tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4865858950505335882024-03-13T12:52:01.063-05:00Live & Play Twin CitiesEric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.comBlogger1817125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-25628322200053503542022-03-28T11:31:00.006-05:002022-03-28T11:31:44.595-05:00What You Can Expect from the Spring Housing Market<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
the spring housing market kicks off, you likely want to know what you can
expect this season when it comes to buying or selling a
house. While there are multiple factors causing some uncertainty, including the
conflict overseas, rising inflation, and the first rate increase from
the <i>Federal Reserve</i> in <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/federal-reserve-meeting-inflation-march-2022" target="_blank" title="over three years">over three years</a> — the
housing market seems to be relatively immune.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2v5XFI78rcITvXLrdh5I3UlKLCAqff-sgMaKy8MnraDKNmcKgmXX3vVog6ulZDdxIUDBXYOMCiLt7P0L3OSNZNXu0vy1c-RUHN671abUBFDqSJI_d3m1M73gy38Mo2XeEYKGCBQDurPKYcaIpnIRVdEMywIcinWM_UXRab03mgDOFG1NT8E_9fzEEg/s818/best%20time%20to%20sell%20is%20now.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="815" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2v5XFI78rcITvXLrdh5I3UlKLCAqff-sgMaKy8MnraDKNmcKgmXX3vVog6ulZDdxIUDBXYOMCiLt7P0L3OSNZNXu0vy1c-RUHN671abUBFDqSJI_d3m1M73gy38Mo2XeEYKGCBQDurPKYcaIpnIRVdEMywIcinWM_UXRab03mgDOFG1NT8E_9fzEEg/s320/best%20time%20to%20sell%20is%20now.png" width="319" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Here’s
a look at what experts say you can expect this spring.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1. Mortgage Rates Will Climb</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Freddie
Mac</span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <a href="https://freddiemac.gcs-web.com/node/24936/pdf" target="_blank" title="reports">reports</a> the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has increased by
more than a full point in the past six months. And despite some
mild fluctuation in recent weeks, experts believe rates will continue
to edge up over the next 90 days. As <i>Freddie Mac</i> <a href="https://freddiemac.gcs-web.com/node/25001/pdf" target="_blank" title="says">says</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The Federal Reserve raising short-term rates and signaling
further increases means mortgage rates should continue to rise over the course
of the year.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you’re a first-time buyer or a seller thinking of moving to a home that better
fits your needs, realize that waiting will likely mean you’ll pay a higher
mortgage rate on your purchase. And that higher rate drives up your monthly
payment and can really add up over the life of your loan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Housing Inventory Will Increase</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
may be some relief coming for buyers searching for a home to purchase. <a href="https://www.realtor.com/research/data/" target="_blank" title="Realtor.com"><i>Realtor.com</i></a> recently reported that the number
of newly listed homes has grown for each of the last two months.
Also, the <i>National Association of Realtors</i> (NAR) just
announced the <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/existing-home-sales-fade-7-2-in-february" target="_blank" title="months’ supply">months’ supply</a> of inventory
increased for the first time in <a href="https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/ehs-02-2022-overview-2022-03-18.pdf" target="_blank" title="eight months">eight months</a>. The inventory of
existing homes usually grows every spring, and it seems, based on recent
activity, the next 90 days could bring more listings to the market.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you’re a buyer who has been frustrated with the limited supply of homes
available for sale, it looks like you could find some relief this spring.
However, be prepared to act quickly if you find the right home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you’re a seller, listing now instead of waiting for this additional competition
to hit the market makes sense. Your leverage in any negotiation during the sale
will be impacted as additional homes come to market.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYVvdv_oeCOFsvSzR2al5ApfAhFmu9bX_2jVZbFEC1K9R1s4Dc-GrEHhHSqa5_OlhL5ndfM1vYyVt-OIAGfM4VvYISfMNI99lbJCUux41_sSIr9UcN5tpV4d2rw5fvAZ--v7aEw7996HUadIDCM9V9mDHAgOrLrGwRH9xQMxXHCM7R37z6BNFH7i16A/s1000/graph.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYVvdv_oeCOFsvSzR2al5ApfAhFmu9bX_2jVZbFEC1K9R1s4Dc-GrEHhHSqa5_OlhL5ndfM1vYyVt-OIAGfM4VvYISfMNI99lbJCUux41_sSIr9UcN5tpV4d2rw5fvAZ--v7aEw7996HUadIDCM9V9mDHAgOrLrGwRH9xQMxXHCM7R37z6BNFH7i16A/s320/graph.png" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>3. Home Prices Will Rise</b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Prices
are always determined by supply and demand. Though the number of homes entering
the market is increasing, <a href="https://www.showingtime.com/blog/january-2022-showing-index-results" target="_blank" title="buyer demand">buyer demand</a> remains very strong.
As <i>realtor.com</i> explains in their most recent <a href="https://news.move.com/2022-03-03-Realtor-com-R-February-Housing-Report-Home-Prices-Hit-All-Time-High-Ahead-of-Spring-Buying-Season" target="_blank" title="Housing Report"><i>Housing Report</i></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“During
the final two weeks of the month, more new sellers entered the market than
during the same time last year. . . . However, with 5.8 million new homes
missing from the market and millions of millennials at first-time buying ages,
housing supply faces a long road to catching up with demand.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
does that mean for you? With the demand for housing still outpacing
supply, home prices will continue to appreciate. Many experts believe
the level of appreciation will decelerate from the high double-digit levels
we’ve seen over the last two years. That means prices will continue to climb,
just at a more moderate pace. Most experts are predicting home prices will not
depreciate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Won’t Increasing Mortgage Rates Cause Home Prices To Fall?</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
some people may believe a 1% increase in mortgage rates will impact demand so
dramatically that home prices will have to fall, experts say otherwise. Doug
Duncan, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at <i>Fannie Mae</i>, <a href="https://themreport.com/daily-dose/03-09-2022/expert-insights-inventory-levels-fed-rates-more" target="_blank" title="says">says</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“What I will caution against is making the inference that
interest rates have a direct impact on house prices. That is not true.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Freddie
Mac</span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> studied
the impact that mortgage rates increasing by at least 1% has had on home prices
in the past. Here are the results of <a href="http://www.freddiemac.com/research/insight/20180223_increasing_mortgage_rates.page" target="_blank" title="that study">that study</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
the chart shows, mortgage rates jumped by at least 1% six times in the last
thirty years. In each case, home values increased.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
again, if you’re a first-time buyer or a repeat buyer, waiting to buy likely
means you’ll pay more for a home later in the year (as compared to its current
value).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bottom Line</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
are three things that seem certain going into the spring housing market:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mortgage rates will continue to
rise<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The selection of homes
available for sale will modestly improve<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Home prices will continue to
appreciate, just at a slightly slower pace<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you’re thinking of buying, act now before mortgage rates and home prices
increase further. If you’re thinking of selling, your best bet may be to sell
soon so you can beat the increase in competition that’s about to come to
market.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-90286198792016565562022-03-24T05:00:00.018-05:002022-03-24T05:00:00.192-05:00Key Terms for Homebuyers<p> In today's crazy real estate world, there is a lot of information to keep straight. This handy guide explains some of the key terms that a first time home buyer should be familiar with as they head into market. </p><p>If you are looking for your first home, let us help you navigate the process get you into your new home! Give us a call at 952.470.2575 or email at Info@StaffordFamilyRealtors.com. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWS5oge7SiWtwVjFzfoETBBkZPBJYrzQcsE3bZw1nZIBhhFUbku7nh7hToLxddb1FRNVz5pyRVl2lNDkRHx4u0UkjPN4G6Bl0D6EzUYj4ZcC03iIcKoVn_UasLMk0eP8Dzammlb6Q0PFv02jG_BcdTyhbLlHcHgHA19xBMI3FUjhiJdH9GWr3X5il6w/s2681/key%20terms.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2681" data-original-width="1046" height="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWS5oge7SiWtwVjFzfoETBBkZPBJYrzQcsE3bZw1nZIBhhFUbku7nh7hToLxddb1FRNVz5pyRVl2lNDkRHx4u0UkjPN4G6Bl0D6EzUYj4ZcC03iIcKoVn_UasLMk0eP8Dzammlb6Q0PFv02jG_BcdTyhbLlHcHgHA19xBMI3FUjhiJdH9GWr3X5il6w/w499-h1277/key%20terms.png" width="499" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-18613385077821826432022-03-22T14:08:00.002-05:002022-03-22T14:08:24.215-05:00This Spring Presents Sellers with a Golden Opportunity<p><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If
you’re thinking of selling your house this year, timing is crucial.
After all, you’ll want to balance getting the most out of the sale of your
current home and making the best investment when you buy your next
one.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
that’s the case, you should know – you may be able to get the best of both
worlds today.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Here
are four reasons why this spring may be your golden window of</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8lOsAOtCyT73j6I1Ffx13390hmYpvw6qZi2OvavsBsZ3csMq4KKlEXyfSpWq3sh1RDOb-sqOpJ6TuKaCPV6UQ9TfZDRaPo63fxpHbcgg7E4g4y2sT3YaZ0m2R84US695GThkqRf8nF9UJI5xpZvzbpLW3D9tW-Jk_SKPx0-ZVb0Y0BTGZkWuXEvxYg/s1080/Take%20advantage%20of%20a%20seller's%20market.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8lOsAOtCyT73j6I1Ffx13390hmYpvw6qZi2OvavsBsZ3csMq4KKlEXyfSpWq3sh1RDOb-sqOpJ6TuKaCPV6UQ9TfZDRaPo63fxpHbcgg7E4g4y2sT3YaZ0m2R84US695GThkqRf8nF9UJI5xpZvzbpLW3D9tW-Jk_SKPx0-ZVb0Y0BTGZkWuXEvxYg/s320/Take%20advantage%20of%20a%20seller's%20market.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> opportunity.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1.
