All We Need

It’s a crisp day in Portland, Oregon, and the last few rays of afternoon light are slipping behind the clouds. Arriving home from work, Katherine Bovee pauses in her front yard to pluck a leafy handful of arugula and pocket some radishes before heading indoors to start dinner with her small harvest. Inside, her partner, Matt Kirkpatrick, has a pot of tea steeping on the kitchen table and some lounge music gently grooving in the background. With such a cozy domestic tableau as the backdrop, Kirkpatrick laughs at the idea that they’re missing out for living small. “In many ways, it’s hedonistic,” he says. “We get all the things that are great about owning a house without the extra baggage of a bigger place.”

Three years ago, they were living a few blocks away in a similarly sized rental in a subdivided Portland four-square. “We didn’t feel like we needed more space; we just wanted it to work better,” says Kirkpatrick of the dark series of closed-off rooms that comprised their apartment. With plenty of design acumen between them—Kirkpatrick is an architectural designer with his own firm, Design for Occupancy, and Bovee is a studio director at branding and marketing company Joule—they decided to build their own house and started scouting the nearby streets for an empty lot.



Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/all-we-need.html#ixzz1hxKDFbtT

Eco Hat

Were “EcoHat” to come up in passing,you would most likely think of something chunky, organic, and woolen–—perhaps a beanie with earflaps to keep you toasty while chained to a logger’s truck. But in fact, the EcoHat is an innovative environmental housing feature created by British architects Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners (the new name for Richard Rogers Partnership) for the wonderfully un-British Oxley Woods development. The colorful set of detached homes is situated on the edge of the much-maligned planned community of Milton Keynes, about 50 miles northwest of London — Iain Aitch

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/slideshows/green-beret.html#ixzz1hr4RfYui

The Lowest Utility Bill on the Block

Even before the words begin to form sentences, when you talk to Brett Zamore about Houston and architecture you understand it’s going to be an intense conversation. He speaks with the kind of fervor normally reserved for topics like politics, the reason for which soon becomes clear: According to Zamore, Houston’s politics are dom-inated by huge developers operating in a new kind of sprawling, zoning-restriction-free Wild West. As the conversation continues, you cast Zamore in the role of Wyatt Earp—he’s quietly taking a stand.

“You’ll be in a neighborhood and it can change in a blink of an eye,” Zamore says somewhat excitedly. “Over the past ten years the city has been devoured.” A decade ago, Zamore was a graduate student at Rice University, where instead of playing mind games with paper architecture, he renovated a shotgun house in Houston’s Fifth Ward district, giving the house and the neighborhood a much-needed face-lift.

At the time, David Kaplan, now a business reporter for the Houston Chronicle, befriended Zamore while writing about the project for a Rice publication. A few years later, Kaplan was ready to find a place of his own. Instead of settling for one of the thousands of developer homes that have altered the Houston landscape like a non­indigenous parasite, Kaplan, still fond of the shotgun, rang up Zamore. The pair looked at possible fixer-uppers in Eastwood, an old residential and industrial neighborhood close to downtown that had yet to be clear-cut by developers. Zamore soon had a different idea: to build something from the ground up.

For the young designer, this didn’t mean dreaming in computer-molded blobs and subjecting the neighbors to a vision of Houston 2040; rather, Zamore conjured the area’s architectural past. Unlike the Wal-Mart mentality of developers (who’ll sell the same thing from Minnesota to Mississippi, regardless of practicality), Zamore based his design on a fusion of the hot and humid South’s most successful housing types: the shotgun and the dogtrot. 

Sitting on two long and narrow lots, the Shot-Trot, as it is now known, borrows its 16-by-80-foot footprint from  the shotgun. At the building’s center two large barn doors slide open on rails, creating a central breezeway—like a dogtrot. This was a pertinent exercise in historical reenactment. “Old homes were designed to have air flow through them and cool themselves off as best as possible,” Zamore states. “It’s like a self-mechanized air-conditioning unit.”

Like its neighbors, the Shot-Trot sits 30 inches off the ground on a framework of beams and drilled piers, which, according to Zamore, is both “critical for the success of air movement in the house” and better protects the home from floods and their aftereffect, mold (both of which plagued the city after Tropical Storm Allison in 2001). The Hardiplank exterior clad-ding was accordingly chosen for its resistance to humidity and termites. As a further measure, the walls of the house are designed to allow airflow from the base to the eaves by maintaining a gap between insulation materials.

By envisioning the Shot-Trot as a kit of parts, Zamore was able to scale back on construction costs and minimize waste of time and materials. He based the house on an eight-foot grid that accommodates standard-sized wood members, such as the four-by-eight sheets of plywood used in the decking throughout. Installation for these and much of the framing required little more than a nail gun, eliminating cumbersome onsite cutting. Materials were further consolidated, and precious time saved, by using prefabricated elements from local sources. Wooden trusses for the roof were constructed offsite by All Pan Inc., and installed in less than a day. The Galvalume roof, chosen over asphalt tiles for its longevity and ability to deflect heat, was ordered to size, and set in place shortly thereafter. One of the home’s most luxurious elements, old-growth pine and red oak flooring, was salvaged from local tear-downs. (While demolished homes are common in Houston, according to Zamore, salvaging, unfortunately, is not.) In the end, the Shot-Trot modestly priced out to slightly less than $100 per square foot.

While Zamore is further developing the kit of parts into a full-fledged prefabricated Shot-Trot, Kaplan and his dog Bella are happily moved in, and are enjoying a home that befits the neighborhood and has the lowest utility bills on the block, if not the city.





Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/the-lowest-utility-bill-on-the-block.html#ixzz1hr34yNtO

Remodel that Bathroom!

You dream about a bathroom that’s high on comfort and personal style, but you also want materials, fixtures, and amenities with lasting value. Wake up! You can have both.

A mid-range bathroom remodel is a solid investment, according to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report. An average bath remodel of $16,500 will recoup about 62% of those costs when it’s time to sell your home, and a more extensive $52,200 job returns about 55.5%. In addition, you can maximize the value of your investment by using these smart strategies, which will create a stylish yet budget-friendly bathroom.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/bathrooms/strategy-for-bathroom-remodeling/#ixzz1hqXmGMFa

The News

Today the news reported that things should be back to normal in 2013-14!! Finally, so if you are in the market to buy, do it now!  The prices are going up, up, up.... That is all!  Sellers get ready!

Green Acres

The home’s stretched veranda form is a model of economic and democratic design of extruded and repeated elements. It’s no accident that this generates major cost savings, thermal efficiencies, and is generous in shared amenities for all residents. The terrier, however, is mostly interested in the view from his eye level. Photo by: Peter Hyatt

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/slideshows/green-acres.html?slide=3&c=y&paused=true#ixzz1hfO6s54V

Under-cabinet lighting

Without under-cabinet lighting, you are likely working in your own shadow at any perimeter countertop. Eliminate dark spots and frustration with under-cabinet fixtures spaced approximately 25 to 30 inches apart.

You can purchase under-cabinet lighting kits, fixtures, bulbs, and other supplies at home centers, lighting stores, and online. Here’s a rundown of the options.

