What Kind of Window do you Have

13 09 2011

Many homes have only the basic types of windows – meaning square and boring. Updated windows can make a nondescript home into one that shines with curb appeal. But you need to know what is available (and what it’s called) when talking to your window professional. Here are some terms you should know:

Awning Windows

awning windowPros - Awning windows are designed to provide light and breeze. They’re great for bedrooms and other areas that need to maintain privacy but still let some light in. Awnings can be opened slightly to allow ventilation. They can be positioned in a variety of places: next to other windows, arranged in columns, or placed above large patio doors to create a wall of light and fresh air.

Cons - Screens for awning windows are set on the inside, which can mean that all the dirt and dust that normally falls into the sash makes its way onto your floors instead.

Casement Windows

casement windowPros - Casement windows open outward for light, fresh air and side breezes. They’re tightly sealed for energy efficiency and great for hard-to-reach places, such as over sinks and appliances in the kitchen. Casements crank open, as opposed to sliding up and down, making them easier to maneuver.

Cons - If you’re moving into an older home, check on the stability of your casement hinges and hardware. Though casements are usually tough to break into, faulty or rusty hardware increases your risk factor. Consult with a professional for replacement parts or quality new casements.

Double Hung Windows

double hung windowPros - Double hung windows are chosen for their unique style, ease of access and superior ventilation capabilities. The top of the window can be opened while the bottom remains closed – great for kids’ rooms. Double hung windows can go practically anywhere in your home. They’re perfect for kitchens, offices and bedrooms.

Cons - Double hung windows tend to leak more air than other windows. And keep in mind that only half of this window opens up, whereas different types can open completely.

Picture Windows

fixed windowPros - Picture windows create unobstructed views of the outdoors. They’re best in areas where ventilation isn’t a big concern. Think about installing them high on the walls of dark rooms and hallways for infinitely better lighting. In combination with patio doors or open-and-close windows, picture windows bring the perfect balance of light and ventilation.

Cons - These windows are for looks only. And the large expanse of glass can make them more vulnerable to breakage.

Bay Windows

bay windowPros - Bay windows create an open, peaceful feel indoors. Their multiple views allow light to stream in from different angles. Plus, the sides of the window can be opened for air circulation. Bay windows dress up any home with uniqueness and style. Replacing a flat window with a bay can completely change the amount of light that room receives. They’re primarily used for kitchens, but can also add character to family rooms and master bedrooms.

Cons - Only the sides of bay windows open and typically don’t come with screens, so incoming pests could be a problem.

Jalousie Windows

jalousie windowsJalousies are made of glass slats set in metal clips that can be opened and closed in unison. Also called a louvered window, a jalousie is made like a glass shutter. This type of window is manually rotated to open or close the overlapping panels as required, and can be opened by degrees to control how much air or light passes through. Jalousie windows are best suited for areas with year-round comfortable climates. They help cool a home, but are impossible to seal, making it difficult to keep heat and A/C air inside and extreme weather out.

Hopper Windows

hopper windowsThese popular windows are most often installed in basements. The hopper window is basically a casement window flipped on its side. The entire pane tilts inward to open, allowing for maximum ventilation. Hopper windows can make privacy and home decor an issue. Because they tilt into the room, blinds, shades and other window dressings are difficult to use in conjunction with hopper windows. Their tilt designs also makes them a poor choice for ventilation on a rainy day; water will drip right into the room. Also, they’re usually placed in basements, so there’s an added security risk for any windows installed at ground level.

The right windows can make the world of difference to the look of your home. You are now equipped to talk with your local home improvement store in the language of windows.


