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Feb./Mar.2015

INS IDE : Homespace | Home Improvement | T rave l | Spot l ight s | Rea l E s tate In fo rmat ion

(425) 748-5065 • www.Easts ide-RealEstateNews.comNews affecting your most prized possession!

Homes are Flying Off The Market, but Many Still Losing

Money UnnecessarilyKIRKLAND, Washington – Home sales

this super bowl season outpaced a year ago as sidelined buyers emerged to compete for limited inventory, according to brokers who commented on January activity.

New figures from Northwest Multiple Listing Service show year-over-year increases in pending sales, closed sales, and prices, while inventory fell by double digits.

“The current inventory of homes available for sale has never been lower in my 22 years as a real estate broker,” lamented MLS director George Moorhead, designated broker and owner at Bentley Properties.

The number of active listings of single family homes and condominiums fell from the year-ago figure of 19,195 to 17,082 at the end of January, a decline of 11 percent. Twelve of the 23 counties in the MLS system reported double-digit drops. For the four-county Puget Sound region, the selection was down 12 percent.

When measured by months of supply (the ratio of sales to listings), Northwest MLS figures show it has dipped below four months. In King County, there is only about two months of supply. In general, brokers say four to six months is considered to be a healthy balance between supply and demand.

Blame brisk sales, as the number of pending sales, at 7,658, surpassed the number of new listings, which totaled 6,989. A comparison of figures for the four-county region for the past 15 years indicates January’s pending sales exceeded any of the prior years (see chart).

“We saw sales at a higher pace this super bowl season than last year,” remarked J. Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate.

Closed sales increased more than 3.7 percent compared to a year ago, rising from 4,306 completed transactions area-wide to last month’s total of 4,467.

Scott said multiple offers of most new listings are common. “We are entering February with a severe shortage of homes for sale in the neighborhoods close to the job centers, and we expect that shortage to continue throughout the spring market,” he stated. Buyers need to be “buyer ready” so they can react quickly. Brokers recommend getting preapproved for a mortgage, which can give potential buyers an edge in a fast-moving market.

Home prices for single family homes and condos are also tracking ahead of the year-ago pace. The median price on last month’s closed sales was $279,000 system-wide, up about 9.4 percent from the year-ago price of $255,055. King County reported the highest median price at $390,000, up 6.9 percent from twelve months ago.

For the 3,880 single family home sales that closed last month, the median price was $288,000, about 8.7 percent higher that a year ago when the price was $264,995. Scott said a 4 percent increase is the historical norm.

Condo prices spiked more than 13 percent, rising from $194,000 area-wide to $219,900. In King County, which accounted

for nearly six of every 10 condo sales, prices rose 6 percent, from $225,000 to $238,500.

Moorhead believes inventory shortages are due in part to hesitant sellers. “Sellers who would like to enter the market are holding off for two main reasons,” he suggested, adding, “Either they cannot find the next

home to move up/down to, or they purchased between 2005 and 2007 and may still be underwater.” Sellers who were foreclosed or completed a short sale during the Great Recession are becoming eligible to purchase a home again, Moorhead noted. “This will bring an altogether new segment of buyers who are more savvy and cautious” so they won’t repeat past mistakes.

Moorhead also credits new loan programs, revised loan programs, and a general easing of guidelines for buyers with making home buying more attainable. “The only holdback is inventory or credit scores,” he suggested.

Northwest MLS director Frank Wilson echoed that notion. “It’s almost the perfect storm: low interest rates, low inventory, pent up demand, and a pipeline of sidelines buyers who could not buy because of a past short sale or foreclosure.” Their two year to three year waiting period is up and they are looking again, he reported.

Wilson, branch managing broker at John L. Scott in Poulsbo, said the spring market is not waiting for the tulips this year – “spring has already sprung. We are seeing an increase in traffic at our open houses with more buyers out looking at our limited inventory.”

Wilson also said brokers in Kitsap County are starting to hear murmurs of the second home market. “We have buyers looking for second homes along Hood Canal, and we fit

the parameters of many Puget Sounders not wanting to drive more than three hours to reach their getaway house.”

In Snohomish County, where closed sales jumped 11.5 percent from a year ago and prices surged more than 17 percent, broker Diedre Haines reported, “We have

buyers in all price ranges out looking and anxious to buy.” She credits low interest rates, strong employment and economic conditions and “reasonable as opposed to exorbitant” appreciation with spurring activity.

