The Census Bureau just released their findings on new single family residential construction built in 2011. Here is a table comparing last year to 2006:
by THE KCM CREW
Archives for June 2012
New Single Family Homes: 2011 vs. 2006
June 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
More proof that the market is hot!
June 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
King County –
A very active market with little available inventory.
10 Metros Where List Prices Are Rising the Most – Seattle Area # 5!
June 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Prices of for-sale homes are on the rise in several metro areas. According to Realtor.com, which tracks 146 metro markets, the following areas have seen their median list prices increase the most from March to April:
1. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.-Wis.
Monthly median list price increase: 7.90 percent
Median list price: $199,500
2. Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, Calif.
Monthly median list price increase: 7.07 percent
Median list price: $545,000
3. Detroit
Monthly median list price increase: 4.66 percent
Median list price: $89,900
4. San Francisco
Monthly median list price increase: 4.62 percent
Median list price: $679,000
5. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
Monthly median list price increase: 4.46 percent
Median list price: $328,950
6. Boise City, Idaho
Monthly median list price increase: 4.40 percent
Median list price: $162,374
7. Trenton, N.J.
Monthly median list price increase: 4.26 percent
Median list price: $259,450
8. Boulder-Longmont, Colo.
Monthly median list price increase: 4.20 percent
Median list price: $375,000
9. Orange County, Calif.
Monthly median list price increase: 4.19 percent
Median list price: $448,000
10. Colorado Springs, Colo.
Monthly median list price increase: 4.09 percent
Median list price: $229,000
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine Daily News
Discover Your Home’s Top 10 Danger Zones
June 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Preventative Measures
Fires are one of the costliest disasters that can strike your home, and water damage caused by leaks or plumbing problems is among the most frequent triggers for insurance claims. Here are 10 common problem areas that could lead to catastrophe—along with a few simple precautions you can take to keep trouble at bay.
1. Cooktop
The Hazard:
About 40% of fires start in the kitchen, and the cooktop is the most common culprit.
How to avoid it:
Never leave burners unattended when in use, and store combustibles such as paper towels or pot holders a safe distance away.
2. Smoke detectors
The Hazard:
Dead or missing batteries are the leading causes of malfunction.
How to avoid it:
Change the batteries at least once a year. Replace models that are more than 10 years old (see How to Prepare Your Home for Emergencies for the kind to get).
3. Roof
The Hazard:
A roof that’s too warm in wintertime melts snow, creating runoff that freezes when it meets the gutter. There it forms an ice dam that forces water beneath the shingles.
How to avoid it:
Add attic insulation and venting to keep the roof cool.
Read the other 7 here at ThisOldHouse.com
Top 10 Disasters That Can Hit Your House While You’re on Vacation
June 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
While You Were Out
A summer getaway is supposed to be a time for rest and relaxation. But if your heart is on vacation while your head is worrying about home, you won’t get much out of your time off. That’s why we’ve brought you this handy guide of the top 10 bad things that can befall your house when you leave it alone. Don’t fret—we also share with you expert advice on how to avoid these pitfalls. That way, you can take off worry-free, and know that there will still be a house standing when you pull back into the drive.
Your House Burns Down
One of summer’s many lightning storms can start a fire, and with no one to call 911 it can take out a whole house. The best defense, says TOH general contractor Tom Silva, is lightning rods. "This is not by any means a homeowner job," he warns. "You need a pro to install them." Any highly placed metal protrusion on your house should be grounded, in fact, including weather vanes and satellite dishes.
Don’t overlook the health of your wiring, as well. Curtis Niles Sr. of Armored Home Inspections in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, and President of the National Association of Home Inspectors, advises homeowners to keep up with maintenance. "Wiring is the last thing on a homeowner’s mind, but I’ve seen exterior service cables in poor condition all too often." he says. "If there’s short or a spark in the line, a fire can start, and you won’t be there to put it out."
Thieves Take All Your Stuff
Unmowed grass, piles of newspapers, and revealing posts on Facebook might as well be an open invitation to burglars, says Ralph Sevinor, President of Wayne Alarm Systems in Lynn, Massachusetts. Sevinor suggests putting a hold on the mail, asking a neighbor to park in the drive, testing your alarm system, and keeping your travel plans off the Internet. "Even if it’s your kid on Facebook telling her 2,300 friends about the family trip to Hawaii, you have to watch out. That message can get picked up by criminals who troll the Internet constantly," says Sevinor.
Read the rest here at ThisOldHouse.com
Don’t Bet on Teams who Just Won in Seven…Unless
June 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
For fans, playoff series’ that go to 7 games are awesome. The anticipation before the game begins yields to a drama and intensity that is so rarely matched in other spectrums of daily life. People are drawn to them even when their team isn’t involved. We just love seeing how it all will unfold. It’s like reality TV except with athletes instead of obnoxious/entitled wannabe actors.
So much joy and satisfaction comes from winning a seventh game, but what happens to these teams in subsequent rounds? Do they carry forward momentum or is the mental and physical drain just too much to overcome?
