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®.

5 Quick and Cheap Ways to Stage Your Home

The key to successfully staging is to accentuate its positive points and disguise the negatives, so the prospective buyer can project their own ideas onto a fairly blank canvas. This can be done surprisingly easy and cheaply without the need for expensive redecoration. ... Read More »

What to Do If You Get an Offer … But Your Home Isn’t for Sale

In tough real estate markets, buyers may take a gamble on an unlisted home. Here’s how to handle an out-of-the-blue offer. It’s the knock on the door that comes out of left field. Or the unexpected envelope in the mail. A stranger says he wants to buy your house, and for a great price. ... Read More »

6 renovations that could destroy your home’s resale value

When people renovate their homes, they often factor in whether those renovations will add to the resale value. While few homeowners recoup the full cost of home renovations, updated bathrooms and kitchens, plus other improvements, can help you sell your home more quickly, and for more money. The added bonus is if you do the renovations while you live in th ... Read More »

First-time homebuyers may be the new American elite

Is buying a first home becoming more a privilege than an American birthright? That’s the provocative question posed recently by Issi Romem, chief economist ofBuildZoom.com. And he answers it, cautiously, with data suggesting it’s true. Romem’s most concerning assertion: Young buyers have nearly 10% higher incomes than they did less than a decade ago. ... Read More »

Buying a home was the greatest investment I ever made — but it was also the toughest

I added “homebuyer” to my personal resume at the age of 26 — a full seven years before the average first timer these days. At the time, it seemed like a savvy move because I didn’t have any other debt, had some savings left over from a work bonus, and my hometown of Atlanta boasted very reasonable home prices. I was also in love with — and engaged to — some ... Read More »

10 Ways to Become a More Confident Person

Confidence is not something everyone is born with. Most of us have to work at it. One of the fastest ways to grow your confidence is by starting with small changes, and practice them every day. These essential tasks are valuable for any one of any age, at any stage of their professional and personal life. Here are 10 ways to become a more confident person ... Read More »

The Top 10 Real Estate Stories of the Past 10 Years

A look back at one of the most turbulent decades in real estate history. To celebrate Zillow’s 10-year anniversary, we’re looking back over the past decade and taking stock of the events that have defined real estate as we know it today. Here are the highs and lows that have made this past decade so exciting and volatile. ... Read More »

21 Inspiring Quotes From the Mentor who Taught Tony Robbins How to Be Tony Robbins

Robbins was a struggling janitor when they first met… Ever wonder how Tony Robbins got to be Tony Robbins? Yes, he’s inspiring, energetic, larger than life, and works unbelievably hard. But how did he get his start? How did he first discover he could have a career speaking to audiences of thousands? It turns out he had an older entrepreneur and motivational ... Read More »

Exposed Aggregate Driveway Replaces Unattractive Amosite Asphalt

When resurfacing a driveway, do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask questions We moved into our house in the middle of 2001. The amosite asphalt driveway was not very attractive; neither of us liked it but repaving it wasn’t the highest thing on our priority list for a while. We put on a screen porch and put a dock out on the lake and so forth. Finally ... Read More »

How to Keep Your Home Warm When It’s C-C-Cold Outside

Practical, money-saving, comfort-boosting winter tips Freezing weather outdoors … cozy and warm inside your home. For many folks, that’s a picture of the ideal winter conditions. Cranking up the furnace is one possible way to get that comfort you crave, but the cost, in terms of environmental impact and astronomical energy expense, is out of the question. T ... Read More »