Apr 25, 2014 | Uncategorized
If you’re looking to lengthen the life span of your clothing without always needing to purchase something new to wear, consider the following five easy steps every time you do a load of laundry.
It’s a little bit of effort that goes a very long way; and who knows, you might just enjoy doing laundry again after seeing such great results!
Button, Zip, Turn Inside Out, And Separate
Spend a little bit of extra time making sure your buttons are buttoned, your zippers are zipped, and clothes are turned inside out.
Doing so will ensure that your garments are less likely to snag one another in the wash, prevent pilling, and keeping your colors from fading. It’s an extra step, but completely worth your time. Wash your colors in cold water, and separate from your whites when you can.
While it’s tempting to wash everything together, a little separation can go a long way – especially when you’re dealing with delicates as they should always be in a separate load (or hand washed and laid flat to dry).
Hang Those Clothes Out To Dry
Stop in the name of shrinking, pilling, fading, and unraveling! Is the garment in your hand made of a delicate fabric? Is that sweater made with mainly wool or cotton? Is that t-shirt your favorite? Better hang them all to dry.
Consider purchasing a clothes drying rack, as they fold beautifully and can be tucked away in the corner when not in use, and generally range between 10 and 50 dollars. If you’re concerned over the softness of your hang to dry clothing, there are always detergents you can buy with built in softeners, but often, the quality of the water in your area may be enough.
Shorten Your Cycle
If you are washing regularly, and your clothing isn’t heavily soiled, then there is no need to set the washer to a longer cycle. The longer your clothes wash for, the more damage is done. A quick wash, believe it or not, is more than you need if you are just looking to wash out the general scent and small stains of everyday wear.
Whiten And Brighten Naturally
Stop bleaching if you don’t need to! Bleach, while it may be useful for extremely soiled clothing (do you work and play in the mud regularly?) is not needed for your everyday garments. Bleach is harsh on your clothing, and using something as simple as baking soda can have the same effect as bleach on your clothes in the wash.
A spoonful of baking soda naturally brightens your clothing by boosting the effects of your detergent. For treating specific stains, try sprinkling and rubbing some baking soda into the stain and let it sit for a bit before your wash to maximize the stain lifting action.
Soften And Scent Naturally, Too
Softening with fabric softener is great, but often fades your clothing at a faster rate than you’d like. So when it comes to softening, a dryer sheet or two will do the trick. If you’re not a fan of/ have sensitivities to strong fabric softeners or detergents, a spoonful of fresh squeezed lemon juice is a beautiful natural option for giving your laundry a fresh, pleasant scent.
Keep your laundry looking like new, and spend some time filling your laundry room with some essentials that you feel would help you become more efficient with some of the steps above. After a few loads, you’ll quickly begin to see the difference.
So on your next laundry day, don’t forget to congratulate yourself for a job well done on extending the life of your garments!
Apr 24, 2014 | Uncategorized
One of the most exciting times in a parent’s life is the time before a baby’s arrival. Between anticipation and preparation time passes in an instant, and before you know it you will be holding your little one in your arms.
Although newborns are too small to get into too much trouble, in only a few short months your child will be looking to explore the world around them. Make sure your home is ready for the adventure, and baby proofing is done in advance.
Over the course of a single weekend you can transform your home into a baby friendly safe zone, ready for discovery.
Getting Down To Have Look Around
Cupboards and corners are potential hazards, but are not the only places baby can run into trouble. Cracks and crevices can trap and scratch little fingers, and an exposed baseboard nail could lead to unneeded tears and medical attention.
These problems can be avoided with minimal time and a little filler. By bringing yourself down to baby level, you can easily get the low down on your home’s toddler readiness. Another down and dirty danger is electrical outlets. If you have lots of cords in the home, consider using power strips to keep the number of plugs needed to a minimum.
These are easy to unplug and replace with a cover when not needed, or when baby is at play. Not only will this make things easy at the outlet, but it will also save you money by minimizing wasted energy.
