The Ins and Outs of Homeowner’s Insurance

One of the things people rarely pay much attention to when they buy a property, is whether they have adequate dwelling hazard and liability insurance, otherwise known as homeowner’s insurance. Getting a policy is easy and almost always obtained when someone closes escrow on their home or rental property. But is it the right type and amount of insurance? Read more

Emily Winters: Install a Kitchen Pendant Light in Six Easy Steps

The flourescent light that I revealed last week came down over the weekend. It was a happy day, although like many “easy fixes” I decide to take on, there was a surprising amount of repair that needed to be done before the light could actually go up. Cue the dramatic music. Read more

10 Home Winterization Musts

It’s been a mild winter throughout most of the country so far. That means we still have time to run through a foul-weather checklist. Here are 10 “must do’s” to have a warm, cozy and safe winter.

1. Check attic insulation. A foot of blown-in or batt insulation (R-38) in the attic reduces heat transfer from heated interior space to the great outdoors. This is a do-it-yourself job. If your attic is not insulated, blow in or roll out 12 inches of loose or batt insulation. If the amount of insulation is less than 12 inches, simply roll out unfaced fiberglass batts over the existing insulation to create a heavier thermal blanket. This is a case where more is better. Make sure to leave soffit vents unobstructed. Read more

Real Estate Outlook: Home Prices Fall

Home prices were on the downswing in the third quarter, according to the latest report from both the Case-Shiller Index and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The indices found that while levels were below third quarter 2010 numbers and the annual rate of decline for the last quarter range from 3.6 to 3.9 percent.

“Home prices drifted lower in September and the third quarter,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices. “The National Index was down 3.9% versus the third quarter of 2010 and up only 0.1% from the previous quarter. Three cities posted new index lows in September 2011 – Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Seventeen of the 20 cities and both Composites were down for the month. Over the last year home prices in most cities drifted lower. The plunging collapse of prices seen in 2007-2009 seems to be behind us. Any chance for a sustained recovery will probably need a stronger economy.” Read more

What Will Be Hot in Home Interiors in 2012?

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

The design forecasts are rolling in for the new year and the predictions of what’s going to be popular in interior decorating in 2012.

According to Beasley & Henley Interior Design in Winter Park, Fla., here are some interior design trends to be on the lookout for in the upcoming year:

Homes go gray: All shades of gray will be making up more households, from warm grey to charcoal gray, through furnishings, window treatments, and artwork. Read more

Homeownership Still The American Dream, Fuels Economy

by Phoebe Chongchua

It’s billed as the American Dream and yet for some it’s been an all-time American nightmare.

Still “the home is central to American life” writes the National Association of Homebuilders in its report titled: Homeownership Works, released earlier this year.

Of course the report aims to show how housing is vital not just to homeowners but to the nation’s growth. The publication looks at the contributions that homeownership make to the economy specifically through residential construction, remodeling, rental housing, and various other related aspects of the industry. Read more

12 Ways To Sell Your House In This Down Market

To buy or sell in 2012, what with Armageddon coming and all? Absent any ancient Mayan wisdom on real estate strategies, let’s just hope the real cataclysmic event in the real estate market already has passed, even if the rubble from the bubble remains.

A stubborn overstock of households with loans higher than their value will continue to restrain prices and create some major obstacles for sellers in 2012, a year that’s shaping up to be another homebuyer’s market. In fact, recent studies indicate that more than 20 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage are still underwater, hinting that many foreclosures and workouts are still to come. Read more

New Staging Concept: Live-In Stagers

How’s this for a relatively newer concept: Live-in stagers? Instead of hiring a stager to come in and stage a home to prep it for a sale, an emerging trend in the real estate and staging world is taking hold in which stagers actually stage the home and then live in it.

Here’s how it works: “Resident managers” move into homes for sale, stage the homes with their own furniture and live there until the home is sold. They also act as security detail, and oversee regular home maintenance issues while the home is listed. Their presence — and furnishings — not only help market the home, but they keep maintenance, insurance and other costs down for the home seller, says Marci Robinson of Coastal Style, Inc. Read more

Survey Reveals Why Buyers Are Waiting on Sidelines

Twenty-seven percent of Americans say they plan to buy a home in the future (with most saying in two or more years), and only two percent say they plan to purchase a home in the next 12 months, according to a new Move Inc. survey of 1,000 American adults. So why are so many buyers continuing to wait on the sidelines when home affordability is high and interest rates are at or hovering near record lows?

About 23 percent of those surveyed say they are delaying buying a home because they are concerned about the real estate market in their local area, particularly with concerns over the future of home values, the economy and jobs, as well as difficulty in saving for a down payment. Read more

Quick tips for wiping out bathroom mold

Q: For more than a year, we have noticed random-sized, pale-yellow fuzzy spots appearing on the bathroom ceiling mostly over and near the shower stall and toilet. Do you have any idea what they could be and how to eliminate them and prevent them from reappearing?

This bathroom was remodeled in 2006 with a tiled shower stall that is open at the top. The ceiling fan is appropriately specified for rooms up to 75 square feet. One double-hung window with opaque glass provides some daylight.

The shower is normally used twice a day. We use the timed fan for showers, and after showering, the fan is turned to the maximum for an additional 30 minutes with the shower door left open. Read more

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