Take Caution Before Drilling Holes in the Walls | Realtor Magazine

Drilling a hole in the wall to hang pictures or a TV might sound like a simple DIY project. But handyman services are warning that homeowners could do a lot of damage to a home if they aren’t careful.

Many homes have pipes and wires that run through a wall. Homeowners who are unaware of these could risk personal injury or serious damage to their home.

Realtor.com® recently featured safety tips to avoid hole-drilling nightmares, including:

Watch light switches and sockets.“The main dangers [of drilling into a wall] are hitting an electrical wire, water pipe, or gas pipe,” says Issabel Williams, a crew member with Fantastic Handyman. “All of these scenarios can lead to electrocution or flooding.” To help determine what’s behind a wall, Williams suggests to avoid drilling around light switches and sockets since electrical wires tend to go horizontally and vertically around them. “You can [also] get an idea of where wires and pipes run by looking in the attic and basement to see where they go up or down through framing,” Williams told realtor.com®.

Use a stud finder. A stud finder can help locate vertical beams that frame the house. Mark the stud location with a pencil so you know where to drill. Studs are usually placed 16 to 24 inches apart. “Electrical wires often run vertically along studs,” Matt Daigle, founder and CEO of sustainable home improvement site Rise, told realtor.com®. “A stud finder is a convenient handheld tool that makes locating studs hidden behind drywall a quick and easy task.” Drywall is not as supportive for hanging items on so it’s imperative to check where the studs are, Williams adds. “Otherwise you risk having a serious accident with falling objects,” Williams notes.

Be leery of bathroom and kitchen walls. Walls that connect to your bathroom and kitchen are likely to have pipes within. If you hit a pipe, you’ll find substantial resistance, Williams says. “And unless you hit it where it passes through a stud, your drill bit will probably deflect off of the curved surface,” Williams adds.

Fall Landscaping Trends: Jewel Tones, Cozy Vibes | Realtor Magazine

A newer color palette with jewel tones is taking hold in landscaping, and it’s among the hotter trends for this fall, according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Seventy-seven percent of Americans report relaxing in their yards at least once a month, according to a survey from Engine’s Caravan, conducted on behalf of the NALP. Carving out an inviting outdoor space is becoming increasingly important for homeowners.

The NALP recently released a list of its top outdoor fall staples for the coming season, including:

Jewel tones: The classic fall colors of orange, yellow, and red are getting competition from a newer palette this year with jewel tones, the NALP notes. “Sapphire blue, emerald green, amethyst purple, ruby red, and citrine yellow all bring warmth to fall landscape design,” the NALP notes. Landscapers recommend adding jewel tones to outdoor spaces through unique container gardens, decorative furnishings, and accessories. Also, seasonal plantings like pansies, celosia, dianthus, and black-eyed Susan also draw from the trendy hues.

Cozy outdoor living: Create an inviting outdoor spacethat you can still enjoy in the fall. Fire features continue to remain popular, whether one-touch natural gas, propane ignition, or traditional wood-burning options. Also, pergolas are gaining popularity, along with retractable canopies and heating systems that can extend their use in colder climates. “Signature features, like fire features and pergolas, complemented by comfortable seating and attractive and aromatic plantings and jewel tones, will bring resort-like comfort to homes,” the NALP notes.

The ‘Summer Swoon’ Continues With Mortgage Rates | Realtor Magazine

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The ‘Summer Swoon’ Continues With Mortgage Rates

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.49% this week, the lowest average since October 2016, Freddie Mac reports. “Mortgage rates continued the summer swoon due to weaker economic data,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “While economic growth is clearly slowing due to rising manufacturing and trade headwinds, economic fundamentals are still solid for U.S. consumers. The unemployment rate is low, housing affordability is improving, home buyer demand is rising, and home price growth is stable.”

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Sept. 5:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.49%, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 3.58% average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.54%.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3%, with an average 0.6 point, dropping from last week’s 3.06% average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 3.99%.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.30%, with an average 0.4 point, dropping from last week’s 3.31% average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.93%.

