The Top Five Inexpensive U.S. Housing Markets

March 2, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

According to a recent joint report by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, there are more than 70 percent of U.S. homes are inexpensive, with Indianapolis being the most inexpensive major metro housing market in the country for the last four years.

“The HOI [Housing Opportunity Index] showed that 70.8 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the final quarter of 2009 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,000, slightly higher than the previous quarter and near the record-high 72.5 percent set during the first quarter of 2009, according to a press statement from the National Association of Home Builders.”

The yearly record…

Keep Your Bathroom Fresh While Staging your Home for Sale

February 26, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Realtors observe lots of bathrooms - of all shapes, sizes, and conditions. Some bathrooms have themes and some have style. Some need lots of work and some need a good cleaning.

Even though individual styles and looks vary greatly in bathrooms, everyone agrees on one thing: they need to smell clean and fresh. What’s the secret?

1. Start with a thoroughly clean bathroom. Clean smells clean. Now that you have it clean, keep it that way.

2. Try continuous products. Try some of those little toilet bleach tabs. Flush the toilet, pull top of the toilet back and drop the little tab just like it tells you on the package. Now carefully put…

The New Construction Techniques

February 24, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

The advancement of the new construction techniques evolved together with the new materials, possible for its development if it is not associated with it. For instance, large glass panels could not have been used in the eighteenth century even if they had been available. No large-span lintel-support back then. Both new materials and new techniques are developed to be able for the architects to be free to design. Today’s structures are usually a combination of old and new skeleton-frame, curtain wall and cantilevered constructions are good examples of old post-and-lintel.

The skeleton frame is one of the first techniques developed. It employs modern materials. It is an open frame to which a…

Vacant Houses and Apartments Really Do Not Sell

February 22, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

It has been a mistake of always thinking that a vacant house or apartment sell the fastest. Well, it does not most of the time.

According to the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) in a 2008 survey, vacant homes that were for sale spent 131 days on the market compared with occupied homes which spent 106 days on the market.

The survey also revealed that vacant homes that were staged with furniture and decorative accessories spent 85% less time on the market than un-staged vacant homes.

Why must a vacant property be staged by a professional home stager?

There are many reasons and here are those:

-Only 10% of buyers can see beyond emptiness and…

Does Remodeling Homes Make Big Cash?

February 19, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Over the years, you have heard stories about homeowners who have greatly improved their net worth by remodeling homes and selling them. However, while remodeling can add value, there is no guarantee that a future buyer will pay you enough to get back your investment.

Mull over the example of a homeowner who lost his home in the Oakland Hills, California, through a firestorm in 1991. Rather than rebuilding, this fire victim decided to buy an existing replacement home. He invested his insurance proceeds in the purchase and subsequent remodel of the property. When he decided to sell the property several years later, he barely recouped the money he had invested…

Spring Market Makes a Premature Debut

February 18, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

For eight years, Erin McLaughlin has transformed her red-brick row house at 23 Belmont St. in Toronto. It was from a dilapidated row house to a polished showcase of original Victorian-inspired and au courant design.

Ms. McLaughlin, the newly appointed editor of Style at Home magazine, has been exceptionally attached to the house she has been enthusiastically restoring.

Despite those years of hard work, Ms. McLaughlin did not hesitate when her agent, Janet Lindsay of Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd., advised her to launch her property as one of the first on the spring market. “I’m a decor person so it’s been my passion to make that house as perfect as possible,”…

You Can Buy a Bungalow for $1

February 16, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

Want to buy a bungalow in one Detroit suburb? A buck is all it takes.

That is what Taylor officials are asking for a two-storey Arts and Crafts-style home that was built in 1926, which features four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The city officials say the buyer of the 2,110-square-foot fixer must move it from its current location no later than May 31, because it sits on property they’d like to add to a nearby park.

The Detroit News indicates the city that is about 15 miles southwest of Detroit bought the home for $76,415 after it went into foreclosure last year.

Officials estimate moving the home will cost at least $20,000.

If there is…

Important Tips in Selling Condominiums

February 15, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

When selling your Miami Beach condominium, it is important to consider first the market condition. The value of your condominium is affected with the current market trend.

Here are some tips in selling your Miami Beach condominium.

Price

You need to make a careful review on the price of your Miami Beach condominium before you bring it out to the public market. Keep in mind that the price of the condominium may go up or down depending on the current market status. If condominiums are selling like hotcakes in the current local market, then you have to expect it for a higher price.

Location

If the current market in Miami Beach is good,…

A Tropical Feeling at Bal Harbour, Florida

February 12, 2010
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

A home in Bal Harbour, Florida has a tropical feel that appears almost more Hawaiian in style.

The seven-bedroom home is placed over an acre wither bay and ocean views. The home’s many features include a billiard room with an exotic fish aquarium, garden room with access to the pool, a chef’s kitchen with two pantries and a master suite with his and hers bathrooms and walk-in closets.

The outdoor space shows off an infinity pool that overlooks the bay. A Tiki hut has a fixed barbecue, under-counter refrigerator and built-in seating. The property also has a half court basketball court and a two-bedroom, two-car garage guest home, a fully equipped home…