By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Living near a billboard can lower your home value, according to a new report, “Beyond Aesthetics: How Billboards Affect Economic Prosperity,” by urban planner Jonathan Snyder.
Researchers analyzed homes in Philadelphia near billboards to see what impact the advertisements may have on property values. The study found that homes within 500 feet of a billboard were worth $30,826 less, on average, at times of resale than similar properties further away from billboards.
By Sharon Brown, Homescapes by Design
Don’t forget lighting updates when planning to sell. From front door lighting to bathroom fixtures and everything in between, updating lighting is an important item on a home owner’s checklist when planning to sell a home.
BEFORE
Brushed or satin nickel finishes on lighting fixtures make a subtle impact when a prospect first sees MLS pictures and decides what homes to actually spend the time visiting.
AFTER
Don’t be left off this list. Get rid of your old brass fixtures. What was once popular is now so out-of-date that it may make prospects focus on what else is out-of-date in the home.
Lighting changes the exterior feel of home as well as the interior ambiance. Continue reading »
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Photo Credit: Tori Lynn Wallitsch, Alliance Real Estate and Ross Designs LLC, Omaha, Neb.
The majority of real estate professionals encourage their clients to list their home during the holidays because, they say, the holidays can be a great time to sell a home, according to a survey at Realtor.com. So if you have a home for-sale during the holidays, should you stage it decked out in holiday-spirit and glow?
Most real estate professionals say “yes”–just maybe not in the Clark Griswold holiday-overkill kind of way.
About 37 percent of real estate professionals say they advise their sellers to display non-religious holiday decorations during an open house in order to make the home feel more inviting during the holidays, according to a survey by Realtor.com. Twenty-eight percent of real estate professionals say they advise their clients to display ALL of their holiday decorations–including the religious decorations. And then about 8 percent of Scrooges tell their sellers to tuck away all forms of holiday cheer and seasonal decorations, and keep the home staged how they would any other time of year.
For those who do recommend staging for the holidays, here are a few subtle ideas agents often give to their clients, according to the survey:
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Spread the word this holiday season to your clients: They only have a few more days left in the month to take advantage of tax credits for energy efficiency home improvements–so ’tis the season to upgrade!
Tax credits up to $500 are available for home owner’s to claim until the end of the year, but they better hurry. Congress has yet to renew the tax credits for 2012.
“Making efficiency improvements this year will lower home energy bills and improve home comfort for years to come, while also reducing 2011 federal income tax bills,” Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, said in a statement.
The allowance for the tax credits that home owners may be eligible for include: Continue reading »
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
The design forecasts are rolling in for the new year and the predictions of what’s going to be popular in interior decorating in 2012.
According to Beasley & Henley Interior Design in Winter Park, Fla., here are some interior design trends to be on the lookout for in the upcoming year:
Hickory chair featuring hot 2012 trend of yellow and gray; Photo Credit: Beasley & Henley Interior Design
Homes go gray: All shades of gray will be making up more households, from warm grey to charcoal gray, through furnishings, window treatments, and artwork.
Yellow pops: Yellow can lift practically any room, according to Beasley & Henley Interior Design. Pairing yellow with gray can bring a trendy look to a home in 2012.
Photo Credit: Beasley & Henley Interior Design
Rustic: Furnishings from natural, reclaimed, and rustic wood are expected to catch on. “Finishes on these rustic pieces will range from wire-brushed to bleached oak to gray washes,” according to Beasley & Henley Interior Design.
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