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Kitchen and Bath Remodeling that will Last

I see a LOT of kitchens! In my opinion, the kitchen says alot about the home. Do you spend most of your time there, how clean are you, ect.? Right now, buyers get to be picky, and it seems with my clients, the kitchen is usually a big selling or turn away point for them. If you're thinking about doing a few things to spruce up your kitchen for a quick sell, or if you have to sell in the next few years, I really like what this article has to say! Happy Remodeling!

5 Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Trends That Will Last

Article From HouseLogic.com

By: Dona DeZube
Published: February 21, 2012

When you're spending thousands to remodel a kitchen or bath, you want those updates to last a while.

To help you get ahead of and sort out the kitchen and bathroom trends -- pity the last fool to install an avocado appliance in the 1970s -- HouseLogic.com went to this month's trend central, the International Builder's Show. Our takeaway: For gosh sake, enjoy your home; remodel so that you love where you live.

Still, with a couple of exceptions, these five kitchen and bath trends offer lasting value:

1. Kitchen cleanliness.

By clean, we're talking design, not germs. Kitchens are going clean, contemporary, and horizontal (open shelves, long and horizontal pulls, thick counter tops). Even in a classic kitchen, go with simple, flat cabinets rather than highly carved cabinet details, says designer Maryjo Camp of Design Camp, Denver, N.C.

HL tip: This is a trend to get on board with. A simple, tidy, fresh appearance will have broad appeal if you decide to sell.

2. Color is out.

This year, colors are cycling out, Camp says, except for black and white used together.

HL tip: Practically speaking, black and white are hard to keep looking good. Black kitchens show every scratch and white cabinets show every speck of dirt.

Regardless, color is fickle; choose what's best for your space.

3. Dark wood is where it's at.

If you've had white cabinets, you know they show every speck of dirt, which can drive you crazy unless you have a cleaning fetish. Combine those white cabinets with another up-and-coming trend: dark wood. Or if your budget can handle the hit, go with specialty woods like mahogany or zebra wood that can make an island look like a piece of furniture.

HL tip: Alternatively, you could invest your money in more kitchen storage and functionality than trendy decorative elements that might not stand the test of time.

4. Appliances that blend in.

The more open our kitchens get, the more we want them to look like the rest of the house. That's fueling a trend away from the big pro range and ginormous stainless-steel refrigerator and toward concealed, high-performance refrigerators and dishwashers. Induction cook tops, which use less electricity than electric cook tops, are growing in popularity, Camp said.

HL tip: When you buy appliances, look for the Energy Star label or go even deeper on energy performance ratings with Consortium of Energy Efficiency.

5. Ageless design gets easy.

What the Baby Boom wants, the Baby Boom gets. And Baby Boomers want to live in their homes forever. That's led manufacturers to create DIY remodeling products with built-in universal design features - like toilet paper roll holders strong enough to hold your weight as you arise from the throne.

If you wanted a no-threshold shower five years ago, you had to have it fabricated as a custom piece, said Mary Jo Peterson, a Brookfield, Conn., designer. Today, companies sell no-threshold shower kits with trench-style drains covered with grills so you can roll yourself right in.

HL tip: We love the trend to universal design-ready remodeling products. To get started, check out our four universal design product ideas from anti-scald valves and door handles.

Which of these trends will your incorporate into your remodeling plans? Do you worry about staying ahead of trends?

Air Conditioing...it's a MUST in my house!

• I know, I know...it's only March and it's 84 degrees outside! If you're unfortunate, like me, you woke up sweating this morning! It's H-O-T in my house and we're going to have to evaluate the state of our air conditioning unit. I found the article below interesting. If you have a good repair man to share with everyone, please leave their name and contact information in the comments!

  
  
  

  It’s Gonna Cost You More to Recharge Your Air Conditioning

  The cost to recharge your air conditioning is going up, up, up. Here’s why: Read

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2012 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

No Pinching!

Need something to do this weekend?

Check out Travel OK for tons of weekend ideas all around Oklahoma!

St. Patrick's Day | Forward this Picture

7 Home Improvement Projects for $1,000 or less!

 I get asked alot, should I update this or update that? This article provides a few, budget worthy home improvements when you are preparing your house to sell. I would say the most important one for presentation would be #2, and it could be free!

 Show Your Home Pride: 7 Home Improvement Projects for $1,000 (or Less)

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Published: November 1, 2011

Americans still think buying a home is one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. Here are some ways to increase your home’s value and comfort for less than $1,000.

