With interest rates for 30-year fixed rate mortgages still hovering around 6 percent, the end of the year is a great time for renters to become homeowners, growing families to move to more accommodating homes, and Baby Boomers to find houses that fit their evolving lifestyles.
      National Association of Realtors President Cathy Whatley, owner of Buck & Buck Inc. in Jacksonville, Fla., said the swing in mortgage interest rates has been somewhat of a surprise this year.
      "Mortgage interest rates have been lower than projected for most of 2003, but the 30-year fixed rate should hover between 6.0 and 6.5 percent for the rest of the year," she said. "We expect home sales to moderate but remain historically strong in the coming months."
      The national median existing-home price was $177,500 in August, up 9.8 percent from August 2002 when the median price was $161,700. The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less.
      While many markets around the

     If you're selling your house, you've probably heard all about curb appeal. Once that first impression passes the test, the next thing that meets the eyes of potential buyers is the entryway -- so make it look good.
      The entrance serves as the transition from outdoors to indoors and can leave an indelible impression in the mind of a potential buyer.
      "Don't underestimate the importance of the entrance to your home," says Robert Irwin in his book, Improve the Value of Your Home Up to $100,000: 50 Surefire Techniques and Strategies (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003). "It helps define the quality of your property when people enter. If your entrance exudes richness, buyers will think of your home as a rich property and be prepared to make offers accordingly."
      And Irwin says the opposite holds true as well.
      "If the entrance is shabby, then no matter how well appointed the rest of the home, 'shabby' is what will be imprinted on the buyer's mind."
      Irwin says having flooring in the entryway that varies from the rest of the house is one way to set off the entrance. He suggests tile flooring, whether it's ceramic, marble, granite, or synthetic.
      "In a sense it almost doesn't matter what type of tile you choose, since they all signal a fine entrance," he says.
      An entryway is the place to make a statement. Italian ceramic tiles come in a