Under-cabinet lighting fixtures
Hard-wired under-cabinet lighting systems connect directly to your home’s 120-volt electrical system. The advantage is that the lighting is reliable, wires are completely concealed, and the lighting turns off and on with a convenient wall-mounted switch.

Although costs depend on the type of lighting you choose and the complexity of your project, expect to pay about $300 to $400 for a six-light system, professionally installed in an average 10-by-12-foot kitchen.

A low-voltage system uses a transformer to reduce current to 12 or 24 volts. (Some fixtures feature a built-in transformer.) A low-voltage system uses less electricity than line-voltage fixtures and you may be able to save on labor costs by installing a low-voltage system yourself.

A four-light low-voltage kit with transformer will cost about $35.

Plug-in under-cabinet lighting features DIY fixtures that you mount with screws and plug into a nearby wall outlet. The cord will be visible from the bottom of the cabinet to the outlet and the fixtures must be turned on individually. Cost, however, is modest—about $8 per light.

Battery-operated under-cabinet lighting skips wiring altogether. The fixtures are inexpensive and easy to install with screws or adhesive backing. The drawback is that you turn them on one at a time and change batteries periodically.

Expect to pay about $20 for one multi-light bar or $30 for a set of 10 individual fixtures.
Bars or pucks?
You’ll find two basic formats for under-cabinet fixtures—light bars and pucks. Light bars are rectangular and stretch light over a wider area. Pucks are small, round, and concentrate light in a smaller area.
What type of light?
Fluorescent bulbs produce energy-efficient light with a cool or bluish cast. The bulbs last from 5,000 to 20,000 hours and save money over the long run. Under-cabinet fluorescents cannot be dimmed.

To mimic the warmth of incandescent light, select a warm white fluorescent or one with a color temperature rating of 3200K or lower.

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, provide more than 50,000 hours of illumination and are exceptionally energy-efficient.

Zenon is an incandescent light source with a hint of zenon gas for longer life. A zenon bulb lasts about 8,000 to 10,000 hours and emits a pleasing, warm light.

Halogen bulbs provide a very intense, directed light but burn especially hot, causing their popularity to wane in recent years.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/lighting/under-cabinet-lighting-your-kitchen-task-masters/#ixzz1hf3AHDvA

Palace Intrigue

In the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, architect Rytis Mikulionis spent several years property hunting for his first nesting ground and finally ended up inside a former Soviet army barrack, which was, before that, a building on the grounds of a Baroque palace. The city’s astounding collage of architectural histories, compounded with a stimulating encounter between eastern and western aesthetics, make for a unique visiting experience. — Virginia Gardiner

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/slideshows/palace-intrigue.html?slide=1&c=y&paused=true#ixzz1hf2Cdp2M

An Attic Studio in Stockholm

In a 495-square-foot attic in the Söder neighborhood of Stockholm, interior designer Jimmy Schonning—a local celebrity for his role in the Swedish TV shows "Finally at Home" and "Styling Emergency"—has carved out a sweet and stylish home. His diminutive studio is chockablock with creative storage solutions (built-in closets; a washer and drier hidden under a workbench in the bathroom) and loads of personality. With photographs courtesy of photographer Per Magnus Persson

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/an-attic-studio-in-stockholm.html#ixzz1hf0Ys700

A Pantone Hotel for the Color-Obsessed

Pantone has been on a licensing kick for a while now—witness the Pantone chip mugs, messenger bags, cufflinks—but they recently unveiled their most ambitious project to date: the branded-but-tasteful Pantone Hotel, a seven-story, 59-room hotel in Brussels, designed by the Belgian interior designer Michel Penneman and architect Olivier Hannaert. Here's some colorful eye candy for you.


Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-pantone-hotel-for-the-color-obsessed.html#ixzz1hez9M2OS

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!! and Happy New Year Enjoy!!

LEEDing the Way

One day last April there was great excitement on Highland Avenue, a quiet, hilly street (on which this writer happens to live) of Craftsman bungalows and 1960s apartment buildings in the Ocean Park neighborhood of Santa Monica, California. The road was closed off, and residents and TV crews turned out to watch as six huge lowboy trucks delivered their load of steel-framed modules, 11 in all, which were then craned into place and bolted and welded together over the course of eight hours. By the end of the day, the champagne was flowing and Steve Glenn was standing in the future dining/living area of his first LivingHome, toasting his architect and construction crew. Almost three months of finish work later, he moved in.

Glenn, a wired 42-year-old, is a onetime computer-technology entrepreneur and longtime architecture enthusiast, who recalls a childhood passion for Case Study Houses and Frank Lloyd Wright. After exhaustive research, he concluded, however, that it is developers rather than architects who hold the levers, and decided a couple years ago to try his hand at residential development. He identified a market of people who, like himself, “care deeply about design, and about the health and sustainability” of buildings, and launched LivingHomes, a modern prefab home company whose goal is to wed “profit and purpose” by selling stylish green homes at a price accessible to “people on the marketing pyramid below those who can afford custom.”

The designer of his first five model homes is architect Ray Kappe, founder of SCI-Arc and a living legend among many architecture enthusiasts, whose own 1967 house, a gorgeous concrete, glass, and wood structure nestled among trees, is often held up as an icon of West Coast modernism. “Ray’s my favorite living architect,” says Glenn. “He practices a warm modernism that is very unique.” Not only that, it turned out Kappe had prior experience with prefab and with environmentally sensitive design. For him, LivingHomes are the “realization of a long-held ambition.” The modular steel LivingHomes are based on a wooden system Kappe devised 40 years ago; the overtly 3-D quality of Glenn’s house, with its changes in level and interlocking vertical and horizontal planes, is reminiscent of Kappe’s residence, albeit compressed onto a much tighter, and less lush, site.

Glenn claims his homes “are clearly among the most environmentally considered production homes ever built,” and designed his prototype house to achieve a LEED Platinum rating, which it received in August. “Zero Energy, Zero Water, Zero Waste, Zero Carbon, Zero Emissions” is his mantra, and to that end he has packed his house with energy-saving technology and sustainable and nontoxic materials. A solar-energy system on the roof is intended to provide 75 to 100 percent of the electricity and 80 to 90 percent of the hot water. There is a graywater system and a storm-water cistern for watering a garden (currently in process) of drought-resistant plants; the irrigation system will tap in to weather telemetry on the Internet to assess when to operate. A rooftop garden (also pending) is designed to divert storm water and to help with insulation and absorb sunlight, thereby, says Glenn, “reducing the heat-island effect.” Materials are carefully chosen for their healthful and sustainable properties.

Though they are factory produced, LivingHomes are not currently spinning off the assembly line in identical units, to be shipped to an anonymous, mass customer base. “I think it will be a while, if ever, until you literally put a credit card in and order a home,” says Glenn. “A lot of this is site-specific.” The company has seven homes under contract, each of which is customized to meet individual needs, and Glenn is moving ahead with the first phase of four houses in a development in Joshua Tree, near Palm Springs, which were presold. “We are not doing kit homes,” he says. “We haven’t released a standard design. What we are doing is constrained custom, a level of customization that allows people to play with size and room placement.” He says that, eventually, the company will offer five or six standard models designed by Ray Kappe, ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet.

