If you are purchasing your first home, you may be surprised if your real estate agent asks for contact information for your lender. After all, with a loan approval letter, your real estate agent already knows what houses you qualify for. It makes sense that you would want to keep your financial information private and secure, so you may be hesitant to put your real estate agent in direct contact with your loan officer.

While many homes have moved on to electronic security systems, it is still important to understand safety and security tips for manual locks. Here are three tips than can help keep you safe and give you peace of mind at home. Replace or Rekey Locks on New Homes The first thing you should establish when you buy a new home is whether or not anyone else may possibly have access. It is not uncommon for previous residents to have given spare keys to neighbors, or even to have kept one of the spare keys themselves.

Termites may be beneficial in the wild, but in your home, they're a silent, yet deadly killer of wooden structures and paper products. According to the LSU College of Agriculture, termites contribute to over $2 billion in damage to buildings each year. Add on the fact that termite damage isn't covered by your homeowner's insurance, and you'll understand why you'd want to detect an infestation sooner rather than later. Discarded Wings as a Calling Card

When you're trying to keep hundreds of apartment units occupied and producing income, the idea of personally screening new tenants can push you over the edge into exhaustion. Outsource at least a little of your property management responsibility to a tenant screening service. These services offer three additional benefits on top of the credit and rental history reports you receive. Gauge Response Time Developing a complete sense of who a renter is requires more than just a report showing their history of paying rent and managing their credit.

Purchasing your first home is incredibly exciting, but it can also be stressful. From finding a property you love to going through the buying process, it is easy for first time buyers to become overwhelmed. If you are in the market to buy your first home, you need a few tips: Select a Real Estate Agent Carefully When you're looking for your first home you're going to be spending a lot of time with your real estate agent, so you want to make sure that you work with someone who is knowledgeable and who you can trust.

As a person gets older and the children move out of the home, and especially as they near retirement age, they may start to think about selling their home and downsizing to something more manageable for themselves. Many seniors opt for an apartment or condominium of some sort, as there is less maintenance and upkeep needed. Another option is a retirement community for seniors, which is typically a type of apartment or condo complex that has planned activities and other amenities for the residents.