Nita Shinsky's (nitarealtor) Blog

Keep Track of Improvements People are staying longer in their homes according to the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Census. Over time, even a modest appreciation could result in a significant gain and homeowners should have a strategy to minimize possible taxes. Maintenance on a pr...

If this email does not display properly, click here to view the page. For more than 100 years, the State Fair of Texas has been a major source of entertainment for millions, as well as a powerful factor in the growth of Dallas.The State Fair will open daily. Build...

Home Energy Audit With the exception of a mortgage payment, the largest homeowner expense is utilities; and energy is the major component. There are lots of contributing factors such as air leaks, insulation, heating and cooling equipment, water heaters and lighting. It's estimated that 75% of th...

Converting a Home to a Rental What's keeping you from taking advantage of the low prices and mortgage rates available today? Concerned that you may need to sell in a few years and won't be able to get your equity out of your home? Suppose a buyer purchases a home and finds out that they need to m...

Competing with Cash It's not fair! 29% of all sales made in June and July 2011 were cash. How does a buyer who needs a mortgage compete with a cash buyer? You've been looking for a home for months after thinking about it for years. You've found the home you want and meets your family's needs. You...

Significant Problems - 8/29/2011 "The significant problems you face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking you were at when you created them." Albert Einstein The housing market has definitely caused significant problems for some people but is also providing some amazing opportuniti...

Silent Killer Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and toxic. It's called the "silent killer" in homes because some victims are not even aware that the deadly condition exists. Homeowners must be concerned about unmaintained furnaces, water heaters and appliances that can produce the deadly gas...

More To Sell If you had a 3.5% mortgage on your current home and were buying another home, transferring your low interest rate mortgage would be ideal.  Unfortunately, lenders don't allow that. When buying a home today, it would be smart to think about selling it in the future.  To have a good ho...

The Investment Alternative To say the investment market is unsettling is an obvious understatement. The market is down 8% in the last ten days and the news doesn't give much hope that things are going to get better in the near term. Preservation of capital is probably today's most important inves...

I Want a Bigger/Nicer Home but...   There are homeowners that would like to have a larger/nicer home but are patiently waiting for the market to improve. A frequently heard objection is that they can't sell their home for what it is currently worth.     Buying up in a down market is actually adva...