Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Too Big? Too Small? Choosing the Size of Your New Home

Tumbleweed-tiny-house-an-option-for-your-new-home
Trends in home buying are based on averages, the medium between extremes. Today’s economy has spurred the need for downsizing and created a market for the so called “tiny home.” However it wasn’t too long ago when every new home buyer was searching for the perfect “McMansion.” Deciding the size of a home, especially your new home, is a very personal decision and many considerations should be taken into account before your purchase.

Ask Yourself the Following Questions When Buying Your New Home

  • What are your needs in your new home?
  • Do you need space geared to a family or is studio living more your speed?
  • Is a guest room (sewing room, office, you fill in the blank) a necessity on a short or long-term basis?
  • Do you prefer a one-story or two-story home?
  • Do you enjoy cleaning house or prefer a minimalist approach?
  • What’s more appealing to you – functional space or white space?
  • What’s your lifestyle and how will it play out in your home – more formal or more casual?
  • How do you feel when entering friends’ homes?  What impresses YOU?

Asking these questions can more easily direct you to options you may not have contemplated initially when searching for your new home.  Take some time and consult with a real estate agent who knows your area so that when it is time to buy, you can focus on what matters most to you in your new home, other than location, of course.  To see the latest trend in “tiny homes,” visit the Tiny House Blog here.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Selling Your Home This Holiday Season?

Holiday-doors
Traditionally the holiday season is not the best time to sell your home due to tight schedules, weather conditions, and overall busy schedules. However if you still would like to sell your home before year-end, there are some things you can do to make your home outshine other listings.

You may even find that the holiday season makes for a better sale as only serious buyers are spending the time to view your home due to all those demands. Your buyer could also have goals or timeframe deadlines they are trying to meet with regards to the end of the year, giving you a more solid escrow, as well.

 

Suggestions to get your home ready while still enjoying the holiday season:

 

  • Warm up your home and your buyers with freshly baked treats, a comfortable thermostat, and a few well-chosen decorations.  Remember the “less is more” phrase and keep surfaces clear when possible.
  • Only use the best photos in your online and paper advertising. When it’s cold out, more buyers shop from home and only venture out if they REALLY like what they see.
  • Maintenance of your home is critical at this time. Many potential buyers may “drive by” and you need to make sure their first impression leads them to want to know more.
  • Use a real estate agent who knows your area. An agent who specializes in relocation could be key, as well, since job transfers often create end of the year buyers. Give me a call to see how quickly we can get your home sold!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Protecting Your Home From Winter Storms

Your home and rain guttersCooling weather trends bring with them rain and snow and can also result in damage to your home. Now’s the time to consider making needed preparations to your home, from roof repairs and securing insulation to cleaning the rain gutters to make sure your home is safe to weather the storms. Surprisingly, clear rain gutters can do a lot to help your entire home, by protecting windows and doors, siding and even your home’s foundation from too much concentrated moisture.

Clearing your gutters of leaves and other objects requires the use of a ladder, so if you are afraid of heights or cautious about your abilities, you may consider hiring a handyman to complete this task. For those of you who enjoy the adventure of home repairs, however, clearing your gutters can be relatively easy if you follow the tips below. Or for a quick video

  • Use a safe and solid ladder to reach your gutters. You will need to move the ladder frequently (do not try to stretch to reach far areas while standing on your ladder).
  • Wear protective gear, such as goggles and work gloves – you never know what you’ll find up there!
  • Use the right tools. A small hand shovel (even a plastic sand shovel) and bucket or disposable bag should be sufficient. You can also use a scrub brush as needed.
  • Test it out. Once the gutter is clear, use your garden hose to have a practice storm and track the flow of water racing through your cleaned rain gutter.
  • If all is well, your work is complete. If not, look closely at your drain pipes to make sure they are not clogged, as well, or evaluate is your gutter slope needs to be adjusted.

Clearing your rain gutters should be done at least once a year, depending on where your home is located. If you find your gutters require care more often, you may want to consider purchasing covers for them.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Create the Best Jack-O-Lantern for Your Home

Halloween-pumpkin-carving-ideas-80-554x370
As the days count down to Halloween you may find yourself trying to determine the best way to enliven your porch pumpkin.  While many techniques have been developed for jack-o-lantern carving and design, the following basic principles can guide you to well-lit spooky success as you entertain trick-or-treaters who visit your home and neighborhood.

Choose Your Pumpkin - Traditional jack-o-lanterns are round, but you may want a flat pumpkin or one that’s been scarred if it works better with your overall design.  Variety is rampant in pumpkins these days, allowing you to get just the right style and color for your home.

Carving Prep – Before beginning your project, gather your materials from around your home, from knives and scoops to newspaper and patterns, so that you can create quickly and avoid making a big mess.  Prior to carving your pumpkin face or design, you’ll need to create a cap or lid by cutting a circle/zigzag shape around the stem at a slant so you can scrape and scoop out the pumpkin insides.  Another option is to cut from the base to avoid interference with a patterned pumpkin.