5 Tips for Prepping a Lawn for the Winter | Realtor Magazine

How homeowners treat a yard this autumn can determine the quality of their yard next spring and summer. Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, offers up the following checklist for homeowners who want to lay a strong groundwork for a great yard next spring:

Keep mowing. Grass still needs regular care to stay healthy. Grass that is too high may attract lawn-damaging field mice. Shorter grass is more resistant to diseases and traps fewer falling leaves. Cutting the grass low also allows more sun to reach the crown of the grass. However, cutting off too much at one time can be damaging, so never trim more than a third of the grass blades off in a single cutting, Kiser says. Put mower blades on the lowest settings for the last two cuts of the season.

Aerate your lawn. Compressed soil can hurt the health of the grass. Aerating punches holes in the soil and lets oxygen, water, and nutrients into a lawn. Use a walk-behind aerator or get an attachment to pull behind a riding mower, Kiser suggests.

Mulch your leaves. Many mowers can mulch leaves with an attachment. Since mulching with a mower can mix grass clippings with leaf particles, these nitrogen-rich grass particles and carbon-rich leaf particles will compost more quickly. They can then return nutrients to the soil.

Trim and shore up trees and bushes. Use trimmers, chainsaws, or pole pruners to cut back trees, shrubs, and plants. Make sure branches are safely trimmed back from overhead lines and not in danger of falling on a home or structure in winter weather. You may need to tie or brace limbs of upright evergreens or plants to prevent them from breaking in high winds or snow. Call a professional arborist for big trees or hard-to-reach spots.

Repair bald spots. Fall is a great time to patch bald or thin spots in a lawn. The easiest way to do this is with an all-in-one lawn repair mixture (found at most garden shops and home centers), Kiser says. Use a garden rake or dethatcher to scratch loose the soil on the spot.

A Fix or a Flop? When DIY Home Renovation Turns Iffy | Realtor Magazine

Some homeowners take on more than they should with do-it-yourself home projects. They could wind up hurting their home value.

Homeowners hope to save money through DIY takes on projects, but some lose that savings when they sell. Chicago-area home inspectors recently shared withThe Chicago Tribunesome of the common DIY mishaps they most often see, including:

Using online videos as tutorials.

Homeowners may follow an online tutorial to install a bathroom sink or kitchen sink that can ultimately end up in disaster, inspectors say. “The hot water is always on your left and the cold is always on your right, but when you’re lying on your back underneath, they look backwards, so people install the hot on the right and the cold on the left,” Jeff Merritt, a Chicago home inspector who runs Homestead Inspections, toldThe Chicago Tribune. Homeowners may rely too much on YouTube videos by amateurs to guide them through house projects. When using online tutorials, homeowners should ensure the tutorial illustrates exactly what they want to do and to check with additional sources to confirm industry standards, inspectors say.

Assuming basement projects are easy.

Finishing off a basement is a common DIY project, but it can also cause a lot of trouble for homeowners who don’t do their homework. “If you’re not doing the proper work, you’ll get dampness, puddling, and seepage,” says William Decker, the owner of Decker Inspection Services in Skokie, Ill. “And any time you have water and cellulose together, you’re going to get mold.” Inspectors say their suspicions are raised that mold or a damp basement may have been present or covered up when there’s newly replaced wood and new paint.

Failing to take into account air quality and venting.

Inspectors say an amateur mistake they see often is to vent exhaust fans and appliances into attics or the garage instead of outside. Venting warm and often moist air into an enclosed space can cause mold and wood rot. The air needs to be vented outside. Also, sealing vents at the roof line often requires professional attention, inspectors say.

Failing to keep documented records.

Homeowners should keep detailed records of the materials, receipts, and permits to all the improvements and maintenance projects they do, whether DIY or professional. “Make sure that what you brag about [in listing descriptions] is documented,” Corey B. Stern, a partner at Chitkowski Law Offices, a real estate law firm in Lisle, Ill., told theTribune. “Make sure that what you brag about is documented. If the house has been on and off the market, look at the prior listing sheets and see if there’s new work.”