Despite all the favorable indicators, pending sales in Snohomish County rose only 3.5 percent compared to a year ago, noted Haines, principal managing broker in South Snohomish County at Coldwell Banker Bain. “Why?” she asked rhetorically. “Simple answer: We need more inventory.”

“The Seattle housing market is going gangbusters, but we’re still starving for inventory,” said OB Jacobi, president of Windermere Real Estate. “If open house traffic is any indication, there are LOTS of buyers out there looking for homes, so my message to would-be sellers is: If you’re on the fence, it’s time to jump off. The market conditions are so much in your favor right now.”

Haines agreed. “Potential sellers should talk to their real estate broker and find out if now is the right time for them to sell,” she suggested. n

Northwest Multiple Listing Service, owned by its member real estate firms, is the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes more than 21,000 real estate brokers. The organization, based in Kirkland, Wash., currently serves 23 counties in Washington state.

11 Critical Home Inspection Traps to be Aware of Weeks Before Listing Your

Home for Sale Eastside – According to industry experts, there are over 33 physical problems that will come under scrutiny during a home inspection when your home is for sale. A new report has been prepared which identifies the eleven most common of these prob-lems, and what you should know about them before you list your home for sale. Whether you own an old home or a brand new one, there are a number of things that can fall short of requirements during a home inspection. If not identified and dealt with, any of these 11 items could cost you dearly in terms of repair. That’s why it’s critical that you read this report before you list your home. If you wait until the building inspector flags these issues for you, you will almost certainly experience costly delays in the close of your home sale or, worse, turn prospective buyers away alto-gether. In most cases, you can make a reasonable pre-inspection yourself if you know what you’re looking for, and knowing what you’re looking for can help you prevent little problems from growing into costly and unmanageable ones. To help homesellers deal with this issue before their homes are listed, a free report entitled “11 Things You Need to Know to Pass Your Home Inspection” has been compiled which explains the issues involved. To order a FREE Special Report, visit www.Inspection-Pitfalls.info or to hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1-800-240-3864 and enter 8003. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to learn how to ensure a home inspection doesn’t cost you the sale of your home. n

Awell-organized refrigerator keeps food fresh longer and lets you grab and go faster. Before you unpack groceries,

spend a second thinking about the right place for everything.

Here are common sense ways to declutter and organize your fridge:

1. The front of the middle rack, near eye-level, is prime refrigerator real estate. Put priority items there, like leftovers you want eaten soon and healthy snacks. The back of the fridge is the coldest part. Store milk there, and it will stay fresh longer.

2. Don’t waste fridge space on food that doesn’t need to be chilled. Examples: fresh eggs from backyard chickens (though store-bought eggs do need refrigerating), ketchup, vinegar, jam, mayonnaise and butter. Put those items in the pantry. You can store fresh eggs in a bowl on the counter for eight weeks.

3. Never put tomatoes in the fridge, or they’ll get mushy; onions will soften; honey will thick-en; potatoes will turn too starchy. Keep onions and potatoes in paper bags and store in a cool, dark place (a lower cabinet drawer is great).

4. Rectangular or square bins are your friends (round ones waste space, so don’t use them). Designate one for healthy snacks and another for breakfast foods like bagels and cream cheese. In the freezer, use one big bin for frozen veggies, rather than stuff individual bags into the freezer.

5. Use plastic placemats as shelf liners; these make cleanup easier.

6. Place drippy food, like red meat and sea-food, on the bottom shelf. That way it won’t drip too far. n

Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permis-sion of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF

REALTORS®.

2

on the home front | in the market home improvement | home space

QUI

CK B

ITS

The American dream of homeownership may not be as hard to attain as many people

seem to fear. A few intriguing facts and hints can help.

The FactsWhile existing home sales have risen

recently, the National Association of Realtors’ annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that the share of first-time buyers recently fell to its low-est level (33 percent) in nearly three decades.

Many first-time buyers experience obstacles on the path to homeowner-ship, including difficulty saving for a down payment and tight credit condi-tions.

Consider These Tips:Find and work with an expert

Realtor who knows the neighborhood. Nothing can replace the local knowl-edge and real insight that professional Realtors can provide to first-time buy-ers as they navigate the complex home buying process.

