Autumn Nights Outdoors: How to Enjoy Your Outdoor Space in the Fall

Extend the life of your porch or patio by transforming your favorite summer spot into a cozy retreat that’s perfect for enjoying autumn nights outdoors.

Guest post by Angie Erickson

As we welcome cooler temperatures and colorful foliage, many homeowners might be tempted to pack up the outdoor furniture for the year. Not so fast, we say. Extend the life of your porch or patio by transforming your favorite summer spot into a cozy retreat that’s perfect for enjoying autumn nights outdoors.

Keep It Cozy

When the temperatures begin to drop, consider putting away the umbrella for the season. You’ll not only invite more sunlight to your space during the day, but you’ll also clear the view for stargazing during alfresco dinner parties. To bring more warmth to the area once the sun sets, circle a few outdoor chairs around a firepit. Make sure you keep the sparks at bay by picking a fireplace with a mesh lid.

To make things even cozier, layer on comfort with outdoor pillows. Swap out summer’s tropical hues for classic fall colors. Orange, wine and dark green instantly make the space feel autumn-ready. Make sure to complement the pillows with plenty of soft throw blankets. Chunky, knit options are ideal for snuggling up on the outdoor sofa on chilly nights. If you’re entertaining a large crowd, consider bringing a sharable-sized quilt outside.

Get Creative with Lighting

As the sun starts setting earlier and earlier, it’s important to have enough light on your porch for dark nights. A simple porch light does the trick, but creative lighting is a great way to add ambiance to your space. For instance, outdoor string lights bring an enchanting look to the porch or patio. For a soft glow around the perimeter of your yard, wrap a few long strings of white lights around the trees, shrubs or fence posts. Shorter ones are a gorgeous addition to the tabletop. Simply place them over your runner with an autumn leaf garland for ambient lighting during moonlit meals.

If you need more lighting, nothing creates a more romantic glow than candlelight. To give your outdoor table a fall feel, opt for pillar candles in seasonal colors—orange, red and ivory candles in clear glass holders play up the colors of changing leaves. To diffuse the light, go for white candles in textured glass or metal hurricanes. Lanterns look lovely scattered around the porch. Fill a few with birch candles and others with fall botanicals such as pinecones and acorns.

Looking for something unexpected? Try decoratively carved pumpkins. While the quintessential smiling jack-o’-lantern works well in October, other designs can add ambiance to the porch beyond Halloween. Carve the shapes of acorns, autumn leaves or abstract patterns into gourds, and place a tea light inside of them to show off your handiwork. The fun doesn’t stop with the carving. Rather than tossing the seeds, roast them on a baking sheet and season with salt, pepper or cinnamon for a delicious treat.

Indulge in Fall Flavors

To take the bite off of chilly fall breezes, warm up with hot drinks. Hot apple cider is a fall favorite. Make your own with fresh apples from your local orchard, and simmer in a stock pot with sugar and spices. Serve in glass mugs, garnish with a cinnamon stick and add your choice of liquor if desired. If you’re short on time, simply keep bottles of hard cider and ice in a beverage tub, and provide pint glasses. For kid-friendly beverages on family night, serve hot chocolate in ceramic mugs by the firepit.

For dinner, make the most out of the grill before winter sets in. Tailgate with hot dogs and burgers for casual meals during football season. If you want a more formal dinner party, grill steak or salmon accompanied by hearty sides made with seasonal ingredients such as squash or sweet potatoes. Plate on leaf-decorated or autumn-toned dishes that coordinate with your outdoor decor.

For dessert, make things more interactive with a build-your-own caramel apple station. Provide bowls of warm caramel or chocolate for coating, with plates of chopped nuts and candy for easy rolling. If you’re hosting a bonfire, s’mores are a must. Provide skewers alongside serving bowls full of large marshmallows, and let your guests roast their own. As a twist on the classic, consider setting out cookies as an alternative to graham crackers.