3 Home Lighting Mistakes to Avoid | Realtor Magazine

Good lighting can enhance the look of a space. Houzz.com contributor David Warfel, a lighting design specialist, recently shared the common mistakes he sees with interior home lighting in an article on the home remodeling website. Problems he sees the most often include:

Too many lights shining downwards in the kitchen

Warfel notes that many kitchens have more light shining on the floor than on the countertops, where it has the biggest impact. “Adding well-positioned recessed lights, pendant lights above islands, and under-cabinet lighting are among the ways to ensure our kitchen work areas have enough light,” he notes.

Photo by Rittenhouse Builders 

 

Failing to illuminate distinct details

Light in most homes tends to spotlight the drywall, the least expensive surface in a home, Warfel notes. “Instead, position lights to selectively illuminate other details such as molding, arches, and shelves,” he writes. For example, highlight the stone walls in a living room, such as by placing light directly above the face of the stone and having the light graze down the wall.

Photo by Eagle Stone & Brick, Inc. 

 

Staging Tips: Styling for the Photo Shoot

Harsh lights on a bathroom vanity

Warfel says it’s best to avoid poor bathroom vanity lighting. It will cast deep shadows under your eyes and chin. Wall sconces can be a stylish solution and provide a softer glow.

Photo by Timothy M. Giguere, AIA – TMS Architects 

5 Easy Ways to Transform Cabinets When Painting Isn’t an Option | www.nar.realtor

We’ve all been there: You tour a home with a great address and inviting floorplan—but those cabinets, though! They glow with an orange or red tint. The floors may even match the cabinetry. Dated oak or maple cabinets, if they could talk, may scream to a potential buyer: “Big renovation project needed! Not move-in ready!”

Cabinets matter. Light and white remain preferable to buyers, confirms a survey from Home Stratosphere(link is external), a home décor blog that surveyed thousands of consumers about their color of choice for kitchen cabinetry. White is by far the most popular cabinet color. 

Painting cabinets can dramatically improve a room and update the overall impression of a home with a more modern finish. But a seller may not always have the extra funds to take on painting the cabinets prior to listing the home. (Expect a price tag of $3,000 or more.) 

So what do you do? Let’s take this example. 

When painting cabinets is not an option, try these five staging tips to transform the look.

Photo Credit: Karen Post, Home Frosting

Just paint the island, or add an island with white or metal. This small change costs significantly less, is not as disruptive, and can still have a high impact on the room’s look.

Neutralize dark or bold colors. Tone the cabinets down by adding large white accessories, such as hand towels, big bowls, and trays.

Change out the lighting. Try updating a key decorative light fixture. It can make dated cabinets feel more current. Also, swap out the light bulbs for warmer options, such as a soft white (in the 2700K to 3000K range).

Show prospects some what-ifs. Many of the national paint companies offer tools to show how a new paint color can change a room. This includes cabinets. Drop in your photos and digitally repaint them to show prospective buyers the possibilities for when they move in. 

Photo credit Karen Post, Home Frosting

Have quotes on-hand. Invite a cabinet repainting company to submit a cost and time estimate of refinishing the cabinets. You can use this as a price negotiation point or provide a new buyer with an allowance to get this change completed before they move in.

Check out the pictures below of another before-and-after set of picture to see how these ideas work.

Photo credit Karen Post, Home Frosting

 

4 Overlooked Areas That Make a Big Difference in Staging | Realtor Magazine

When you’re staging properties for resale, you likely target all the main areas: decluttering the home, adding some fresh flowers, and fluffing the pillows. But realtor.com® recently highlighted some other areas that are often overlooked when staging but can still make a big impact, including:

Tend to the mailbox.

Repaint the mailbox or make any repairs, particularly if it’s showing its age or leaning. “Replace the mailbox—literally the first thing people see,” Teris Pantazes, CEO and co-founder of SettleRite, a home improvement company in Baltimore, told realtor.com®.

