1. Infuse your entrance with a dash of color. Arrange mums in orange, rust, purple and gold and grasses and grains for a harvest look. Finish with pumpkins and wreath on door.
2. Fill a copper pot with mums, or a shallow wood bowl with miniature grounds and pumpkins. Great for any table.
3. Mix and match some richly colored glass or pottery plates. Amber, amethyst or cranberry to spice up your table.
4. Place electric candle lights with colorful shades in open bookcases.
5. Dress up your dining room with seasonal place mats, runners and napkins.
6. Use an old quilt as a table cloth. Layer with heavy earthenware for a rustic look.
7. If you are worried about color, start with a touch at the back of your china cabinet. Wrap foam board with rich fabric and secure to the back wall for a backdrop to your pieces. It works well in a bookcases also.
8. Replace sleek summer slipcovers with heavier colors and fabrics like velvet or corduroy.
9. Add tapestry and brocade pillows in rich colors with tassels and fringe. Don't forget a mohair throw or a well worn quilt.
10. Add an old foot stool or ottoman to your family or living room.
11. Replace your being lamp shade for a deeper color. Add trim at the top and bottom for a custom look.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Existing home sales rose year or year
Source: National Association of Realtors.
Existing-home sales rose year over year for the third straight month in September, according to the latest monthly report from the National Association of Realtors.
Sales of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops increased 11.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.91 million. Existing-home sales have been rising by double digits on an annual basis since July. On a monthly basis, sales fell 3 percent in September, compared with a 7.7 percent rise in August.
Nationwide, existing homes sold for a median $165,400 last month, down 3.5 percent from September 2010. Distressed homes, typically sold at discount, accounted for 30 percent of sales last month (18 percent were foreclosures, 12 percent were short sales), down from 35 percent a year ago, the report said.
Unsold inventory fell 2 percent in September to 3.48 million -- an 8.5-month supply at the current sales pace.
All-cash buyers, most of whom are investors, accounted for 30 percent of purchases last month, up slightly from 29 percent in September 2010, according to a separate NAR survey. Investors accounted for 19 percent of sales last month, up from 18 percent a year ago. First-time buyers made up 32 percent of sales, unchanged year over year.
Existing-home sales rose year over year for the third straight month in September, according to the latest monthly report from the National Association of Realtors.
Sales of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops increased 11.3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.91 million. Existing-home sales have been rising by double digits on an annual basis since July. On a monthly basis, sales fell 3 percent in September, compared with a 7.7 percent rise in August.
Nationwide, existing homes sold for a median $165,400 last month, down 3.5 percent from September 2010. Distressed homes, typically sold at discount, accounted for 30 percent of sales last month (18 percent were foreclosures, 12 percent were short sales), down from 35 percent a year ago, the report said.
Unsold inventory fell 2 percent in September to 3.48 million -- an 8.5-month supply at the current sales pace.
All-cash buyers, most of whom are investors, accounted for 30 percent of purchases last month, up slightly from 29 percent in September 2010, according to a separate NAR survey. Investors accounted for 19 percent of sales last month, up from 18 percent a year ago. First-time buyers made up 32 percent of sales, unchanged year over year.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Why do you want to buy a home?
If you are in the market to buy a home of your own, you need to ask yourself one question: WHY?
It seems like a simple enough question yet it is not. Experts are predicting that, in many markets, prices will continue to soften (see our blog from yesterday). That has caused many buyers to stay on the fence of indecision hoping to buy at the optimum time. If the reason you are buying is to do a quick ‘flip’ of the property to make money, waiting most definitely makes sense.
What if the reason you are moving isn’t about finances however. Does it still make sense to delay? That depends on why you are buying. What if your purchase is more about improving the quality of life for you and your family? Or moving into a school district where your child’s talents will be maximized? Or being closer to friends and family? There is a cost to delaying any of these decisions.
