Top 7 Things You Need to Know Before House-hunting on Zillow

Just as Kleenex has become the name for any brand of facial tissue and “to Xerox” is used as a verb for making copies, Zillow is the first name in online home search with 196 million unique visitors last year. That’s about double the number that Realtor.com enjoyed during the same period, making Zillow the platform that, in many ways, drives the real estate industry.

However, both real estate professionals and consumers have plenty of complaints about Zillow’s user interface (UI) and the accuracy of its information. If you’re thinking of starting a home search, here’s why you may need to bypass Zillow as your starting point.

To read the entire article: https://tinyurl.com/y3gxppc7

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Dealing With Popcorn Ceilings

Popcorn is great with a movie or possibly for stringing around an old-fashioned Christmas tree, but it’s a little less universally loved when it’s applied to the ceiling as a texture. “Popcorn ceiling,” a type of texture that looks a lot more like cottage cheese than popcorn, was widely used in homes from the 1950s through the mid-1980s, regardless of architecture style.

A Warning About Popcorn Ceilings
Many popcorn ceiling treatments were manufactured using asbestos fiber, which was legal until the mid-1970s in most states. However, the asbestos-containing compound was still legal to sell until all stores were depleted, so if your home was built prior to the mid-1980s, there’s a significant chance your popcorn ceilings contain asbestos.

Just having asbestos bound up on your ceiling doesn’t pose a significant health risk by itself. The problem occurs when these ceiling materials are disturbed. Dust particles containing asbestos can be inhaled, which is really bad for your lungs. Because of this, it’s important to have an asbestos test on your ceiling materials if you’re considering cutting into or removing portions of it. It’s also vital that you invest in filtration respirators that will capture asbestos particles. And in some locations you may need a permit or licensed professionals to remove asbestos containing materials.

To read the whole article: https://tinyurl.com/yypytmse

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Hot Flooring Trends for Homeowners

Very few things in a home can make such a difference to both form and function as new floors. Flooring reflects not only your style and personality, but also your lifestyle. The right floor can make it easier to keep your home cleaner, hide imperfections, and set the mood for a cozy living space. And although flooring has generally been an “anything goes” environment for a while in home design, there are certain trends that have been a lot more popular than others. Here’s a brief round-up that should make your flooring search a little easier.

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Full article – https://tinyurl.com/y4685ygx

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6 Reasons You’ll Win by Selling with a Real Estate Agent This Fall

There are many benefits to working with a real estate professional when selling your house. During challenging times, like what we face today, it becomes even more important to have an expert you trust to help guide you through the process. If you’re considering selling on your own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO), it’s critical to consider the following:

https://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2020/10/12/6-reasons-youll-win-by-selling-with-a-real-estate-agent-this-fall/

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Why Is Home Buying a Key Personal Investment?

If the thought of buying a home sounds scary, you’re not alone. Check out these top financial benefits of home-buying to learn why it’s one of the best investments you can make!

It is considered a truism that owning a home is a better financial option than renting. After all, the logic goes, why should you pay your landlord’s mortgage when you can pay your own? Intuitively, it feels true, but how true is it—and how do we really know?

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More ➡️ https://americanlifestylemag.com/real-estate/buying-selling/why-is-home-buying-a-key-personal-investment/

Gutter Cleaning Tips and Tricks

There are some chores around the house that make you feel like you’ve really done something, giving you a sense of massive accomplishment and joy. Cleaning gutters isn’t one of them. Unfortunately, it’s a chore that still has to be done, whether it’s fulfilling or not. And if you’ve got to do a thing, you might as well do it right. That’s why we’ve got tips for better gutter cleaning.

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https://blog.homekeepr.com/gutter-cleaning-tips-and-tricks

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