Determine Your Design - Choose from a combination of basic shapes or explore using paper to create a stencil pattern once you begin designing the look of your jack-o-lantern.  Once your stencil is in place, use a pushpin to transfer the design from paper to your pumpkin and then carve by following the pin pricks.  You can also draw directly on your pumpkin with a washable marker and carve on the lines.  Carve the smallest areas of your design first as they can be tricky and if you mess up, you’ll be able to modify your design if needed.  When your carving is complete, simply wash off any remaining marker to see your finished product.

Choose Your Light - While a candle will definitely contribute a more eerie glow, if you have small children or pets, it may be wiser to use LED lights for your jack-o-lantern.  Disposable glow sticks are a possibility, too, if you prefer to try out differing colors at little expense.  Either way, make sure your pumpkin is well lit on Halloween, so that little goblins and ghouls will know that they can visit your home for a special treat.

Wahoo I love Halloween. and when buyer a house you don’t need to be scared I am here to help.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A housing boom could be coming, some experts say - Oct. 12, 2012

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The long-battered housing market is finally starting to get back on its feet. But some experts believe it could soon become another housing boom.

Signs of recovery have been evident in the recent pick ups in home prices, home sales and construction. Foreclosures are also down and the Federal Reserve has acted to push mortgage rates near record lows.

Obama's economy: A snapshot

A look at where the economy stood when Obama took office and what's changed since.

But while many economists believe this emerging housing recovery will produce only slow and modest improvement in home prices, construction and jobs, others believe the rebound will be much stronger.

Barclays Capital put out a report recently forecasting that home prices, which fell by more than a third after the housing bubble burst in 2007, could be back to peak levels as soon as 2015.

"In our view, the housing market had undergone a dramatic over-correction during the prior five years, resulting in pent-up demand for housing purchases that would spark a rapid rise in housing starts," said Stephen Kim, an analyst with Barclays, in a note to clients.

In addition to what Kim sees as a big rebound in building, he's bullish on home prices, expecting rises of 5% to 7.5% a year.

Related: Where housing is most (and least) affordable

Construction is expected to be even stronger, with numerous experts forecasting home construction to grow by at least 20% a year for each of the next two years. Some believe building could be back near the pre-bubble average of about 1.5 million new homes a year by 2016, about double the 750,000 homes expected this year.

"We think the recovery is for real this time around," said Rick Palacios, senior analyst with John Burns Real Estate Consulting. "If you look across the U.S. economy right now, there are only a handful of industries looking at 20-30% growth over the next 4-5 years, and housing is one of those."

Home builder stocks are up 162% in the last 12 months, led by a 250% jump at PulteGroup (PHM). Other leading builders including DR Horton (DHI), Toll Brothers (TOL), KB Home (KBH) and Lennar (LEN) have all seen their stocks more than double over that time. New orders at publicly-traded builders are up 30% since January, according to Kim.

Related: Is buying rental property now a sure bet?

Palacios said stocks in other sectors, from manufacturers of drywall to flooring to kitchen and bath fixtures, have all more than doubled as well this year.

The housing rebound can have a ripple effect that could help get the entire economy growing at a much stronger pace, which will add to more demand for housing.

"That turn in the [housing] market is occurring now and it should become a boom by 2015. It will be powerful enough ... to lift the entire U.S. economy," said Roger Altman, chairman of Evercore Partners and former deputy Treasury secretary, in a column for the Financial Times.

Altman said he expects housing will add 4 million jobs to the economy over the next five years, as pent-up demand for home purchases drives building and and home prices higher. To top of page

First Published: October 12, 2012: 1:01 PM ET

This is great news we have all been waiting for

Friday, October 12, 2012

Survey Says… Good Time to Buy or Sell Your Home

Fannie Mae just released the results of September’s National Housing Survey which delivers good news if you are trying to sell your home or buy a new home. Americans at large are feeling positive about the housing market and economy in general.

“Consumers are showing increasing faith…” said Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist of Fannie Mae. “Home price change expectations have remained positive for 11 straight months, and the share expecting home price declines has stabilized at a survey low of only 11 percent. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve’s latest round of quantitative easing has caused a large drop in mortgage rate expectations. Friday’s September jobs report, including the strong upward revisions for prior months, a sizable increase in earnings, and a sharp decline in the unemployment rate, should provide further impetus for improving consumer confidence in the housing market.”

With future expected moderate increases in home prices and current low interest rates, nineteen percent of survey respondents agree that “now is a good time to sell” the highest rate since June of 2010 and sixty-nine percent said they would buy if they were going to move. Seventy-two percent of survey participants stated that “now is a good time to buy.”