With just a few changes to your porch, you can continue to entertain outdoors well into autumn. Think about inviting everyone to the backyard for a Halloween party, post-football game dinner or a weekend bonfire before winter arrives.

Angie Erickson writes inspirational content for Crate and Barrel. She shares entertaining and interior design advice on lifestyle blogs.

How Much House Can You Afford?

HOUSE POOR [adjective | hous – poo·r] A person who can afford his or her home mortgage payments, but can’t afford much of anything else. Discretionary spending on restaurants, furnishings, travel and clothes are severely cut back, due to a large proportion of his or her income going towards the mortgage payments, upkeep costs, and energy/utility bills.

You don’t want to find yourself stuck at home while your friends are out having fun. Buying more home than you can afford comfortably will place serious restraints on your financial life. This doesn’t sound like fun, does it?

Sure, you want a nice home. But you also want to make sure that it fits in the landscape of the rest of your life.

Here are the ABC’s of finding a dream house that you can reasonably afford.

Assess Your Ratios

Finding that magic mortgage number of how much home you can realistically afford.

• Front-End Ratio: A front-end ratio is also known as the mortgage-to-income ratio. You can find this ratio by using a debt to income calculator or simply by dividing your projected monthly mortgage payments by your gross monthly income. For example, if your monthly mortgage payment would be $1,500 and your monthly income is $6,000, your front-end ratio would be 1500/6000 or 25%This projected mortgage payment should include the principal, taxes, insurance, and interest payments. Many lenders have limits on the maximum front-end ratio that they’ll permit. If you’re seeking an FHA loan, the federal cap on front-end ratios is a 31% percent limit.
• Back-End Ratio: Your debt-to-income ratio is your back-end ratio. The back-end ratio can be found by adding all of your monthly debt payments, including your car payments, credit card payments and any other outstanding debt, then dividing this number by your gross monthly income, which is the amount earned before taxes or other deductions.The higher your back-end ratio is, the more difficult it is to meet your monthly mortgage payments. Lenders will also have maximum caps on this. The absolute highest back-end ratio you can have and still qualify for an FHA mortgage is 43%.

Pause and reflect on whether or not you should borrow as much as you qualify for.Consider your own ratios. Do you want to allocate your money elsewhere besides your mortgage? What percentage of your income do you feel comfortable spending on your mortgage?

Bet on Life

Are you starting a new career? Returning to graduate school? Do you plan on growing your family? If you don’t expect any big changes to your life or finances, then you may be able to afford a larger mortgage payment. If you do have life plans that will impact your finances in the near future, it may be best to secure a more manageable mortgage payment.

Also, job security is critical when deciding how much home you can afford. How long have you been working? Do you suspect any major upheavals in the company anytime soon? Have there been any major layoffs?

You never know what the future holds, make sure that you have an emergency fund that can cover all of your necessary expenses while you get back on your feet. An emergency fund should cover at least three to six months of your living expenses.

If you haven’t built this fund yet, plan out how you can put some dollars towards creating these reserves before you decide how much you want to spend on buying a house.

Calculate Other Monthly Expenses

Your total monthly expenses will affect how much home you’re able to afford.

Calculate all of your expenses, such as groceries, gas, dining out, clothes, miscellaneous goods, toiletries, cosmetics, utilities, and car expenses. Don’t forget to include line-items for travel, holidays and other annual expenses. Forgetting to calculate these annual or biannual expenses can have a reverberating impact on your ability to afford your home.

Once you’ve added these numbers, look at how much wiggle room you have left. Think about how much you want to spend on your home, while still leaving a buffer for any other costs that might creep up. After all, more savings is always a good thing.

Sharon Lee

Sharon is the Manager of Product and Content Marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC.

Originally posted by Coldwell Banker Blue Matter

Ditch the Sprinkler with These Water-Efficient Landscaping Ideas

From efficient plants to water-smart landscaping, your lawn can certainly do its part to improve water efficiency.

