(NewsUSA) - You've decided to move, but the housing market is more competitive than ever. To get an edge on your competition, it's important to make your home as appealing as possible so that you can sell it quickly and at its maximum value. The experts at Nailite, a manufacturer and distributor of premium residential and commercial siding, provide the following tips to increase the resale value of your home: * Give it curb appeal. A home's ... [full story]

Many factors have converged to make 2006 a great time for home remodeling. Projects completed this fall will increase a home's curb appeal, make it more energy efficient and reduce the homeowner's tax burden. Escalating natural gas and fuel oil prices mean that energy-conscious home updates can result in worthwhile savings. Residential heating oil costs increased 32.7 percent in 2004 and 8.3 percent in 2005. Natural gas costs nearly doubled from 1995 to 2005, according ... [full story]

For most Americans, their home is their biggest investment and their most valuable asset. Home equity, or the value of your home after all loans have been paid off, can be a source of value and long-term wealth. In fact, according to SMR Research, Americans have more than $11.2 trillion in home equity.  More and more homeowners are choosing to use the equity in their home instead of waiting to reap the profits when they ... [full story]

As the weather cools, many homeowners already have a system in place to help prepare their home's exterior for the looming winter season. Making sure outdoor furniture is stored away and bushes and young trees are wrapped in burlap are just a few common tasks many homeowners automatically check off.  However, many are unaware that their exterior wood surfaces, like decks or fences, also require special protection from winter's elements.    The optimum time to apply ... [full story]

With escalating energy costs and rising prices for home improvement projects, everyone is looking for ways to conserve and cut costs without breaking the bank on the initial investment.  Adding a simple storm door may be the answer.  Storm products will cut heating and cooling costs, and are an economical alternative to total replacement.  Many are eligible for a new tax credit offered this year and next.   Larson Manufacturing, the country's largest maker of storm ... [full story]

Few things offer a greater sense of accomplishment than designing, building or customizing a home to your specific desires.  Done properly, a home can offer decades of enjoyment to you and your family - with little or no need for major updating or improvements.     The exterior details are some of the most important aesthetic and value-influencing aspects of the home. Photo by Western Red Cedar Lumber Association With so many necessary decisions however, it's often easy ... [full story]

The garage door may not be the first item you think of dressing up when you’re putting your house up for sale, but realtors say it’s worth giving it some attention.   The list price on this home increased nearly 3 percent when standard garage doors were replaced by carriage house doors that enhanced the home's charming Craftsman style. “It’s the single largest moving part on a home and if it faces the street, it plays a ... [full story]

Proposal seeks 180,000 new rental vouchers and a record $1.6 billion in homeless assistance U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson on Monday unveiled the Bush Administration's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget request, which seeks to expand record homeownership, promote affordable housing and assist homeless individuals and families. President Bush is seeking $35.2 billion for HUD, which represents a $1.6 billion or 4.5 percent increase over his proposed spending plan for FY 2007.   HUD Secretary ... [full story]

Mortgage rates have now increased in seven of the last eight weeks, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rising to 6.42 percent. This is the highest since Oct. 25.  According to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large lenders, the 30-year fixed rate mortgages had an average of 0.34 discount and origination points.  The average 15-year fixed rate mortgage popular for refinancing climbed to 6.19 percent. On larger loans, the average jumbo 30-year fixed rate ... [full story]

Foreclosure filings exceed 100,000 for fifth straight month, up 35 percent from December 2005 RealtyTrac®, the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, this week released its December 2006 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows that 109,652 properties nationwide entered some stage of foreclosure during the month, a decrease of nearly 9 percent from the previous month but an increase of 35 percent from December 2005. The report also shows a national foreclosure rate of one ... [full story]

Pat Vredevoogd Combs, president of the National Association of Realtors, praised Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D- N.Y.) and Senator Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) for introducing key legislation that NAR believes would ensure the nation's real estate industry remains competitive. The Community Choice in Real Estate Act, S.413, introduced Friday, is cosponsored by senators on both sides of the aisle: Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), John Ensign, (R-Nev.), Russ Feingold ... [full story]

Caldera Springs resort community has announced that 240 homesites, 75% of all sites available in the entire Caldera Springs community, sold within the first six months.  Demand for homesites in the area adjacent to Sunriver and Crosswater reached a new high at the selection event held in late August. “As the first new resort community in the Sunriver area since 1994, we knew we’d have strong interest, but we never imagined that we’d see this kind ... [full story]

According to the 2006 Coldwell Banker® Home Price Comparison Index (HPCI), an “apples to apples” comparison of similar homes sold in typical, middle management neighborhoods, the average sale price of homes in Oregon is $384,097. Of the five Oregon markets evaluated, Bend, Oregon ranks as the most expensive with an average home price of $482,750 while Salem, Ore. ranks as the least expensive with an average price of $304,000. The 2006 Coldwell Banker HPCI evaluated home ... [full story]