According to the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, while most home buyers in the past year began their home search online, 90 percent ended up pur-chasing their home through an agent. Realtors are not only the source of online real estate data, they also use their unparalleled local market knowledge and resources to help close the deal for buyers and sellers.

Meet with a lender to determine how much you can afford. Last year, the median price a first-time buyer spent on a home was $169,000. Chances are, you don’t have that amount of cash lying

around. That’s why 95 percent of first-time buyers who bought a home in the past year financed their purchase.

Find out what you can afford with a preapproval from a lender. A lender will check your credit history, current debt obligations and other expenses to determine the amount of money you’re qualified to borrow at a specific interest rate. Don’t forget to consider the other costs of homeownership, such as taxes, insurance and utilities.

Identify your housing wish list. Although 46 percent of first-time buyers

got a single-family home in the suburbs, you may prefer a condo in an urban environment near public transportation.

Regardless of your preferences, identi-fying and sharing your wish list can help your Realtor focus on the right home for you, scan listings and connect with those who represent sellers to zero in on homes for sale that meet your budget and criteria.

Keep this advice in mind and you may soon find yourself waking up in the home of your dreams. n

© NAPSI

trendsSMARTFIRE

Say goodbye to firewood and chimneys. This dancing flame is fueled by bioethanol, a renewable, carbon-neutral energy source made from plants such as sugar cane. Bioethanol doesn’t emit smoke, and like a gas-powered fireplace, doesn’t require a chimney, which means heat stays in the room. Bioethanol fireplaces come in many shapes and sizes and aren’t confined to a hearth, with prices ranging from about $100 to well over $6,000. Plus you’ll have to keep a fuel supply on hand. (www.ecosmartfire.com)

Purchase YOUR FIRST HOME in 2015

This could be the year you finally get into your dream home.

How to Have an ORGANIZED

Refrigerator

Your Eastside

home maybe worth

more thanyou think.

To Find Out, Visit:www.2015HomeValue.info

*This is a free public service with noobligation to sell.

this month: financing a home l

3

by Dona DeZube

New mortgage rules are pretty clear about what you have to do to convince a lender you’re a qualified mortgage

borrower. Meant to measure your ability to repay, the new rules created a list of eight things lenders had to check to make sure you could repay your mortgage.

Those protections help ensure we’re not going to see a repeat of the mortgage crisis any time soon. The new rules are also designed to reward banks for staying away from risky prod-ucts like interest-only loans. But if you can’t meet any of the eight standards you’re going to find it harder to get a new mortgage or refi-nance your existing mortgage.

The National Association of Realtors® pre-dicts the changes will slice about 5 percent to 7 percent of borrowers out of the market.

Where do you turn if you’re in that 5 percent to 7 percent or you like your balloon loan and want to refinance into another balloon loan?

The fine print in the new rules created exemptions that you can use to try again if you don’t meet any of the eight qualified mortgage checks, or if you want to go with a loan product that the rules discourage lenders from making.

1. Your State Housing Finance AuthorityState Housing Finance Authorities special-

ize in helping first-time and low-to-moderate income homebuyers and homeowners. They’ll often give you a below-market interest rate or the option of putting down as little as 3 percent.

In exchange, you’ll likely have to agree to complete a financial education course and prove every penny of your income.

Historically, HFAs have had lower rates of late payments and foreclosures than for-profit lenders, so they’re exempt from the rules.

2. An Itty-Bitty BankBanks and credit unions that have less than

$2 billion in assets and make 500 or fewer first mortgages don’t have to follow the same rules as larger lenders.

That’s because they didn’t make the risky loans that led to high foreclosure rates during the mortgage crisis. Plus, they tend to hold on to the loans they make (rather than selling them to investors). That makes it easier for the bank to work with customers who run into financial trouble.

Small lenders can charge higher fees and interest rates than big banks, which they need to do if you have a tiny loan amount, because some fees, like a title search, cost the same no matter how big or small your loan is.

So if you had a $20,000 mortgage, the fee cap would limit you to $1,000 in fees, which probably isn’t enough to cover a title search and appraisal. Although the bank would still earn interest on your loan, it would have to pay the fees for you—and no bank wants to do that.

Some small lenders can still make balloon loans, where you owe one big payment at the end of your loan. It has a lower monthly pay-ment than a regular mortgage loan where each month you pay back some of the money you borrowed instead of just interest.