The Number of Homes on the Market Is Still Low</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Today’s limited
supply of houses for sale is putting sellers in the driver’s seat. There
are far more buyers in the market today than there are homes
available. <b>That means purchasers are eagerly waiting for your house.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Listing
your house now makes it the center of attention. And if you work with a real
estate professional to price your house correctly, you can expect it to sell
quickly and likely get multiple strong offers this season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Your Equity Is Growing in Record Amounts</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">According
to the most recent <a href="https://www.corelogic.com/intelligence/homeowner-equity-insights/" target="_blank" title="Homeowner Equity Insight"><i>Homeowner Equity Insight</i></a> report
from <i>CoreLogic</i>, homeowners are sitting on record amounts
of equity thanks to recent home price appreciation. The report finds
that the average homeowner has gained $55,300 in equity over the past year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That
much equity can open doors for you to make a move. If you’ve been holding off
on selling because you’re worried about how rising prices will impact your
next home search, rest assured your equity can help fuel your move. It may
be just what you need to cover a large portion – if not all – of the down
payment on your next home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">3. Mortgage Rates Are Increasing</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
it’s true mortgage rates have already been climbing this year, current mortgage
rates are still below what they’ve been in <a href="https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/archive" target="_blank" title="recent decades">recent decades</a>. In the 2000s, the average mortgage
rate was 6.27%. In the 1990s, the average rate was 8.12%.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
context, the current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, according to <i>Freddie
Mac,</i> is 3.85%. And while recent global uncertainty caused rates
to dip slightly in the near-term, experts project rates will rise in the months
ahead. Doug Duncan, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at <i>Fannie
Mae</i>, <a href="https://www.fanniemae.com/newsroom/fannie-mae-news/economic-growth-expected-slow-fed-wrangles-inflation" target="_blank" title="says">says</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“For homebuyers, we believe that borrowing costs will likely
rise with the increase in mortgage rates….”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
that happens, it’ll cost you more to purchase your next home. That’s
why it’s important to act now if you’re ready to sell. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Work with a
trusted advisor to kickstart the process so you can take key steps to making
your next purchase before rates climb further.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">4. Home Prices Are Climbing Too</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Home
prices have been skyrocketing in recent years because of the imbalance of
supply and demand. And as long as that imbalance continues, so will the rise in
home values.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
does that mean for you? If you’re selling so you can move into the home of your
dreams or downsize into something that better suits your current needs, you
have an opportunity to get ahead of the curve by leveraging your growing equity
and purchasing your next home before prices climb higher.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And,
once you make your purchase, you can find peace of mind in knowing
ongoing home price appreciation is growing the value of your new investment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bottom Line<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you want to be successful when you sell and when you buy, this spring could be your
golden opportunity. Let’s connect so you have the insights you need to take
advantage of today’s incredible sellers’ market. Give us a call at 952-470-2575!<o:p></o:p></span></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-11146475953526426762022-03-17T10:32:00.009-05:002022-03-17T14:57:38.006-05:00Expert Insights on the 2022 Housing Market<div class="separator"><p style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </p></div><div class="separator"><p class="MsoNormal" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">As
we move into 2022, both buyers and sellers are wondering,
what’s next? Will there be more homes available to buy? Will prices keep
climbing? How high will mortgage rates go? For the answer to those questions
and more, we turn to the experts. Here’s a look at what they say we can expect
in 2022.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blog.firstam.com/economics/the-reconomy-podcast-examining-rising-mortgage-rates-housing-supply-student-loan-debt-and-the-future-of-office-space" target="_blank" title="Odeta Kushi"><span style="color: #002060;">Odeta Kushi</span></a>,
Deputy Chief Economist,<i> First American</i>:</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;">“Consensus
forecasts put <b>rates at about 3.7% by the end of next year</b>. So,
that’s still historically low, but certainly higher than they are today.”</span></i><span style="color: #002060;"> </span><i><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/2022-offers-mixed-bag-challenges-and-opportunities-home-buyers" target="_blank" title="Danielle Hale"><span style="color: #002060;">Danielle Hale</span></a>,
Chief Economist,<i> realtor.com:</i></span><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;">“<b>Affordability will increasingly be a challenge as interest
rates and prices rise, but remote work may expand search areas</b> and
enable younger buyers to find their first homes sooner than they might have
otherwise. And with more than 45 million millennials within the prime
first-time buying ages of 26-35 heading into 2022, <b>we expect the market
to remain competitive</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nars-yun-says-housing-market-doing-well-may-normalize-in-2022" target="_blank" title="Lawrence Yun"><span style="color: #002060;">Lawrence Yun</span></a>,
Chief Economist,<i> National Association of Realtors </i>(NAR):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;">“With <b>more housing inventory to hit the market</b>, the
intense multiple offers will start to ease. <b>Home prices will continue
to rise but at a slower pace</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.realtor.com/research/freddie-mac-mortgage-rates-dec-2-2021/" target="_blank" title="George Ratiu"><span style="color: #002060;">George Ratiu</span></a>,
Manager of Economic Research, <i>realtor.com</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;">“We also expect a growing number of homeowners to bring
properties to market<b>, taking some pressure off high prices and offering
buyers more options</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blog.firstam.com/economics/why-housing-market-potential-keeps-rising" target="_blank" title="Mark Fleming"><span style="color: #002060;">Mark Fleming</span></a>,
Chief Economist, <i>First American</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 14pt;">“<b>Strong demographic demand will continue to act as the wind
in the housing market’s sails</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;">What Does This Mean for Buyers?</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Hope
is on the horizon for 2022. You should see your options grow as more homes are
listed and some of the peak intensity of buyer competition starts to ease. Just
remember, rising rates and prices are a great motivator for you to
find the home of your dreams sooner rather than later so you can buy while
today’s affordability is still in your favor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;">What Does This Mean for Sellers?</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">Make
no mistake – this sellers’ market will remain in 2022 as home prices
are projected to continue climbing, just at a more moderate pace. Selling your
house while buyer demand is so high will truly put you in the driver’s seat.
But don’t wait too long. With more listings projected to become available, your
ideal window of opportunity to stand out from the crowd won’t last forever.
Work with an agent who knows your local market and current inventory conditions
to ensure you have the support you need to make an educated and informed
decision about selling in the coming year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;">Bottom Line</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="color: #002060; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Century Gothic",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;">If
you’re thinking of buying or selling, 2022 may be your year. Let’s connect to discuss
your goals and the unique opportunities you have in today’s housing market.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-47182027023949389892022-03-10T12:44:00.001-06:002022-03-10T12:44:04.946-06:00Want Top Dollar for Your House? Now’s the Time To List It<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">When you’re
selling any item, you usually want to sell it for the greatest profit possible.
That happens when there’s a strong demand and a limited supply for that item.
In the real estate market, that time is right now. If you’re thinking of
selling your house this year, here are two reasons why now’s the time to list.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtyCagXXPrue7elYMMbMUdU5P-7oUYw7_zEvaO06XxaquSUGKuEt9kotCtuqnV-su-fBdzp3KLaSs_DNX9ht2x4esO_S_sOM0CDjkrjef0YFI90CrzBbhnuflI_3t7QvKX4DovYLsd1rbM_SEA0oY-sbSCmyM1fTY_pbD1UmcCNqiWCMOX_5yV5DE-1g=s935" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="935" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtyCagXXPrue7elYMMbMUdU5P-7oUYw7_zEvaO06XxaquSUGKuEt9kotCtuqnV-su-fBdzp3KLaSs_DNX9ht2x4esO_S_sOM0CDjkrjef0YFI90CrzBbhnuflI_3t7QvKX4DovYLsd1rbM_SEA0oY-sbSCmyM1fTY_pbD1UmcCNqiWCMOX_5yV5DE-1g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">1. Demand Is Very Strong This Winter<br /></span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A <a href="http://www.inman.com/2022/02/02/forget-what-punxsutawney-phil-says-spring-already-here-for-buyers/" target="_blank" title="recent article">recent article</a> in <i>Inman
News</i> explains:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Spring, the hottest time of year for homebuyers and sellers,
has started early, according to economists. . . . ‘Home shopping season appears
to already be in full swing!’”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
they aren’t the only ones saying buyers are already out in full force. That
claim is backed up with data released last week by <i>ShowingTime</i>.
The <a href="https://www.showingtime.com/showingtime-showing-index/" target="_blank" title="ShowingTime Showing Index"><i>ShowingTime Showing Index</i></a> tracks
the average number of monthly buyer showings on active residential properties,
which is a highly reliable leading indicator of current and future trends for
buyer demand. <b>The latest index reveals this December was the most
active December in five years </b>(<i>see graph below</i>):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
the data indicates, buyers are very active this winter. Last December saw even
more showings than December of 2020, which was already a stronger-than-usual
winter. And remember – you want to sell something when there’s a strong demand
for that item. That time is now.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. Housing Supply Is Extremely Low</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Each
month,<i> realtor.com</i> releases <a href="https://www.realtor.com/research/data/" target="_blank" title="data">data</a> on
the number of active residential real estate listings (listings currently for
sale). <b>Their most recent report reveals the latest monthly number is
the lowest we’ve seen in any January since 2017.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
don’t forget, the best time to sell an item is when there’s a limited supply of
it available. This graph clearly shows how extremely low housing supply is
today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even
Though Supply Is at a Historic Low, Home Sales Are at a 15-Year High</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">According
to the latest <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/annual-existing-home-sales-hit-highest-mark-since-2006" target="_blank" title="Existing Home Sales Report"><i>Existing Home Sales
Report</i></a> from the <i>National Association of Realtors</i> (NAR),
existing-home sales totaled 6.12 million in 2021 – the highest annual level
since 2006. This means the market is hot and homeowners are in a great place to
sell now while sales are so strong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">NAR
also reports available listings by calculating the current months’ supply of
inventory. They <a href="http://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/inventory-and-months-supply" target="_blank" title="explain">explain</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Months’ supply refers to the number of months it would take for
the current inventory of homes on the market to sell given the current sales
pace.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
current 1.8-months’ supply is the lowest ever reported. Here are the December
numbers over the last five years <i>(see graph below</i>):<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
ratio of buyers to sellers favors homeowners right now to a greater degree than
at any other time in history. Buyer demand is high, and supply is low. That
gives sellers like you an incredible opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bottom Line</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you agree the best time to sell anything is when demand is high and supply is
low, let’s connect to begin discussing the process of listing your house today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-67095487790803552272022-03-01T15:08:00.005-06:002022-03-01T15:11:28.520-06:00What Every Seller Needs To Know About Renovating This Year<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">If
you’re planning to sell this year, you’re probably thinking about what you’ll
need to do to get your house ready to appeal to the most buyers. It’s crucial
to work with a trusted real estate professional who knows your local market to
get your home ready to sell. But there are a few things you should consider
when deciding what to renovate and update before listing this season. Here are
three things to keep top of mind as you’re making your list of projects to
tackle this year.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja7Wg0BdtbRiJXa4V_8sOViguH879NYx_B6JrL_RyUUuWaSqeGwKEQ8XRn-CC82U35IEJMp3OpXD4Q1sP2aw7W2EGcxqJEsYOCZ0uAMcdu2IsUDrgLZDVzAxC9xDRep2nwH5gveXbqwxHOiBGeXyi-nV-1xWd00_1e8Ua7Z6BMQbVhQEzYJ5iGqfU-4w=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja7Wg0BdtbRiJXa4V_8sOViguH879NYx_B6JrL_RyUUuWaSqeGwKEQ8XRn-CC82U35IEJMp3OpXD4Q1sP2aw7W2EGcxqJEsYOCZ0uAMcdu2IsUDrgLZDVzAxC9xDRep2nwH5gveXbqwxHOiBGeXyi-nV-1xWd00_1e8Ua7Z6BMQbVhQEzYJ5iGqfU-4w=w320-h320" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #002060;">1.
The Number of Homes for Sale Is Very Low</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Housing
inventory sits far below what is normally considered a balanced market. In
fact, according to the <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/annual-existing-home-sales-hit-highest-mark-since-2006" target="_blank" title="National Association of Realtors"><i>National
Association of Realtors</i></a> (NAR), the latest data indicates inventory
is hitting an all-time low. Because there’s such a limited supply of homes
available for sale, you’re in a unique position when you sell your house to
benefit from multiple offers and a quick process.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">But
you want to do so while buyers are still scooping homes up as fast as they’re
being listed. Spending time and money on renovations before you sell could mean
you’ll miss your key window of opportunity. Of course, certain repairs may be
important or even necessary. The best way to determine where to spend your
time – and your money – is to work with a real estate advisor to
confirm which improvements are truly needed and which ones aren’t likely to be
deal-breakers for buyers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="color: #002060;">2. Buyers May Be Willing To Take on Projects When They Purchase
Your House</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Today,
many buyers are more willing to take on home improvement projects themselves to
get the house they’re after, even if it means putting in a little extra work.
A <a href="https://myhome.freddiemac.com/blog/homeownership/breathing-new-life-old-buying-fixer-upper-and-distressed-homes" target="_blank" title="recent survey">recent survey</a> from <i>Freddie
Mac</i> finds that:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">“. . . <b>nearly two-in-five potential homebuyers would
consider purchasing a home requiring renovations.</b>”</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">If
more buyers are willing to tackle repairs on their own, it may be wise to let
the future homeowners remodel the bathroom or the kitchen to make design decisions
that are best for their specific taste and lifestyle. Depending on the
structural condition of your house, your efforts may be better spent working on
small cosmetic updates, like refreshing some paint and power washing the
exterior to make sure the home stands out. Instead of over-investing in
upgrades, the buyer may change anyway, work with a real estate professional to
determine the key projects to tackle that will give you the greatest return on
your investment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><b><span style="color: #002060;">3. Your Agent Will Help You Spotlight the Upgrades You’ve Made</span></b><span style="color: #002060;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Over
the past year, many people made a significant number of updates to their homes.