Ready for a shock? The average US household guzzles down 320 gallons of water a day—that’s about nine full bath tubs’ worth of liquid! And about 30 percent of that gets dumped out straight on the lawn. Conventional water sprinklers are so inefficient that about half of all the water they use is totally wasted.

No wonder we’re witnessing record-level droughts. Though a lot of the US has recovered from the catastrophic drought conditions we saw a few years ago, globally, we’re not in the clear. According to the NOAA, almost every continent on the US has been impacted by dry conditions this year. Kenya, in particular, is suffering right now from a record-setting drought, which has been devastating to local farmers and wildlife alike. That’s a pretty big issue to be up against, but fortunately, we can all play a small part in conserving water—right in our own backyards. From efficient plants to water-smart landscaping, your lawn can certainly do its part to keep waste at bay. Read on to find out how.

Mulch the Eco-friendly Way

Many new gardeners assume that mulching is just for appearances—but did you know it does a lot more for your beds than covering up the dirt? Mulch not only roots out troublesome weeds, it conserves moisture in the soil. A layer of it around plants more closely mirrors natural conditions, since forested areas are typically topped with nutrient-rich plant debris. Inside this mixture of twigs, bark, and leaves are beneficial microbes that subsist off the decaying matter. As these organisms break down organic material, transforming it into soil, they give off a sticky, almost glue-like substance that holds the topsoil together so that it has a crumbly texture. Soil with this texture holds in water much more effectively than other consistencies. Mulching with organic materials like leaves or pine needles kicks off this natural process, so that the soil is less likely to dry out—and it also forms a protective layer that keeps water from evaporating as fast.

Forget the Landscaping—Go for Hardscaping

Turf is overrated, at least where water conservation is concerned. Hardscaping, the collective name for stone features used to landscape a garden or exterior area, gets points for being drought-tolerant—and when used properly, can really add some modern verve to your lawn. A terraced backyard, for instance, uses stone boundary walls to create multiple tiers—which can then be topped by native plants or beds of pebbles.

Other options? If you have a smaller lawn, try extending your paved patio out further from the back door. Leave openings for attractive beds that provide a peak of color, without being too hard on your water profile. Or add a “dry creek bed” finished with appealing native stones and pebbles—as a bonus, permeable paving like this helps collect rainfall and return it to the soil. Curved paths, steps, and stacked retaining walls all offer notes of interest in the hardscaped yard. And the best part? You’ll never forget to water them!

Spruce Up Your Beds with Ornamental Grasses and Succulents

Most lawns are pretty thirsty—experts recommend giving your grass about one to two inches of water a week, which is about two-thirds of a gallon for every square foot. That means that if you’ve got quite a bit of turf on your hands, your lawn could be practically guzzling water!

The alternatives take a little more planning—and a designer’s eye—but they’re definitely worth it when you weigh your water footprint. In particular, native ornamental grasses make for a pretty stunning display. Try pairing two species at varying heights for a more polished look. These work well along a fence or border wall, or in place of less drought-tolerant shrubs against your house or beside an entryway. You should try to pick varieties that are native to your area. If you need help with that, the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder can help you identify some that will work.

Succulent gardens also make a nice addition to the water-efficient home. There are a number of desert-hailing plants, such as Yucca, Agave, Sempervivum, Delosperma, Opuntia, and Sedum, that can survive extremely low temps. These species require very little water—in fact, if you live in a rainier part of the country, you may want to cover them occasionally to prevent overwatering. Likewise, you may need to mix coarse sand or pumice to give them the consistency they like. According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, xeriscaped areas in Las Vegas saved the city 39 percent of its annual summer water consumption, so these kinds of improvements definitely have a lasting effect.