We realize everyone wants to make a sound financial decision no matter the actual reason for moving. Delaying in a hope to ‘time’ the market might not make sense however. Forbes.com addressed this issue in an article by John E. Girouard last week:
“Trying to time the housing bottom is as much folly as trying to time stocks or any other investment vehicle. In fact, it’s greater folly because if housing prices do fall further, it’s likely to be because mortgage rates are rising, which would mean that over the long term that slightly lower price you may have paid could end up costing more in carrying costs than you saved.”
He went on to say:
“My answer to those who ask whether now’s the time to buy a house is that the American Dream is and always was alive and well. It has nothing to do with the direction of housing prices but everything to do with your financial situation, income stability, ability to shoulder the costs, and if the home you have your eye on is your version of the American Dream—a home you love that you hope to live in for an extended period.”
Bottom Line
Don’t make buying a home solely a financial decision. Is the real reason you want your own home more important than money? Only you know the answer.
It seems like a simple enough question yet it is not. Experts are predicting that, in many markets, prices will continue to soften (see our blog from yesterday). That has caused many buyers to stay on the fence of indecision hoping to buy at the optimum time. If the reason you are buying is to do a quick ‘flip’ of the property to make money, waiting most definitely makes sense.
What if the reason you are moving isn’t about finances however. Does it still make sense to delay? That depends on why you are buying. What if your purchase is more about improving the quality of life for you and your family? Or moving into a school district where your child’s talents will be maximized? Or being closer to friends and family? There is a cost to delaying any of these decisions.
We realize everyone wants to make a sound financial decision no matter the actual reason for moving. Delaying in a hope to ‘time’ the market might not make sense however. Forbes.com addressed this issue in an article by John E. Girouard last week:
“Trying to time the housing bottom is as much folly as trying to time stocks or any other investment vehicle. In fact, it’s greater folly because if housing prices do fall further, it’s likely to be because mortgage rates are rising, which would mean that over the long term that slightly lower price you may have paid could end up costing more in carrying costs than you saved.”
He went on to say:
“My answer to those who ask whether now’s the time to buy a house is that the American Dream is and always was alive and well. It has nothing to do with the direction of housing prices but everything to do with your financial situation, income stability, ability to shoulder the costs, and if the home you have your eye on is your version of the American Dream—a home you love that you hope to live in for an extended period.”
Bottom Line
Don’t make buying a home solely a financial decision. Is the real reason you want your own home more important than money? Only you know the answer.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying afte...
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying afte...: Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying after short sale : "FHA will allow a borrower to purchase another home immediately after a sho...
Home inspections
I think home inspections are very important for buyers to find out if there are any major issues with the property. A must for a first time home buyer. Some home inspectors will dissect a property and buyers need to know that there's no perfect property out there.
I once had a home inspector do an inspection and spoke as though everything he found was concrete and the house was falling apart. Yes, there were things that needed fixing and repairing. However, the house wasn't as horrible as he made it out to be. Sometimes the words they use can scare a buyer from buying the home. It's all about the delivery and the words the home inspector uses. The home inspector does not know everything about properties in general but some of them will act as though they do. You can get 5 home inspectors on the same property and they will all come up with something different.
Before choosing a home inspector, check out their background. As a first time buyer, don't rely on what they say as concrete. Every home has issues, even brand new homes will have issues. Some home inspectors will nit pick and scare you right out of buying the home.
Once the home inspection is done, go through the inspection and see what you would like to ask the seller to take care of that is reasonable. Are there things that you could take care of? It makes sense to ask for things to get repaired or replaced. Don't let a home inspector ruin a home that you loved when you put a contract on it.
I once had a home inspector do an inspection and spoke as though everything he found was concrete and the house was falling apart. Yes, there were things that needed fixing and repairing. However, the house wasn't as horrible as he made it out to be. Sometimes the words they use can scare a buyer from buying the home. It's all about the delivery and the words the home inspector uses. The home inspector does not know everything about properties in general but some of them will act as though they do. You can get 5 home inspectors on the same property and they will all come up with something different.
