Qualifying Real Estate

Bathroom Designs that Suit Your Lifestyle

September 20, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

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The bathroom is one of the few places in your life where you get to be yourself. You do not have to dress a certain way to fit in, meet a dress code, or play a part. You do not have to do your hair any certain way (or do it at all). You get to be you. No one’s style has to be satisfied but yours.

Finding a bathroom design that suits your style is easy. No matter what top quality bathroom suite range you are looking at, you can find one to suit your taste and budget. Are you on the go a lot, with just a bit of time between exciting events? A shower cubicle with sliding door is best.

Do you pay extra attention to keeping your hair and skin in excellent condition? Finding a shower with lots of shelf space for shampoos and conditioners is easy to come by.

Are you one that likes to relax after a long day, stretching out in the tub and drifting away in daydreams? Look for a nice long bathtub, or a jacuzzi tub for extra pizazz.

If you and that special someone are designing your dream bathroom suite, look into what sort of “work area” you want when you are preparing for the day. Do you want a medicine cupboard or a long hollywood-style mirror? One sink, or two?

Great value bathroom suites are available for whatever your budget. Life might not always be perfect, but with a bathroom suite that is tailored to exactly what you are looking for, it can certainly be comfortable.

Filed Under: Exterior/Interior Decor Tagged With: Bathroom, Construction and Maintenance, Home and Garden, Suite

Modern Bathroom Styles for Young People

August 17, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

You are in your first apartment. You enjoy the freedom, as it allows you to decorate and make the space your own. For bathroom renovations, consider modern fixtures and amenities. You may want to add a bit of flair to this space and inject a bit of your own personality. To do that, start with a modern base and build up.

Tips for Modern Design

Don’t skimp on the bathroom decor when renovating your space. You will want people to say, “Check out this bathroom furniture,” when they walk into your restroom. The question is, how will you create a bathroom that impresses?

Start with the right color on the walls. Keep it simple with one color, but don’t be afraid to use a bright, vibrant color that represents your personality.
Next, choose good quality bathroom accessories. You want to choose items that you love to use. Invest a bit more in quality and it will last longer, too.
Go for clean lines. This means using fewer soft materials like rugs in the space and more hard surfaces with geometric patterns or boxed off details. In fact, keep furniture simple for a true modern design.

When you take these steps, you will create a bathroom that impresses your guests. It will even impress you each time you step into it. Quality accessories that fit your style will make this bathroom one you love to invite guests to use. A modern bathroom means great looking fixtures and simple details. It does impress.

Filed Under: Loans, Location Tagged With: Bathroom, Renovation, Space

The Perfect Lake House

June 30, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

If you are looking for a vacation home, now is the perfect time to buy. Real estate values have slipped and that means that the place on the lake that you have always dreamed of owning may finally be within your reach.

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There are a number of things to consider when purchasing a lake house. First, find a location that you can easily get to from your current home. Is the lake within a comfortable driving distance or close to an airport? The most frustrating thing for many buyers of vacation homes is that they don’t get to spend as much time there as they would like. One of the reasons is people pick a place that is over four hours away and tough to get to for a short weekend trip.

If you will be driving to your new lake house on weekends, try to pick a place within 150 miles. This will make it possible to head there on a Friday evening and come back Sunday night without feeling like you spent the bulk of your time on the road. Remember, this is supposed to be a relaxing get-a-way and you don’t want the added stress of the drive to spoil it.

Other features you will want to look for in your lake house are access to a dock and a lake view. These features might add a little more to the price of the home but will be worth it and will add to the resale value of the property. Also, try to find a home with some privacy. A wooded lot or a home back from the road is desirable.

Filed Under: Exterior/Interior Decor, Location Tagged With: Lake, Real estate, Vacation property

This is a Great Time to own Rental Property

June 25, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

The downturn in the housing industry has turned into an opportunity for landlords with rental properties. People who have lost their homes to foreclosure or can not qualify for a home loan are in the market for somewhere to live until they can get back on their feet financially.

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Many of the people who are now looking to rent are used to living in a single family home and they are looking to rent something similar in the same neighborhood. Often times, these people have a great deal of money to spend after walking away from a mortgage that no longer makes sense. People in this category opted for foreclosure because they were so upside down on their mortgage that it did not make sense paying on a loan that was worth more than the home itself.

Another reason rental owners are in a good position right now is because property is more affordable than ever. Landlords with a strong cash flow can add to their stable of properties picking up excellent bargains along the way. Foreclosed homes are sometimes selling for 50% of what they were appraised fora year or two ago. The most important consideration when buying remains location. If you buy in a desirable neighborhood, you will be able to turn the property around quickly. Landscaping and decorating ideas can be found at swwcn.org.

