt of the process is over, you’ll want to be prepared for everything that still lies ahead—especially the financials. Click here to read more...
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Among the many changes that joining the military brings, a frequent change in location is sometimes part of the territory. For families, moving often can make it difficult to feel settled in a home, or to even make the commitment associated with home-buying. Click here to read more...
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As technology changes, so too do our homes. The modern house is equipped with an array of energy-efficient solutions—from LED bulbs to geothermal heating and cooling systems—but how can you upgrade your existing systems to be environmentally friendly and cost-efficient? Click here to read more about how to go energy efficient in your home...
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The 4-1-1 on the rent to own process. There are a lot of factors that may prevent someone from making the decision to buy a home. But, one of the most common is a lack of finances. There are more people renting today than any other time since 1965. Click here to read more about the rent-to-own process...
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9 Home Repairs You Can Count On (And When to Expect Them.) If you have ever purchased a home, you know that saving for that down payment is tedious. After budgeting and making financial sacrifices, the last thing any new homeowner wants to worry about is expensive home repairs. But unless you are prepared to ask the right questions of the previous homeowner, you may need to stick to the dreaded budget for longer than you think. Click here to read more about expected home repairs...
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Maybe you’ve been searching for your dream home for months and you just can’t find the right one. You’ve come close, but there’s always something that you just can’t get past: the property backs up to a busy highway; the kitchen is dated and not adjacent to the family room; there’s no room that lends itself to a home office; the garage is detached. No matter what, there doesn’t seem to be a home out there that will fit the bill without investing significant dollars in renovation. Click here to find out more about new builds!...
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Moving Tips for First Time Home-Buyers: If you thought moving into your 900 square-foot apartment was tough, moving into your first home can be a real challenge. It’s hard to make the transition into your first home—knowing what items should be replaced and what needs to be purchased to fill a larger space. Click here to read more about top moving tips when purchasing a home for the first time.
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The Benefits of Buying a Home in Your 20's: Most twenty-somethings envision a life in the big city, working a big city job, and paying rent on a tiny apartment that’s barely big enough to fit a couch in. This is the real estate reality for some millions of young people in the twenty-first century. Click here to learn more about buying a home in your 20's.
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Your Journey to Home Ownership Starts Here: Home ownership is one of the greatest opportunities for establishing a stable financial future. It’s also one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life. If you prepare properly, you’ll be able to find a home that suits your needs and your budget. Follow this road map to make your first home buying experience a positive one. Click here to start your journey towards home-ownership.
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5 Ways a New Zip Code Could Impact Your Move: Before moving to that community next door, are you aware of all the changes that come with that new zip code? Prepare now by looking into these 5 details to help you make an informed decision. Click here to read more about the impacts zip codes have on you.
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Ready To Stand Out This Spring?: Spring is an ideal time to sell a home. It’s a well-known fact that both the number of buyers and inventory increase during the months of April, May, and June. This often means that your house could be paired against stiff competition. Click here for some simple real estate tips to help your spring listing stand out!
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Is a Large Yard Right For You?: Moving into a house with a large yard may sound ideal, but it’s certainly not for everybody—especially if this is your first home and you’re a rookie as far as home-owning is concerned. Use this list of pros and cons can help you decide whether or not a large yard is the way to go.
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Protecting yourself against home fires: Though numbers have been steadily decreasing since the 1970s, there are still over 300,000 reported home fires per year in the US. On average, fire departments respond to a home fire every 90 seconds. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/military-mutual-weekly-digest-vol-27-protect-yourself-derek-barksdale/
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Are you ready to make an offer on a home? Your agent is there to guide you, but it’s still important to be a well-informed buyer. Here are some things you should keep in mind before putting an offer on a house. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/military-mutual-weekly-digest-vol-28-ready-make-offer-derek-barksdale/
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What you need to know if you have a pool and are preparing to sell your home: Don’t let your pool be what’s steering buyers away from your home—make it the main attraction and a must-have home feature! Here are some easy ways to spruce up your pool before it goes on the market this spring. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/military-mutual-weekly-digest-vol-29-have-pool-what-you-barksdale/
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How can you stand out in todays competitive market: The current real estate market nationwide is still extremely competitive and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down. There is nothing more painful than making an offer on a home and then hearing that the home of your dreams has been given to someone else. The solution to this heartache? Make them an offer they can’t refuse by standing out among other hungry buyers. Try out some of these tips! https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/military-mutual-weekly-digest-vol-30-how-stand-out-market-barksdale/
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5 questions you should ask when selling your home: When selling your home, it’s important to ask the right questions. It can be a timely—and occasionally stressful—process, so making sure everyone is on the same page throughout is key in getting your home ready for the sale. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/military-mutual-weekly-digest-vol-31-5-questions-ask-barksdale/
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Do you have a not-so-green thumb? Here's your list for hard to kill plants: Not the green thumb type of gardener? Does your foliage tend to droop and die? Then these rugged plants are for you! https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/military-mutual-weekly-digest-vol-32-your-shopping-list-barksdale/
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The TRUTH about selling your own home:A lot of homeowners are convinced that if they’re willing to put in a little more effort on their own, they’ll end up turning a bigger profit when selling their home. While there are some rare examples where this may be true, the vast majority of evidence suggests otherwise. In most cases, people who sell their own home end up working way too hard and end up with less in their pocket than they would have by getting some help from a REALTOR®. Click here to read more.
