<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Real Estate Blog</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/</link><description>Learn everything you need to know about real estate from financing and buying your first home to selling it and finding that perfect little place to retire in.</description><language>en-us</language><pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:24:45 +0000</pubDate><lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:24:45 +0000</lastBuildDate><ttl>60</ttl><item><title></title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/how-did-you-score-on-the-honesty-quiz</link><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2008 04:16:33 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/how-did-you-score-on-the-honesty-quiz</guid><description><![CDATA[...]]></description></item><item><title>The Real Estate Blog is on Hiatus</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/the-real-estate-blog-is-on-hiatus</link><pubDate>Sun, 11 Feb 2007 05:00:28 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/the-real-estate-blog-is-on-hiatus</guid><description><![CDATA[We are not currently adding new blogs to the Real Estate Blog but we welcome you to explore the many blogs here and participate in the Homes Forum here at Families.com.]]></description></item><item><title>First Time Buyers: The Three Home Types</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/first-time-buyers-the-three-home-types</link><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:21:20 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/first-time-buyers-the-three-home-types</guid><description><![CDATA[Congratulations on deciding to buy a home! It is an exciting time filled with so many choices. One of those very basic choices is figuring out exactly which one of the three types of homes to buy.
Here is a quick easy guide to those types.]]></description></item><item><title>The Basics of Staging</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/the-basics-of-staging</link><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:07:27 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/the-basics-of-staging</guid><description><![CDATA[In an earlier blog, Do It Yourself: Staging Your Home to Sell, I talked about our decision to forego a professional staging expert and stage our home ourselves. In getting ready to show our home, we first needed to get down to basics.]]></description></item><item><title>Do It Yourself: Staging Your Home to Sell</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/do-it-yourself-staging-your-home-to-sell</link><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:18:54 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/do-it-yourself-staging-your-home-to-sell</guid><description><![CDATA[In this buyer's market, staging your home may just be the key thing to make it sell quickly and for a good price. Right now, buyers have a lot of homes to choose from, so anything that can give your house an edge in the market is good.]]></description></item><item><title>What to Do When You Get A Low Offer</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/what-to-do-when-you-get-a-low-offer</link><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jan 2007 14:31:34 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/what-to-do-when-you-get-a-low-offer</guid><description><![CDATA[You get the call from your realtor. The time has come. Someone actually wants to buy your house. You are exited and ready to pack. But when the offer comes your happy bubble pops. The offer is too low.]]></description></item><item><title>Decluttering with Kids</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/decluttering-with-kids</link><pubDate>Fri, 29 Dec 2006 05:36:15 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/decluttering-with-kids</guid><description><![CDATA[The biggest challenge for me this past summer was keeping my house decluttered in case potential buyers came to view the house.  With a six-year old boy on my hands and my husband out of town, I wasn't sure how long it would be before my hair was pulled out in its entirety.]]></description></item><item><title>How Much House Does Your Family Need?</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/how-much-house-does-your-family-need</link><pubDate>Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:29:50 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/how-much-house-does-your-family-need</guid><description><![CDATA[Without even taking into account how much stuff each family member has, determining square footage needs may seem like a mathematical formula that doesn't exist.]]></description></item><item><title>The Real Estate Forecast vs. the Real Estate Calendar</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/the-real-estate-forecast-vs-the-real-estate-calendar</link><pubDate>Wed, 27 Dec 2006 04:38:03 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/the-real-estate-forecast-vs-the-real-estate-calendar</guid><description><![CDATA[Everyone is trying to predict what the real estate market will do.  Optimism never hurts, but neither does knowing the much more predictable real estate calendar and planning your investments accordingly.]]></description></item><item><title>Your Checklist for Renting a Place</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/your-checklist-for-renting-a-place</link><pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2006 22:07:30 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/your-checklist-for-renting-a-place</guid><description><![CDATA[In the next couple of years you want to buy a property, but what do you do until then?  Not everyone is at the point where they can afford to put a large sum down for a house.  Even with no money down options, you may have to compromise by coping with a high interest rate or other catches.]]