We knew reports of the death of American home ownership were greatly exaggerated (nod to Mark Twain), and now we’ve got the numbers to prove it.

A just-released survey by the Meredith Corp., which publishes Better Homes and Gardens magazine, says the vast majority of people polled believe owning a home is a smart financial move and a source of pride.

Here are some results of the 2,500 people surveyed online:

• 86% of home owners still feel owning a home is a good investment.  

• 85% feel "owning a home is one of their proudest accomplishments."

• 69% of Americans who don’t currently own a home agree with the statement, "No matter what happens in the U.S. housing market, owning a home is still an important goal in my life."

• 68% of Americans plan to spend money on their homes in the next six months, with roughly half (49%) expecting to pay up to $1,000.

A thousand bucks may not seem like a lot, but it goes long way toward improving the value and comfort of your home. Here are some projects we recommend:

1. Add a new entry door. Spruce up your curb appeal and save energy by upgrading your exterior door. Steel doors, which can mimic many types of wood, typically run for $400 at big-box stores and offer the strongest barrier against intruders.

2. Get organized. Decluttering and maximizing storage space are inexpensive ways to transform a home. Add space to kids’ rooms by installing platform or bunk beds ($400-$600); neaten piles of shoes with shoe organizers ($20), which can do double duty as catch-all organizers in family room closets and kitchen pantries; extend bookshelves to the ceiling, creating storage in otherwise dead space.

3. Save with a programmable thermostat. Switching from a manual to a programmable thermostat (less than $500) can save you up to $180 a year in energy costs. The latest models offer remote programming via the Internet.
4. Replace cabinet hardware. If you’ve got traditional knobs and pulls, try contemporary; change from staid to whimsical. Big-box retailers often have huge selections for budget prices. (10-pack for $20).

5. Update bathroom flooring. Give bathrooms a quick facelift by replacing old tile with vinyl flooring or ceramic tile, which can cost as little as $3 per square foot for material and installation.

6. Create luxury with a shower panel. Turn you bathroom into a spa with a  programmable shower panel with adjustable spray jets, fog-free mirror, and multifunctional shower head. Most systems easily attach to existing plumbing. Panels typically sell for $360.

7. Turn a mudroom into a garden room. Bring nature inside by recasting your drab mudroom into a flower-filled garden room. (If you already have a utility sink, you’re halfway there. If not, it will cost you $200 to $350 to tap into existing, nearby plumbing, and $80 for a plastic tub.) Repurpose an old wood table into a potting bench. And hang your basket collection from J-hooks attached to a forged iron curtain rod ($100).
What improvements have you made recently under $1,000? What are you planning to do in the next six months?

Source:National Association of Realtors

Weekend Events!

This weekend will be beautiful, and you'll want to get out of the house! Check out these Edmond events and take the family!

1. USTRC Oklahoma Winter Classic Team Roping

   March 9, 9:00 AM @ Lazy E Arena
   Team roping competition with cowboys from around the region competing in various roping events.
   More Details

2. Sing for Your Supper: A Rodgers and Hart Celebration

   March 9, 8:00 PM @ UCO Jazz Lab
   Celebrating one of musical theatre s greatest duos: Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Enjoy an evening of 1920s and 1930s hits from the Great American Songbook. Reservations are strongly recommended.
   More Details

Selling your house AND have pets?

I have two fur babies, as they're now called, myself. They truly are members of my family, however, I respect that some people don't have the same feelings about pets. 

So what do you do when you're trying to sell your house and are afraid that the pets will turn them away? Hopefully, the following will provide a few helpful ideas.

 

Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers

By: G. M. Filisko

Published: October 15, 2010

Don’t let pet odors derail your home sale.

Air your house out. While you’re cleaning, throw open all the windows in your home to allow fresh air to circulate and sweep out unpleasant scents.
Once your house is free of pet odors, do what you can to keep the smells from returning. Crate your dog when you're out or keep it outdoors. Limit the cat to one floor or room, if possible. Remove or replace pet bedding.

Scrub thoroughly. Scrub bare floors and walls soiled by pets with vinegar, wood floor cleaner, or an odor-neutralizing product, which you can purchase at a pet supply store for $10 to $25.

Try a 1:9 bleach-to-water solution on surfaces it won’t damage, like cement floors or walls.

