Monthly Archives: April 2023
A Complete Renter’s Guide To Understanding Your Apartment Lease Agreement
Renting your first place with a roommate or paying rent on your own for the first time means you need to submit a rental application to rent a residential property. Once a landlord accepts your rental application, you'll review and sign an apartment lease agreement. Understanding the terms of a rental lease agreement is important for both the landlord and tenant. Legally binding contracts are not something a property owner or property management company takes lightly. It's important for both the tenant and property manager to understand what's included in an apartment lease agreement before it's signed. The lease agreement also protects both parties since the terms can't change once it gets signed. The landlord can't change the monthly rent amount or add a pet fee if the lease doesn't include a pet policy. Read More
What’s the Difference Between a Home Inspection and an Appraisal?
If you’re planning to buy a home, an inspection is an important step in the process. It assesses the condition of the home before you finalize the transaction. It’s also a different step in the process from an appraisal, which is a professional evaluation of the market value of the home you’d like to buy. In most cases, an appraisal is ordered by the lender to confirm or verify the value of the home prior to lending a buyer money for the purchase. Here’s the breakdown of each one and why they’re both important when buying a home. Read More
20 Questions To Ask When Renting a House
The lease signing process is similar if you are going to rent a house or rent an apartment. However, you'll probably have more questions to ask when renting a house. You have more space to take care of, possibly a backyard, potential roof leaks, alarm systems and other things you usually don't worry about when you live in an apartment complex. Whether you have a private landlord or a property manager looking over the property, make sure you protect yourself before signing the agreement to make sure this is the best move for you. Here are 20 questions to ask when renting a house. Read More
5 Ways to Protect Your Home from Heavy Rain
A rainy day can bring more than a gloomy mood – it can bring unwanted water damage into your home. While you may not be able to stop every water issue, there are a few things you can do to safeguard your home from being exposed to excessive water. Read More
Discover Peoria: 13 Rainy Day Adventures with Kids
As we all know, Greater Peoria weather is unpredictable—78-degree sunshine on a Tuesday won’t guarantee snow won’t make an appearance on Wednesday. Luckily, Greater Peoria has some excellent indoor options to keep in your back pocket for the next unpredicted inclement day. Scroll through these local gems for adventures that are guaranteed to hold the kiddos’ attention and burn some of that pent-up rainy day energy. Read More