“Now comes the hard part, which is creating a sustainable business,” says Glenn, acknowledging that his own house exceeded intended costs. The finish process proved frustrating at times, he says, and overly long, but also educational. “We’ve learned lots of connection details that we need to make better, cheaper, and quicker, and major systems—the frame, the windows, electrical, waterproofing, environmental systems—that we intend to refine. In the future we want to do as much of the work as possible in the factory.”

Ultimately, for LivingHomes to succeed as a business, the houses need to work as living homes. Glenn candidly assesses his own prototype: “I think it turned out really well. I’m really happy, but until I actually live in it, that’s the test.”


Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/leeding-the-way.html#ixzz1hIWHhjYF

Winter Gardening

Winter gardens don’t have to be wastelands of dead plants and snow drifts. A little advance planning will give your yard curb appeal during the coldest months of the year.

“Winter is not going to be a riot of color; it’s more little jewels,” says Alison Caldwell, buyer for Hicks Nurseries in Westbury, N.Y. “It’s not as flamboyant as May. But that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be winter interest.”

It’s all about structure

Three-season landscapes concentrate on blooms and foliage, but winter gardens need structure to provide visual interest.

When you choose plants and trees in spring, consider varieties that provide a pop of color in winter — shrubs that set berries, and trees that reveal interesting bark when the leaves are gone.

“The bark on crape myrtle looks like statuary,” says Caldwell, “and the way the weeping form of Japanese maple holds snow is beautiful.”

Not only do ornamental trees look great, but for a $50 to $100 investment, they’ll add to the value of your property.

Berry bushes also attract birds, which give your yard flashes of color and movement. Ornamental grasses, with tall, slender stalks that sway in the wind, put on a winter ballet. (Note: You can leave them all winter, then cut them down in the spring to promote new growth.)

Plant these for winter wonder

Here are some popular varieties that provide a winter show. (Make sure you check the plant’s Cold Hardiness Zone before buying.)

• Ilex (holly): Shiny green leaves and berries that change color with the temperature make Ilex a winter favorite. Plant male and female shrubs together to produce lots of berries. Some popular varieties are Winter Gold, which sets cluster of yellow berries in fall, and Jersey Delight, which sports bright red berries. (Zones 4-8)

• Cornus (dogwood): Branches of some dogwood species have wonderful colors that dazzle in winter. The Red Twig dogwood is a compact shrub that sports dark red stems in winter; the Yellow Twig dogwood shows off bright yellow stems. (Zones 3-7)

• Camellia japonica: This shrub maintains dark green leaves year-round, but some species delight home owners in winter with a profusion of blossoms. The Alba Plena variety has white winter blossoms, while the Bob Hope sports magenta blossoms with yellow stamens. (Zones 8-10)

• Hamamelis (witch hazel): A wide range of blossoms appear on bare twigs throughout winter, making this plant a dazzling sight in hedges. A lovely fragrance makes witch hazel a good shrub to plant near doorways. (Zones 5-9)

• Miscanthus: White plumes of this 5-foot ornamental grass sway in the wind throughout winter, peeking above snow blankets and giving your landscaping varied height and visual interest. (Zones 6-9)

• Helleborus: This compact plant delivers blossoms above green, lance-shaped leaves from January to March in many regions. Some popular winter varieties include: Winter’s Bliss Lenten Rose (cream), Mardi Gras Bicolor Mix Lenten Rose (shades of pink), and Pine Knot Select Strain Lenten Rose (purple and lavender). (Zones 4-9)

Last-minute color
If you didn’t think about winter color when you planted in spring, here’s how you can add some 11th-hour pop to your winter landscape.

• In beds and containers, plant hearty ornamental heirloom vegetables, such as varieties of Swiss chard, kale, and cabbage

• Hang bird feeders to attract wild birds that stay around throughout winter. Birds are always searching for water during cold months, so add a heater to bird baths, too.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/gardens/winter-gardening-plants/#ixzz1hC9BCzFd

75 Questions To Ask Before Renting An Apartment

Locating an apartment can be a chore.  If you know exactly what you want you’ll have to ask questions to ensure you get it.  Here are 75 questions/tips to get you moving in the right direction.

1. How much will rent increase each year?
2. Have breaking and entering ever been reported for one of your units?
3. What are my options for paying the rent ex. check, cash, money order, credit card etc.?
4. Do you have registered sex offenders living in this complex?
5. How are maintenance request handled?
6. Ask a random tenant, what they think of the apartment complex.
7. How is the parking?  Assigned parking or first come first serve.
8. I have pets how much is the monthly fee?
9. Do policeman live in the complex?
10. How much is the security deposit?
11. How much is the application fee?
12. Monthly rent; what is the late charges date? (i.e. Rent due on the 1^st the 6^th day of the month)
13. Does the apartment come with pest control?
14. What is the lease start and end date?
15. Does apartment have AC (find out what type of system being used; turn it on during your walk thru and check vents for proper air flow)?
16. When will I get my security deposit back?
17. Do I get reduce rent for referring a friend?
18. Does the front door have a deadbolt installed?
19. Is the maintenance worker swamped with maintenance request?
20. Will rent be higher for a short term lease?
21. Are there washer and dryer hookups?
22. Do other tenants look respectable?
23. Will rental be freshly painted prior to move in?
24. Where can I submit a complaint about management or maintenance, if I have one?
25. Is there a community bulletin board or other way for residents to communicate?
26. Do you have a No Alteration policy for the apartment?
27. Are there any move-in specials?
28. Is there a fire extinguisher in the apartment or nearby?
29. Does apartment manager live on site?
30. How is mail delivered to the apartment (what happens to large packages and registered mail)?
31. What’s the average dollar amount for utility bill (gas, water, electric, and sewer)?
32. How is trash handled for large items such as a sofa, mattress, or computer desk?
33. Which fees are non-refundable?
34. Where do guest park their vehicles?
35. What personal documents will you need from me prior to signing of the lease?
36. Can I paint the walls or ceilings?
37. Do pipes freeze in the winter?
38. I would like to rent month to month is there an additional fee?
39. Is there a fee for early termination of lease?
40. Are storage units available?
41. How good is the cell phone reception from my apartment?
42. Rent is collected on what day of the month?
43. If a tenant moves out prior to the 1^st of the month will tenant be charge the full amount of rent?
44. Is there a place for tenants to wash their car?
45. What are the seasonal challenges for this apartment (i.e. it rains and apartment floods, pipes freeze during winter)
46. When the lease is up, will it automatically convert to a month-to-month agreement, or will I be obligated to sign a new lease?
47. Are there enough windows in the apartment?
48. Do windows lock properly?
49. How many electrical outlets in each room?
50. Is there a BBQ grill on site?
51. What role does the landlord play if mold is found in apartment?
52. What security features are installed for this community?
53. Does front door have a peep hole? (rare not to have but worth checking)
54. Does carpet need to be clean?
55. What are the hours of operation for the fitness center?
56. Has there ever been a fire/flood in this apartment?
57. I’ve been locked out of my apartment is there a number to call to be let back in?
58. Security cameras caught a break-in on tape, can the recording be used as evidence?
59. Is subletting allowed?
60. Are smoke and CO2 Carbon Monoxide alarms installed for apartment?
61. Is it safe to walk or run in the neighborhood at night?
62. What freeways are the closest to apartment?
63. Will my car insurance rates increase once I move in?
64. Is the stove gas or electric?
65. How many complaints have been filed against the landlord or the rental company?
66. Can I take pictures during tour of property and apartment?
67. Are there cracks in the walls or ceilings?
68. Is there a sprinkler system for apartment?
69. Is the apartment furnished?
70. Is the water pressure normal in the kitchen and shower (also check to see how long it takes water to turn hot)?
71. Do all doors open/close easily?
72. Where is the trash collected?
73. Is it difficult to add someone to the lease once it has been signed?
74. You have furniture: How wide are your doors (make sure it will all fit)?
75. What is the minimum credit score to rent an apartment?