The catch is that the small lender has to hold on to your loan for at least three years and can’t sell it into the secondary market.

So you’ve got to persuade the bank that your mortgage is a good investment. Small bank-ers can be very conservative lenders, which is another reason they didn’t end up with a lot of foreclosures during the real estate crisis.

Right now, any lender who meets the size rule can use the small lender exemption. Starting

Jan. 10, 2016, only small lenders in rural under-served areas will get to use the exemption, so don’t delay trying this avenue unless you live in a sparsely populated place.

3. A Government-Guaranteed LoanThe new rules set a clear line for how much

of your income, max, you should be using for debt: 43 percent. If you’re above that limit because you have too much debt or not enough income, there’s a work-around.

You can go over the 43 percent limit if your loan is guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration, the VA, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural housing loan program.

4. Community Development NonprofitsNonprofit lenders who work with low- and

moderate-income borrowers don’t have to fol-low the new mortgage rules. As long as they don’t make more than 200 loans a year, they can create special loan programs to help the people in their community.

Community Development Financial Institutions set up shop in areas undergoing revitalization. They target a particular commu-nity for assistance, including homebuyer incen-tives. CDFI lenders also don’t have to follow the new mortgage rules.

5. Homeownership Preservation and Foreclosure Prevention Program

If you’re underwater on your mortgage, meaning you owe more than your home is worth, you can still get a loan from a foreclosure prevention program or a homeownership stabi-lization organization.

6. A Safer LoanIf you’re in an unfair loan right now and you

want to refinance into a safer loan, your lender doesn’t have to follow the eight standards when it gives you a better loan. There’s an exemption from the ability to repay standards when a lend-er is moving a borrower out of:

• An adjustable-rate mortgage that’s about to adjust to a much higher payment.

• An interest-only loan.• A loan with negative amortization (mean-

ing the amount you owe can go up even if you make all your payments).

Your new standard loan:• Has to have a fixed rate for the first five

years.• Must lower your monthly payment.• Can’t have fees of more than 3 percent of the

amount you’re borrowing.

7. A Work-AroundIf you’re rich enough that your bank has

assigned you a personal wealth manager, that’s the person to talk to when it’s time to refinance. Your bank will want to keep you as a customer and will find a work-around to fund your loan.

For example, if you’re using more than 43 percent of your income for debt but you can show you have millions in assets, your personal banker will make the case that you’re quite able to repay your mortgage even though you don’t meet the debt-to-income rule.

8. Another Kind of LoanThe new mortgage rules don’t apply to all

loans. It specifically doesn’t include:

• Open-ended loans.• Timeshare loans.• Reverse mortgages.• Temporary loans, including bridge and

construction, and the construction phase of construction-to-permanent loans.

• Loans from the “bank of Mom and Dad.” If one of those types of loans will work

instead of a mortgage, you won’t have to meet the new mortgage rules. n

Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permis-sion of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF

REALTORS®.

SPO

TLIG

HT8 PLACES TO GO

WHENYOUR MORTGAGE

LENDERSAYS NO.

Some small lenders

can still make balloon

loans, where you owe

one big payment at

the end of your loan.

It has a lower monthly

payment than a regular

mortgage loan.

If you’re underwater on your mortgage,

meaning you owe more than your home is

worth, you can still get a loan from a foreclosure

prevention program or a homeownership

stabilization organization.

PublisherGeorge Moorhead

Bentley Properties14205 SE 36th St, Ste. 100,

Bellevue WA 98006(425) 748-5065

www.GeorgeMoorhead.com

Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently listed with a real estate broker.

Sudoku, Scrabble, Pet World, Wolfgang Puck’s Kitchen, etc. distributed by

Tribune Media Services.

© Copyright 2015 by Discover Custom Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved.

6427 Busch Blvd.Columbus, OH 43229

877.872.3080 • www.DiscoverPubs.com

4

Q. My question is both about a line of credit on my home and how variable interest rates might increase. I also wonder how secure these funds are while they are held by the loan servicer. I am concerned about pervasive servicer fraud and the real inability of holding them legally accountable for any fraud they might commit.

A. When you take out a line a credit on your home, you can withdraw all of the funds at once or you can withdraw the funds as you please. Generally, you can even repay the line of credit and draw it down again. The line of credit would work in a similar fashion to a credit card you might have. The funds aren’t “funds” until you withdraw them. It’s a line of credit secured by the value of your home.