Switch To Greener Cleaners And Keep It Up
Of course keeping chemical cleaners and cleaning supplies out of reach is an important part of baby proofing your home, but what about the freshly mopped kitchen floor? Baby’s soft skin can easily pick up the chemical cocktail that is most traditional cleaning solutions.
Switching to natural cleaners is a safe choice for both your home and your family. With green cleaning products, you won’t have to wait until baby is away or napping before chipping away at the daily chores.
Keep Baby In Bounds And Block Danger Out
There is a contraption for every possible danger, but regardless of the measures taken, accidents can always happen. Once you have baby proofed hazardous zones like bathrooms and offices, you can add extra assurance by placing baby locks or latches on the outside of doors.
Baby gates can block off areas of the home beyond the staircase. You can use these safety gates to section off nearly any area, and portable gates are easily moved throughout the home.
Babies grow quickly, and sometimes we as parents feel unprepared for the phases and milestones that lay ahead. Knowing your home is ready to go from newborn to toddler will give the peace of mind needed to enjoy each moment that you share with baby in your home.
If there are structural challenges that simple baby proofing cannot overcome, call your local real estate professional today. Connecting buyers with just the right place is both our pleasure and priority. Finding the perfect home for you and your growing family can be a great way to transition into a new normal.
Apr 23, 2014 | Uncategorized
When it comes to selling your home and getting the full selling price you want, there are certain tactics and methods you can employ to ensure that this wish becomes a reality.
Avoiding the commonly made mistakes that end up lowering the value of your home and discouraging people from viewing it is ultimately the key in getting top dollar, as well carrying out the showings and sale of your home in a professional manner.
Listen to the professionals, and make sure you employ these real estate sale methods to get your desired number on your home sale.
Listing Tactic: Adding A Buffer
Always dependent on the type of market you find yourself in, a common and successful tactic in getting the price you really want for your home is adding a buffer on the list price.
This means that if you want $500,000 for your home, you should list your home somewhere around $510,000 to $520,000 to allow for some negotiating room. Even if you’d prefer not to negotiate, the majority of buyers will always assume that you have room to come down on the price, and will put in their offers accordingly.
Overpricing: Avoid At All Costs
With that being said, you don’t want to overprice your home too much so as to discourage potential buyers from looking at it, or to put your home outside of a financial bracket. Make sure you speak to your trusted real estate advisor on exactly what the right list price should be to obtain your desired value.
Increase Desire: Have Your Home Staged
In order to get the price you want for your home, you need to make a good impression on the prospective buyers. Having your home professionally staged can dramatically increase the amount of interest you receive on your home, perhaps even creating multiple offers – which is the best situation a home seller can be in!
Appeal To Online Shoppers With Professional Photos
With so much of today’s modern real estate shopping happening online, you want to ensure that your home has a strong online presence with professional photos and a digital floor plan available to prospective buyers. Also make sure that all information online is full and complete, and presents your home in the best light possible.
Always Say Yes To Open Houses And Showings
Especially in a hot market, you want to ensure that you leave your home empty for your realtor on weekends so that they can hold it open to the public. This is especially important early on in your list date so that the buyers on the market who are ready to make a move can see your house right away.
You should also apply the same importance to showings, and ensure that each showing request is promptly responded to with an easy “yes.”
If you put these tactics into your home selling plan, you will find that it will be much easier to obtain more interest from buyers. And with more interest, it will be much more likely that you will be able to obtain the price you want for your home.
So don’t underestimate the importance of these factors, and discuss them today with your trusted real estate professional.
Apr 22, 2014 | Uncategorized
When people purchase their home, one of their common requests is “plenty of light.” And for good reason! This is a critical factor for enjoying your home, and when designing your interior, you should pay special attention to just that: your sources of light.
See them not only as a way to brighten up your room, but also as an opportunity to infuse your home with a fashionable design and aesthetic appeal. You’d be surprised at how much lighting can dramatically enhance any given room in your home.