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Historic Homes in Coronado

22 08 2011

Historic Properties

Historic Resources
CITY OF CORONADO
DESIGNATED HISTORIC RESOURCES

Address
(click for picture)		 Architectural Style Year Built
450 A Ave Tudor 1929
509 A Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1908
526 A Ave English Revival 1925
536 A Ave Moderne 1920
550 A Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1913
575 A Ave Moderne 1928
600 A Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1912
611 A Ave Tudor 1908
623 A Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1909
625 A Ave Spanish Moderne 1926
629 A Ave Spanish Moderne 1925
723 A Ave Tudor 1903
917 A Ave Craftsman Bungalow Circa 1894
921 A Ave Craftsman Bungalow Circa 1896
710 Adella Craftsman Bungalow 1936
803 Adella English Revival 1915
1005 Adella Ave English Tudor 1903
1013 Adella Ave English Eclectic 1926
1015 Adella Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1926
1021 Adella Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1933
1022 Adella Ave Craftsman 1898
1027 Adella Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1923
1033 Adella Ave Prairie 1924
633 Alameda Blvd Spanish Hacienda 1935
757 Alameda Blvd Spanish Eclectic 1926
1135 Alameda Blvd Colonial Cottage Bungalow 1923
1236 Alameda Blvd Italian Renaissance 1912
1241 Alameda Blvd Spanish Colonial 1925
1244 Alameda Blvd Eclectic English Tudor 1925
455 B Ave Colonial Revival 1919
520 B Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1927
550 B Ave Tudor 1926
566 B Ave Tudor 1925
700 B Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1911
721 B Ave Mission Revival 1924
738 B Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1911
744 B Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1911
754 B Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1910
975 B Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1913
208 C Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1927
279 C Ave Victorian 1888
476 C Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1912
561 C Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1927
731 C Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1911
749 C Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1909
763 C Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1911
765 C Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1909
936-954 C Ave Mission Revival Court 1925
1112 Churchill Place Queen Anne Circa 1888
108 D Ave Craftsman Bungalow Circa 1892
350 D Ave Spanish Revival 1937
721-727 D Ave French Normandy 1939
848-866 D Ave Moorish Mediterranean 1930
909 D Ave Mission Revival 1926
927 D Ave Tudor 1924
948 D Ave Colonial Revival Circa 1913
576 E Ave Foursquare Circa 1892
824 E Ave Craftsman 1908
900 E Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1930
1025 E Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1919
1000 Eighth Street Queen Anne Circa 1886
904 Fifth Street Craftsman Bungalow 1915
1427 Fifth Street Spanish Colonial Revival 1936
300 First Street Hawaiian Plantation Circa 1903
624 First Street Dutch Colonial Revival 1907
1127 F Ave Mission Revival 1924
1015 Flora Ave Victorian Circa 1892
1111 Flora Ave Italianate 1931
1119 Flora Ave Spanish Colonail Revival 1925
1125 Flora Ave Late Victorian Circa 1897
160 G Ave Spanish Hacienda 1938
329 G Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1916
465 G Ave Mission Revival 1926
471 G Ave Mission Revival 1926
720 G Ave Folk Victorian Circa 1892
751-761 G Ave Spanish Mediterranean 1937
777 G Ave Spanish Hacienda 1936
941 G Ave Bungalow 1904
1027 G Ave Craftsman 1913
1038 G Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1924
1111 G Ave Bungalow 1914
1117 G Ave Transitional Ranch 1915
1125 G Ave Spanish Revival 1928
600 Glorietta Blvd Neoclassic 1921
848 Glorietta Blvd Mediterranean Villa 1919
940 Glorietta Blvd Tudor 1925
1000 Glorietta Blvd Pueblo Revival 1916
1504 Glorietta Blvd Spanish Revival, Eclectic 1927
928 H Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1930
165 I Ave Spanish Eclectic 1933
266 I Ave Spanish Hacienda 1936
930 I Ave Folk Victorian 1887
1100 Isabella Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1913
1156 Isabella Ave Prairie Tudor 1910
710 J Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1929
740 J Ave Mission Revival 1928
909 J Ave Bungalow 1912
941 J Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1928
961 J Ave New Mexico Territorial 1919
1015 Loma Ave Mediterranean 1926
1045 Loma Ave Mission 1926
1110 Loma Ave Victorian 1913
1111 Loma Ave Victorian Cottage 1888
1115 Loma Ave English Country Cottage 1925
1116 Loma Ave Victorian 1906
1126 Loma Ave Late Victorian circa 1898
1135 Loma Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1898
1118 Loma Lane French Eclectic 1898
535 Margarita Ave Spanish Hacienda 1938
1807 Monterey Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1935
300 Ninth Street Mediterranean 1924
1006-1008 Ninth Street Craftsman Bungalow 1913
1012 Ninth Street Craftsman Bungalow 1913
535 Ocean Blvd Italian Renaissance 1911
541 Ocean Blvd Foursquare 1919
1015 Ocean Blvd Tudor 1902
1043 Ocean Blvd Italian Renaissance 1908
1010 Olive Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1931
1030 Olive Ave Tudor 1924
1032 Olive Ave Tudor 1924
640 Orange Ave Neo Classical 1909
465 Palm Ave Spanish Colonial Revival 1929
1022 Park Place Queen Anne 1896
320 Seventh Street French Provincial 1936
1212 Sixth Street Prairie 1915
1306 Sixth Street Italianate 1927
1101 Star Park Colonial Revival Circa 1897
605 Tenth St English Tudor 1925
1313 Tenth Street Spanish Colonial Revival 1926
801 Tolita Ave Tudor 1911
826 Tolita Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1913
834 Tolita Ave Craftsman Bungalow 1913
1704 Visalia Ave Tudor 1907
1710 Visalia Ave Craftsman 1896
1718 Visalia Ave Craftsman 1896
1401 Ynez Place Italianate 1906

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Bungalow (Craftsman) Porch Styles

3 07 2011

Note that no matter the style of bungalow, they have one important feature in common – the bungalow porch. Because of the nature of design, the bungalow porch creates a sense of community.

