A big renovation job – like that of the kitchen – needs proper planning of its particular stages and steps. With a general idea about how much money will be spent on the project, you need to know how to begin and go about it to perfection.

Advance Planning

Plan your kitchen renovation to precision – give an adequate forethought to the ‘what, when, how, why’ aspect of the renovation. A general statement about making changes in the kitchen could imply a lot of things – change of kitchen appliances, change in storage space etc. May be, it is redecoration you are aiming at! For obvious reasons, your project will go a lot more smoothly if you know exactly what you want to do.

Although you may end up doing both – renovation and redecoration – the two terms do not mean the same thing. Renovation is a much wider term, which includes major changes in the kitchen – like redoing the floors, cabinets or even moving a wall. Consider these changes first, and then as per your budget go on to redecoration – the change in the color design of kitchen appliances!

Your renovation plan should also include the decision of the project you wish to complete on your own. If you have the desire and knowledge, you may try taking up the renovation work by yourself. That is if ripping out cabinets and floors is something you know how to go about! For hiring a contractor, be prepared to spend the extra money that would make up his charges. Ensure the credibility of the contractor, as he and his crew will be in your home for weeks.

Make renovation ‘fun’

When you renovate your kitchen, have fun mingled with it to make the changes desirable. Have fun picking out the hardware, appliances and accessories, as you would not get to do such things often. For finding products that you want, take out time for shopping. Your effort will be well worth it and, surely, you will love the new things in your new-looking kitchen.

No doubt, a lot of time and money goes into kitchen renovations. However, careful planning of things you want changed will result in giving you the kitchen of your dreams, a delight to work in!



Sell House Quick

When you are house or apartment rental hunting, many people have fallen in love with a place then moved in. After all the hard work of getting all your stuff in place do you discover that this new abode of yours, isn´t exactly the answer to all your rental apartment or rental house dreams. A lot of people fall into the trap, excited by the thoughts of living in a new apartment or house. These renters tend to overlook some important details.

Some of these details include: just a month after you move in, you discover that your neighbor upstairs likes to play bowling in the hallway in the middle of the night or those thick plaster walls you were so happy with, block your cell phone signal.

Do not despair. There is a quick and easy list for you to follow when apartment rental hunting. By following these tips you will be able to find a house or apartment rental which will fit perfectly for you.

The Lease

• Is there a security deposit? Are there any move in fees? Many larger houses and apartment buildings limit the days and hours when new residents can move into a rental apartment or house. This is to limit the disruption to other residents.

• Are the utilities included with the house or rental apartment?

• Are the lease terms flexible? Some larger houses and apartment buildings offer options such as six month or 12 month leases.

• Is the house or rental apartment rent controlled?

• Is there a broker’s fee?  The fees for house or rental apartments are common in cities such as New York.

Amenities

•  What´s the cell phone reception like? When you are house and rental apartment hunting, be sure to take out your cell phone and walk around the property to test the signal.

• Is there off-street parking available? If so, how much does it cost? On-street parking is another option. This works out cheaper but be sure to check if you need to register your car or if you have to buy a resident parking sticker.

• Does the house or apartment have extra storage? Sometimes if the closet or storage space is small, some buildings have extra storage for a fee.

• Is the laundry on site or in the house or rental apartment unit? Do the washing machines look new or look worn out? What kind of system do they use, a card system or coins?

• Does the house or rental apartment have air conditioning? If not, is it allowed to install air con units?

• Does the kitchen have appliances like garbage disposal, a stove, a refrigerator or a dishwasher? Are they new?

• It´s a good idea to bring along a tape measure so that you can measure the rooms and doorways.

• Are pets allowed in the building? If so, are there any fees to be paid.

The Neighborhood

• What is the access to public transportation like? Sometimes an ad might say that the rental apartment or house is “close to the subway/bus”, its better to walk it yourself to see exactly how far it is.

• Is the house or rental apartment far away from grocery stores, gyms, restaurants, drugstores, discos, bars or cafes?

Building

• What type of people live in the building? Is it full of college students or retired people?

• If the ad says the house or rental apartment is “walk-up”, that means there are no elevators. This might be of concern if you have a lot to move or if you have some oversized furniture.

• It´s a good idea to visit the house or rental apartment during the evening when more of the residents are more likely to be home. What is the noise level like?

• If you need work done, how fast is the landlord to respond?

