Spruce Up Your Porch This Spring With These Simple (And Cost-Effective) Tips

Spring is in full swing, and, in many areas, the more we progress into spring, the better the weather gets. And the better the weather gets, the more time homeowners want to spend outside, including on their porch.

Your porch is a great place to relax and enjoy the spring (and summer!) weather. But how, exactly, do you make it into a space you want to lounge and spend time?

A recent article from realtor.com outlined Instagram-inspired tips to spruce up your porch this spring, including:

Searching for and successfully buying a home can be a long, sometimes stressful process, so working with an agent who has a sense of humor is such a bonus.

That's not to say your agent needs to be a stand-up comedian! A sense of humor comes in many different forms, so don't think you need an agent who can whip out puns, or have you rolling on the floor with one-liners.

Beyond just making all the time you spend together more enjoyable and memorable, here are 6 ways an agent with a sense of humor can come in handy during some pivotal moments of the home buying process:

1) When You're Disappointed with the Houses for Sale

There's a saying about how pictures speak a thousand words, but sometimes the words they say are more flattering than the reality when it comes to photos of a house you see online. It can be deflating when it seems like so many houses you go see in person don't live up to what you thought they'd be, and make you wonder if you'll ever find a house you like.

So when you have an agent who can make fun of the wall-to-wall shag carpeting in a bathroom, or the closet filled with creepy dolls, it can lift you up when the home is letting you down, and get you through those moments of doubt.

2) When Something Awkward Happens

If you look at enough houses, you're bound to experience something awkward with a homeowner. Whether they overhear you making fun of their creepy doll collection, or you walk in on them naked in their shag-carpeted bathroom when you didn't realize they were still home, an agent with a sense of humor can help defuse a potentially tense situation.

3) When You're Nervous

It doesn't matter if you're a first-time buyer, or have bought multiple homes, it's not only understandable if you get nervous at some point during the process of buying a home, it's almost expected! No matter what makes you nervous, an agent with a sense of humor can calm your nerves and help you feel comfortable making the best decisions even when you're stressed.

4) When Your Parents Want to See the House You're Buying

Many buyers rely on their parents for financial help or just general advice and approval when it comes to buying a house, which means there comes a time when they'll want to see the house you've fallen in love with. Unfortunately, they usually haven't seen all of the other houses you saw that led to you knowing how great this one was in comparison, so they often come in with some less-than-helpful thoughts and advice, which can easily derail the purchase of your dream home.

Parents often see the agent as someone they need to protect their children from, which could lead to some insults and accusations if they feel the agent is trying to push you into a purchase. So having an agent with a sense of humor can make them feel at ease and allow your parents to have open conversation about their questions and concerns, giving you (and your agent) the ability to get them to give you their blessing on the house you want to buy.

5) When They're Negotiating on Your Behalf

Many people picture agents having to be aggressive, using a take-it-or-leave-it approach to negotiating. While that tactic might be useful at times, an agent with a sense of humor can often tip the scales in their clients' favor during negotiations, simply because it makes other agents want to work with them.

6) When You're Upset

Unfortunately, there are times when you might get bad news… Things like hearing that a seller accepted another buyer's offer, major problems were found during the home inspection, mortgage issues, or closing delays can be so upsetting and make you want to throw in the towel.

But if you're working with an agent who has a good sense of humor, they'll be able to help you recover from even the most devastating news quickly, so you can get back in the swing of things in no time!

Considering Buying a Home? Avoid These Common Mortgage Mess-Ups

For many buyers, getting a mortgage is a must-do step on their path to buying a home. But if you're not familiar with the process, applying and getting approved for a loan can feel confusing and overwhelming. If you don't know what you're doing, you could make a mistake that puts your home purchase in jeopardy.

So what, exactly, are those mistakes, and how do you avoid them?

A recent article from realtor.com outlined common ways home buyers mess up getting a mortgage, including:

• Only speaking with one lender. When you're buying a home, getting a mortgage with a better interest rate and terms can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your loan. But if you only meet with one...

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Two of the Best Days of the Year to Sell Your House Are in the Last Week of May

Most home sellers want to sell their house for as much money as possible. So, if you've been thinking about selling your house, you'd probably love it if you (or your agent) could predict the perfect day to sell your house in order to do that.

Well, you're in luck!

ATTOM Data Solutions has analyzed more than 59 million single-family home and condo sales that occurred between 2011 to 2023, and have found that two of the best days of the year to sell a house are in the month of May.

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This Video Perfectly Sums Up Why Moms Have The Toughest Job Of All

Inspired by exhaustion, caffeine, and a little confusion over Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" lyrics, the ladies at What's Up Moms are back with another smash hit parody video!

This time they're extolling the virtues of coffee, gulping it down to help them grind through another exhausting day with their little ones. So much laundry, and feeding people, and cleaning, and no sleep means it's triple shot latte time.

Don't miss the outtakes at the end!

Via WhatsUpMoms