11 'hot' house numbers that add curb appeal

11 'hot' house numbers that add curb appeal

By Donna Boyle Schwartz of BobVila.com

 

Modern
The Neutra line of aluminum numbers from Design Within Reach are based on the midcentury-modern architectural design work of Richard Neutra. Numbers are constructed of weather- and corrosion-resistant aluminum. Prices start at $35 each.

Nautical

Capture a hint of nautical flair with the Chartwell address plaque from Home Decorators. Featuring a braided-rope border design, the oval plaque is made of hand-cast aluminum with a weather-resistant, baked-on finish available in 10 colors and metallic finishes. Prices start at $119.

Mission

If Mission decor is more your style, Restoration Hardware offers a collection of art deco-inspired, solid brass numbers with an antique finish. Prices start at $10 each.

Ceramic

Ceramic tiles add a unique, warm and sometimes Spanish flair to your home. Going ceramic also means that you'll have the opportunity for serious personalization, as many companies offer customized plaques along with special accent designs.

Wildlife

Cabela's offers a wide range of handsome wall plaques featuring wildlife, game birds and hunting dogs. The number signs are made of hand-cast aluminum and painted with a weather-resistant finish in black and gold. Prices start at $99.

Southwestern

Southwestern inspiration is evident in the Alhambra collection of numbers from Home Depot. The metal numbers are offered in either pewter or aged bronze and are priced at $13.14 each.

Well-lit

Illuminated number signs can be viewed from up to 100 feet away, making it easy to find your address in the dark. This version from RPM Hardware uses low-voltage lighting that can be run off an existing doorbell system. Prices start at $230.

Classic

The classic look of these house numbers from Frontgate makes them well-suited for modern and traditional homes alike. Available in black, bronze or white, the numbers can be flush-mounted or given a dimensional look, and are priced at $25 each.

Mock rock

Realistic-looking and available in two shades and two sizes, the Address Mock Rock is made from a recycled polyethylene blend that is impact- and weather-resistant. Make it serve double duty by concealing unsightly things such as pipes, meters and stumps. From Plow & Hearth; prices range from $119 to $179.

Faux bois

Crafted from all-weather brass, these lightweight faux bois numbers combine the best of vintage and rustic appeal. Finished in a rich antique bronze, the typeface is slightly italicized to enhance curb appeal. Now $15 each from Grandin Road.

Stoneware

These handcrafted house numbers from Etsy seller Ravenstone Tiles are available in a choice of styles, colors and sizes. Made of durable stoneware, they are suitable for indoor/outdoor use and resist heat, cold and moisture. Mount them separately or frame them together to make an architectural statement. Prices start at $29.95 each.

 

Frank Sinatra’s Mountain Retreat Has Helipad, Crazy Wallpaper

Where 'Ol Blue Eyes relaxed on his summer vacations....where are you going?

from realtor.com

Even the biggest of stars need time away from the spotlight and a place to escape, and Frank Sinatra was no exception. Making its way onto the market today is the Mountain Center, CA retreat of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.
Looking to beat the heat, Sinatra chose the granite mountain plateau above Palm Springs as the ideal locale for his hideout and commissioned architect Ross Patton to design the property, which was completed in 1967. Besides acting as his own personal sanctuary, Sinatra is said to have used the chalet to host other members of the Rat Pack, as well as a host of dignitaries and social elite.
A total of $1.9 million was spent to build Sinatra’s former retreat, which now carries a price tag of slightly under $4 million. Known as ‘Villa Maggio’, a name given for the character Sinatra portrayed in the movie From Here to Eternity, the 10-acre property consists of three buildings built along the eastern border of the San Bernardino National Forest.
Highlighted by a its pitched roofline and rough-hewn stone façade, the main home holds true to its postwar America roots with a colorful, mid-century décor. Combined with a 3-bed, 5-bath guest house and a 2-bath, dual-sauna pool house, the three structures offer a total of 7 bedrooms, 13 baths and over 6,400 square feet. A palatial pool and patio area rest above a lighted tennis court, while Sinatra’s former stomping ground rounds out with the amenity every icon needs, a private helipad.

