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The holidays can be an ideal time to market a home. Families spend more time together, and sellers making a move during fall and early winter tend to be highly motivated.

Also, companies transfer employees according to need, and January is one of the busiest times of the year. When relocating, transferees often have only a few weeks to find a home so make sure your house stands out with a few well-placed holiday decorations.

Proper staging can help you strike the right balance between inviting and memorable.

Your agent will certainly tell you not to clutter tabletops, mantles or countertops or put holiday decorations out too soon. Wait until after Thanksgiving and take them down by the first weekend in January.

This may not be the year to put up a big tree because it can make a room appear cramped. The number one reason buyers choose a home is to have more space so let them look around without having to worry about stepping around gift packages or avoiding fragile ornaments.

If you want a live tree, make sure it’s watered so the tree won’t turn brown or drop needles. Use fresh garlands to decorate mantles and doorways, and you can throw them away after the season.

Your time is best spent cleaning, staging and packing non-essentials in preparation for moving. Your home will show better and you’ll feel less stress if you don’t take on too much.

With the rush of the holidays fast approaching, it may seem like now is not the best time to purchase a home. But that’s what makes it the ideal time to buy. While other buyers temporarily drop out of the market, sellers still have to sell their homes, which puts you in an advantageous position to negotiate.

If you’re willing to use the time that others are spending decorating, baking and entertaining, you’ll have plenty of room in your schedule to look for and compare homes on the market.

You may find that homes for sale are slightly lower in price than they were in the summer at the height of buying season. It may already be cold weather where you live, making it harder for sellers to keep their homes and lawns pristine. Again, you’re in a better position to negotiate.

For new homes that come on the market, you’ll be first in line to see them without having to compete with many other buyers. These sellers are motivated, perhaps due to being transferred, or some other urgent reason.

Mortgage interest rates are near all-time lows. As the National Association of REALTORS® points out, mortgages 35 years ago were four times as expensive as they are now, and mortgage money is the cheapest money you’ll ever borrow. With fewer homes to close, your lender should be able to expedite your loan so you can move in quickly.

Tell your friends and family what you’re planning and they’re bound to support you. And next year, you can have everyone at your home for the holidays.

Right now, buyers have the best of both worlds – home prices are beginning to slow down for the season and mortgage interest rates are near record lows. So should you wait for prices to go lower or take advantage of low interest rates right now?

The price of a home is fixed, so home prices have to drop significantly to beat a minor fluctuation in mortgage interest rates. Here are some numbers to consider:

• If you buy a home at $400,000 with 10 Percent down ($360,000) and a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at 3.5%, your monthly payment will be $1,617. If you keep the mortgage for the entire term, you’ll pay $221,962 in interest.
• The same home at 4% interest costs $1,719, a difference of $102 more per month and $258,730 in interest over the life of the loan. The difference in interest payments alone is $36,768.
• If you’re able to buy the home you want for five percent less ($380,000 less 10 percent down) and 3.5% interest, your payment would be $1,536, $81 less per month than in example one.
• You’re able to buy the home for $380,000, but in the meanwhile, mortgage rates go to 5%. Your monthly payment is $1,633, $97 more per month than if you’d purchased at 3.5 percent.

Clearly, higher interest rates cost you more monthly, but getting a better deal on a home is nearly just as good. Take advantage of slowing prices and low interest rates while they’re both available. Happy home hunting!

Hardwood floors never seem to go out of style – their beauty and durability is appreciated by generation after generation of homeowners. So if you’re planning to install wood floors, you’ll want some basic information in order to choose wisely.

According to Hardwoodinfo.com, hardwoods are “deciduous trees that have broad leaves, produce a fruit or a nut, and generally go dormant in the winter. Popular hardwoods include oak, ash, cherry, and maple.

Softwoods, says the site, are conifers, evergreen and cone-bearing trees including cedar, pine, and redwood. Softwoods are generally used for behind the scenes construction lumber, while the beauty of hardwood grains make them preferable for display purposes, such as in cabinets and flooring.

Sometimes older homes feature pine floors, and cedar is often used to line storage closets, but generally, hardwoods are preferred for high traffic areas like living rooms and dining rooms.

If you’re buying wood floors, you can get them unfinished, and they’ll be sanded, stained and polished on site, or you can buy pre-finished hardwoods. You can also buy engineered hardwood floors, in which several thin layers have been bonded together in planks for easy installation and water resistance.

Caring for hardwoods and softwoods is easy – use only cleansers that are recommended for wood. Keep floors swept often, as dirt, grit and debris carried by shoes can scratch and penetrate the wood. Avoid wearing heels on hardwood floors and put furniture protectors under furniture legs if there is no carpeting.