Storage and bedroom blended

Linda Bergroth had gardening and storage in mind when she developed this scaled-down prefab prototype. The Finnish designer collaborated with Helsinki-based Avanto Architects for two years to perfect the compact unit—now available for purchase from outdoor brand Kekkilä—which artfully merges shed and greenhouse into one wood-framed, gabled-roof, glass-walled structure.



Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/shedded-bliss.html#ixzz1h60P48PL

Red, Wood, and Blue

In a city known for its progressive politics and creative residents, the Bouldin Creek neighborhood in south Austin, Texas, may be the epicenter of the city’s bohemian personality. This is where artists, writers, photographers, designers, and musicians can still find places with decent rent without having to sacrifice the proximity to downtown’s galleries, shops, and coffee bars. It’s also one of the only centrally located neighborhoods left in town where an aspiring architect has the chance to find a vacant lot to build on, as well as open-minded individuals willing to experiment.

For Thomas Bercy (27) and Calvin Powei Chen (29), both just a few years out of the University of Texas architecture school, the neighborhood was exactly what they were looking for. With a downtown lot, not only would they be able to build the inaugural house in Austin for their design firm, Bercy Chen Studio, they would also be able to provide Bercy, his brother Yannick, and Yannick’s family a place to call home in an up-and-coming part of town. “Since my brother and I were both living in Austin, it was financially feasible for us to develop a property,” says Bercy, who is Belgian and came to Texas with his family ten years ago. “And for Calvin and me, it was a starting point to get something built.”

What they built is a beautiful combination of functional architecture and modern aesthetics that is as much a sculptural showcase as a functional home. Two steel-framed rectangular volumes—one has a single story and the other has two—stand parallel to each other, though they have been staggered to take full advantage of the narrow lot and to provide ample outdoor living space. The buildings are connected by a glass-walled hallway that bridges a reflecting pool and water garden and there is an abundance of over-sized sliding windows, doors, and glass panels to blur the line between the built environment and the natural one.


Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/red-wood-and-blue.html#ixzz1h5j45ezM

10 States Hit Hardest by Foreclosures

Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, December 15, 2011

For the 59th month in a row, Nevada continues to have the highest foreclosure rate in the country — despite a new law that took effect in October that changed the state’s foreclosure process and was expected to curtail foreclosures there.
Although foreclosures were down 43 percent year-over-year in Nevada, its foreclosure rate still remained higher than any other state.
The following are the top 10 states with the highest foreclosure rates in the country in November, according to RealtyTrac data.

1. Nevada: 1 in every 175 home received a foreclosure filing in November
2. California: 1 in every 211 homes
3. Arizona: 1 in every 256 homes
4. Utah: 1 in every 290 (This state saw a 74 percent increase in November from October in foreclosure activity.)
5. Georgia: 1 in every 330 homes
6. Michigan: 1 in every 330 homes
7. Florida: 1 in every 358 homes
8. Illinois: 1 in every 427 homes
9. Ohio: 1 in every 500 homes
10. South Carolina: 1 in every 517 (This is the first time South Carolina has made it into the top 10 for foreclosure activity since RealtyTrac began tracking in 2005.)

Home Owners to Lawmakers: Do More to Help Housing

The government isn’t doing enough to help home owners at risk of default, foreclosure, and underwater on their homes, a majority of Americans say in the Home Horizons 2012 study, a survey conducted by Yahoo! Real Estate of 1,500 current and aspiring home owners.
Fifty-one percent of home owners say the government needs to pass more legislation to help home owners who are at risk of losing their house. About two-thirds of Americans surveyed say the government needs to offer more assistance like low-cost loans to help home owners more.
Four out of five adults polled say the 2012 presidential election will have a small or large influence on the housing market, with 43 percent predicting it will have a large impact. However, one-third of those surveyed doubt either party — Republican or Democrat — will have either a positive or negative impact on the real estate market.
“A large-scale government policy that’s going to fix all of this — no one has seen such a thing,” Stan Humphries, chief economist at Zillow, told Yahoo! Real Estate. “Stabilization in home prices and then a slow upward movement in prices to work down negative equity — that’s a multiyear affair.”
Source: “Yahoo! Study: Home Owners Want Political Action,” Yahoo! Real Estate (Dec. 12, 2011)

Pew Links Housing Wealth to College Gains

The impact of today’s tough housing market will be felt in the years ahead as fewer children from middle-class households get on the ladder of economic success by going to college. That’s because for many middle-class households, the ability of their children to go to college, or go to a better college than they otherwise would, is directly linked to the wealth accrued in their home.
That’s the conclusion of a study just released by the Pew Charitable Trusts in which Cornell University researcher Michael Lovenheim looks at data from the 2001-2005 housing boom and finds a direct correlation between higher-education attainment and housing wealth for middle-class families.
“Higher education decisions are highly sensitive to fluctuations in family resources,” says the report, called Housing Wealth and Higher Education: Building a Foundation for Economic Mobility. “The model shows that low- and middle-income students whose families experienced increases in housing wealth just before reaching college age were more likely to attend college, more likely to attend higher-quality universities, and more likely to graduate.”
Unfortunately, there’s a negative flip side to that: “The recent housing bust and resulting decrease in wealth could negatively impact the post-secondary decisions of low- and middle-income families.”
Among the findings:

• For every $10,000 of home equity gains, the likelihood of enrolling in college increases by 6 percentage points among families with incomes below $70,000.
• The wealth generated by rising home values is estimated to increase college enrollment by 24 percent among low- and middle-income families.
• Increased housing wealth raises the likelihood of college graduation by 9 percent, lifting it to 32 percent.

Which Home Improvement Projects Offer the Best Returns?

Daily Real Estate News | Friday, December 16, 2011

When it comes to remodeling, exterior replacement projects have routinely rewarded home owners with more bang for their buck. This year is no different: REALTORS^® recently rated many exterior improvements as among the most valuable home investment projects as part of the 2011-12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report. 

“This year’s Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report shows the value of putting your home’s best façade forward, so to speak,” said National Association of REALTORS^® President Moe Veissi. “Inexpensive exterior replacement projects are not only crucial to a home’s regular upkeep, but are also expected to recoup close to 70 percent of costs. Specific exterior projects such as siding, window and door replacements are part of regular home maintenance, so many homeowners are already undertaking them. These projects also do not require expensive materials and they have the added bonus of instantly adding curb appeal.”

