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You’ve found it! The ideal home has been located and buying it seems to be a dream come true. However, this home is older and has various aspects that come with homes that have been built decades prior. Lead paint has recently become a concern, as have other such safety hazards. Before purchasing, it’s important to know how to tackle more difficult problems that can accompany older homes in order to ensure safety and in order to keep this beautiful, newly acquired home from becoming a residential nightmare.

To begin with, it’s a good idea to have an inspector check out a home prior to purchase. The urgency behind this advice increases with every year the home has been around, peaking in homes that have been around for several decades or…

So you’ve finally found the ideal place to call home. It’s gorgeous, the right size, and the right price. All the closing paperwork is finished up and you’ve even begun the arduous process that is bringing all of your furniture and boxes to your new place. Chances are you will need a mini break every once in awhile. You likely don’t want to rest for too long because there is always more to be done and you’d like to be settled in sooner rather than later. Plus, every break seems to get longer and it always gets harder to pick yourself back up and get back to the heavy lifting. Why not make a list of small tasks that you can complete during breaks that allow for furthered productivity, but also provide some space from toting boxes up and down…

Deciding to move can be a bit stressful, especially if you are deciding to get a home that is radically different from the one you are used to. Most of us know single-family units pretty well, but an option that many people overlook are multifamily units. The most common multi-family units would have to be duplex, the townhouse, the apartment complex, and the condominium. Now, to many, these may seem to be the same thing, but there are some subtle differences between them all that can have radical effects on your way of life if you choose to buy one. So, what makes one different from another?

Multi-family unit #1: Duplexes

One of the more popular multi-family units here in the Treasure Valley would have to be the duplex. Duplexes are houses…

Welcome back to part two of our series on transitioning from apartments to houses. Here we will show you what to look out for and what things to expect when it comes to buying a home, at least what makes it different from renting that is. Last article we talked about dealing HOAs (Homeowners Associations), buying appliances, finances, and the size of a house versus the size of an apartment. Today we are going to cover a few more things that will help to get you ready for homeownership. When you can, never go into something this big without doing research. There are lots of things you need to know before you can be a homeowner. Many laws and conditions that apply to you that didn’t apply to you as a renter. Again, this is not an all-inclusive…

Spread good reviews as word of mouth helps a lot with real estate agents.

Real estate agents are people who help clients to buy and sell homes and properties. There job is to work with clients to ensure that they are getting a good deal on or for their home, to help streamline the potentially stressful process of buying and selling, and to provide knowledge and assistance regarding the housing market, to help the buyer or seller decide what would be a good offer or counteroffer, and to ultimately answer whatever questions may arise. Many people feel that they can find a home without the aid of a real estate agent, but it’s not always that easy. Agents put in a lot of time and energy to learn the tools of their trade, and as such much go…

Have you ever wanted to trade in your cramped apartment for the freedom of your own home? What about moving out of your rental house or duplex to finally buy your own house? If so, then you, like many other people, are in for an interesting ride. You see, making that transition from apartment to house, or renting to buying in general, can be a bit frustrating if you aren’t readily prepared. However, things can go a whole lot smoother if you have a bit of knowledge into what you could expect. And today, we are going to try and prepare you for that time. Remember, this is not an all-inclusive list of things that you need to know as a homeowner, but it is a good start. Being a homeowner involves a lot of different responsibilities. Keep learning and…

Try to recall, if you can, the last time you went to the movies. The smell of popcorn, the surround sound, the cushy chairs- it's quite an exhilarating experience to watch the new releases on the big screen. What if you could enjoy your favorite movies from the comfort of your own home? We're not talking about clicking the Netflix button on a small tv and sidling onto the couch for a normal night of binge-watching. Though that is a perfectly acceptable way to enjoy tv, it doesn’t quite capture the same sparkle as enjoying a movie on a big screen. Why not redecorate a room or basement for the express purpose of capturing the magic of going to the movies? That’s right! We are talking about the magic of building a home theater! Plenty of people have…

Homeowner Associations, otherwise known as HOAs, are a very common kind of neighborhood organization here in America. If you ever plan on owning a home, chances are you will have to deal with one or two homeowner associations in your lifetime. Despite their wide spread though, HOAs will differ greatly from place to place in how they operate and what rules they enforce. Because of this great variety, it is important for homeowners to know what to look for when they move into a neighborhood, or better yet before they move into a neighborhood. Today, we will try and do just that. We are going to give you a quick overview of what an HOA is, what they do, and your responsibilities as a homeowner when it comes to your HOA. 

What are Homeowner…

The Boise area, also known as the Treasure Valley, is a stunning place that has frequently appeared on top ten lists of best places to live for almost every demographic imaginable. It is a gathering place for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city while staying close to convenience. People have been flocking here thanks to a number of different factors like its low housing prices, mild temperatures, and close proximity to some of the greatest outdoor destinations in the nation. This has created a huge need for new homes, new neighborhoods, and new amenities. However, over the last few years, it seems as though there has been a tapering off of new construction of all sorts and many people who already live here aren’t moving as…

In the last article about wallpaper and painting we talked about reasons why you would want to avoid using traditional paint and wallpaper in your new home. These included the bland nature of monochrome paint schemes, the commitment to a specific wallpaper, and so on and so forth. There are many more reasons why one would want to shy away from the traditional painting and wallpaper. (Besides, if you decide to do anything other than monochrome when it comes to color, you are in for a lot of time and effort on your part). So, to get around these problems, we have come up with another list of paint and wallpaper alternatives that you might like to use in your new Boise home.

Floor to ceiling photographs

This idea is very closely related to the…