You will find that most bungalows are built in specific sections of a town or city. Their owners would sit on the porch after a hard days work to rest and talk with neighbors and friends. Bungalows have great porches.

The American Craftsman bungalow typified the common styles of the American Arts and Crafts movement, with common features to include low-pitch roof lines on a gabled or hipped roof; deeply overhanging eaves; exposed rafters or decorative brackets under the eaves; and a front porch beneath an extension of the main roof.

Bungalow Porch

 

Chicago Bungalows are typically built of brick and have one and a half stories. The primary difference between a Chicago bungalow and others is that the roof gables are parallel rather than perpendicular to the street. Chicago bungalows are relatively narrow, an average of only 20 feet wide.

Chicago Bungalow Porch

 

The California Bungalow was a widely popular 1 1/2 story variation on the bungalow in America from 1910 to 1925.

California Bungalow Porch

California Bungalow

Milwaukee Bungalows: Many older houses in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are bungalows similar to those of the Arts and Crafts style like Chicago’s, but usually with the roof gables perpendicular to the street. Milwaukee bungalows tend to have white stucco on the lower portion of the exterior.

Detroit Bungalows: Also built during the Arts and Crafts movement, Detroit bungalows were constructed using local building materials.

Types of Arts and Crafts Bungalow Designs

Bungalow Porch

 

Ranch Bungalows: Ranch bungalows are designed with bedrooms on one side and the living areas on the other. The attached garage, if present, is located on the living area side.

Raised bungalows: Raised bungalows have a basement that is partially above ground allowing for natural lighting in the lower level. Foyers are usually located at ground level half-way between the floors. Garage entrances are normally at basement level.

Airplane Bungalows: Variations of craftsman style home plans include the “Airplane” bungalow which has a much smaller area on its second floor that appears to “pop out”. Centered on the structure with windows on all sides it has a view much like that of a cockpit of an airplane. An LA company introduced a Japanese-pagoda roof-line inspired style at one time and called it an “aeroplane bungalow.”

Airplane Bungalow Porch

You might note that bungalows do not have attics. This allows for the distinctive roof line which is normally quite low. Natural materials like wooden shingles and clapboard are used for siding. Cobblestones and brick are normally used for the exterior walls, porch columns and chimneys.

 


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San Diego’s Craftsman Home Revival

31 05 2011

A modern couple beautifully restores a historic Mission Hills home

BY JILL ESTERBROOK | PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN DURANT

LINDA AND PAT STOUFFER HAVE long had romantic notions about living in a grand old home in a well-established San Diego neighborhood. So it wasn’t exactly love at first sight when, in the summer of 2003, after months of searching from Kensington and North Park to the tip of Point Loma, they stumbled upon a ramshackle, two-story Craftsman-style home in Mission Hills. Overlooking the peeling gray paint, shabby wood shingles and sagging front porch, the Stouffers were attracted to the “good bones and strong character” hidden just beneath the drab surface of the century-old structure.

“We were really lucky that very little had been done by previous owners,” says Pat of the 2,300-square-foot bungalow. “It had been neglected but not butchered, and we felt confident it could be returned to its former glory.”


The pair enlisted Encinitas-based architect Samuel Chereskin, AIA, of Chereskin Architecture, to advise on the extensive restoration. They also tasked him with designing a 1,200-square-foot rear addition that would include a new kitchen and family room, expanded second-floor master-bedroom suite and a finished basement with laundry facilities and powder room. In addition, the Stouffers had applied for historic designation of their home, meaning the renovations would have to preserve the architecture of the front elevation, while the rear addition would have to reflect the home’s historic fabric.

“Linda and Pat have a large family and many friends they love to entertain,” Chereskin says. “The goal was to update the home to accommodate contemporary living, yet remain true to its historic style and classic Craftsman charm.”

