Ikea was curious about what Americans want from their homes. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with expensive upgrades.

The Swedish retailer’s first annual “US Life at Home Report” uncovered that, above all else, 95% of Americans consider comfort a top home feature. We’re not talking about cushy furniture or other features that makes life at home physically more comfortable. It’s an emotional thing. Ikea found that American consumers want their homes to have a feel-good environment so they can let their hair down and connect with loved ones.

Here are more insights from the report:

1. We aren’t show-offs.  In fact, we’re modest. Ikea says, “… home in the U.S. is not so much about status or wealth as it maybe once was or about keeping up with the…

2734 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

The home buying process has so many different aspects that it’s hard to think about everything thoroughly without a qualified real estate agent to represent your best interests.  One aspect that is often over looked has to do with perhaps the most important part of buying a home; financing.  Many home buyers are not aware that there are two types of lenders.  In today’s market there are mortgage brokers and there are lenders.  So which is better and who should you work with for your upcoming home purchase?  Let’s start with the major difference between brokers and lenders.

A mortgage broker is someone who works with a variety of lenders to find a loan that fits your needs.

A lender works for a financial institution that offers mortgage loans…

1618 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

In a recent Forbes blog post, multimillionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson declared that today’s record-low interest rates made this the best time to buy homes in fifty years. “If you don’t own a home, buy one,” Paulson said. “If you own one home, buy another one, and if you own two homes, buy a third and lend your relatives the money to buy a home.”  Why should we care what Paulson thinks? Well, he was among the few to accurately predict the subprime collapse and, while no one has a crystal ball, a closer look at the numbers supports his call to action.

Historically low interest rates are the key…and they aren’t likely to hang around for long.

According to Gary Keller in his book, SHIFT, buyers who “choose to wait until prices come down…

1576 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Selling a home is stressful enough for home owners, but selling a home with pets can be even more stressful. In addition to the usual concerns home owners have, sellers with pets also have to consider if they should move their animals out while the home is for sale, how much it will cost to repair any pet-related damage and if pet odor will deter potential buyers.

Unfortunately for pet owners, the truth is that pets can turn away potential buyers and even lower the perceived value of their home if they are not addressed prior to listing. However, when properly prepared, homes with pets can be cleaned and staged in a way that makes the existence of the pets almost undetectable.

The first step is to discuss the issues of selling a home with pets.…

1693 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

I'll begin by saying that I'm not typically a "Soup and Salad" kind of a guy.  I must say though when I checked out Zoup! for the first time I was both surprised and impressed.  Soup just seems to have so many variations and styles that I feel like it's a food that most of us are easily dissapointed in unless it's Grandma's original recipe.  

Zoup! first impressed me with the way the restaurant operates.  You get in line in the "decision and taste testing" section where guests can see the 12-15 soups that are available right in front of them.  You can ask for as many samples of any type of soup as you want so that you know you actually like the soup before committing to purchase.  The employees in my experience have been happy to answer questions and…

3301 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post