Walk-in Closet Don’t have a bucket list but if I did, "get a walk-in closet" would definitely be on there. As someone who has lived in 800 square feet or less for the last 20 years, I’ve still never had a closet to call mine. I see walk-in closets with accessory islands and seating areas, and that’s not what I’m dealing with in my small house. At all. Take Off Your Closet Door One way to...

The kitchen is an area of your home that gets used more often than most other areas. So it stands to reason that if your kitchen were more organized and simple to use, your life would feel easier. Professional organizer Monica Ricci has 10 easy steps to organize your kitchen, and make your family life flow more smoothly when it comes to meal preparation. Tip #1: Empty Cabinets Pull everything out...

Decorating Don’t stress about furnishing your new pad! We have five easy tips, tricks, and ideas to help you get started for decorating your apartment. Whether you're using hand-me-down furniture, decorating on a budget, or splurging on luxury, your first apartment is a great opportunity to explore your personal design style! Deciding on a look, feel, and color palette for the first time can be...

Neighborhood Amenities There’s a lot to consider when you’re searching for your next home, including whether it has the right number of bedrooms, a layout conducive to your needs and is move-in ready or ripe for all the renovations you’ve been planning. But what matters even more is what’s just beyond the property line. The area you purchase in is not only an important factor in your...

Rental inspection checklist Rarely convenient and always coming around quicker than you think, they’re nonetheless the only way for a landlord to ensure their very expensive asset is being looked after properly. But you don’t want to give the property manager any cause to inspect the property more often than they absolutely have to, so it’s important that the home is in tip-top shape on inspection...

Things Landlords Wish Tenants Knew Sometimes the landlord/tenant relationship can be a difficult one. But it does not have to be that way, and it certainly does not have to start out that way. As landlords, we try to get this relationship off to a good start and keep it that way by taking care of our properties and tenant concerns. But some tenants, perhaps due to past experiences, prepare for the worst...

Buying Old Houses! We understand the appeal of moving into a newly constructed home. After all, it’s hard not to be enticed by brand-new appliances, floors, and heating, cooling and electrical systems. Plus, buying an old place that needs work can be intimidating, especially for those of us whose only brush with restoring a house has come from watching reruns of “Fixer Upper.” However, home buyers...

Apartment Cleaning Attend the move-out inspection The move out is an important part of the rental process, so make a point of being there. This is the one time tenants can dispute property damages; attending helps you avoid paying for false claims submitted in writing. Your presence also facilitates important conversations such as stipulating exactly which remaining damages or repairs are the...

Buy a Home Figuring out when to plunge into the real estate market can be quite intimidating – especially when prices are high, choices are limited, and history urges restraint. Take heart: Experts agree that relief is indeed on the horizon. New predictions for 2018 forecast more moderate gains in home prices and rising inventory levels, while low unemployment and record levels of consumer confidence...

       Real Estate I love waking up each morning knowing that no matter HOW much planning I do, my schedule will change at a moments notice. Apparently I like living on the edge. I love real estate agents. Yes, some of them are complete imbeciles – but they just make me look good. The good agents make the business fun. I love marketing. Real estate marketing is constantly changing and I...