Blog Entries in September
Smart Home Upgrades: Simple Technology for a More Convenient Home
A house does not have to look futuristic to be smart. In fact, some of the most useful smart home technology is surprisingly subtle. A thermostat adjusts the temperature before you get home. A doorbell lets you see who is at the front door while you are away. A water sensor sends an alert before a small leak becomes a much bigger problem. For homeowners, smart home devices can offer a useful co
Set the Scene for Fall: Cozy Table Decor Ideas for the Season
Fall has a way of bringing everyone back to the table. Cooler evenings call for hearty dinners, weekends fill with football gatherings and family visits, and the approaching holidays give us more reasons to linger over a meal. The dining table naturally becomes part of the season. Fortunately, creating a beautiful fall table does not require an elaborate centerpiece or a cart full of new decora
Got Ghosts? What Sellers Should Know About Putting a “Haunted” House on the Market
The floors creak at midnight. A door occasionally closes on its own. Someone swears they saw a figure at the top of the stairs. Whether you believe in ghosts or believe every strange noise can be traced back to old plumbing, selling a home with a spooky reputation presents an unusual challenge. Homes associated with paranormal stories, deaths, crimes, or other unsettling events are sometimes
The Tennessee Homes That Tell Dolly Parton’s Story
Few places are as closely connected to an entertainer as the mountains of East Tennessee are to Dolly Parton. They appeared in her songs, shaped her stories and remained part of her identity even after her career carried her around the world. The homes associated with Dolly tell a similar story. Her journey began in a small cabin shared with a large family and eventually led to a private estate
Cozy Starts at Home: Fall Decorating Ideas for Every Corner
There is a point every September when a home suddenly feels ready for a change. The evenings arrive a little earlier, summer flowers begin to fade, and pumpkins start appearing on porches around the neighborhood. Fall decorating fits naturally into that transition, bringing warmth and personality to a home without requiring a major renovation or expensive design project. For homeowners, fall d&
It's Time to Prep for Fall!
By Chris Petry We made it! Summer is almost over (insert maniacal laughter here). Sorry, but I can’t help but excited for this heat to pass. Summer has to be the most overrated season there is. I’m convinced most people decided they loved summer in childhood because they got out of school for three months. In adulthood, it’s hard to see the upside. You can use your PTO
Subtle Autumn: Elegant Fall & Halloween Home Decor
There is a particular moment when a home starts to feel like fall. Maybe it is the first pumpkin on the porch, a warmer throw blanket across the sofa, or the glow of a candle on an earlier evening. Then October arrives, and suddenly there are bats on the windows, skeletons on the lawn, and just enough spooky character to make the season fun. The trick with fall and Halloween decor is making those
Beyond the Bowl: How to Style a Fish Tank Like High-End Interior Decor
A fish tank can be more than a place for colorful fish to swim. With thoughtful fish tank decor, an aquarium can become a living focal point that adds movement, color, and personality to a room. The challenge is finding the balance between creating something beautiful for your home and maintaining an environment that works for the animals living inside it. The best aquarium designs often begin
Selling Your Home? What to Know About Capital Gains Taxes
You sell a home for more than you paid for it. Does that automatically mean a large tax bill is coming? Not necessarily. Capital gains tax on selling a house can sound intimidating, particularly when home values have increased significantly since you purchased. But the difference between your original purchase price and eventual sale price is not automatically the amount that gets taxed. For
Which Home Architecture Style is Right for Me?
By Chris Petry You know, there are a lot of homes out there. Pennsylvania has a homeownership rate around 69%. Over 3.6 million homes are owner-occupied. Ohio has roughly 3.4 million owner-occupied homes with a homeownership rate at just over 70%. A little over 65 % of Americans own the homes in which they live and it’s estimated that the total number of single-family dwellings in the Uni
