The recession may have done a number on your credit score, even if it spurred you to reform spendthrift ways and cut up your credit cards. For many, the drops have come at the same time that lenders have tightened their standards and demanded higher scores to get the best interest rates.
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The recession has hurt many people’s credit scores. How to fix it?
Pedestrian-friendly Huntington Terrace in Bethesda is celebrating its centennial this year. Narrow streets — about 20 feet, curb to curb — pass homes with mature trees and modest front yards. Children can walk to Bradley Hills Elementary School without having to cross busy streets.
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Huntington Terrace: An eclectic ‘American village’ in Md.
We are a nation of bargain hunters, especially when it comes to real estate. And what could be a better bargain strategy than this? Snap up a foreclosed, partially completed house for a song, finish it up and own a really nice home for less money than buying a finished house.
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Do-it-yourselfers can shell out for a real estate ‘bargain’
As if losing one’s home in a foreclosure or short sale were not already sufficiently traumatic, many former homeowners are learning that the day they turn in their keys may be only the start of an even more prolonged housing-induced misery.
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Sometimes losing a home is just the beginning of the pain
It’s been more than 16 months since Eugene and Patricia Harrison last paid the mortgage on their Perris, Calif., home. Eleven months since the notice got slapped on their front door, warning that the house would be sold at auction.
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Squatters in their own house: When banks don’t foreclose
We want to refinance our home loan. We are at 5.75 percent and might be able to get 4.85 percent on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage. We would save $87 to $104 per month, and we are thinking about adding extra money each month to pay off the loan faster.
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Looking to refinance? Ask yourself these four crucial questions.
Many real estate agents are sensing an emerging trend of multiple generations living under the same roof, according to a national survey by Coldwell Banker.
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Joining forces with Mom and Dad
The ending of winter and approach of spring intensify cabin fever and turn gardeners’ thoughts to the potential that greenhouses — and their fancier cousins, conservatories — offer.
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Grow any plant, any season, in a greenhouse
DEAR TIM: Can you moderate a discussion between my wife and me about bathroom tubs? What exactly is a bathroom tub fixture? I think it’s a light above the tub. Also, my wife believes soaking tubs in the bathrooms will add value to our home, but I’m skeptical. Finally, can you clear up the confusion…
In search of clarity in the confusing world of bathtubs
Mortgage interest rates declined this week, lowering borrowing costs as the housing market’s recovery shows signs of slowing.
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30-year mortgage rates dip below 5% as market drags
How about this for a new and ingenious real estate money machine? Every time a house sells during the next 99 years, 1 percent of the price goes back to the original developer or is shared among investor partners. Ka-ching!
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A new real estate cost to watch for: Developer’s private transfer fee
Once you have your new bathtub, be sure to care for it. All too often, people ruin bathtubs in short order using cleansers that create permanent scratches. Carefully read the manual that comes with your tub. Most list approved cleansers that will not harm the surface of the tub.
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Keeping a bathtub clean while keeping it safe
BOUNDARIES: Greentree Road to the north, Old Georgetown Road to the east, Roosevelt Street to the south and Garfield Street to the west
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Huntington Terrace
I want to keep my basement dry with a dehumidifier but am sometimes away from the house for extended periods and can’t empty a dehumidifier every day. Can you help? — Elaine
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How a dehumidifier can empty itself; unstinking a sink; shower-wall moisture
One day in February, it was an empty, snow-covered lot in Bethesda. In 32 hours, the property held a six-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath French country mansion with a walkout basement.
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Mansions go modular as costs, timeline lure high-end buyers
