What are the tax benefits of owning a home? Plenty of homeowners are asking themselves this right around now as they prepare to file their taxes. You may recall the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—the most substantial overhaul to the U.S. tax code in more than 30 years—went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. And as a result, last year likely brought big changes to your taxes, especially the tax perks of homeownership.

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The earnest money deposit—the cash you as a buyer offer to essentially call dibs on real estate—is one of the most important and misunderstood parts of the home-buying process.

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Buying a vacation home is a fantasy for many, but let's get real: Such a purchase should not be attempted without the proper safeguards—starting with insurance.

In this latest installment of our Guide to Buying a Vacation Home, we highlight everything you need to know about vacation home insurance.

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Since landlords own the property you're living in, they do have the right to sell it whenever they want. Still, that doesn't mean that they can just kick their renters or tenants to the street immediately or mess with your security deposit.

Tenants have rights, too! If a buyer comes along and your building suddenly has a new owner, this new landlord might make some changes that affect the spot you rent.

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A real estate listing can tell you an awful lot about a home, beyond just the price—essential stats like the year the property was built and the price per square foot. But one of the most important numbers to be aware of is the days on market, or DOM, the amount of time the home has been listed for sale on the multiple listing service. The DOM gives you an idea of how other buyers are reacting to the property and whether it's priced high or low.

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So you're ready to ditch your landlord and the noisy neighbors who live above you. But instead of seeking out another place to rent, have you considered (like, seriously considered) buying?

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Want to learn how to sell your house? Simple: Put on your buyer hat and tour a bunch of homes for sale in your area. That's what I did, and I learned a ton about how to sell my own place.

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The idea of moving can sound like a great adventure, but for most people, the actual process of moving is a giant headache, or much worse. In fact, a lot of people equate it to some of life's biggest annoyances.

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Do you get your earnest money back at closing? If you're buying a house and planning to finance the purchase with the help of a mortgage, the question is bound to come up. The short answer is: You don't usually get your earnest money back at closing.

But hold on! Sometimes earnest money is returned at closing. What? Read on to find out what happens to your earnest money at closing.

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If you’re like most homeowners, your house is a host of tiny irritations you keep meaning to fix but never do. Maybe it’s a light fixture you constantly bang your head on, or wallpaper you’ve always despised. And then one day you decide it’s time to sell the house. And what do you do? You replace the light fixture. You strip the wallpaper. And then you stand back and think, “Why didn’t I do that sooner?”

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