Going home shopping for the first time is quite the experience. It can be fun, but it can also get to be exhausting--especially when you're touring multiple homes for sale in one day. The last thing you want is to waste your time on a home that hasn't been well maintained or that's going to give you problems down the road, so it can be helpful to learn how to spot some common red flags.

If you have just bought a property in a planned development with a homeowners association, you may not be sure how the association will affect you. Typically, a homeowners association (also commonly referred to as a HOA) has rules about lawn maintenance, pets and other issues. These rules are in place to help protect the values of properties in the development and contribute to the overall well-being of those who live there.

When you're relocating to accept a new job or promotion, you may be excited about putting down roots in a new location. However, if you purchased a home during the recent real estate bubble, you may still be tied to your current location by an albatross that can't be sold for enough to pay off your mortgage. If you don't want to rent out your home, but can't afford to carry two mortgages at once (or rent in your new location while owning a home elsewhere), you may be wondering whether you have any other options.

When you started thinking about becoming a landlord, how did you picture the job? Although most people imagine incoming rent checks and easygoing tenants, it isn't always easy managing a property. Here are two issues that you might be able to avoid by using a property management company, and how it can make a difference later. 1: Working With Bad Tenants After investing your hard-earned money into a property, it might break your heart to be faced with destroyed carpet, intentional drywall damage, or the lack of monthly rent checks.

Every 15 seconds, a burglar manages to break into a home, putting both valuables and occupants at risk. Having a sturdy, well-made deadbolt lock can help stall and even discourage some burglary attempts, but it can take more than just a lock to deter some thieves. Take a look at these 5 common mistakes people make when it comes to home protection, as well as some great solutions for each scenario.

If you are a tenant in Maine, you may be under the impression that your landlord cannot evict you in the winter. While many landlords are more lenient and try to work with you until spring arrives, they are not legally obligated to wait until winter is over to evict you. There are very specific rules and regulations governing eviction in Maine. Understanding how and when you can legally be evicted helps you protect your family and prevents unpleasant surprises.

Are you in the market for your first home? As you start saving your down payment and thinking more seriously about what you want, the choices can start to seem overwhelming. When you finally spot a few houses that you like, you might be tempted to act quickly and put in an offer. However, moving too fast could lead you to make decisions that you won't be happy with down the road.

Modern homeowners are moving away from the trend of visiting the supermarket several times per week and opting instead to maintain well-stocked household pantries. Although this is a great way to add convenience to you life, as well as to ensure that you've got a good store of rations in the event of a natural disaster, you need to be aware that a pantry moth infestation can destroy many of the contents of your pantry very quickly.

Most people plan for retirement in traditional ways, such as contributing to retirement accounts, saving some of each paycheck or investing in the stock market. While these methods are considered safe, jobs can be lost unexpectedly, savings can be wiped out by an unexpected emergency and stocks can lose their value overnight. If you are working out your plan for retirement and own your own home, using it as part of your savings for retirement can be a very wise move.

Are you looking for a house built with the newest material innovations on the market today? If so, look into brand new housing developments that are often built using high tech, green materials. While on your search, you might find houses utilizing cross laminated timber, fly ash bricks and plant based paint. These new materials offer far more interesting benefits than their traditional counterparts do. Read on to learn more information about these new building supplies.