8 Dumb Reasons People Can’t Buy a Home

Buying a home—especially if it’s your tryingtofindahomefirst—can be a lot like losing weight in the sense that people end up doing, well, some pretty dumb stuff in the process. But while desperate dieters might waste money on “magical” weight-loss pills or silly exercise equipment (remember the shake weight?), misguided home buyers could be doing far more serious damage—like undermining their ability to purchase a house at all. Don’t be one of them! We asked real estate agents to shed light on some of the dumbest reasons people can’t buy a home. The good news? These flubs are easily avoidable.

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Read This Before You Rent a Car

For consumers, the rental car counter can be bigstock-Suitcases-and-bags-in-trunk-of-101954126-800x534treacherous. “Rental car agents are paid on commission, so they’re incentivized to try to upsell you for everything,” says Jonathan Weinberg, creator of AutoSlash.com, a service that tracks rental price changes to help get consumers the best deals. “If you ask whether you need something, they’re going to say yes.”

Also, since many rental car companies are good at burying fees and surcharges in long rental agreements—you know, the paperwork you barely glance at before signing—the onus is on you to thoroughly research your options. Indeed, “when renting a car, it’s a ‘buyer beware’ transaction,” says Neil Abrams, president of the Abrams Consulting Group, which tracks the rental car industry.

Follow these steps to drive down the costs on your next rental car and enjoy a cheaper, happier road trip.

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8 Rookie Mistakes That Keep People From Selling Their Home

If your home is struggling to catch the Orlando-home-price-reducedeye of a buyer, it could be for an entirely valid reason. Maybe you’re stuck in a sluggish market or have the poshest place on the block (always a tough sell). But there’s another possibility, too—your home could be sitting on the market because of a rookie selling mistake. All of us can make ’em, even those of us who actually have a few home sales under our belts.

The good news? These basic slip-ups can be easily corrected or avoided. To help you out, we spoke to real estate agents to identify some of the most common mistakes people make in trying to sell their home. Sidestep these flubs to avoid sabotaging your own sale.

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Are you being taken advantage of at work?

Nothing makes a job miserable faster AAEAAQAAAAAAAAX5AAAAJDliZGM5Mzk5LTAwNmQtNGEwZS04ZDE3LWFhMjBkMTNhNGU2MQthan a bad boss—particularly the kind who has no qualms taking advantage of someone. Sure, sometimes you’re going to be asked to go above and beyond your duties, and you’ll have to comply because that’s just part of being a team player.

But feeling unappreciated or like you’re constantly being taken advantage of is absolutely not in anyone’s job description. Cue the stress headaches.

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How to Get a Mortgage With Student Loan Debt (Yes, You Can)

Many college graduates hoping to buy a b57cb3fe060b4e365f4756e99b2b4287w-c273506xd-w640_h480_q80home wonder how to get a mortgage while saddled with student loan debt. Is it even possible to take on more monthly bills when you’re already haunted by college tuition? Turns out it is, in spite of how bad things look.

And yes, we know it looks quite bad. In fact, 41% of college-educated Americans with student loans report having postponed buying a home because of their debt, according to a recent survey by Student Loan Hero, a service that helps people pay off their student debt more efficiently. Making matters worse, student debt surged 56% from 2004 to 2014, to an average of $28,950 per borrower, reports the Institute for College Access & Success.

Nonetheless, owning a home is still well within reach for many—here’s how to qualify for a mortgage while juggling college debt.

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How to Sell a House: 4 New Rules That Can Make or Break a Sale

These days, knowing how to sell a Selling_keyshouse isn’t as simple as sticking a “For Sale” sign on your lawn. Times have changed—and the good news is the market is largely tilting in your favor.

“It’s undeniably a seller’s market,” says Linda Sanderfoot, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in Neenah, WI. In other words, buyers are demanding homes, but there isn’t much inventory on the market nationally. Plus, half of home buyers are worried about rising interest rates and looking to lock into a home soon. As a result, “there is pressure on buyers to submit offers quickly, and to offer full or even above list price,” says Peggy Yee, supervising broker at Frankly Realtors in Vienna, VA.

All of this puts sellers squarely in the driver’s seat—which can be a lot of pressure if your GPS is broken and you don’t know how to navigate this new world. Consider this your crash course in getting up to speed.

4 Home-Buying Mistakes That Trip Up Unmarried Couples

First comes love, then comes … a mortgage?! home-buyer-coupleThat’s right: Many couples are buying a home together before tying the knot. In fact, 1 in 4 homeowners said they purchased a home with their significant other before marriage, according to a 2016 survey by TD Bank. And that’s presuming they end up tying the knot after all; many continue cohabiting without ever heading down the aisle.

But getting a home loan as an unmarried couple presents some unique financial challenges. For starters, you need to consider the possibility—slim though it might seem—that you might break up one day. Yes, these things happen.

You, as an individual, need to take steps to protect your investment. So, before buying a home with your significant other, make sure not to make these common mistakes.

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Don’t ignore these essential steps in your job search

Searching for a job can feel like a 1379b5de7cb668c186ab48a9361eabd7seemingly endless series of time-consuming applications and grueling interviews. With all of that on your plate—plus the day-to-day workload from your current job—you might be tempted to cut a few corners along the way. Who’s paying such close attention, anyway?

Unfortunately, letting important details and necessary extra steps fall to the wayside will only hinder your efforts. Worse yet, these oversights may be undermining your job search without your knowledge.

Make sure you’re taking care of these five things while you’re hunting for a job.

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How to trim your resume to one page

From spelling and grammatical errors to what-not-to-include-in-a-resumeflowery language and absent keywords, there’s certainly no shortage of resume mistakes you could make. But there is one surefire kiss of death for most job seekers: submitting a two- or, dare we say it, threepage resume.

“If you’re fresh out of college, you may have a few internships under your belt but by no means should you have a two-page resume,” says Christopher Ward, founder at Ward Resumes.

Even many mid- and executive-level job hunters would benefit by sticking to a one-page resume, says professional resume writer Laurie J. James, since hiring managers have short attention spans. “When your resume is competing with dozens or hundreds of applications, hiring managers don’t have time to look at a two-page resume,” she says.

Don’t think you can shorten your resume to one 8.5”×11” document? Here’s how to squeeze everything onto one page so you’ll outshine the competition.

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5 Ways to Save on Home Renovation Costs So You Don’t Go Broke

Is your kitchen hopelessly outdated, Home-remodeling-–-how-to-obtain-financingand your bathroom a blast from the past? Then it sounds like you’re overdue for some home improvements. There’s just one problem: Remodeling can be a huge undertaking—and a costly one at that. The average kitchen remodel will set you back $60,000; a bathroom overhaul, $17,908. Ouch! But hey, that’s just the average price homeowners pay. Plenty of home renovations can fall way under that wire if you know some tricks to keep your home improvement budget in check. Check out these smart ways to save on home renovation costs to achieve the home of your dreams without blowing wads of cash.

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