How you feel about today’s somewhat positive housing news depends if you’re buying,
selling or staying—and where you live. If you obsessively check Zillow to see if the value
of your house is going up or down, maybe it’s time to stop the madness and take stock of
the condition of your homestead. Whatever the state of the market, there are things you can
do to maintain, or even boost, your home equity.
air
purifier
For the first time in nearly a year, home prices actually went up in most major cities
according to the latest Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller index. The oft-quoted guide
reported a .07-percent rise overall in the sales price of existing U.S. homes from March to
April, reflecting gains in 13 of the 20 cities tracked—with Washington leading the way,
followed by San Francisco, Atlanta, and Seattle.
Time to break open the champagne? That depends on your outlook. If it’s glass half empty,
you’ll recall that March saw home prices decline back to where they were in 2002. More
foreclosures are in the works. Home prices are still in the cellar in Charlotte, Chicago,
Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami and Tampa. And consumer confidence fell to a seven-month low in
June amid a sluggish recovery and high unemployment. Glass half full? Well, San Francisco’
s increase is the second straight monthly gain. Home sales have been reported above last
year’s. And Freddie Mac’s chief economist predicts a slow but solid improvement in the
next year.
With such glimmers of hope, it may be time to consider some home improvements ranging from
a paint job to a kitchen renovation. Whatever you choose to do, Consumer Reports has the
Ratings and Recommendations to help including:
Interior and exterior paint
Flooring
Roofing
Siding
Decking
Appliances
--Bob Markovich
Related Reading:
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