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Picking the right furniture for your home might seem overwhelming, especially when given so many unique options. From deciding how much you should spend to finding the right style for your home, there are many factors that go into the decision process. With help from Nicole Gray of Fix.com, you can get prepared with her guide to essential furniture shopping! Learn how to set a budget and how to decide what is right for you.
Everyone has their own way of shopping, I’ve always been an impulse buyer, which can sometimes help, but in this scenario can only hurt. Of course, when you get the keys to your adult abode, the first thing you want to do is jump on your furniture in your pajamas while consuming copious amounts of wine – bad idea. The first thing I recommend is you and your home getting to know each other.
This home is going to be yours for the foreseeable future; you liked her enough to invest in her, so treat her well and take your time. Sit in your would-be living room and soak up your surroundings. Where can you imagine cuddling with your significant other? Where do you see your sister venting about her latest exam marks? Take a trot into the kitchen – where do you see yourself having your morning coffee? Baking treats for a charity bake sale at work or setting a beautiful table to celebrate your promotion? This will help you decide where you want to put your furniture essentials and your statement pieces. These are questions that need answering, and that should never be rushed.
Once you’ve had a feel for your space and you have your mind made up, it’s time to check out your local furniture stores. Every city in every state has a ridiculous amount of furniture store options, so how do you pick? First thing you want to do is set a budget; you do not need to furnish your home in a day, a week, or even a month. Start with your essentials – what do you need in order to live in your new home? With that said, most furniture stores (especially budget, surplus, and warehouse stores) have bedroom and living room sets that are just slightly more expensive than the bed or sectional by itself, in the end saving your money for three to seven pieces. A few key things to look for when shopping:1
If everything looks great after your examination, the next thing you need to do might hurt: you need to walk away.
So you found your perfect living room set, or at least you think you did. What now? Well, now is the most painful of the steps – don’t buy the first pieces that catch your eye. It’s easy to fall in love with a furniture set when you can find it all in one store close to home; the convenience alone puts a sparkle in your eye and an itch in your palm! You need to remember, however, that there are plenty of other options out there, and you need to make sure that at the end of the day you’ve exhausted all of them.
Americans spend 3,212 hours a year in bed on average, not including TV time (if they have a TV in the bedroom) as well as leisurely reading.2 Buying the first bed you fall in love with is an impulse you will have to resist, because this bed will hold you for over 16,000 hours in the next five years. Think of each furniture store as a friend with its own personality; you’re looking for different pieces in different rooms that will serve many purposes and last you years to come, so buying everything from one store could potentially be foolhardy. Cover your bases and see what other stores have to offer before you take the plunge.
Source: Fix.com Blog
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Moving to a new city can require preparation and thought, especially when you’re looking to purchase a new home. Moving to Las Vegas is no exception when it comes to buying your first home, and that is why Misti Yang of U.S. News and World Report has provided a first-time homebuyer’s guide to Las Vegas. Learn what steps you should take and what to consider when making your move to Las Vegas!
“It’s a big place,” Kypreos says. From Summerlin on the west side to classic east side neighborhoods such as Paradise Palms and from Henderson in the south to North Las Vegas, figuring out the right spot for you will take a little homework.
To narrow down your options, start with the basic question: What do I want to be close to? Is the answer work, good schools, the airport or nightlife? Once you know what is most important to you, an experienced agent can point you to additional resources for sussing out your ideal home base.
Depending on your perspective, Las Vegas real estate can either be a homebuyer’s dream, or it can cause sticker shock.
If you’re anticipating a hypercompetitive bidding war and pressure to act quickly, take a deep breath and relax. Although you always want to be prepared to make an offer when you see something you like, in Las Vegas you will typically not be competing with multiple offers. (Always ask your agent to find out if there are other offers.) Plus, your money will likely get you more in terms of square footage and quality than it would in pricier markets.
However, don’t buy into the myth that Las Vegas is the land of foreclosures, awash with endless bargains. The housing market today looks very different from the market of 2010. “We’ve had six years of appreciation,” Kypreos says.
Condos are an option, but you should know that they are harder to finance than homes in Las Vegas. “You might see the $200,000 condo as perfect for your budget, but good luck on getting a loan,” says Allison Jung, a Realtor with Universal Realty Inc. While a loan for a house may require only 3 percent down, it is not uncommon for a loan on a condo to require 25 percent.
Many first-time buyers in the Las Vegas market will be looking at houses in the $150,000 to $200,000 range. This happens to be the range that is also attractive to cash investors – buyers, typically from out of town, who plan to rent or flip the property and who pay in cash. Common in Las Vegas, cash investors can be more appealing to sellers because they can close deals quickly and without appraisal contingencies.