The Stouffers didn’t just collaborate with Chereskin on the remodel, they took a hands-on approach. For more than two years, the couple lived in a small upstairs bedroom while methodically and meticulously reconstructing their home. Before beginning demolition and reconstruction, they toured historic homes and pored over “practically every magazine and book published on Craftsmans,” says Linda, a bank executive and watercolorist who selected the 20 different paint shades used throughout the home.

Pat took on the painstaking job of reproducing period details such as picture rails and corner guards. A former builder of new condos and apartments, he eased right into the project, yet he concedes remodeling an older home presented many modern-day challenges.

“Dealing with ancient pipes and wiring is tough,” he says, “but try matching intricate wood trim and leaded glass, replicating custom cabinetry and oversized window casements, or re-creating a boxed beamed ceiling.” The craftsmanship and carpentry skills Pat devoted to the project are testament to the couple’s passion for preservation.

“We wanted to preserve or put back what might have been in a gorgeous old home, like the built-in bookcases and inglenooks on each side of the fireplace,” Linda says.

The kitchen took top priority. Chereskin and the Stouffers shared the same goal for the dated space: Bring it into this century without losing its vintage feeling and charm. Rejecting today’s widespread affinity for granite, they opted for traditional subway tile for the backsplash and white hexagon ceramic tiles for countertops. Modern appliances and a palette of primary colors give the kitchen updated functionality and modern flavor.

Keeping in mind the Stouffers’ knack for entertaining, Chereskin didn’t enclose the kitchen. Instead, he added a raised eating bar that looks onto the family room. With Pat’s handiwork, they reproduced the boxed beam ceiling original to the front room. Elephant-leg tiered posts also help to seamlessly blend new spaces with the old.

“We showed considerable restraint by not overmodernizing with volume ceilings and other lavish appointments,” Chereskin says. The same could be said for both the first-floor expansion and the new master bedroom. In keeping with period style, the suite comprises a small sitting room, a balcony overlooking the backyard, a walk-in closet with built-ins and an old-fashioned laundry chute.

Wherever possible, the home’s original materials were rescued and reused. An oval window from the original front door now adorns the pullout door in the kitchen pantry, while an old swinging door now hangs between the dining room and new butler’s pantry.

Intent on finding just the right accents for their Craftsman home, the Stouffers spent weekends at Architectural Salvage in Little Italy. They hunted for crystal doorknobs, brushed-nickel hardware and ceiling-mounted light fixtures like the three “miraculously matching” orbs in the laundry room.

A trip to China last April brought a treasure trove of Asian furnishings and accents. The Stouffers, who designed the interiors on their own, found pieces apropos to the Arts & Crafts period—from the silkscreen above the mantel to the majestic rosewood table gracing the dining room to the cobalt-blue silk spread spilling luxuriously across the Mission-style bed in the master suite.

Four years after purchasing the home, the Stouffers are still adding final touches to their beloved Craftsman, which now proudly displays its historic-landmark designation. Pat recently installed a mail slot that had been lost from the original plan, and Linda is looking in catalogs and antique shops for that “perfect little basket” that will hang inside to catch letters and parcels.

 

Thoughts with Pat:

I have been out and about in a lot of these older neighborhoods recently. During my adventures I have noticed a lot of these renovations going on. People have started to realize that these amazing old home have great bones and they just need to be loved. Whats really nice about this movement is two fold: one, the neighborhood is benefiting as a whole not only by look but value and two, the upgraded home is providing a cleaner and more efficient environment for the owners. Im sure if we all had the means we would love to do this too but, until then we can all live vicariously through people like Linda and Pat Stouffer.


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The Basics of Making an Offer

30 05 2011
Oral promises are not legally enforceable when it comes to the sale of real estate. Therefore, you need to enter into a written contract, which starts with your written proposal. This proposal not only specifies price, but all the terms and conditions of the purchase. For example, if the sellers said they’d help with $2,000 toward your closing costs, be sure that’s included in your written offer and in the final completed contract, or you won’t have grounds for collecting it later.
REALTORS® usually have a variety of standard forms (including Residential Purchase Agreements) that are kept up to date with the changing laws. When you use a REALTOR® these forms will be available to you. In addition, REALTORS® cover the questions that need to be answered during the process. In many states certain disclosure laws must be complied with by the seller, and the REALTOR® will ensure that this takes place.
If you are not working with a REALTOR®, keep in mind that you must draw up a purchase offer or contract that conforms to state and local laws and that incorporates all of the key items. State laws vary, and certain provisions may be required in your area.

After the offer is drawn up and signed, it will usually be presented to the seller by your REALTOR®, by the seller’s REALTOR® if that’s a different agent, or often by the two together. In a few areas, sales contracts are typically drawn up by the parties’ lawyers.