The most recent <a href="https://www.angi.com/research/reports/spending/#ixzz7Ie5OiQjX" target="_blank" title="State of Home Spending"><i>State of Home Spending</i></a> report
finds:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">“Home
improvement spending rose 25% year-over-year to $10,341. Homeowners who
invested in home improvement did an average of 3.7 projects, up from 2.7 in
2020, . . .”</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">With
more homeowners taking on more projects in the past 12 months, there’s a good
chance you’ve already made updates to your home that could appeal to buyers. If
that’s the case, your real estate advisor will find ways to highlight those
upgrades in your listing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">The
same is true for any projects you invest in moving forward. No matter what,
before you renovate, contact a local real estate professional for expert advice
on what work needs to be done and how to make it as appealing as possible to
future buyers. Every home is different, so a conversation with your agent is
mission-critical to make sure you make the right moves when selling this
season.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><b><span style="color: #002060;">Bottom Line</span></b><span style="color: #002060;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">In
a sellers’ market like today’s, it’s important to spend your time and money
wisely when you’re getting ready to move. Let’s connect today so you can find
out where to target your efforts before you list. We are here to help! </span></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-85449200612988243982020-11-25T05:00:00.004-06:002020-11-25T05:00:03.316-06:00Let It Shine<p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e232b; font-size: 1.2em;">Here are a few ways to think creatively about indoor lighting to liven up your home during the long winter ahead.</span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="/let-it-shine/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p></h2><div class="meta clearfix" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(101, 113, 145); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><span class="author-link" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/author/gustavo-gonzalez/" rel="author" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by Gustavo Gonzalez">GUSTAVO GONZALEZ</a></span><span class="post-date" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; float: right; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">NOV 3, 2020</span></div><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_floating_style addthis_32x32_style addthis_sidetoolbar" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 8px; border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; position: fixed; right: 0px; text-align: center; top: 50px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 36px; z-index: 1;"><div class="atclear" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With shorter days and more hours of darkness in autumn and winter, turn to the power of indoor lighting as a solution – never underestimate its brilliance. Clever lighting can transform the look and feel of your home with the flip of a switch. While natural sunlight streaming inside is ideal, sometimes the clouds rain on our sunshine parade. When that happens, rely on a variety of lighting sources to brighten things up. You’ll notice, it’s not a one-bulb-fits-all sort of situation.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Let-it-Shine.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-49006 size-large" height="576" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Let-it-Shine-1024x576.jpg" srcset="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Let-it-Shine-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Let-it-Shine-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Let-it-Shine-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Let-it-Shine-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Let-it-Shine.jpg 1920w" style="background: transparent; border: none; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 24px !important; margin-top: 4px; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="1024" /></a>General lighting</strong> is the workhorse of illumination. For the most part, it’s utilitarian in nature but an essential and practical starting point. It brings uniformity and functionality to a room. This is a direct form of light, typically found from a ceiling pendant or chandelier and increases in versatility with the addition of a dimmer control.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ambient lighting</strong> works alongside general lighting but is more indirect, more intriguing and fools the eye with magical illusion. It helps soften harsh shadows and brings major impact through light sources such as wall sconces, voluminous upturned torchieres and hidden coffered ceiling lights.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mood lighting</strong> comes on soft, but its subtle effects make a bold statement. Never glaring or harsh, it brightens otherwise shadowy corners and makes unexpected appearances in ways like hanging, amber-lit Moravian stars. It lends high-style and a certain je ne sais quoi. For an exceptional interior ambience, you must include mood lighting, darling.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Task lighting</strong> puts a lot of voltage into getting the job done and doesn’t need to look like its hard at work. Whether it’s a sleek chrome arm lamp over a desk, hidden under-counter kitchen lights or spot-on overhead pendants, task lights should always be offset by companion lighting to soften the contrast of their high-intensity brightness.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Accent lighting</strong> is the drama queen of the bunch. It takes centerstage and spotlights key artwork or decorative elements and draws the eye in. It works harder to steal the show than mood lighting, so it requires brighter light at the point of interest.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Treat lighting as an art element. Let it conjure atmosphere and breathe life into an otherwise uninspired room. Try uplighting and lowlighting, spotlighting and strategic lighting. Whichever way you turn up the wattage on the illuminating possibilities in your home, enjoy basking in the power of beautiful light.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">—–</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Guest Post written by Tracy Ellison.</em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tracy Ellison is a creative content writer for The Studio, providing insightful information and ideas to enhance the art of living, with a background as an advertising photo stylist, designer, artist and copywriter.</em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Originally posted on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog</em></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-87269606061864616882020-11-18T00:30:00.003-06:002020-11-18T00:30:04.252-06:00Shake Up Your Turkey-Feather Festivities<h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_floating_style addthis_32x32_style addthis_sidetoolbar" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 8px; border: 0px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; position: fixed; right: 0px; text-align: center; top: 50px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 36px; z-index: 1;"><div class="at-floatingbar-inner" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="at-floatingbar-share" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="addthis_internal_container" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; top: 150px !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 36px;"><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="addthis_button_twitter at300b" href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/shake-up-your-turkey-feather-festivities/?ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)#" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; color: #30517f; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; line-height: initial; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: none; padding: 12px 22px !important; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" title="Twitter"><span class="aticon_twitter" style="background: url("images/socialIcons.png") 0px -44px no-repeat !important; border: 0px; float: left; height: 17px !important; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 18px !important;"><br /></span></a><a class="addthis_button_linkedin at300b" href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/shake-up-your-turkey-feather-festivities/?ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)#" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; color: #30517f; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; line-height: initial; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: none; padding: 12px 22px !important; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" target="_blank" title="LinkedIn"><span class="aticon_linkedin" style="background: url("images/socialIcons.png") 0px -126px no-repeat !important; border: 0px; float: left; height: 17px !important; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 18px !important;"></span></a><a class="addthis_button_email at300b" href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/shake-up-your-turkey-feather-festivities/?ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)#" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; color: #30517f; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; line-height: initial; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: none; padding: 12px 22px !important; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" target="_blank" title="Email"><span class="aticon_email" style="background: url("images/socialIcons.png") 0px -168px no-repeat !important; border: 0px; float: left; height: 17px !important; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 18px !important;"></span></a></p></div></div></div><div class="atclear" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Simple ways to surprise your guests with unique touches you bring to your food and table this Thanksgiving.</p><div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="/shake-up-your-turkey-feather-festivities/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p></h2><div class="meta clearfix" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(101, 113, 145); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><span class="author-link" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/author/gustavo-gonzalez/" rel="author" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; font-size: 1.2em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by Gustavo Gonzalez">GUSTAVO GONZALEZ</a></span><span class="post-date" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; float: right; font-size: 1.2em !important; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">NOV 9, 2020</span></div><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_floating_style addthis_32x32_style addthis_sidetoolbar" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 8px; border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; position: fixed; right: 0px; text-align: center; top: 50px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 36px; z-index: 1;"><div class="at-floatingbar-inner" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="at-floatingbar-share" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="addthis_internal_container" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; top: 150px !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 36px;"><a class="addthis_button_email at300b" href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/shake-up-your-turkey-feather-festivities/?ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)#" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-shadow: none; color: #30517f; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; line-height: initial; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; outline: none; padding: 12px 22px !important; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;" target="_blank" title="Email"><span class="aticon_email" style="background: url("images/socialIcons.png") 0px -168px no-repeat !important; border: 0px; float: left; height: 17px !important; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 18px !important;"></span></a></div></div></div><div class="atclear" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Note: Please be sure to follow COVID-19 safety recommendations for your local states and areas.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful time to gather, give thanks and share in the joy of family and friends, so make it a memorable occasion by putting your own signature style on the event. Surprise your guests with unique touches you bring to your food and table that will make them feel extra special and make them sigh with contentment.</p><div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_49023" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; display: inline; float: left; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 24px !important; margin-top: 4px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 310px;"><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thanksgiving-scaled.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49023" class="size-medium wp-image-49023" height="181" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thanksgiving-300x181.jpg" srcset="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thanksgiving-300x180.jpg 300w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thanksgiving-1024x617.jpg 1024w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thanksgiving-768x463.jpg 768w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thanksgiving-1536x926.jpg 1536w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Thanksgiving-2048x1234.jpg 2048w" style="background: transparent; border: none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-49023" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner</p></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Set a perfectly appointed table.</strong> This is the time to channel your inner-most Emily Post. Follow the proper etiquette for utensil and glassware placement and bring out the fine china. Pick one main color and sprinkle it throughout your table setting – in the napkins, table runner and serving platters. Tie the whole look together with petite, colorful bouquets in the same themed hue and set them in front of each guest in individual bistro glasses for rows of beautiful, cohesive color.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t forget the kiddos.</strong> Kick up the fun at the kids’ table and keep them amused while waiting to dig into dinner. Get them to eat their vegetables by placing a dollop of yummy dip inside a small cup along with colorful, dunked veggie spears that are ready to munch on. And strategically keep the peace by using place cards tucked on top of Tom Turkey cupcakes (<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for after dinner</em>). Seat older children next to younger ones that need a little help passing and serving family style. Lastly, spare your fine linens and lay down a tablecloth of craft paper. Arm each child with a bundle of colored crayons and let them have at it. What’s better than scold-free table drawing?</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Best wishes and thank you notes.</strong> Not the typical kind, but new and special ways to share at the Thanksgiving table. Break the ice with the person seated next to you by having some fun with handmade napkin rings made of raffia twine and breakable novelty wishbones. For deeper bonding, put in your two cents of thankfulness on a note and then into a gratefulness jar that gets passed around the table. Let each guest pick out a note of thanks and read it aloud to emphasize the true meaning of the day.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bring out the best of the holiday and spread a table of good cheer, great food and an abundance of love and kindness. Happy Thanksgiving to all!</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">—–</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Guest Post written by Tracy Ellison.</em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tracy Ellison is a creative content writer for The Studio, providing insightful information and ideas to enhance the art of living, with a background as an advertising photo stylist, designer, artist and copywriter.</em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Originally posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog.</em></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-633961995813347442020-11-13T05:00:00.011-06:002020-11-13T05:00:01.738-06:00How to Build a Home Gym Without Breaking the Bank<p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e232b; font-size: 1.2em;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e232b; font-size: 1.2em;"><br /></span></div></div></div><span face=""Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1e232b; font-size: 1.2em;">With many gyms closed or operating at minimum capacity, a home gym has never sounded more appealing. Three out of five Americans are actually turning to home gyms for good, and over half of the population is looking for the best home-fitness options. You can even find affordable home gym equipment that gets the job done just as efficiently as a commercial gym can.