If things do start to turn around in the housing market, property owners are still in an excellent position. The value of the land that has been recently acquired is sure to appreciate and in the meantime you make cash off the rental.

Filed Under: Exterior/Interior Decor, Renting Tagged With: Landlord, Property, Renting

Trendy Home Interior Colors

June 21, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Think variations of pink, orange and blue. Those colors are among the hottest trends for the interior of homes this year. Whether you are painting a living room or bedroom you will find great new choices that can enhance any living space.

A Solid Matte Formula Guide from Pantone, 2005...

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Honeysuckle is the color of the year according to the paint company, Pantone. Their version of honeysuckle looks a little bit like mauve but with a deeper tone. Honeysuckle follows turquoise which was last years new color. The paint company calls the color dynamic and uplifting and describes it as a reddish pink.

Sherwin Williams has a similar color listed among the trendy options for 2011. Their exuberant pink is paired with gypsy red to provide bold options for any room. If you are looking for a more subtle color, the new line of elegant colors includes bracing blue and svelte sage. Queen Anne Lilac is also part of this line of colors and is a very pale purple with a splash of gray. Decorating ideas for matching colors can be found at swwwcn.org.

Whatever color you choose it is wise to select complimentary colors to mix things up. The bolder colors can be used for the trim with the more subtle tones covering the walls. You can also paint one accent wall in a vibrant color like exuberant pink and then finish off the remaining walls in something more subdued. You might also consider painting accent tables or bookcases in the bold color to make them stand out.

Filed Under: Exterior/Interior Decor Tagged With: Color, Paint, Pantone

Is This the Summer you Repaint the House?

June 11, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Is the exterior of your home showing its age or are you just ready for a more contemporary look. As the weather warms up, it is an excellent time to tackle an outdoor decorating project like painting the house. The paints which are available are better than ever before and the color selections are endless.

The type of paint that you will need is going to depend on the type of surface that you are going to cover. Are you going to paint over wood panels or aluminum siding? Or is the exterior of your home stucco? Each requires a little different approach to the painting job but the good news is that you are no longer stuck with oil based paints that are difficult to clean up. Newer acrylic latex paints will hold up very well and you can wash up when you are done with soap and water.

The clerk in the paint aisle at any hardware store can help you select the right acrylic paint for your project. When it comes to purchasing exterior paint, the rule of thumb is to go with the most expensive type available. By purchasing the best paint for the job, you will be making sure that you won’t have to paint the house again for several years.

One key to a successful paint job is preparation. It is critical that you scrape off any of the old paint that has chipped or cracked. It is also essential that the surface to be painted is clean and dry. Use a pressure washer to prepare the surface to be painted and give it plenty of time to dry.

Filed Under: Exterior/Interior Decor Tagged With: Acrylic paint, Business, Paint

Home Sales Still Slumping

June 5, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

The housing industry remains slow because of the downturn in the economy. The latest numbers from the National Association of Realtors shows that sales were off 15% in May when compared to a year ago. Sales are being impacted by the high unemployment rate and tougher lending guidelines but there are some reasons for optimism.

MIAMI - JANUARY 06: A For Sale sign is seen i...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

One of the reasons sales were down was because last May was a strong one for the real estate industry with big federal tax credits still available. That incentive is gone now and when you compare the sales figures for May of 2011 with May of 2009 when there were no credits they are quite comparable. We are also seeing some stability in the job market with the unemployment rate back below 10%.

The good news for home buyers is that prices remain relatively low. Someone in the market for a new home with good credit can expect to get a very good deal. Sellers know that the market is down and that means they are going to have to accept less if they hope to move their property. There are also a number of foreclosed properties up for sale and banks are willing to take below market value for them just to unload them. You can find ideas for fixing up foreclosed properties at swwcn.org.

It looks like real estate will remain a buyers market for some time to come. There are a great number of homes waiting to be sold on the market and until that glut eases things will not get significantly better. The average selling time is 8 months.

Filed Under: Loans, Owning Tagged With: National Association of Realtors, Real estate, Tax credit

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April 2, 2010 by admin 1 Comment

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Qualifying Real Estate

Bathroom Designs that Suit Your Lifestyle

Modern Bathroom Styles for Young People

Tips for Modern Design

The Perfect Lake House

This is a Great Time to own Rental Property

Trendy Home Interior Colors

Is This the Summer you Repaint the House?

Home Sales Still Slumping

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