Real Estate

Anyone who has bought or sold a house will tell you it is not a trivial pursuit. What can begin as an adventure can be frustrating and require a lot of time and effort. To prepare for the experience, here's our best advice.

By Gene And Katie Hamilton

Owning a house is a large investment but for most of us having a place to call home is important. If you're in the market to buy a house or sell the one you have, this information will get you started and explore some ideas about the process.

Here's a timeline of what's involved buying a house with useful links to calculators that help you determine what you can afford, and estimate the cost of mortgages, moving costs and more TIMELINE FOR BUYING A HOUSE.

Ask anyone who has moved from one house to another and you'll hear about the challenge of relocating. Take a look at what's involved at MOVING A MAJOR LIFE EVENT.

QuoteWizard studied the impact of climate change and the insurance industry. Here's a link to their research of home insurance rates HOME INSURANCE RATE INCREASE BY STATE.

Here are more observations about buying and selling a house GETTING A HOUSE READY TO SELL and SELLING YOUR HOUSE and BEST TIME TO BUY A HOUSE.

To make a home desirable to prospective buyers realtors often suggest staging the rooms with furnishings to create a more appealing lifestyle. Here's advice from design professionals STAGING TO SELL YOUR HOUSE.

Whether you're buying or selling a house spend considerable time getting rid of items you no longer use. Purge, declutter, and pitch things instead of storing or moving them. PLANNING A YARD SALE.

To get into real estate jargon click on the following Crossword Puzzles:

Selling Your House Savvy

Real Estate 101

Home Buying Basics

Real Estate for Rookies

Fixer Upper