Here are our six favorite lighting installations that are bound to give you and your home that “wow” factor.
The Chandelier For Pretty Places
Chandeliers provide arguably the prettiest and most classic fixtures possible, and they are a growing trend right now in interior design.
Acting as the “centerpiece” if you will to any room, chandeliers offer the perfect amount of brilliance and light, while instantly multiplying the room’s feeling of warmth and appeal. Create a pretty place you won’t be able to resist; hang a modern crystal chandelier above your dining room table or a bright pendant chandelier in your master bedroom.
Quirky and Contemporary Ceiling Lights
To achieve the same sense of fashion-forward style for your home’s decor but in a more practical way for the tall folks, consider a close-to-ceiling light fixture in its many different quirky and contemporary styles. You can also opt for the bright, patterned pendant style, or get a wide crystal embellished highlight for your ceiling lights.
The Demure Brilliance: Recessed Spot Lighting
For the most demure, nearly hidden brilliance, opt for recessed spot lighting. These light installations typically offer dimmer switches and provide the perfect ambiance for any space, especially kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms.
Perfect Pendants For Closer Lighting
Perfect hanging pendants come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors, and can be hung in a row for horizontal spaces like your kitchen’s eating bar. They can also be hung at varying lengths to achieve a tasteful fashion statement.
Instant Modernity: Arc Floor Lamp
The arc floor lamp, which typically rests in one corner of the room and reaches over in an arch for center lighting in a sitting area, is a growing trend in home décor. You can find these floor lamps in virtually any style, ranging from textured, retro versions to sleek, contemporary styles.
Matching Shades: Table Lamps
To tie your room together in its design aesthetic, the most perfect – and most simple – option may be matching table lamps. Perfect for your side tables in your living room, or the nightstands on either side of your bed in your master bedroom, matching shades can be a quick fix to a room that needs more brilliance and a more cohesive look.
Whether you already have plenty of natural light flooding your home, you can never have enough brilliance to rely on when the sun goes down. So take a look at these six light installations that will instantly enhance your living space, and infuse your home with the light it deserves.
And if you could use a trip through a show home for further design inspiration, call your trusted real estate advisor today for a few pointers.
Apr 21, 2014 | Uncategorized
Last week’s economic news supported the general outlook for moderate economic growth. Housing related news included the National Association of Home Builders / Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for April and Housing Starts for March.
NAHB: Builder Confidence Holds Steady Amid Concerns
The NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI for April ticked upward by one point to a reading of 47 against the March revised reading of 46. Home builders surveyed expressed concerns about high home prices, a lack of available lots for development and a labor shortage. Some desirable markets have been held back due to low inventories of available and/or affordable homes.
Builders surveyed for the HMI were asked to rate three components used in compiling the monthly index; these include current market conditions, market conditions expected over the next six months, and buyer foot traffic in newly built homes. April’s readings were 51, 57 and 32 respectively.
Readings for current market conditions and buyer foot traffic were unchanged from March, but builder confidence for market conditions in the next six months rose by four points.
Any reading above 50 indicates that more builders are confident about market conditions for newly-built single-family homes than not.
Housing Starts Pick Up After Winter Storms, But Fall Short Of Expectations
March Housing Starts rose by 2.80 percent at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 946,000 starts as compared to expectations of 990,000 and February’s reading of 920,000 housing starts, which was revised from 907,000 starts.
The March reading represented a 5.90 percent decrease from March 2013, and is consistent with concerns expressed by home builders surveyed for the NAHB HMI for April.
Building permits issued for March were also lower by 2.40 percent at a rate of 990,000 permits issued. This slippage was largely due to the falling rate of building permits issued for apartment construction.
Higher home prices and mortgage rates along with inconsistent (but improving) labor markets were cited as reasons for builder pessimism, but analysts said that projects delayed by severe weather are expected to pick up in the coming months.
