In case you haven’t heard, housing prices are falling across the nation.
This is bad news for existing homeowners but good news for anyone thinking of buying a home in the next few years. I’d love to buy a home or condo but I just don’t have the funds to purchase property in Southern California or in an area I would like. So for now, I’m educating myself about the process through HGTV – Home & Garden Television, which has excellent programming and a website for home owners, first-timers and prospective buyers.
Home Owners: Looking to increase your property’s resale value? Check out “Secrets That Sell” or “My House is Worth What?” On “Secrets that Sell,” experts Donna and Shannon Freeman help desperate owners whose homes have been on the market too long by recommending “must-do” fixes big and small. On “My House is Worth What?” anxious owners want to know whether their home improvements have really paid off.
First-Time Home Buyers: If you’re completely new to home buying and mortgages, fair market values, and home loans sounds like Greek to you, then start watching Property Virgins (Sundays 10 p.m. E/P). The show gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look into what goes into buying your first home. The show’s host, real estate agent Sandra Rinomato, educates, advises and counsels first-time buyers through the ups and downs of finding the perfect property. She teaches property virgins the harsh reality of what they can afford and guides them through price negotiations.
Prospective Buyers: On House Hunters (Weeknights 10 p.m. E/P), you can shop vicariously through couples, singles and families searching for their next dream home in the United States. A real estate agent walks home buyers through three or more homes that fit their price range, style, size and amenities, and then they weigh the pros and cons of each. By the end of the show, a new home is chosen and you get to see what life is like a few months after the new owners settle in to their new digs. Would you have made the same choice? And if you want to check out the international real estate market, tune into House Hunters International (Fridays 10:30 p.m.E/P). The popular spinoff has followed the exciting journeys of home buyers in Paris, Australia, Costa Rica, Amsterdam, Turks & Caicos and more!
Below are some other valuable resources available through the HGTV website:
