Last week’s economic news included readings on inflation, job openings, and weekly reports on jobless claims and mortgage rates. Inflation Rate Slows in August After posting 0.60 percent growth for each month in June and July, the Consumer Price Index rose by 0.40 percent in August. These growth rates offset declines in inflation during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Used vehicle prices increased after deep discounts offered when the pandemic started; analysts said that rising prices for used vehicles offset losses in previous months and produced low inflation for August. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy sectors, mirrored results for the … [Continue Reading...]
If you're in the process of simultaneously buying and selling a home, you may be in for the most stressful experience of your life. One UK-based real estate survey of over two thousand people found that buying and selling a house is more stressful than divorce, bankruptcy, a death in the family, becoming a parent for the first time, and even planning a wedding! It's not easy, but staying calm will help you to plan for your upcoming home purchase and sale and make the process easier. So how can you avoid the stress? Here are three strategies that will keep you calm, no matter what may happen. Have A Thorough Plan In Place... Much of the stress that you'll experience will probably be the … [Continue Reading...]
If you are looking to sell a home in the current market, then you know that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many people look at the world and this includes their home. Therefore, buyers need to think about whether or not their homes have what buyers are looking for. While this is a hot market and sellers could quickly end up with multiple offers for their homes, they are more likely to get a higher offer if their home has one of the key features that buyers in today’s market will love. A Home Office Without a doubt, this is one of the most popular features today. With the pandemic changing the way people work, workers are spending more time at home than ever before. Everyone … [Continue Reading...]
Those who are thinking about buying their first home soon are likely saving up for a down payment. This can be a challenging process because, for many people, this is the largest amount of money they have ever saved in their lives. Sadly, the amount that people might need to buy their first home is more than they think. There are numerous other costs that go along with buying and maintaining a home. As a result, people need to save up more than they think. Even for starter homes that are usually less expensive than family homes, there are numerous costs that need to be included. Think about a home that is $250,000. A 20 percent down payment is $50,000. That is already a lot of money. Even … [Continue Reading...]
Last week’s scheduled economic news included readings on construction spending and labor sector reports on public and private sector jobs. The national unemployment rate was also reported. Weekly readings on mortgage rates and jobless claims were also published. July Construction Spending Rises Construction spending rose from June’s seasonally adjusted annual pace of $1.363 billion to $1,365 billion in July. The U.S. Census Department reports construction spending and readings are subject to adjustment. Growth in construction spending is due to a demand for homes in less congested areas.COVID-19 is creating more demand for larger homes that accommodate working from home. … [Continue Reading...]
Stains are common issues faced by homeowners; however, when the stains involve the walls, this can be a difficult challenge. Stains and grease are a much tougher challenge than dust and cobwebs. That is why there are specialized methods that help remove grease and stains from walls. Remove Grease From Kitchen Walls Grease is one of the most common occupational hazards of cooking. While grease can prevent foods from sticking to pots and pans, this can be a real challenge if it ends up on the kitchen walls. Fortunately, there is dish soap that can strip the grease right off of the walls. In order to use dish soap to remove grease from kitchen walls, take a quarter tsp of dish soap, mix it with … [Continue Reading...]