Mortgage Rates Fall, Discount Points Hold Steady
Last week’s average mortgage rates fell across the board according to Freddie Mac’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell by seven basis points to 4.27 percent. 15-year mortgages had an average rate of 3.33 percent as compared to the prior week’s reading of 3.38 percent. 5/1 adjustable rate mortgages had an average rate of 3.03 percent, down from 3.09 percent the previous week. Discount points were unchanged at 0.70, 0.60 and 0.50 percent respectively.
Fed Chair Upbeat In New York Speech
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen struck a positive note in a speech given before the Economic Club of New York last Wednesday. She indicated that the Fed and many economists expect a return to full employment and stable prices by the end of 2016. Analysts characterized Yellen’s speech as upbeat on economic recovery and inflation, while “dovish” on monetary policy.
Ms. Yellen reiterated the Fed’s intention to monitor current and developing economic situations before making changes to its current monetary policy. She acknowledged that “twists and turns” in the economy could occur, and that Fed policy would shift as needed to address changes.
The Fed also released its Beige Book Report last Wednesday. This report indicated that the economy is recovering in most areas of the U.S.
This Week
This week’s scheduled economic news includes Leading Economic Indicators, Existing Home Sales for March, FHFA House Price Report for February and New Home Sales for March. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment report for April rounds out this week’s news.
Apr 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
Though it can be an entirely different story for a trend shift in the opposite direction, which then requires you to get out the soaking bucket and scraping tool, wallpaper coming back into style is a home décor blessing for many.
Wallpaper is back in – in a big way! – and it’s making your dreams of accomplishing a fashionable living space come true much faster and easier than you could have imagined.
Quite frankly, wallpaper can do the “fashionable home” trick to virtually any room in your house, adding that touch of warmth and personality you’ve so far only seen in show homes. It’s time to get with the trends, and give your home a quick and easy facelift!
A World Of Design With Wallpaper
Let’s face it: wallpaper can achieve a world of options that paint simply never could! Now that wallpaper has come back in to style, we are seeing plenty of homes being “glammed” and “dolled” up accordingly.
With many patterns and styles available, suddenly your home’s imperfections can easily be hidden. You can give the small room in your home a facelift with a wallpaper pattern with vertical stripes, instantly making the room feel larger.
Or you can suddenly have the accent wall you’ve always dreamed of but have been to afraid to commit to, creating a focal point behind the bed in your master bedroom, or behind the sofa in the living room. Or if you’re an artsy person, you can add more art to your walls without lifting a nail – instead just install some patterned, decorative wallpaper.
Modern Innovations: Digitally Printed Wallpaper
Wallpaper is certainly back in style, but not without new and creative innovations since its last time around. Now, homeowners can get ultra creative and get personalized wallpapers for their homes with the technical innovation that allows for digitally printed wallpaper designs.
Do you have a specific wall or room in your house that you want to transform for a particular theme? Do you have a photograph that you’d like to use as the inspiration for a one-wall mural in your living room? Well, with customized digital printed wallpaper, you’re in luck.
Vinyl Wallpaper: Easy Installation And Removal
Now that wallpaper is back in style, more innovations have been made in terms of how it is installed and removed. Luckily, for us wallpaper fans, we will no longer have to struggle when we choose to put it up or when we decide to take it down! Now there are many vinyl wallpapers that are self-adhesive and very simple to install.
They are also available in a range of textures and finishes, and make use of eco-solvent inks. Easy to install, easy to remove, and cleanable with simply a damp cloth, a vinyl wallpaper print might be just the key to your home’s quick and easy facelift.
Whether you opt for the vinyl or digitally printed innovation of wallpaper or choose to stick with the good old paper version, you’ll have your home beautified in no time. There’s no need to worry about changing trends either; regardless of what you choose, advancements in the modern return of wallpaper mean that less rigorous activity will be required should the wallpaper trend go back “out.”
So take advantage of this practical design trend, and give your home the facelift it deserves! And of course you can always contact your trusted real estate advisor for design tips or places where you can get your show home inspiration.
