FrontDoor Unlocked - HGTV's FrontDoor Real Estate Blog http://blog.frontdoor.com News and thoughts from behind the FrontDoor Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:07:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Do you qualify for a homebuyer’s tax credit? It’s not just for first timers anymore… http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/06/do-you-qualify-for-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-its-not-just-for-first-timers-anymore/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/06/do-you-qualify-for-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-its-not-just-for-first-timers-anymore/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:07:23 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1854 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Do you qualify for a homebuyer’s tax credit? It’s not just for first timers anymore…", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/06/do-you-qualify-for-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-its-not-just-for-first-timers-anymore/" }); ]]> tax-return-form-tax-creditIt’s official. The popular first time homebuyer tax credit, which many say is responsible for keeping the housing market afloat, has been extended and expanded to include repeat buyers.

Find out if you qualify for the expanded credit.

You now have until April 30, 2010, to secure a contract for a home purchase and until June 30, 2010, to close on it. Buyers had been scrambling to close by the previous deadline of Nov. 30.

President Barack Obama signed into law a $24 billion economic stimulus bill today, which includes these incentives. With numerous reports of people abusing the credit, Congress included a provision that requires buyers to submit documentation with their tax returns to claim the credit. The new program is estimated to cost taxpayers $11 billion.

So go out there. Hit up some open houses this weekend. Get house hunting tips and advice at openhouse.com.

You just may find a house you love and get paid for buying it.

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/06/do-you-qualify-for-a-homebuyers-tax-credit-its-not-just-for-first-timers-anymore/feed/ 0 Share your opinions on food and home: Become an insider for HGTV’s FrontDoor.com! http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/05/share-your-opinions-on-food-and-home-become-an-insider-for-hgtvs-frontdoor-com/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/05/share-your-opinions-on-food-and-home-become-an-insider-for-hgtvs-frontdoor-com/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:34:56 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1846 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Share your opinions on food and home: Become an insider for HGTV’s FrontDoor.com!", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/05/share-your-opinions-on-food-and-home-become-an-insider-for-hgtvs-frontdoor-com/" }); ]]> team meetingWe want to hear your opinions about food, home and lifestyle! Become an insider for HGTV’s FrontDoor.com and help shape the future of Scripps Networks.

By joining this exclusive panel, you’ll be able to share your ideas and review new TV programs, products and more. Plus, you can enter to win great prizes!

Click here to be a FrontDoor insider.

Everyone who completes the recruitment survey will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of nine prizes, including five $50 and four $25 Amazon.com gift certificates.

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/11/05/share-your-opinions-on-food-and-home-become-an-insider-for-hgtvs-frontdoor-com/feed/ 0 HGTV FrontDoor’s Tips for Buying and Selling a Haunted House http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/hgtv-frontdoors-tips-for-buying-and-selling-a-haunted-house/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/hgtv-frontdoors-tips-for-buying-and-selling-a-haunted-house/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:38:00 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1833 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "HGTV FrontDoor’s Tips for Buying and Selling a Haunted House", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/hgtv-frontdoors-tips-for-buying-and-selling-a-haunted-house/" }); ]]> real estate tips how to sell a haunted houseIt’s hard enough to sell a house in this market, but try selling a haunted house! It’s a challenge but not impossible. HGTV’s FrontDoor offers tips and advice to get the job done.

How to Sell a Haunted House

If you’re a buyer looking for the ultimate bargain, a haunted house or other stigmatized property may be right for you — if you can deal with the home’s gruesome past or unexplainable issues.

Reasons to Buy a Haunted House

6 Spooky Homes for Sale

If the idea of living in a haunted house scares you, there are plenty of haunted houses to visit. Whether it’s the creepy abandoned Victorian at the end of your block or the fancy haunted house attraction you pay to enter,  be safe and have a happy Halloween!