Just like your credit card, you don’t owe the bank money on your line of credit unless you’ve withdrawn money from it. You should be fine if you keep tabs on your withdrawals.

If you’re given checks by your lender, make sure that you keep them in a safe place. As with any checking account, you want to make sure there are no unauthorized withdrawals from your line of credit. Monitor your monthly statement.

While there have been instances of misconduct in the past by some mortgage companies and other financial institutions, those issues have been unrelated to your concerns. n

© 2015, Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin. Distributed by Tribune

Content Agency, LLC.

by Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin

The real estate world turned again in 2014, and

suddenly buyers are finding themselves scrambling to get their offer accepted.

At the low end of the market, real estate investors have snapped up all the cheapest deals, often paying cash. First-time buyers are finding it harder to qualify and harder to find a property that works. (And don’t get us started on how tough it is for those who run a small business to qualify for a mortgage under existing rules.)

In some ways, the housing market has really turned the corner this year. Prices are up, sellers are happier and so are agents. But home value increases are starting to slow down as fewer buyers qualify (and more people refinance and stay in their homes). New construction is still about half of what it should be (or less in some markets).

Meanwhile, mortgage interest rates are still near historic lows. As we write this, you can get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for less than 4 percent.

We’ve been saying that mortgage interest rates will likely stay low through early 2015 or until the economy really takes off. For Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, raising interest rates is tied not only to jobs but to the salaries people are bringing home. And incomes aren’t rising fast

enough for her, although the November jobs report looked better than it has from that respect in awhile.

What can you do? Here are a few resolutions that will help put home buyers more firmly in the driver’s seat in 2015:

Understand your credit history and credit score. For better or worse, this information rules your financial life. You can get a free copy of your credit history from each of the credit reporting bureaus once a year by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. You have to pay about $9 for your score. It’s worth knowing what your score is before you apply for a loan. If you want to raise your credit score, you will need to eliminate all errors (if any) from your credit report and work hard to pay all of your bills on time, preferably in full, each month. (Fixing your credit can take years, so try not to damage it in the first place.)

Find the best loan, on the best terms. To accomplish this you’ll

have to do your homework. Despite the fact that the

government secures or guarantees nearly

all loans through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA, banks offer different terms.

Talk to at least four or five lenders before

making a decision. And be sure to look at a lender’s

customer service record. Just type a lender’s name and the word “complaints” in a search engine and see what comes up. That’s what you’re buying.

Build the best home-buying team. Whether you’re buying investment property or a home to live in, you’ll want to create a team of real estate professionals who can help you find the right property, at the right price, on the best terms, without any headaches. Think about including a great real estate agent, mortgage lender, real estate attorney, tax preparer (with experience in investment real estate if you plan on buying real estate as an investment), and real estate home inspector to start. Residential real estate investors will want to add a 1031 exchange professional and commercial inspector (if appropriate) to the mix. n

© 2015, Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin. Distributed by Tribune

Content Agency, LLC.

4

buyers | sellers | financing | real estate market news

HOM

E &

PROP

ERTY

Not sure what to do with all

those books around the house?

Revive your hallway by installing

floor-to-ceiling bookcases with

a rolling ladder. You can build

them between studs or mount

them on the drywall. Oak shelves

are strong but expensive (5-shelf

bookcase: $135); particleboard

is a better value (5-shelf: $59)

though you’ll sacrifice some

strength.

trends

BOOKSHELVES

On Your Equity LINE OF CREDIT

Keep an Eye

by George Moorhead

The most common question asked about timing a home sale is, “When is the best time to sell my home?”

There are a number of factors to consider when you’re considering selling your home, and there are plenty of considerations most sellers don’t think about, but should.

Time of year and market value are the two top considerations sellers look at when considering marketing their home. Most people think the best time of year is in the spring, which is when many sellers put their home on the market. However, October through December may actually be a better time of year, since you will have similar

market times as in the spring, but less traffic, which means less intrusion in your life. Mid-August through the end of September is actually the worst time. Students are getting ready to go back to school, people take last-minute vacations, and for many people, there’s another change of the household schedule.

