Flooring is a major component of a house — and its real estate value.
Whether it’s carpet, tile, marble, or hardwood, the flooring of the home
serves as an important financial and practical asset. Quality flooring can
increase the home’s value, and it’s vital to take proper care of it.
Some ways to accomplish this:
Tile: Many people have tile in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and
kitchens. However, the material is not limited to these areas and it’s important
to maintain them. Particularly in high traffic places such as kitchens — regular
maintenance is essential.
One way to maintain tile quality is to mix baking soda and water as a
make-at-home cleaning option, or simply find a cleaner with a very neutral pH
level.
With tile, it’s crucial to avoid harsh and abrasive chemicals. They can alter
the polish and stain the tile.
Carpet: If you have carpet in your house, make sure to keep
up on the cleaning. This floor material is very dependent on the environment of
the house. Do you have pets? Do you live in a climate with snow? Do you have
children? Is your kitchen table on carpet?
There are so many factors that this category is going to naturally be
subjective, but the principle is the same: Stay up to date, regardless of how
often it’s required.
Carpet in nice condition not only makes a house more comfortable, but helps
hold the value of the house together.
Marble: Due to its permeability, marble doesn’t react well
to acid, the care of marble floor is extremely important in holding not only
value, but appearance. Stained marble is very noticeable and unattractive in a
house.
It’s best to mop with strictly warm water and be gentle. With marble
floorings, it’s even more imperative to regularly clean, as dirt can — and will
— scratch the surface.
Inside each door, make sure to have a mat. These small practices can go a
long way in maintaining the surface and increasing longevity.
Hardwood floor: Similar to marble, it’s important to
maintain hardwood floor. If this type of material isn’t regularly and correctly
cleaned, seals break and cleaning then becomes detrimental as water seeps in the
cracks.
This is a very common floor material option for home owners across the
country, and it’s easy to tell when an area of wood floor is cared for. A
neutral product is best when mopping and make sure to sweep the floor before
cleaning to avoid dragging sediments around the finish.
The flooring of a house covers the entire walkable surface, and it’s
important to keep it clean. Flooring is an expensive and significant part of a
property, and it should carefully be looked after. Don’t underestimate how
well-maintained flooring can help home owners maintain their home’s value during
resale.
Source: http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2013/03/11/take-note-of-the-floor-buyers-certainly-will/
Monday, April 8, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Smartphones Let Homeowners Manage Property From Afar
Changes in the availability and pricing of technology have brought the "smart
home" from the richest tiers of homeownership to a quickly growing group of
users.
According to the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, smartphone and tablet apps let homeowners "turn lights on and off, let in a delivery person or see whether their kids are doing their homework — from anywhere in the world."
The Digital Life system developed by AT&T Mobility, now available in eight markets, lets you do everything from operate the garage doors to make sure your children are doing their homework, company executives say. And Comcast's XFinity package offers features from home security to Internet features like Facebook and Internet radio service Pandora on your TV.
Insurance companies are even getting into the act, giving users of these systems discounts on their insurance, with the amount based on the type of monitoring service and features, industry officials say.
"The moment that the savings are really showing (on insurance and utility bills), that's when this really becomes a no-brainer," says telecommunications analyst Roger Entner.
Source: "New technology monitors home from phone" (Chicago Tribune, 3/31/2013)
According to the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, smartphone and tablet apps let homeowners "turn lights on and off, let in a delivery person or see whether their kids are doing their homework — from anywhere in the world."
The Digital Life system developed by AT&T Mobility, now available in eight markets, lets you do everything from operate the garage doors to make sure your children are doing their homework, company executives say. And Comcast's XFinity package offers features from home security to Internet features like Facebook and Internet radio service Pandora on your TV.
Insurance companies are even getting into the act, giving users of these systems discounts on their insurance, with the amount based on the type of monitoring service and features, industry officials say.
"The moment that the savings are really showing (on insurance and utility bills), that's when this really becomes a no-brainer," says telecommunications analyst Roger Entner.