When You Do Water, Do It Wisely

No matter how hardy the plant, most species need a little supplemental watering every once and awhile, especially during the driest parts of the year. Certain techniques definitely are more water-efficient than others, however. For instance, never water your garden during the hottest part of the day. Not only will the water evaporate more quickly, meaning your plants don’t get the good soak they deserve, if the sunlight is very intense, the reflection from the water droplets could damage the leaves.

Likewise, you can adopt practices that will minimize runoff as well. For instance, a short watering—say one to four minutes—three to four times in a day is much more efficient than a long soak. If you must have the sprinkler, turn it off after a rain or in the winter, when most plants are dormant.  Investigate a water-saving smart irrigation system. Using your input, such as your soil type, area, and sun exposure, these WiFi-connected sprinkler controllers are able to create a customized watering schedule that delivers just the right amount of irrigation— no more, no less. Many can even access weather reports to automatically cancel watering if it’s just rained. And the EPA estimates that products labeled with its WaterSense efficiency rating save an average 9,000 gallons of water per household annually. That’s a lot of water for one little change! With updates like these, the future of our water table is right in your hands.

About the Writer

Erin Vaughan is a blogger, gardener and aspiring homeowner.  She currently resides in Austin, TX where she writes full time for Modernize, with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on big home projects with confidence.

Moving a Closet: Pack & Unpack in 3 Stages

Guest post by Co-Founder NorthStar Moving Company Laura McHolm

We all know your closet is miraculous because it holds everything you ever bought. But, that miracle is turning into a horror story. You’re about to move. Do you really want to move everything in that closet? Think go-go boots, prom dress and sequin leggings…

This is your opportunity to purify your wardrobe. At least two weeks prior to moving day, start the closet packing process by sorting your wardrobe to get rid of clothes that have been hiding in the back of your closet for way too long. Why move things you don’t wear? Spend at least a few days determining what are the hidden gems and what’s just taking up space. If you give yourself the gift of time and follow these three stages, not only will your wardrobe be kept in mint condition, you’ll have less clutter.

Empty & Sort

Empty everything out of the closet onto the floor. I mean everything!

Create three piles: keep, give away and throw away.

Having trouble letting go of nostalgic items? Ask yourself:

• When was the last time I wore or used this? If you can’t remember, get rid of it. You should’ve worn it at least 2 times in the past year to warrant keeping it. Be ruthless!
• Still can’t part with it but it never leaves the closet? Take it’s picture on your phone. Does the real thing do anything that the picture can’t

Look at your give away and throw away piles, could someone else use this item even if you can’t? If so, box them up and donate them to a charity. Remember to label the box: “Donate.” If it is too worn, add it to this week’s trash or recycle pile. Again, why pay to move items that you no longer wear!

Pack, Boxes Do Matter

For folded clothing, use medium size/linen size boxes and carefully fold clothes before placing them inside.

 Place hanging clothing in wardrobe boxes. These boxes are a fast and easy way to move your hangers and clothes. The box is tall and has a rod built in so you can hang your clothes inside and don’t have to fold them. It also makes unpacking really easy. Use them for suits, slacks, blouses, dresses, heavy coats and more. Check out this video about packing clothes in a wardrobe box.

First, dust out the wardrobe boxes to clear them of any debris. Then, pack with a plan. Sure, you can just throw everything into the boxes, but if you do you will make the unpacking process a lot harder.

A great way to have a truly miraculous closet in your new home is to organize your wardrobe boxes by season. Pack winter wear separate from summer wear and spring wear separate from fall wear. This will also help if you need to store your clothes.

Place shoes at the bottom of the wardrobe boxes, toe to heel. Heavy boots should be on the bottom while light shoes such as sandals can go on top.

Stuff boots and pursues with paper or t-shirts to keep their form.

You can also use the bottom of the wardrobe boxes for pillows, sweaters or light weight blankets.

Unpack & Organize!

