Just Listed!

  
Don't have anything planned this weekend?  No worries, just take a virtual tour of the homes that I recently listed.  You won't be disappointed!

http://tour.circlepix.com/home/AJKKKL
http://tour.circlepix.com/home/JUB4EU
http://tour.circlepix.com/home/7UPP7J

Updated Mortgage Rates!!! They are Awesome right now!

Mortgage Rates Updated as of 3/22/2013 10:20:39 AM CST

PHH Home Loans Vienna, VA 22182 Contact me for a Mortgage Pre Approval and to receive a complete Mortgage Plan. Cathy Banks Phone: (703) 899-9726 Cell Phone: (703) 899-9726 Email: cathy.banks@mortgagefamily.com Web Site: http://phhmidatlantic.com

PHH Home Loans Mortgage Rates. Purchase Price: $350,000, Down Payment: $70,000 (20.00%), Loan Amount: $280,000 for properties located inState: VA, County: Prince William

Program Loan Amount Monthly Payment Rate APR Points APR Costs Lock 30 Year Fixed $280,000 $1,297 3.750% 3.820% 0 $1,849 30 days 15 Year Fixed $280,000 $1,917 2.875% 2.995% 0 $1,849 30 days 5/1 ARM $280,000 $1,199 3.125% 3.150% 0 $1,849 30 days 7/1 ARM $280,000 $1,219 3.250% 3.220% 0 $1,849 30 days 10/1ARM $280,000 $1,277 3.625% 3.480% 0 $1,849 30 days VA 30 Year Fixed* $283,500 $1,234 3.250% 3.320% 0 $1,849 30 days FHA 30 Year Fixed* $284,900 $1,240 3.250% 3.740% 0 $1,849 30 days FHA 5/1 ARM* $284,900 $1,107 2.375% 2.700% 0 $1,849 30 days 30 yr fixed investment $280,000 $1,377 4.250% 4.330% 0 $1,849 30 days See conditions below. APR = Annual Percentage Rate. These products and interest rates are subject to change at any time due to changing market conditions. Actual rates available to you may vary based upon a number of factors including your credit rating, size of down payment and amount of documentation provided. * For government programs, actual loan amount is higher due to upfront mortgage insurance added into loan amount.

Organization is Key to Success!

Angela's pegboard storage system holds all her cleaning supplies. All images in this post:

Angela Ploetz, Professional Organizer/Girlfriends Get Organized

I hate cleaning, but I love cleaning tools. In fact, I own dozens of brooms, mops, dustpans, and

brushes.

The problem is, I don’t have a great way of storing these household helpers. Some hang on 

hooks in my garage; others live in my laundry room in the space between the dryer and wall.

That’s why I was delighted to read Angela Ploetz’ post on her pegboard broom organizer. 

Angela made it to corral clutter in her laundry room, and it’s a simple, handy, and handsome 

solution.

Angela, of Girlfriends Get Organized, is a professional organizer whose stomach actually hurt 

whenever she looked at the hodgepodge pile of cleaning tools in her laundry room.

Putting hooks on the wall was too humdrum for Angela. So she stapled chevron-patterned cloth

to a rectangular pegboard (2-by-4-ft., $30); screwed the pegboard to a frame, and laid out her

brooms, dustpans, and baskets on the board before poking holes in the fabric for hooks.

The pegboard is the “jewel” of Angela’s laundry room, which made the rest of space look even 

sadder. So, she decided to spruce up the shelves, which were two lonely planks piled with

plastic bins, cleaning supplies, and an iron.

First, Angela added a low shelf for more storage space. Then, she covered cardboard with that 

pretty chevron fabric to make inserts that gave her clear plastic bins a dash of style.

She chose green-and-white bins and baskets (6.5-qt. bins; 8 for $28) to match the fabric and 

unify the room, and affixed labels that are fun and functional

.

The result? A happy, mood-elevating laundry room with a place for everything (and everything in 

its place).

For more inspiration, check out our other laundry room projects: A Drying Rack to Die For and Perfect for Organizing Laundry: A Dresser Made of Laundry Baskets.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/laundry-rooms/cleaning-storage-pegboard/?nicmp=social&nichn=widgets&niseg=BoxLayout#ixzz2LYrDoFF2

Open House

Presenting an open house on February 23rd from 11 am-2 pm.  Please stop and come view this lovely home. 

   http://tour.circlepix.com/home/MNLE55

New Kitchen, I think so!!

Reimagining the Kitchen: Trends for 2013

• Published: January 30, 2013

• By: John Riha
• 
  

Today’s kitchen is a quick-change artist that adores families and loves simplicity

What looks like a hanging lamp is actually the Sorpresa Sphera range hood. Image: Best

If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen, we’ve got good news and bad news.

First, the good stuff. According to trend experts Lita Dirks and Dominick Tringali, you don’t 

have to shell out major cash to add space. Instead, look to expand what you already have. Vault

your ceiling, add windows, squeeze in clever storage ideas. Make the space work harder, not 

bigger.

Plus, relax. Casual kitchens are trending, with doo-dads and gee-gaws (think elaborate trim 

and vent hoods that look like medieval castles) going away, and simpler, sleeker designs 

coming on strong.

Speaking on kitchen trends at the 2013 International Builder’s Show in Las Vegas, interior

designer Dirks and architect Tringali teamed up to describe the new American kitchen as one

piece of a larger, open floor plan.