Source: "New technology monitors home from phone" (Chicago Tribune, 3/31/2013)
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Pending Home Sales Slip on Constrained Inventory
February pending home sales flattened with limited buyer choices, but remained
at the second highest level in nearly three years, according to the National
Association of Realtors®.
The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, slipped 0.4 percent to 104.8 in February from a downwardly revised 105.2 in January, but is 8.4 percent higher than February 2012 when it was 96.6. Contract activity has been above year-ago levels for the past 22 months; the data reflect contracts but not closings.
Before January, the last time the index showed a higher reading was in April 2010 when it was 110.9, shortly before the deadline for the home buyer tax credit.
Lawrence Yun , NAR chief economist, said limited inventory is holding back the market in many areas. "Only new home construction can genuinely help relieve the inventory shortage, and housing starts need to rise at least 50 percent from current levels," he said. "Most local home builders are small businesses and simply don't have access to capital on Wall Street. Clearer regulatory rules, applied to construction loans for smaller community banks and credit unions, could bring many small-sized builders back into the market."
The PHSI in the Northeast declined 2.5 percent to 82.8 in February but is 6.8 percent above February 2012. In the Midwest the index rose 0.4 percent to 103.6 in February and is 13.2 percent higher than a year ago. Pending home sales in the South slipped 0.3 percent to an index of 118.8 in February but are 12.1 percent above February 2012. In the West the index increased 0.1 percent in February to 101.4 but is 0.8 percent below a year ago.
Yun projects existing-home sales to rise about 7 percent in 2013 to approximately 5 million sales, which is near the current level of activity. "The volume of home sales appears to be leveling off with the constrained inventory conditions, and the leveling of the index means little change is likely in the pace of sales over the next couple months," he said.
The national median existing-home price is forecast to rise nearly 7 percent this year, while mortgage interest rates should remain historically low, but trend up slowly and reach 4 percent in the fourth quarter.
The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. For additional commentary and consumer information, visit www.houselogic.com and http://retradio.com.
Read more here: http://www.realtor.org/news-releases/2013/03/pending-home-sales-slip-on-constrained-inventory
The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, slipped 0.4 percent to 104.8 in February from a downwardly revised 105.2 in January, but is 8.4 percent higher than February 2012 when it was 96.6. Contract activity has been above year-ago levels for the past 22 months; the data reflect contracts but not closings.
Before January, the last time the index showed a higher reading was in April 2010 when it was 110.9, shortly before the deadline for the home buyer tax credit.
Lawrence Yun , NAR chief economist, said limited inventory is holding back the market in many areas. "Only new home construction can genuinely help relieve the inventory shortage, and housing starts need to rise at least 50 percent from current levels," he said. "Most local home builders are small businesses and simply don't have access to capital on Wall Street. Clearer regulatory rules, applied to construction loans for smaller community banks and credit unions, could bring many small-sized builders back into the market."
The PHSI in the Northeast declined 2.5 percent to 82.8 in February but is 6.8 percent above February 2012. In the Midwest the index rose 0.4 percent to 103.6 in February and is 13.2 percent higher than a year ago. Pending home sales in the South slipped 0.3 percent to an index of 118.8 in February but are 12.1 percent above February 2012. In the West the index increased 0.1 percent in February to 101.4 but is 0.8 percent below a year ago.
Yun projects existing-home sales to rise about 7 percent in 2013 to approximately 5 million sales, which is near the current level of activity. "The volume of home sales appears to be leveling off with the constrained inventory conditions, and the leveling of the index means little change is likely in the pace of sales over the next couple months," he said.
The national median existing-home price is forecast to rise nearly 7 percent this year, while mortgage interest rates should remain historically low, but trend up slowly and reach 4 percent in the fourth quarter.
The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. For additional commentary and consumer information, visit www.houselogic.com and http://retradio.com.
Read more here: http://www.realtor.org/news-releases/2013/03/pending-home-sales-slip-on-constrained-inventory
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Study: Buyers Can Afford Bigger House If It's New
More home owners are planning to renovate their houses this year, according
to Houzz, a remodeling Web site. The company recently surveyed approximately
100,000 home owners, and 53 percent of them reported that now is a good time to
remodel.