</span><p></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="/how-to-build-a-home-gym-without-breaking-the-bank/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p></h2><div class="meta clearfix" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(101, 113, 145); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><span class="author-link" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/author/sam-shalom/" rel="author" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by Sam Shalom">SAM SHALOM</a></span><span class="post-date" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; float: right; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">NOV 10, 2020</span></div><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_floating_style addthis_32x32_style addthis_sidetoolbar" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 8px; border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 2pc; margin: 0px; padding: 5px; position: fixed; right: 0px; text-align: center; top: 50px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 36px; z-index: 1;"><div class="atclear" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following is a guest post by Ricardo Mello</em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With many gyms closed or operating at minimum capacity, a home gym has never sounded more appealing. Three out of five Americans are actually</span><a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/16/survey-says-the-at-home-workout-is-here-to-stay-even-if-covid-19-disappears/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> turning to home gyms for good</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, and over half of the population is looking for the best home-fitness options. You can even find affordable home gym equipment that gets the job done just as efficiently as a commercial gym can.</span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Rise of at-Home Fitness</span></h2><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Americans are exercising 25 percent more than they were before the quarantine and the majority of them are now convinced you don’t need a gym to get fit, according to </span><a href="https://www.onepoll.us/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">OnePoll</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. The poll also shared that the respondents have spent $95.79 on average on home fitness products. </span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some Americans are just simply bored and have replaced pre-Covid outings with working out safely from their home. This healthy decision does come at a cost but includes overall savings compared to a gym membership. To help with your home gym efforts, I’ve gathered some resources and low-budget products that will help you get fit without breaking the bank.</span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Space Saving Ideas</span></h2><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We all don’t have a dedicated fitness room in our home, so it can be beneficial to find compact home gym equipment and dual-purpose products. Try a door </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/pull-up-bar/b?ie=UTF8&node=3408471" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">pull-up bar</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> or </span><a href="https://made4fighters.com/punching-bags/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">punching bag</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> that’s discreet and doesn’t need any complicated installation. You can also take advantage of mini steppers that help you meet your cardio goals while taking up limited space in your home, and resistance bands can adjust the difficulty of workouts while being applied to numerous types of equipment and exercises. </span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">DIY Gym Equipment</span></h2><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you’re feeling handy, you can </span><a href="https://www.simplifiedbuilding.com/projects/build-an-entire-home-gym-from-industrial-pipe" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">build your own</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> workout equipment from the comfort of your own home. You can use pipes to create a pull-up bar, squat rack, gymnastics bar, weight rack, and even monkey bars if you want to turn your home into a home gym playground. If you have carpentry skills, you can make a dip station or pull blocks out of plywood.</span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Digital Personal Trainers</span></h2><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The modern digital era has made it easier than ever to receive fitness training from home, and even on a budget. We’re not all familiar with the proper workouts for our particular goals, so training sessions are a great way to receive instructions on how to safely and effectively achieve the results you’re looking for. </span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Personal trainers typically cost up to $400 a month, but now you can access free Youtube videos, affordable online training subscriptions, and technology products that keep track of your activity and health. More and more Americans are purchasing fitness watches such as Fitbit and the Apple Watch, and these devices are great at helping you stay on track with your fitness goals. </span><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/understanding-and-choosing-smart-home-products-that-are-right-for-your-lifestyle/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Smart assistants</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> can also guide you to success with </span><a href="https://en.softonic.com/downloads/fitness-trainer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">personal training apps</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Get Active From Home</span></h2><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Technological advances and the rising market of home gym equipment have made it easier than ever to create a home gym. You can use this time in quarantine to work on some DIY projects to create your own equipment, and also find some great deals on compact and dual-purpose products that can safely be delivered to your home. Take advantage of your time at home to improve your </span><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/category/health-wellness/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">health and wellness</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, and save some money too.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ricardo Mello is the co-founder and Managing Partner of </span><a href="https://www.manhattanmiami.com/about" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Manhattan Miami Real Estate</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. He helps clients all over the globe invest in residential real estate in NYC and </span><a href="https://www.manhattanmiami.com/miami-real-estate" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miami</a><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. He’s a licensed realtor in Florida. His work has been featured on Inman, Realtor Magazine, The Close, and NextAdvisor.</span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Originally posted on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog</em></span></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-16223962987587058332020-11-10T14:26:00.001-06:002020-11-12T14:29:48.691-06:00Weekly Market Activity Report For Week Ending October 24, 2020<p> Freddie Mac reported that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit a new all-time low
this week, dropping to an average of 2.8% with .6 points. Record-low rates,
coupled with continued strong buyer demand seen in recent months, should
continue to support an active market in the coming weeks in what is normally a
slower time of year. </p><p><br /></p><p>In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending October 24: </p><p> • New Listings increased 8.1% to 1,361 </p><p> • Pending Sales increased 27.0% to 1,422 </p><p> • Inventory decreased 29.7% to 8,971 </p><p><br /></p><p>For the month of September: </p><p> • Median Sales Price increased 10.8% to $310,000 </p><p> • Days on Market decreased 15.9% to 37 </p><p> • Percent of Original List Price Received increased 2.0% to 100.5% </p><p> • Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 33.3% to 1.8</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlwo1dnUX2mV8XYjbqRtugiVWWh8unWKatdh7cdHbQkY8w5Qgmz3gnEYjJlxOgP1i9J9deEqFarbnUq-tOR1M3awcmFLrmFVS7e_ANQZz6mksokodnVI-kXBHp0DgCAJQ_WrG-22CbhJs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="60" data-original-width="256" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlwo1dnUX2mV8XYjbqRtugiVWWh8unWKatdh7cdHbQkY8w5Qgmz3gnEYjJlxOgP1i9J9deEqFarbnUq-tOR1M3awcmFLrmFVS7e_ANQZz6mksokodnVI-kXBHp0DgCAJQ_WrG-22CbhJs/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Publish Date: November 2, 2020 • All comparisons are to 2019 All data from NorthstarMLS. Provided by Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. Report © 2020 ShowingTime.</p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-47123295599466097412020-11-05T06:30:00.001-06:002020-11-05T06:30:00.932-06:004 Ways to Adapt Your Kitchen to 2020’s ‘New Norm’<p> <span style="color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em;">Since lockdown, our kitchens have seen more use than ever, whether that’s more cooked meals to pass the time or doubling up as a home office. Even as restrictions continue to change amidst the current ‘new norm’, it’s expected that our attitude towards kitchen interior design will be forever changed with more emphasis on hygiene, flexibility and storage.</span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="/4-ways-to-adapt-your-kitchen-to-2020s-new-norm/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p></h2><div class="meta clearfix" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(101, 113, 145); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><span class="author-link" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/author/sam-shalom/" rel="author" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; font-size: 1.2em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by Sam Shalom">SAM SHALOM</a></span></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following is a guest post by Sophie Armstrong from </strong></em><a href="https://burlingtongranite.co.uk/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Burlington Granite</strong></em></a></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Since lockdown, our kitchens have seen more use than ever, whether that’s more cooked meals to pass the time or doubling up as a home office. Even as restrictions continue to change amidst the current ‘new norm’, it’s expected that our attitude towards kitchen interior design will be forever changed with more emphasis on hygiene, flexibility and storage.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">With this in mind, today we’re going to be looking at how the impacts of COVID-19 are influencing kitchen design, as well as as how you can adapt your current design to accommodate changing needs during these unprecedented times.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Design social spaces</strong></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Even with some restrictions being lifted, the murmurings of a second wave of coronavirus this winter could result in more people choosing to socialize in their homes rather than heading out.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This means the kitchen will become the epicenter of social gatherings, with more focus on open-plan designs that allow a seamless interaction between cooking and living spaces.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One concept that’s becoming a popular feature is the kitchen island. Ideal for compact modern homes, they offer a practical solution for additional storage and surface space, as well as a seated area for socializing. Whether it’s a coffee morning with friends, larger family get togethers or a socially distanced Zoom quiz, having an area in your kitchen that allows for everyone to socialize without impacting functionality is key to the future of kitchen design.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, if you don’t want a permanent island, opting for a mobile island or simply using your dining room table to offer that social space could be equally as effective.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHI-9KbWGhyphenhyphentuPKC1zpZSWYhLPMtFDtPJZQYeK1gl9wIyHwdVPaXIXZStdxs45L6kwOB0B1O3KOoBS__jiTag7Y5pyrs8VwYxZzLUfpFtZv1fJ7mM-zTkOycyho37j67GwN8YhBVUYYxl/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHI-9KbWGhyphenhyphentuPKC1zpZSWYhLPMtFDtPJZQYeK1gl9wIyHwdVPaXIXZStdxs45L6kwOB0B1O3KOoBS__jiTag7Y5pyrs8VwYxZzLUfpFtZv1fJ7mM-zTkOycyho37j67GwN8YhBVUYYxl/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Invest in ultra-clean worktops</strong></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hygiene best practice has been a core part of the fight against the coronavirus and understandably it’s become a key focus within our kitchens, too. As a place where we prepare, cook and eat our food, people are now seeking out ultra-hygienic materials to bolster the cleanliness of their kitchens.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As the workhorse of your home, paying special attention to your countertops and counter splashbacks will set the right foundations to a cleaner (and potentially greener) home all round. For splashbacks, the addition of smooth porcelain or glass tiles will not only propel water and other splashes, but they can also be quickly cleaned to keep germs to a minimum.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For countertops, opting for a <a href="https://burlingtongranite.co.uk/product-category/granite-worktops/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">natural granite kitchen worktop</a> will not only deliver a timelessly stylish, durable and sustainable solution, but also a hard-wearing and easy-clean surface to match. With exceptional scratch, stain and water resistance, you can rest easy that your worktops remain pristine and bacteria free with a simple wipe down after each use.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5OrNlDOruTmPJSyQimXNMYlNdL4-8Y-kfQ2XMhwTpEX7iWXo2bPfN9TyGpDsOQ6cUX8FkAAopP19klEdbKgicZfkpQsECAEcdriwGljfjG7WmFz4KK-vx9ihQ2db83s3TZyFIBccj6RX/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5OrNlDOruTmPJSyQimXNMYlNdL4-8Y-kfQ2XMhwTpEX7iWXo2bPfN9TyGpDsOQ6cUX8FkAAopP19klEdbKgicZfkpQsECAEcdriwGljfjG7WmFz4KK-vx9ihQ2db83s3TZyFIBccj6RX/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Add super-sized storage</strong></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Storage is a common issue for many modern homes and during the initial lockdown period many people went into a grocery buying frenzy, stocking up on long-lasting foods. Thankfully this bulk-buying mania seems to have subsided, but it has left a lingering effect with people still <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/07/business/coronavirus-cans-food.html" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">buying more canned and frozen goods</a> than before COVID-19.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As a result, there seems to be a significant shift to bigger storage requirements in kitchens, with modern takes on the old fashioned larder. Of course, not everyone has the space for a dedicated food storage room, but tall, floor-to-ceiling pull out cupboards with integrated shelves and racks offer the ideal alternative. Optimizing previously unutilized space, these types of super-sized storage units are set to be a mainstay – providing savvy storage solutions even in compact kitchens.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">These concealed units aren’t just for dry foods either, they can also be the perfect way to achieve a clutter-free kitchen design that’s a breeze to wipe clean – helping to maintain your ultra-clean countertops.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud6uNLdvFfE-Ozwb84gdji4i7W8fAqEmsNlOvHrvSwj8BPFdOOnIIw508ivilIBVo4MD6VpWyW5ct97VjdUiA__OaaTjbtFA1Olu3jA5i4ByoTALNoANsM4iY76odeO7bStkml_SV6b29/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="990" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud6uNLdvFfE-Ozwb84gdji4i7W8fAqEmsNlOvHrvSwj8BPFdOOnIIw508ivilIBVo4MD6VpWyW5ct97VjdUiA__OaaTjbtFA1Olu3jA5i4ByoTALNoANsM4iY76odeO7bStkml_SV6b29/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Create multi-functional zones</strong></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The modern kitchen doesn’t just need to be for cooking and socializing. In the current climate, they’ll provide a hub for multiple activities – from working from home to relaxation. This means it’s essential that kitchens can be versatile and ready to adapt to different activities throughout the day.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is where features like the kitchen island offer numerous benefits that can quickly be transformed from a practical dining area into a streamlined at-home workspace. However, with the possibility of more people in the house at one time, the need to carve out a healthy work-life balance means your kitchen could also benefit from a dedicated relaxation zone.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The key here is to make this area still feel like part of the kitchen, yet distinctly separate. This is where choosing the right furniture style, size and design is essential. From oversized armchairs for a cozy reading nook to comfy sofas all the family can lounge on, pick pieces that complement the overall aesthetic and color scheme to create a unified look, but play around with softer textures and layering to give this space a more homely, serene feel.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When it comes to kitchen design amidst the current new norm, the key is to put emphasis on hygiene and functionality to ensure you have a clean and flexible space that works for you both now and in the future, whatever events unfold.