Marta Oliveira's blog

If you find yourself feeling frustrated about the current housing market, you’re definitely not alone. I’ll be honest, the housing market can be super confusing because there are so many moving parts. But when you know a little more about the factors that influence the housing market, you might find that things make a little more sense. So let’s dive in!

Once again, it’s seeming like homeownership is the right move for a lot of people, especially for renters.
When the pandemic hit, rents decreased for many people. But now that things are returning to normal, rents are on the rise.

In some places, rent has increased more than 40% since the beginning of the pandemic.
If you’re a renter, this can turn into a serious problem.

When you’re getting ready to sell your home, you’re always on the lookout for ways to increase your home’s value and get more money in your pocket. There’s the old standbys, of course, like the kitchen remodel, updating the backyard, redoing the bathrooms.

But there’s one quick fix that can seriously boost your home’s value: paint! A recent study by Zillow found that buyers were willing to offer $5,000 more when a home was painted certain colours.

If you’re buying a home, you’re likely going to pay some closing costs. And bad news, those closing costs can pack a wallop. Typical closing costs can range depending on the home’s purchase price. For a $350,000, you could pay anywhere from $5,000 and up.

Closing costs for the buyer usually consist of the following:

- Homeowners insurance - Lender’s fees including loan origination/underwriting fee

When it comes to building your wealth, there are few investments as good as real estate. When you buy a house, you boost your net worth considerably. In fact, in 2016, the average homeowner had a median net worth of $231,400. Renters on the other hand had a net worth of only $5,200, according to the Federal Reserve.

After you buy your home, it’s easy to get excited about renovating rooms and putting your unique spin on the design of your home. You can imagine the results of renovating your home with a gorgeous new kitchen, the perfect family room, and the beautiful bathroom just waiting for a bubble bath. But then comes the question: where to start?

When you’re making the biggest purchase of your life, buyer’s remorse is the last thing you want. But it’s something so many home buyers face. Here’s how you can avoid it:

It’s officially fall! I just love the crisp days, falling leaves, and all the fun activities that fall brings. And it’s also a great time to get your house prepped for the winter. A little bit of fall home maintenance can make your holidays way less stressful. Here’s what I recommend.

There’s a lot that can go wrong during a renovation, but a lot of renovation mistakes can be easily avoided. Watch out for these four things the next time you do a renovation on your home:

Your credit score is a numerical representation of your creditworthiness. In other words, it’s a number that estimates how likely you are to pay back your debts. Credit scores range from 0-850, with 850 being a perfect score. Those often invisible numbers control so many facets of our lives—from the car we buy to the apartment we rent to the mortgage we qualify for.