George McGowan's (gmcgowan) Blog

The modern bedroom is more than merely a place to sleep. The bedroom has become a place to exercise, to meditate, to read, to study, and to simply find peace and solace away from the hectic world. Families who love television have also discovered that having a TV in the bedroom, in addition to ot...

Most financial advisors agree that people should have a special fund set aside to deal with unexpected emergencies, with the amount of the fund equal to at least 3 months' worth (preferably 6 months' worth) of basic living expenses. Basic living expenses consist of rent or mortgage, bills such as...

Curbside appeal is very often the determining factor that persuades potential buyers to venture into a home that is for sale. Once inside, the best way to help ensure these lookers stay is to offer an interior that is just as inviting as the outside.Sprucing up your yard before you sell doesn't n...

The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 allows homeowners to exclude a portion of their qualified principal residence indebtedness. The IRS defines a principal residence as the home where a person lives most of the time. The phrase "qualified principal residence indebtedness" refers to a...

The Easter Bunny originally started in German.  It was 1st mentioned in German writings in the 1500's.  The Hare and Rabbit were the most fertile animals known at the time and they served as a symbol of new life during the Spring Season.  The first edible bunnies were made in the Germany during t...

What age is considered Generation Y?  The Generation Y group is between the ages of 18 to 30.  These are the individuals that are more likely to purchase a home in the next 2 years.  For this reason, I have listed a few facts about this group: 82% of Generation Y home buyers use a Real Estate Age...

There are many ways to save money and still eat healthy food when dining out. One way is to avoid prime-time dinner hours and take advantage of lunch specials or "early bird" specials that are available, usually between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Another way to save money is to not order mixed drinks or w...

Don't forget: Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 9 this year. Set your clocks ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time. This is also the perfect time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Recently, I have gotten in the habit of checking all newspapers and websites for articles that have a positive theme about the Real Estate Market.  Needless to say the last couple of months it's been a challenge.  I ran across an article today published by the National Association of Realtors on ...

 Construction experts agree that the foundation for a house is the most critical building component, because a serious defect is extremely difficult to correct after construction of the house has been completed. The two most common types of problems associated with house foundations are related t...