Real Estate — Page 23

Ultra sky-high parking is on the rise

November 12, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Luxury apartment dwellers can now park their automobiles right next to their high-rise properties, whether they live on the first or thirtieth floor. Singapore will open Hamilton Scotts, a luxury condominium that touts a sky garage, in the summer of 2013. Similar high-rise projects complete with the latest in auto parking include luxury properties in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., and Manhattan’s West Chelsea neighborhood. Watch the Wall Street Journal video for details.

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Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Real Estate, Technology

Construction Spending on Single-Family Homes up 40 Percent Since Recession Low

September 7, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

According to the Census Bureau, private residential construction spending fell slightly for the month of July, after three successive months of gains. The July value of private residential construction put in place was down 1.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted annual basis. Despite this small decline, which was driven by the volatile measure for home improvement spending, the overall trend in residential construction spending has been positive, with July’s total standing as the second highest monthly tally since the beginning of 2009.

Construction spending on new single-family homes was up 1.5 percent on a month-to-month basis and is up 19 percent from this time last year. Moreover, since bottoming out during the second quarter of 2009, the nominal dollar value of spending on new single-family homes has increased 40 percent. While the recovery in home building varies from location to location, the overall positive trend is expected to continue into 2013.

However, it should be noted that the current pace of activity remains significantly below historical norms. For example, the July 2012 total is just 42 percent of the residential construction spending total of July 2003.

Multifamily construction spending increased 2.8 percent during July and has experienced gains in each of the last 10 months. Overall, spending on new multifamily units has significantly increased by 68 percent from its low point in August 2010. Construction activity is expected to level out over the remainder of 2012, but we anticipate multifamily starts to remain well above 200,000 through the end of next year.

The home improvement category experienced a noticeable decline in July, falling 5.5 percent. Remodeling activity has remained in a relatively tight range for the past two years, although the drop in July may be related to limited mid-year weakness for existing home sales. It is also worth noting that the section 25C tax credit for making energy efficiency upgrades to existing homes expired at the end of 2011, which was supporting some remodeling spending.

Source: Eye on Housing

Filed Under: Blog, Real Estate, Real Estate Updates

Architectural Oddities Throw Home Design a Curveball

September 4, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Among the hundreds of thousands of home photos on Houzz, most fall into a few broad stylistic categories. Designs rooted in traditional styles tend to predominate, and modern houses get their fair share, even though the two camps can rarely agree. Even in the eclectic category, many of the buildings are still very similar to traditional or modern/contemporary houses, with slight idiosyncrasies.

But what about the truly odd? Showing some of these houses was my goal in this ideabook, and thankfully, I’ve found a few.

Architectural Oddities Throw Home Design a Curveball

Houzz– Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

Browse Home Office Products on Houzz- For Example:

Bulletin Board · Cable Management · Desk Accessories · Desks · Filing Cabinets And Carts · Task Chairs ·

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Home Remodel, Real Estate

How to Turn Your Basement Into an Office

September 3, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

If you want to put a new office into your home, you may not need to look any farther than the basement. A lower level can be the ideal spot for a home office, since it can offer the necessary quiet and separation from the rest of the home.

Could your basement be a great home office? Consider some tips from design professionals.

How to Turn Your Basement Into an Office

Houzz– Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

Browse Accessories And Decor on Houzz- For Example:

Artwork · Fireplaces · Frames · Holiday Decorations · Home Fragrance · Indoor Fountains · Mirrors · Vases ·

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Home Remodel, Real Estate Tagged With: home office

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

August 27, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Cabins have re-emerged in modern designs and now can function as houses in their own right. The architects and designers are creating not only functional but also stylish and beautiful. A cabin can make for a great retreat, a home office, a studio or a guest house.

Mountain Hill Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Mountain Hill Cabin designed by Fantastic Norway is going to be located in the mountains. Norway in the area that can only be reached in winter on skis. The building has a sloped rooftop which makes it suitable for skiing. The cabin will be installed late this summer.

Cabin Verdehaugen

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Another creation from Fantastic Norway is a Cabin Verdehaugen also located in the Norway. The cabin’s architecture responds to the environment and has complex shape and form.

Log Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Log cabin by Thomas Mayer is a prefab music studio cabin designed by Piet Hein Eek. This log cabin is a fresh modern take on traditional wooden log cabins. It has retractable windows designed to closed the cabin entirely.

Dalene Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Dalene Cabin by Tommie Wilhelmsen in Norway is made of wood and has an interesting architecture. Read and see more of Dalene Cabin.

Urban Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Urban Cabin designed by Fábio Galeazzo located Brazil used to be an abandoned house remodeled into a colorful cabin with timber and granite. The cabin is located at a great site surrounded by greenery.

