Cheryl Bourland's blog

Earth Day may have been yesterday, but it's always a good time to improve your home's energy efficiency! Remember, going green is a win-win, as it reduces the strain on both the environment and your wallet. Plus, there's no need to get discouraged by only thinking about major projects like installing solar panels; after all, even small, inexpensive changes can yield oversized impacts if they target the areas of greatest waste in your home. In this post, you can learn about 5 simple home improvements that will go a long way toward reducing your energy footprint.

The advantages of being a home owner don't stop once you walk outside. As anyone who enjoys the outdoors will tell you, your property is a blank slate just waiting for a little landscaping TLC. Improving upon your home's surroundings will greatly add to its curb appeal, making it the envy of both the neighborhood and future buyers. Of course, one of the most effective ways to accomplish this goal is to plant a lush, colorful garden out front for all to enjoy! If this is the point at which you curse your lack of a green thumb, then don't panic; keep reading for some simple tips that can make any garden grow.

If you currently have a mortgage, then now is the perfect time to look into refinancing. In fact, a report from last week by data and analytics company Black Knight determined that 4.9 million U.S. homeowners could significantly reduce their interest rates if they were to refinance their mortgage! This number spiked dramatically from just one week prior, rising by 1.6 million borrowers.