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/hgtv-frontdoors-tips-for-buying-and-selling-a-haunted-house/feed/ 0 Real Estate Tips for Halloween: Know These Foreclosure Tricks and Treats http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/real-estate-tips-for-halloween-know-these-foreclosure-tricks-and-treats/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/real-estate-tips-for-halloween-know-these-foreclosure-tricks-and-treats/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:52:25 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1818 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Real Estate Tips for Halloween: Know These Foreclosure Tricks and Treats", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/real-estate-tips-for-halloween-know-these-foreclosure-tricks-and-treats/" }); ]]> foreclosure trick or treat halloween tipsFor those of you who’ll be house hunting as well as trick-or-treating this Halloween weekend, your friends at FrontDoor.com have come up with some tips for foreclosure buyers. We call them:

Foreclosure Tricks and Treats
www.frontdoor.com/buy/HGTV-FrontDoors-Foreclosure-Tricks-and-Treats/55310

And check out these other Halloween-themed homebuying and selling tips on FrontDoor.com:

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/30/real-estate-tips-for-halloween-know-these-foreclosure-tricks-and-treats/feed/ 0 UnReal Estate: Top 10 Celebrity Homes for Sale http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/27/unreal-estate-top-10-celebrity-homes-for-sale/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/27/unreal-estate-top-10-celebrity-homes-for-sale/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:24:25 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1802 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "UnReal Estate: Top 10 Celebrity Homes for Sale", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/27/unreal-estate-top-10-celebrity-homes-for-sale/" }); ]]> Ben-Stiller-celebrity-house-for-saleEven celebrities are having a tough time unloading their multi-million dollar properties in this market.

From rapper 50 Cent’s money pit to pop star Ryan Cabrera’s short sale, you may find a deal if you’re in the market for a luxury home.

Check out these 10 celebrity homes for sale:

http://www.frontdoor.com/home-finance/Top-10-Celebrity-Homes-For-Sale/55319

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/27/unreal-estate-top-10-celebrity-homes-for-sale/feed/ 0 Could you use $3,000? Enter HGTV FrontDoor’s “Designed to Sell” Sell-It-Fast Sweepstakes! http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/26/could-you-use-3000-enter-hgtv-frontdoors-%e2%80%9cdesigned-to-sell%e2%80%9d-sell-it-fast-sweepstakes/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/26/could-you-use-3000-enter-hgtv-frontdoors-%e2%80%9cdesigned-to-sell%e2%80%9d-sell-it-fast-sweepstakes/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:05:28 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1799 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Could you use $3,000? Enter HGTV FrontDoor’s “Designed to Sell” Sell-It-Fast Sweepstakes!", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/26/could-you-use-3000-enter-hgtv-frontdoors-%e2%80%9cdesigned-to-sell%e2%80%9d-sell-it-fast-sweepstakes/" }); ]]> designed-to-sell-sweepstakes

You still have a chance to win $3,000 in our “Designed to Sell” Sell-It-Fast Sweepstakes. The contest ends Tuesday.

Enter now at
www.frontdoor.com/Sell/Designed-to-Sell-Sell-It-Fast-Sweepstakes-Entry/55243

And if you’re selling a home, be sure to check out our valuable tips and advice so you can get your home ready for buyers and make it stand out from the competition.

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/26/could-you-use-3000-enter-hgtv-frontdoors-%e2%80%9cdesigned-to-sell%e2%80%9d-sell-it-fast-sweepstakes/feed/ 0 Take charge of your home search with HGTV FrontDoor’s OpenHouse.com! http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/16/take-charge-of-your-home-search-with-hgtv-frontdoors-openhouse-com/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/16/take-charge-of-your-home-search-with-hgtv-frontdoors-openhouse-com/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:09:10 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1789 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Take charge of your home search with HGTV FrontDoor’s OpenHouse.com!", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/16/take-charge-of-your-home-search-with-hgtv-frontdoors-openhouse-com/" }); ]]> hgtv frontdoor open houseHGTV’s FrontDoor.com is proud to welcome real estate open house listing site OpenHouse.com to the HGTV family!

On OpenHouse.com, you can find open house schedules and addresses and view hundreds of thousands of virtual home tours to enhance your house hunting experience.

Combine that with FrontDoor’s 4 million real estate listings and expert articles and videos and you’ve got all you need to take charge of your home search.

OpenHouse.com also offers homebuyers and sellers great insider tips and advice, including:

Read the news release here. And be sure to watch HGTV’s Open House Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET for more news!

