Business Insider Story Swap

If you're trying to sell your home, then Business Insider has some advice on things that may affect the pricing.

With the real estate market as shaky as it is, homeowners can't afford to deal with more problems. And yet there's always something that pops up — whether it's noisy neighbors or an unfortunately placed sinkhole.

Related: 17 Things You Should Always Buy New

We've rounded up some of the biggest threats to the value of a home.

Sinkhole damage sucks property values down a staggering 30 percent.

The prevalence of reports of sinkhole damage in the US this year has raised questions about the impact on property values.

It's not the threat of a sinkhole that damages property value — there's insurance coverage specifically for sinkhole damage. In fact, a 2007 study found no statistically significant difference in home values in areas prone to sinkholes. Like earthquakes, it's only after sinkholes hit your property that problems arise.

Rob Arnold, a Florida real estate investor and realtor who has bought and sold more than 30 sinkhole properties in the last five years, told CF13 News he tells owners of damaged homes to knock 30 percent off their asking price, plus the cost of any repairs.

Read on for more.

Did you know the Amish are actually incredible money savers? If you're wondering why, our friends over at Business Insider have all the secrets:

The number of Amish in the US has doubled since the 1990s.

Though they're typically known for for their traditional, family-based Christian values and austere lifestyles, there's one thing most people probably wouldn't guess about them — the Amish are a lot better at managing their money than the rest of us.

"Some Amish do quite well and have a lot of success in business," Erik Wesner, founder of AmishAmerica.com, told us. “An Amish millionaire is not something unheard of.”

Their business and financial savvy goes far beyond rebuking modern conveniences like electricity and technology.

Related: The Amish Might Be the Best Money Managers in the World

We asked Wesner, along with Lorilee Craker, author of Money Secrets of the Amish, to let us in on how the Amish have mastered their money.

Find out what made the list.

Be careful where your money goes. Business Insider shares how you can avoid getting scammed when trying to make financial donations for Boston.

There has been a outpouring of goodwill and charitable actions toward the people of Boston and those affected by last week's heinous terrorist attack. 

Unfortunately, not all good gestures make their way into the right hands. The IRS is already warning consumers against a slew of possible charity scams stemming from the Boston tragedy and, more recently, the devastating explosion at a West, TX, fertilizer plant. 

Related: The Massive Tax Break Behind Estée Lauder Heir's $1 Billion Art Donation

Scammers are no longer solely targeting victims by email or door-to-door visits. Social media is increasingly becoming one of the simplest ways to proliferate scams, and in the rush to Retweet or "Like" a page in support of a joint cause, consumers could unwittingly be putting their social networks in danger of fraud.

Here are the guidelines the IRS has issued to keep fraudsters at bay:

• Donate to qualified charities. Use the Exempt Organizations Select Check tool at IRS.gov to find qualified charities. Only donations to qualified charitable organizations are tax-deductible. You can also find legitimate charities on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website at FEMA.gov.
• Be wary of charities with similar names.  Some phony charities use names that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. They may use names or websites that sound or look like those of legitimate organizations.
• Don't give out personal financial information. Do not give your Social Security number, credit card and bank account numbers, or passwords to anyone who solicits a contribution from you. Scam artists use this information to steal your identity and money.
• Don't give or send cash. For security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card or another way that provides documentation of the donation.
• Report suspected fraud. Taxpayers suspecting tax- or charity-related fraud should visit IRS.gov and perform a search using the keywords "Report Phishing."

Check out these other smart stories from Business Insider:

Couple Paid Off $82,000 of Credit Debt in Four Years
IRS Gives Boston Marathon Victims a Welcome Tax Extension — With a Catch
Online Dating Scams Cost Victims More Than $50 Million Per Year
5 Ways to Pay the IRS Less Next April

Buying stock from your own company seems like a no-brainer, but is it really a wise decision? Our friends over at Business Insider weigh in.

Buying stock in your company seems like a logical investment at face value. What better way is there to show the higher-ups not only your loyalty but also your willingness to take a bet on them?

The problem is that you're only making yourself more financially vulnerable in the process.

Read on for more.

Follow these easy steps from Business Insider and you could be saving tons of money!

These days, people are willing to go to any extreme to save a few bucks. But we're not going to tell you to eat beans and rice or wash your hair with eggs. There are ways to save that are sitting right under our noses –– and our roofs. Here are some simple household savings tips that could save you hundreds of dollars a year.

RELATED: Save Hundreds on Your Next Vacation

• Install low-flow water faucets and save up to 60 percent on your water bill. Do you really need a faucet with fire hydrant strength flow to do the dishes? Chances are the answer is no, and by simply replacing your faucets with low-flow models, you could cut your water bill by 25 to 60 percent. They cost around $10 to $20 a piece, which is well worth the investment.
• Update your light bulbs and save up to 75 percent on your electricity bill. Switching out old light bulbs for compact fluorescent could save up to 75 percent on your electric bill. Yes, they cost a bit more than traditional bulbs, but they last 10 to 25 times longer and use power more efficiently. Only 6 percent of the electricity sucked up by traditional bulbs (those older than 14 or 15 years) is turned into light –– the rest becomes very inefficiently used heat. 
• Unplug your electronics at night and save $100 per year. The typical American home has 40 electronics powered up at any given moment –– TV, cell phone chargers, blenders, etc. What people don't realize is they are using electricity even when they're powered off. U.S. households spend as much as $100 per year powering these "vampire" electronics. Simple fix: Plug your devices into power strips and switch them off at once at the end of the day.

Read on for more.

