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On Marti’s Mind
Happy Summer!
Summer if officially here, which means it’s time for sunshine, barbeques and colorful flowers! This month’s newsletter gives you some great tips on how to Invite Summer Style Into Your Home. Whether it’s by adding colorful, floral pillows to your couch or serene blue placemats to your table for a breezy coastal feel, this fun article will have your home well on its way to summer style.
Additionally a survey of homeowners by Houzz, a home decorating website, Reveals the Most Popular Outdoor living Projects for 2014. Of all the people surveyed, 56% said they were working towards making their yard more conducive to entertaining, so it’s no surprise the #1 summer project reported was creating a new deck or patio. Read the rest of the article for the other top outdoor living projects for 2014.
On the business side of things, our newsletter this month has a really informative article about Why Home Sellers need a Real Estate Agent to Price Their Home. With home prices on the rise due to low market inventory, this is something anyone thinking about possibly selling their home should take the time to read. While there are plenty of online, Automated Valuation Models (AVM’s) that can spit out a quick price on your home, these models rarely take into account your home’s unique qualities and frequently have outdated or plain wrong information. A recent study by Standard and Poor found inaccuracies of up to 20% when using these types of programs! Take a moment to read the article for several other reasons that having a real, live, Realtor price your home is the best way to go.
Have questions? Need referrals? I’d love to be your Realtor for life, so don’t hesitate to let me know how I can help!
Enjoy the coming sunshine!
Marti
“Home” is the nicest word there is. – Helen Keller |
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An Increase in Inventory May Help Slow National Home Price Increases
 Housing inventory and price growth are interrelated. Many areas of the country are experiencing a rise in home prices due to inventory shortage. In April, 2.29 million homes were available for sale, a 5.9 month supply at the current sales pace. This is a 16.8 percent improvement over March and a 6.5 percent increase over April 2013. Improving levels of inventory, along with an increase in new-home construction, will help with... Read More
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Survey Reveals the Most Popular Outdoor Living Projects for 2014
 More Americans want to improve their outdoor space, according to a 2014 survey of home owners across the U.S. and Canada, conducted by Houzz. The results show that among homeowners planning landscaping projects in their yards this summer, the largest portion (56%) are working toward making their yard more conducive to entertaining. How they plan to do so is enlightening to homeowners with plans of their own, or to those who want to improve their home's... Read More |
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Why Home Sellers Need a Real Estate Agent to Price Their Home
A quick internet search will reveal dozens of Automated Valuation Modeling (AVM) sites that promise to tell you how much your home is worth. These AVMs use statistical modeling techniques that "value" your home by comparing it with the price of similar-sized homes that have recently sold in your area. Using proprietary software, AVMs crunch publicly-available numbers from the multiple listings service and combine this with regional pricing trends to set a sale price for your home... Read More
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Invite Summer Style into
Your Home
 Admiring the beauty of colorful flowers, enjoying an ice cream on a hot day, relaxing at the beach—why not bring all of these aspects of summer into your home during the warmer months? You can easily do this by adding home accessories that can be removed when the cooler weather arrives. Here are some ways to invite summer style into your home.
Colorful Florals
Summer is the time when flowers are in full bloom, so bring the outdoors inside with floral home accessories. They will add splashes of color and nature-inspired interest to your home.
In your living room, simply add several throw pillows with... Read More
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Tips for Achieving a Healthy Lawn on a Budget
 Maintaining a great lawn doesn't need to be expensive - and the reward for just a small investment is a beautiful, environmentally friendly setting for outdoor activities of many kinds. If you're looking to ensure a healthy natural lawn on a budget, consider these four easy tips:
1. Water as needed. On average, a lawn needs about one inch of water per week, from rainfall or irrigation. This will soak the soil to a depth of four to six inches, putting water deep into your lawn's root system. Letting the lawn dry out completely between waterings will encourage the grass to grow stronger, deeper roots as it searches for water deeper in the soil. For best results, water in the early morning when... Read More |
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