 

 

Move-Up Buyer or Time To Remodel? How Do You Decide?

interesting article on perspectives

from realtor.com

The signs have been there for a while. You walk in the house and a flood of toys clutters your path or your kids are wedged like sardines into a single bedroom. Your home office is more like a home closet. At odd moments, you catch yourself dreaming wistfully of another bathroom or find yourself watching marathons of “Love It or List It.” Maybe it’s time to move, but you aren’t sure if it is time to leap.
With all the talk of a seller’s market many people are considering listing their homes. March data from realtor.com showed that many of the 146 markets monitored have experienced an increase in list price year over year. Spring homebuying season is in full swing and while getting a loan is still a challenge, there are some signs that banks are easing their requirements just a bit. The New York Times reported that some credit unions are offering 100% financing in areas where home values have stabilized or are rising and overall those with an average or even slightly below average credit situation have a better shot than they have in years.
Things are also changing on the remodeling side. People are far more prudent today than they were during the housing bubble where extravagant renovations were more the norm. Today’s remodel is a different from the luxury remodels of a few years ago. Homeowners still want to renovate but they are often smarter about it with an eye toward finding a balance between livability and resale value. A recent Marketwatch story on the rise in remodeling projects noted that owners are often choosing more simple projects, doing mini-remodels rather than expensive total renovations.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you consider the remodel or move conundrum.
Do you love your neighborhood?
It’s important to think about your house frustrations and your neighborhood as two separate things. Take the house out of the equation for a moment. How do you feel about the neighborhood? Is it convenient to your job and places you like to go? If you have kids do they love their school, do they have a lot of friends nearby? Do you have lots of ties to this particular neighborhood? How long have you lived here? Are you ready for a change? If you remodel your house it should be a decision based on the fact that you plan to spend a lot more time in the home rather than planning to move soon.
What needs to be changed?
How drastic a remodel would it take for you to be happy in your home? Is there room to add on or to reutilize existing space such as finishing a basement, attic, or screened-in porch? If you are looking at adding on a room that is generally a significant expense and one that may not be worth it in the long run. In Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report for 2013, an attic bedroom costs an average of $47,919 and has a 72.9% return on investment whereas a master suite addition costs $101,873 and offers only a 63.2% return on investment. A bathroom addition with an average cost of $37,501 only brings $20,569 in returns.
Will you need even more space soon?
Are you planning to expand your family? Is it your dream to work from home? Is a family member taking up a hobby that needs a lot of room? It’s impossible to predict the future but if you think you may need even more space in a year or two it may be time to start looking for something that will accommodate your upcoming needs rather than attempting a remodel. This is a good conversation to have with the whole family.
How’s the market in your area?
If you were to sell now would you be able to make money that you could put toward the purchase of another home? How much equity do you have in the home? One reason that many people are facing this decision currently is that interest rates are still low making now a good time to buy a home. You may want to bring in a Realtor to do a market analysis. The Realtor can tell you what your home should be listed for and can let you know about other homes on the market in the area. Right now some markets are experiencing low inventory so it can be a good time to list. Low inventory also means that good homes that list at a fair price are snapped up quickly so if you decide to list you need to be aware that your home might sell quickly and that as a buyer you could be facing potential multiple offer situations. You can use the realtor.com data to check out what the median price, total listings, and age of inventory in 146 markets. This can give you an idea of what you might be facing if you put your home on the market.
Making this decision requires a lot of number-crunching. Bringing in a contractor to advise you on the cost of your potential remodel and working with a Realtor on a potential sale will give you the data you need to decide whether it’s time to stay or go.

Top Reasons to Sell Your Home Now...It's a Seller's Utopia

couldn't agree more with this article from 5280.com

from 5280.com

Denver Real Estate 2013 - Get In The Game

Rock-bottom home prices? Fragile housing bubble? Anemic financial recovery? Those days are long gone. Here’s why it’s finally time to get back in the Denver real estate market.