Once you are in your new home and ready to unpack, think of your closet as prime real estate. What items do you want easy access to? Unpack for the season you’re in first. If you find you don’t have space for all the seasons in your new closet, keep the other seasons clothes in the wardrobe boxes and store them. Be sure to throw some cedar chips in with anything you store away.

Once you have unpacked the current season clothing, decide how you want to categorize your clothing within each season. If you choose your clothing based on event (sports, dressy, work) organize your closet that way. If you choose what to wear by time of day, organize your closet that way (morning, day, night). The key is to make your closet organization match how you decide what to wear. Within each season, organize by your chosen method and then by color, light to dark. You’ll be able to find everything quickly, even on a hectic Monday morning!

Place your shoes by use or occasion. For example, sport vs. work, and then break down your dressy shoes by flats to heels and light to dark. You can even put your shoes into clear plastic containers so you can see them. Take it a step further and take photos of your shoes and tape their photo to the inside of their container with the photo facing out of the box.

For your folding clothes: lay them on their side inside your drawer or on the shelf. (NOT stacked on top of each other horizontally, but stacked vertically so you can see everything at once!) Purchase wooden or plastic planks to use as dividers to keep clothes standing vertically.

Having your clothes and accessories all in view organized by categories and color, will make finding items fast. You’ll actually wear more of your clothes.

Last but not least, step back and take a picture of your new “miracle” closet and place it on the inside of your closet so you can keep it that way!

New home, new living…new wardrobe? Nope! A slimmer, newly organized closet. It’s going to feel miraculous to be able to see and wear your entire wardrobe.

Laura McHolm is an organizational, moving & storage expert and co-founder of NorthStar Moving Company. NorthStar Moving Company is an award winning, “A+” rated company, which specializes in providing eco-luxury moving and storage services. www.northstarmoving.com

Weekly Market Activity Report For Week Ending October 6, 2018

Residential real estate continues to churn out impressive numbers as we reach deeper into autumn. In many markets, new listings and/or pending sales are still outperforming the results from this same time last year. When the economy is strong, buyers and sellers will remain active beyond the more traditional selling season. Predictions for a slowdown are rolling in, but we're not there yet. Let's take a look at what's happening locally.

In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending October 6:
• New Listings increased 11.0% to 1,554
• Pending Sales decreased 1.3% to 1,121
• Inventory decreased 3.3% to 12,532

For the month of September:
• Median Sales Price increased 6.1% to $262,000
• Days on Market decreased 16.0% to 42
• Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.3% to 98.4%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale remained flat at 2.6

All data from NorthstarMLS. Provided by the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®. Report © 2018 ShowingTime Publish Date: October 15, 2018 • All comparisons are to 2017

How to Choose the Most Important Features in a Home

Buying a home can be a long process. Approaching it correctly from the beginning can save a great deal of time and effort later and help improve your chances of finding the right home for you.

Make a List of the Most Important Aspects You Want in a Home

Determining exactly what to look for is often the most difficult part of the home search. Homes come in varying shapes and sizes, with different colors and characteristics. Paying attention to all of these details can become problematic, causing you to lose focus.

The best way to avoid this is to sit down ahead of time and make a list of the most important aspects of the home you want to buy. For example, you likely have a certain number of bedrooms in mind. Maybe you want to be in a certain school district, or perhaps you want a larger kitchen.

Some experts recommend making a secondary list of desirable characteristics that you can do without, but would prefer to have, if possible. This list can be longer and used to narrow down choices or decide between homes if more than one is appealing.

Know How to Identify Cost-Efficient Fixer-Upper Homes

When evaluating potential homes to buy, experts note that you shouldn’t put too much emphasis on easily altered cosmetic details like the color of the walls. Repainting may not be convenient, but it is one of the cheapest and easiest changes to make to a home.

Attention might be better focused on aspects that cannot be altered without extensive and expensive work, such as the floor plan. It may also be difficult to ignore the furniture and belongings of the home’s current occupants, but you should remember those items will not be there if and when you move in and make it your own.

