Cheryl Bourland's blog

Summer is here, which means it's time for sun, the great outdoors, and... home improvement! While we each have our own projects that we put off all winter (never did fix that leaky shower...), warm weather brings with it a separate list of items that you need to take care of sooner rather than later. Realtor.com has selected nine relatively simple tasks to complete in order to get the most out of your property this season!

After the Great Recession severely diminished the housing and stock markets between 2007 and 2009, Americans were unsurprisingly hesitant to look at these institutions as reliable long-term investment options. However, fast forward to 2016 and people's faith in real estate has seen a remarkable resurgence! A new survey released by Gallup shows that real estate has widened its lead as the best choice for long-term investment, while other choices have shown either little change or, in the case of one shiny option, a large decline.

If you were asked to picture the perfect neighborhood in your head, what sorts of features would it have? Most likely, you're thinking of great schools, beautiful landscapes, and residents that are... Alive? It's always nice to think positively, but keep in mind that every best list has a worst list at the other end. Recently, realtor.com decided to find out which neighborhood features were associated with the biggest declines in home prices. Keep reading to see what they discovered!