More home owners getting motivated to increasing the values of their houses by improving the “look, flow, and layout” of these residences.
The most popular renovation projects were centered around bathrooms and kitchens. Twenty-eight percent said they were planning a bathroom remodel or addition, while 23 percent of those surveyed said they were planning a kitchen remodel or addition in the next two years. Over the last five years, home owners have spent $28,030 on average to remodel their kitchens, according to the Houzz survey.
Source: “Interest in building, remodeling homes picks up,” Inman News (March 28, 2013)
More home owners getting motivated to increasing the values of their houses by improving the “look, flow, and layout” of these residences.
The most popular renovation projects were centered around bathrooms and kitchens. Twenty-eight percent said they were planning a bathroom remodel or addition, while 23 percent of those surveyed said they were planning a kitchen remodel or addition in the next two years. Over the last five years, home owners have spent $28,030 on average to remodel their kitchens, according to the Houzz survey.
Source: “Interest in building, remodeling homes picks up,” Inman News (March 28, 2013)
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
More Home Owners Look to Remodel
More home owners are planning to renovate their houses this year, according
to Houzz, a remodeling Web site. The company recently surveyed approximately
100,000 home owners, and 53 percent of them reported that now is a good time to
remodel.
More home owners getting motivated to increasing the values of their houses by improving the “look, flow, and layout” of these residences.
The most popular renovation projects were centered around bathrooms and kitchens. Twenty-eight percent said they were planning a bathroom remodel or addition, while 23 percent of those surveyed said they were planning a kitchen remodel or addition in the next two years. Over the last five years, home owners have spent $28,030 on average to remodel their kitchens, according to the Houzz survey.
Source: “Interest in building, remodeling homes picks up,” Inman News (March 28, 2013)
More home owners getting motivated to increasing the values of their houses by improving the “look, flow, and layout” of these residences.
The most popular renovation projects were centered around bathrooms and kitchens. Twenty-eight percent said they were planning a bathroom remodel or addition, while 23 percent of those surveyed said they were planning a kitchen remodel or addition in the next two years. Over the last five years, home owners have spent $28,030 on average to remodel their kitchens, according to the Houzz survey.
Source: “Interest in building, remodeling homes picks up,” Inman News (March 28, 2013)
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
New Factors Widen Choices for Home Buyers
The
concept of “starter homes” cropped up after the end of the Second World War,
when millions of young families took advantage of low-cost new developments to
gain a foothold in homeownership: the emblematic first step in fulfilling the
American Dream.
Today’s
first-timehome buyers are a lot less predictable—just
as the market itself is altogether different. As we recover from the previous
years’ economic declines, which temporarily suppressed the number of Evansville
home buyers, the combination of low interest rates and historically affordable
home prices allows many to aim for bigger and more accommodating housing—
skipping the starter home altogether.
For
sure, the market hasn’t completely abandoned the starter home idea—especially if
you include REO and foreclosure fixer-uppers as financially rewarding targets
for handy young householders. The FHA 203(k) loan, which includes a built-in
“limited repair” budget, can enable that route. But new home buyers also find
other prospects can be newly within reach— among them, larger older homes and
newer condominium and townhome choices.
If the
combination of bargain prices and low mortgage rates isn’t enough to call
prospects to action, the clear trend toward rising prices may do the trick. As
inventories of the best bargains begin to shrink and mortgage rate rises look
more and more inevitable, home buyers could well imagine a ‘tick-tock’ sound
growing louder. For area sellers waiting to make a move upward on the housing
ladder, the same conditions could well make this spring’s real estate market
the one they’ve been waiting for.
It all
means that prospective home buyers in Evansville stand to be
rewarded by keeping an open mind about the variety of properties they may now
find within reach. By seeking the help of an experienced agent, the widest
choice of possibilities will be open for consideration. If you are looking for
the area’s most up-to-date market advice, I’m here to make sure you have access
to the tools you need to make the right decision—the first time around, and
every time after! You can reach me on my cell phone at 812-499-9234 or email:
Rolando@RolandoTrentini.com
Friday, March 22, 2013
Cleaning House: Secrets of a Truly Deep Clean
Deep clean your house and you’ll brighten rooms and help maintain your home’s
value.
