Owning a Home

Doing business with friends or family can get complicated. Here's what a professional real estate agent wants you to know before you seal the deal.

A real estate expert explains why and how you should assess your potential neighbors' behavior before purchasing a home.

Go into your next home tour ready to ask the right questions and avoid unwanted surprises down the road.

It's fun to go out and look, but it can set unrealistic expectations, which is the downside. If you are actively looking for a new home, it can also be distracting. Furthermore, it can discourage you, because if you walk in and you fall in love with that home and it's outside your budget or what your lender has provided to you as an approved price range, that's disheartening.

Avoid costly surprises and learn how to choose a home inspector who has your best interest in mind. Does location still matter most? Should you remodel your home to suit your tastes or for resale value? Are starter homes still a thing? We all have plenty of questions about the ever-changing world of real estate. In our Ask an Agent series, we’re partnering with experts at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate to answer your biggest questions about finding, buying, and selling a home.

Here's why you might want to upgrade your basic plugs with the latest technology.