HouseLogic.com, NAR’s consumer Web site, includes dozens of remodeling projects, from kitchens and baths to siding replacements, which indicate the recouped value of the project based on a national average. According to the Cost vs. Value, seven of the top 10 most cost-effective projects nationally in terms of value recouped are exterior replacement projects. REALTORS^® judged an upscale fiber-cement siding replacement as the project expected to return the most money, with an estimated 78 percent of costs recouped upon resale.

Two additional siding replacement projects were in the top 10, including foam-backed vinyl siding, expected to return 69.6 percent of costs, and upscale vinyl siding, expected to recoup 69.5 percent of costs. Three door replacements were also among the top exterior replacement projects. The steel entry door replacement is the least expensive project in the report, costing little more than $1,200 on average and expected to recoup 73 percent of costs.

The upscale garage door replacement jumped seven spots to number six this year, primarily due to the average cost of the project declining more than 15 percent nationally. The upscale and midrange garage door replacement projects are expected to return more than 71 percent of costs. One window replacement project — upscale vinyl — rounded out the last exterior replacement project in the top 10, expected to recoup 69.1 percent of costs.

The 2011-12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 35 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels, and replacements in 80 markets across the country. Data are grouped in nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 14th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Remodeling magazine publisher Hanley Wood LLC, was completed in cooperation with NAR.

10 States Hit Hardest by Foreclosures

Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, December 15, 2011

For the 59th month in a row, Nevada continues to have the highest foreclosure rate in the country, despite a new law that took effect in October that changed the state’s foreclosure process and was expected to curtail foreclosures there. Foreclosures were down 43 percent year-over-year in that state, but its foreclosure rate still remained higher than other states.
The following are the top 10 states with the highest foreclosure rates in the country in November, according to RealtyTrac data.

1. Nevada: 1 in every 175 home received a foreclosure filing in November
2. California: 1 in every 211 homes
3. Arizona: 1 in every 256 homes
4. Utah: 1 in every 290 (This state saw a 74 percent increase in November from October in foreclosure activity.)
5. Georgia: 1 in every 330 homes
6. Michigan: 1 in every 330 homes
7. Florida: 1 in every 358 homes
8. Illinois: 1 in every 427 homes
9. Ohio: 1 in every 500 homes
10. South Carolina: 1 in every 517 (This is the first time South Carolina has made it into the top 10 for foreclosure activity since RealtyTrac began tracking in 2005.)

Source: RealtyTrac

12 days of Christmas Travel Preparation

On the first day of Christmas...Make travel arrangements

• Here is some advice to get the cheapest flights.
• Look up road conditions before making a road trip.

On the second day of Christmas...Have the gifts delivered
You need to make sure you have thought about how the gifts will get to and from your holiday destination. This year, I ordered many of my gifts online and shipped them, so I did not have to worry about packing them up and checking them on the plane!

• Check for free shipping codes on sites like RetailMeNot.com.
• Check for baggage fees with the airline you are flying. Make sure to mention you are military, some have different baggage fees for active duty.

On the third day of Christmas...Stop your mail
Have the post office hold your mail while you are gone! You do not want packages and mail piling up and increasing the chances something will get lost of stolen. Make sure you also put a hold on your newspaper subscriptions. (If you are really lucky and have a trustworthy neighbor, have them check your mail and collect newspapers)
On the fourth day of Christmas...Make sure your pets are taken care of
Book a kennel or pet sitter early. They tend to be busy and fill up this time of year.

• Here is some great advice to help you choose a kennel.
• If you plan to travel with a pet ensure that they are up to date on all of the necessary vaccines, for more tips read my tips for traveling with a pet.

On the fifth day of Christmas...Ensure your home is secured

• Inform the local police office of your absence and ask them to keep an eye on your home.
• Have a trustworthy neighbor check on your house periodically while you are gone.
• Set a light on a timer that can be seen through the front window at night.
• Do not post on social networking sites that you will be gone for the next two weeks, you do not want that information in untrustworthy hands.

On the sixth day of Christmas...Winter proof your home

• If your house will be unoccupied for an extended period of time, shut off and drain your water system. For example, turn off the water supply to your washing machine, ice-maker, toilets and sinks to prevent flooding from ruptured hoses.
• Check out some more of USAA's expert winter proofing tips here and here.

On the seventh day of Christmas...Conserve energy

• Unplug electrical appliances, such as the coffee maker, microwave oven, television and computer. (This also ensures if a power outage occurs while you're gone, there will be no damage to your appliances when the power is restored)
• Turn down your heat. (no lower than 55 degrees so pipes don't freeze)

On the eighth day of Christmas...Don't forget about your plants

• Ask a neighbor to water your plants or use watering bulbs which release water as the plant needs.
• Here are some great guidelines for keeping plants alive during the winter.

One the ninth Day of Christmas...Make sure all of your bills are paid

• Set up automatic payments through bank bill pay while you are gone.
• Ensure your rent and electricity, water, gas, internet and cable bills etc. are taken care of.

On the tenth day of Christmas...Empty the trash

• You will be truly sorry when you smell the house if you forget this little task!

On the 11th Day of Christmas...Lock and Bolt

• Check and double check that the doors, windows and gates are locked and secured.

On the twelfth day of Christmas...Remember what this season is all about
Do not get bogged down with the stresses of traveling. Remember that this time is about being thankful, giving and recognizing all of the things you have to be joyful for. Cherish this time with your loved ones and family! Have safe travels and very happy holidays!

4 Tips to Help Your Buyers Refine Their Home Search

Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Are your buyers having a tough time wading through the inventories of homes to find the right home? Kelly O’Ryan, an office manager with Coldwell Banker in Lexington, Mass., offered some of the following tips in a recent article at RISMedia to help your home buyers narrow their search when looking for properties:
1. Have your home buyers make a list of all the must-haves for their future home, such as the number of bedrooms and school district they must have.
2. Make sure your buyers get pre-approved for a mortgage by a lender. This will help ensure they don’t look for homes that are only within their budget.
3. Encourage your buyers to research available homes on the Internet so they get a feel for what’s available. You can help them sort for properties within their price range and locate homes that fit their criteria. But have them review photos and videos of multiple homes on the Internet to help them narrow their search before you take them to view homes in-person. 
4. Remind your home buyers to not get sidetracked when viewing homes at aesthetics that can be changed out easily, such as paint colors and light fixtures. Help them to see past any bad decor and focus in on items in the home that can’t easily be changed, such as the home’s location and lot size.
Source: “How to Lead a Refined Real Estate Search,” RISMedia (Dec. 12, 2011)
Read More:
Handouts for Customers: 8 Tips to Guide for Your Home Search

House Flippers to Blame for Housing Downturn?

Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, December 13, 2011

House flippers — made up of investors who bought up homes during the housing boom, possibly made a few upgrades to the home, and quickly resold the homes for high-dollar profit — played a larger role in causing the housing bubble than previously thought, according to a new federal report out by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The impact that speculative real estate investors played in driving the housing downturn has mostly been overlooked until now, the researchers note.
The speculative investors used low downpayments and subprime credit in buying up multiple homes at once, the report says. Their actions attributed to home prices in some areas being inflated, researchers say.
"This may have allowed the bubble to inflate further, which caused millions of owner-occupants to pay more if they wanted to buy a home for their family," researchers note in the report.
House flippers made up a big piece of the real estate market during the housing boom.  According to the report, more than one-third of all home mortgages from 2006 were to people who already owned at least one home. What’s more, “in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada, where average home prices more than doubled from 2000 to 2006, investors made up nearly half of all mortgage-backed purchases during the housing bubble,” the Associated Press reports. “Buyers owning three or more properties represented the fastest-growing segment of home owners during that time.”
When home values began to fall in 2006, investors defaulted on their loans in large numbers, accounting for more than 25 percent of seriously delinquent mortgage balances, according to the report. In investor hot-spots like Arizona, California, Florida, and Nevada, investors accounted for more than a third of seriously delinquent mortgage balances from 2007 to 2009.
The report urges lenders and regulators to take action to limit speculative borrowing in order to avoid a future housing downturn.
Source: “Flippers’ Housing Bust Role Larger than Thought,” The Associated Press (Dec. 12, 2011)
Read More:
Short Sales Ethics: 6 Temptations to Avoid

Watch Wording on Insurance Policies, Study Says

Daily Real Estate News | Monday, December 12, 2011

Homeowner insurance policies can vary greatly, and if home owners aren’t careful, they may find their claims denied when disaster strikes, according to a study to be published early next year by the University of Chicago Law Review.
While home insurers once used standard policy forms by the Insurance Services Office, now some are coming up with their own policies and a few tweaks in the wording can mean trouble for some home owners, according to the study. Home owners should read the fine-print and carefully review their policies to examine what’s covered and what’s not, the study notes. For example, some policies include mold and lead coverage; other policies do not.
According to United Policyholders, here are a few questions home owners can ask insurance agents when shopping around for a home owner’s insurance policy:

• What is the coverage for water damage from sewer or pipe problems? 
• What is the coverage for any damage to the foundation — is it completely covered, limited, or excluded completely? 
• Will items be paid at “replacement value” or “actual cash value”? 

Study author Daniel Schwarcz, a University of Minnesota Law School associate professor, told The Wall Street Journal that he is urging state insurance departments to post their insurance policies online so they can be reviewed closer by consumer groups and home owners. In October, Nevada began posting policy forms for its largest home and auto insurers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Source: “A Home-Insurance Trap?” The Wall Street Journal (Dec. 3, 2011)

Banks, GSEs Spend More Money to Spruce Up REOs

Daily Real Estate News | Monday, December 12, 2011

Foreclosed homes continue to hamper nearby property values. In some cities, foreclosures were found to decrease nearby property values up to $17,000, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
More programs are being aimed at rehabbing foreclosed homes so the harm to property values won’t be as great.
According to the GAO report, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac doled out $953 million last year to maintain and fix up vacant homes.
"We are committed to stabilizing communities and helping the housing market recover," a Fannie Mae spokesperson told HousingWire. "Our goal is to sell REO properties at a competitive market rate, and maintaining our properties is an important part of achieving that goal."
Since 2008, investors and nonprofits received $6 billion in grant money from HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program to maintain and fix up vacant homes. In Detroit, the city spent $20 million last year demolishing vacant homes or rehabbing ones that could still be saved after neglect.
Wells Fargo & Co. said recently it will donate $5.53 million to 52 nonprofit groups through its Leading the Way Home Program Priority Markets Initiative so that the groups can purchase and redevelop foreclosed and abandoned homes.
"These grants will help stabilize and rebuild local communities," Kimberly Jackson, executive director of Wells Fargo's Housing Foundation. "We want to do what we can to make resources available to support efforts led by nonprofits to revitalize neighborhoods in cities that have felt the effects of financial difficulties and a challenging economy."
Source: “GSEs Spend Nearly $1 Billion on Property Preservation,” HousingWire (Dec. 9, 2011) and Wells Fargo

BofA Considers Renting REOs Back to Former Owners

Daily Real Estate News | Monday, December 12, 2011

In facing large inventories of foreclosures, Bank of America is considering a program that would allow investors to buy a foreclosed home and then rent it back to the former home owner, HousingWire reports.
Bank of America is looking for ideas on how to handle the large inventories of foreclosures in some areas where demand hasn’t picked up.
"We are looking at programs where you can capture somebody before the REO process and offer a deed-for-lease," Ron Sturzenegger, who leads the bank's legacy asset servicing division, explained to HousingWire. "We would go to the customer and say, 'We'll do a short sale. Will you be interested in leasing your property back? We're still going to sell the property. You will no longer be the owner. But you can be a tenant now in that same property and save you from moving on.'"
The program is still in very early stages and more details need to be worked out, Sturzenegger noted.
Source: “BofA Developing Foreclosure Rental Programs to Deal With Distressed Properties,” HousingWire (Dec. 9, 2011)

More Owners Opt for 'Strategic Default'

Daily Real Estate News | Monday, December 12, 2011

Strategic defaults are on the rise due mainly to two factors: the growing number of mortgages where the outstanding balance is greater than the home's current market value, and continued high unemployment.
A study by the Mortgage Bankers Association warns that the trend could have a significant harmful impact in certain markets.
"While the merits of such a choice can and will continue to be debated, what is indisputable is that the possibility to strategically default has certainly been brought to the attention of current homeowners like never before, with potentially negative consequences for housing markets," said Michael Seiler, who headed the study.
Source: "More Homeowners Opt for 'Strategic Default'," Sioux City (Iowa) Journal (Dec. 10, 2011)
© Copyright 2011 Information Inc.

Where Are Mortgage Rates Heading?

Where Are Mortgage Rates Heading?
Daily Real Estate News Monday, December 12, 2011

Where are rates heading? You may soon get more insight with a new proposal the Federal Reserve is weighing.

The Federal Reserve doesn’t traditionally make a point to reveal its predictions for future actions on interest rates widely known to the public — that is, until recently. This summer in a rare step, the Fed announced that it would keep short-term interest rates at nearly zero until 2013. The Fed may start making it a tradition to reveal more with a regular forecast of its future decisions on interest rates.
The Fed may consider adopting such a move at its Tuesday meeting, but if it does adopt an action, it most likely wouldn’t be announced to the public until January, The New York Times reports.
According to a recent article, the minutes of the Federal Reserve committee’s last meeting in November revealed that “participants generally expressed interest in providing additional information to the public about the likely future path of the target federal funds rate.”
In 2007, the Fed weighed a similar move but decided against it because they feared that public would take the predictions as commitments, and the Fed wanted to be able to change course if needed without public misunderstanding.
If the Fed adopted a forecast, it likely would predict where interest rates are heading for the next three years, and it would be similar to the forecasts it already publishes about economic growth, unemployment, and inflation four times each year, The New York Times reports.
Source: “Fed to Weigh Publishing a Forecast on Rates,” The New York Times (Dec. 11, 2011)