By: Victoria Keichinger

Originally posted on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter

8 Genius Ways to Organize Your Kitchen

The following is a guest post from Andrea Davis of HomeAdvisor

The kitchen is one of the most difficult places in the home to keep clean and organized. Between your dishes, utensils and cooking appliances, you have lots of oddly shaped and bulky items to store. If you find yourself overwhelmed by all the stuff in your kitchen, or maybe just need a more efficient way of storing and organizing, consider these genius ways to tidy up your kitchen.

#1 Group Similar Items Together

Grouping items together according to their use is a sensible way to organize your kitchen. Categorizing similar items makes it easier for you and your guests to find things quickly.

#2 Use Baskets to Store Commonly Used Items

Searching for commonly used kitchen items is frustrating. Rather than storing them in random cabinets, use a simple wicker basket to corral and hold popular items. It looks nicer than just stacking utensils on the counter and it’s more organized than stashing them in available cabinets.

#3 Install Slide-Out Pantry Drawers

There’s nothing worse than having to pull everything out of a drawer or cabinet to reach something you’re looking for. Rather than shuffling with all of that mess, install slide-out pantry drawers or cabinets. Now, when you need a spice or are looking for specific dry goods, you can slide the entire cabinet out.

#4 Use Open Shelving

There’s nothing wrong with showing off some of the items you own, like your formal dinnerware or antique teapots. The only challenge you’ll face is keeping it all straight and tidy on your shelves. Installing an open shelving solution will help you organize everyday kitchen items and bring an open, airy energy to your kitchen. As an added benefit, you won’t have to open drawers and doors to find the items you’re looking for.

#5 Explore Alternative Storage

Traditional kitchen storage is great, but sometimes alternatives are just as functional. Consider storing extra kitchen items in wooden crates, baskets and other containers. Do you have a movable kitchen island with space underneath? Use woven baskets to hold your plates and bowls below.

#6 Don’t Waste Space

If you’re struggling to find space to organize all of your cutlery, plates and other utensils, consider high-shelf storage. Remember to only store rarely used items, like your fine china or fondue pot, on high shelves.

#7 Cut Down When Necessary

The kitchen is one of the most popular places in the home to display knick-knacks. If your assortment of collectibles has outgrown your space, the easiest way to organize is to eliminate what you can’t put out on display. This cuts down on clutter and opens up the visuals of your kitchen.

Conclusion

These are just a few simple ways to improve the organization of your kitchen. Now you can enjoy less frustrating meal preparation and less overwhelming visuals.

Re-posted from Coldwell Banker Blue Matter

Pile on Textures for a Comfy and Cozy Space This Fall

Guest post by  Michelle Lee, Houzz

As nights get shorter and the weather gets colder, a lot of us will be retreating indoors for warmth and comfort. If your room still resemble a bright and breezy summer oasis, this might be the time to refresh its look for fall. Fuzzy blankets and snuggable pillows are some of this season’s essentials, so get ready to layer these textures for an autumnal haven.

Photo by Arlo & Jacob – Browse living room ideas

Go for velvet. This material is making a huge comeback in recent style trends and is a must-have staple of fall decor. The rich fabric adds undeniable elegance to any room. It practically begs you to sit down and stay a while. Velvet furniture comes in a variety of beautifully bold colors, such as this navy sofa that brings instant drama to this London living room. You can also reupholster your own piece of furniture in velvet instead of buying a new one.

Photo by Carriage Lane Design-Build Inc. – More bathroom photos

Add a sheepskin rug. If you love wearing slippers around the house and are craving for more warmth underfoot, look no further than a classic sheepskin rug. They are incredibly versatile and can work in any room. Drape one over the back of a chair or sofa or use it as an extra layer on the bed. Its warm, fuzzy texture creates an effortlessly luxurious look. They’re mostly seen in snow-white shades, but they can be customized in a variety of colors.

