sharon sigman: Home Renovations On A Budget
- 03/06/17 05:15 AM
If you’re looking to get the best return on your investment or just improve your property to attract high quality tenants, a kitchen remodel is one of the highest value projects. The most recent cost vs. value report, released in January 2014, shows that property owners will recoup 82.7 percent of the cost on a minor kitchen remodel, an increase of more than five percent over 2013.
The good news is that high value renovations like these don’t have to break the bank. There are a number of options for making improvements to your property that can significantly better its appearance without … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: 4 Tips for Buying a Home for Someone Who's Disabled
- 11/22/16 06:59 PM
Owning your own home is considered a cornerstone in the society but sadly, only a few families are able to enjoy this privilege. This prospect seems daunting especially if you are physically or mentally challenged. Due to the condition, you may require a house in certain areas, which comes with various modifications that could be costly. All hope of owning a home despite your condition is not lost, as there are several assistance programs that can make this dream a reality. The programs make the process easier than going alone. Below are four useful tips to assist you in getting a … (3 comments)
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sharon sigman: Is School Improvement Part of Your Ownership Strategy?
- 10/07/15 02:34 AM
Neighborhoods with good schools often carry higher value for home buyers with children, so if you want to raise values in your neighborhood, supporting school improvement may be a valuable undertaking.
Improving the ranking or reputation of local schools involves community investments on many levels, and it generates benefits for everyone that extend well beyond real estate value. Obviously, "school improvement" is a larger undertaking than redoing a kitchen or adding a second floor to a home, but it may be more achievable than many realize.
How do home buyers, including millennials, prioritize in your area? Surveys have revealed that top home-selection priorities … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: Mortage Loan Documents To Change August 1st
- 06/22/15 01:34 AM
On August 1, 2015, loan documents to homebuyers are going to be simpler and easier to understand. Two new forms, a Loan Estimate and a Closing Disclosure, will replace the HUD-1 Settlement Statement, the Good Faith Estimate, and the Truth-in-Lending disclosure form.
The purpose of the new forms is to simplify closing information and make it simpler for consumers to compare their estimated costs to final costs.
Created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with input from consumers and industry groups such as the NAR, the new forms will hold lenders to three-day deadlines so that consumers will have the information they need … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: Eight No-skip Steps To Buying a Home
- 06/18/15 09:38 AM
There are eight major steps you will take when you buy a home and each one is as important in its own way as the last.
*Make your wish list -- Decide where you want to live and how many bedrooms and baths you'll need. Consider lifestyle -- condominiums offer shared amenities, with little responsibility. Single-family homes offer more space and privacy, but they also require more exterior and yard maintenance. Consider buying a fixer-upper for a reduced cost so you can remodel it to suit your needs.
*Get preapproved -- You can prequalify yourself on the internet, but it takes a lender … (1 comments)
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sharon sigman: HOA Paint Maintenance
- 06/17/15 10:16 AM
Paint maintenance is no different than roof, landscape, pool or asphalt maintenance. A good plan requires periodic inspections, timely and proper surface preparation and repair in addition to quality paint applied at recommended intervals by a knowledgeable professional. Here are some areas that should fit in a good paint maintenance plan:
Surface Preparation. Properly prepared surfaces will resist the wood rot common to the cool, damp climates. If the wood fence, trim or siding gives easily to finger pressure, the wood is rotten beneath the existing paint and should be replaced prior to painting. When replacing rotted trim and siding, inspect for … (1 comments)
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sharon sigman: Consider Total Costs When Mortgage Rates Rise
- 05/29/15 07:31 AM
Price is only one cost related to buying a home. Unless you are paying all cash for your home, you'll need a mortgage loan. Rates are going up, and the terms of your mortgage loan will impact how much your home costs on a monthly basis as well as how much you pay in interest over the life of the loan.
There are a number of things that impact the interest rate including the kind of loan you are getting such as FHA, jumbo or conventional, whether your rate is fixed or adjustable, how good your credit scores are, and how much … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: Canada Faces Shortage of Skilled Construction Workers
- 05/19/15 10:38 AM
Real estate is still the number one topic of conversation at Canadian cocktail parties, but home renovation is a close second. BuildForce Canada says construction workers install, repair or renovate work that's worth $200 billion every year, with demand for labour shifting from new construction to renovation. A new CIBC poll says 42 per cent of homeowners say they plan to do some renovation work this year, and they will spend an average of more than $17,000 on the work.
That is, if they can find someone to do it.
A new BuildForce report, Labour Market Assessments for the Residential Construction Industry 2015-2024, … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: Decorating In Black and White
- 05/18/15 09:06 AM
Color trends come and go, but there are some things that are always in style. Like the ultimate contrast of black and white.
"The classic color combination makes any room - from bathrooms to bedrooms - sophisticated, chic, and timeless," said House Beautiful.
Kitchen
A black and white kitchen will always be a showstopper, whether it's a tight space that uses high design to create high impact, or a grand space with all the bells, whistles, and most luxurious materials.
Master bedroom
For lush, luxurious, sophisticated spaces, it doesn't get much better than black and white. But the color combination can also bring a serene simplicity … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: Guides for Saving Money as A New Homeowner
- 05/15/15 09:43 AM
Being a new homeowner is one of the most exciting yet scariest experiences in life, most especially when one doesn’t know what to do.
This is the right time of making a checklist of ways to make your home, even your wallet, easy and loose. Danny Lipford, veteran contractor and home expert has worked together with Honeywell Home Environment and provide deals for additional comfort and tips on saving money for fresh homeowners.
DIY safety should always be considered. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) released by paints, solvents, cleaners, adhesives, furniture, and shelving can harm the home and even the people living in the … (1 comments)
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sharon sigman: Five Core Matching Questions For Buyers
- 05/12/15 08:28 AM
Who's Your Ideal Real Estate Professional? What should buyers search for in a real estate professional to ensure success?