Got a stubborn pet odors covering a large area? You may have to spend several hundred dollars to hire a service that specializes in hard-to-clean stains.

Wash your drapes and upholstery. Pet odors seep into fabrics. Launder, steam clean, or dry clean all your fabric window coverings. Steam clean upholstered furniture.

Either buy a steam cleaner designed to remove pet hair for around $200 and do the job yourself, or pay a pro. You'll spend about $40 for an upholstered chair, $100 for a sofa, and $7 for each dining room chair if a pro does your cleaning.

Clean your carpets. Shampoo your carpets and rugs, or have professionals do the job for $25 to $50 per room, depending on their size and the level of filth embedded in them. The cleaner will try to sell you deodorizing treatments. You'll know if you need to spend the extra money on those after the carpet dries and you have a friend perform a sniff test.

If deodorizing doesn't remove the pet odor from your home, the carpets and padding will have to go. Once you tear them out, scrub the subfloor with vinegar or an odor-removing product, and install new padding and carpeting. Unless the smell is in the subfloor, in which case that goes next.

Paint, replace, or seal walls. When heavy-duty cleaners haven’t eradicated smells in drywall, plaster, or woodwork, add a fresh coat of paint or stain, or replace the drywall or wood altogether.

On brick and cement, apply a sealant appropriate for the surface for $25 to $100. That may smother and seal in the odor, keeping it from reemerging.

Place potpourri or scented candles in strategic locations. Put a bow on your deep clean with potpourri and scented candles. Don’t go overboard and turn off buyers sensitive to perfumes. Simply place a bowl of mild potpourri in your foyer to create a warm first impression, and add other mild scents to the kitchen and bathrooms.

Control ongoing urine smells. If your dog uses indoor pee pads, put down a new pad each time the dog goes. Throw them away outside in a trash can with a tight lid. Remove even clean pads from view before each showing.

Replace kitty litter daily, rather than scooping used litter clumps, and sweep up around the litter box. Hide the litter box before each showing.

Relocate pets. If your dog or cat has a best friend it can stay with while you're selling your home (and you can stand to be separated from your pet), consider sending your pet on a temporary vacation. If pets have to stay, remove them from the house for showings and put away their dishes, towels, and toys.

More from HouseLogic

Preparing your home for sale

Staging your home for sale

Spring cleaning guide
G.M. Filisko is an attorney and award-winning writer whose former mutt Marley no doubt created a wet-dog aroma in her condo that still remains. A regular contributor to many national publications including Bankrate.com, REALTOR® Magazine, and the American Bar Association Journal, she specializes in real estate, business, personal finance, and legal topics.

Source: National Association of Realtors

Secrets of a Truly Deep Clean House

Ever walk around your house and look up? Eeeeee! Dirt, Dust and Cobwebs, OH MY! That's when you say to yourself, I'll clean that later...and never do! 

Check off the things on this list and never be afraid to look up again! {or at least for the next 6 months}

 

Cleaning House: Secrets of a Truly Deep Clean

By: Jane Hoback

Published: January 14, 2011

Deep clean your house and you’ll brighten rooms and help maintain your home’s value. 

De-bug the light fixtures
See that bug burial ground within your overhead fixtures? Turn off the lights and carefully remove fixture covers, dump out flies and wash with hot soapy water. While you’re up there, dust bulbs. Dry everything thoroughly before replacing the cover.

Vacuum heat vents and registers
Dirt and dust build up in heat vents and along register blades. Vents also are great receptacles for coins and missing buttons. Unscrew vent covers from walls or pluck them from floors, remove foreign objects, and vacuum inside the vent. Clean grates with a damp cloth and screw back tightly.

Polish hardware
To deep clean brass door hinges, handles, and cabinet knobs, thoroughly wipe with a damp microfiber cloth, then polish with Wright’s or Weiman brass cleaner ($4). Dish soap shines up glass or stainless steel knobs. Use a Q-tip to detail the ornamental filigree on knobs and handles.

Replace grungy switch plates
Any amateur can wipe a few fingerprints off cover plates that hide light switches, electric outlets, phone jacks, and cable outlets. But only deep cleaners happily remove plates to vacuum and swipe the gunk behind. (OK, we’re a little OCD when it comes to dirt!) Make sure cover plates are straight when you replace them. And pitch plates that are beyond the help of even deep cleaning. New ones cost less than $2 each.

