Opening Doors Blog

Putting a little extra effort into caring for your table linens will pay off. They will last longer and look fresher for many years. Before storing table linens, wash them to remove any dirt or stains. Repair any tears or holes so they are ready to use when you pull them out of storage. [...] Read More

One of the most important aspects when evaluating whether a property is a potential good deal for your business is generating accurate repair estimates. While no one is expecting you to necessarily be as knowledgeable as a licensed contractor right away, if you want your rehab project to make money and your business to have sustained success, you’re going to need to consider your own repair estimates to be one of the most critical pieces of your deal puzzle. [...] Read More

Townhouses, also known as rowhouses in their older, in-city incarnation, can be owned either as a condo or co-op, or they can be owned 100% inside and out, just like a detached house. Ask your real estate agent and confirm the information when you read the association documents about just where your ownership starts and ends. [...] Read More

Pay particular attention to those made of beading, chiffon, rayon, silk or taffeta when preparing old or favorite clothes for storage. Here are some key points to remember about caring for these delicate fabrics. [...] Read More

Whether you are trying to give order to a pile of wet winter gloves or stow your shorts and sandals for next summer, how you store them will affect how long they last and how accessible they are when you need them. [...] Read More

OOnce you’re in, owning a co-op gives you most of the same benefits of ownership that you get with any other type of owned residence. You get a tax deduction for mortgage interest and property taxes, including the interest on your share loan and the portion of the building’s mortgage interest and property taxes. You qualify for that wonderful tax break that allows married couples to keep as much as $500,000 in home-sale profits tax-free and single to keep up to $250,000. [...] Read More

Cooperatives, known as co-ops are a bit different. They are not as common as condos. You will run across some elsewhere but New York City is the undisputed national champion of co-op living. Still, many cities are seeing increased development of limited-equity co-ops designed to provide affordable housing for people with modest incomes. [...] Read More

Design your closet around a list of all the clothes you need to store. When allocating individual articles of clothing to spaces, put like items together so that you can see, for example, all of your blouse choices hanging in one place, all of your pants choices hanging in another. Keep all your sweaters together, folded and stacked on open shelves. [...] Read More

Another popular multifamily housing option is the condominium, or condo. When you purchase a condo, you hold the deed for the unit, take out a mortgage, pay property tax on the unit plus a percentage of thee common areas, and a monthly maintenance fee. Condominiums are typically “stacked” on top of one another, although some have multiple floors and look more like town houses, complete with garages. [...] Read More

Unless you’re in a real time crunch to get into a new home, the best bet is to just take your time and wait for the right home to come along. There are slightly different rules for certain home buyers. And here are a few exceptions to the rule. [...] Read More