Photo by Saviano Builders – Look for bedroom pictures

Consider wool, cashmere and knits. These fabrics aren’t restricted to cold-weather clothing; they can be used in home decor as well. Resembling your favorite fall sweater, they immediately conjure up feelings of warmth and stay true to that promise when used as blankets and throws. Available in a multitude of colors and price points, you can easily match them to your current decor scheme and budget. This charmingly chunky knit throw blanket invites you to hibernate here.

Photo by Oivanki Photography – Discover living room design ideas

Layer up the drapes. Give your walls some love this season by investing in floor-to-ceiling window treatments. They can help a small space look and feel taller when mounted to the ceiling while thick, billowy curtains can bring a snug feeling to a large and drafty room. Insulating soft fabric also combats the soon-to-be cold weather outdoors. Neutral colors, such as beige and gray, work best to create a calming and peaceful vibe, as seen in this New Orleans living room.

Photo by deluxe design studio – Browse home design photos

Keep a basket of blankets handy. Bulky blankets are always welcome on cozy fall nights, but they can be a struggle to store if you don’t have a linen closet. Handwoven and braided storage baskets are a great solution. They’re both budget-friendly and adorably fitting for fall. They add an extra layer of texture to the room. Most are deep enough to store several thick blankets. These baskets take up very little space, so they can easily be placed next to a sofa, in an empty nook or near the hearth. Take a hint from this Minneapolis living room and leave the corner of a blanket hanging out for some fuzzy flair.

Photo by Deborah French Designs – Browse living room ideas

Consider floor pillows and poufs. If you’re hosting a lot of family and friends this holiday season, floor pillows can work double-duty as decorations and seating. Poufs can be surprisingly comfortable and easily stacked in a corner as a beautiful display when not in use. They’re also a low-commitment way to experiment with fun prints around the house.

Photo by CONCEPT SALTIN – More living room photos

Decorate with festive throw pillows. Throw pillows are easy, minimal decorations that pack a punch of style. Available in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, they can be customized to your design preference and color palette. Alternatively, you can venture out of your comfort zone and test bold colors or interesting patterns. In this Scandinavian living room, the silver tufted pillow and orange ruffled pillow bring interesting dimension to an otherwise minimalist and neutral space.

Photo by Designdock Lakberendezés – Search living room design ideas

Cozy up by the fire. If you’re lucky enough to have a rustic stone fireplace at home, you have plenty of texture and dimension to work with this fall. For those of us who don’t, you can still play up your fire feature by displaying cute collections or holiday ornaments on the mantel. Even if you have an electric fireplace, stacking wood indoors creates the cabin ambience that is essential to this lovable season. If you don’t have a fireplace at all, consider placing candles around your home. Renters and childproofers might try LED candles, which have become very realistic and even scented. Flame or no flame, the soft flicker and warm glow will instantly cozy up any space.

Originally posted on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter 

Weekly Market Activity Report For Week Ending September 22, 2018

Seven years ago, FICO conducted a survey of bankers that concluded that home prices would not recover until 2020. While roughly one million people are still considered underwater in terms of home value, many people would consider the housing industry to not only be fully recovered but flying forward toward unprecedented price points. While high prices may soon begin to turn buyers off, it will be interesting to see if there is a measurable slowdown in real estate activity versus a natural shift to balanced prices.

In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending September 22:
• New Listings increased 6.1% to 1,555
• Pending Sales increased 3.0% to 1,156
• Inventory decreased 5.3% to 12,632

For the month of August:
• Median Sales Price increased 6.3% to $268,000
• Days on Market decreased 16.7% to 40
• Percent of Original List Price Received increased 0.7% to 99.2%
• Months Supply of Homes For Sale decreased 3.8% to 2.5

Publish Date: October 1, 2018 • All comparisons are to 2017
All data from NorthstarMLS. Provided by the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®. Report © 2018 ShowingTime