Real Estate

Just as every house has a personality - whether it's a ranch, bungalow, Queen Anne, Tudor, Cape Cod or any other architectural style - the landscape that surrounds it has a personality, too, especially out front.

There are formal gardens - neatly trimmed and fertilized lawns, tightly manicured evergreens and plenty of straight lines. There are cottage gardens with billowy, informal plantings of annuals, perennials, flowering vines and roses.
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Buying a house is an emotional journey - from finding the perfect property to securing the ideal price. The last thing anyone wants to endure is a real estate closing that resembles a roller-coaster ride.

The goal of a good settlement is where the buyers and sellers get to meet, sign papers, hand off keys and trade information about the neighborhood. When done well, it's a nice moment between buyer and seller.

And who wouldn't want that? ...

So much of the attention is on sellers, but if you are in the market for a home, there are some things you can do to make the journey easier. In the March issue of Consumer Reports magazine, a survey of real estate agents revealed the mistakes some home buyers are making. One of the big ones is not taking the time to find the right real estate agent. The wrong person, it seems, can cost you money.

Here are a few other costly mistakes home buyers are ...

The new year is typically a time when we see rejuvenation within the real estate market. Sellers who stood stagnant with their properties during the holidays are now typically more motivated to sell their homes, hoping to secure the highest price in the shortest amount of time. The open house for many home sellers can be a critical rite of passage that can make the difference between showing their home in its best light or falling short of highlighting the home's ...

Are real estate agent fees negotiable?

The answer is yes. Everything is negotiable in a real estate transaction, including the commission, which in most parts of the country is 6 percent of the sales price, usually split between the listing agent and buyer's agent.

But there's more to the story than a one-word response can tell.

Agents say it never hurts to ask if an agent will consider a lower fee. Of course, there's no ...

Planning to put your house on the market? Here are some things to do and some things to avoid before and after the sign goes in the yard.

PREPARING TO SELL

Do:

- Pay attention to the inside of closets. If you are leaving a house vacant for showings, be sure to paint the master closet. Paint will brighten the space.

- Have heating and air conditioning serviced.

- Have the ...