Replace or Reface Kitchen Cabinets?

kitchen cabinets

Mary Saunder disliked the cabinets in her kitchen from the moment she moved into her Maryland, home. “They were metal, the color of bronze,” Saunder says, “but my husband’s motto was ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.'” When her husband passed away last February, Mary decided it was time to act. “I couldn’t stand it any more,” she says. But rather than spend the $25,000 or $30,000 redoing the kitchen with new cabinets would have cost her, she settled on a simpler, cheaper and far less intrusive solution.

Read the article here…

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5 Insider Secret Stats Every House Hunter Should Know

Everyone knows that numbers matter, so it’s no surprise that today’s home buyers are smart about basic market data and often take the lead in running their own personal finance spreadsheets. However, recent market trends present some unique challenges to buyers: multiple offers, super-short days on market (DOM), way-over-asking sales prices. Those challenges, in turn, give rise to the need for a unique set of “statistics.” Here are some of the insider stats that savvy house hunters need to know.

6 Low-Cost Luxuries for Owners on a Budget

So you think you can’t afford an upgraded, tricked-out pad? Not so fast! Every owner deserves to come home to a place that’s beautiful, comfortable, and accommodating to their lifestyle — without going into debt. Even if you haven’t become a homeowner yet, understanding which champagne-style comforts can be inexpensively added onto a home after closing can provide powerful inspiration for sticking to your beer budget. Here are a few of those little, affordable luxuries.

Fight Back Against Cancer!

RFL Celebrate Remember Fight Back

There’s less than 24 hours to support my goal of a world with less cancer!  Please donate here: Relay For Life of Kent – Jennifer Gilbert-Smith

Why I Support the American Cancer Society:

Every day, the American Cancer Society helps people take steps to reduce their risk of cancer or find it early when it is easiest to treat. They provide free information and services when and where people need it throughout their journey to get well. They are investing in groundbreaking research to find, prevent, treat, and cure cancer, and are working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and rally communities worldwide to join the fight.

I have signed up to walk and fundraise in my local Relay For Life event. I hope you will consider making a donation in support of my efforts.

Together, we have the power to help create a world where cancer can no longer claim another year of anyone’s life!

– Jennifer Gilbert-Smith

Learn more about the Relay For Life movement.

14 Ways to Style Your Mantel for Spring and Summer

The mantel is often the focal point of the living room in winter, but it can be hard to know how to decorate the fireplace once warmer weather arrives. Do you play it up with fresh colors and artwork, or let it hide out behind strategically placed chairs and plants? No matter the approach you prefer, these 14 styling ideas should spark your imagination.

When It Comes to Wood Floors, Choose Wisely

Just as with ties and hem lengths, wood flooring styles change. Colors get darker or lighter; planks get narrower or wider; woods with more or less grain show swings in popularity; softer or harder species gain or lose fans; and the wood itself may be older, newer, or even pre-engineered with a top layer or veneer-glued to a substrate to decrease expansion and contraction from moisture.

Here are key categories for consideration…

Top 10 Home Price Spikes Across the U.S.

Home prices are rising across the country, but where are sellers cashing in big? Find out if your market’s ahead of the rest.

Read this list of top 10 markets with the biggest home price increases to see if now is the right time to sell.

5 Home Renovation Projects With Good Return on Investment

Spring is a popular time for home-renovation projects, but a recent study by Remodeling magazine and the National Association of Realtors found that not all upgrades are created equal when it comes to reselling your place.

Don’t miss the news – read it here…

Home Appraisals No Longer Derailing Sales

Consider this one more sign that the housing market is heating up: Appraisers are putting higher values on homes again, allowing for more deals to go through. During the housing bust, sales were often derailed by low-ball appraisals that fell far shy of a home’s selling price.

Read the news here…

A Home Inspection Now Could Avoid Headaches Later

Despite the downturn in the housing market, millions of homes will still be bought and sold. At a time when price negotiations have become more vigorous, many buyers and sellers neglect one important element that could cost them thousands of dollars: the home inspection.

Read more here…