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Inexpensive ways to make your home shine

By Michele Dawson

Once your home is listed and the for-sale sign is firmly implanted in your front lawn, all is ready for would-be buyers to tour your home. Or is it?

As anyone in the real estate industry will tell you, it's important to make your home look its best when it comes time to show it. That first impression is everything. Even if you're in a market where homes are selling quickly and for full asking price, it's still key to spruce up your home and prove that it's worth every penny you're asking. And it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.

 

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Mortgage rates plunge, flirting with new lows

By Les Christie August 3, 2011: 3:40 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As Congress and President Obama hammered out a debt deal over the past week, mortgage rates plunged -- hitting new lows in some instances.
The 30-year fixed rate, usually the most popular choice for homebuyers, fell to 4.45% from 4.57% last week -- its lowest point since last November, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
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Barry Dixon, one of D.C.’s top designers, shares his tips

View Photo Gallery —  Designer Barry Dixon’s second book, “Barry Dixon Inspirations,” offers tips on re-creating his famous looks. Here’s a look at some of those designs.

By Megan Buerger, Published: August 3

It has always been tough to describe Washington’s signature style. How do you relate the historic estates in Kalorama and Georgetown to the burgeoning arts quarters on H and U streets? Barry Dixon, one of the city’s best-known interior designers, thinks he’s found a way.

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New Md. law says condo associations can require that unit owners have insurance

By Benny L. Kass, Published: July 29

Starting in October, condominium associations in Maryland can vote to require that all unit owners carry homeowner’s insurance. What is unique about this law is that it only requires the approval of 51 percent of all condo owners.
Traditionally, to amend condominium legal documents, a super majority vote is required — usually up to 75 percent. In this case, however, the Maryland legislature has made it easier to change a condo’s bylaws.

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2011 D.C. farmers market listings

Published: May 3 | Updated: Wednesday, March 23, 12:45 PM

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Making a living room a sophisticated yet family-friendly space

By Terri Sapienza, Published: July 20

THE CHALLENGE
“My husband and I have no eye for design,” says Martha Murray, mother of two young daughters, Maddie and Carrie. She’d like some ideas for the 12-by-24-foot living room, which she says is the hub of their family’s Great Falls home.

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