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/maintenance-repair/home-cleaning-secrets/#ixzz2O0mqzjb6
Deep cleaning your house is that top-to-bottom, take-no-dust-bunny-prisoners,
mother-in-law-quality cleaning that truly maintains
the value of your home. Here are frequently overlooked areas that a little
spit and polish wouldn’t hurt.
De-bug the light fixtures
See that bug burial ground within your overhead fixtures? Turn off the lights and carefully remove fixture covers, dump out flies and wash with hot soapy water. While you’re up there, dust bulbs. Dry everything thoroughly before replacing the cover.
Vacuum heat vents and registers
Dirt and dust build up in heat vents and along register blades. Vents also are great receptacles for coins and missing buttons. Unscrew vent covers from walls or pluck them from floors, remove foreign objects, and vacuum inside the vent. Clean grates with a damp cloth and screw back tightly.
Polish hardware
To deep clean brass door hinges, handles, and cabinet knobs, thoroughly wipe with a damp microfiber cloth, then polish with Wright’s or Weiman brass cleaner ($4). Dish soap shines up glass or stainless steel knobs. Use a Q-tip to detail the ornamental filigree on knobs and handles.
Replace grungy switch plates
Any amateur can wipe a few fingerprints off cover plates that hide light switches, electric outlets, phone jacks, and cable outlets. But only deep cleaners happily remove plates to vacuum and swipe the gunk behind. (OK, we’re a little OCD when it comes to dirt!) Make sure cover plates are straight when you replace them. And pitch plates that are beyond the help of even deep cleaning. New ones cost less than $2 each.
Neaten weather stripping
Peeling, drooping weather stripping on doors and windows makes rooms look old. If the strip still has some life, nail or glue it back. If it’s hopeless, cut out and replace sections, or just pull the whole thing off and start new. A 10-ft. roll of foam weather stripping costs $8; 16-ft. vinyl costs about $15.
Replace stove drip pans
Some drip pans are beyond the scrub brush. Replacing them costs about $3 each and instantly freshens your stove.
See that bug burial ground within your overhead fixtures? Turn off the lights and carefully remove fixture covers, dump out flies and wash with hot soapy water. While you’re up there, dust bulbs. Dry everything thoroughly before replacing the cover.
Vacuum heat vents and registers
Dirt and dust build up in heat vents and along register blades. Vents also are great receptacles for coins and missing buttons. Unscrew vent covers from walls or pluck them from floors, remove foreign objects, and vacuum inside the vent. Clean grates with a damp cloth and screw back tightly.
Polish hardware
To deep clean brass door hinges, handles, and cabinet knobs, thoroughly wipe with a damp microfiber cloth, then polish with Wright’s or Weiman brass cleaner ($4). Dish soap shines up glass or stainless steel knobs. Use a Q-tip to detail the ornamental filigree on knobs and handles.
Replace grungy switch plates
Any amateur can wipe a few fingerprints off cover plates that hide light switches, electric outlets, phone jacks, and cable outlets. But only deep cleaners happily remove plates to vacuum and swipe the gunk behind. (OK, we’re a little OCD when it comes to dirt!) Make sure cover plates are straight when you replace them. And pitch plates that are beyond the help of even deep cleaning. New ones cost less than $2 each.
Neaten weather stripping
Peeling, drooping weather stripping on doors and windows makes rooms look old. If the strip still has some life, nail or glue it back. If it’s hopeless, cut out and replace sections, or just pull the whole thing off and start new. A 10-ft. roll of foam weather stripping costs $8; 16-ft. vinyl costs about $15.
Replace stove drip pans
Some drip pans are beyond the scrub brush. Replacing them costs about $3 each and instantly freshens your stove.
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/maintenance-repair/home-cleaning-secrets/#ixzz2O0mqzjb6
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