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFg8l5c8IzcDmLL56SCfSEdtyDJzNv6BrjXlMRbfoS_VtL3GE705hnbpMB9XoZieEUgA6wym1c4mbOD4fDIjJazZcp5fVdBL5XUV-yigYCceZMk-1X2o1TJuIL3Sf2vb4tzkiUeHCh6Lm/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="990" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFg8l5c8IzcDmLL56SCfSEdtyDJzNv6BrjXlMRbfoS_VtL3GE705hnbpMB9XoZieEUgA6wym1c4mbOD4fDIjJazZcp5fVdBL5XUV-yigYCceZMk-1X2o1TJuIL3Sf2vb4tzkiUeHCh6Lm/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #30517f; font-size: 14.4px; text-transform: uppercase;">originally posted on Coldwell bANKER bLUE Matter Blog on OCT 22, 2020</span></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-45444969662527764712020-11-02T05:00:00.005-06:002020-11-02T05:00:03.442-06:00The Power of Kindness in the Age of COVID<p> <span style="color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em;">How to Help your Community</span></p><h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="/the-power-of-kindness-in-the-age-of-covid/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p></h2><div class="meta clearfix" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-color: rgb(101, 113, 145); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px 0px 30px; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><span class="author-link" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/author/gustavo-gonzalez/" rel="author" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; font-size: 1.2em !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Posts by Gustavo Gonzalez">GUSTAVO GONZALEZ</a></span><br /></div><div class="at-above-post addthis_tool" data-url="/the-power-of-kindness-in-the-age-of-covid/" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following is a guest post written by Laura McHolm, NorthStar Moving Co-Founder & Chief of Organized Living.</em></p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As we all know, we are living in uncertain times. We’re ready for the COVID-19 pandemic to be over, but unfortunately the virus isn’t done, so we’ve buckled down and resigned to keep plugging along safely and adapting to our new normal. One look at the news can be overwhelming, however, we can find strength knowing we are all in this together. One thing that is always certain: Love and Kindness always wins. </p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How do we help one another? Do something loving? Something kind? We want to make a difference, to help; but, it’s hard to know how to make an impact. The bright, good news is just one single action, one single click of a button, one single donation, can make a difference in your community.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One meaningful way to help is to give business to people and organizations with a heart. A great example is <a href="https://www.coldwellbanker.com/stjude" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Coldwell Banker’s new partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital</a>, a place so many kids call home while they fight cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Agents participating in the CB Supports St. Jude program make a donation for every home sale or purchase they complete. So, if you are looking for a new home, this is a way to give back — a home purchase with a purpose!</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Another way to make an impact is to give to your local food bank. Food banks across our country are beyond overstretched right now. The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in many more families in need, and sky-rocketing unplanned expenses for food banks. We’ve all seen the heartbreaking news coverage of the long lines of families in their cars waiting patiently for a box of food. This year putting food on tables has even more meaning. With many schools teaching remotely, having access to nutritious meals at home is critical. Physical and mental health are truly essential. A hungry child and a stressed parent are not a recipe for success. We must make sure everyone’s children are well fed so all children’s minds can focus on their schoolwork. </p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Every year, for the past eight years, <a href="https://www.northstarmoving.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">NorthStar Moving</a> has hosted a community food drive called <a href="https://www.northstarmoving.com/about/community/food-drive-2020/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Let’s Send Hunger Packing</a>. Our 2020 Let’s Send Hunger Packing Food Drive just came to a close and I am proud to share our team and community truly stepped up. We raised the most donations in our eight years of conducting the food drive! We raised $47,046 for the <a href="https://www.lafoodbank.org/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Los Angeles Regional Food Bank</a>, providing 188,184 meals to feed hungry children in Los Angeles County. We are so grateful to everyone dedicated to making a difference in the lives of hungry children throughout the LA region. This is something all of us can do to make a difference in a hungry child’s life: <a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">donate to your local food bank</a>, it’s as easy as a click of a button.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The future is uncertain; but, there is something simple to do to make a big difference. A simple act of kindness. AND, when you’re telling 2020 pandemic stories to your grandchildren, when COVID-19 is a distant memory, not only will you talk about the masks, the TP shortage, the social distancing, the virtual school and meetings, you’ll talk about the simple acts of COVID kindness. The beautiful simple kind acts that proved we are strong, we are better together, we can tackle anything. When we work together as a community, we can make sure our neighbors are taken care of. Together, we can truly make an impact.</p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-35536318007932745122020-10-29T14:12:00.002-05:002020-10-29T14:12:05.302-05:00Weekly Market Activity Report For Week Ending October 17, 2020<p> Home prices have surged higher in recent months across much of the country. The
National Association of REALTORS® reported that their preliminary figures for
August show the median sales price of existing single-family homes nationwide
rose to $315,000, up $33,100 from a year ago. While mortgage rates have declined
in the last year, the increase in home prices has largely erased the benefit of those
lower rates. </p><p>In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending October 17: </p><p> • New Listings increased 15.3% to 1,533 </p><p> • Pending Sales increased 21.1% to 1,441 </p><p> • Inventory decreased 29.8% to 9,125 </p><p><br /></p><p>For the month of September: </p><p> • Median Sales Price increased 10.8% to $310,000 </p><p> • Days on Market decreased 15.9% to 37 </p><p> • Percent of Original List Price Received increased 2.0% to 100.5% </p><p> • Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 33.3% to 1.8</p><p><br /></p><p>All data from NorthstarMLS. Provided by Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. Report © 2020 ShowingTime. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbD4EIDzsEyRt8DysQ-wXkY8OougR43R_7_oYvLsoEr0ok0pblqeCtg3ivMebj8lFmDPlGy7nu2Zf9bxK7GyfJ9QxNHcU4MsKBj4ZaWqPattks3txyQaRDIEYPVvlyLVMjdXWCFylu7Qf/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="89" data-original-width="399" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbD4EIDzsEyRt8DysQ-wXkY8OougR43R_7_oYvLsoEr0ok0pblqeCtg3ivMebj8lFmDPlGy7nu2Zf9bxK7GyfJ9QxNHcU4MsKBj4ZaWqPattks3txyQaRDIEYPVvlyLVMjdXWCFylu7Qf/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-64711384747890622272020-01-16T06:00:00.000-06:002020-01-16T06:00:05.701-06:004 Investments Worth Making in Your First Home<h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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You’ve just bought your first home – congratulations! Now it’s time to make your home feel like, well, home by undertaking some long-term investments that will not only look beautiful, but will also last you for years to come.</div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following is a guest post by Suhayl Laher</em></div>
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In today’s post, we’re offering some advice for first-time homeowners on areas where spending a little bit more is likely to pay off in the long-run. From valuable aesthetic updates in key areas such as the kitchen, bathroom and living room to installing smart heating systems and insulation to prioritize energy efficiency, our tips will leave you inspired to make the most out of your first home update.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Replace flooring</strong></div>
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Flooring has the power to change a room entirely, so it should go without saying that this is an essential aspect of the home where you should consider spending a little extra. Since flooring in areas such as the hallway, kitchen and bathroom is likely to undergo high footfall traffic, your material choice should always look to combine durability with that visual wow-factor where possible.</div>
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When it comes to updating your flooring, choose neutral colors to create a luxe look that goes the distance. Generally, neutral colors offer you the freedom to change your furniture or accessories without updating all the fixtures and fittings in the process, and will even allow you to keep up with trends as they change.</div>
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Whether you’re opting for some <a href="https://www.tiles-direct.com/xl-format-tiles-c1554" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">stylish, large format floor tiles</a> which offer a contemporary touch in the kitchen or some hardwood flooring which adds warmth to your living room, quality flooring is a great way to add personality to a new space from the off – meaning showing your floors a little TLC should be high up on your list of investment priorities.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Update key areas of the home</strong></div>
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As the hub of the home where friends and family alike come together to relax, the living room is the best place to start when it comes to fixtures and fittings. Lighting can have a huge impact on the overall aesthetic in your living room – so it’s worth spending a little bit more on lamps or downlighters to add that cozy, homely touch to the lounge.</div>
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Additionally, art is a great way to change the ambiance in your living room, so choosing pieces with comfort and calmness in mind is a great way to add a tranquil theme that makes you feel right at home from the get-go.</div>
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Naturally, ensuring your bathroom looks fresh, well maintained and hygienic is important when moving into any new home. Modern or high tech touches are an effective way to add an extra luxe appeal, so consider investing in a rain shower or waterfall taps to create a relaxing oasis that washes away the stresses of moving and unpacking.</div>
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Elsewhere in the home, high-end fittings such as granite or quartz worktops are practical choices that will go the distance. Though these may be a high investment initially, investing in durable, hard-wearing and practical materials in areas of frequent use ensures longevity and, as such, a great return on your investment in the long-run.<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong></div>
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<img alt="" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47489" class="size-large wp-image-47489" height="681" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/andrea-davis-FKDqn6j19vs-unsplash-1024x681.jpg" srcset="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/andrea-davis-FKDqn6j19vs-unsplash-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/andrea-davis-FKDqn6j19vs-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/andrea-davis-FKDqn6j19vs-unsplash-768x511.jpg 768w" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="1024" /><div class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-47489" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Photo by Andrea Davis on Unsplash</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Invest in quality furniture</strong></div>
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Nothing makes a house feel like home quite like furniture – after all, furniture is the most effective way of adding character to any space. When opting for your style, try to prioritize items that will stand the test of time, as this will ensure your first few years in your new home isn’t spent constantly renovating in-line with the latest trends.</div>
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When choosing timeless furniture, wood is often the first material which springs to mind. While solid wood is often more expensive than other types, it boasts a distinctive aesthetic and durability that will look great year after year. Whether you’re purchasing an oak cabinet for the living room or some luxury walnut bedroom cabinets, solid wood is an effective way to add a high-end, comforting appeal to your home.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Prioritize energy efficiency</strong></div>
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Energy efficiency is now one of the highest priorities for homeowners as it can make a significant difference in the cost of utility bills. While adding energy-efficient features may be a large initial investment, the sooner you start making the changes, the greater your savings will be – so we recommend optimizing your new home right away. </div>
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Some essential areas to evaluate energy efficiency are the boiler and the loft. <a href="https://www.superfoil.co.uk/5-signs-of-a-badly-insulated-home/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Poorly insulated lofts</a> can be a major cause of energy wastage, even if all of your other appliances are in premium condition. If appliances such as your boiler aren’t in a premium condition, however, this could only add more costs to your energy bills, particularly if it breaks down during the winter months.</div>
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To keep track of your heating usage and spot issues early, a smart heating system is a great way to monitor your spending. Smart heaters allow you to add more thermostats and controls to different rooms, including hot water and heating – making this a logical investment for any first home.</div>
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<img alt="" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47490" class="size-large wp-image-47490" height="683" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/francesca-tosolini-Mx_W2atEaDo-unsplash-1024x683.jpg" srcset="https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/francesca-tosolini-Mx_W2atEaDo-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/francesca-tosolini-Mx_W2atEaDo-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/francesca-tosolini-Mx_W2atEaDo-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="1024" /><div class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-47490" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash</div>
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It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of moving house, but with our tips, we hope you’ll be on your way to making worthwhile investments in your first home. If you’re still in search of that dream first house, contact your local <a href="https://www.coldwellbanker.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Coldwell Banker Real Estate</a> affiliated office to help make the process of buying a house trouble-free.</div>
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Originally Posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter </div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-48853561842317308892020-01-13T10:00:00.000-06:002020-01-15T13:43:13.715-06:00Weekly Market Activity Report For Week Ending January 4, 2020With the start of the New Year, the real estate market turns more active across
most of the country. Sellers connect with agents, resulting in a pop of new listings,
followed by renewed interest by buyers, which leads to an increase in pending
sales. This pattern is seen every year and 2020 should be no different. We’re
starting off the year with continued low interest rates, low unemployment, and rising
rents nationally. This sets us up for a strong start to 2020 and plenty of optimism for
the coming spring market.<br />
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In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending January 4:<br />
• New Listings decreased 17.9% to 683<br />
• Pending Sales decreased 7.0% to 546<br />
• Inventory decreased 12.8% to 8,064<br />
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For the month of November:<br />
• Median Sales Price increased 5.6% to $279,900<br />
• Days on Market decreased 1.9% to 51<br />
• Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.2% to 97.5%<br />
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 4.5% to 2.1<br />
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<img alt="Minneapolis Area Assosiciation of Realtors" src="https://www.mplsrealtor.com/wp-content/themes/maar/images/logo.png" /><br />
<br />Publish Date: January 13, 2020 • All comparisons are to 2019 - All data from NorthstarMLS. Provided by Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. Report © 2020 ShowingTimeEric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-9524994160345182612020-01-09T13:39:00.000-06:002020-01-15T13:40:04.669-06:00Coldwell Banker Knows Luxury<h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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It doesn’t come as a surprise that Coldwell Banker affiliated agents sell more $1 million-plus homes than any other brand.</div>
