Are you tripping over Legos? Are you constantly yelling to your guests from the kitchen? The Boston area’s aging housing stock doesn’t always reflect a modern family’s wants: closed-off dining rooms and living rooms are out; large mudrooms and open floor plans are in. But many of us feel lucky to have a home at all. House-hunting in the Boston area isn’t for the faint of heart, even for those who already have scored a starter. According to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, the median sale price for a single-family home in the state last year was $397,500, an increase of 5.4 percent, while the median sale price for condos was $375,000, a jump of 7.1 percent. In a pricey market with low inventory, sometimes it’s better to embrace your current situation and renovate. Thanks to steadily rising home values throughout the area, some homeowners can finance projects, drawing on the equity in their home. If the equity isn’t there, a construction loan … [Read more...] about Tips to make your starter home your happy place
Releasing equity on your home
Your Home-Equity Loan May Now Be a Lot More Expensive
By Laura Saunders Laura Saunders The Wall Street Journal BiographyLaura Saunders @SaundersWSJ Google+ [email protected] June 15, 2018 5:30 a.m. ET 60 COMMENTS For years, Americans could borrow against their homes to pay for a new car, college tuition, or even a trip to the Caribbean, and then deduct the interest on those loans. No more. Last year’s tax overhaul prohibited interest deductions for home-equity loans and home-equity lines of credit, known as Helocs, unless the funds are used for certain types of home improvements. The change took effect for 2018 and will affect many people. As of March, there were 4.2 million home-equity loans with balances totaling $127 billion, and 9.3 million Helocs with loan balances totaling $419 billion, according to Equifax Inc. EFX -1.06% As a result of the changes, Scott Davis, a retired engineer in Prescott, Ariz., will no longer get a write-off for the interest on a $50,000 Heloc he took out in 2013 to help his … [Read more...] about Your Home-Equity Loan May Now Be a Lot More Expensive
HOME FOR THE AGES / No place like home / Wanted: Lovely assistant to help with household chores, personal care. Only attractive homes need apply.
Lynette Evans, Chronicle Home&Garden Editor Published 4:00 am, Saturday, September 14, 2002 window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', container: 'taboola-interstitial-gallery-thumbnails-4', placement: 'Interstitial Gallery Thumbnails 4', target_type: 'mix' }); _taboola.push({flush: true}); Photo: Kurt Rogers Image 1of/4 CaptionClose Image 1 of 4 91-year-old Dorothy Berelson has redone her kitchen , , Bedroom and study to be more accommodating. Kurt Rogers 91-year-old Dorothy Berelson has redone her kitchen , , Bedroom and study to be more accommodating. Kurt Rogers Photo: Kurt Rogers Image 2 of 4 91-year-old Dorothy Berelson has redone her kitchen , , Bedroom and study to be more accommodating Dorthy in her back yard garden . Kurt Rogers 91-year-old Dorothy Berelson has redone her … [Read more...] about HOME FOR THE AGES / No place like home / Wanted: Lovely assistant to help with household chores, personal care. Only attractive homes need apply.
Nashville home sellers score big profits in booming market, new data shows
Share This Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about Facebook Email Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Nashville home sellers score big profits in booming market, new data shows Home-sellers netted a median profit of $76,100 this year, over what they originally paid for their house – 36 percent more profit than during the same period in 2017. Sent! A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Join the Conversation To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Subscribe Today Log In Subscribed, but don't have a login? Activate your digital access. Sandy Mazza, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Published 12:01 a.m. CT April 19, 2018 | Updated 12:24 a.m. CT April 19, 2018 CLOSE The Tennessean's yearlong look at Costs of Growth and Change in Nashville series culminates on … [Read more...] about Nashville home sellers score big profits in booming market, new data shows
The weekend might be rough on your portfolio
James Comey. Robert Mueller. Michael Cohen. Rod Rosenstein. These are names you're probably hoping not to hear if you're holding stocks this weekend.Headline risk is high. There's China trade tensions and war in the Middle East. Still, the S&P 500 ended the week up 2 percent. Things have been a little easier for investors — but for how long?Former FBI director Comey is set to make multiple media appearances before the release of his book this week. Speculation over the future of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein picked up Friday as the Mueller probe continued. Cohen, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, remained in the spotlight after the FBI raided his office and home.How do investors position for a weekend that could be full of breaking news?"I can't read the president's mind and can't predict his actions, but if you believe we are going to get news over the weekend, you would want to de-risk going into that. Because if you do wind up with a situation where … [Read more...] about The weekend might be rough on your portfolio