Tommy Pennington - Articles

Why Using a Buyer’s Agent is Your Best Option

Usually the commission that is paid out on the sale of a home is 6% of the price; a listing agent and buyer’s agent will normally each get half of that commission. So, you can see that it’s well in your best interest to have an agent in your corner during a real estate negotiation and is no added expense to you at all. Don’t hesitate to secure a buyer’s agent before you start looking at homes! Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 07/01/2010 | Real Estate

Creating a Working Triangle in Your Kitchen

A good way to make sure that your new kitchen design works well is to make a plan and map out the new layout on paper to see how it works. The best way, however, is to make the investment and hire a kitchen designer to help you make a plan. Kitchen designers have years of training and experience to help you make the most out of the space and budget that you have to work with. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 06/01/2010 | Kitchens

Increase Your House’s Appeal with Renovations

As always, if these types of renovations are too costly for you to afford before you put your home on the market, remember that repainting the inside of your home can bring huge returns for the cost. Some sources estimate that the return on new paint in a home is over 250%, so it is well worth your while to invest the time and money on doing it. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 09/12/2009 | Real Estate

Gauging the Bottom of the Housing Slump Before You Buy

It’s hard to say when the bottom has been hit until it starts to recover; most recessions have some little dips, jumps, and false starts in them where it looks like the market is having a recovery and then takes another plunge again. This has already happened a number of times over the last few years already and may take another plunge before we climb out of this slump. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 09/12/2009 | Real Estate

Greening Your Home to Add Buyer Appeal

Another easy area to add a green appeal to a home is with the appliances; while appliances aren’t cheap to replace, it is easy to find Energy Star appliances to install in your home. If the appliances have an Energy Star insignia on the front of them then it’s even better. It’s one thing to tell prospective buyers that your shiny new appliances are energy efficient; it’s another thing if they can see that for themselves. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 08/12/2009 | Real Estate

Composting at Your New Home

There are many composters on the market that you can buy premade; they are often made from plastic, wood, or wire. Some prefabricated compost bins can easily be turned due to their shape or having a frame that they sit on with an axis to be turned periodically. Many are stationary and must be turned by hand when the time comes. It is, however, quite easy to build a compost in your yard out of two by fours or recycled wooden pallets as well. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 28/10/2009 | Home Improvement

First-Time Homebuyer’s Credit Possibly Extended Amongst Fraud Investigation

The National Association of Realtors claims that about 355,000 homes were sold that would not have been if the homebuyer’s credit had not been extended to buyers. It is also suggested that over 175 thousand new jobs were created over the span of time that this credit has been in place so far. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 22/10/2009 | Real Estate

What To Look For In a Rental Property

After watching your so called "stable investments" take a nose dive in the last year, maybe you've decided to take the plunge and diversify your investments. It's still a buyer's market and interest rates are the lowest they've been in years, so real estate is the logical choice. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 13/10/2009 | Real Estate

Buying Older Homes: Be Aware of Possible Problems

With all the great deals on homes on the market these days, it is a perfect time to pick up a vintage home for a fabulous price. There are a myriad of older homes, both foreclosures and not, going for a veritable steal on the market right now. However, with the purchase of older homes, there are many possible problems that you can be buying into as well. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 09/10/2009 | Real Estate

Bidding on a Deal: Some Considerations for Buying a Home

Make sure that you not only take the time to find out what the home’s condition is like, but also what the neighbourhood is like. Check out what the traffic is like around the home at various times of day, including when you need to be traveling to and from work. Read

By: Tommy Pennington | 09/10/2009 | Real Estate