Well, not all of these projects are what I consider "small," but I agree that they all add value and marketability to a home.
Small Remodeling Projects that Add Value to Every Room
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day - Celebrate with Native Texas Plants
It’s difficult to go anywhere these days without noticing reusable grocery bags, re-purposed material and recycling bins that dot courtyards and campuses. If you already use compact fluorescent bulbs, drink from reusable water bottles or carpool you might wonder, “What else can I do?” The good news is small changes you make in how you approach your backyard and other landscapes are a big way to thank Mother Earth by showing your “go green” colors. Here are some eco-friendly tips from the Wildflower Center as part of charting a course towards greater ecological sensitivity and environmental consciousness.
Please read the entire article here:
Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Is It The Beginning of The End?
Fresh data on new construction of U.S. housing units revealed an upward trend in place since the beginning of the year, with an initial report of February 2010 weakness revised away. Is this the beginning of the end of the housing crisis?Starts rose 1.6% in March to a seasonally adjusted 626,000 annualized units, the Commerce Department recently reported. This was stronger than the 610,000 pace expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch.
Even more surprising, February starts were revised higher to a 616,000 pace from the 570,000 previously reported. This was up 1.1% from the prior month. The initial estimate had been a 5.9% drop.
As a result of the revisions, starts have risen for three straight months and are now at their highest level since November 2008. “The bottom line is that there is an upward trend and construction will be moving higher provided that new-home sales improve as well,” said Michelle Meyer, economist at Barclays Capital. Meyer cautioned that one should not get carried away with the improvement as it comes from “an incredibly low level of activity.”
In March, strength came from multifamily starts. There was a slight decrease in starts of single-family homes. Starts of single-family homes fell 0.9% to a 531,000 rate in March, while starts of multifamily units surged 39.7% to 88,000.
The strength was concentrated in the South; all other regions declined in March.
“This was a modestly positive report. It is nice that construction is improving, but it would be better if the gains were more widespread,” wrote Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisers.
In the past year, starts are down 20.2%. Starts of single-family homes are up 47.1%, while starts of apartments and condominium units have plunged 31.8%.
Building permits rose 7.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000 in March.
Building permits for single-family homes increased 5.6% to a 543,000 rate—the highest level since August 2008. Many economists consider single-family permits to be the most important number in the government’s release. Permits for apartments rose 15.4% to 142,000.
The National Association of Home Builders recently said its members were more encouraged about their business in April. The builder’s sentiment index rose to 19 in April from 15 in March. “We may be seeing some modest improvement in the fundamentals for new housing construction,” wrote the RDQ economic team in a note to clients.
A tax subsidy for buyers expires at the end of April, and “we will need to see data for May and June before we can put too much weight on this conjecture,” the RDQ note said.
It can take four months for a new trend in housing starts to emerge from the data. In the past four months, housing starts have averaged 606,000 annualized, up from 594,000 in the four months ending in February.
The industry has slashed production of new homes to work off a massive amount of unsold inventory. The number of homes under construction fell 1.4% to a seasonally adjusted 489,000, the lowest on record, dating back to 1970. “Any pickup in demand,” Meyer said, “will warrant an increase in new construction.”
RISMEDIA (c) 2010, MarketWatch.com Inc.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Homebuyer Tax Credit Deadline Approaching
April 30 is the last day to take advantage of the federal tax credit for homebuyers. Under the guidelines, a home must be under contract by April 30 and close by June 30.
First-time buyers are eligible for up to $8,000 in credit. Current homeowners who have lived in their home for at least 5 of the past 8 consecutive years can qualify for up to $6,500 when relocating.
The National Association of REALTORS estimates that 4.4 million households will take advantage of the credit in 2010.
Expect many open houses during the month of April to give buyers every opportunity to find a new home! For more information on the tax credit or for a list of homes that match your "wish list" please contact me at 972-841-0999!
First-time buyers are eligible for up to $8,000 in credit. Current homeowners who have lived in their home for at least 5 of the past 8 consecutive years can qualify for up to $6,500 when relocating.
The National Association of REALTORS estimates that 4.4 million households will take advantage of the credit in 2010.
Expect many open houses during the month of April to give buyers every opportunity to find a new home! For more information on the tax credit or for a list of homes that match your "wish list" please contact me at 972-841-0999!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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