Here's some welcome news for homeowners living near Trader Joe's: You're probably experiencing better home values.

That's according to a RealtyTrac report released Tuesday. The real estate information firm analyzed home values, appreciation and property taxes in ZIP codes that have either a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods location to find out which of the 2 chains is better for homeowners.

Higher appreciation and taxes

"What we found is that homeowners near a Trader Joe's have experienced better home value appreciation since their purchase," Jennifer von Pohlmann, RealtyTrac spokeswoman, says in a post on the company's website. These lucky owners also pay more in property taxes on average: 59% more.

The analysis also found:

• Home

Declutter and clean: both are two important steps to take before putting your house on the market.

Here are five key areas to focus on that will help you sell your home fast:

1. Backyard deck

Few things disappoint a millennial more than discovering their otherwise-perfect dream home has no backyard deck. If you don’t have one, or if you have a tiny afterthought-type deck, consider building one. Besides pressure-treated pine, there are composite deck materials, which many homebuyers prefer. Composite materials require less maintenance and can be just as beautiful as wood — or even more so. But they cost more to build with. Young buyers love split-level decks for visual interest. Built-in lights are also a plus.

2. Gourmet kitchen

Welcome To The Cascade Team Jinjer Spears!

Jinjer Spears

• Location: Denver, CO
• Phone Number: 720-219-0318
• Email: Jinjer@TheCascadeTeam.com
• A little about Jinjer: She began her career as a real estate agent in 2015 and previously worked with Keller Williams before joining The Cascade Team. Jinjer is currently working with 5 buyers and already has a new listing about to go live. We believe she will be an excellent addition to The Cascade Team!

Our Local Real Estate Team

Cascade Team Real Estate agents are proactive in serving their customers, studying the market and touring homes, so they can provide the most accurate housing market data for their you their client. This helps you better understand the competitive environment,

We Are Excited To Welcome Keith Hile To The Cascade Team!

Keith Hile

• Cell: 206-679-7838
• Email: Keith@TheCascadeTeam.com
• A Little About Keith:

  With over 17 years of experience in Seattle real estate, I have the expertise and skill to help you succeed in your next real estate transaction. In addition to my real estate broker’s license, I have extensive training and experience in mortgage lending and residential appraising. My background in all three real estate fields ensures that you made the right choice in having me represent you and your family in the biggest investment of your life.
  From collecting all the paperwork to negotiating the real estate transaction terms, I will be there every step of the way guiding you through the

The Fix & Flip market is an important one to every community and in every market cycle. Investors add value to a real estate transaction through the rehab of a property and then selling at or near "retail" for a profit. If you are the investor or any of the numerous service providers who are necessary to complete a fix & flip project, then you are contributing to a very important segment of the housing market.

The fix & flip market in Maricopa County currently accounts for approximately 5% of the total home sales volume; the market for the entire county is running at about 4% (using data from Realty Trac). Comparatively speaking, our local fix & flip market is healthy-this is especially true when considering a

San Diego County's upward real estate cost trends match nationwide figures.

The June house price index, which tracks same-house sales for a specific period o, was up 4.5 percent nationally and 4.6 percent locally from the very same month last year.

David Blitzer, S&P's managing director and chairman of S&P's index committee, marked down any spillover effect on real estate from the presently unstable stock market, a minimum of in the meantime. Because last Tuesday, the S&P 500 stock index has dropped 10.9 percent.

"A stock market correction is unlikely to do much damage to the housing market," Blitzer stated in a statement. "A full-blown bearish market dropping more than 20 percent would provide some troubles for real estate and for other economic

Fannie: The Economy Underperforms

Economic growth was weaker than expected in the second quarter and that's prompted a less optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year, according to Fannie Mae's Economic & Strategic Research Group.

Continued headwinds from a strong dollar and renewed drops in crude oil prices are expected to continue to pose economic challenges in the latest quarter, Fannie Mae economists note. But the housing market is expected to contribute to more growth this year in the economy. The main housing indicators are all well-above year-ago levels year-over-year.

"While consumer spending growth picked up as we expected in the second quarter of this year, other components disappointed," says Doug Duncan, Fannie Mae chief

WalletHub: 13 Best Places to Retire

WalletHub recently compared 24 key metrics in 150 of the largest U.S. cities to find the most retirement-friendly hotspots. The data sets they used ranged from measuring the cost of living and recreational activities to the percentage of the elderly population.

The following cities topped WalletHub's list of the most retirement-friendly places:
1.Tampa, Fla.
2.Scottsdale, Ariz.
3.Boise, Idaho
4.Cape Coral, Fla.
5.Orlando, Fla.
6.Sioux Falls, S.D.
7.Baton Rouge, La.
8.Port St. Lucie, Fla.
9.Overland Park, Kan.
10.Peoria, Ariz.
11.St. Petersburg, Fla.
12.Lincoln, Neb.
13.Springfield, Mo.
14.Amarillo, Texas
15.Pembroke Pines, Fla.

View the full rankings of the 150 cities and more about the methodology used at WalletHub.

'Black Monday' Rattles Housing Market

 Chinese home buyers, in particular, may be more cautious in entering the U.S. housing market following Monday's massive stock market sell-off that sent stocks tumbling, according to housing analysts. The sell-off began in Beijing on Monday and sent shares plunging by record amounts across the globe. Chinese media dubbed it "Black Monday" as markets fell nearly 8.5 percent there.

In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average plunged more than 1,000 points just minutes after the opening bell alone on Monday. The Dow made up some ground later in the afternoon but still closed nearly 600 points in the red.

John Burns, CEO and owner of John Burns Real Estate Consulting, explained in a blog post that Chinese

Poor Credit? Expect Higher Insurance Bills

Home owners' credit history may have a big impact on how much they pay for home insurance, according to a new study commissioned by insuranceQuotes.com. The study examined the average impact that a credit-based insurance score has on what owners pay for home insurance.

 Owners who have a fair – or median – credit score were found to pay 32 percent more for home insurance on average than someone with stellar credit, the study found. That's up from a 29 percent increase last year.

For those with poor credit, owners' premium may rise by an average of 100 percent, the study found.

According to insuranceQuotes.com, a credit-based insurance score is different from a credit score and is comprised of