Every year I post a blog on “Bang for your Buck” remodeling ideas. It’s a way to add value to the homeowner and the truth is most folks I know are tinkering with some home project, for one reason or another. The report, Key Trends in the 2021 Cost vs. Value Report is a good resource, targeted per region in the US. It comes out every year.

The report’s goal is to give homeowners objective reporting on how much it costs for a professional (not DIY) to complete a project and then how much real estate professionals believe the project will increase a home’s value if it is sold within a year of project completion. The report calculates bang for your buck by dividing the project’s value into its cost.

According to the 2021 Cost vs. Value Report

Lessons Learned from the Marshall Fire: Tips from the experts to confirm you are covered

The horrific fires and loss in the Superior/Louisville area initiated many conversations amongst my real estate colleagues regarding how we can best advise our clients on homeowners insurance coverage. We also wanted to make sure that our clients who are currently renting, ready to buy, also have the right insurance to cover a catastrophic loss of their personal belongings. I consulted a few insurance professionals to understand what they are seeing after the fires in terms of compensation and some of the most common pitfalls in coverage. If you don’t have time to read, please file this and reserve a rainy afternoon to read and then take action. I know I

Every January I spotlight Pantone’s color of the year. This year’s color has expanded my thinking beyond interior or exterior paint colors — more for home accents, décor and flecks of wallpaper hues.  Pantone’s rationale for choosing PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri is that it promotes curiosity and creativity, a new light that may just provide a revived perspective as we emerge from two years of uncertainty and separation. I wonder what your ideas might be when using this color?

The content of this blog is entirely from the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone Color of the Year 2022 / Introduction | Pantone.

Pantone Color Institute's Rationale 

Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit,

Every January I spotlight Pantone’s color of the year. Well, this year it’s a duo—Ultimate Gray and Illuminating. I can appreciate Pantone’s rationale for choosing those two colors—one symbolizing steadiness and one denoting a certain vibrancy that I think we could all happily integrate into our spaces. The content of this blog is entirely from the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone Color of the Year 2021 / Introduction | Pantone.

Pantone Color Institute's Rationale 

PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another, best express the mood for Pantone Color of the Year 2021. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic,

When my husband and I were ready to begin our whole house remodel, we were forced to start with a costly asbestos abatement. It is so discouraging when you get bids for thousands of dollars to mitigate asbestos, when you are practically tearing down the whole house anyway. So instead of spending money on that particular line item, my husband proposed doing the work himself. Of course, my next step was to hit google: “health risks of asbestos abatement,” “how to mitigate asbestos,” “are there different kinds of asbestos,” “how to remove asbestos from underneath tiles,” the research project was endless. After a few contentious conversations, I convinced him it just wasn’t worth it—we needed to hire professionals, and sure enough they came in with

It is hard to fathom that 15 days after the Bomb Cyclone, it’s time to tend to the yard. We’ve had so much snow this winter season I am hoping that once every white patch is gone my brown grass of winter will soon become a deep green. Time to unwrap the agaves and see if they took a healthy winter nap!

There are a few things we all can do to get our growing spaces and home prepped for summer without feeling counterproductive should a storm come our way. Besides, it’s a way to enjoy the great outdoors since ski season is almost over. Here’s some tips:

Remove all protective coverings and winter mulch.

Any covers placed on young shrubs or trees during the winter should be removed this month and all winter mulch around plants should be removed.

I am suffering from a bit of post-remodel stress disorder this year. We moved into our newly renovated home in April of 2018 and there are still things to be done. Unlike the typical HGTV fixer upper show, we were over budget and did not finish the master suite. That’s an upcoming fall project.

 Every year I post a blog on “Bang for your Buck” remodeling ideas. It’s a way to add value to the homeowner and the truth is most folks I know are tinkering with some home project, for one reason or another. The report, Key Trends in the 2019 Cost vs. Value Report is a good resource, targeted per region in the US. It comes out every year.

The report’s goal is to give homeowners objective reporting on how much it costs for a professional (not DIY) to

A home is much more than just a place to hang your hat. A home should be a space that “sparks joy” (if you have not read The Japanese Art of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo, I highly recommend!) and works for you financially by building equity. Recently, I helped a couple (25 years old) purchase a condo. Whether renting or owning, all the neighbors pay similar housing costs to be in a place they enjoy. A key acknowledgement they made was that as owners, their monthly payments are working for them, helping them gain financial stability at a very young age. Renters payments are going straight into a landlord’s pocket instead.

We all need a place to live and paying housing costs are inevitable. If you can qualify for a loan and put some money down,

Am I the only one who patiently awaits this, year to year?

Here’s an explanation from the Pantone Color Institute™, https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/color-of-the-year/color-of-the-year-2019

Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.

In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life (on the heels of PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet, 2018 color of the year), we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted

As we end the summer season I hear rumblings from folks that the market is “cooling off.”

There is definitely a seasonality to residential real estate. It’s also true that there are both myths and realities that the data supports in connection with this seasonality.

One myth is that most resale home transactions occur during the first half of the year. The graphs below tell differently. 

• On average, the distribution of closings per quarter is 19%, 29%, 29% and 23% over the last six years.
• Most sales occur in the 2nd and 3rd quarters – 58% of all closings occur in this six-month period.
• More sales occur in the last half of the year than in the first half of the year – 52% in July through December versus 48% in January through