2011 Hot New Home Trends

Hot new-home trends for 2011

Practicality is in, as homebuilders cater to buyers' changing wants and needs.

The housing market may be down, but it's not out. Houses continue to be built across the nation, especially homes aimed at first-time buyers. But the Great Recession has limited the bells and whistles that many people demanded under their new roof even four years ago. Would-be homebuyers want — and are getting — different things from "home sweet home" today.

From front porches to LED lights, here are the top six things experts say are trendy in new homes for 2011. How does next year's wish list compare to yours?

1. Smaller homes that 'live' the same
"One big trend is the smaller homes," says David Barista, editor-in-chief of Professional Builder and Custom Builder magazines. In fact, the median size of new U.S. homes fell from 2,277 square feet in 2007 to 2,135 square feet in 2009, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

"There's a couple drivers here," Barista says. "I don't think buyers are looking for that opulence of several years ago; they're looking for something more modest. (But) they still want the amenities and the spaces" in these smaller homes.

So he's not seeing the number of rooms in a home being cut; instead, the size of the rooms — and the overall home size — is shrinking 10% to 15%. That, of course, also brings down the price, which is key in a market in which new houses are competing against foreclosures.

Despite that shrinkage, Barista says homeowners still want nice touches such as quality faucets, higher-end appliances and granite countertops in that smaller kitchen.

2. The old front porch, revisited
Front and side porches are making a comeback, says Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects, which performs a quarterly Home Design Trends Survey. One reason is simple: Front porches help create a sense of community, something that more traditional suburbs lack.But something else is driving the interest in front porches, Baker says. Thanks to the recession and the soft housing market, homebuilders have sharply curtailed their construction of big, self-standing communities of hundreds or even thousands of homes. Instead, they're doing more "in-fill," adding dollops of homes here and there among existing homes. Porches can help integrate these homes with the existing community, Baker says.

To read the full article visit: http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=26685367

Please call or e-mail Melissa for any of your real estate needs at (509) 879-7858 or melissadailey@comcast.net!!

Seven Costly Mistakes Sellers Make

There are always appropriate steps to investing in real estate and hopefully, you've garnered many of them right on these pages. However, there are also inappropriate steps sellers can walk down when it comes time to put their house on the market.....

The seven costly mistakes

Mistake 1: Putting the home on the market before it's ready. Most times this happens because the seller gets impatient or is a procrastinator and has pushed himself up against a moving deadline without getting the pre-sale work done. So it comes on the market with the horrible carpet (that gets replaced during the marketing of the home); or they are painting it while it goes on the market. Presentation is everything -- so get the work done before marketing the property.

Mistake 2: Over improving the home for the neighborhood. This happens with additions, bump outs, and upgrades that make the home stick out from among its competitors so much that it's an anomaly, instead of a nice addition to the community.

Mistake 3: Pricing the home based on what the seller wants to net. This pricing strategy always ends in failure. Sellers can control the "asking" price, but they don't control the "sales" price. The market does. It doesn't matter what the seller wants, the price is determined by the black-and-white, matter-of-fact reality of the market


To see the full article visit:

http://www.realtor.com/home-finance/real-estate/sellers/avoid-costly-home-selling-mistakes.aspx?source=web

Great Valley 4-Level Home on Treed Corner Lot!

12923 E. 26th Ave.
$225,000
2266 sq.ft./ 4Bdrms/2Bas
Location! Great corner treed lot with in-ground pool & large deck & patio!! Recently updated with newer roof, Gas F/A, Central A/C, new carpet throughout & tile floors in kitchen & baths. 2 car gar plus R/V or boat parking. Fully fenced low maintenance yard with lots of privacy! Living room has wood fireplace and a wall of windows overlooking pool. Trendy paint & faux finishes. Large bedrooms - Come See!
Call or e-mail Melissa for a showing or any questions at (509) 879-7858 or melissadailey@comcast.net

Beautiful Ponderosa Home w/ Unique Floor Plan!

3426 S. Sundown

$219,900

4bd/4ba/2 car garage
Country kitchen, vaulted living room with see through fireplace to large dining rm withdoors to patio & large treed level backyard. 3 main flr bdrms. Nicely updated tiled bathrooms. Fully fin bsmt with 4th bdrm & huge rec room with woodfireplace. 92% eff gas FA, newer roof, extra deep garage for shop space or rec. vehicles.

Call or e-mail Melissa for a private showing or questions at (509) 879-7858 or melissadailey@comcast.net

Amazing Panoramic Views in This Beautifully Updated Ponderosa Rancher

11418 E. 48th Ave.
$249,900

4-Bedrooms 3-Bathrooms 2-Car Garage

New Alder/Granite Kitchen with tile floors & slate back splash & stainless steel appliances. Newer roof. GFA (95% eff) and updated electrical panel. 3 main floor bedrooms. Dbl sinks main bath. Mstr has walkin plus 3/4 bath and built in shelves. Bamboo floors,wood frplc & lots of light w/vaulted ceilings in lvg rm. Bsmt fully finished w/walk out bsmt & wetbar. Large partially covered rear patio. Too much to list and priced to sell

Virual Tour at: www.tourfactory.com/783462

Nine Tips For Avoiding Mortgage Fraud

From foreclosure fraud to sub-prime shenanigans, mortgage fraud is a growing threat that is hurting homeowners, businesses, and the national economy. Lee Dworshak, a Realtor® with Keller Williams LA Harbor Realty in Rancho Palos Verdes, California takes a look at this dangerous trend and offers nine ways to protect yourself:

Law enforcement agencies are developing new ways to detect and combat mortgage fraud, including collecting and analyzing data to spot emerging trends and patterns, but like many other schemes, it’s hard to track down the bad guys. Even though they are using their full arresnal of investigative techniques to find and stop criminals before the fact, they are usually brought in after the damage has been done.

Read more: Nine Tips For Avoiding Mortgage Fraud | REALTOR.com® Blogs

For the rest of this article go to: http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2011/08/24/nine-tips-for-avoiding-mortgage-fraud/

5 Need to Knows Before Your Move Into the Neighborhood

How to Educate Your Buyers Before They Move to the Neighborhood

For most home buyers, buying a property isn’t just about the house, it’s about the neighborhood. Making a decision about where they want to live is a crucial part of the home buying process. In addition to determining if they are going to buy a three bedroom, two bathroom rancher or a 4 bedroom, 2 bath two story, they also have to buy into the lifestyle. Are there parks near by? Playgrounds? Is there a church they can attend? Is the neighborhood safe? Do houses in the neighborhood hold their value?

These are all important questions your prospective buyers are probably searching for. As the neighborhood expert, you’ll be making sure your buyers understand the ins and outs of the neighborhood they select. Here are three ways to educate your buyers on the neighborhood (with a downloadable tip sheet to give to your homebuyers).

Drive them around

Get your buyers in your car and drive them around the community. We tend to take one entrance into a neighborhood, often the pretty one. Are there multiple entrance points? Most likely yes- make sure they see all access points. Show them the neighborhoods on different days, and at different times of the day. Sure backing up to the main street doesn’t sound noisy on a weekday at 10am, but what about at evening rush hour? Drive the surrounding community. Identify parks, shopping centers and other points of interest that your buyers might care about. Make sure your buyers have an opportunity to get a complete picture of the community.

To read the rest of the article go to: http://pro.truliablog.com/grow-business/5-need-to-knows/?ecampaign=anews&eurl=pro.truliablog.com%2Fgrow-business%2F5-need-to-knows%2F