To be competitive, Jung says, “you’ve got to come in with your highest and best to begin with, especially if your agent tells you there are multiple offers.”
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Although the winter season may be slower for real estate, it doesn’t mean that people aren’t looking for their next home to buy. The winter season can give buyers a great advantage, since it tends to be less competitive than other seasons. It’s the perfect opportunity for sellers to stage their home to attract potential buyers. This recent U.S. News & World Report article by Tori Toth shares seven ways you can stage your home during the winter.
Curbing the snow. The first tip to get your home show-ready starts at the curb. All driveways, walkways and steps around your home should be shoveled and de-iced. This way it’s easier for visitors to access the front steps and walk up to the front door safely.
If you have a deck or patio worth featuring in the space, don’t forget to shovel those areas as well. One way to dress up the space is with a quaint seating area, maybe a fire pit or heating lamps, a few pillows and furry throws to create an entertaining outdoors. Despite the cold environment, buyers and guests will appreciate a place to sit back and watch the snowflakes.
Welcoming from the front door. Think about ways you can add a little life near the walkways and entries of the property. Use a variety of evergreens, spruces or winter berries by adding potted plants on the porch or stoop.
Try using a cheerful paint color on the front door and a decorative winter wreath to welcome visitors into the house. It’s important to provide a welcome mat too, as a place for visitors to wipe off their shoes before entering to avoid tracking snow and dirt into the space.
Put outdoor lighting on timers during the winter months, so buyers or guests don’t arrive at the house in the dark. Set the timer to go on at dusk. By lighting up the house it’s an easy solution for visitors to navigate better from the street.
Setting the temperature. No one likes hanging out in a chilly house, so raise the temperature to 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in the house to keep it at a comfortable setting. This can help buyers forget about the cold weather outside and focus on the property’s features. The toasty atmosphere may also help keep buyers lingering in the home longer, providing enough time for them to fall in love with the space.
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You might be hearing news of rising mortgage rates as we move into the New Year. If you’re looking to purchase a new home in 2017, this recent CNN report from Kathryn Vasel explains why a change in rates shouldn’t cause homebuyers to panic.
“I don’t think anyone welcomes higher interest rates, but it should not be a considerable deterrent to someone who really wants to buy a home,” said Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH.com.
Rates under 5% have been the norm for a decade. “We still have quite a ways to go for rates to be even close to average,” noted Len Kiefer, deputy chief economist for Freddie Mac.
In 1996, the average rate was 5.67%, and in 1990 it was 10.13%.
Rising home prices, fueled by strong demand and tight inventory, have pinched buyers in recent years. Lower interest rates helped temper that rise, but as they move higher, borrowing becomes more costly and can reduce a buyer’s budget.
“If rates remain at this level, some marginal buyers could be pushed out of the marketplace,” said Gumbinger. “There could be less demand for properties on the margin, but I don’t think there will be a huge change.”
Kiefer said he expects home prices to continue to rise in 2017 year, but at a slower pace than we saw this year. “The supply is pretty low compared to demand and that will keep pressure on prices and rents.”
The rate increases could be felt more by house hunters in the country’s more expensive markets, like San Francisco and Manhattan.
“Affordability is already difficult in some markets,” said Erin Lantz, vice president of mortgages for Zillow. “Rates can have more of an impact in those areas, but for most of the country, it’s still very affordable, by historical standards”
Read the full article: Why rising mortgage rates are no reason to panic
If your strategy for staying safe while home alone is to turn on the TV extra loud at night, you may want to check out this recent article from Zillow Porchlight. As the number of Americans who live alone is on the rise, Emily Bell offers expert tips for staying safe and secure at home.
Lighting is a huge safety factor — just get it right. “Outdoor lighting is a huge deterrent for intruders, or even just people snooping around,” says Brown. “But don’t leave your lights on for 24 hours a day. It can actually attract burglars to leave your lights on during daylight hours.”
The same goes for interior lighting. “It’s natural for people to have the lights off in the day and on at night. Anything else can be a signal that you aren’t home,” notes Brown.
Extra lights on when you’re alone at night can create the illusion someone else is there. (Just keep it to one or two rooms, because, you know … the environment.)
Motion sensors and timers are cheap ways to create the illusion of more occupants, but there are other gadgets you might not have heard of.
David Nance, a personal safety expert and CEO of SABRE, recommends something like a TV light simulator. “This is a little device about the size of a coffee cup, using the same amount of energy as a nightlight, that mimics screen and light changes produced by a real HDTV.”