There are three other considerations you will want to look at, too:

• What’s the current level of inventory?• Is the price you want consistent with

market conditions? • Is your home ready for the market

with inspection items already fixed? Let’s look at each of these additional

considerations and consider what you should

keep in mind with each. Inventory Levels – Looking at how many

homes are on the market in your area and their value has a big impact on how your home will be perceived in the market by buyers. The well-known rule of “supply and demand” helps you better understand timing and motivation of a buyer in your price point.

Price vs. Market – The price you want may not match the current market and trends. Don’t let “sentimental equity” cloud your business decision—sentiment carries a zero value. We all get attached to our homes and see them through rose-colored glasses, so make sure you’re open to feedback from a real estate broker.

Is Your Home Ready – Taking the extra time and a small cost to get your home ready for the market can pay you significant dividends in both first impressions, perception of maintenance, and overall perceived value. When a buyer walks through a home and sees maintenance that’s required, they don’t look at it as a dollar-for-dollar trade-off; they look at it as a 3-for-1. In other words, they will negotiate $3 for every $1 of perceived repairs.

ABOUT THE WRITERGeorge Moorhead is President of Bentley

Properties. He writes about selling your home and homebuying at www.EastsideRealEstate.org, or you can reach him at 425-748-5065 n

Timing is Everything when considering when to Sell Your Home

5

by George Moorhead

I t was not that long ago that anyone with or without a real estate license could sell a home. For Sale By Owner (FSBO) companies that

offered tools and listing placements with a menu of fees sprang up and flourished. Price was not much of an impediment to selling. Comparisons to your neighbor’s home that recently sold were thought of by Sellers as: “How much more can we get than my neighbor did?” Knowing what the home down the street sold for, and the home around the corner as well, were simply benchmarks for the next round of price increases.

In Eastside areas, as prices continued to escalate with no apparent ceiling in sight, more and more buyers flooded into the market with dreams of striking gold in residential real estate. Then came October 2008, and it all came to a screeching halt. The so-called housing bubble burst, and with it the hopes and financial dreams of homeowners who became trapped in properties that were depreciating daily.

The residential housing market in the Eastside areas has stabilized, and in some areas even appreciated. But understanding just where your home fits into today’s very different housing market takes accurate research and smart market analysis. Too often, home sellers over price their homes when listing for sale hoping a buyer that will “fall in love” and pay over the market value. Just as important, is not undervaluing your home by failing to understand the more subtle strategies for getting a home sold quickly, at full market value and with the least amount of stress and hassle.

The start of the home selling process in this (or any market) is to hire a Realtor with a full team of experts backing him or her up with resources offering the best research, marketing programs negotiating strategies and support systems. And their first step must be a complete Competitive Market Analysis accompanied by a thorough In-Home Evaluation.

How does your home compare in age, style, size, location and condition to homes that have recently sold on your street and in your community? What

are the price trends and statistics for homes sold recently… last year… the month you purchased the home… at the time of the top market prices and sales? What is the competition like now? How many homes similar to yours are currently for sale? What share of the market do homes like yours in your price range and location appeal to?

These as well as a list of additional research comparisons and historical benchmarks need to be compared and analyzed to create a pricing strategy. And then it’s time to look at your home from the buyer’s perspective.

Does the home’s appeal, price and the marketing plan brilliantly reflect the benefits of your home? Is there market affirmation of your home’s value that appeals to wary buyers in a tough buyer’s market? Is the price and marketing appeal rewarding you with showings and offers?

For all this to happen, a complete and vivid story about your home that reflects its true market value has to begin with the market analysis and in-home evaluation. Great market research from a Realtor and support team with the research tools, marketing expertise and technology to back it all up, leads to faster sales at higher prices with less stress and hassle for you.

About the author: George Moorhead is President of Bentley Properties, a division of Americas Home Caretakers. George in Eastside for nearly 45 years. George is available for private consultation by appointment by calling 425-748-5065.

this month: sellers l

SPO

TLIG

HT homeowners

by Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin

We’re about to turn the dial on another year, and while 2014 has been a lot better economically for many than past years, plenty of Americans still feel as though they’re living through an extended recession.

First, the good news: The official unemployment level has fallen to 5.8 percent, which is the lowest it has been since the recession started. The price of gas at the pump is now around $2 per gallon, and less in some areas, and millions of Americans have finally taken advantage of super-low interest rates to refinance their home loan.

Ilyce recently took a call on her radio show from a woman who is still paying 5.5 percent on her 30-year loan. When asked why she hadn’t refinanced, the caller said she just hadn’t gotten around to it. Refinancing today, Ilyce told her, would save her about

$400 per month, or $4,800 per year—that’s real money in anyone’s book.