Reglaze.

A reglaze of the tile or in the bathroom can give a modern update to a space. “The best tip I use to get top dollar for some of our houses is to reglaze an old bathroom that has a terrible color of tile—like pink or green,” Michael Pinter, a home flipper with LMPK Properties in Long Island, N.Y., told realtor.com®. “We reglaze the bathroom white for a few hundred dollars, and a dated bathroom will look 30 years younger.”

Restore rooms to their purpose.

Make sure the spaces in the home are being used for their original purpose. As such, the dining room that is currently being used for a kid’s playroom should be restaged. “Buyers want to see the space used in a traditional way—with a dining table in the dining room, a desk and chair in the office—to envision themselves living there,” realtor.com® notes.

Sell the love.

Don’t forget to sell the love and appreciation of a home. Russell Volk, a real estate pro with RE/MAX Elite in Bucks County, Pa., once had the home sellers write a one-page letter about the life in the house. “Their story of how they raised their family and what kind of experiences they had in the home was very personal and emotional,” says Volk. He framed the letter and placed it on the kitchen counter for potential buyers to read. “If sellers can connect with buyers on an emotional level, chances of buyers paying top dollar for the house drastically increase,” says Volk.

Mortgage Rates Tick Up Slightly This Week | Realtor Magazine

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The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage inched up this week, but still remains well below averages from a year ago.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage closed the month of August by averaging 3.6%, nearly a full percent lower than a year ago, Freddie Mac notes.

“Low mortgage rates along with a strong labor market are fueling the consumer-driven economy by boosting their purchasing power, which will certainly support housing market activity in the coming months,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

Freddie Mac reports the following averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Aug. 29:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.58%, with an average 0.5 point, rising from last week’s 3.55% average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.52%.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.06%, with an average 0.5 point, rising from last week’s 3.03% average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 3.97%.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.31%, with an average 0.4 point, dropping from last week’s 3.32% average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 3.85%.

Recession Fears Grow, But Economists Say Housing Is OK | Realtor Magazine

Recession fears are growing, and that may prompt some Americans—who are still haunted by the last one—to get skittish about the housing market. Don’t expect another “real estate fire sale” if the economy heads into another recession, economists say.

“This is going to be a much shorter recession than the last one,” George Ratiu, senior economist with realtor.com®, notes in a recent article at the site. “I don’t think the next recession will be a repeat of 2008. … The housing market is in a better position.”

Just 2% of economists, strategists, academics, and policymakers surveyed believe a recession will occur this year, based on a survey of more than 200 members of the National Association for Business Economics. Thirty-eight percent believe a recession will begin in 2020, while 25% say by 2021. Fourteen percent don’t expect a recession until after 2021.

The market still has plenty of good signs for home shoppers. The Federal Reserve has strongly hinted that another interest rate cut is looming in September, which could help bring mortgage rates down even lower. Unemployment continues to hover around the lowest it’s been in the past 50 years. Wages are also growing, and the country continues to be within its longest economic expansion in U.S. history.

If the country does enter into a recession, will home prices plunge like they did during the Great Recession? Many economists don’t believe so.

Ratiu believes home prices could flatten in a recession, but they likely wouldn’t drop. A shortage of homes for sale and a low amount being built should cushion any slowdown in the economy up against buyer demand, economists note. Also, lending laws have tightened since the housing crisis and borrowers are more qualified in securing a mortgage, notes Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of REALTORS®. Also, homeowners nowadays have a record amount of equity in their homes, so even if they lose their job they likely would be less inclined to head right into foreclosure and more likely to list their home for sale.

Still, the American psyche may play a bigger role if the country hits another recession. “With people having PTSD from the last time, they’re still afraid of buying at the wrong time,” Ali Wolf, director of economic research at Meyers Research, told realtor.com®. “But prices aren’t likely to fall 50% like they did last time.”