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With real estate’s most robust global network of 92,000 who wear blue proudly in approximately 3,000 offices in 44 countries and territories, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Coldwell Banker affiliated agents sell more $1 million-plus homes than any other brand. Last year alone, our agents sold more than 30,000 $1 million-plus homes.</div>
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When it comes to luxury, Coldwell Banker stands out from the crowd with 3 critical components: our passion for agent education, our enormous global network, and our sophisticated suite of marketing materials.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.) Education</strong></div>
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Our luxury agents are so successful because we invest in our talent. The Coldwell Banker Global Luxury certification course is created and delivered by our top luxury agents who share best practices for working with the world’s most affluent clientele.</div>
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The courses are held all over the world multiple times a year in partnership with The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.</div>
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Takeaways from the course include:</div>
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a) Designation in Luxury Property Specialist and Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist so their customers know that they are working with the best</div>
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b) Networking and referral opportunities with other successful luxury agents</div>
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c) Access to exclusive Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Marketing assets</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.) Global Network</strong></div>
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Whether you are in Mexico or in England, you can reach out to a fellow Gen Blue agent to help you. Coldwell Banker Global Luxury agents can tap into the vast global network to find upscale buyers and sellers.</div>
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We have also partnered with List Hub Global, the best in international syndication, to further our reach globally. Many listings will reach an international audience of more than 70 million buyers and investors in over 60 countries and territories through over 100 different real estate portals.</div>
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Ever hear of the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times? Coldwell Banker Global Luxury listings are syndicated to websites of these prominent publications to increase awareness. Our luxury property specialists can sit back and relax knowing that these listings will be taken care of by Coldwell Banker.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3.) Marketing Materials</strong></div>
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Coldwell Banker Global Luxury marketing materials can take any home to the next level. Between the visually stunning, totally customizable listing presentation, capabilities brochure, and industry-lauded thought leader content like <a href="https://www.coldwellbankerluxury.com/cta/home-page/download" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Report</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrArBL720rA" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A look At Wealth</a>, luxury agents have all the tools they need to deliver that ‘wow’ factor to their potential clients. Best of all, just about everything Coldwell Banker Global Luxury puts out is customizable (read: ownable!) by our agents. Our goal is for the content we labor over to be seamlessly integrated into their marketing plans and proposals.</div>
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If all of that isn’t enough, our award-winning publication <a href="http://blog.coldwellbankerluxury.com/homes-estates-magazine/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Homes & Estates</a> is sure to ‘wow’ readers. Our program delivers an insider’s perspective on luxury real estate, design, and lifestyle. It is also home to a host of powerful proprietary marketing tools available only to Luxury Property Specialists, because we recognize that exceptional marketing is a key player in a luxury industry.</div>
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If you want to be part of the brand that sells more million-dollar-plus homes than any other, visit <a href="https://www.coldwellbanker.com/careers/CBGLCareers.html" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #418fde; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.coldwellbanker.com/careers/CBGLCareers.html</a> to find out why your next move should be with Coldwell Banker Real Estate.</div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-22704500563297708142019-12-03T09:57:00.000-06:002019-12-03T09:57:26.318-06:00Weekly Market Activity Report For Week Ending November 23, 2019Residential new construction activity continues to rise nationally. The U.S.
Commerce Department reports that new housing permits rose 5% in October to a
new 12-year high of 1.46 million units. Lawrence Yun, the National Association of
REALTORS® chief economist, called the latest figures “tremendously good news
for the housing sector.” With builder sentiment and buyer activity remaining strong,
it is widely expected that new construction will continue to remain brisk in the
coming months.<br />
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In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending November 23: <br />
• New Listings increased 74.1% to 928<br />
• Pending Sales increased 39.8% to 966<br />
• Inventory decreased 6.6% to 10,724<br />
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For the month of October:<br />
• Median Sales Price increased 5.7% to $280,000<br />
• Days on Market decreased 4.2% to 46<br />
• Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.1% to 98.1%<br />
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 4.0% to 2.4<br />
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<img alt="Minneapolis Area Assosiciation of Realtors" src="https://www.mplsrealtor.com/wp-content/themes/maar/images/logo.png" /><br />
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Publish Date: December 2, 2019 • All comparisons are to 2018 All data from NorthstarMLS. Provided by Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. Report © 2019 ShowingTime.Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-31007359522465154462019-11-27T10:00:00.000-06:002019-12-03T10:01:13.598-06:00Make A Move to End Hunger<span style="background-color: white; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">Moving any time soon? Find out how the simple act of moving can help you feed a person in need.</span><br />
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Guest post by NorthStar Moving Co-Founder Laura McHolm</em></div>
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Did you know that in the United States, 1 in 7 children goes to bed hungry? Shocking right!? What can just one person do to tackle such a big problem? A simple click of a button or making a move can help out quite a bit! First thing you can do is go online and donate to your local food bank. Every little bit helps! It only costs $1 to provide four meals to a hungry child. Next, bring <a href="https://www.northstarmoving.com/about/community/food-drive-2019/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">non-perishable food</a> directly to your local food bank’s door.</div>
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If you are moving, it is the perfect opportunity to help feed hungry kids. The act of giving while you move will actually make your move easier and potentially help those in need. As you pack up your kitchen, don’t throw away those unexpired canned and dried goods, donate them! Save yourself some heavy lifting and shelf place in the new place. Sounds easy right? It gets better, you don’t even have to take the food down to your local food bank yourself!</div>
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Visit <a href="http://www.moveforhunger.org/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">www.MoveForHunger.org</a>, a non-profit organization that will connect you with a local moving company that will deliver your non-perishable food donations to your local food bank for you. Check out their <a href="http://www.moveforhunger.org/findamover" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Find A Mover</a> tool and feel good about working with a moving company that gives back. It’s free and one less thing to pack.</div>
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Wondering if your food bank wants your three pound bottle of mustard? Here are the top items that they need:</div>
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<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Canned Vegetables & Fruits</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Canned Stews & Soups</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Canned Beans</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Canned Tuna</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pasta & Sauce</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Baby Food</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dry Beans</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Flour</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cereal & Oatmeal</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juice</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rice</li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peanut/Nut Butters & Jelly/Jams</li>
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Now that you have donated a box full of food to provide meals for hungry families, feeling the urge to help even more? Start your own food drive. It’s a great way to get your kids in the habit of giving. Simply ask local businesses, schools and libraries to put out your colorfully decorated food drive donation boxes and use your social networks to get the word out. If I can do it for seven years in a row with the <a href="https://www.northstarmoving.com/about/community/food-drive-2019/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Let’s Send Hunger Packing”</a> food drive, you can too. In fact, we have raised a total of approximately 134,124 meals! It only takes 1.2lbs of food to provide a meal to an individual in need, so it doesn’t matter how big your food drive is, every little bit helps. Together, we really can send hunger packing!</div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Laura McHolm is an organizational, moving & storage expert and co-founder of </em><a href="http://www.northstarmoving.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NorthStar Moving Company</em></a><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. NorthStar Moving Company is an award winning, “A+” rated company, which specializes in providing eco-luxury moving and storage services.</em></div>
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<i>Originally posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog</i></div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-19958784275228790582019-11-13T10:02:00.000-06:002019-12-03T10:03:13.849-06:00Get Thanksgiving Holiday Prep Started Early<span style="background-color: white; color: #1e232b; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19.2px;">Whether you’ll be hosting a family get-together or celebrating with friends, start planning now to ensure a stress- and disaster-free Turkey day.</span><br />
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Guest post by Michelle Lee, Houzz</em></div>
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It’s time to pack up those spooky Halloween decorations and transition your home for the next fall holiday. Whether you’ll be hosting a family get-together or celebrating with friends, start planning now to ensure a stress- and disaster-free Turkey day. Here’s how to organize your party supplies and details for a beautiful feast this year.</div>
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<a href="https://www.houzz.com/photo/36655007-plyroom-home-scandinavian-home-office-melbourne" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="666" src="https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/c42134c605b61f80_8-2419/scandinavian-home-office.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="500" /></a></div>
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<small style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.houzz.com/pro/plyroom/plyroom" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Photo by Plyroom</a> – <a href="https://www.houzz.com/photos/home-office" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Look for home office pictures</a></small></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Finalize Your Guest List</strong></h2>
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First things first, sit down with your friends and family to make a final decision on who you’ll be inviting over this year. Make and mail invitations now so your guests will have enough time to coordinate their own plans and get back with a timely RSVP.</div>
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<a href="https://www.houzz.com/photo/98831659-brooklin-update-transitional-kitchen-toronto" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="750" src="https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/fcd1ddfd0980c599_8-8041/transitional-kitchen.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="500" /></a></div>
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<small style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.houzz.com/pro/erininteriors/erin-interiors" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Photo by Erin Interiors</a> – <a href="https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">More kitchen photos</a></small></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Make a Menu or Hire a Caterer</strong></h2>
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Jot down recipes, shopping lists and cooking schedules today if you’re planning to make a home-cooked favorite or two this year. You’ll want to stock up on ingredients before your local grocery store sells out. If you’re not very kitchen-savvy, begin browsing local caterers’ menus before the best get booked.</div>
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While you’re at it, be sure to clear space in your pantry and fridge to hold the bounty of food before cooking day. If you have extra time, your oven and cookware supplies could probably use a nice cleaning.</div>
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<a href="https://www.houzz.com/photo/57358848-middleton-farm-farmhouse-sunroom" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="336" src="https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/1121dfc4076595d1_8-3272/farmhouse-sunroom.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="500" /></a></div>
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<small style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.houzz.com/pro/acanthus-architecture/acanthus-architecture-pa" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Photo by Acanthus Architecture, PA</a> – <a href="https://www.houzz.com/photos/sunroom" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Look for sunroom pictures</a></small></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Do a Walk-Through of Your Home</strong></h2>
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It’s important that you take your time as you pass through every room. Make note of anything unsightly that your guests might notice and take the next couple of weeks to fix scuffed paint spots, flickering lights or fraying furniture. Clear the coat closet and entryway, spruce up your post-feast lounging areas and prep guests rooms or kids’ areas as needed. Also take a good look at your dining space as you move on to the next tip.</div>
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<a href="https://www.houzz.com/photo/46955200-cremorne-residence-farmhouse-dining-room-sydney" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="750" src="https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/a5d16cd4069da57e_8-1761/farmhouse-dining-room.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="500" /></a></div>
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<small style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.houzz.com/pro/tonkaandjelkovicdesign/tonka-andjelkovic-design" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Photo by Tonka Andjelkovic Design</a> – <a href="https://www.houzz.com/photos/dining" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Look for dining room pictures</a></small></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Decide What You’ll Need to Rent or Buy</strong></h2>
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Can your dining room accommodate one long table for everyone or will you have to split up into two areas? Do you have enough chairs and table settings? Gather your own entertaining supplies and see if you can make-do or if you’ll need to buy or rent extras for this holiday season.</div>
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<a href="https://www.houzz.com/photo/88599-glittering-fall-table-setting-and-centerpiece-ideas-decorating-home-and-garden" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="666" src="https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/d081e8650cef052c_8-1000/home-design.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="500" /></a></div>
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<small style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.houzz.com/user/sharon70" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Photo by sharon70</a> – <a href="https://www.houzz.com/photos" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Search home design design ideas</a></small></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Plan Out Your Table(s)</strong></h2>