Meaning if you’re upstairs taking a shower, you can create the illusion that someone else is downstairs watching TV.
The “Home Alone” idea actually isn’t ridiculous. Nobody needs to know you’re alone. Things like lighting and gadgets can help, but there are also some simple tricks.
For women especially, “an amazing psychological and simplistic deterrent is to take a pair of men’s size 13 or 14 work boots and leave them in front of the door,” says “Security Sensei” Jordan Frankel of GlobalSecurityExperts. Another simple deterrent: “a giant dog’s water bowl.”
The principle applies when you’re home with a stranger, too. “Whenever you’re having someone over to repair your home, you should invite at least one other person over,” says Brown.
Another nod to the power of the pooch: “Even having a dog with you can decrease the likelihood that you become a target,” she adds.
We tend to trust locks implicitly. And when we move somewhere new, most of us don’t do a lock overhaul.
“Just like when you check into a hotel, they give you a key and most people assume ‘I’m safe. I can lock my door,’” says veteran security expert Chris McGoey, aka “Crime Doctor.”
“But you have no idea who has the keys. In an apartment situation, you’re also assuming your landlord has changed the locks, but that assumption is false in many cases. Landlords often don’t change locks. There could be 20 keys out there,” McGoey advises.
Hound the landlord once you move in, and make sure those locks are new.
Read the full article: 12 Security Tips for Living Alone Safely – Zillow Porchlight
Time is running out and there is no better time than now to find your dream home. Lennar is celebrating the holiday season and wrapping up their best deals of the year right now. Homebuyers have the opportunity to start off the New Year living in style in their brand-new home.
Give your family the ultimate gift this year and enjoy 2017 in your dream home. Plus, for a limited time only, Lennar Sacramento is offering $25,000 off a new home at select communities.*
“We are extremely focused on selling and closing our new homes by the end of the year,” said Laura Kilgore, Director of Marketing for Lennar Sacramento. “That is why we have some great deals, allowing buyers even a better chance of moving into their new home!”
If you are in the market for a home, whether it be a single-family home or a home designed specifically for multigenerational living, you need to see what they have in store at a few of Lennar’s most popular communities.
At The Ridge at Blackstone in El Dorado Hills, Homesite 479 offers great savings. This home boasts the Residence Five floorplan, also known as Plan 4253, this super spacious home gives 4,253 square feet of space. This residence is one of Lennar’s wildly popular The Home Within A Home®. Designed for dual living situations, this home has an attached private suite with separate entrance, living room, bedroom, bathroom, dining room, kitchenette and one-bay garage! The main home provides an additional four bedrooms, with a huge master suite complete with a luxurious, large master bathroom and massive walk-in closet.
The Estates at Heritage El Dorado Hills active adult community also offers Lennar’sThe Home Within a Home® floorplan on Homesite 2 and presents 2,955 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms and a three-bay garage. Priced at $672,050, this gorgeous home comes complete with included solar, upgraded flooring, Quartz® kitchen countertops and two-tone interior paint.
Additionally, The Portola Residence at Heritage Westshore Homesite 107, an active adult community, offers a 1,433 square foot home with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and two-bay garage – attractively priced at $327,138. This home comes equipped with upgraded flooring, granite kitchen countertops, two-tone interior paint and much more.
All homes include Lennar’s signature Everything’s Included® package that offers upgraded and energy-efficient features all included as standard. For further information on these move-in ready homes, visit Lennar.com or call (916) 304-9711.
With hundreds of communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders and proudly remains steadfast in their commitment toward quality, value and integrity. Lennar has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country.
Take advantage of great savings this December with a select number of quick move-in homes at a few Lennar communities that are offering up to $25,000 off.* With 13 homes offering savings, including four The Home Within A Home® floorplans, prospective buyers should contact Lennar today to learn more or follow the Lennar Tucson account on Facebook to see daily deals.
“We’re encouraging everyone who is in the market for a new home to act quickly in order to take advantage of these savings, which last through December,” said Tom Gansheimer, Division President of Lennar Tucson. “We’ve got a diverse selection of floorplans to choose from suitable for a variety of lifestyles.”
Set in Tucson, Lennar has two communities in their Star Valley masterplan with discounted quick move-in homes for sale from both Signatures at Star Valley and Horizon at Star Valley. Star Valley is a great place to raise a family with amenities that include a community park with basketball courts, fenced in dog parks, ramadas, walking and jogging paths, and playgrounds. Just outside of the community is a world-class golf course for players of all levels.
