Contractor Frustrations

We would like to have some work done at our home this summer, so I’ve been busy contacting various contractors during the past few weeks. My experiences with getting people to call me back, come to my house and provide a quote have ranged from surprisingly pleasant to sorely disappointing. The areas where we need some help are removing a large rotting tree, getting some new windows installed and improving insulation in our basement and

Cost vs. Value in Real Estate

So you just renovated your kitchen to the tune of $80,000. It’s beautiful. Custom cabinetry, stone counter tops, radiant heat flooring, lots of recessed lighting, top of the line appliances. The value of your house just increased by $80,000, right? Unfortunately, in most cases, no- your house is not worth $80,000 more, but just a portion of that expense. More often than not in real estate cost does not equal value. This can be a