Want to spruce up your kitchen but stuck on a tight budget? Check out the list of improvements you can get started on for under $100. These tips can come in handy when you’re ready to list your home to sell on the market. 1. REFRESH THE SINK: If your sink is starting to look outdated, find an affordable, yet stylish, replacement. If you have the eye for DIY, you can also purchase some sandpaper and a $4 can of spray paint that is made for metal, and dye it to refresh and brighten the color. 2. HANG A NEW LIGHT FIXTURE A decorative light fixture doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. You can generally find some decent ones that are under $100. Go for a chrome finish or choose the rustic route, whichever suits the current decor in your kitchen. You can also add LED lights …
Durable Kitchen Floor Options
Kitchen floors get put through quite a lot! Between all of the dropped utensils, the spills and drips; being one of the most used rooms in a home, your floors need to handle kitchen hazards and look good doing it. A large variety of floor materials won’t be an ideal fit for the kitchen because of this. Below, I’m listing my favorite kitchen floors that help with maintaining low maintenance, and keeping a balance between style and functionality. CERAMIC TILES Ceramic tiles can be a great fit for the kitchen because they are resilient, hard, and impervious to stains and water. It also helps that they are resilient to heat and breakage, under normal conditions, that is. They came in a variety of colors and even faux finishes to add a beautiful, yet smart, addition to your kitchen. DURABLE CONCRETE Concrete is a great option for ground level kitchens and …
Peace of Mind: Your Realtor Contributions
In an increasingly technological world, there are few industries that thrive on personal relationships like real estate.
The internet has torn down business model after business model, rendering them ineffectual and useless. Online giants have stormed the gates of the brick and mortar and middleman businesses alike, leaving cable tv, encyclopedias, print newspapers, and perhaps synonymous with this phenomenon, video rentals.
These days, the only time I hear someone mention the word blockbuster it is either preceded by the word summer and used in a movie context or it carries with it a connotation akin to going the way of the dodo. And the internet is responsible.
One Hour in the Real Estate Market
We recently changed our clocks in recognition of daylight savings time. For many people, adjusting to the new schedule can be cumbersome, particularly when we spring forward because we “lose” an hour of sleep. Anyone who has had small children in their life knows the struggle this poses all too well. There are a lot of activities in a day, and an hour of displacement can throw a wrench in the works. We’re halfway through the week now, so hopefully everyone has hit a rhythm on the new schedule. Did you know how much activity takes place in the housing market across the country each day? Much like this post on an hour in the housing market, we’ll lay out some of the numbers, but this time we’ll reference the previous numbers too. If you’re an advocate for the US housing market or a homeowner, you’ll like the direct comparison… At this time …
January 2017 Existing Home Sales at Decade High
Sales of existing homes during the month of January 2017 reached the highest point since February 2007, according to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). “Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, expanded 3.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million in January from an upwardly revised 5.51 million in December 2016. January’s sales pace is 3.8 percent higher than a year ago (5.48 million) and surpasses November 2016 (5.60 million) as the strongest since February 2007 (5.79 million).” There is often lot of speculation and extrapolation on the numbers where the economy is concerned, and for 2017, it was off to an early start… “Combined with missed expectations for existing home sales data earlier this week, 2017 so far doesn’t seem to be shaping up to be a banner year for homebuyers.” -Svenja Gudell, Chief Economist for Zillow Even in the statement, …
Builder Confidence Highest in 11 Years
In a recent Ask the Economist article in DSNews, Robert Dietz, Ph.D. was featured, and he discussed multiple factors contributing to builder confidence in the real estate world – and he has the data to back it up. Dietz is Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). When asked to comment on the NAHB’s housing market index reflecting an 11-year high in builder confidence, Dietz said that builders are optimistic about the prospect of less regulation after the election. “One of the key concerns is the rise in regulatory burdens that adds to the baseline cost of a home. Earlier this year, NAHB released a paper that estimated that regulatory costs associated with land development and residential construction have increased 29 percent over the last five years and make up nearly a quarter of a home’s final sales price.” While it’s really just speculation at …
The Connection Between Home Prices & Family Wealth
Home ownership has long been associated with individual wealth. In fact, there are few endeavors an individual can undertake that have as drastic an impact on your net worth as owning real estate. In this blog post, Brandon Turner of BiggerPockets.com lists four ways real estate can help you create some serious net worth.
Warren Buffett is Selling His Home
Warren Buffet, the second wealthiest person in the United States is selling his Laguna Beach home
Homeownership Results in More Robust Civic Engagement
In 2011, former Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry tried to influence the Washington Council to ban construction of new apartment buildings in his ward, hoping to increase homeownership rates. He defended his quest saying that renters don’t maintain their neighborhoods as homeowners would. What Mayor Barry was trying to do is relatively common now. Nowadays there is a widespread inclination of activists and local policymakers towards homeowners as the ideal or desired residents in any locality or neighborhood. The rationale is that people who reside permanently in a particular neighborhood will take ownership and care enough to invest lots of time and effort into the community. For example, they will vote in local elections, lobby and importune politicians, and attend planning meetings. Renters who are usually younger and nomadic are likely to be apathetic to the plight of their neighborhood since they know that they’ll be moving to another locality …
Existing Home Sales Reach 10-Year High
According to data provided by the National Association of REALTORS, sales of existing homes across the country have hit the highest point since 2007. In the West, Northeast, and South, this portion of the real estate market has seen month over month as well as year over year gains. This has been a trend for a while, and we’ve written about the potential bull market real estate in the past. This just solidifies the previous speculations. Key Points: Sales of existing homes reached the highest pace in a decade at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million. January marked the 59th consecutive month of year-over-year price gains as the median home price rose 7.1% to $228,900. NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun had this to say, “Much of the country saw robust sales activity last month as strong hiring and improved consumer confidence at the end of last year appear to …
Love and Mortgage
With Valentine’s Day upon us, love is looming in the air… While Cupid’s arrow finds its mark in the hearts of couples young and old alike, it appears as though there’s another side effect that we can predict as well: buying a home. According to the National Association of REALTORS most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers,married couples once again dominated the first-time homebuyer statistics in 2016 at 58% of all buyers. It is no surprise that having two incomes to save for down payments and contribute to monthly housing costs makes buying a home more attainable. via Real Estate with Diane Castro-Perez While married couples make up nearly 60% of all first time homebuyers, single women and men also play into the mix… This is from our brief blog post at Simplifying the Market. That article ends by saying, “You may not be that much different than those who have already …
Is the Housing Market Bullish?
