As I chat with real estate pros and industry experts across the country, a new issue is cropping up that warrants some focus. Today more than in recent history, we are learning that many folks are considering renting out a current home after shopping for and moving into a newly acquired property.

Marcie Geffner at Bankrate.com recently produced a report warning consumers who want to buy a new home while renting out the old house, that they could face a glitch. Say someone owns two houses - one they occupy, and one they don't.

To cut monthly interest expense, that owner might want to refinance the house they're renting. But Geffner says it might not be easy, and offers a few tips.

She says often, equity is the biggest hurdle in the effort to refinance a house being rented out.

I know it's one thing to intend to complete that little painting project, and it's another to buckle down and do it - especially at the height of sizzling summer!

But the folks at the Paint Quality Institute say there are loads of small-scale painting projects that can easily be completed early in the morning or late in the afternoon, times of the day when you won't wilt in the sun.

Spending just a couple of hours repainting the front door is a prime example, says Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert for the Paint Quality Institute. Switching to a completely different door color can give your home an entirely new appearance - a great way to get a big return on a small amount of sweat equity.

Or, Zimmer says, paint your shutters - in stages. Take on just two at a time then repeat the process for as many days as necessary. You'll get more efficient as you go, and soon, all your shutters will be sporting new hues.

Adding an accent color in an unexpected place is another no-sweat way Zimmer says to spice up your exterior. Try painting window surrounds in a color complementing the frames. Or, pick out an interesting architectural detail and introduce a new hue there.

You want even less demanding? Zimmer says dab a hot punch color on your mailbox, lamppost, or birdhouse as a quick and easy after supper chore.

Finally, heed Zimmer's warning - there is a time to put your paint brush aside – namely, when the weather gets north of 90 degrees. She says this type of excessive heat may keep your paint from "curing" properly, and that's something to avoid.

Source: paintquality.com

Coming home from an extended time away to find squatters are living on your property is unsettling to say the least, but how can you get rid of them?

In some cases, you may get in trouble by forcibly removing squatters from your property, so there are some legal considerations you need to keep in mind. Here's a general overview:

• Are they squatters or trespassers? Before you do anything, find out if the people on your property are squatters or trespassers. Trespassers are people who enter onto an owner's land without permission and are subject to criminal and civil penalties. Generally, trespassers are only on a property temporarily. For example, people who come onto a property to vandalize it are most likely considered trespassers. On the other hand, squatters are people who "move" into a property and live there, usually without the owner's consent. This practice is more common if the property is a vacation home and/or the owner rarely comes to check on the place. For the most part, squatters can't be removed without some sort of civil eviction action.
• Eviction proceedings. Since squatters aren't paying rent to live on your property, you can evict them. The first option is serve the squatters with an eviction notice. If the squatters refuse to leave, you can file an unlawful detainer lawsuit against them to formally kick them out via a court order. However, just because you won an unlawful detainer suit doesn't mean you can march in and toss them out. If squatters still don't leave after a court order, you need to go to your local police or sheriff's department for help enforcing the judgment. Taking matters into your own hands by forcibly removing squatters could land you in legal trouble.

Custom home building recorded growth during the second quarter of 2014.

NAHB’s analysis of Census Data from the Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design survey indicates that the number of starts of homes built on an owner’s land, with either the owner or a builder acting as the general contractor, rose from 39,000 for the second quarter of 2013 to 48,000 for the second quarter of 2014.

In recent years, as the rest of the single-family construction market expanded, the market share (as a percentage of total single-family starts) of owner and contractor built housing has fallen. Note that this definition of custom home building does not include homes intended for sale, so this is a narrow definition of this sector.

As measured on a one-year moving average, the market share is now 23.1 percent, down from a cycle high of 31.5 percent set during the second quarter of 2009. However, the market share for custom home building has posted gains for the last two quarters.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose two points to 55 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for August, released today. This third consecutive monthly gain brings the index to its highest level since January.

“As the employment picture brightens, builders are seeing a noticeable increase in the number of serious buyers entering the market,” says NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly, a home builder and developer from Wilmington, Del. “However, builders still face a number of challenges, including tight credit conditions for borrowers and shortages of finished lots and labor.”

Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 30 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores from each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

How old is your bedroom furniture and what did you pay for it? Don’t know? That’s okay, let’s try an easier question. When did you buy the TV in your family room and is it a plasma, LCD or a LED?

Whether you are the victim of a burglary, a fire or a tornado, most people are comforted they have insurance to cover the losses. However, unless you’ve filed a claim, you may not be familiar with the procedures.

The adjustor will want to know the date and how the loss occurred. Assuming you have contents coverage, the claim for personal belongings is separate from damage to the home.

Today's “Ask the Expert” column features Patty McNease, Director of Marketing with Homes.com.

Q: What are some common best practices for marketing property listings using video?

A: Attention spans are getting shorter and people want things fast and easy, which is why most house hunters would rather watch a short video about a listing than scroll through a page full of text or even pictures.

Studies show that the use of video will increase your Google ranking, conversions, open rates, click-through rates and more by staggering amounts, with average engagement levels increasing as video continues to play a more prominent role in the online experience—the number one way to get millennials interested in anything these days.

Further, the more videos you have posted on YouTube, the better placement your website will have in search engine rankings. A recent study showed that 51 percent of homebuyers use YouTube to view video listings, and the site is the number one research destination for home shoppers.

When selling a home, it’s important to have that special something that will set your home apart from the competition. And one great way to make your house more appealing to prospective buyers is by hiring a professional home stager to prepare the home in a way that will increase the chances of it selling quickly at the price you’re looking for.

Even more appealing is the fact that the cost is almost always off-set by the final price of the sale compared to what you may have gotten had you not brought in a stager.

Staging isn’t always easy for sellers though, as they might not agree with the stager’s decisions or choices of furniture or accessories. But, if you’re going to hire a stager, remember that these are professionals who get paid for doing their job well, so it’s important to trust them and take their advice to heart.

Here are five key things a stager is likely to focus on.

Cleanliness. Even the slightest mess can be a turnoff to potential buyers. Cleaning a house for staging doesn’t just mean dusting, sweeping and vacuuming. You also need to clean places that are typically ignored, such as the area under countertops, as well as the bottom of closets and cabinets. Carpets should be steamed, windows cleaned and ceiling fans and molding dusted.

Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®) showing average fixed mortgage rates following bond yields lower. Averaging 4.12 percent for the week, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage once again is at its 2014 low.

"Mortgage rates were down slightly amid a week of light economic reports,” notes Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. “Of the few releases, retail sales were virtually unchanged in July after a 0.2 percent increase in June, ending five months of increases. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, retail sales were up 0.1 percent last month."

Survey findings include:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.12 percent with an average 0.6 point for the week ending August 14, 2014, down from last week when it averaged 4.14 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.40 percent.
• 15-year FRM this week averaged 3.24 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.27 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.44 percent.