It’s Saturday morning and you’re still rubbing sleep from your eyes when your cell phone rings. It’s your real estate agent. You exchange a few pleasantries before he gets to the point: Are you interested in selling your house? It’s an odd question, considering you haven’t told him you’ve even thought about putting a sign in your front yard. And, in fact, you aren’t planning on selling—until you hear his pitch. Put your home on the market now, he says, and you could make a killing. This bizarro scenario—real estate agents contacting former buyers to find out if they now want to sell—is playing out all over Denver and across the Front Range. Why? One simple reason: There aren’t enough homes on the market.
Not long ago, real estate in Denver was in the weeds. In January 2009, the average home price in the Mile High City hovered around $225,000, a 30 percent drop from the market’s peak in June 2007. Homes listed on the lower end were hit even harder, dipping by closer to 40 percent. But this grim picture is now history; in fact, Denver home prices have almost climbed back to their ’07 highs. And though the days of dialing a mortgage company and being approved for a no-doc loan are long gone, Denverites—and wannabe Denverites—are actually looking to buy homes: The number of houses sold in the Denver metro area in 2012 jumped 17.5 percent from 2011.
The catch? Per capita, there have never been fewer homes for sale in Denver. Why potential sellers aren’t selling is anyone’s guess. One theory suggests homeowners simply don’t realize that in the past year or two, their houses have appreciated by 10 to 20 percent—and sometimes more. Whatever the reason, the supply and demand of housing in Denver is out of whack—there are plenty of buyers, but almost no sellers. This is, of course, a potentially lucrative situation if you’re in the latter camp. “We probably have the strongest seller’s market we’ve ever had,” says Charles Roberts, co-owner of Denver’s Your Castle Real Estate. “Yet lots of people still don’t know about it.”
If would-be sellers realize how good the market is for them right now, come summer, Denver housing should see solid prices, quality buyers, and a healthy inventory. If the number of available properties remains low, however, bidding wars could inflate prices across the Front Range and once again create skyrocketing appreciation rates. For now, forget all that. If you’ve put off even thinking about selling your home since the market crashed, it’s time to focus, strategize, and (hopefully) capitalize on this seller’s utopia.

What Homeowners’ Insurance Discounts Are You Missing?

Save some cash!  Good article below...

from realtor.com

Homeowners insurance isn’t a topic that most people like to think about except as the funny/scary ‘Mayhem’ ads for Allstate. For first-time homebuyers the prospect of adding home insurance to the other long list of costs can seem daunting. Yet homeowners’ insurance isn’t just required for your mortgage, it’s an important part of a plan to keep you and your home safe.
Generally homeowners’ insurance covers damage from fire, most storms (some insurance does not include flood damage), theft, and more. It can also protect you in case someone is injured in your home. It is a wise investment in your financial safety.
Luckily there are some ways you can improve your home that not only may boost resale value, but can also knock a little off your homeowners’ insurance rates. Trusted Choice conducted a national survey in 2011 and found that over 34% of respondents did not know about all the homeowners insurance discounts available to them. Below are a few key areas to focus on.
1) Home Security–Those who live in a gated community may be entitled to a discount. Gated communities tend to have lower rates of theft, vandalism, and other crimes. Having a security system in place can pare as much as 15 percent off your policy depending on the provider. Dead-bolt locks can also be a discount for some providers.
2) Fire Safety–The installation of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors isn’t just necessary protection for your family, it’s also something insurance underwriters smile upon. Also for fire protection, a sprinkler system, heat detectors, fire escapes and plenty of fire extinguishers are also important. And keep those flammable substances outside the home at a cool temperature to avoid overheating and fire risk.
3) Home Maintenance–You may be able to qualify for an age of wiring discount depending on how old your wiring is. Is your roof resistant to hail? Roofing is graded as Class 1 through Class 4. Class 4 roofs are often eligible for discount. New pipes can also qualify you for a discount. Do you have handrails installed alongside your staircases? If you have a pool is it surrounded with a fence at a gate? Safety measures also can count toward your policy. If your home was recently renovated or is newer that may entitle you to a discount. Older homes can be retrofitted with materials that make them more earthquake and weather resistant.
4) Policyholder Discounts–If you haven’t filed a home insurance claim in the last 10 years you may want to ask about a discount. Homeowners who haven’t made a claim can often get as much as a 20% reduction. If you are older and retired you may also be entitled to a discount. Bundling your home insurance with other policies can also yield a savings as can being a long-term policyholder. Another money-saving factor you may consider is raising your deductible, which can lower your premium but make sure that in the event you need to use your insurance policy that your budget will accommodate a higher deductible.
In today’s competitive market, it’s important to shop around, because you may receive disparate quotes on policies that offer essentially the same coverage. Check consumer guides, insurance agents, companies and online insurance quote services. This will give you an idea of price ranges and tell you which companies have the lowest prices.