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This step is a bit early, but you can start visualizing the table or sketch it out on paper. Start planning an ideal seating chart, so couples aren’t awkwardly separated and family feuds aren’t reignited. You can make changes as RSVPs arrive.</div>
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Consider what your statement centerpiece will be this year as well as how you’ll be coordinating the plate settings and name cards to match. If you’re going with a nature-themed piece, it’s best to wait to order flowers now to prevent early wilting, but make sure to reserve one ahead of time with a local florist.</div>
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<a href="https://www.houzz.com/photo/42042462-autumn-decor-and-new-england-road-trip-farmhouse-entry-new-york" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="708" src="https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/b7f164b60626f569_8-6767/farmhouse-entry.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="500" /></a></div>
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<small style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.houzz.com/pro/rikkisnyder/rikki-snyder" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Photo by Rikki Snyder</a> – <a href="https://www.houzz.com/photos/entry" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #444444; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Discover entryway design inspiration</a></small></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Start Decorating!</strong></h2>
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This is the most fun step of all and you can really let your style shine in any way you desire. Choose a general theme for the home and shop for matching decorations. Make sure you add some of this season’s classics, such as warm candles along the mantel or an inviting fall wreath on the front door.</div>
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Originally posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog</div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-58780721253904750842019-11-08T15:09:00.000-06:002019-11-08T15:09:00.592-06:0020 White Kitchens That Look Like Design Heaven<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #515e5f; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.28px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-top: 1.2em;">
A bright all-white kitchen can be a bit blinding and stark-especially a small one. Painting your cabinets a subtle neutral will maintain than the light and open feel of a white color scheme while bringing in dimension and personality.</div>
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All white is classic, but it can get blah, fast. Warm it up and add contrast without breaking out of the light color scheme with a cream and earth-toned rug. Leanne Ford also displayed earthy decor on the floating shelves to bring out the rug.</div>
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<a href="https://www.housebeautiful.com/author/221470/hadley-mendelsohn/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">Hadley Mendelsohn </a>Design Editor Hadley Mendelsohn is House Beautiful's design editor, and when she's not busy obsessing over all things decor-related, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again.</div>
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<img alt="industrial kitchen" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/williamsburg-schoolhouse-kitchen-021-1540313539.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=480:*" /></div>
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Read the full article Here ! <a href="https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/kitchens/g3223/white-kitchen-ideas/?utm_source=cbrbbambu&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cbrbadvocacy" style="background-color: transparent;">https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/kitchens/g3223/white-kitchen-ideas/?utm_source=cbrbbambu&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cbrbadvocacy</a></div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-53810610036811301772019-11-06T06:00:00.000-06:002019-11-06T06:00:01.480-06:00How to Pack Your Garage In Five Steps<h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "PT Serif", arial, serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Packing up a garage when moving can feel like a chore. With a little planning, packing up your garage will ease your mind and possibly fill your wallet! Here are some tips on how to tackle the job.</div>
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<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Guest post by NorthStar Moving Co-Founder Laura McHolm</em></div>
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When it comes to packing up your home for a move, the garage is often the last room packed. Let’s face it, we put it off due to the sheer number of things piled up over the years. Garages are full of tools, landscaping equipment and things you don’t want to look at. Often, our garages have become the dumping ground of junk we don’t want in the house. But…there are so many advantages to making the garage the first room you pack up. With a little planning, packing up your garage will ease your mind and possibly fill your wallet! So, how do you tackle packing a garage?</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">#1: <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sort and have a garage sale!</u></strong></div>
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Moving is the time when the garage finally gets cleaned out. Hurray! It doesn’t make much sense to move belongings you have no intention of ever using at the new place. Now is the time to get rid of what you really don’t need: the stroller for your now 10 year-old; the growing collection of sport teams t-shirts; tools never used; etc. But, don’t just toss them out… sell or donate them. If you have the time, a garage sale is a great way to de-clutter and get some extra cash in your pocket.</div>
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First, sort items by creating two sections in your garage: one section for the things you are taking with you and one for the stuff you don’t want or need anymore. Then price and tag the unwanted items for your garage sale. The items that don’t sell can be donated. Donate clothing and household items to your local favorite charity such as Goodwill for someone else to enjoy. You can even donate your unwanted furniture to the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Getting rid of items will cut down on your moving expenses and keep your new garage space nice and a great place to get the rest of your house organized!</div>
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<img alt="Image result for garage sale stock photo" height="213" src="https://cdn9.dissolve.com/p/D237_21_827/D237_21_827_1200.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">#2: <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Get the right supplies</u></strong></div>
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Get the right stuff for your stuff: the right boxes and supplies paired with the right <a href="http://www.northstarmoving.com/moving-tips/packing-101/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">packing methods</a> are crucial in the success of your entire move. In the garage, most items are heavy and oddly shaped. Be sure to have the following on hand:</div>
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– Boxes: Sturdy, recyclable cardboard boxes of various sizes.</div>
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– Eco-bubble wrap: Use biodegradable eco-bubble wrap to protect items.</div>
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– Packing Tape: Every box needs to be taped, top and bottom, with 2 – 2 1/2 inch gummed or masking tape to give it additional strength and prevent opening, so you’ll need approximately one roll of tape for every 15 to 20 boxes. Run multiple strips of tape along the bottom of the box in both directions to make sure the box stays secure.</div>
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– Packing Paper:While ordinary newspaper works fine for some purposes, be aware that the paper’s print will run giving you an extra cleaning task at your new home.</div>
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– Blankets:Your mover can provide you with moving blankets for large items.</div>
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Tip: Before you start placing your garage belongings into the moving boxes make sure you have secured the boxes bottoms with several layers of packing tape for added protection. Correctly packed boxes paired with the correct moving supplies keep your items safe during storage and transport.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">#3: <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What not pack</u></strong></div>
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Most garages have hazardous materials that can’t be moved due to safety reasons. Common sense and the law forbids moving companies from moving flammable items such as aerosol cans, paints, gasoline, paint and paint thinners, charcoal, propane tanks, fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, cleaning supplies, etc. Be sure to properly dispose of these items before your move.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">#4: <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How to pack garage items</u></strong></div>
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– Leave smaller hand tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, hammers, etc. in your toolbox and close securely.</div>
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– Wrap any items with sharp blades with a few layers of eco-bubble.</div>
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– Bundle large garden tools such shovels and rakes together with tape or rope and wrap them with a large moving blanket.</div>
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– Preferably pack power tools in their original container. Remove any detachable parts a tool may have, including the batteries, and pack them in the same box.</div>
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– Gas operated machinery such as lawn mowers and chain saws must be emptied of their fuel before they are moved.</div>
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– Stack outdoor chairs and disassemble other outdoor furniture when possible. Remove cushions and pack them in boxes.</div>
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– Wrap fragile flowerpots in eco-bubble. However, keep in mind moving companies cannot move plants across state lines. And your plants won’t survive in storage.</div>
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– Clean, defrost and dry: refrigerators and freezers. Wrap them with moving blankets for protection.</div>
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– Dissemble bikes as much as you can before the movers get there, remove the handlebars and wheels. If you can, it is best to go to a local bike store and look for an original bike box and use it to pack the bike.</div>
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– If a grill is equipped with a propane tank it cannot be moved even if it is empty. And, you cannot move charcoal either. Best to give them away to neighbors. Remove the entire propane tank and the charcoal before you move just the grill.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">#5: <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Label, Label!</u></strong></div>
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Remember that memory card game? It’s hard to find those two matching elephants in rows and rows of cards. Label each box with what contents are on the inside and write the location where this box is going: “Habitat for Humanity Restore” or “<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">GARAGE</strong>” and remember to write “<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">FRAGILE</strong>” when needed.</div>
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While the garage is often the last room packed in a home, make it your first. It takes a lot of time; from sorting, dealing with odd shaped tricky items to packing and donating. So start early and ask for help! You can also use that empty garage space for moving items out of each room and sorting. Repeat the above steps for each room. Wishing you a stress free move!</div>
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<img alt="Related image" height="181" src="https://cleanmyspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/messy-garage.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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Originally posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog</div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-81075350414513018552019-11-01T05:00:00.000-05:002019-11-01T05:00:13.692-05:005 Things to Do to Your Grass This Fall<h2 style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e232b; font-family: "PT Serif", arial, serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Fall is the best time for lawn care, so when it comes to planning your autumn projects, add these to the list.</div>
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<span class="post-date" style="background: none; border: 0px; color: #30517f; display: inline-block; float: right; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 1.2em !important; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 15px 0px 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "PT Serif", arial, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following is a guest post by Bill Campbell</em></span></div>
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By the time fall comes along, and you’ve tended to your grass every single week, pleasant springtime memories of fresh-mown grass smell have long passed. Still, you must get the yard grass ready for winter, especially if you’re planning to put the <a href="https://www.coldwellbanker.com/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">house up for sale</a> next spring. <a href="https://web.extension.illinois.edu/hortihints/0208e.html" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fall is the best time for lawn care</a>, so when it comes to planning your autumn projects, add these to the list.</div>
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1. Adjust the Lawn Mower Blade</h2>
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When cutting the grass in late September or early October, set the mowing blades a bit shorter than usual. Lower the blade to the shortest recommended height for your variety of grass. That will help keep grass from matting underneath winter snow, but the turf will be high enough for the roots to stay firmly planted in the soil. Preventing thatch and matting allows snow-covered grass to remain healthy, and leads to a thick, full lawn in March, April, and May.</div>
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2. Fertilize</h2>
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The leaves are changing, and that means it’s time to fertilize the grass. If you haven’t done it this year, <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/soil-testing" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">test the soil</a> to determine its acidic balance; this lets you know what <a href="https://handymanprollc.com/best-lawn-fertilizers-reviews/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">type of fertilizer</a> to use. The pH scale is from 0 to 14; anything less than 7.0 is acid, and anything above 7.0 is considered alkaline. Whether you choose <a href="http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/SITEPREP/amenfert.html" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">soil amendments</a>, <a href="https://extension.usu.edu/waterquality/files-ou/Agriculture-and-Water-Quality/Resources/HG-510.pdf" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">organic</a>, or chemical fertilizers, they must be the proper types for the grass in your yard. Buy a soil testing kit or contact your local cooperative extension service.</div>
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3. Aerate</h2>
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Speaking of soil, it needs to breathe. Soil compaction occurs in areas where kids are playing, dogs are running, riding lawn mowers are sitting — you get the idea. Compacted soil stops air and water from reaching the roots. (Even those squirmy earthworms can’t get very far!) Fertilizer won’t soak in very well. In short, compacted soil is bad for grass.</div>
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Aerating the lawn provides air that lets grassroots thrive. You can do it yourself by hand, but really, the best way to <a href="https://www.wikilawn.com/lawn-care/lawn-aeration-guide/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">aerate the yard</a>, especially a large one, is to hire a landscaper with the right kind of equipment. Hundreds to thousands of small, cork-like plugs of dirt are removed from the ground, allowing the grass to spread, thicken and breathe.</div>
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4. Reseed</h2>
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The type of grass and condition it’s in determine reseeding requirements, but in any case, this project is better for autumn than in spring. September is ideal for overseeding <a href="https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/agent-articles/lawns/september-reseed-grass-seed.html" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">cool-season</a> and <a href="https://ugaurbanag.com/overseeding-warm-season-grasses/" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">warm-season</a> grasses. If you live in an area prone to snow, you’ll want to reseed the entire lawn before the first frost. For warmer climates, reseeding the dead and bare patches should bring a nice green carpet, come springtime.</div>
