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Louise Bolger

Louise Bolger

August 17, 2017
Louise Bolger is The Sun’s Real Estate columnist.
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November 25, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Today’s challenge for buyers

There’s a big predicament out there all over the country for home buyers, especially first-time buyers. There’s nothing to buy and, apparently, it’s my generation’s fault. United States homeowners…
November 19, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Mythical credit scores

Generally, credit scores are available through one of your credit card companies, financial institution or loan statement, and if you don’t know yours you should make a point of finding out even if y…
November 12, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

When did $100,000 not become enough?

Once upon a time if you were earning a six-figure salary you were sitting pretty. You could easily buy a home, make sure your kids went to the right schools and take that one family trip a year. Well…
November 5, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Are condos the future of housing?

In case you haven’t noticed, interest rates are low, real low. Most rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage are hovering around 4% based on credit scores and income to loan ratios. In spite of this…
October 29, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

The ghosts of real estate

I never really believed in ghosts and evil spirits. It was always fun to talk about other people’s experiences at parties but since I never had any first-hand knowledge it was just that, fun until it…
October 22, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

You found the perfect house; now what?

You may think it’s finally over – you found your dream home, your forever home or your long-dreamed-of beach house. But guess what, unless you have lots of cash in your checking account, you will hav…
October 15, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Is homeownership threatened?

For most Americans, their biggest source of wealth is the equity in their homes. But what if you never own a home? What if being a renter is your fate? How does that impact your future wealth and sta…
October 8, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Real estate market disruption

Is there an algorithm in your future? If you’re planning on buying or selling a house, get ready for the future of real estate. In a world where technology has remade everything from your morning…
October 1, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Fee-fi-fo-fum, do I smell a recovery?

Recovery, what recovery? That’s a word we left in our rearview mirror a long time ago. It’s true in Florida generally, and Anna Maria Island specifically has recovered nicely since the financial down…
September 24, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Order out of chaos

Writing has been compared to bringing order out of chaos, something I try to do weekly on this page, and one of the most chaotic aspects of real estate is the mortgage process, which may be getting e…
September 17, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Luxury ain’t what it used to be

Did you ever feel sorry for the really wealthy real estate owners? Well, we’re at a point in time when there might be just cause for feeling sorry for them because like all sellers, when your market…
September 10, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

The fun and not-so-fun of selling a home

Last week we talked about the fun and not-so-much fun of buying a home. This week we’ll talk a little about selling your home, choosing the perfect realtor and not necessarily one you’re related to…
September 2, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

The fun and not-so-fun of buying a home

Labor Day has just passed and in some parts of the country, that signals the end of summer – but not in Florida. We still have plenty of hot weather and hurricane threats, think Irma, but September d…
August 27, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

The challenges of inheriting a house

No one wants to see a loved one pass away, but it’s inevitable that we all will have that experience and along with the grief comes the distribution of personal items and property. As emotional as si…
August 20, 2019
By Louise Bolger
Castles in the Sand

Uncovering a home’s defects

The definition of “disclose” is to uncover or reveal. When it comes to uncovering problems in a property you’re interested in purchasing, the pathway is cluttered with rules that are frequently uncle…