Top 10 Tips: How To Write A Homebuyer’s Offer Letter To A Seller

great article on a little something extra to help stand out in this competitive market...

from realtor.com

Homebuyers trying to stand out from a crowd of offers in today’s competitive market are often told to write a personal letter to accompany their offer. Buyers who are financing a home, or have a smaller down payment, often have trouble competing with all-cash buyers. Appealing to the seller as a person, as opposed to a contract, can sometimes give a buyer an emotional edge.
What isn’t often explained to buyers is how exactly to write that letter. The best ideas are often squandered by poor execution. Here is a quick guide to framing the home buyer letter and leveraging your best attributes by thinking from the seller’s point of view:
1) Flatter First
This is an emotional pitch. You’re attempting to tell the seller, “I’m such a good person that you should ignore the numbers.” They need to like you. Tell the seller how great their taste in color is, how much you’d love to have their lifestyle, and what an amazing neon bottle cap exhibit they have over the fireplace. Lay it on thick, but keep it sincere. You’re selling, but you don’t want them to feel like they’re being sold a used car.
2) Get To The Point
You may have 10 great ideas that you’d like to tell the seller. They will only remember two. The seller may have 10 other letters to read. If you mix in your best points with your lesser points, they may all just become a jumble.
Pick two or three reasons why you will be the best buyer for this home, and make them distinctly recognizable. The more streamlined you make your message, the more memorable it will be.
3) Paint A Picture
People remember what they’ve read at a far higher rate when they can see a picture of it in their head. “I really love this neighborhood because I’ve lived here and gone to school here,” doesn’t resonate.
On the other hand, “I spend half of my time walking the cobblestone streets around this block, dropping my daughter off at Gilman School and volunteering at Schnitzelfest every summer,” will trigger a visual memory for a seller. Think “I’d be so happy in the summer to be cooking Neapolitan pizza for friends and neighbors in your outdoor wood-fired oven”.
4) Don’t Remodel The House
Planning on adding a second story or changing the landscaping? Don’t mention it. You might be correct that the seller’s sewing room would make a great workout room for you, but this isn’t the time.
If you’re going to expand to create more bedrooms, you might be changing the seller’s favorite eyebrow windows in the roofline. They may have buried their dog under the tree you’re planning to pave over. he sellers may have awful taste, but homeowners are very protective of their homes.
5) Show Stability
Present yourself as a stable buyer who will have no problem closing the purchase. Whether that is a reference to your lack of contingencies, stellar employment record, or commitment to moving in as soon as the sellers are comfortable, ease the sellers’ fears of a shaky transaction.
6) Show Humility
At the same time, be humble and ask for the sellers’ blessing on your offer. “We would be so honored to live in your home,” goes much further than “We are confident that you will accept our generous offer.” The ball is in their court, and your letter should acknowledge that.
7) Don’t Whine
The emotion of your letter must be upbeat and high. It needs to make the seller feel good. Everyone wants to play with a winner.
The seller doesn’t care how many other homes you’ve lost out on. They don’t care that your rent just doubled. They don’t want to know about your wife’s sad condition that requires you to have a home like this. They just feel uncomfortable now. In fact, they’re already tossing your offer in the round file as they finish this paragraph.
8) Close With Clarity
Remember the five-point paragraphs and five-paragraph themes you had to write in school? While those formulas are too long and rigid for this letter, their closing advice should be noted. Your excitement, motivation, and ability should be reiterated at the end of your letter in a quick recap.
Remember that the sellers could be reading a few letters. Make sure that the closing of your letter reminds them of your best qualities and reinforces them.
9) Sign with Appreciation
The feeling your sellers will leave with can live or die on the signature line: “Sincerely”, “Cordially”, “Best Regards”, and “Yours Truly” do not apply. This is not a business correspondence of equals. Thank the sellers for spending their valuable evening reading the ode that you wrote about your unworthy self.
“Thank you so much for your time,” “Thank you for the opportunity,” “Your consideration is greatly appreciated,” or even “We are honored to have the opportunity,” will leave the seller understanding that you value their time and are grateful for it.
10) Spell Check. Grammar Check. Buddy Check. Do It Again.
As the recovering son of a former Catholic school English teacher, there is a dark secret I’d like to let you in on. We’re prejudiced. We look down on people who aren’t like us. There is a heinous belief ingrained in us from birth that says people who misspell and use incorrect grammar are lesser beings and not worthy of our respect.
Truthfully, though, there is an unbelievable amount of weight that some sellers will put on the preciseness of the letter. Right or wrong, the buyer’s personality will be judged from their attention to detail, ability to follow-through, and level of care in the letter. Buyer reliability is often gleaned from how well the rules of grammar are followed. If grammar isn’t your thing, find someone whose thing it is. You never know: the house you want to buy just might belong to my mother.
Write The Letter, Check It Twice, and Send It Off
There are many tactics being used by home buyers to stand out from the crowd. While not all sellers will read them, personalized letters are the most-accepted and popular form of unique buyer strategies available. Don’t rush the letter. Take the time to write it correctly. It just might be the most valuable single page of text you ever write.

