fizkes/iStockThis may indeed be the case if you’ve found that perfect house, only to have lenders inform you that you don’t qualify for a mortgage. Enter the co-signer. What does having a co-signer mean for you as a home buyer, and what are the benefits and risks? Read on! Why a buyer might need one That property you’re eyeing may be just out of yo...

monkeybusinessimages/iStockThe trick is finding someone trustworthy with a proven track record of success. There are plenty of websites and apps that make it a snap to recruit this much-needed helping hand. But hiring the wrong person to get a job done can turn a seemingly straightforward task into an expensive headache. What can you do to make sur...

Getty ImagesMany homebuyers today are losing sleep over steeply rising interest rates, which have more or less doubled over the past year and reached their highest level in two decades. Now hovering in the mid-6 % range, these higher rates are adding hundreds, or even thousands, to the monthly housing costs of new buyers. Yet buyers who feel trappe...

Realtor.comIf everything really is bigger in the Lone Star State, then this 14,868-square-foot Houston mansion certainly proves the point. With a hefty $27.5 million asking price, the sprawling four-bedroom masterpiece sits on 9 acres. The home is owned by the founding partner of a private equity firm and is the city’s most expensive property. Alon...

ChuckSchugPhotography/iStockThis crowning touch typically tops lamps, the ends of curtain rods and other furnishings to add a final flourish to your home decor. “A finial is the cherry on top—it takes a nice lamp and makes it a knockout,” offers Jason Oliver Nixon, co-founder of the design firm Madcap Cottage. Here’s more about this decorative piec...