></description></item><item><title>Buying a Cul-de-sac House</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/buying-a-cul-de-sac-house</link><pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2006 03:50:48 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/buying-a-cul-de-sac-house</guid><description><![CDATA[We're on our third house in four years.  Luckily, we have been able to make some upgrades along the way.  Our first one didn't have a fence and was on a very busy road, near a stoplight.]]></description></item><item><title>New Year's Resolutions to Get You Ready for a Real Estate Investment</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/new-years-resolutions-to-get-you-ready-for-a-real-estate-investment</link><pubDate>Mon, 18 Dec 2006 23:11:43 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/new-years-resolutions-to-get-you-ready-for-a-real-estate-investment</guid><description><![CDATA[For many, 2007 will be the year to buy a new home.  As we get ready to enjoy the holidays, it will also be time to think of our real estate investment resolutions.  Outside of actually buying the house itself, there are some goals to set along the way:

1.  Get a detailed credit history report.]]></description></item><item><title>To Fill or Not to Fill the Footage</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/to-fill-or-not-to-fill-the-footage</link><pubDate>Thu, 14 Dec 2006 23:27:10 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/to-fill-or-not-to-fill-the-footage</guid><description><![CDATA[Does your house look empty?  Sometimes going from a small house to a big one can be as aggravating as the opposite occurrence.  Of course, it's true that we are blessed when we get the opportunity to take advantage of more living space, but there can be some complications.]]></description></item><item><title>House Hunting Like a Pro</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/house-hunting-like-a-pro</link><pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:08:18 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/house-hunting-like-a-pro</guid><description><![CDATA[After more than a few house hunting trips, my husband and I have gotten to the point where we can almost tell whether or not we would ever buy a house just by looking at the outside.  In fact, on our last house hunt, I'm sure that we frustrated our realtor.]]></description></item><item><title>You're Not Settled into Your New Home Until...</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/youre-not-settled-into-your-new-home-until</link><pubDate>Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:39:39 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/youre-not-settled-into-your-new-home-until</guid><description><![CDATA[All the tasks we do before, during and after a move help us adapt to our new dwelling.  It is usually the tiny details, like hanging up that last picture, that make us feel like we've always lived there.]]></description></item><item><title>Tidings of a December Closing</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/tidings-of-a-december-closing</link><pubDate>Wed, 06 Dec 2006 06:06:36 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/tidings-of-a-december-closing</guid><description><![CDATA[Or should I say, "we wish you a merry moving"?  The house hunt started in July or August.  You thought for sure that not only would you have found your new home by Christmas, but that you'd be completely moved in and settled.]]></description></item><item><title>I Loved it When My Realtor...</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/i-loved-it-when-my-realtor</link><pubDate>Tue, 05 Dec 2006 03:42:48 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/i-loved-it-when-my-realtor</guid><description><![CDATA[A realtor has an unbelievable burden (no, I am not one).  But, just imagine the many challenges that they encounter.  They have picky buyers in a seller's market, or sellers selling in a slow one.]]></description></item><item><title>What is the Strangest Advice You've Gotten from Your Realtor?</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/what-is-the-strangest-advice-youve-gotten-from-your-realtor</link><pubDate>Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:06:36 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/what-is-the-strangest-advice-youve-gotten-from-your-realtor</guid><description><![CDATA[Maybe your realtor told you to bake cookies or an apple pie the day that you will be showing your house to potential buyers, or to remove pictures of people from the walls so that they feel less intrusive and more able to envision your house as their own.]]></description></item><item><title>Top Five Things to Know About Corporate Relocation</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/top-five-things-to-know-about-corporate-relocation</link><pubDate>Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:16:36 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/top-five-things-to-know-about-corporate-relocation</guid><description><![CDATA[Are you being relocated to another city or state by your own or your spouse's company?  Luckily, there are some helpful (hopefully) benefits to having your move in the hands of your job.  Be prepared for some or all of the following to happen:

1. They pick your buying and selling agent.]]></description></item><item><title>Shopping for Real Estate?  Don't Fall in Love</title><link>http://real-estate.families.com/blog/shopping-for-real-estate-dont-fall-in-love</link><pubDate>Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:42:06 +0000</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true">http://real-estate.families.com/blog/shopping-for-real-estate-dont-fall-in-love</guid><description><![CDATA[The title may give a different impression than what is intended.  It's not suggesting that you avoid falling in love with another person, rather that you avoid falling in love with a piece of real estate.  It may sound silly, but it happens every day.]]></description></item></channel></rss>