And that’s the best message we can give you as we go into 2015: If you need to rebalance your budget, work on the big ticket items first—the places where you can really make a difference. Once those are taken care of, work on the smaller items.

Here are a few more specific personal finance resolutions to help get your new year off to a great start.

Love the concept of deferred gratificationIf you don’t need it today, don’t buy it. It’s

just that simple. For most things, if you wait a week or a month before you spend, the urge to purchase will diminish. If it doesn’t, then

you know you probably need it (and can spend some time looking for the best price on the item).

Pay off credit card debtsThe average credit card

balance for American households is more than $7,000. However, not every household carries a balance; among those that do, the average amount is more than $15,000. Most people

carrying those balances also have a mortgage, car loan and some sort of student loans to pay off. College graduates often leave school with large credit card debt on top of federal and private student loans. And student loan default rates are skyrocketing.

The bottom line is this: You’ll never get

rich if you have a boatload of debt, especially debt that you’re paying off at extremely high interest rates. Do whatever it takes to pay your non-deductible debts off as fast as possible.

Make saving a priorityWe know you’ve been told to save the

first dollar you make, and the last. But until you gamify saving, and make it fun, it won’t be a priority—and it needs to be. Life is increasingly expensive. Saving for retirement, even though it may be decades away, is a necessity. So try to put away $25 per paycheck, and when that becomes easy, up it to $50. Pretty soon, you’ll be salting away $100 or more and watching your retirement account grow. n

© 2015, Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Personal Finance Resolutions

Selling Your Home In Today’s Tricky Market Takes An Experienced Team, Great Research And Specialized Knowledge

How Some Home Sellers Get Thousands More

than Others for the Same Home

6

Make your own pallet coffee table, like this one from Made (www.madestatic.com). Reclaimed wood can be found on sites such as Craigslist or eBay, and the rest at your local hardware store.

ReclaimedWoodFurniture

Looking to get an industrial, vintage look in your house but can’t find a contemporary table to suit your needs? Or perhaps you can, but are not willing to pay the high prices some retailers and manufacturers are charging for this look.

Consider building it yourself. There are plenty of websites offering free plans to build your own reclaimed wood furniture (www.instructables.com; www.diynetwork.com) that you can download and print out.

Look on sites such as Craigslist or eBay for sellers in your area that specialize in reclaimed wood, including weathered barn and outbuilding wood. You can often find deals on these kinds of purchases.

Make sure you check to see what kind of preparation your type of wood might need in terms of safety and durability. Most of this information can be found with a simple online search.

diy | design | improvements | outdoor spaces

AROU

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OUSE by Aisha Sultan

A kitchen remodel can be one of the most rewarding home improvement projects and

also the most frustrating to endure. Family life tends to center on the kitchen, and functioning without one disrupts all aspects of life. Tearing out the heart of your home requires a plan of how to survive the weeks to months of construction ahead.

The duration for a kitchen renovation depends on the scope of the project. Is it a simple tear-out with the same basic footprint or a major redesign? If it is a basic tear-out, plan on four to six weeks without much access to the kitchen. If it’s a significant renovation, expect at least three months of disorder.

You need a plan of how you will deal with the life details as well.

1. Set up a separate, temporary kitchen. If at all possible, move your current refrigerator to another room in the house, where you can still access it. Otherwise, get a small college fridge to keep the essentials. A spare microwave is also a critical appliance.

Kim Feld, a kitchen designer with National Kitchen & Bath, says to be creative with small plug-in appliances that can make life easier during construction, such as a coffee maker or electric skillet.

If most of your trash and recycling was collected in the kitchen, move temporary garbage cans to a place you can tolerate them. And be prepared to take out the trash more frequently.

2. Find a place in your home to eat. Many families eat meals in the kitchen, so think about how alternate living spaces will serve at mealtimes. We ended up eating most of our meals in the family room, where our temporary kitchen (a fridge and microwave) was set up, but I wish we had better utilized the dining room.

3. Invest in paper plates and disposable utensils. You will end up having to wash dishes in a bathroom sink, so it’s best to keep a stockpile of disposable plates and utensil handy. If at all possible, keep a sink hooked up on the main level during the construction.