More Contracts Come With a Contingency

More offers are coming with a contingency: The buyer wants the house but the seller has to give them more time — 30 to 60 days, possibly — to try to sell their own home before they’ll make the deal final, more real estate professionals are reporting.
"In a strong real estate market, it's harder to get away with (a sell contingency)," Eric Tyson, co-author of "Home Buying for Dummies" told the Chicago Tribune. "It adds another element of uncertainty to the deal."
Many sellers will continue to show homes to potential buyers during the contingency period, but since it’s listed in the multiple listing service, some buyers might be less apt to take a look.
“Most contingency agreements contain a kick-out clause: If your dream home's seller receives a noncontingent offer during the set time period, you typically have a day or two to rescind the contingency or risk losing the home,” according to the Tribune article.
Oftentimes, seller's agents will want to visit the buyer’s home before agreeing to a contingent sale offer to check the home’s condition and location and see whether it’ll likely sell in the time period, the article notes. “The seller's agent may even have a hand in setting the price or determining how long the home should be on the market before a price drop,” according to the article.
Source: “Contingency Sale Offers Becoming More Acceptable,” Chicago Tribune (Dec. 9, 2011)
Read More
Commission Lost Over Contract Contingency
Law & Ethics: Contingency Clauses

Worlds Most Interesting Bathroom?!!

The aquarium bathroom has to be my favorite.  It's very interesting how much can be achieved with an open mind.  But bathrooms, whether public or private, encounter plenty of abuse. The constant inflow and outflow of water paired with limited space and high demands on hygiene and efficiency make it one of the most difficult rooms to design. But there are plenty of architects who have stepped up to the challenge. Here are some of the most innovative bathroom engineering in the world

Read more: The World's 18 Strangest Bathrooms - Design and Architecture Bathrooms - Popular Mechanics

Home Ownership matters…to people, to communities, and to America. Why?

• For every two homes sold, one job is created in the U.S.

• Each purchase generates as much as $60,000 in economic activity over time.

The home ownership debate
Some who care about creating jobs also argue that home ownership may be overrated, and that we might be better off as a nation of renters.
If that’s of concern to you, follow the debate about federal government incentives to home ownership—the outcome of which will determine whether the average American can still get an affordable mortgage and whether home owners can continue to deduct their mortgage interest as a benefit of home ownership.

• Stay in the know on this debate by subscribing to the HouseLogic newsletter and following us on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up in the “Stay Connected” box at the top of this page.

• Read about the issues affecting you as a home owner right now:

Home ownership
It Pays to Support Responsible Home Ownership
Protect your home’s value and build stronger communities.
Home Ownership Matters Bus Tour Hits the Road
The Home Ownership Matters bus tour, sponsored by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, is revving up to celebrate the benefits of home ownership with you.
Home Ownership Matters Ad
Mortgages
How Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Save You Money
Home owners who use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages save thousands of dollars in interest payments each year.

Show Your Support for FHA
FHA supports home values by providing a steady source of mortgage financing for families across the country, but critics worry it has taken on too much risk.
Mortgage deduction
Your Mortgage Deduction: Turn Tax Savings into Home Value
Sock away your mortgage deduction tax savings, and you’ll have a nice cushion for life’s necessities—and a few luxuries. Here’s how a typical household might spend their tax savings at various life stages.
7 Mortgage Interest Deduction Myths
Think losing the mortgage interest deduction would be no big deal? We bust seven myths to show why the cost is bigger than you think.
Mortgage Interest Deduction Vital to Housing Market
The mortgage deduction saves the average home owner thousands of dollars at tax time, supports home values at the community level, and helps American home buyers get into their first house.

Deduct Mortgage Interest and Home Equity Loans
Deducting mortgage interest, as well as interest on home equity loans and HELOCs, can save you money on taxes.

MID app
Estimate your tax savings based on the mortgage interest deduction.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/why-home-ownership-matters/home-ownership-matters/#ixzz1gMD6t9DO

Texas Two-Step

Austin-based architectural photographer Patrick Wong, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture, asked the firm Cottam Hargrave for help in designing and building a live/work space on land he had purchased years ago from his grandfather. “The lot had become the neighborhood dump,” says Wong. “There’s a convenience store about 100 yards away, and it takes someone about that distance to finish a 32-ounce beer and throw it into the pile,” he says with a laugh, adding that he spent every weekend for a year removing 60 truckloads’ worth of bottles, cans, bags of trash—even a car bumper—from the site before it was empty enough to pour the slab.

The architects, led by principal Jay Hargrave, designed a simple, 1,700-square-foot structure that begins as a one-story at the entrance façade then rises to a second story at the back to accommodate the bedroom loft area. In the design phase, he and Wong, who initially asked for a bachelor pad, remained especially cognizant of the extreme sun exposure at the site, and planned accordingly. The angled roof protects the occupants—Wong, his wife, preschool teacher and amateur artist Cherry Li and her teenage daughter, Jasmine—from extreme midday sun, but the meticulously placed windows allow plenty of bright, constantly shifting light in throughout the day.

“Patrick wanted a very efficient, well-built house, and the program is fairly straightforward,” says Hargrave. “The way he lives his life is intrinsically sustainable, so it was necessary to create something in which every bit of space would be well-utilized.” Wong adds that he admires the flexibility of Japanese architecture and interior space, and relies on being able to use the main, open space downstairs “as a photography studio, a living room or even a dance floor if we ever feel like it.”

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/texas-two-step.html#ixzz1gMBLIxne

Reno Contemporary

Located in a gated community in Reno, Nev., this contemporary home features large windows that capture mountain and city views.  This home has a massive contemporary style updated kitchen, which ikea would envy.  The living room boast a grey marble fireplace and a built in cabinet to house a flat screen television.   In the back yard there is a pool that over looks the mountains and heavy land folliage. Great views of nevada in every corner of this home.   Listed at $2,655,000.  Click the link for more information on this home.... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204903804577082801601141034--LESS.html?mod=house#%2F9

A Potrero Hill Renovation

San Francisco architect Cary Bernstein recently completed this renovation and expansion of an old cottage in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighborhood. The cottage had suffered a series of haphazard additions over a 100-year period, and the client wanted more space and an updated modern interior. Bernstein describes her goals thusly: "To expand the house while staying within the existing footprint to protect the mature gardens, to preserve the charm of the existing building’s ad-hoc character, to integrate a modern architectural vocabulary with the older construction, and to build sustainably." The resulting home fluidly knits together a modern vocabulary of open interiors, connection to the outdoors, innovative structural details, and a mix of contemporary and reclaimed materials.

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/a-potrero-hill-renovation.html#ixzz1fyW1oIiK

Snow Removal...

Home snow removal is an easier task with a snow blower. To choose the right snow blower, take into consideration the size of your property, average snowfall amounts in your area, and your budget. Generally speaking, as snow blowers go up in price, they increase in size and power, reducing the amount of time and effort it takes for snow removal.

The best way to decide what kind of snow blower you’ll need is to know the amount of snow your area gets. Find annual snowfall totals in nearby cities, or check winter storm snowfall totals at the website of your local news and weather source, such as a television or radio station.

Also, size matters. “The main thing I ask shoppers is, how big is their property,” says Andrew Kelly, department manager for Lowe’s. If you have a long driveway or more than 150 feet of sidewalk to clear, see if you can afford a heavier, more capable machine than indicated by snowfall totals.