Neaten weather stripping
Peeling, drooping weather stripping on doors and windows makes rooms look old. If the strip still has some life, nail or glue it back. If it’s hopeless, cut out and replace sections, or just pull the whole thing off and start new. A 10-ft. roll of foam weather stripping costs $8; 16-ft. vinyl costs about $15.

Replace stove drip pans
Some drip pans are beyond the scrub brush. Replacing them costs about $3 each and instantly freshens your stove.

Source: National Association of Realtors

Weekly Mortgage Update

Weekly Update:  March 2, 2012

Dow at 13,000?  Is it ‘March Madness’ or a trend that will stay?  No one can say for sure but the consequence for us that that rates went up this week.  When the world of stocks does well, most of the time the world of bonds (which includes mortgages) does poorly and rates go up.  Add to this the high price of oil, which is inflationary because it feeds into so many areas of our economy, and you have bond traders raising their rates to accommodate.  Remember, as the fear of future of inflation goes up, rates go up to compensate an investor for what they will loose in the value of future dollars.

 Consumer confidence is better and the ‘VIX’ index (an indicator of fear and volatility in the financial markets) is down as well.  Both of these add to the positive momentum in the economy which also adds to inflation.

 In short…this week rates are headed up, but still trade in the channel they have been in all February.  They could be derailed by a Euro melt down but that is looking less and less likely.  If you are or your clients are playing the odds that rates will go back down, those odds are getting slimmer and slimmer.  Tell your clients to place the SMART bet and buy or refi now.

 This week Freddie Mac’s 30 year fixed rate came in at 3.9% depending on program, credit and points.   Have a great weekend and have your buyers call us so we can get them approved to buy.

Starkey Mortgage is an equal housing lender.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent Starkey Mortgage.

Ted Clay
Senior Loan Officer
Senior Loan Consultant
NMLSR # 217991
OK License # MLO01963
Office: 405-341-8644 x 102
Cell: 405-826-1320
Fax: 866-208-5309
tclay@wrstarkey.com
www.TedClay.com

WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR # 2146
10 E. Campbell
Edmond, OK 73034

Spring Clean!

It's that time of the year! Spring cleaning has come early at my house because of the warmer weather. Check out these tips to start the process.

 Spring Cleaning Guide

By: Alyson McNutt English

Published: September 30, 2009

Make spring cleaning less of a chore by following these smarter--and mostly greener--tips for this annual rite of homeownership.

Bathrooms
When it's time to get down and dirty, many people start with the bathroom. Allen Rathey, founder of The Housekeeping Channel, says removing mineral deposits, rust, and such from toilets doesn't have to mean chemical warfare. Don rubber gloves and use a pumice stone to erase stubborn stains. If you want more scouring power, Rathey recommends mixing baking soda with acidic vinegar. The concoction is just as effective as conventional cleaners, and there are no toxic fumes to inhale. This approach works equally well on tub and shower stains.

Buy your supplies in bulk to save. A 64-ounce bottle of vinegar costs about $4; a 12-pound bag of baking soda, about $7. Both items can be used throughout the house. For just $1 you can mix equal parts vinegar and water in a 32-ounce spray bottle to make a terrific all-purpose surface cleaner. That's about $4 cheaper than buying a spray cleaner at the store.

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to extract dirt from porous grouted surfaces. For tile floors use your usual cleaner, but don't mop. Instead, run a wet/dry vac, which will suck contaminants out of the grout. Mopping drives the grime into the grout rather than removing it. According to Rathey, grout can harbor stinky bacteria that leave a bad odor in the bathroom. This technique is more time-consuming than mopping, but it's worthwhile to do at least once a year.

Kitchens
The kitchen can be a tough room to clean because there's usually so much stuff in it, says Justin Klosky, founder and creative director of The OCD Experience, an organizational service. Before you break out the broom, go through your cabinets and drawers, and put together a box of items to donate and a box of items to store somewhere besides the kitchen. Clear your countertops of everything except items you use nearly every day.

After you've de-cluttered, you can get to work cleaning. Cloud Conrad, vice president of marketing for cleaning company Maid Brigade, says one tool you shouldn't overlook is an all-purpose microfiber cloth (about $5). These aren't run-of-the-mill dusting rags. Microfiber is a densely woven synthetic fabric that picks up dirt and greasy deposits without chemicals thanks to its unique composition. You should be able to clean surfaces like countertops, sinks, and stoves with warm water, a microfiber cloth, and a bit of elbow grease, Conrad says.

Source: National Association of Realtors