Housing Chatter delivers the news you need to know about current events in the housing market in simple terms. We have no political or institutional affiliations so you can be confident that our content and commentary is unbiased. Housing Chatter is brought to you by your professional Realtor®.

How to rent out your house

It doesn't take much to turn an ordinary homeowner into a landlord. Maybe you have to move but want to keep your home and rent it out. Or you have a change of fortune -- you get married, receive an inheritance or buy a new house before you unload the old one. While many people would love to have an extra house to worry about, owning even one rental property ... Read More »

8 ways the housing market has changed for 2013

The real-estate recovery is now in full effect in most areas, and that means more of you are hopping off the fence to buy or list a home. Do you know what you're in for? The housing market is a different place than it was just six months ago, with new issues, rules and opportunities — even for those who are planning on staying in their house for a while. I ... Read More »

How to have the fastest closing ever

Closing fast? That's a thing of the past, like the iPhone 3G and "The Sopranos." Mortgage broker Todd Huettner, president of Denver-based Huettner Capital, fondly recalls helping a homebuyer close his loan in a matter of hours several years ago. "He said, 'Let's just get it done,' and so we did," he says. That, of course, came amid a vastly different econo ... Read More »

January gardening checklist

Gardening, in January? Absolutely. There are still lots of things you can plant, and you can start the new year on the right foot by doing timeless chores that will add to your garden's health as spring approaches. (Bing: When is the first day of spring?) Everything you accomplish now will make spring that much sweeter. Trees and shrubs This month's tree an ... Read More »

How to Tint Your Homes Windows

Driving up next to a limousine can make you wonder who is inside -- a celebrity, an athlete or a newlywed couple. While the passengers are probably more interested in privacy, the dark-tinted windows also offer them protection from the glare and sun. Much like cars, window films are now being used in residential settings to offer homeowners the benefits of a ... Read More »

10 Design Flaws in the Average Home

Good design doesn't have to be froufrou. It can be simple and useful in its beauty, making use of natural elements. Often it's a matter of looking to things that are important to you apart from conventional ideas and to what the idea of home means to you and your family. Poor planning and small budgets can lead to design mistakes, but often flaws become a ... Read More »

How To Keep Your Home

The best advice you will ever hear when you know that you are having financial trouble is COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, and COMMUNICATE! Open and respond to notices in the mail. Contact your mortgage lender immediately and ask them for help. Contact a certified counseling agency or call 211 (if available in your area). Know what kind of monthly ... Read More »

How to Downsize Your Home

Moving to a smaller place? Over time, we tend to accumulate stuff - lots of stuff. We have drawers full of stuff, gifts that we have never used (and never will), furniture we don’t really need but keep “just in case” and items that we’ve had for years may be difficult to part with due to nothing more than familiarity while serving no functional purpose. The ... Read More »

How To Disinfect Your Home From The Flu And Cold Viruses

The flu virus has been spreading around our office like wildfire, and we've done our best to stay out of its path. But if you do unfortunately get sick, or someone else in your household comes down with the ailment, you'll want to take certain steps to disinfect your home from the flu and get rid of germs fast. We spoke with Allison Janse, a self-described ... Read More »

DIY Home Fragrance on the Cheap

One of my favorite places to go in New York City isn’t a dimly-lit speakeasy cocktail lounge or a gargantuan structure that houses works of art from every corner of the globe; it’s my friend Alison’s apartment. When I walk into her home, I am always embraced first by my friend and then by a deeply comforting, relaxing fragrance. Alison understands the allure ... Read More »