Before choosing a home inspector, check out their background. As a first time buyer, don't rely on what they say as concrete. Every home has issues, even brand new homes will have issues. Some home inspectors will nit pick and scare you right out of buying the home.
Once the home inspection is done, go through the inspection and see what you would like to ask the seller to take care of that is reasonable. Are there things that you could take care of? It makes sense to ask for things to get repaired or replaced. Don't let a home inspector ruin a home that you loved when you put a contract on it.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Great time to buy!!!
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Great time to buy!!!: The overall economy has clearly hit a soft patch and the daily news regarding Europe is impacting the global market. The concerns regarding ...
Great time to buy!!!
The overall economy has clearly hit a soft patch and the daily news regarding Europe is impacting the global market. The concerns regarding the potential slowing of the U.S. recovery and Europe’s potential crisis manifests itself in exceptionally-low consumer confidence. The consumer confidence level is one of the primary challenges to home sales.
Although sales are impacted by lower consumer confidence, the market fundamentals support the idea that it’s a great time to buy. Mortgage rates remain at historic lows and the affordability index to buy a home is at all-time highs.
The “great time to buy” sentiment is supported by the fact that we are seeing a boom in investor demand for residential real estate. As investors look at their various choices of asset classes, they are making informed decisions and choosing residential real estate.
If investors are picking this time to buy homes, isn’t it a confirmation to all of us that it truly is a great time to buy? We may all look back at 2011-2012 and see it as the buying opportunity of a generation.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying vs renting
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying vs renting: Home prices have taken such a beating and demand for rental units has increased so much that it's now cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than...
Buying vs renting
Home prices have taken such a beating and demand for rental units has increased so much that it's now cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than to rent one in most major U.S. cities.
According to real estate web site Trulia, buying was cheaper than renting in 74% of the country's 50 largest cities in July. In just 12% of the cities, including New York, Seattle and San Francisco, renting was cheaper. In the remaining 14% of cities, renting was less expensive but close to the cost of buying.
In addition to a continuing decline in home prices, rock-bottom interest rates have added a lot of weight to the buy side of the scale. The overnight average rate for a 30-year fixed was just 4.19% on Monday, according to Bankrate.com. A 15-year fixed averaged just 3.43%.
Add in the tax perks of home ownership and for those who can afford it (and who can actually qualify for a loan), it certainly is a buyer's market.
"It's a personal decision, of course. But if you have a steady job and you are planning to stay for seven years or more and have enough cash to put 20% down and enough left over for seven or eight months of expenses, you're better off buying in most places," said Daisy Kong, a spokeswoman for Trulia.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Real Estate Tips for Liens Against Title
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Real Estate Tips for Liens Against Title: Occasionally homeowners who are trying to sell their home are surprised to learn that their title is encumbered by a lien. There are several...
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Real Estate Tips for Liens Against Title
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Real Estate Tips for Liens Against Title: Occasionally homeowners who are trying to sell their home are surprised to learn that their title is encumbered by a lien. There are several...
Real Estate Tips for Liens Against Title
Occasionally homeowners who are trying to sell their home are surprised to learn that their title is encumbered by a lien. There are several types of liens; the most common are mechanic's or contractor's liens.
The lien (or debt) must be paid off in order to be cleared. If the owner prefers to challenge the lien, he can release it by posting a bond, pending adjudication. In some types of liens, a title search may disclose claims against the property by an ex-spouse or long-ago heir of a former owner. A simple "quitclaim" deed may be used in these cases. By signing the deed, the person involved signs over whatever rights he or she might have, without laying any claim to the property.
Most real estate transactions involve at least some minor unresolved issues on the part of either the buyer or the seller. This is where an experienced real estate agent can provide solutions to resolve the issues and conclude the sale.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying a home new or buying old
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying a home new or buying old: Buying Land and New Construction >Buying New or Buying Old New homes typically have a higher sales price than comparable existing h...
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying a home new or buying old
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: Buying a home new or buying old: Buying Land and New Construction >Buying New or Buying Old New homes typically have a higher sales price than comparable existing h...