Ask these questions, and you will surely find a rental apartment or house that suits you and your lifestyle perfectly. Are you into keeping it real estate …? A good place to start house or apartment renting hunting is www.keeping-it-real-estate.com. We have a lot of houses and apartments for sale and for rent. Happy hunting!

 



Sell House Quick

 

Statistics as of Friday, 3/20/2009

 

The market continues to shift.  The supply of available Single Family Detached homes  dropped an additional 2% to 38,652.  In the past month, closings stayed strong at 6087 to lower the overall supply to 6 ¼ months.  Keep in mind a balanced market is considered 6 months, which makes about 60% of our market a sellers market.

 

Additionally, pending sales have reached another new high at 12,265.  Scottsdale, another area of pendings, is under $1M so it is showing activity.  An increase of nearly 30% in pendings has been observed here in the past 3 weeks, so increased sales should be seen over the next few weeks.

 

The best markets in the Valley at the current time are Phoenix and the West Valley, at 5 ¼ months each.  Following closely is the SE Valley at 5 ¾ months.

 

Because of a shortage of realistic financing for JUMBO loans, the higher end continues to lag behind.  For $1M+, supply levels are at 4 years for Scottsdale and 5 years for PV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MLS Statistics

Area Breakdown

 

Overall Market.  Since last week, inventories are down 2%.  Active listings total 38,652 with closings in the past month of 6087.  This is approximately a 6 ¼ month supply.

 

Phoenix.  Since last week, inventory levels are down by 2%.  Active listings total 8816 with closings in the past month of 1719.  This is approximately a 5 ¼ month supply.

 

West Valley.  Since last week, inventory levels are down by 2%.  Active listings total 9644 with closings in the past month of 1800.  This is approximately a 5 ¼ month supply.

 

NE Valley.  Since last week, inventory levels are down by 1%.  Active listings total 5691 with closings in the past month of 309.  This is approximately a 18 ½ month supply.

 

SE Valley.  Since last week, inventory levels are down by 2%.  Active listings total 8696 with closings in the past month of 1532.  This is approximately a 5 ¾ month supply.

 

Scottsdale Over $1M.  Since last week, inventory levels are down by 1%.  Active listings total 1469 with closings in the last month of 31.  This is approximately a 47 ½  month supply.

 

Scottsdale Under $1M.  Since last week, inventory levels have not changed.  Active listings total 2494 with closings in the last month of 192.  This is approximately a 13 month supply.

Paradise Valley.  Since last week, inventory levels have not changed.  Active listings total 578 with closings in the last month of 10.  This is approximately a 58 month supply.



Sell House Quick

More people decorate their homes during the fall and winter months than at any other time of the year, and with good reason! We spend more time indoors, we owe it to ourselves and our families to create a comfortable place to be! Here are the best ways to save BIG bucks on your home decorating

Start with plan. I know you’ve heard this before, but having a plan doesn’t necessarily mean you know exactly everything you want to do in your rooms ahead of time. What it does mean is having a starting point to keep you in the ballpark, and that will save you A LOT of money in mistakes in the long run. So start with the three things you need…Color, Style, and Formality. Color is easy…if you don’t already have a color scheme you love, find one in a book or magazine, and borrow it! Still unsure? Pick your favorite color, plus white, never fail combo. Style? Maybe you know you love Country Farmhouse. Or maybe you like a little of everything! That’s ok, just make sure you give the room style a name that includes the feeling you want in the room, and that will keep you on track. For instance, I have a Fresh and Sunny Cottage Room for my family room. (I use sunny as a feeling as well as a visual clue!) Keep the feeling in the name, and you will pick the right style every time! Finally, formality. Know if you like a more formal room, where things on both sides of the room match, or a more informal feel. So my family room description would go something like this…I want an informal Fresh Sunny Cottage style full of soft blue, green yellow and white. So every time I buy something, I know if it doesn’t fit in that description, it doesn’t fit period!

Look for alternatives to everything!!! Flat sheets on sale are a great buy…I can get one at my discount store for $2.89. A flat sheet is generally 66×96 inches…that’s over 3 yards of fabric for less than 97 cents a yard! Can’t beat that, and flat sheets come in so many colors. When in doubt, buy white! Use them for tablecovers, curtain panels, making comforter covers, throw pillow covers, or even casual slipcovers! If you find a great color, stock up during a white sale…you will always find uses for fabric that fits into your color scheme.

