The holidays are fast approaching. Regardless of what denomination you are- the next couple of months are probably going to be more hectic than most as you prepare to conclude 2011 with friends and family. If your home is on the market, this time of year is also particularly tricky. Fortunately there is great advice for those of you looking to get your home sold during the holiday season (And it doesn't include taking your house off the market). Regardless of the time of year, most home stagers will advise a seller to remove as many personal items and decorations as possible, "Less is more." This includes photos, trophies, and even your son's gallery of refrigerator artwork. To you this might make your home feel cold and impersonal, but it allows a potential buyer to envision themselves living in your house—thus upping your odds of making the sale.

If your home will be for sale this winter, it is important to master certain seasonal issues that are less significant or even non-existent at other times of the year. Here are 10 bits of sage advice from RE/MAX agents that can help put a “Sold” sticker on that yard sign. Let Those Lights Shine: The best way to combat winter’s short and frequently cloudy days is to turn on your house lights. For a showing, every single light in the house must be on, even in the closets and utility/mechanical rooms, according to Marlene Granacki of RE/MAX Exclusive Properties, Chicago.

As temperatures dip and fall settles in with the promise of winter ahead, home owners need to pay extra attention to certain details in order to set themselves apart from the competition. 1. Maintain your landscape. Flowers aren't exactly flourishing this time of year but sellers should still make the most of what they have. Adding fall flowers like mums to your front porch or deck is always a nice touch. More importantly grass should be cut at least once per week and leaves should be cleared as much as possible.

Greg Rand (@gsrand), CEO of OwnAmerica, and host of Rand on Real Estate on 770 WABC, discusses concerns over negative equity on investment properties. Would a short sale be the best way to go?

More and more people are in over their heads when it comes to their home. In this tough economy, many have fallen behind on their mortgages and don’t know where to begin to rid themselves of the property that they can no longer afford. Real estate agent and short sale trainer Mike Cuevas of Exit Realty and Agent Redefined has five things homeowners need to consider when their home is underwater.

While certain tips like properly staging your space will help get your home sold no matter what the economic climate, picking a talented real estate agent is one of the most crucial assets in getting your home sold fast and for the right price.

“MONEY” magazine has revealed the 2011 list of "MONEY's 100 Best Places to Live in America," highlighting small towns across the country with populations of 50,000 or less. For the annual cover-story, on sale August 19, MONEY looked for places with the optimal combination of job opportunities, fiscal strength, top-notch schools, safe streets, good healthcare, cultural and outdoor activities, and even nice weather.

In the second quarter of 2011, fixed-rate loans accounted for about 95 percent of refinance loans, based on the Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) Quarterly Product Transition Report released yesterday. Refinancing borrowers clearly preferred fixed-rate loans,

There is no perfect formula for selling your home efficiently, but by following these five tips prior to listing you can increase your chances to close quickly at a higher price. 1.) Update your old garage door(s). Garage doors seem like a non-issue, but many times they make up a significant percentage of the front of a home. Because of this, they are one of the first things that buyers notice when they pull in the drive way. Replacing, or even just painting, these central fixtures will do wonders when it comes to instantly impressing perspective buyers and standing apart from your competition.

RISMEDIA, April 8, 2011—While you may not always get what you want, you will always get what you expect! Surprisingly, the power of belief and expectation work just as effectively on your feelings of self-doubt and limitation as they do on your thoughts of success and achievement.

RISMEDIA, April 7, 2011—The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury have released the March edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard. Officials caution that the latest housing figures underscore

RISMEDIA, April 7, 2011—(MCT)—Federal regulators recently asked for public comment by June 10, 2011 on their proposal to require lenders that package mortgages for the secondary market to assume some of the risk of those loans. The regulators didn't need to ask, however, as there

RISMEDIA, April 1, 2011—Located on Venice Island in Venice, Fla., this beautiful three bedroom home being listed by RISMedia’s Real Estate Information Network® (RREIN) Member Prudential Palms Realty. This three story home offers hardwood floors, formal dining, three full

RISMEDIA, March 21, 2011—Despite the uptick in sales of homes worth one million dollars or more last year (up 18.6% in 2010 according to DataQuick) the average American homebuyer is still proceeding with a large degree of caution. Below are six reasons why even qualified homebuyers are holding out on ...

RISMEDIA, January 27, 2011—This unprecedented housing crisis has a flip side—the investment opportunity of a generation. One in four real estate transactions in 2011 will be purchases by investors. Learn how to capture this opportunity: The gold rush is on. ...