What the offer contains
The purchase offer you submit, if accepted as it stands, will become a binding sales contract (known in some areas as a purchase agreement, earnest money agreement or deposit receipt). It’s important, therefore, that it contains all the items that will serve as a “blueprint for the final sale.” These purchase offer items include such things as:
  • Address and sometimes a legal description of the property
  • Sale price
  • Terms — for example, all cash or subject to your obtaining a mortgage for a given amount
  • Seller’s promise to provide clear title (ownership)
  • Target date for closing (the actual sale)
  • Amount of earnest money deposit accompanying the offer, and whether it’s a check, cash or promissory note, and how it’s to be returned to you if the offer is rejected — or kept as damages if you later back out for no good reason
  • Method by which real estate taxes, rents, fuel, water bills and utilities are to be adjusted (prorated) between buyer and seller
  • Provisions about who will pay for title insurance, survey, termite inspections and the like
  • Type of deed to be given
  • Other requirements specific to your state, which might include a chance for attorney review of the contract, disclosure of specific environmental hazards or other state-specific clauses
  • A provision that the buyer may make a last-minute walk-through inspection of the property just before the closing
  • A time limit (preferably short) after which the offer will expire
  • Contingencies, which are an extremely important matter and discussed in detail below
Contingencies
If your offer says “this offer is contingent upon (or subject to) a certain event,” you’re saying that you will only go through with the purchase if that event occurs. The following are two common contingencies contained in a purchase order:
  • The buyer obtaining specific financing from a lending institution. If the loan can’t be found, the buyer won’t be bound by the contract.
  • A satisfactory report by a home inspector “within 10 days (for example) after acceptance of the offer.” The seller must wait 10 days to see if the inspector submits a report that satisfies you. If not, the contract would become void. Again, make sure that all the details are nailed down in the written contract.
Negotiating tips 
You’re in a strong bargaining position — meaning, you look particularly welcome to a seller — if:
  • You’re an all-cash buyer; or
  • You’re already pre-approved for a mortgage; and
  • You don’t have a present house that has to be sold before you can afford to buy.
In those circumstances, you may be able to negotiate some discount from the listed price. On the other hand, in a “hot” seller’s market, if the perfect house comes on the market, you may want to offer the list price (or more) to beat out other early offers.
It’s very helpful to find out why the house is being sold and whether the seller is under pressure. Keep these considerations in mind:
  • Every month a vacant house remains unsold represents considerable extra expense for the seller;
  • If the sellers are divorcing, they may just want out quickly; and
  • Estate sales often yield a bargain in return for a prompt deal.
Earnest money
This is a deposit that you give when making an offer on a house. A seller is understandably suspicious of a written offer that is not accompanied by a cash deposit to show “good faith.” A REALTOR® or an attorney usually holds the deposit, the amount of which varies from community to community. This will become part of your down payment.
Buyers: the seller’s response to your offer
You will have a binding contract if the seller, upon receiving your written offer, signs an acceptance just as it stands, unconditionally. The offer becomes a firm contract as soon as you are notified of acceptance. If the offer is rejected, that’s that, and the sellers could not later change their minds and hold you to it.
If the seller likes everything except the sale price, or the proposed closing date, or the basement pool table you want left with the property, you may receive a written counteroffer, with the changes the seller prefers. You are then free to accept or reject it or to even make your own counteroffer. For example, “We accept the counteroffer with the higher price, except that we still insist on having the pool table.”
Each time either party makes any change in the terms, the other side is free to accept or reject it, or counter again. The document becomes a binding contract only when one party finally signs an unconditional acceptance of the other side’s proposal.
Withdrawing an offer
Can you take back an offer? In most cases the answer is yes, right up until the moment it is accepted, or even in some cases, if you haven’t yet been notified of acceptance. If you do want to revoke your offer, be sure to do so only after consulting a lawyer who is experienced in real estate matters. You don’t want to lose your earnest money deposit, or find yourself being sued for damages the seller may have suffered by relying on your actions.
For sellers: calculating your net proceeds
When an offer comes in, you can accept it exactly as it stands, refuse it (seldom a useful response), or make a counteroffer to the buyers with the changes you want. In evaluating a purchase offer, you should estimate the amount of cash you’ll walk away with when the transaction is complete. For example, when you’re presented with two offers at once, you may discover you’re better off accepting the one with the lower sale price if the other asks you to pay points to the buyer’s lending institution. Once you have a specific proposal before you, calculating net proceeds becomes simple. From the proposed purchase price you can subtract:
  • Payoff amount on present mortgage;
  • Any other liens (equity loan, judgments);
  • Broker’s commission;
  • Legal costs of selling (attorney, escrow agent);
  • Transfer taxes;
  • Unpaid property taxes and water bills;
If required by the contract: cost of survey, termite inspection, buyer’s closing costs, repairs, etc.
Your present mortgage lender may maintain an escrow account into which you deposit money to be used for property tax bills and homeowner’s insurance premiums. In that case, remember that you will receive a refund of money left in that account, which will add to your proceeds.
For sellers: counteroffers
When you receive a purchase offer from a would-be buyer, remember that unless you accept it exactly as it stands, unconditionally, the buyer will be free to walk away. Any change you make in a counteroffer puts you at risk of losing that chance to sell. Who pays for what items is often determined by local custom. You can, however, arrive at any agreement you and the buyers want about who pays for:
  • Termite inspection;
  • Survey;
  • Buyer’s closing costs;
  • Points to the buyer’s lender;
  • Buyer’s broker;
  • Repairs required by the lender; and
  • Home Protection Policy.
You may feel some of these costs are none of your business, but many buyers — particularly first-timers — are short of cash. Helping them may be the best way to get your home sold.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNqtB1A0bw4&w=480&h=390]