The housing market is not very different from the stock market and it also has its ups and downs. However, many people believe there is a predictable annual seasonal cycle in the housing sector, and they are not off the mark. In the coming months, as the cold weather turns warmer and the spring flowers make their first appearance, you can expect to see a “bullish” housing market characterized by a hopeful and buoyant buyer base. There is a biting lack of inventory in the market at present, leading to the slowness in the market. If you subscribe to the view that there is a discernible seasonal variation in the housing market, then you can expect to see more activity in the spring. Buyer demand is traditionally at its lowest in the winter months. This is especially true of regions that endure a severe winter season with sub-zero temperatures, …
Study Shows Again Home Ownership to be a Better Way of Accumulating More Wealth
According to the latest national index report produced by Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University faculty, real estate market in the country remains in buy territory. Beracha, Hardin III and Johnson (BH&J) Buy vs. Rent home price Index has revealed that home prices climbed by about 5.4 percent in December 2015 as compared to the previous year. This price rise rate is the fastest since July 2014. Therefore, homeowners have a lucrative opportunity to accumulate more wealth, on average, than renters. BH&J examined the entire United States’ housing market, as well as the real estate market trends of 23 key cities and compared the data with, FAU reported. The researchers employed a horse race contrast between an individual who is buying a house and a person who rents a comparable quality residence and reinvests the money on bonds and stocks. Ken Johnson, a Professor at FAU and Real Estate …
The Difference an hour makes in the United States Housing Market
Perhaps you already know an extra hour of sleep can make a huge difference. In the same way, an hour in the housing market makes a difference. Each hour in the United States will register sales of approximately 624 homes, 118 homes will regain positive equity, and the value of median homes will go up by $1.84. For a home seller/owner, this is clearly good news that each hour your property will regain positive equity. For home buyers, this means that the more you delay, the more the payment for your home. Since 2007, 2015 was the best year in the housing market, and the projections here are that 2016 will be even better. With the US economic growth chugging along, the rate of employment will keep increasing. That means that home buyers will have more funds coming in, and they will have the power to upgrade to a new …
House Hunting Made Easy(Er) With These Simple Tips
Purchasing the piece of real estate that is right for you will always be filled with tough decisions and compromises. You may not always get what you want or it won’t be in your price range. Don’t let it all get you down. The tips in this article can serve as a great starting guideline to help put you on the right path to purchasing the property that is right for your needs. When you are interested in buying a home you should always know your credit score. Keep on eye on your credit report so that you will know if anything unusual pops up. If something on your report wasn’t paid or there is a error, it can affect your credit score. Even the littlest thing can cost you points and you don’t want to be turned down for a loan because of 2 points. For more information, check …
Your Home’s November Honey-Do List
Prep your home for the holidays and cooler weather with this list of home to dos that you’ll be especially thankful for. VICTORIA KEICHINGER NOV 3, 2015 This month, we’re especially thankful for home. Home is where the family comes together, where we’re protected from the elements, and where love abounds. Your home’s November Honey-Do list will make sure your home is ready for the holidays, prepared for colder weather and loved inside and out. 1. Winterize your home – For most of the country, November is the time when we can no longer deny that the colder weather has settled in. Now is the time to winterize summer tools and appliances like air conditioner units, grills and lawn mowers. Bring garden hoses indoors and check your windows and doors for drafts. 2. Make a Turkey Game Plan – No coach would head to a big game without a game plan up his …
Worried About Financing? Perhaps These Tips Can Help
There’s something special about having a home to call your own… From the time you begin your hunt to the moment you put keys into the door of your new home, there’s a range of experiences and emotions, which is completely normal. But it’s not always positive – especially when anticipation causes anxiety that prevents us from taking the first steps. To be clear, anxiety can be part of the normal spectrum. Purchasing a home can be a scary experience. Especially for those who haven’t gone through the process before. When we buy a house for the first time, there is a lot of new. New paperwork, new regulations, new bills, etc. That alone can be overwhelming. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. Unfortunately, many renters don’t make it that far… According to this survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors in the fourth quarter of 2015, 53% of renters …
With Elevated Home Prices Do We Expect a Bubble?
In the last five years, home prices across the country have been increasing by leap and bounds. According to the Economist, a 17% increase has been witnessed in the last three years alone. The rising prices have raised concern among some speculators and analysts that we might be headed for a housing bubble. “Should we then be worried of the home market crash?” the answer is no. Unlike the previous housing boom, which was encouraged by a lenient lending system, the rise in home values today is as a result of the forces of demand and supply. Simply put, there are many buyers on the market than there are sellers. According to a home sales report by the National Association of Realtors, the constrained housing supply is as a result of low inventory levels. The report indicates a four-month supply of inventory which means a less than four month period …