by

4 Landscaping Trends for 2017

With warmer weather and longer days on the horizon, now is the perfect time to get your yard in shape for summer. Keep this year’s top five landscaping trends (according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals) in mind as you get started.

  1. Going green (the color)

Combine different textures and shades of green for a more dramatic lawn. Think of mixing leaves of different size and shape as well as plants with a variety of verdant hues.

  1. Going green (the earth-friendly strategy)

More sustainable landscape designs have been becoming more popular over the past few years. Why? They’re better for the planet and can reduce maintenance costs. For example, more homeowners are planting “smart” lawns – varieties of grass bred to stay green with less water.

  1. Giving bees a chance

With bee populations in trouble, people are actually starting to welcome the stingers in their yard by planting native plants that provide the nectar they feast on. The efforts to save vital pollinators is another sign of consumers seeking greener, sustainable practices for their yards.

  1. Going Danish

The Danish concept of hygge is about creating an atmosphere of coziness by embracing life’s simple pleasures. How do you implement hygge in your yard? Add features that promote mindfulness, such as water fountains or aromatic flowers, and arrange seating in a way that encourages conversation. And don’t forget to include spaces that inspire play – for kids and adults. The experts at Gardendesign.com note an uptick in requests for things like bocce courts, fireplaces and hammocks, features to help home owners relax and play outdoors.

Considering a move, or know someone who is? I’ll be happy to help – contact me!

by

March 2017 RE/MAX National Housing Report

Home Prices at New High in February Amid Record Low Inventory

February home prices reached a new high as steady demand combined with record low inventory drove prices up, according to this month’s RE/MAX National Housing Report that surveys 53 metro areas.

Last month saw a negligible decline (-0.02%) in home sales from February 2016, which posted the most sales in the nine-year history of the report. Less than half of the markets experienced an increase in sales year-over-year.

Meanwhile, active inventory reached a record low for February, dropping 17.9% year-over-year. This marks the 100th consecutive month of year-over-year declines dating back to October 2008.

As a result, the Median Sales Price of $212,000 – another February record – was up 6% year-over-year. This is the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

Homes sold faster last month, with average Days on Market dropping from 75 in February 2016 to 68 last month.

Read the full article in RE/MAX’s newsroom…

Watch the short video on YouTube…

by

5 Things Every Loving Homeowner Should Know About Their Own Home

Your relationship with your home is one that will hopefully last a long time, so it pays to learn its most intimate details. And not to be weird, but we really do mean intimate: what turns it on (or off), what makes it hot (or cold), and its delicate inner workings.

Because, after all, your home takes care of you—it keeps you warm, safe, well-fed—so it has every right to act a little high-maintenance and demand some TLC in return. Neglect your house, and there could be hell to pay later in the form of floods, electrical outages, and worse.

So as a sort of how-deep-is-your-love kind of test, ask yourself if you know these five things about your home—and if not, maybe you should go find out.

by

The Early Bird’s Guide to Buying a Home

Planning to buy a home this spring? Then right now—yes, during these last days of winter—is the time to get rolling.

Follow these steps and you’ll be way ahead of the pack once the spring home-buying season heats up.

by

New Reality? Buyers Face Fewer Choices

us-february

Many markets are seeing so few new listings that they may not be able to meet the strong buyer demand heading into real estate’s traditionally busiest season. Listings are down more than 7 percent compared to a year ago across the country, according to the latest data by the National Association of REALTORS®.

“Competition is likely to heat up even more heading into the spring for house hunters looking for homes in the lower- and mid-market price range,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

Realtor.com® notes that the following markets are particularly very light on listings:

  • Chicago: -13% (active listings compared to a year ago)
  • Philadelphia: -14%
  • Washington: -15%
  • Seattle: -17%
  • Minneapolis: -18%
  • St. Louis: -12%
  • Baltimore: -16%
  • Cleveland: -18%
  • Orlando, Fla.: -19%

On the other hand, home shoppers may find more choices this year in a few select markets. Notably, Las Vegas is seeing an 18 percent increase in active listings compared to a year ago; Pittsburgh is seeing a 9 percent increase; and Houston and San Antonio are posting a 6 percent increase.

Source: REALTORmag

by

8 Emerging Design Trends Will Be All the Rage in 2017

living-room

With the start of 2017, we’ve said farewell to some tired interior decor trends that have worn out their welcome. Once considered innovative and edgy, those bad boys are now giving us the blahs.

But, when one trend goes out, another must come in. It’s the design circle of life!

So what’s replacing the old fads with fun, new ideas? Your friends will fawn over these eight trends—from “jungalows” to jewel tones—that promise to hit it big in 2017. Want to be a showoff (the good kind)? Be the first to integrate them into your home.

Read about them here…

by

The Renovations That Will Pay Off the Most for Your Home in 2017

updates-for-your-home

New year, new home improvement projects? Whether you’re dying to update your kitchen, add a half-bath, or kick back on a brand-new deck, it pays off big-time knowing just what kind of return on investment your dream renovation might deliver. And you’re in luck, because Remodeling magazine has just released its annual Cost vs. Value report, which analyzes what you’ll pay for various upgrades—and how much you’ll recoup on that investment when you sell your home.

For this much-read report (which, by the way, is celebrating its 30th anniversary), researchers scrutinized 29 popular home improvements in 99 markets nationwide, polling contractors on how much they charge for these jobs as well as real estate agents on how much they think these features boost a home’s market price. From there, they divided each project’s upfront cost by the home’s resale value; the resulting percentage gives you a sense of how well each particular reno “investment” pays off.

Read more…

by

RE/MAX Comes Highly Recommended

remax-comes-highly-recommended

RE/MAX agents are known for providing superior service to their clients. And in the real estate industry, word gets around.  According to a recent study, home buyers and sellers are more likely to recommend RE/MAX than any other real estate brand. Experience, professionalism, results: That’s the sign of a RE/MAX agent!

by

Get Moving! 4 Urgent Reasons You Should Sell Your Home in 2017

Young Family

If you’ve been sitting on the fence about selling your home, it might just be time to hop off. Now. To put it in other terms: 2017 is poised to be the year of the home seller, real estate experts say. So what are you waiting for?

“Sellers have been in the driver’s seat for the last two years, but this year is shaping up to be even better for several reasons,” says Jonathan Smoke, chief economist of realtor.com®. “Nothing is bad for sellers today.”

A combination of factors is coming together to make 2017 a prime seller’s market for most of the nation. Here’s what’s driving it…

by

February 2017 RE/MAX National Housing Report

january2017nhr

Home Sales In January Set Record Pace

With the tug-of-war between rising home sales and shrinking inventory intensifying, January set records for the RE/MAX National Housing Report. Last month topped all other Januarys in the report’s nine-year history with the most sales, highest sales price and fewest days on market.

In the 53 metro areas surveyed, total sales were up 4.5% over January 2016, which was previously the January with the most sales. The Median Sales Price of $208,500 was up 4.3% and marked the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

The new January low of 66 Days on Market underscores the fact that inventory has declined year-over-year for 99 consecutive months dating back to October 2008.

Read the full article in RE/MAX’s newsroom…

Watch the short video on YouTube…