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Preserving San Diego’s Historic Homes

22 05 2011

Even as some San Diego property owners worry that their values will not rise in the near term, preservationists remain optimistic that they can turn an old house into a gem and enjoy the experience as well as make money.

“They are able to see the potential in things,” said Jaye MacAskill, president of the Save Our Heritage Organisation. “It’s not for someone who’s easily discouraged. And generally, people who do this type of thing are doing it for the right reasons. They don’t have ulterior motives or subversive motives. They’re doing it for the pure joy and pleasure of doing something like that.”

SOHO, a 42-year-old grass-roots organization that promotes historic preservation, will call a one-day truce in its numerous campaigns to stop demolitions and save historic sites and celebrate 10 victories at its annual People in Preservation awards program at 6 p.m. Monday at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant, the Old Town landmark whose restoration champions are getting one of the awards.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKYUeAyfPiM&w=480&h=390]

“I think that as a whole people are appreciating the virtues of historic preservation more than ever before,” MacAskill said. “But surprisingly, the battle isn’t getting any easier. That’s the ironic thing. I think more and more people at an individual level realize all the benefits of preservation, but we’re still having to fight Goliath all the time, meaning the political, economic and development forces, and the push always seems to be as strong as ever. MacAskill said preservation is gaining a younger and more diverse membership and following. As evidence, she cites the thousands who attend numerous historic neighborhood home tours. SOHO also draws to lectures, helps homeowners and businesses fix up their properties and leads grass-roots efforts to save and restore other local landmarks and landscapes.

“Preservation gets a lot of people who aren’t fans of preservation trying to say that it’s all sort of elite, white people protecting their personal property values,” she said. “I can tell you personally that I’m white but not wealthy, not a property owner. I’m there because I’m the little guy and want to see this stuff preserved for all of us.”

Read Whole Article

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVjJE0_Ok0c&w=480&h=390]

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Top 10 VA Loan Myths & Facts

10 05 2011

VA loans are a top benefit of military service, and with good reason.  They are the last traditional loan program to offer 100% financing and refinancing on mortgages and have the most flexible credit guidelines available.  But even though the program has amazing things to offer, many veterans are unaware of the full magnitude of their benefit.  This sad fact can be explained when you think about how much the VA loan program has changed over the years.  The VA loan doesn’t have to be difficult to understand, and every American veteran should be able to easily understand the benefits of this loan.  In an attempt to change the fact that a great benefit to our service men and women is misunderstood and underutilized, here’s an effort to debunk the top 10 myths of the VA loan:

Myth #1: Veterans only have one chance to use their VA home loan benefit.

FACT: Veterans can use their benefit multiple times throughout their life.  Actually, there’s no limit!

Myth #2: VA loans can only be used to buy a house.

Fact: VA loans can be used to refinance too – up to 100% of the home’s value in some cases!

Myth #3 VA loans are small and only ideal for starter homes.

FACT: VA loans are widely available up to $1,000,000!

Myth #4: VA loans take too long to process and close

VA loans can close fast!  Quicken Loans processes VA loans in the same timeframe as other loan types.

Myth #5: It’s too difficult to qualify for a government program.

