Stay updated with breaking news from Owen Halliday. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
More than a decade ago, critics of new development along First Street between Main and State streets complained of the “canyon effect” when a large, two-story office and retail building
Written by Owen Halliday There is a fair bit of confusion about real estate appraisals: What are they? Who does them? When do you need one? Why are they important? How much do they cost? In today’s robust market, appraisals have become even more important. Q: What is an appraisal? A: An appraisal is one person’s opinion as to the value of a property. It may be calculated several ways, but most commonly for real estate appraisals, it is based on a comparison to recent similar sales in the area. It also may be calculated based on “replacement cost” –...
Relocating to a new home presents a great opportunity to whittle down belongings. Many home sellers these days either grew up in households that remembered the Depression or were a product of the “more-is-better” generation of collectors. Many of today’s smaller homes or condos don’t have much storage space. Younger families are looking more for experiences rather than things. For sellers, the conversations often turn to: What do we do with the exercise equipment we don’t use? Aunt Mable’s old piano? Those old board games? The record collection? The books collecting dust on the sh...