Three The Home Within a Home® homes are available that offer great savings at Vistoso Reserve and Eagles Summit. Set in Oro Valley, the Lewis plan is The Home Within a Home® quick move-in available at Vistoso Reserve. This home provides 1,939 square feet of living space that includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
At Eagles Summit, which is also located in Oro Valley, both the Oracle and the Revelation are The Home Within a Home® floorplans that provide savings through the month of December. The Oracle plan is a single-story home with 2,594 square feet of space that includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The Revelation plan is also a single story home that provides four bedrooms and three bathrooms across 3,173 square feet.
Lennar created The Home Within a Home® home design as a way to accommodate multigenerational or dual living situations by providing an attached private suite. The private suite comes with a separate entrance, living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette, but also includes a lockable door inside the suite that connects to the main home. This setup allows for as much direct access to or privacy from the main home as each individual situation desires.
For more information on the quick move-in homes offering great savings, visit Lennar Tucson’s Facebook page or contact Lennar today by calling (800) 864-1058.
For full list of new homes for sale, visit us at www.lennar.com/tucson.
With hundreds of communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders and proudly remains steadfast in their commitment toward quality, value and integrity. Lennar has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country.
* Offer available on select homes if buyer signs and delivers a purchase agreement between 12/16/16 and 1/15/17 and closes and fully funds on or before 1/30/17. Purchase agreements signed and delivered prior to 12/16/16 are excluded. Offers, incentives and seller contributions are subject to certain terms, conditions and restrictions, which may include the use of designated lenders and closing agents. Certain incentives could affect the loan amount. Offer good for a limited time only. Lennar reserves the right to change or withdraw any offer at any time. Contact a New Home Consultant for home purchase details. No offer to sell or lease may be made or to purchase or lease may be accepted prior to issuance of an Arizona Public Report. A Public Report is available at the State Real Estate Department website ww.azre.gov. Broker Lennar Sales Corp. Lennar Arizona Construction, Inc. ROC# 228129, Lennar Arizona Inc. dba Lennar Homes ROC# 232731, US Home of Arizona Construction Company ROC# 065983. Equal Housing Opportunity. 12/16
New technology can make for a more connected and fun holiday at home. CNN Money’s Selena Larson breaks down the features, apps and gadgets that can make your home smarter this holiday season. If you’d like to see some of these smart home features in action, but sure to check out the video, shot at a Lennar model home in Alameda, California!
Whether you plan on impressing guests at a party or just want to make sure your house is warm before you get home after vacation, let’s take a look at how smart home devices can automate the season.
First, you’ll need to decide which ecosystem you want to be a part of, such as the Samsung(SSNLF) SmartThings or Apple (AAPL, Tech30) HomeKit platform. Not all devices work within the same ecosystems, so you’ll want to buy smart home products that run on the platform you choose or you’ll have to switch between apps. Some home builders, like Lennar Homes, are integrating HomeKit from the ground up, so new homeowners get smart devices with their house keys.
Next, ensure the products you buy are secure. Change the default log-in name and password on all new devices before installing them. In October, the cyberattack that took parts of the internet offline, including sites such as Twitter, Netflix and Spotify, were carried out by products connected to the home that were infected with malware.
The good news is more companies are building security directly into products. For instance, Apple requires HomeKit-capable smart products to meet security and technical specifications. Set up is typically easy, too — you add the gadget to the system by plugging in the device and entering a special code within the HomeKit app.
And if you’re using HomeKit, Siri can handle your requests. You can ask the voice assistant to lock the doors doors, turn the lights on or off or set the mood for a movie night.
Read the full article: How to trick out your house with tech for the holidays
While real estate experts anticipate growth in 2017, a select group of markets are expected to exceed the national averages in terms of home price gains and sales growth. Kelsey Ramirez for Housing Wire reports on the forecast for 2017’s top ten housing markets.
The National Association of Realtors, the Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae andFreddie Mac predict that home sales are going to heat up in 2017, and a new report from Realtor.com shows just which markets will see most of that heat.
According to the new report, the West will continue to see the hottest markets in 2017, leading the nation in prices and sales, according to an article by Cicely Wedgeworth for realtor.com.
“The top 10 markets all benefit from strong growth dynamics: population, jobs and households,” realtor.com Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke said. “They all have low unemployment that’s heading lower, which buoys consumer confidence.”
The top 10 are forecast to see average price gains of 5.8% and sales growth of 6.3%, exceeding next year’s anticipated national growth of 3.9% and 1.9%, respectively.
The top 10 hottests metros for 2017 are found by averaging realtor.com’s forecasted price and home sales growth for the year.