Sunset Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Sunset Cabin by Taylor Smyth Architectsa is a stylish retreat that stands on a lake shore in Canada. The glass structure is covered by cedar slats through which the natural light, sunsets and sunrises can be seen. The interior is made in birch veneer plywood and includes a bed, storage and a stove.

Vashon Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Vashon Cabin by Vandeventer + Carlander Architects was constructed on a limited site but it turned out very stylish. The glazed walls provide the cabin with plenty of natural light while the wooden wall provides with privacy.

Mountain Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

This beautiful cabin by John Maniscalco Architecture in cedar and glass looks simply grand and stunning. It is a bit elevated thanks to a platform on which it stands. The cabin has two levels the first one covered with wood while the second in glass opening the views on snow landscape.

False Bay Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

False Bay Writer’s Cabin is a great personal retreat designed by Olson Kundig Architects. The glass-box square structure opens up to the surroundings while featuring retractable wooden panels that enclose the cabin when it’s not in use.

Vermont Cabin

10 Stylish Modern Cabins

Vermont Cabin by Resolution: 4 Architecture is a stylish prefab dwelling with no electricity or cell phone service which makes it an ultimate family getaway. The cabin is shaped as L dividing the public and private areas and features an outdoor terrace and big windows to let the natural light in.

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Real Estate

10 ways to increase the value of your home [video]

August 17, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Whether you just bought a house or you have lived there for a while, the fastest way to increase your home’s value is by making a plan.

You will fare better if upgrades are made intentionally and not on impulse. Home improvement projects cost about 20 to 25 cents on the dollar. The other 75 to 80 cents spent go directly back into the home through increased value.

Start slowly. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. If your home is new, get to know it. If you have already been there a while, get started. List the things you want to change and the updates you would like to make. Don’t worry about organization, just write it all down. Take a guess on how long you may want to live in the house. If you’re planning on selling, talk to your realtor and make a selling plan.

Take the list and categorize by how much it may cost, including your time and money. Be realistic. It’s OK to list an outdoor pool with a waterfall, but keep your financial picture in mind.

Once you have a categorized list, take a look and prioritize what is a real "must have" and what is more of a dream. See if you can come away with a reasonable balance.

Once you have made a plan, do research or give me a call or contact me, to see what sort of return those improvements may bring. Some improvements will add considerably more value to your home than others.

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care, Home Remodel, Real Estate

Should I Rent My House If I Can’t Sell It?

August 12, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

There has been a lot written about how buying a home is less expensive than renting one in many parts of the country. Rents are skyrocketing and homes are at bargain prices. These two situations are also causing some sellers to consider renting their home instead of selling it. After all, they can get great rental income now and perhaps wait until house values increase in the future before selling.

This logic makes sense in some cases. We at KCM believe strongly that residential real estate is a great investment right now. However, there is a huge difference between deciding you want to become an investor (and landlord) and deciding that renting your primary residence might be ‘easier’ than trying to sell it. As a real estate professional, it is your job to educate the homeowner to the possible challenges that might arise if they rent their home.

Here are some questions every potential landlord should consider:

10 Questions to Ask BEFORE Renting Your Home

How will you respond if your tenant says they can’t afford to pay the rent this month because of more pressing obligations? (This happens most often during holiday season and back-to-school time when families with children have extra expenses).
Because of the economy, over ten percent of homeowners can no longer make their mortgage payment. What percent of tenants do you think can no longer afford to pay their rent?
Have you interviewed a few experienced eviction attorneys in case a challenge does arise?
Have you talked to your insurance company about a possible increase in premiums as liability is greater in a non-owner occupied home?
Will you allow pets? Cats? Dogs? How big a dog?
How will you actually collect the rent? By mail? In person?
Repairs are part of being a landlord. Who will take tenant calls when necessary repairs arise?
Do you have a list of craftspeople readily available to handle these repairs?
How often will you do a physical inspection of the property?
Will you alert your current neighbors that you are renting the house?

Source: THE KCM CREW

Filed Under: Blog, Real Estate Tagged With: Rent My House, rent vs. sell

Home in the Forest

August 10, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Real Estate

Paradigm shift for handicapped-accessible housing

August 9, 2012 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Casey Nolan’s goal is to transform handicapped-accessible housing for wounded warriors and their families. He is the project director for Wounded Warrior houses, a public-private partnership between the Army and Clark Realty Capital to upgrade 40,000 family units on bases across the U.S. When Nolan toured Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, he recognized that the units needed more than a makeover.

Taking feedback from returning soldiers, their spouses, caregivers, and doctors, Nolan and his team set out to create both suitable and comfortable homes. Currently, Patriot Homes are constructed for qualified soldiers, but Nolan believes that the project brings a paradigm shift to housing. Rather than perceive the housing needs of the disabled and elderly as unique, Americans will see them as part and parcel of the mainstream market.

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Home Remodel, Real Estate, Technology Tagged With: handicapped-accessible housing, wounded warrior