FACT: In some ways – VA loans are EASIER to qualify for.   Numerous underwriting accommodations are made for veterans buying or refinancing a home with a VA loan.

Myth #6: VA loans are too expensive with the upfront Funding Fee.

FACT: Actually, when you do the math, a VA loan is often cheaper than FHA and Conventional loans!

Myth #7: Vets have to be discharged or retired to use their VA loan benefit.

FACT: Active service members get full access to the VA mortgage benefit too!

Myth #8: Members of the Reserves or National Guard are not eligible.

FACT: Members of the Reserves or National Guard are eligible too after 6 years of honorable service!

Myth #9: Vets who are serving away from home or overseas can’t get a loan until they can return to occupy the property.

FACT: Military men and women who are away on active duty can obtain a VA loan if they intend to return home within a year or have a spouse who will occupy the property in the interim.

Myth #10: Widows or Widowers of Vets are not eligible for the VA loan benefit.

FACT: Widows of fallen veterans who died on active duty or as a result of a service-connected disability are eligible for the benefits of a VA loan.


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Going Green in Today’s Market

9 05 2011

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KfE3Gr04nE&w=480&h=390]


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10 Worst First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes

6 05 2011

Are you gearing up to buy your first place? Shopping for a home is exciting, exhausting and a little bit scary. In the end, your aim is to end up with a home you love at a price you can afford. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, many people make mistakes the prevent them from achieving this simple dream. Arm yourself with these tips to get the most out of your purchase and avoid making 10 of the most costly mistakes that could put a hold on that sold sign. (Don’t know even where to get started when purchasing a home?

1. Not Knowing What You Can Afford
As we’ve all learned from the subprime mortgage mess, what the bank says you can afford and what you know you can afford or are comfortable with paying are not necessarily the same. If you don’t already have a budget, make a list of all your monthly expenses (excluding rent), including vehicle costs, student loan payments, credit card payments, groceries, health insurance, retirement savings and so on. Don’t forget major expenses that only occur once a year, like any insurance premiums you pay annually or annual vacations. Subtract this total from your take-home pay and you’ll know how much you can spend on your new home each month.

If you end up looking at homes that are outside your price range, you’ll end up lusting after something you can’t afford, which can put you in the dangerous position of trying to stretch beyond your means financially or cause you to feel unsatisfied with what you actually can afford. You may even learn that you can’t afford the type or size of home that you desire and that you need to work on reducing your monthly expenses and/or increasing your income before you even start looking.

2. Skipping Mortgage Qualification
What you think you can afford and what the bank is willing to lend you may not match up, especially if you have poor credit or unstable income, so make sure to get pre-approved for a loan before placing an offer on a home. If you don’t, you’ll be wasting the seller’s time, the seller’s agent’s time, and your agent’s time if you sign a contract and then discover later that the bank won’t lend you what you need, or that it’s only willing to give you a mortgage that you find unacceptable.

Be aware that even if you have been pre-approved for a mortgage, your loan can fall through at the last minute if you do something to alter your credit score, like finance a car purchase. If you cause the deal to fall through, you may have to forfeit the several thousand dollars that you put up when you went under contract.

3. Failing to Consider Additional Expenses
Once you’re a homeowner, you’ll have additional expenses on top of your monthly payment. Unlike when you were a renter, you’ll be responsible for paying property taxes, insuring your home against disasters and making any repairs the house needs (which will occasionally include expensive items like a new roof or a new furnace).

If you’re interested in purchasing a condo, you’ll have to pay maintenance costs monthly regardless of whether anything needs fixing because you’ll be part of a homeowner’s association, which collects a couple hundred dollars a month from the owners of each unit in the building in the form of condominium fees.

4. Being Too Picky
Go ahead and put everything you can think of on your new home wish list, but don’t be so inflexible that you end up continuing to rent for significantly longer than you really want to. First-time homebuyers often have to compromise on something because their funds are limited. You may have to live on a busy street, accept outdated decor, make some repairs to the home, or forgo that extra bedroom. Of course, you can always choose to continue renting until you can afford everything on your list – you’ll just have to decide how important it is for you to become a homeowner now rather than in a couple of years.

5. Lacking Vision
Even if you can’t afford to replace the hideous wallpaper in the bathroom now, it might be worth it to live with the ugliness for a while in exchange for getting into a house you can afford. If the home otherwise meets your needs in terms of the big things that are difficult to change, such as location and size, don’t let physical imperfections turn you away. Besides, doing home upgrades yourself, even when you have to hire a contractor, is often cheaper than paying the increased home value to a seller who has already done the work for you.

