My favorite sport. A comparison of the division in the NHL.
Archives for April 2013
Comparing NHL divisions [Infographic]
April 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Horse Stable and Coach House Converted to Home
April 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
An 18th century horse stable and coach house has been converted into a bright, modern home that maintains many of the original historical details of the structure. Zecc Architecten and BYTR Architecten tore out most of the interior, which wasn’t fit for modern living, making a solid oak staircase the centerpiece of the home and contrasting the old rustic beams with new smooth, white surfaces.
Originally built in 1760, the Netherlands structure was brimming with character and interesting architectural details. The tack room became the entrance hall, the couch house the kitchen, and the stable with its original hay racks and troughs the living room.
Demolition revealed some of the structure’s original oversized high doors, which made for ideal transitions between rooms. The staircase functions as a skylight for the kitchen, bringing in daylight from the roof upstairs, with the top half of the risers left open.
These stairs lead to a cozy lounge area with a wood stove, where the original wooden trusses of the space can be seen. The remaining rooms of the home, including bedrooms and bathrooms, are accessible from this space.
3 Reasons to Sell Your House Today! (Part III)
April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
by THE KCM CREW
This week, we are going to look at the three reasons to sell your house now instead of waiting: demand is strong, supply is low and new construction will soon be your competition. – The KCM Crew
Part III – New Construction Will Soon Be Your Competition
Over the last several years, most homeowners selling their home did not have to compete with a new construction project around the block. As the market is recovering, more and more builders are jumping back in. As an example, the National Association of Realtors revealed, relative to last year, year-to-date new home sales are up 19%.
These ‘shiny’ new homes will again become competition as they can be an attractive alternative to many of today’s home purchasers.
Here are the numbers regarding new construction about to come to market from theCensus Bureau:
BUILDING PERMITS
- Single-family authorizations in February were at a rate of 600,000.
- This is 25.5% above February 2012.
HOUSING UNDER CONSTRUCTION
- Single-family housing starts in February were at a rate of 618,000.
- This is 18.5% above February 2012.
HOUSING COMPLETIONS
- Single-family housing completions in February were at a rate of 574,000.
- This is 32.9% above February 2012.
As we mentioned, new construction can be strong competition to a seller of an existing home. It may make sense to list your home before this new inventory makes its way to market.
A FAST way to organize your life
April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Get started de-cluttering your home with this high-speed low-level purge called “The Kick-Start” a FAST way to organize your life courtesy of Peter Walsh and his friends at California Closets.
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Add Value to Your Home
April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
With the economy improving, buyers are motivated and more active than they have been in quite a long time. So if you’re thinking about putting your home up for sale this season or thinking about doing so in the future, you can do one of two things:
- Roll the dice and list your home as is and hope for the best
- Take matters into your own hands and make a few relatively inexpensive quick fixes to make your home shine above the rest
I think option 2 is best.
Here are a few quick tips:
KITCHEN – Undoubtedly the heart of the home and something that potential buyers pay special attention to.
- Countertops: Upgrading your formica or other outdated coutnertops with granite is a relatively quick way to completely change the feel and aesthetic in your kitchen.
- Paint: For just a few hundred bucks at most, you can pay a professional to apply a fresh coat of paint to your room. It’ll change the complexion immediately, making it appear brighter and much cleaner.
- Cabinets: Buying all new cabinets can drain one’s resources, but for a few bucks you can add some pop and a more modern look by investing in new cabinet knobs.
LIVING ROOM – Where the family comes together to enjoy movies and television and quality time.
- Declutter: You may have pieces of furnture here that are comfortable or serve a practical purpose, but you need to take a look at every piece in this room and ask yourself whether it might be worth putting it in storage. The last thing buyers want to feel as soon as they walk in is overwhelmed by clutter. Freeing up space will make the living room look bigger, homier and cleaner
- Dress to Impress: Think of each showing as a performance. What can you do to make your home show well and make potential buyers feel at home? If you’ve got a fireplace, clean that ash out and throw some fresh logs on and light that fire. The crackling wood and warmth will sure warm any visitors heart.
- Walls: You should also remember to be selective with what you display on your walls; pictures are nice but you don’t want to take up a whole wall with pictures of your family. Dress to impress!
BATHROOM – Buyers are looking for clean and functional spaces
- Flooring: If you’ve got bad tiles, it’s certainly worth exploring replacing them. If your flooring is in pretty good shape, for a few bucks you can regrout the entire bathroom. You’d be amazed at the difference you’d see.
- Paint (again): This goes for basically any room in your home. A fresh coat of paint will make your bathroom look bright, clean and inviting.
- The Little Things: Remember, it’s the little things that count. Dust off those Venetian blinds, throw a scented candle on and give that shower/tub a great scrub; make it shine!
There’s a stat floating around that says buyers know within 30 seconds of walking into a home whether they could see themselves living there. If you want to place your home in the best possible position to capture buyers’ hearts and minds, you can undertake a few simple projects to get the job done. Even if you’re not ready to sell yet, getting a jump start now will save you headaches down the road, add value today and make your home look and feel better now.