Look for furniture at yard sales and in the classifeds. You can get quality furniture this way for a fraction of what it would cost you new. Learn to make do with the furniture you have with the art of disguise. Slipcovers, paint and floor length tablecloths go a long way towards dressing up an otherwise forgettable piece of furniture. By the way, you can paint ANYTHING these days! The trick is to use a specialty blocking primer before painting…I recommend KILZ Original. Yes, you can even paint that ugly laminate bookcase or computer desk! All your furniture mismatched in style and form? Paint it all one color, and it will help marry and unify your furniture grouping. (I love white or black for furniture, depending on the style of your room.)

Finally, look for good resources to help you learn to create your own accessories, custom paint finishes, and inspirational ideas such as TheBudgetDecorator.com.

With a little advanced thinking and a bit of creativity, anyone can have a well decorated home!



Sell House Quick

Putting your personality into your house is the best way to make it a home. Whether you’re using your own muse or someone else’s put yourself into everything you create at home for a relaxing life experience.

One of the first things I realized about home decorating-after my three thousand or so attempts at making my place look like all the pictures from the magazines-is that home decorating should reflect your personal style. Your home should reflect who you are and what you love.

Of course, I’m not saying that this revelation made me prance around my house with two cans of pink and yellow paint or that I plastered bunnies and butterflies everywhere-and yes, I do actually love pink, yellow, bunnies and butterflies-but I did put a little bit of myself into every room.

I got a certain sense of personal satisfaction from painting my ugly orange countertops a vibrant country red that matched my lust for life and the décor I actually wanted to toss around my kitchen. And my own personal works of art-paintings, photographs, sculptures-are set up around my place as well, giving it just that look of being lived in by somebody who loves and experiences life.

Of course, I recognize that we can’t all spend our evenings splashing around in water colors, or spend our weekends chasing a gaggle of baby quails about the yard trying to take their pictures.

That’s why there are professional designers out there who dedicate their lives to creating home décor that other people can use to express themselves and their individuality. And it’s okay to buy your curtains and blankets if you don’t know how to sew-crafty as I am, I still bought all my curtains and most of my blankets.

Of the things I love most in my home, my furniture doesn’t even come close to counting. It’s the accessories in my home that make it look like I personally live there and that no one else can shake my individuality.

One of my favorite items is a cotton area rug I recently purchased on a trip to the Deep South. This area rug was handmade in mills in the Deep South, where the cotton was picked fresh, milled in a southern mill, cleaned, spun and woven all by the same family of rug makers. When the bed is too hot at night, I frequently sleep on this rug and it makes me feel like I’m back in the Deep South all over again.

I realize that area rugs are not for everyone, but it can be an excellent place to start in learning to develop a personality for your home that meshes with your own personality rather than clashing and making you feel uncomfortable in your own home.

Different types of accessories are truly the way to bring out your personality in your home. Whether it is an area rug, artwork, photographs, drapery, throw pillows or knick knacks that represent different moments in your life, you can always find a way to make yourself feel at home if you just put a little bit of yourself into your own home.



Sell House Quick

Finding homes to rent are pretty easy.  And, of course, there is a huge selection of homes to buy right now.  However, finding homes that are rent to own can be very difficult.  We’ve gotten more questions about rent to own homes in the past 5 months than we have in the 5 years before that.  These are also sometimes called lease to purchase homes or lease with the option to purchase.  All of these names can be used interchangeably, since they are referring to the same kind of basic set up. 

 

In rent to own situations, the sellers are willing to lease the home for a certain amount of time.  When that rental time is up, the renter has the option to buy the home.  Usually the money spent on rent during that time is deducted from the purchase price of the home – a price which is usually negotiated when the rental time is up and market statistics are as up to date as possible.  But, if you’re interested in a lease to purchase, know that all of these factors are flexible and depend on the situation.  For example, in some cases the purchase price is negotiated well before the renter moves in.  So, no two cases will be exactly alike.

 

A lot of buyers look for rent to own homes in order to have time to get their credit in order.  Or, sometimes buyers find a home that they really like, but they’re simply not ready to buy yet.  So, renting with the option to purchase gives buyers a lot of flexibility and ensures that they will get the home they want if they decide to purchase it.  It’s similar to test driving a car.  But instead of trying it for a couple of days, you actually get to move your stuff in and stay for as many months as you can negotiate.  There are a lot of benefits for buyers in a rent to own situation.

