First Time Home Buyers

According to the so-called American dream, owning a big single-family house with plenty of privacy should be everyone’s ultimate goal. But what if you’d rather own a smaller footprint, socialize and share often with your neighbors, and live a more frugal, mutually supportive, and environmentally friendly lifestyle?  The second option describes cohousing, a lesser-known but … Read more

I felt an overwhelming wave of relief when we got the call from our real estate agent telling us our offer was accepted. Like many couples during the COVID-19 pandemic, my husband and I realized we needed more space and thus began the house-hunting process. But we didn’t just need more space to accommodate work-from-home … Read more

I’m currently house hunting. I compromised on my current apartment (which I love) by choosing a place with no central air — instead it’s radiators and window units. While that was a relatively easy compromise to make, there is one thing I’m not willing to budge on in whatever house I end up buying: no … Read more

There are so many things that can derail the home buying process — mortgage financing falling through, expensive fixes cropping up during the inspection, or even just a change of heart on the part of the buyer or seller. But one of the most surprising disruptions is something that most buyers probably overlook during an … Read more

As a millennial with an MFA, I’ve been broke more often in my life than not. My family doesn’t have money, and I’ve worked as an adjunct professor and freelancer for the last few years. It’s been tight. The pandemic saw me stranded in an old farmhouse without heat, thanks to my penny-pinching landlord, and … Read more

Sarah Magnuson Contributor Sarah Magnuson is a Chicago-based, Rockford, Illinois-born and bred writer and comedian. She has bachelor’s degrees in English and Sociology and a master’s degree in Public Service Management. When she’s not interviewing real estate experts or sharing her thoughts on laundry chutes (major proponent), Sarah can be found producing sketch comedy shows … Read more

Sometimes those issues are a matter of preference rather than problems that need to be fixed right away. And when real estate agents see the same flipper-friendly projects over and over and over again, they notice them becoming trendy. Whether flippers are stripping a home of its original charm, installing another barn door, or knocking … Read more