3 Reasons to Sell Your House Today! (Part II)
April 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment
by THE KCM CREW
This week, we are going to look at the three reasons to sell your house now instead of waiting: demand is strong, supply is low and new construction will soon be your competition. – The KCM Crew
Part II – Housing Supply is Low
A seller’s ability to sell their home in today’s real estate market will be determined by both the supply of homes for sale and the demand for that housing. In real estate, supply is represented by the current month’s supply of homes for sale (the number of homes for sale divided by the number of homes sold in the previous month).
While there is no steadfast rule that will apply to pricing in every category of housing, here is a great guideline:
- 1-4 months’ supply creates a sellers’ market where there are not enough homes to satisfy buyer demand. Appreciation is guaranteed.
- 5-6 months’ supply creates a balanced market. Historically home values appreciate at a rate a little greater than inflation.
- 7-8 months’ supply creates a buyers’ market where the number of homes for sale exceeds the demand. Depreciation follows.
What is happening across the country right now?
In most parts of the country, supply is dropping like a rock. According to the National Association of Realtors, total housing inventory is below a five months’ supply. This is almost 20% below inventory numbers of just a year ago and at levels we haven’t seen since 2005.
Based on the table above, we can see that the supply/demand ratio is showing a sellers’ market where prices appreciate. This has created positive movement in housing values in most parts of the country.
Sellers have a great opportunity right now. Historically, inventory increases dramatically as we approach summer. Selling now while demand is high and supply is low may garner you your best price.
Tomorrow, we will look at the competition new construction will create.
3 Reasons to Sell Your House Today! (Part I)
April 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
by THE KCM CREW
This week, we are going to look at three reasons to sell your house now instead of waiting: demand is strong, supply is low and new construction will soon be your competition. – The KCM Crew
Part I – Demand for Real Estate is Much Stronger This Year
When selling anything, owners can only hope there is a strong demand for that which they are selling. The great news for today’s home sellers is that the current housing market is experiencing a stronger demand than we have seen in some time.
The spring housing market of 2013 is projected to be one of the best in years.
Home Sales
The National Association of Realtors(NAR) reports monthly on both pending sales (houses going into contract) andexisting home sales (actual closed sales).
In the first quarter of 2013, pending sales have consistently outperformed the numbers reported in 2012. Contract activity has been above year-ago levels for the past 22 months. Before this year, the last time the index showed a higher reading was in April 2010, shortly before the deadline for the home buyer tax credit.
NAR also revealed that closed home sales have been above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months and sales are at the highest level since the tax credit period of 2009-2010.
Impact on Sellers
This increase in demand has created bidding wars for properly priced homes across the country. This has resulted in two favorable changes for home sellers:
- They are receiving offers closer to (if not greater than) the list price.
- The average days it takes to sell a home has dropped by over 20% from last year.
If you are thinking about selling your home, don’t miss out on the strong demand that exists in the current spring market.
Tomorrow, we will look at the supply of housing inventory that is available.
Housing Scorecard Shows Big Gains in ‘Fragile’ Recovery
April 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
The housing market is making key progress in home prices and sales, but officials warn that the overall recovery remains “fragile” in the Obama administration’s Housing Scorecard for March.
“Despite the positive news, we have important work ahead since there are so many families and individuals still struggling,” says Kurt Usowski, HUD deputy assistant secretary for economic affairs.
In 2012, home owner equity grew by more than $1.64 trillion. Rising home values have lifted 1.7 million home owners above water again, the Housing Scorecard notes.
Home prices and home sales have shown large gains in the past year. Existing-home sales in February were up 10 percent year-over-year, the highest since November 2009. New-home sales were up 12 percent year-over-year in February, which is the second highest level since April 2010, the administration’s report noted.
More home owners are taking advantage of foreclosure mitigation programs. For example, more than 1.5 million home owner assistance actions–including loan modifications and early delinquency interventions–have taken place through the Making Home Affordable Program. More than 1.1 million home owners have received a permanent loan modification through the HAMP program, saving about $546 on their mortgage payments each month.
Guitars of Legend: That Rock and Roll Sound
April 7, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Exactly where does that legendary guitar sound come from? You bought a guitar, patched it into an amp, unsheathed your plectrum and played your favorite riff note for note, yet it sounded nothing like it should.
The beautiful thing about an electric guitar is the endless ways you can tweak, modify and manipulate the sound. Whatever guitar sound you have in your head is possible through some combination of pickups, pedals and powered speakers.
This infographic was designed to put together the details of the most legendary guitars (and their sound) of all time. From Neil Young’s Old Black to Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Strat Number One the information below is as accurate as can be assuming two things:
- The information and sources found are legitimate.
- The specs detailed are to be as close to the “iconic” sound as possible. Most of these setups have been changed and modified throughout the player’s career; the goal of this is give you a blueprint for recreating the sound at home.
After reading this infographic you’ll be able to answer important questions, such as:
- What amp does Neil Young use, and what is the “whizzer”?
- What effects does Tom Morello use in Rage Against the Machine?
- What type of guitar does Bruce Springsteen play?
- What year is Eric Clapton’s black Stratocaster?
Check it out, but be warned: after reading you may spend your next paycheck on some retro Fender Tweed amps and cry-baby pedals.
via: SilverOakCasino.com