It’s all part of a new kitchen gestalt that Dirks describes as the “prep-eat-play” triangle, with 

flexibility and casual living as key ingredients. The notion tosses the kitchen into a design

blender along with living, dining, and family rooms, and frappes everything into communal 

happiness.

Example: You can eat at a comfy banquette, or in front of the TV (don’t tell your child-

development counselor), or in the breakfast nook, or you can belly up to the island. No rules!

The bad news (OK, it’s not that bad) is that we’ve heard some of this before. Open floor plans

have been around since the moon landing and yes, we like them. A lot. What we really have

here is affirmation — and freedom to create kitchens that are less ornate and yet have more

personality.

Just like you.

Of course, Dirks and Trengali definitely have the pulse of today’s home owner and offer some

great takeaways. We’ve combined their goodies with our own kitchen trendspotting for 2013. If 

you’re planning a kitchen redo, here’s what you need to know: 

Contemporary kitchens are In. Specifically, they’re getting simpler and more modern, with

less elaborate detail and trim. In fact, the National Kitchen and Bath Association reports that in

its annual survey of kitchen designers, “transitional” design — meaning a simple, more modern 

aesthetic — has surpassed “traditional” as the preferred design for the first time in the 

association’s history.

Kitchen cabinets are dark, or white. Darker, furniture-like finishes are popular, but so is pure

white. The middle ground — think natural oak — is going away. Dark finishes help the kitchen

integrate into the overall scheme; pure white is the ultimate accent color that readily 

complements the rest of the living area.

Islands rule. Kitchen islands are becoming more multi-dimensional, serving as food-prep 

areas, snack stations, wine storage, and display cabinets for objets d’art. Also, they’re 

essential for directing traffic flow within an open floor plan, channeling guests toward comfy 

seating areas, for example. Small kitchen? Go with a rolling cart that’s there when you need it.

Countertop revolution. Say hi to porcelain and ceramic slabs that look like stone, wood, and

fabric, says Jamie Gold, a California designer. The product is made from clay, quartz, and 

feldspar that’s subjected to high heat — just like regular tile. Unlike other engineered 

countertops, this product doesn’t use cements or resin binders. It’s not readily available in the

U.S. yet.

Appliances are disappearing. In the past, we loved our commercial-style kitchen appliances

that made us look like we really knew how to cook. Now, appliances are hiding behind wood

panels and faux veneers so they integrate better with the overall living space. New finishes, 

such as GE’s slate and Whirlpool’s Ice White, are bucking the stainless steel trend, but don’t

bet on stainless going away anytime soon — it’s still hot.

Espresso yourself. An eye-catching extra gives a kitchen a blast of personality. Cool sinks 

and high-tech faucets are au courant. Other possibilities include:

• Stylish vent hood.

• Ventless fireplace.

• Espresso machine.

• One-of-a-kind tiles as accents on kitchen backsplashes and countertops.

Glass finishes. Glistening glass is popping up everywhere in the kitchen, especially glass tiles

installed as backsplashes. Applying clear glass panels over walls painted soft colors gives a

deep sheen that harmonizes with today’s contemporary looks. Bonus: It’s easy to

clean.

Grab some fresh air. Outdoor kitchens and entertaining areas are hot. Your indoor kitchen

should have an outdoor doppelganger close by, available through wide glass doors.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/kitchens/kitchen-trends-2013/?

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A home of their own.

Tiny houses may solve a big problem for adults with developmental disabilities: A home of their own.

A small cottage like this one could be perfect for a disabled adult to live in. Image: 

IWPR Group, LLC

We’re fascinated with tiny houses, those 85- to 500-sq.-ft. mini-homes that make great 

granny pods, teen rooms, and cozy places for the couple that has (almost) nothing.

But it occurred to me that tiny houses also might be perfect for some developmentally

disabled adults who crave a home of their own, but also need supervision from 

parents or caregivers.

I ran the idea past my cousin Karen Kaye-Beall, executive director of the Foundation 

for Autism Support and Training, and the mother of two adult children with autism — 

Amelia, 21; and Tyler, 18.

Credit: Karen Kaye-Beall

For the last 20 years, my cousin has worried about where and how Amelia and Tyler 

will live when they are adults, especially after Karen and her husband, Tom, are no 

longer able to care for them.


“It’s always in a parent’s mind,” she says. “How will they be independent? How will

 they live?“

Tiny houses may be an answer. Here’s why:

People with autism rely on predictable routines and environments to navigate life. Tiny

homes provide a place for everything, and everything in its place, a big part of the life

skills training that Amelia and Tyler received growing up.

Many people with autism have issues with sound — sounds they make that disturb

others, and sounds others make that disturb them. A detached tiny home eliminates 

the adjacent walls with scant soundproofing, affording everyone some quiet.

Many people with autism are not able to hold jobs, and Social Security benefits are not

enough to pay for decent rentals in nice neighborhoods, Kaye-Beall says. Tiny 

homes, which typically sell for between $25,000 and $70,000, are economical 

alternatives. 

Tiny homes can give some people with developmental disabilities a “charming” place

to call home, Kaye-Beall says. “This is my house — with little windows and shutters 

and a tiny front porch. It’s my home. People with disabilities want that, too.”

If the idea appeals to you, check out these pictures of a variety of tiny homes.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/home-thoughts/housing-for-disabled/?

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