Buying your first home can be exciting as you start a new chapter of your life, but selling your first home may be a different story. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average first time home seller has lived in their house for about 10 years by the time they decide to move on. At this point, owners may be ready to upgrade, and in the process of finding a new home. Or, they may need to move for work, or due to family issues. Any of these can add a layer of stress to the selling process. 

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Congrats! Your house is selling for substantially more than you paid for it! That’s a good thing… or is it? There are some scenarios when selling a home will come with hidden fees and tax liabilities.The IRS may want a chunk of the profits in the form of capital gains tax. But there are ways that homeowners can avoid taxes on home sales.

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After budgeting how much to spend on a home, buyers can be thrown for a loop when asked if they’d like to add a home warranty at closing. An extra expense can seem like a lot — especially when its benefits are not clear. But the truth is that in some cases, a home warranty can actually save money and offer great peace of mind. If something goes wrong once the keys are in hand, having a home warranty makes repairs affordable.  

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With houses still selling so fast, it’s easy to wonder if staging is even necessary. The answer is absolutely, especially because today’s buyers are ready to make a purchase quickly. If they look at two homes on the same day — and can see themselves living in one but not the other — there’s no question that they will choose the one they can visualize as their own. In fact, according to a 2023 report from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), some buyers will even offer up to five percent more for a staged home compared to similar homes on the market that were not staged. 

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The time leading up to a new home purchase can be confusing and stressful. Between saving up for a down payment and worrying about how much the closing costs will add up to, the last thing anyone wants to think about is the possibility that a new home might come with worn out appliances or a ticking time bomb of a plumbing system. One way to combat the stress of additional unexpected expenses when buying a new home is to consider a home warranty.

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Buying a house is a great investment, but it’s also a big investment – and the purchase price and closing costs are just the start. There are lots of things to buy for a house that you may not have needed when living in an apartment, but now that you have more space, a yard, and rooms you didn’t have before, those things are essential. 

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Just a short drive outside St. Louis you’ll find rolling hills, farmland, and forests. In fact, more than 97% of Missouri is considered rural.

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When it comes to unusual things you might disclose when selling a house, there are three possible responses from potential buyers. Some people won’t care; for others it will be a deal breaker; and a third group will think it’s cool. This is true for pink tile in the retro bathroom or the circa 1970s wet bar in the wood paneled basement. It’s also true for a house with a dark past or one with… dare we say it? Ghosts.

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If you’re a smoker trying to sell your home, or you’re selling a home for a family member who smokes, you likely have some work to do before putting the house on the market. The strong smell of cigarette smoke gets into walls and carpet. It turns buyers off and can even lower the value of the home. In order to sell for a decent price, it pays to learn how to get rid of the smell of tobacco. 

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There comes a time in life when everyone has to consider their living situation: Do you continue to rent, or do you take the plunge and buy a house? Or more precisely, when should you buy a house versus rent?

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