 

For sellers, rent to owns can become sticky situations.  Because the renter/buyer has so much flexibility, the seller loses a lot of control in the process.  After all, there is no guarantee that the renter will buy the home after the specified time frame.  So, a seller may have taken his home off the market for nothing and may have lost other potential buyers (who are actually willing and able to buy real estate) in the mean time.  Depending on how the contract is written, the seller gets to keep all of the money from the rental period regardless of whether the renter buys.  Some sellers are willing to risk taking their home off the market for the chance of the sale, and they may view the money earned as income they would not have gotten if the home had sat vacant instead.  Sellers who are desperate and willing to try anything may want to consider listing their home as a rent to own – since some interest (even if it’s not serious interest) is better than no interest at all.

 

For buyers and sellers, finding a real estate agent who is willing to work with rent to own homes can be difficult.  So, if you’re considering a rent to own situation, be sure to tell your agent upfront.  If he or she is not able to work with you, find another agent who has experience with these transactions, since there are a lot of factors to take into consideration with rent to own properties.



Sell House Quick

Think of different means when you are in a situation where cash is ’short’ on your hands. There are many options you can avail of to get access to quick cash. None perhaps is as quick-serving as quick house sale. Selling your house is a way of liquidation of your assets.

Financial crisis brings with it its set of challenges. It can create a lacuna in your standard of living. Loans is one way out of it. This is a common means. At times, situations can be more desperate and urgent to be handled by loans alone. Quick house sale is then the right way to go about it. And the good thing is that there are special schemes devised for the same. These schemes ensure that you are able to overcome the hurdle of cash shortage as soon as possible.

It is true that although selling house is often the best way to gain quick access to cash, it is not easily done. It involves the usual paperwork which is, in fact, tedious. And apart from that, even if you hire a real estate agent, there are many time-consuming steps in between. Potential buyers come and have a look at your house, and somewhere along the way, your privacy is disturbed.

But with the quick house sale option, you are able to bypass those lengthy formalities. Furthermore, the special agencies that provide this special service also give you free advice to guide you through the entire process. You can visit the websites of these special service providers who can ensure that you are able to sell house fast with minimum of hassle, and that you get the deserving price for your property without having to negotiate much. The deal turns out to be easy in the end, with professionals committed to bringing you a quick sale.



Repossession

Home renovation can indeed be a very messy affair both for you and your neighbors. Whereas you have no other option but to put up with the debris, dirt and dust that would be troubling you constantly as you want to improve the value of your home, there is no reason why your neighbors should tolerate this inconvenience. Its obvious that the work has to go on and as such you need to find a solution to the inconveniences so that you can maintain a good relationship with your neighbors. The problems and their solutions are being discussed below:

1) Noise Pollution: Any home renovation work will necessarily involve noise pollution from the various equipments that are being used along with the noise of vehicles bringing in materials. Children and old people are particularly affected as they cannot sleep during the day. The solution to this problem is to inform your neighbors well in advance about the schedule of work and assure them that all possible measures will be taken to reduce the noise pollution.

2) Continuous traffic: When home renovation work is going on, many trucks will be coming in and going out of your area and some of them might be parked on your street leading to traffic congestion and creating safety concerns for the children of the area. The solution is to earmark certain areas for parking and asking the contractors to work only during certain specified times and not on weekends. Moreover the contractors should be warned that they would be responsible for any damage to your neighbors or their properties.

3) Dirt and dust: Any home renovation work will necessarily create a lot of dirt, dust and debris that can easily pile up on your neighbors property because of the wind. Whereas very little can be done to counter this problem, the contractor can be asked to maintain as much cleanliness as possible, especially near the premises of your neighbors.

4) Nuisance factor: Home renovation in any form can be quite a nuisance for neighbors, especially the heavy trucks that can damage their property and the unseemly sights of lots of piled building materials for a long time. The solution is to protect the work area suitably so that the children of the area do not play inside the work area. As a goodwill gesture you can provide your neighbors with free car wash coupons and offer to get their windows washed.

5) Foul language: Its often seen that workers at any home renovation site use foul language most of the time. The solution is to warn the contractor that such inappropriate language would not be tolerated.

The best thing that you can do after the home renovation work is over and the debris cleaned up, is to throw a lavish party for your neighbors in order to thank them for tolerating the inconvenience caused to them.



Sell House Quick

You’ve bought your vacation home and you want to make improvements to resell in a few years. What are the right renovations to get the most bang for your buck in this fickle market? There are several things that you can do to accomplish this. Let’s look at a few of them now.

Make improvements that count.