Property taxes going up in some Denver neighborhoods, down in Others

interesting article from denver.cbslocal.com

County assessors around Colorado released their annual property valuations on Wednesday. Those figures are used to calculate how much homeowners and property owners will pay in property taxes. Those who don’t agree with the valuation can challenge it.
Denver homeowner Jack Beattie told 4 On Your Side Money Saver Suzanne McCarroll that he has successfully challenged his assessment three times.
“In prior times I thought the increase was excessive that’s what caused me to protest,” said Beattie.
Although he loves his home Beattie realizes it has drawbacks and believes it is unrealistic to equate it with newer, bigger properties in the neighborhood.

“Most people like an island in the kitchen and of course this would be impossible in this kitchen,” said Beattie.

Where you live determines if your value goes up or down.

“I think Douglas County is going up three to four percent, Denver three to four, JeffCo and Arapahoe County over one percent,” said Arapahoe County Assessor Corbin Sakdol.
In Denver County, 59 percent of single family homes decreased in value while 41 percent increased.

In Jefferson County the median value of a single family home increased from $246,200 to $247,015.

Since the values going out now are from June 2012 homeowners who want to protest must pull comparable homes in that area that have sold 10 months ago and show that the sale price was lower than the assessed value of your home.
“I’m not sure what the assessor will do this time and if it’s excessive I’ll go through the process again,” said Beattie.
Property owners have until June 1 to file a complaint. In most counties it can be completed in person or online through the county assessor’s office.

Looking to Buy a Denver Condo?-What's a Non-Warrantable Condo and How to Finance One

great article about Warrantable Condominium Complexes...I have various clients that need to resort to specific lenders that will on lend on non-warrantable condo complexes....Is yours?