Light snow removal jobs (up to 4 inches per year)

If you live in an area that receives the occasional light dusting of snow, you can likely get by just fine with a shovel. But if for reasons of health (or motivation) shoveling is impractical, an electric snow shovel is ideal. These walk-behind tools are good for small jobs, such as front porches and walks.

Plug-in, electric snow shovels feature plastic, rotating blades that throw snow out of the front of the machine. Expect to pay about $100. You’ll need a UL-listed outdoor extension cord to power your electric show shovel.

These lightweight machines have a few drawbacks. Small front openings can handle snows of only a few inches deep, and they’ll only clear a path about 1 foot wide. Their plastic blades are prone to cracking or breaking when they come in contact with ice and stones.

Light to moderate snow removal jobs (up to 12 inches per year)

Capable of handling snowfalls up to 8 or 10 inches in height, an electric snow blower is the right choice for home owners in moderately snowy locations.

Electric snow blowers are as close to maintenance-free as possible, requiring none of the hassles that accompany gas-powered lawn equipment, such as keeping gas cans and mixing two-cycle oil with the gas.

The downside, of course, is that you’ll need to drag around a lengthy extension cord.

With widths of just 14 to 18 inches, electric snow blowers are not the best choices for home owners with long, winding driveways or extra-lengthy sidewalks. Because their clearing paths are roughly half that found on many gas-powered blowers, they require twice the passes to get the job done.

Basic models are priced between $150 and $250. They lack any of the bells and whistles found on pricier gas machines that can make the job easier, such as headlamps, remotely adjustable discharge chutes, and self-propel systems.

Moderate to heavy snow removal jobs (up to 40 inches per year)

For all but the snowiest locales, a single-stage gas-powered snow blower should fit the bill. This machine features an auger or set of rubber blades that chews up snow and throws it out of a moveable discharge chute.

Single-stage gas-powered blowers are smaller and easier to handle than two-stage blowers (see below). Capable of clearing paths 18 to 22 inches wide, single-stage blowers are large enough for all but the biggest jobs.

Priced between $300 and $600, most single-stage gas blowers feature push-button electric ignition, making for easy cold-weather starts. While these models lack a propulsion system found in bigger, pricier units, they do travel forward thanks to the movement of the blades.

Heavy snow removal jobs (more than 40 inches per year)

So, you live in Cleveland, Denver, or Buffalo. What you need is a two-stage, gas-powered snow blower. With snow-hungry openings that devour paths 24 to 30 inches wide, these powerful machines are perfect not only for the snow-bound home owner, but also those who make a living clearing snow.

Strong auger-and-impeller systems gobble up snow as much as 20 inches deep and fling it up to 50 feet away. Joystick-controlled adjustable chutes allow the operator to control both direction and angle of the discharge with the flick of a finger.

Engine-driven wheels propel the machine both forward and reverse — some in multiple speeds — a key feature not found on smaller and less expensive models. Extras, such as headlights and heated hand grips, enable you to remove snow in severe cold and even at night.

Prices start around $600 and climb to $1,000 and up.

Home owners with gravel driveways are pretty much compelled to purchase a two-stage machine as they are the only units that can be raised or lowered to protect the auger from rocks and debris. The downside is that they’ll leave behind an inch or so of snow when in the raised position.

Accessories

For electric models, a UL Listed extension cord that can handle the wet and cold is mandatory. Cost is $20 to $40, depending on length.

A cover to protect your blower during the off-season will run about $35.

For really big jobs, it might be worth it to splurge on a cab enclosure to protect you from wind and blowing snow. Expect to pay at least $100.

Snow blower maintenance

Electric models are essentially care-free. Gas-powered blowers require you to either run the machine dry of fuel at the end of your home snow removal season, or that you add a fuel stabilizer to the remaining gas in the tank.

Oil, sparkplugs, auger belts, and air filters need to be replaced on a regular basis. Shear pins, designed to break to protect the auger from damage, cost just a few bucks for a multi-pack. You might go through a pack per season.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/seasonal-maintenance/home-snow-removal/#ixzz1fszjdFjt

Looking for Privacy?

If your neighbors are so close you feel the need to duck down every time you walk past one of your windows, a little home privacy may be in order. Low-cost privacy treatments for window glass offer good-looking, permanent solutions that you can apply yourself.

Spray-on window frosting

Available in aerosol cans at hardware stores and home improvement centers, spray-on frosted finishes ($4 to $10 for a 12-ounce can) coat window glass with a translucent or opaque frosting that blocks views but allows light in.

One can of spray coats about 35 sq. ft. of glass — enough to coat 2 average-size windows. White is popular, but other translucent colors also are available.

Be sure to clean the interior surface of your window before applying the spray. Work in a well-ventilated area and apply as several thin, even coats to avoid drips. Spray-on frosts can be removed by scraping the window with a blade.

For windows and glass doors where total privacy isn’t necessary, such as the glass surrounding an exterior entry door, use the spray with stencils to create designs that look like they’re etched onto the glass.

Window films

Opaque and translucent vinyl films ($25 to $125 for a 3-by-5-ft. window) cling to the interior glass surfaces of your windows. You cut them to fit with a utility knife.

Window films come in a variety of opacities, patterns, colors, and even “stained glass” looks. Some frosted films contain glass dust that shimmers for a look that mimics real frosted glass. Other energy-efficient window films provide benefits in addition to privacy, such as reducing UV rays and preventing energy loss or solar gain.

Peel-and-stick window films cling to window glass with static electricity — a surprisingly dependable method. Properly applied, these films will remain in place for years, yet they’re easy to remove. You can even reapply them to other windows.

Adhesive-based films are a permanent privacy solution and can’t be removed. Installing them requires a special kit; once in place, they must be carefully cured for up to 8 days. Adhesive-based films ($20 to $40 for a 2-by-3-ft. piece) have better energy-saving properties than static-cling films, and they last for the life of the glass.

Before installing any film, you’ll want to make sure the window glass is clean and free of dust or smudges. That way, you won’t get bubbles and other imperfections.

Replacement windows

For window privacy, especially inside a shower or above a bathtub, a glass or acrylic block window is another option. The texture of the blocks obscures the view while allowing in an optimum amount of light.

Because of their weight, glass block windows usually are fixed in place and inoperable. However, they’re typically less expensive than an acrylic block window of the same size. Glass blocks are also available in colors, and with etched- and frosted-glass finishes.

If you prefer an operable window, select acrylic glass block, which is 75% lighter in weight than glass block.

Glass and acrylic block windows are available pre-assembled and set into a frame for installation like a standard window. A 2-by-2-foot acrylic block operable casement window sells for about $450, uninstalled.

If you prefer a more traditional look, an energy-efficient window with decorative, translucent glass (similar to a leaded glass window), costs $400 to $600 for a 3-by-5-ft. double-hung window.

Chemical etching

Although etching cream is a good option for frosting small amounts of glass, such as on glassware or a mirror, etching an entire window with cream isn’t recommended since it’s nearly impossible to achieve consistent opacity over a large area of glass.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/windows-doors/window-privacy-film-frosting/#ixzz1fsyoiAKZ