Experts agree that the right renovations, especially bathrooms and kitchens affect the marketability and the rentabilty of your Vacation Home. Bathrooms have become a popular remodeling choice, and for good reason, they have the highest rate of return of any home addition or home remodel. Real estate agents agree that a gleaming kitchen with state of the art appliances, cork or hardwood flooring, stone countertops and lots of cupboard space can sell a house the instant a prospective buyer sees it. Conversely, a cramped, ill lit kitchen with outdated linoleum and harvest gold appliances might actually scare buyers or renters away. Now you may not want to go to that expense if this is a little mountain cabin get away that you only plan to use yourself a few times a year. But you have other options

Update what you can’t renovate.

If you can’t afford to renovate, update and refresh key rooms instead. Replacing an old countertop, repainting cupboards and walls, installing new door pulls and lighting make big improvements to your kitchen for a very modest price.

Similar touches increase appeal of older bathrooms, too. Fresh paint throughout your home is another low cost, high return project. It makes everything look cleaner and brighter. Decorate with rustic lighting or rustic furniture this will add a mountain cabin charm that will make your rental special. When you are ready to sell, buyers love a vacation home they won’t have to redecorate immediately. And renters who find that perfect vacation home to rent will return year after year.

Maintain where you can.

Depending on the age of your Vacation Home you can expect to spend between one and three percent of it’s value every year on maintenance and repair. Your maintenance budget should increase as your Vacation Home ages, so remember to include funds to replace major items as required. Foundations and roofs are things that are difficult to inspect, but the long run minor repairs can save about ten times the cost of work necessary to replace or rebuild.

Don’t over improve:

Before you commit to any big project, ask, “Is this improvement out of character for my neighborhood or area ?” If the answer is Yes, you may be consigning your house to an oddity status. If your vacation home is improved beyond the scope of all the surrounding area. Then it is likely your vacation home’s value won’t be realized when it comes time to sell.

Do your home value homework before you remodel. You want to attract good seasonal renters plus have the comforts you prefer when using your Vacation Home. But you don’t want to go overboard unless you intend to hold onto it for years to come. Be certain your choices will help you sell that Vacation Home when the time comes.



Sell House Quick

It is important that you promote private property sales. This is because property is not always easy to sell. It is not like other commodities where anyone can buy at a reasonable price. Buying properties is an important decision for most people so it is important that as an owner you have enough exposure and patience to wait for the right buyer.

 

There are many avenues for you to sell house privately. You can have it advertised in the local newspaper or publications. In this way, people who are often buying the hard copy of the publications will see your private property sales. You can also advertise through a signage. You can place in your property For Sale sign and put the contact number as well. You can at least tell passers by that the property is also for disposal. Also, you can expose the private property sales by asking friends and relatives to find referrals and buyers for you. But nothing will beat the modern way of promoting private property sales than the use of the Internet.

 

When you advertise through local publications, you will only have chances of getting buyer within your area. Most likely, they would only inquire and see the house for themselves. Besides, if the local residents already have a house in which they live, it might be that they would have little chance of buying another property. If ever there are possible buyers, they will only be limited.

 

If you sell house privately and utilize the signage, you would only be limited to passers by. Again these would only have local or neighborhood exposure. It is not that there are not enough passers by who may be interested or that you need more people to buy the property. It just that since buying property is not easy, most likely those who show interest may not actually buy the property. They could also have no enough resources to buy the property at the onset. Limited exposure means slow chance of having the private property sales closed.

 

The same limit is true to referrals and friend’s contacts. If there is a person among your network who will be interested, then by all means it can be good as you have successfully sell house privately. But then again, if not, then you must have limited exposure not to get the right buyer for your private property sales.

 

If you directly utilize the Internet for promotion of your private property sales, you will surely receive lots of inquiries and even competition to get your property. When you sell house privately through online advertisement, you are entering the wide consumer networks where all kinds of people visit and search what they need. The Internet utilization will give you much exposure than the previous means of promoting the property for sale. It does not only target the locals, it also targets other people from other locations who may be interested in property ownership in your place. Plus, because there are different kinds of people who are utilizing the Internet, it is possible that you get buyers with enough resources and capability to pay in cash. It could also be people who will be satisfied with the specifications of your house.

 

Overall, the interne is a good medium to sell house privately. It will get you enough exposure one time. You don’t have to spend money separately on signage or local publications. You just have to pay online advertisement and get the promotions of the private property sales that you need. 



Quick House Sale