article from ownyourhomes.com

Getting a home loan or mortgage in NYC can be complicated especially if you are trying to purchase a condo that does not meet Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac requirements – also referred to as a non-warrantable condo. This article provides an in-depth explanation of what a non-warrantable condo is and how you can finance one. It details the various requirements and documents necessary for getting a home loan in this sort of unique nyc condo.
What is a Non-Warrantable Condominium?
A Non-Warrantable condo is any condo that does not meet Fannie Mae guidelines. There are many rules and regulations to “Warrant” a condo with Fannie Mae. The five requirements for Fannie Mae to approve or warrant a loan in condo follow below.
Fannie Mae Requirements for Warrantable Condos
1. No more than 10% of the total units in the complex are allowed to be owned by a single entity (including the sponsor).
2. The number of owner occupied apartments must equal 70% of the total units (only apartments owned and used as a primary or secondary residences are considered owner occupied).
3. There can be no litigation concerning the structure/soundness of the building (ex. when the board decides to sue the developer for shoddy construction)
4. There must be a 10% reserve (of the yearly income) built into the annual budget that is recurring year after year.
5. No more than 20% of the building’s total square footage is commercial space.
What are the challenges with a Non-Warrantable Condominium?
Sellers have an expectation of credit(mortgages) being available to prospective buyers. It is the realtor’s responsibility to inform the seller/buyer that a building is Non-Warrantable. It’s important to note that a seller will not necessarily know that building is non warrantable. Buildings often tend not to make this information widely known. A realtor or a mortgage broker is best equipped to figure out this information because they will know what rules of warrantability are and can easily determine whether a building is warrantable or not warrantable. If you’re considering selling be sure to check your realtor, lawyer or mortgage broker to see if your building qualifies for a Fannie/Freddie/FHA loan. Working with a mortgage banker experienced with Non-Warrantable lending will greatly enhance your chances of successfully marketing and selling/closing within a particular building.
How can Non-Warrantable Condominiums be financed?
The only lenders that will allow financing in Non-Warrantable projects are portfolio lenders – i.e. local banks that do not sell their loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Large national banks, in contrast, are not portfolio lenders because they do sell loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It can be a huge challenge to get a loan in a non warrantable condo because there are many of these portfolio lenders. Each has their own guidelines and there is no standardized lending as seen with Fannie Mae. Navigating these guidelines is a full time job that should be left to a professional mortgage banker.
How can Non-Warrantable Condominiums be effectively marketed?
You should not market a unit in Non-Warrantable Condominiums any differently than you would a unit in a warrantable condo building. The only difference you will encounter is in the contract of sale. New developments give mortgage contingencies subject to pre-approved lenders. This is also the case for re-sale contracts on Non-Warrantable projects. It is imperative to add the preferred lender and contingency into this contract. By asking the buyer to get pre-approved with a lender that the seller has already approached and confirmed they can lend in the building, the seller insures that the buyer will not be able to walk away from the contract, if a lender they chose does not end up giving them a loan due to non-warrantability.
The Documents, my mortgage lending company, H.O.M.E. Mortgage Bankers, Requires for Approving Loans in Non-Warrantable Building
1. A completed Condo/Co-op Questionnaire
2. Current budget
3. Master Insurance Policy for the project
Client Story
I once had a client who made three attempts to refinance their unit at 110 Livingston Street in Brooklyn Heights to no avail. The client tried to acquire loans from three large banking institutions, but none of them would recognize 110 Livingston Street as a safe investment. Although large banks typically do not finance in non-warrantable buildings, local, boutique banks, like H.O.M.E. Mortgage Bankers, often do. When the client came in we did a quick intake and had her fill out a standard application. Because we pre-approved the building up front, we were able to quickly provide the client with a good faith estimate and from there the mortgage application process flowed smoothly and the client was able to close on their refinance shortly thereafter.

FHA Mortgage Insurance Rule Changes as of June 3rd, 2013

New FHA MIP Cancelation Policy Begins June 3, 2013

The Federal Housing Administration also made a second MIP-related announcement -- the agency is reversing its policy which allows FHA-backed homeowners to cancel mortgage insurance premiums once the outstanding principal balance of an FHA loan reaches 78 percent of the original balance.
Going forward, the FHA will disallow the removal of MIP throughout the life of a loan, if the loan's starting loan balance is higher than 90% of its appraised value. This is true for purchases and refinances.
For loans in which the loan-to-value begins at 90 percent or less, mortgage insurance premiums must be paid for 11 years. This change goes into effect June 3, 2013.