Buying a home new or buying old
Buying Land and New Construction >Buying New or Buying Old
New homes typically have a higher sales price than comparable existing homes, and buyers are usually willing to spend more on a new home because of lower maintenance costs. Builders' warranties on new homes, when combined with a new roof, appliances, and major systems, usually make major repairs unnecessary and help to counter a slower initial rate of appreciation.
Census Bureau Housing Surveys suggests that operating costs are lowest for brand new homes and slightly higher for relatively new existing homes. Operating costs per square foot of living space are consistently higher for progressively older existing homes. Utility costs represent the largest factor in operating costs. Energy consumption per square foot depends on the size of the home, the insulation and quality of the windows, air leakage and the efficiency of the furnace.
New homes require fewer expenditures for routine maintenance. The cost of maintenance first increases with age, then declines, so you will generally spend less maintaining a home built before 1960 than for a home built between 1970 and 1975.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: What Steve Jobs did for Real Estate
Maryland Real Estate by Pamela DuBois: What Steve Jobs did for Real Estate: Steve Jobs, Apple's guru and godfather for groundbreaking innovations, changed many industries, and he changed consumers' attitudes about te...
What Steve Jobs did for Real Estate
Steve Jobs, Apple's guru and godfather for groundbreaking innovations, changed many industries, and he changed consumers' attitudes about technology by making computers more accessible and friendly for the masses. He thought different.
Real estate has historically been an industry characterized as being on the back burner when it came to embracing new technologies. Apple's iPhone and iPad represented a grand paradigm shift for the real estate industry, consolidating many devices, applications, and the power of the Internet. Such devices have empowered real estate professionals to be more mobile -- and more productive and efficient in the field -- than ever.
And real estate professionals were early adopters in flocking to the iPhone, the iPad, and then to the copycat smartphones and tablets that jumped on Apple's bandwagon.
Steve Jobs and Real Estate
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mosmanproperty Steve Jobs Legacy: Real estate agencies now media companies http://ow.ly/6S4Pf 48 minutes ago · reply · retweet · favorite
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Those devices were a logical path on the innovation timeline for Jobs considering his previous breakthroughs in miniaturizing and simplifying technologies, and his skill at defiantly slipping through the fingers of other technology titans at just the right moments.
His foresight, stubbornness and perseverance paid off, time and time again.
Jobs led Apple's birth and rebirth, and whether you're in the PC crowd or the Mac crowd, you can appreciate the impact he's had on the way we interact with technology and the way that technology empowers us to interact with one another.
Several Inman News columnists shared their thoughts on the passing of Steve Jobs:
"The iPhone and the iPad have been real game-changers for mobile professionals -- especially REALTORS®. On a personal level, the first computer I ever owned was an Apple IIe. I cannot imagine life without an iPod. I think I have owned one of those since the year they were invented, whenever that was. I love music."
--Teresa Boardman, Inman News columnist and real estate broker with Saint Paul Home Realty
"Steve Jobs caused me 10 years of having to endure my husband's 'Get a Mac' rant every time my PC crashed -- until I finally converted. After shifting everything over to Apple three years ago, my PowerBook doesn't seem any more intuitive to me than the first punch cards I used to run my doctoral research on a giant mainframe.
"And I would never, never go back to using a PC. No more crashes, no anti-virus software required, a bounce feature in email that helps me eliminate spammers, customer service that outshines anything else in the industry. Everything works together: my laptop, iPad, and iPhone.
"Mr. Jobs, your vision has changed the world for the better for billions of people. Rest in peace."
--Bernice Ross, Inman News columnist and CEO of RealEstateCoach.com
"The world lost one of its greatest leaders and innovators. Steve's passion touched people and his products changed their lives. He truly put a ding in the universe."
--Tom Flanagan, Inman News columnist and director of information technology for Residential Properties Ltd.
Washington DC one of the top areas in Real Esate
http://www.inman.com/news/2011/09/30/state-state-list-most-searched-real-estate-prices
Thursday, October 6, 2011
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