The slow real estate market has Realtors from competing agencies cooperating in unprecedented ways in an effort to get more potential buyers to tour homes on the market.
A major legal brawl is breaking out over how homes are appraised, at what cost, and by whom. The outcome could directly affect the price you pay for your next piece of real estate, and the amount of mortgage money you can obtain.
Real estate folks like to point out that an average is just that, an average. When average sales are down, that doesn't mean sales are down by the same amount in every neighborhood. In fact, sales could be up in some areas, including yours.
Q. To cut down on the amount of lawn that has to be mowed and make the front yard look better, I'm going to start preparing some new beds for shrubs and perennials now so I can plant in the fall. I'd like 1 or 2 kinds of shrubs, preferably evergreen, that will stay under 3 or 4 feet or that can be cut back to be that size without spoiling the plants' look. Any suggestions?
