If you’re dealing with winter weather, you may want to ensure your home is protected on all fronts. A few things you can do to make sure you are safe during cold weather, snow or ice storms are: Pour sand on your walkways, porches and driveways to help create traction. You can also invest in tread tape to line your garage, which will decrease the risk of falling. Lay floor mats both outside and inside your doors so you can clean your shoes of snow or salt, which can be damaging to the interior of your home. Another helpful tip calls for placing markers or stakes alongside your pathways and driveway so you know where to stop shoveling. More here

Your credit score determines many important aspects of your life such as buying a home, a car, or applying for a credit card. Lenders look at your score to decide if your credit is strong enough to qualify for a loan or line of credit. Experts have offered a few tips to help increase your credit score such as opening a bank account, paying all bills on time with no exceptions, applying for your first credit card, having a stable job, and applying for a small loan to establish credit. Experts also suggest checking your credit report regularly. By staying on top of your credit, you will be knowledgeable of the things that can help and hurt your credit score. More here

Painting the interior of your home is a big job, but if you know what you’re doing, you can save hundreds by not hiring a professional painter. A few ways you can get a professional look without spending a significant amount of money are: Remove everything out of the room, including light fixtures and floor molding. Purchase a good drop cloth to cover and protect floors. Repair any cracks or dents in the walls and sand them down so the paint can better grip the walls. After sanding the walls, wash the sand dust off with a damp cloth. Prime your walls so the true color of the paint can be seen; it will also ensure the paint is applied smoothly. Lastly, purchase a roller that is lightweight and not too long. The roller should hold paint, but not create too much texture. More here

CoreLogic has released its 2015 Housing Outlook that forecasts improvement in both the housing market and the economy. The report suggests that, as employment continues to grow, an increasing number of millennials will begin to buy homes. Lower oil prices will aid the housing market by decreasing energy consumption costs. Home price growth will remain steady, and housing demand will increase with home sales predicted to jump 9%. Additionally, Houston has been named “the most interesting housing market to watch”. More here

Freddie Mac has put together a few housing market predictions for the new year, including expectations of refinance and home improvement activity to exceed purchase activity. Home values are expected to increase approximately 3%, and the multifamily housing market will continue to flourish. Additionally, they expect home sales to increase around 3% and interest rates to slowly climb. More here

According to Black Knight Financial Services, as many as 25% of American borrowers with 30-year mortgages could benefit from refinancing their homes. Trey Barns, the senior vice president of Loan Data Products for Black Knight Financial Services said, “before the most recent reductions in the average 30-year mortgage interest rate, approximately six million borrowers met broad-based ‘refinancibility’ criteria. These criteria assume loan-to-value ratios of 80% or below, good credit, non-delinquent loan status and current interest rates high enough that borrowers have an incentive to refinance.” More here 

As we age, we tend to require or desire a smaller living space. If you are in the process of downsizing or even considering a change, here are a few tips that may make the process easier: Decide which possessions you can not part with, this will give you a general idea of how much space you will need. You may want to consider getting rid of items that you don’t use. Measure your new space and your furniture to see what will and will not fit in your new home. Have a yard sale to get rid of your old things so you can pocket some extra cash, or you can take them to a local thrift store or a Goodwill. More here

As your family or lifestyle changes you may consider adding extra space to your home rather than moving into a new space. Here are some tips you should consider before adding extra living space to your home: Look at your options and decide if you want to hire an architect or skip that step and hire a construction company straight-away. Decide how much you are willing to spend. You can use helpful sites like CostHelper.com to estimate your total expense. Consider adding the room to an existing base of your home, like the basement in order to cut costs. Lastly, prepare yourself for a noisy atmosphere or other discomfort while the work is being done. You may want to make arrangements to stay with family or friends while the construction crew is on site. More here

Home prices have gradually increased this year, and while that trend is expected to continue into the first of the year, Capital Economics has stated that home price gains will begin to level out. Experts believe that as we progress into 2015, price gains will average around 4%. Supply is expected to increase helping home price growth become more stable in the coming year. Experts are also expecting interest rates to jump. Paul Diggle, a property economist for Capital Economics said, “a March rate hike is not out of the question. Thereafter, we expect the Fed to continue raising rates more aggressively than the markets expect, with the Fed funds rate reaching 3% by the end of 2016. In turn, that means that 30-year mortgage rates will increase from 4.1% now to 5.5% by the end of 2015 and 5.8% by the end of 2016. Housing affordability will deteriorate, but even by end-2016 affordability will be more favorable than the historical norm.” More here

According to Realtor.com, 2015 may be a big year for the housing market. First-time homebuyers are expected to make a significant return to the market next year, and home sales are predicted to increase by approximately 25%. Experts have compiled a list of some expected hot housing markets in 2015 that take into account affordability, employment rates, and growing population. A few cities that top the list are Atlanta, Des Moines, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Denver. More here