On a grander economic scale, forty-four percent of survey respondents also felt that their personal finances were seeing improvement and seventeen percent reported a significant increase in their household income in the last year. Despite the improvement, however, thirty-four percent of the 1,000 survey participants still reported significant increases in household expenses.

To find out more details and see graphs of the survey results, please click here.  If you would like to hear what these statistics mean for you and your home, please give me a call!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Creating Art Displays in Your Home

If you’ve ever remodeled or purchased a new house, you know that blank walls in your home can seem daunting. While furniture and other items can add warmth to your home causing the wide wall expanse to diminish, there is definitely a need to add some excitement to your walls to make the house seem like your home. As you decide the types and medium of art you introduce into your home, consider your home’s location and style, along with the following tips.

Artwork Should Complement Your General Theme - Consider your furniture before hanging your prints and paintings. While you want variety in your displays, you also need some cohesiveness. If your frames or artwork “fight” with the furniture in the room, guests may feel unsettled. Period-style furniture (ie. modern, Victorian) is best paired with matching artwork.

Use a Variety of Sizes - You can add visual perspective through the use of small and large art. A framed collection of art brought together through a common message such as frame color or subject can also be quite interesting visually.

Do Not Overdo - In most cases, a few well chosen pieces will have more impact to viewers than many.

Consider Texture and Form - Variety plays a role here, as well. Too much of the same type of art can detract from your home. Make sure you mix it up by including works of art of differing textures and mediums.

Love Every Piece - Despite the advice given above, the key element in displaying any art in your home is that YOU love it. If your chosen pieces reflect your values, attitude, and dreams, then your viewers will recognize the connection and enjoy your displays.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Your Nascar Realtor from Utah

Your Nascar Realtor from Utah

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Your Home For Sale – Does It Need A White Picket Fence?

Many of us grew up hoping we’d one day own the perfect American suburban dream, a home with a white picket fence. And, there is a certain charm and warmth that comes with a house lined with pickets. However, when you look at fencing today and the options available for your home, there is a lot more to choose from and so you can and should shop around!

First of all your fencing should be determined by your lifestyle needs and surrounding area. Are you located on a sprawling ranch or nestled between lofts in the city? Your fencing may need to be dictated by those factors, in part.  Do you have a need to keep animals in or out? If so, special electric dog fencing, a solid wall or deer fencing may be essential for your home.

Next, you should consider the overall look and feel of your home and landscaping. Your fencing should blend with your existing structure, unless you purposely choose a more distinctive look.  Keep in mind that the height of your fence will matter, as well.  Remember, the fencing is more than just a barrier against the outside world, it also sets the tone for the look and feel of your home.

Make sure you evaluate the type of materials that would be best used in terms of maintenance. Lattice and wood fencing will require more regular maintenance than vinyl, metal mesh, wrought iron or post and rail options, but may be your best choice if expense is an issue. The more decorative the fencing, the higher the cost, generally speaking.

Obviously privacy and security are always considerations when it comes to your home and fencing, so it’s important to make sure you feel comfortable with your chosen materials and design. Take the time to carefully evaluate local resources such as your neighbor’s fencing choices and your local home improvement store to gain a good understanding of what is available to you before making your decision. Sometimes a combination of fencing types is the best way to ally all your concerns and create beauty in the fencing of your home.

Untitled

Many of us grew up hoping we’d one day own the perfect American suburban dream, a home with a white picket fence. And, there is a certain charm and warmth that comes with a house lined with pickets. However, when you look at fencing today and the options available for your home, there is a lot more to choose from and so you can and should shop around!

First of all your fencing should be determined by your lifestyle needs and surrounding area. Are you located on a sprawling ranch or nestled between lofts in the city? Your fencing may need to be dictated by those factors, in part.  Do you have a need to keep animals in or out? If so, special electric dog fencing, a solid wall or deer fencing may be essential for your home.

Next, you should consider the overall look and feel of your home and landscaping. Your fencing should blend with your existing structure, unless you purposely choose a more distinctive look.  Keep in mind that the height of your fence will matter, as well.  Remember, the fencing is more than just a barrier against the outside world, it also sets the tone for the look and feel of your home.

Make sure you evaluate the type of materials that would be best used in terms of maintenance. Lattice and wood fencing will require more regular maintenance than vinyl, metal mesh, wrought iron or post and rail options, but may be your best choice if expense is an issue. The more decorative the fencing, the higher the cost, generally speaking.

Obviously privacy and security are always considerations when it comes to your home and fencing, so it’s important to make sure you feel comfortable with your chosen materials and design. Take the time to carefully evaluate local resources such as your neighbor’s fencing choices and your local home improvement store to gain a good understanding of what is available to you before making your decision. Sometimes a combination of fencing types is the best way to ally all your concerns and create beauty in the fencing of your home.