Cheryl Nightingale - Monarch Realty Group, LLC

...even while you’re still renting. If you’re renting your current home and have your eye on making a home purchase in the near or distant future you might be worried that it can’t be done. The good news is that there are some effortless ways to grow your home savings with a little bit of set up and a touch of discipline. 1) Know your goal. The best place to start is knowing how much cash you’ll need and by when. Typically, you should aim to save 5-20 percent of your planned Bourne home purchase price to qualify for a traditional 30-year mortgage. This amount might seem overwhelming at first but, when you break it down into annual, monthly, then weekly goals, it'll start to feel much more manageable. Defining your timeframe goals will help to better understand what would be required of your saving habits on a regular basis. Once you've figured out how much you'd need to save each week, you may wish to re-evaluate your time goals to reflect a more relaxed savin...

Not too long ago in our country's history, talking about making your house "greener" might get you labeled a hippie tree-hugger. But times change, and as gas, electricity, and water prices creep up, more and more homeowners are seeing the (strong) advantages that come with considering the environment when you make decisions about your household. Are you interested in making your home more energy-efficient -- and saving money in the bargain? You have a lot of options, from cheap to expensive, so read on to discover whether there are some big (or small) energy-saving opportunities that you're missing. Get an energy audit Most utility companies offer an energy audit, oftentimes for free: They'll send an expert out to your house to take a look at all your appliances, your lights, your windows, your doors, and more -- then make recommendations for changes you can make that will save energy (and money) every month. If you want a personalized rundown of everything...

Nothing lasts forever -- including a home where you raised a family or lived most of your working life. And it's a fact of life that suddenly, a place that was perfect for you a decade or two ago might start to feel cavernous and empty (or just contain more square footage than you really want to clean regularly). If you're starting to dream about trading in your rambling old house for a smaller cottage or new condo, then it's probably time to seriously consider downsizing from your current home. Before you start shopping and put your home on the market, though, there are a few things you need to think about and discuss with any family members who'll be making the journey with you. Consider your finances It's tempting to look up your home on a website like Zillow or Redfin and revel in how much money it's worth today. So finances might not be top-of-mind when you're thinking about downsizing -- you may believe that you're guaranteed to save money...

Your kitchen is more than just the heart of your home. It's become the hot-spot of most households as a multi-functional space for entertaining, work, of course, dining. A well-designed kitchen will go a long way in increasing your Cataumet home's value and upping the enjoyment of the room you spend most of your time in. While many trends come and go, some stand out. Here are five gorgeous kitchen trends you'll love.  1) Rethink Standard White Cabinets With Gray If you've grown tired of looking at white cabinets, the next color that's ready to pass white as a favorite kitchen cabinet color is gray. Gray is clean and sophisticated and can be a timeless option for both traditional and modern kitchens. It's a neutral color, that's close to white, so it can have staying power for years to come.  2) A Classic Subway Tile Backsplash When it comes to backsplashes, you can have a ton of fun, but the options can also be overwhelming when you realize backspl...

If you've seen the Tom Hanks classic movie, "The Money Pit," you know that while it's funny happening to someone else, when your fixer-upper home becomes a money pit, it's more like a horror movie. If you're looking for a new property and considering an underpriced fixer-upper, you could end up with a nightmare full of endless home repairs. Here are some ways to make sure your Bourne home-buying reality doesn't become the stuff of movies and cost you more money than you bargained for. Start With A Solid Foundation One of the most important components of a home, it should stand on a solid foundation: a steel-reinforced, concrete perimeter foundation wall, and footing. The foundation should be straight and square—if you notice leaning or bulging in places, the structure could be compromised. In the basement, check for large cracks or gaps in the foundation walls.  Large, V-shaped cracks could be a sign that the home needs extensive foundation...

Just like in any other profession, there are good real estate agents ... and there are, unfortunately, subpar real estate agents, too. But how do you know if you've got a dreamboat or a dud handling your real estate transaction? One way to know whether you've got a good agent (or not) is to consider some of the tasks and activities that a really good agent will manage for a client, then apply what you've learned to your own agent. If you don't have time to track down all of the things that a good agent should be doing for a buyer or a seller, then you're in luck: We've compiled a list so you don't have to. Ask you about your homeownership needs (and hopes) It's dangerous to make assumptions at the best of times, but when it comes to shopping for a home, assumptions are downright dangerous. So if you have an agent who assumes ... everything ... be wary. A good agent should ask you questions -- lots of them -- about where you've lived, what ...