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The benefits of buying your home in your 20's: Most twenty-somethings envision a life in the big city, working a big city job, and paying rent on a tiny apartment that’s barely big enough to fit a couch in. This is the real estate reality for some millions of young people in the twenty-first century. Click here to read more.
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It's hot out, like... Really HOT! We all want to live comfortably in the summer, and that sometimes means taking measures to ensure our homes stay at a consistently cool temperature. However, the right method for achieving this comfort will vary depending on the type of house, and who’s living in it. Click here to read more.
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How to prevent mold in your home: It’s hard enough trying to stay cool during the humid summer months without having to worry about mold in your home. With the added moisture in the air, our homes are more susceptible to mold growth. Luckily, we can prevent mold in the home before it even becomes a problem. Click here to read more.
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Beginners guide to being a landlord: Taking on the role of landlord is a huge undertaking. You have renters to find (and trustworthy ones at that), a property to look after, and being the go-between for the many different people involved in this process. Follow these tips to ensure that being a landlord is rewarding, rather than being a headache-inducing responsibility. Click here to read more.
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Late summer buying and selling tips: Most real estate experts would tell you that spring and early summer is peak season for buying or selling a home, and statistics show that they’re right. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of the summer is wasted time for people looking to buy or sell. Click here to read more.
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Vacation home buying 101:House hunting for a vacation home is no small feat—there are things to think about like location, price, and how much use you’ll get out of such a large investment. These tips are sure to put you on the right path so you can enjoy the process and kick up your feet in no time. Click here to read more.
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The FACTS about Fall home buying: People love autumn for many reasons. For buying homes? Not so much. But this doesn’t mean autumn doesn’t have its own distinct benefits if you’re in the market for a new home. Click here to read more.
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Americans confidence in housing at an all time high: Fannie Mae just released the July edition of their Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI). The HPSI takes information regarding consumers’ confidence in the real estate market from Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey and condenses it into a single number. Therefore, the HPSI reflects consumers’ current views and forward-looking expectations of housing market conditions. Click here to read more.
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Fall money saving tips: Fall is in full swing, and along with its changing leaves and weather, comes the opportunity to transform money management. Take a fresh look at some ongoing costs and ways to shave dollars off of autumn expenses. Here are some helpful tips to get you started. Click here to read more.
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Your home, your investment: When you purchase a home, don’t just think of it as a new place to live, think of it as an investment in your future. Real estate can be a solid, long-term investment for you and your family when you consider the pros and cons of your acquisition. Click here to read more.
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Let's talk about security deposits: Security deposits are a necessity in the landlording business. They are used to incentivize tenants to give our property back in the same manner it was provided to them. Over the years we have learned some things to keep security deposits feasible and practical. Here is some Advice From Experience on security deposits. Click here to read more.
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How to improve your ROI - Tips from a home investor: All businesses face a common dilemma, and that is how to spend enough to get a great return on investment. Property investment is also a business and it has the same underlying fundamentals and challenges including the fine line between underinvestment and investing too much. Click here to read more.
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Your Home, Your Investment: When you purchase a home, don’t just think of it as a new place to live, think of it as an investment in your future. Real estate can be a solid, long-term investment for you and your family when you consider the pros and cons of your acquisition. Click here to read more.
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Devices to Deal With Home Dangers: As Ben Franklin once noted, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Use these basic detection-device tips to help keep you and your family safe and sound. Click here to read more.
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Move On It: Finding a Hot Neighborhood: Trying to get in on an up-and-coming neighborhood before it gets big? The signs are clear—all you have to do is keep your eyes open for some of these big changes. Click here to read more.
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2020 Real Estate Predictions That Might Surprise You: This will be an interesting year for residential real estate. With a presidential election taking place this fall and talk of a possible recession occurring before the end of the year, predicting what will happen in the 2020 U.S. housing market can be challenging. As a result, taking a look at the combined projections from the most trusted entities in the industry when it comes to mortgage rates, home sales, and home prices are incredibly valuable – and they may surprise you. Click here to read more.
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Home Selling Tips For Pet Owners: There’s no doubt pets play an important role in our homes. They wait for us to come home after a long day, they protect our property, and they are there to comfort us when things go wrong. Use these tips to ensure that you can enjoy your pet and sell your home at the same time! Click here to read more.
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Top 10 Mistakes Home Sellers Make: Selling your home can be the beginning of an exciting new chapter, whether you are selling to take a new job in a new city, to move to a retirement community, or to upgrade your space for a growing family. However, it comes with its share of challenges - and sometimes, sellers create those challenges through problematic assumptions and actions. Click here to continue reading.
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Busting Credit Myths: Anyone who has purchased a home or is currently looking to buy can tell you that the credit score is one of the most important factors in securing a home loan. It can affect a lot of other areas in your life too, but it is extremely important in real estate. Click here to learn more.
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