This infographic breaks down the past 24 years of NHL playoff action (since 1986-87 was the year the NHL changed each round to best-of-7) and looks specifically at the teams who won a series (or more than one) in 7 games. The numbers are quite interesting.
A couple statistics stick out in particular:
1) No team has ever won Round 2 and Round 3 in 7 games.
2) No team has ever won a series after winning the first two rounds in 7 games.
Via: SilverOakCasino.com
Serenity Now: Modern Renovation With a Peaceful Focus
June 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Tough restrictions on how much the building’s facade could be changed were not a problem for the renovators of this home in Singapore. Architects Ong & Ong managed to keep the building’s historic facade intact while creating an entirely new, updated interior.
Perhaps the most striking single feature of the residence is the interior courtyard, complete with a swimming pool. Stepping stones lead between the living room and dining area on the first floor. This thoroughly modern space is delightfully bisected with a mature frangipani tree, creating a comfortable contrast between man-made and natural materials.
This space not only serves to define the interior spaces of the home; it adds some much-needed light and ventilation throughout the house. Partitions on either side of the pool can be closed to segment the space or opened to create one continuous room.
Lining the courtyard is aluminum wall cladding. These lightweight bands add a lovely modern touch to the courtyard, but they also serve the very practical purpose of reflecting light into the interior living spaces. The contrast between the building’s traditional ornate facade and these modern metallic bands sets the tone for this home full of dualities.
The entire second floor of the home’s main section is devoted to a massive combined master bedroom, office and en suite bathroom. Although full of light, this section of the house is softer and much more subdued than the first floor public areas.
Contrasting dark and light materials are used throughout the space, creating a comfortable retreat.
Dark walnut plank flooring leads to the en suite bathroom, which is contained in a sort of box which is cantilevered over the pool area. Directly across the courtyard from the bathroom, a rooftop deck adorns the other half of the home – allowing for a daring look right into the glass-walled room. A stunning sculpted stone bathtub is undoubtedly the crowning glory of the second floor.
Each element of this home renovation was carefully selected both for functionality and for looks. The natural elements perfectly offset the man-made modern elements. The twisted trunk of the frangipani tree echoes the curves of the dual spiral staircases. Glass and aluminum are balanced with natural wood and grasses.
The public living areas in the front of the home contain well-hidden electronics concealed by large pieces of art. Putting these distracting electronic toys behind a movable partition helps to preserve the serene modernity of the home.
The rear part of the home, which houses the kitchen and other service areas, is similarly smooth, modern, and free from clutter. The home’s overall effect is one of relaxation and a complete escape from the pressures of the outside world.
Get Your Grill Ready for Barbecue Season
June 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Do a Grill Checkup…Stat!
Nothing announces the arrival of summer like firing up the grill. Unfortunately, nothing sours a summer party faster than a grill that won’t light, smokes too much, or cooks unevenly.
Don’t get caught with your tongs down! Before the season really heats up, give your barbecue an annual checkup. Follow our how-to advice to get your grill up to snuff for the big Memorial Day cookout.
Deep-Clean Your Cooker
A charred coating on a grate doesn’t add flavor, it’s just dirt, says Barry “C.B.” Martin, Char-Broil’s CGO—that’s chief grilling officer. Any shiny black flakes on the underside of the hood are unlikely to be chipping paint; they’re burned-on residue, a fire risk. Here, Martin’s step-by-step for gunk removal.
The Interior: Dry-scrub crud from grates, burners, and inside surfaces with a no scratch sponge or a nylon brush. You can even use an emery cloth or a wire brush on uncoated steel or iron. Then wash surfaces with dish soap and water, rinse well, and dry thoroughly. Martin suggests reseasoning cast-iron or metal grates with oil as you would a similar pan, but there’s no need to coat chromed-steel or ceramic grates. Consider replacing these grates if they’re rusty or chipping.
read the rest here at ThisOldHouse.com
Home Affordability Pushed Higher as Rates Fall
June 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
For the fifth week, fixed-rate mortgages reached new all-time lows. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage dipped below 3 percent, settling into uncharted territory, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey. Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages also reached new record lows, continuing to stay under 4 percent and pushing home buyer affordability even higher.
“Compared to a year ago, rates on 30-year fixed mortgage rates are almost 0.9 percentage points lower, which translates into nearly $1,200 less in annual payments on a $200,000 loan,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.
Here’s a closer look at rates for the week ending May 31.
- 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.75 percent, with an average 0.8 point, dropping from last week’s previous all-time low of 3.78 percent. A year ago, 30-year rates averaged 4.55 percent.
- 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 2.97 percent, with an average 0.7 point, dropping from last week’s previous record low of 3.04 percent. Last year at this time, 15-year rates averaged 3.74 percent.
- 5-year adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.84 percent, with an average 0.6 point, rising slightly from last week’s 2.83 percent average. A year ago at this time, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.41 percent.
- 1-year ARMs: averaged 2.75 percent, with an average 0.4 point, holding steady at last week’s average. A year ago, 1-year ARMs averaged 3.13 percent.
Source: Freddie Mac