Buy Owner Blog

Well-acquainted with the real estate market and a long-time fan of home-decorating shows, Shanna T’Koy manages Buy Owner's writing department. She and her staff have customized thousands of home advertisements to the customers’ specifications and desired length, continually working to improve their skills. Shanna currently oversees all articles at the Buy Owner Blog and stays up-to-date with hundreds of real estate resources on the Web. She is located in Chicago.
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Featured City: Clearwater, FL
By Shanna
Posted in Buying Tips, Regional Info on 21 October 2009
Stats: 150 views and No Comments

As part of a special feature at the Buy Owner Blog, we’ll be highlighting cities, profiling their attractions and conveniences, as well as pointing out some currently for-sale homes!

Today’s city: Clearwater, Florida!

A paradise peninsula on Florida’s west coast, Clearwater is more than a top vacation getaway with award-winning beaches; it’s a wonderful place to call home! White sandy shores stretch for 35 miles along the Gulf. Fantastic sporting and recreational activities abound, and you can enjoy fresh seafood and great shopping all around you! [...more...]

Featured City: Lawrenceville, GA
By Shanna
Posted in Buying Tips, Regional Info on 14 October 2009
Stats: 163 views and No Comments

As part of a new special feature at the Buy Owner Blog, we’ll be highlighting cities throughout the nation, profiling their attractions and conveniences, as well as pointing out some currently for-sale homes in the area!

First up, Lawrenceville, Georgia!

Located about 40 minutes northeast of Atlanta, this Georgia suburb has a Southern hospitality all its own! As the second oldest city in the state, Lawrenceville features beautifully historic buildings that house shops, boutiques and eateries. Strolling through the quaint downtown, you can’t help but be charmed!
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What To Do with Two Mortgages
By Shanna
Posted in Selling Tips, Tips and Ideas on 12 October 2009
Stats: 235 views and No Comments

In last week’s selling-tips post, we looked at the importance of avoiding two mortgages and recommended selling your existing home before buying another, while keeping your eye on the market throughout your sale.

But what should you do if you’ve already purchased a second home, obtaining a second mortgage with it? What if you want to sell but haven’t yet?

Here are three options to consider:

1) Rent your old home. When people aren’t buying, they’re renting.. [...more...]

Don’t Get Caught with Two Homes
By Shanna
Posted in Selling Tips, Tips and Ideas on 5 October 2009
Stats: 306 views and No Comments

“Don’t get caught with two homes. You find your dream home and decide to put it under contract assuming you can sell your home before you have to close on the new one. Big mistake in this home market and this economy. While the housing market is improving, it is still taking longer to sell homes than in the past…” (The Birmingham News)

The old real estate formula has changed. What was once as simple as shopping, buying & selling has become a waiting game, at best, for unknown lengths of time, hoping for the right, qualified buyer to come in and make it possible for you to shop for and buy a new place. [...more...]

Energy-Efficient Mortgages
By Shanna
Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas on 1 October 2009
Stats: 203 views and No Comments

Energy-efficient mortgages can allow you to qualify for larger sums of money, as well as a more efficient and sustainable residence! [...]

Small Bathroom Upgrade
By Shanna
Posted in Home Improvement, Tips and Ideas on 24 September 2009
Stats: 214 views and No Comments

Want to give your bathroom a new look without spending a lot of money? Check out these five quick tips! [...]

Have You Subscribed to an eCatalog Yet?
By Shanna
Posted in Buying Tips, Tips and Ideas on 22 September 2009
Stats: 241 views and No Comments

There’s never been a better time to buy a new home, especially when you buy one through Buy Owner, meaning no commissions and much more control! If you’re in the market and looking for a way to stay updated on new properties that come available, we’ve got the tool for you: the Buy Owner eCatalog!

Our popular magazine is now available online for many regions. In these issues, you can flip through and zoom into pages of information-packed home advertisements. Feel like a hard copy? You can also print individual pages within the eCatalog.

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Selling a Furnished Home
By Shanna
Posted in Selling Tips, Tips and Ideas on 21 September 2009
Stats: 327 views and No Comments

While it’s most common to sell a home unfurnished, so that you can transport your existing belongings into your new location and buyers can bring theirs into your old one, there are homes bought and sold fully furnished all the time. In certain cases, it’s a situation that makes most sense for the seller and the buyer, and here’s why.

Why Sell Furnished?
Sometimes, whether because of downsizing or extensive relocation or something else, sellers cannot bring all of their furnishings to where they are moving. They are then faced with not just needing to sell a home but also the majority of its contents, and so lumping everything together saves a step.

[...more...]

Renovations Sell Houses?
By Shanna
Posted in Market News, Tips and Ideas on 18 September 2009
Stats: 303 views and No Comments

According to a recent NYT article, today’s sellers aren’t waiting for buyers to settle for their homes; they’re renovating to make them better. [...]

Green Your Kitchen
By Shanna
Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas on 17 September 2009
Stats: 255 views and No Comments

When you’re looking to make your home more eco-friendly, the kitchen is the best place to start, as it accounts for 41.5 percent of a home’s energy consumption! [...]