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/16/take-charge-of-your-home-search-with-hgtv-frontdoors-openhouse-com/feed/ 0 UnReal Estate: How much would you pay to be President Obama’s neighbor? http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/15/unreal-estate-how-much-would-you-pay-to-be-president-obamas-neighbor/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/15/unreal-estate-how-much-would-you-pay-to-be-president-obamas-neighbor/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:22:36 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1779 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "UnReal Estate: How much would you pay to be President Obama’s neighbor?", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/15/unreal-estate-how-much-would-you-pay-to-be-president-obamas-neighbor/" }); ]]> president obama neighbor house for saleFrom our Cool Houses Daily files:

Live next door to the President of the United States — the Obamas’ Chicago neighbors have put their home on the market.

Apparently, Matt Garrison, the listing agent with Coldwell Banker, hasn’t put an asking price on the house and will let the market dictate its value. How appropriate.

According to a report in The New York Times, the current owners paid $35,000 for the 6,000-square-foot house at 5040 South Greenwood Avenue in 1973. Other homes in the Hyde Park area have sold for $1 million to $2.5 million. But surely the appeal of living next to the President should tack on a few more mil. I wonder what kinds of background checks you’ll have to go through to close this deal.

About the property: The turn-of-the-century home is directly next to the Obama’s home, and the neighborhood is filled with Chicago’s business, political and intellectual rock stars. From this distance, you could ask the President for his famous chili recipe, borrow a cup of sugar from First Lady Michelle, or watch “First Daughters” Sasha and Malia, as the current owners often did.

The home was built in 1906 by A.R. Clark, who was also the original owner of President Obama’s home at 5046 South Greenwood. During World War II, the home was used to house officers, and eventually became a boarding house for a small military school.

The current owners purchased the home from the Colonel who ran the school. The home needs a little restoration, but still has all the original woodwork, stained glass windows, 6,000 square feet of living space, and a hefty yard by Chicago standards. Plus, as long as you don’t mind the occasional security hassles and Secret Service agents milling about, you can’t beat the location.

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/15/unreal-estate-how-much-would-you-pay-to-be-president-obamas-neighbor/feed/ 0 Neighborhood Snapshot: Upper East Side in New York City http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/09/neighborhood-snapshot-upper-east-side-in-new-york-city/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/09/neighborhood-snapshot-upper-east-side-in-new-york-city/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:29:12 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1772 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Neighborhood Snapshot: Upper East Side in New York City", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/09/neighborhood-snapshot-upper-east-side-in-new-york-city/" }); ]]> Looking for a quiet neighborhood with the big city perks of world-class museums, outdoor restaurants and cool bars? Then check out Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where the post-college crowd blends with old money and the Park Avenue elite.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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]]> http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/09/neighborhood-snapshot-upper-east-side-in-new-york-city/feed/ 0 Don’t let the housing market scare you! Avoid the Top 10 Real Estate Nightmares http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/07/dont-let-the-housing-market-scare-you-avoid-the-top-10-real-estate-nightmares/ http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/07/dont-let-the-housing-market-scare-you-avoid-the-top-10-real-estate-nightmares/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:41:30 +0000 Annalisa Burgos http://blog.frontdoor.com/?p=1755 SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Don’t let the housing market scare you! Avoid the Top 10 Real Estate Nightmares", url: "http://blog.frontdoor.com/blog/2009/10/07/dont-let-the-housing-market-scare-you-avoid-the-top-10-real-estate-nightmares/" }); ]]> top-10-real-estate-nightmaresThe housing market can be very scary. Just ask any homebuyer or seller — a seemingly normal situation can easily turn into a nightmare.

In this month’s Top 10, read 10 hair-raising real estate horror stories, from showings gone awry to frightening HOAs to houses plagued with unwelcome guests and ghastly pasts.

Plus, get tips on how to avoid these nightmares and ensure your homebuying or selling experience is drama free.

Happy Halloween!

HGTV FrontDoor’s
Top 10 Real Estate Nightmares:
www.frontdoor.com/Buy/Top-10-Real-Estate-Nightmares/55296/p10


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