6. Being Swept Away
Minor upgrades and cosmetic fixes are inexpensive tricks are a seller’s dream for playing on your emotions and eliciting a much higher price tag. Sellers may pay $2,000 for minimal upgrades or staging that you’ll end up paying $40,000 for. If you’re on a budget, look for homes whose full potential has yet to be realized. Also, first-time homebuyers should always look for a house they can add value to, as this ensures a bump in equity to help you up the property ladder.

7. Compromising on the Important Things
Don’t get a two-bedroom home when you know you’re planning to have kids and will want three bedrooms. By the same token, don’t buy a condo just because it’s cheaper when one of the main reasons you’re over apartment life is because you hate sharing walls with neighbors. It’s true that you’ll probably have to make some compromises to be able to afford your first home, but don’t make a compromise that will be a major strain.

8. Neglecting to Inspect
It’s tempting to think that you’re a homeowner the moment you go into escrow, but not so fast – before you close on the sale, you need to know what kind of shape the house is in. You don’t want to get stuck with a money pit or with the headache of performing a lot of unexpected repairs. Keeping your feelings in check until you have a full picture of the house’s physical condition and the soundness of your potential investment will help you avoid making a serious financial mistake.

9. Not Choosing to Hire an Agent or Using the Seller’s Agent
Once you’re seriously shopping for a home, don’t walk into an open house without having an agent (or at least being prepared to throw out a name of someone you’re supposedly working with). Agents are held to the ethical rule that they must act in both the seller and the buyer parties’ best interests, but you can see how that might not work in your best interest if you start dealing with a seller’s agent before contacting one of your own.

10. Not Thinking About the Future
It’s impossible to perfectly predict the future of your chosen neighborhood, but paying attention to the information that is available to you now can help you avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.

Some questions you should ask about your prospective property include:

  • What kind of development plans are in the works for your neighborhood in the future?
  • Is your street likely to become a major street or a popular rush-hour shortcut?
  • Will a highway be built in your backyard in five years?
  • What are the zoning laws in your area?
  • If there is a lot of undeveloped land? What is likely to get built there?
  • Have home values in the neighborhood been declining?

If you’re happy with the answers to these questions, then your house’s location can keep its rose-colored luster.

Conclusion
Buying a first home can seem stressful and overwhelming, and it isn’t without its share of potential pitfalls. If you’re aware of those issues ahead of time, you can protect yourself from costly mistakes and shop with confidence.

For many people, a home is the largest purchase they will ever make, but it need not be the most difficult.


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Top 5 Apps for Real Estate Agents

28 04 2011

The more I use my iPad, the more I see how valuable it is for real estate agents.

In addition to the “cool factor” – there are tons of great productivity tools for real estate agents and brokers. Not only that, but using an iPad in the field eliminates the need to lug around a laptop – making your job much easier!

Here are my top 5 must-have iPad apps for real estate agents:

1. Keynote – This is a must for all real estate professionals. It is $9.99 but well worth it. Think of Keynote as PowerPoint, but so much easier and more intuitive to use. This is the perfect tool for creating a simple and very slick listing presentation. Don’t want to use Keynote because you love PowerPoint? Download Documents on the Go – the only app available to edit PowerPoint files (also $9.99.)

2. Open Home Pro - This is a fantastic free tool for open houses. No more open house register needed! Simply tap the app, enter the basic details of the listing, and you are ready to go. Once you have buyers come in, they simply sign in with their name, email and any other pertitant info. You can add notes too. After they have entered their info, the screen reads “Please hand the iPad back to your real estate agent.” Love it!

3. Dropbox – Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and, share files online. There’s no complicated interface to learn. This is the easiest way to transfer files from your desktop or laptop to your iPad. This free app is must-have for any real estate agent.

4. GoodReader for iPad ($4.99), iAnnotate PDF ($9.99) and PDF Expert for iPad ($9.99) – All of these apps allow you to annotate PDF’s in a variety of ways. You an edit text, move notes with your finger, draw, and add a personalized signature and so much more. iAnnotate PDF and PDF Expert for iPad support VGA-out, so you can share your work on the big screen if needed.

5. DocuSign – This free app is simply a must for any real estate agent. Send, track and sign documents anytime and anyplace. View real-time business document status so that you instantly know what is completed and what still needs your attention. Create, tag and modify documents for e-signature.

What are your favorite iPad apps for real estate? I’d love to hear your experience using any of these apps. Leave me a comment below!


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Categories : Agent Info, Web Info

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