Ready to move in with someone? Find out how to take care of your own finances before the big decision from Business Insider.

Couples getting ready to move in together should enjoy the exciting time but also be prepared for the worse.

A recent study by Rent.com of 1,000 renters found that 38 percent of renters had ended a personal relationship with someone they were living with at some point in their lives. And the majority of those — more than 60 percent — continued to live with their significant other for another month or more after breaking up as they worked to split up their stuff and find new places that fit their single budget.

Respondents said that the most difficult part of moving out was splitting up possessions (not finances); and their No. 1 precaution (and lesson learned) is to save more money before moving in with someone else.

Related: 8 Ways to Save Money so You Can Finally Switch Jobs

To learn more, we reached out to life coach Dr. Michele Callahan, who has been featured on Oprah, Dr. Oz, and other media, and she sent us her most important financial advice for couples who live together:

You'd by surprised how many objects really do last a lifetime. Here are a couple that Business Insider rounded up into a list.

In an age when the Next Big iGadget is always around the corner and people go through cell phones like pairs of socks, it's nice to know there are some products that can never be replaced.

Related: 13 Things You're Better Off Buying Used

In a popular Reddit thread, more than 500 users shared the "trustiest" products they've relied on for years — and in some cases, a lifetime. 

We rounded up 22 of our favorites.

• "My Gameboy color is still going strong as well as my Pokemon games."
• "Samsung Blackjack II. Dropped it a million times, still works perfectly. I've had it for over five years."
• "2001 Honda Accord. Not a single problem in all my years of ownership."
• "Playstation 2 or Nintendo 64. Last forever and I still play them every day."
• "I've had one of those $12 Wahl beard trimmers from Walmart for 5 years now. Use (well, abuse) it almost daily. Coupled with 2 rechargeable AAs it's unstoppable."
• "KitchenAid mixers. My mother's KitchenAid is so reliable she actually named it in her will. Sorry, sis, I'm getting it."
• "My black north face jacket. it will never die. Almost 10 years and it looks like it did the day I bought it."
• "My Nalgene. 15 years old. Thing is bulletproof."

Read on for more.

Martha Stewart may be in the middle of another court battle, but she hasn't forgotten her influence on mainstream America. Our partners at Business Insider relayed that message from the mogul's recent court appearance.

Regardless of what you think of her, it's safe to say that it's her determination and ruthless perfectionism that have made Stewart so successful.

Home goddess Martha Stewart started a line with Kmart in 1997.

At the time, she says she was snubbed by her peers for going mass market.

But in court over a contract dispute with Macy's yesterday, Stewart explained how she changed American home decor forever.

"Before my line with K-Mart, towels were navy, maroon, brown," she said on the stand. "There was this false belief that poor people did their laundry less than rich people."

But Stewart insisted that everyone wanted beautiful things, she said.

"I released towels in pastels like pink, yellow, and sage green," Stewart said. "Our bestselling color towel that year was white, and I'm so proud of that."

Stewart's ideas were revolutionary at the time. Since then, everyone from Target to Ikea has promoted the idea of "everyday luxury."

"It's both incredibly flattering and frustrating," Stewart said on the stand. "The Martha Stewart Everyday collection started this all."

Check out these smart Business Insider stories:

JCPenney Made Martha Stewart an Offer She Couldn't Refuse

Here's What's at Stake in the Huge Trial Between Martha Stewart, JCPenney, and Macy's

Martha Stewart: The CEO of Macy's Hung Up on Me, and I Was "Flabbergasted"

JCPenney Could Suffer a "Fatal Blow" if Martha Stewart Deal Falls Through

The amount of errors made by the credit reporting industry is staggering. Business Insider tells us how to avoid becoming victims.

Credit scores are one of the most important numbers in consumers' lives. They can mean the difference between renting a home or owning one, and getting a great interest rate on your car loan or walking off the lot with a subprime contract.

And yet, the credit reporting industry is even more flawed than we thought.

A 2013 report by the Federal Trade Commission estimates one out of every five people has an inaccurate credit report. On a national scale, that translates to as many as 42 million mistakes.

Whether it's a misspelled last name or a line of credit you never remember opening, no mistake is too small to have corrected.

RELATED: 13 money lies to stop telling yourself by age 30

Spotting them is the easy part. Getting them fixed is a whole other story. Here's how to dispute credit errors on your report:

If you think you've got it hard, then try to stretch $14,000 among four people like this woman, featured in the Business Insider, is doing with her family.

In the years since the recession, the median household income in the US has dropped to just over $50,000, while fixed costs like health care, higher education, and housing have only soared. 

Now imagine trying to support a family of four on a fraction of that income. 

Related: 13 Things You're Better Off Buying Used

It's a reality that stay-at-home wife and mother of two Danielle Wagasky has lived for the last four years. 

 Wagasky, 28, lives with her her husband, Jason, 31, and their two young children in a three-bedroom family home in Las Vegas, NV. While Jason, a member of the US Army, completes his undergraduate studies, the family's only source of income is the $14,000 annual cost of living allowance he receives under the G.I. Bill. 

Despite all odds, the family has barely any credit debt, no car payment, and no mortgage speak of. 

She was kind enough to chat with BI and tell us how she makes it work.

Wagasky finds inspiration everywhere from the library to tips from readers on her blog.

The couple had a single savings goal in mind — scraping together $30,000 for a down payment on their home in their native Henderson, NV. 

The mindless spending was out, and Wagasky came up with a budget she could make work. 

"I changed the way I was grocery shopping and started working my way up," she said.

Read on for more.