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Spring is here, and you may be eagerly anticipating some April showers to help your May flowers grow.

However, if you don’t prepare your home, rainy weather can cause a plethora of problems, such as structural damage and mold. Add the tasks in this guide to your regular maintenance schedule to help keep your home dry and your yard safe whenever rain is in the forecast.







Clean and repair gutters and downspouts

Your gutters are essential for channeling water away from your home, but when they’re clogged with debris, they can cause damage to your roof and foundation. You should clean your gutters at least twice a year. However, if you have a yard filled with trees, you should complete the task every three months. You can also install gutter guards to help prevent your gutters from filling with debris. If you notice that they appear loose, saggy, or leaky, you should have them fixed or replaced immediately.

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Your home is your personal retreat, your pride and joy, and the place where you spend the most time bonding with loved ones.
It may also be the single biggest investment of your life. That’s why it’s vital to safeguard both your property and your finances against a variety of dangers with an optimal homeowners insurance policy.
However, picking the right one is a multifaceted process, and sifting through your options—for everything from plan providers to appropriate coverage amounts—can leave you scratching your head. Thankfully, there’s a simpler way to shop: Ask yourself the following questions before you make the leap to enroll in a policy.






Do I need homeowners insurance?
While you are not legally required to insure your home, it’s in your best interest to do so, whether you purchase a single-family house, condo, townhome, mobile home, or virtually any other type of dwelling. These plans can seem costly, but the overwhelming adva ...

If you want to buy a home, you should know your credit score is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to qualifying for a mortgage. Lenders review your credit to see if you typically make payments on time, pay back debts, and more. Your credit score can also help determine your mortgage rate. An article from US Bank explains:
“A credit score isn’t the only deciding factor on your mortgage application, but it’s a significant one. So, when you’re house shopping, it’s important to know where your credit stands and how to use it to get the best mortgage rate possible.”
That means your credit score may feel even more important to your homebuying plans right now since mortgage rates are a key factor in affordability. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the median credit score in the U.S. for those taking out a mortgage is 770. But that doesn’t mean your credit sco. ...

Some Highlights

If you’re looking to buy a home, it’s important to know how mortgage rates impact what you can afford and how much you’ll pay each month.
That’s because even a small change in mortgage rates can have a big impact on your purchasing power.
The best way to navigate changing mortgage rates and make an informed buying decision is to rely on the expertise of a local real estate professional and mortgage lender. ...

Expert Home Price Forecasts for 2024 Revised Up

Over the past few months, experts have revised their 2024 home price forecasts based on the latest data and market signals, and they’re even more confident prices will rise, not fall.
So, let’s see exactly how experts’ thinking has shifted – and what’s caused the change.
2024 Home Price Forecasts: Then and Now
The chart below shows what seven expert organizations think will happen to home prices in 2024. It compares their first 2024 home price forecasts (made at the end of 2023) with their newest projections:
 

The middle column shows that, at first, these experts thought home prices would only go up a little this year. But if you look at the column on the right, you'll see they've all updated their forecasts and now think prices will go up more than they originally thought. And some of the differences are major.
There . ...