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5. Weed Control</h2>
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The first thing to remember is that weeds will never completely go away, so don’t make yourself crazy over it. But you can control the first outset in spring by applying a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall. It can give you a head start on next spring’s weed-reducing efforts. Follow directions carefully.</div>
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As if this weren’t enough, here are a couple more autumn yard projects for you. Rake and remove fallen leaves so they won’t create a thick mat that will suffocate your lawn over the winter. Continue to water the lawn if you’re not seeing enough rainfall — if it hasn’t entered dormancy, grass should get an inch of water per week.</div>
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One thing to note: If you start a project too late in the season, your efforts are wasted. The grassroots will need time to absorb the nutrients from fertilizer. Tender plant seedlings from reseeding won’t survive the cooler temperatures. For a healthy lawn in spring, develop a fall schedule, and stick to it.</div>
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Originally posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter Blog</div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-7920588130497731682019-10-30T06:00:00.000-05:002019-10-30T06:00:06.934-05:004 Easy Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Fall<div class="Post__item Post__image Post__item--first" style="align-items: center; align-self: flex-start; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: sans-serif; grid-column: 2 / 3; justify-content: center; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; max-width: none; order: -2; width: 730px;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">With the dog days of summer in our rearview mirror, it's time to embrace</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;"> </span><a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-ultimate-fall-decorating-guide-30-ideas-to-try-this-weekend-251508" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: 0.28px; text-decoration-line: none;">all that fall has to offer</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">-vibrant leaves, crisp apples, chunky knits, a piping hot cup of cider. There's a definite</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;"> </span><a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/get-ready-for-fall-weekend-projects-36644616" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: 0.28px; text-decoration-line: none;">shift in our interiors</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">as well, with windows closed up and darker hours descending. And if you work a nine-to-five, chances are the sun is setting by the time you call it a day.</span></div>
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Thankfully, there are some easy steps you can take to give your home a refreshing makeover for fall. The key, according to <a href="https://havenly.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">Havenly</a> interior designer <a href="https://havenly.com/interior-designers/Annie.Mueller" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">Annie Mueller</a>, is to create a foundation that lends itself to new layers with each season. Depending on your tastes, this can mean starting with softer hues like beige and gray or a high-low contrast in shades of black and white. Those who favor the bold might prefer a mix of vibrant colors and patterns for an eclectic foundation.</div>
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"If you're unsure of where to start, try sticking to <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/walmart-natural-bohemian-home-decor-36656579" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">a neutral palette</a> for your larger pieces," she explains. "Doing this will ensure you're not pigeon-holed to a specific color story and allow you the flexibility to go bolder with your accessories if you're so inclined."</div>
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With this clean slate, follow her genius tips to make your home cozier than a pumpkin spice latte.</div>
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Add Seasonal Touches in Moderation</div>
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For autumnal decor that is both festive and sophisticated, Mueller says less is more.</div>
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"Add a mix of mums and pumpkins to your front porch, making sure to include a variety of widths and heights for interest," she notes. "A unique arrangement in your dining room or living room can give your space all the cozy fall vibes without being overwhelming"</div>
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The interior designer recommends starting with <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/best-places-to-buy-fake-plants-36658250" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">some greenery</a>, layering in flowers, and injecting a pop of metallics in gold, silver or rose gold.</div>
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Layer Textural Pillows and Throws</div>
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Fall is the best time to cuddle up on the sofa and binge-watch your favorite show. Up the cozy factor by adding extra <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/knit-throw-blankets-36652685" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">throw blankets</a> in chunky knits, Mueller says. Then, add pillows with textures like <a href="https://www.westelm.com/products/lush-velvet-pillow-covers-t4240" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">velvet</a>, mohair, or <a href="https://www.potterybarn.com/products/faux-fur-ruched-pillow-covers" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">faux fur</a>.</div>
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"For a modern edge, keep your palette monochromatic," she says. "Or mix colors and patterns like <a href="https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/primitives-by-kathy-buffalo-check-throw/5321174" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">buffalo check</a>, <a href="https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/juniper-plaid-throw-blanket" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">plaid</a> or ticking stripe for a more traditional approach."</div>
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Calling all <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/features/how-to-take-care-of-plants" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">plant lovers</a>: You have our permission to add <em class="bambu-ck-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;">more</em> greens to your home. (Those plants won't last on the porch once the temperatures drop, anyway.) Mueller loves <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Costa-Farms-Lyrata-Fiddle-Leaf-Planter/dp/B07MHRRJGQ" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">fiddle-leaf figs</a>, eucalyptus branches, and orchids.</div>
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Don't have a green thumb? Don't worry. Try some <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/walmart-art-36658636" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">brighter artwork</a> you might not hang year-round, for example. Mueller says easels make a smart, non-permanent installation.</div>
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Create a Signature Home Scent</div>
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We all love a good <a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/fall-candles-36651948" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; text-decoration-line: none;">pumpkin candle</a>, but there's a better way to inhale scents of the season without worrying about potential toxins. Mueller is all for a stovetop potpourri.</div>
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"Include anything from apples or oranges to cinnamon sticks, vanilla, cloves, pine needles, anise or lemon peels," she recommends. "Add any combo of the above ingredients with water in a pot, let simmer, and breathe in that intoxicating scent of autumn."</div>
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But, as Ina Garten always says, store-bought is also fine. If you're on the se<span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">arch for a streamlined scent, purchase pre-packaged potpourri or create</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;"> </span><a href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/fall-candles-36651948" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="background: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #11a7aa; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: 0.28px; text-decoration-line: none;">a candle cocktail</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.28px;">.</span></div>
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Originally published by Apartment Therapy and written by <a class="Post__author-link" href="https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/ann-loynd-burton" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Post__author" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; display: inline !important; font-size: 12.8px; letter-spacing: 0.02em; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Post__author-indicator" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: lowercase;">by</span> ANN LOYND BURTON</span></a></div>
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UPDATED: OCT 21, 2019</div>
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Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-3326561080676036912019-10-28T14:35:00.000-05:002019-10-29T14:36:31.076-05:00Weekly Market Activity Report For Week Ending October 19, 2019While the U.S. Commerce Department reported that total housing starts dropped
9.4% month over month in September, that drop was focused on the apartment
and condo segment while single-family housing starts actually rose .3%.
Throughout much of the country, the continued low level of housing inventory is
constraining sales activity from where it would be in a balanced market. Active
inventory is in its normal seasonal decline, leaving buyers with fewer choices as we
move towards the end of the year.<br />
<br />
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending October 19:<br />
• New Listings decreased 6.1% to 1,309<br />
• Pending Sales increased 6.5% to 1,138<br />
• Inventory decreased 3.7% to 12,440<br />
<br />
For the month of September:<br />
• Median Sales Price increased 6.6% to $279,250<br />
• Days on Market increased 2.4% to 43<br />
• Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.1% to 98.5%<br />
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 3.7% to 2.6<br />
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<img alt="Minneapolis Area Assosiciation of Realtors" src="https://www.mplsrealtor.com/wp-content/themes/maar/images/logo.png" /><br />
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All data from NorthstarMLS. Provided by Minneapolis Area REALTORS®. Report © 2019 ShowingTime.Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486585895050533588.post-6873856547588839812019-07-24T07:00:00.000-05:002019-07-24T07:00:03.632-05:005 New Homeowner Mistakes You Can Easily Avoid (And How to Avoid Them)<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #1e232b; font-family: "PT Serif", arial, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The following is a guest post from Jessica Thiefels</em></div>
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Become a first-time homeowner is one of the most exciting and stressful times of your life, even after the closing papers have been signed and key is in hand. Suddenly, you’re faced with a whole new set of challenges: how to manage a home that’s yours, not your landlord’s. There are a lot of opportunities to learn—and as you learn, mistakes will be made.</div>
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Luckily, many new homeowner mistakes can be easily avoided with a little preparation. Don’t let the following potential mistakes damper your excitement. Instead, plan ahead and keep these tips and tricks in mind as you learn the ropes of being a homeowner.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ignoring Routine Maintenance</strong></div>
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You likely just did a walk-through with a licensed inspector during the homebuying process, so you’re aware of what issues need attention and which can wait. That’s not where home maintenance stops. Home maintenance includes tasks you may have never thought of before, like cleaning the gutters, power-washing the house, prepping your pipes for winter and much more.</div>
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The best way to avoid missing these critical tasks, which could lead to costly damage, is to set up a quarterly or monthly maintenance schedule for all of the areas of your home. This should include indoor and outdoor maintenance as well as details like plumbing and electrical. Use <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/advice/home-maintenance-checklist/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">this checklist from Better Homes and Gardens</a></u> as a starting point to creating one that’s specific to your home’s unique needs.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Not Budgeting for Additional Expenses</strong></div>
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Moving can be expensive but any veteran homeowner will tell you that there’s always more to budget for—and these issues seem to pop-up out of nowhere, like a broken washer right after you need to patch a leak in the roof. Plan for the unexpected by putting away extra money for emergency house needs.</div>
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Experts at <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.hgtv.com/design/real-estate/how-to-budget-for-home-maintenance-costs" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">HGTV</a></u> suggest putting away 1 to 3 percent of your home’s purchase price each year to develop an emergency fund. They give the example, “For example, if your home cost $300,000, set aside at least $3,000 each year. Make one large deposit or spread the amount out in monthly deposits.”</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Getting Locked Out</strong></div>
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Being a new homeowner can make you more susceptible to being locked out: you have the new keys, you run out to get something and realize that the new key isn’t on your old keyring. You walk outside with the trash, forgetting that the new door locks behind you.</div>
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This mistake can lead to another one: choosing a locksmith that’s not reputable. In your hurry to get back into the house, it’s easy to forget to do your research and listen for clues that something’s not right.</div>
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That’s why experts from <u style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://lockologylocksmith.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #30517f; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Lokology Locksmith</a></u> share an important tip, “Ask the locksmith for an estimate prior to their arrival. If the locksmith cannot give you a quote or a price range over the phone—that should be a red flag.” This is a simple way to test whether a company is reputable to reinforce the quick research you did.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Making Major Renovations Right Away</strong></div>
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It’s exciting to think about how you’ll make your new home feel more like yours with renovation projects. While small changes are to be expected, major renovations should wait. Give yourself time to live in the home, see how it feels, and determine what larger renovations will look like as needs arise.</div>
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For example, you may find the location of your fridge makes it hard to move around the kitchen seamlessly. This might be a focus of your kitchen renovation that would have otherwise not been considered.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Making Major Life Changes at the Same Time</strong></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong>As you can see, becoming a first-time homeowner is a lot of work. Adding to that by having a baby or getting married at the same time only increases the likelihood that you’ll make mistakes or become overly stressed. If possible, leave yourself time to get to know what it’s like to be a homeowner and avoid making costly mistakes that come with being stressed, and in-turn, overlooking simple details.</div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Avoid New Homeowner Mistakes</strong></div>
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There are some mistakes you can’t avoid—but many others that you can. As you get familiar with your role as a homeowner, keep these simple mistakes in mind. If you plan ahead as best you can, you’ll be able to enjoy all the excitement of owning your first home with less stress and frustration.</div>
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Originally posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter </div>
Eric and Sharla Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03735969964298121621noreply@blogger.com0