These two simple questions are anything but simple to answer accurately when referring to buyers in general or to an individual buyer.
Buyers benefit from specific real estate information, tailored processes, and customized service delivery related to their individual needs and goals, strengths and weaknesses.
Generalizations can be misleading since each real estate property, each buyer, and the resulting transaction are unique, and, therefore, every buyer's set of criteria and financial situation are, too. This one-of-a-kind matching of buyer and property is what real estate … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: The Nasty, Money-Sucking Downside To Rising Home Values
- 05/07/15 09:09 AM
You pay attention to real estate values, and you get a thrill every time someone in your community pays more for their house than you did. Equity is awesome. Until it isn't.
What?
Yes, it's the catch-22 of rising real estate values, and it might be about to hit you squarely in your mailbox. That dreaded property tax can be a killer, sucking up your money and making that equity seem downright excruciating.
A nationwide trend
"Property taxes will jump significantly in most cities this year," said Washington state's HeraldNet. In Snohomish County, Washington, that means a countywide 9.8 percent increase. In San Antonio, TX, … (1 comments)
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sharon sigman: How Much Does It Cost To Renovate A Kitchen?
- 05/01/15 07:42 AM
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development American Housing Survey, the median age of an owner-occupied home in the United States was 35 years in 2011, and it's even older now. With few new homes being built post-recession, the chances are good that the home you buy is in need of some major renovations.
For most homebuyers, the most important room is the kitchen, the heart and soul of any home. But if your kitchen is from another generation, it might not meet your needs. It may be closed off the way kitchens were in the 1950s or have outmoded … (0 comments)
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sharon sigman: Should You Wait For Lower Prices or Lower Interest?
- 04/30/15 09:52 AM
Right now, buyers have the best of both worlds -- home prices have risen, but they're still below the bubble of 2005, and mortgage interest rates are just above record lows. Yet, many buyers are still waiting for a sign that it's the right time to buy.
Should you wait for prices to go down or for lower interest rates? We advise that you do neither. The price of a home is fixed, so it makes sense to wait for prices to go lower, but you may not realize is that prices have to drop significantly to beat a minor fluctuation in … (3 comments)
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sharon sigman: Brass Is Back In Town
- 04/28/15 08:21 AM
Just when you thought you were out, it's pulling you back in. Yes, brass is back in town.
"In contemporary design, all that glitters is no longer silver. Nor is it nickel, chrome or mirror-polished stainless steel, the similarly cool metal tones that have outsold other finishes on everything from faucets to furniture for decades," said the Wall Street Journal. "Brass, last in vogue in the '70s, has been moving in from the margins, showing up on a pendant light here, a table leg there - exuding a certain cocky, outsider glamour. In recent years, it's started to make silver tones look, … (2 comments)
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sharon sigman: Seven Ways To Ruin Your Listing Tour
- 04/27/15 04:19 AM
The Internet is a great tool for looking at homes for sale, but sooner or later, you're going to have to get offline and tour listings in person. That means you'll have to find a real estate agent to get you past the lockboxes. Sounds simple? Not really. Here are six ways you could turn your house-hunting trip into an epic fail.
Calling the listing agent -- Listing agents represent the seller, not you. Some states allow an agent to serve both you and the seller if you're willing to sign a disclosure to that effect. Depending on what kind of agreement … (2 comments)
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sharon sigman: Real Mirror or a 2-Way Mirror?
- 04/21/15 12:59 PM
Can you tell me when you are in a room, restroom or hotel which is a mirror and which is a 2-way glass?
Here’s a trick: it is quite interesting! And I know in about 30 seconds you are going to do my trick and find the nearest mirror you can see.
Do you have any ideas how to determine if a mirror is 2 way or not? Here’s how... A policewoman who travels all over America and provides seminars and techniques for businesswomen shared this on.
Once we visit toilets, powder rooms, hotel rooms, dressing rooms etc., how many of us know for … (1 comments)
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sharon sigman: The 7 Hot Home Trends That Might Not Be Right For You
- 04/15/15 10:04 AM
The idea of being on trend is appealing to most people, but that doesn't mean every trend is right for everyone. Here are seven hot trends you might want to think twice about incorporating into your home.
1. Open floorplans
Take down those walls! Unless you're a person who likes a little privacy, in which case, keep a few up! Open living areas that create more of a great room are still the preferred layout by today's buyers, however loft-like spaces that create one big open room—sometimes without private bedrooms—may have hit a wall, so to speak.
"In the last few years, open floorplans … (2 comments)
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sharon sigman: Myth: Success Over Success
- 04/10/15 03:45 AM
The myth of overnight success is a constant idea in the world believing that someone invisible and unsuccessful for the past years, suddenly rise up to fame and success because of the combination of luck, timing, hard work, perseverance, and other ingredients of success.
Although this may be true, it can be very misleading. The words “someday it will all change” may not be true at all.
Instead of long time self-sacrifice with an unexpected grow to fame, people who succeed seemed to be establishing bigger successes over smaller successes. This means that successful people are already successful even before somebody else hear … (1 comments)
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sharon sigman: Spacious 3 bedroom 1.5 story with a like new interior Kansas City, KS
- 04/08/15 05:14 AM
Spacious 3 bedroom 1.5 story with a like new interior
… (2 comments)
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If you’re looking to get the best return on your investment or just improve your property to attract high quality tenants, a kitchen remodel is one of the highest value projects. The most recent cost vs. value report, released in January 2014, shows that property owners will recoup 82.7 percent of the cost on a minor kitchen remodel, an increase of more than five percent over 2013.
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