With the market constantly fluctuating, it can be exhausting to weed through all of the available information on mortgage rates. From trends to current percentage shifts, there is always a surplus of information at your fingertips. Below are three things you should know about today's mortgage arena.
 
They're headed up, but still reasonable. Today's rates are higher than they were a year ago, but they're still relatively low. Recently, mortgage rates are weighing in a bit above 4 percent, which isn't as low as 2012's 3 percent, but is still a great rate.
 
They shouldn't stop you from buying. If you're waiting to purchase a home because you think mortgage rates may drop – don't. While mortgage rates do increase and decrease slightly from month-to-month, larger changes happen extremely slowly. If a fraction of a percent increase or decrease dramatically changes how much house you can buy, then you may be shopping a bit out of your price range.
 
There could be. ...

The kitchen is one of the hottest selling points for any listing, as it is the center of a lot of activity within a home. While you may renovate your kitchen before selling—or at least replace outdated appliances and add some fresh paint—staging is another crucial part of making your kitchen buyer-ready. Read on for some important tips for staging your kitchen.
 
Make it sparkle. Cleaning your kitchen top to bottom is the first step in home staging. Polish all fixtures, clean out the inside of the stove, dust that ceiling fan, wash windows, scrub your baseboards, clean cabinets and polish or replace knobs and handles.
 
De-clutter. Remove all appliances from the counter, take magnets and photos off the fridge and most of the photos off the wall. Don’t remove everything, or it will look cold and unlived in. Instead, allow an opportunity for the buyer to imagine their own lives enfolding in the room.
 
Make use of space and color. Replace . ...

Recycling isn't just for cans and bottles. When expanding your home, repurposing room can save money and energy as well. To begin, take a critical look at what you already have. If you see any space you don't currently use—say, that downstairs powder room that rarely ever sees traffic—then you can repurpose it to fit your needs. This concept of “stealing” space from a neighboring room is called space reconfiguration and it is much cheaper than a major remodeling job.
 
What's key is finding space that can work in a new way. That space may be as close as the next room, particularly if there are unused or underutilized areas in your home.
 
There are two main ways you can do this:
Converting. Dying for a home office or a small in-house fitness space? A garage, attic, side porch, large closet, or basement can all be converted to fit the use you have in mind. The pre-existing structure and frame will make the process cheaper and easier to complet. ...

Home decorators seem to agree that ‘bold, colorful and sensual’ best describe the home décor trends for 2014, with radiant colors, tactile interest, and individualized style statements all leading the way.
 
If you’re looking to rejuvenate the look of your home, consider these trending alternatives:
 
Warm colors – Ditch the neutrals and heat up your décor with yellow, orange, red, marine blue, even vibrant orchid. Start with the kitchen, paint the family room or guest bath, and brighten your rooms with art prints and accents that ‘pop.’
 
Mirrors – Get rid of boring, rectangular mirrors in favor of round or oval-framed designs that add focus and color to the living or dining room. Pay attention to size and proportion, and see your new mirrors add both interest and depth.
 
Heavy metal – Actually, all metals from gold and silver to weathered brass and rose gold are the go-to choices. ...

Purchasing a home is one of the most exciting decisions one will ever make. Unfortunately, for many, that excitement is served up with a whopping side of stress. While you may never erase all of the stress associated with home-buying, with the right mindset, and the right toolset, you can certainly minimize the stress of finding and buying your dream home.
 
1. Get pre-approved. Making sure you are able to get a mortgage will reduce the stress of the home-buying process, because you know you're eligible before you even begin hunting, automatically taking that stress factor off your plate. That's not the only way pre-approval will reduce stress – it also makes the home search easier. Many sellers won't even work with a buyer who is not pre-approved, so you automatically open up your housing pool when you get pre-approved.
 
2. Find the right budget and stick to it. Money is a huge source of stress when buying a house. Figure out exactly how much house you c. ...