4. Add the cost of eating out into the renovation budget. Figure out how much your

family typically spends on a meal eaten outside the house. Multiply this by the number of meals in a day and weeks the project may last to get an idea of how quickly this expense can add up.

5. Prepare for noise and dust. “It is messy. It is disruptive, and it can get expensive. There is no way around that,” Feld said. If you are easily unsettled by disorder and mess in your living space, this is a good opportunity to spend more time outside your home.

6. Hire a general contractor carefully. Mike Beck at Beck/Allen Cabinetry says a good relationship with the general contractor is crucial.

“You don’t want to call the plumber at 8 p.m. and ask why he didn’t show up. You want the general contractor to do that.”

This will be the point person you are spending the most time with, so find out about how often he plans to communicate with you.

7. Be prepared for days when you don’t see any progress. Every decision in a construction project involves a timeline. So, there will be days of waiting—waiting for the countertops to be measured or waiting for the backsplash to arrive.

8. Order as much as possible before the job starts. Beck said they won’t start a project until all the decisions are finalized.

Henry says as projects wear on, the customer tends to be stressed and doesn’t have the time to pick out details such as hardware quickly, which can slow down the entire project.

“Everyone is different about how many decisions they can make at one time,” he said. Some people can feel paralyzed by decision overload or hit a point of decision fatigue in the middle of a big project.

9. Expect some delays and cost overruns. When you get the estimates, it’s wise to add 20 percent to that number and ask yourself if you could still live with that number. If you don’t have that cushion, think twice about proceeding. Unexpected things come up in renovation projects, so keep track of overruns so you’ll have no major surprises at the end.

10. Get out of the house altogether. “The happiest clients I have are the ones who are not trying to live through it,” said Chris Berry, of brooksBerry Kitchens & Baths. Some will find a short-term, furnished rental for the most intensive part of the construction.

Henry said his company tries to plan remodeling jobs around clients’ vacations, such as summer or winter breaks. n

© 2015 St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Distributed by MCT Information Services

Kitchen remodels can cause the most misery,

but are typically the most rewarding as well.

10 Tips to Survive a Kitchen Remodel

Reclaimed wood TV stand from Woodwaves, Inc. ($599, www.woodwaves.com).

trendsSMALLSPACES

Small spaces can be a challenge to decorate because anything added to the room takes up precious space. It helps to use a few decorating tricks that can open up the space and make it feel larger than it really is. Don’t be afraid to use a large piece of furniture in a small room. A canopy bed or floor-to-ceiling bookshelf can make a big statement and look chic.

DIY

7

Eastside - Because your home may well be your largest asset, selling it is probably one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. And once you have made that decision you will want to sell your home for the highest price in the shortest time possi-ble without compromising your sanity. Before you place your home on the market, here’s a way to help you be as prepared as possible. To assist home sellers, a new indus-try report has just been released called “27 Valuable Tips That You Should Know to Get Your Home Sold Fast and for Top

Dollar.” It tackles the important issues you need to know to make your home competitive in today’s tough, aggressive marketplace. Through these 27 tips you will dis-cover how to protect and capitalize on your most important investment, reduce stress, be in control of your situation, and make the most profit possible. In this report you will discover how to avoid financial disappointment or, worse, a financial disaster when selling your home. Using a common sense approach, you get the straight facts about what can make or break the sale

of your home. You owe it to yourself to learn how these important tips will give you the competitive edge to get your home sold fast and for the most amount of money. Order your free report today. To order a FREE Special Report, visit www.27EasyFixUpsToSellYourHome.com or to hear a brief recorded mes-sage about how to order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1-800-240-3864 and enter 8023. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW. n

27 Quick and Easy Fix-Ups to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar

White makes a room seem larger and lends an airy elegance to the space.

SPO

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this month: decorating with whitel

TIMELESSAND ELEGANTWHITE:

by Kathryn Weber

The color white in interiors is both beautiful and graceful. It’s also undergoing a renaissance, and for good

reason; its simple, clean effect offers a touch of calm sophistication in a harried world.

THE ANTI-COLORColor styles come and go (remember

olive green appliances?), and hues of late have been bold, bright and deep. But all that color can become tiresome. When our rooms become too visually over-the-top, a tonic is called for. White isn’t just for beach houses or contemporary interiors anymore. Regardless of your decorating style, white lends a feeling of order and spotlessness. White also visually expands a space.

Right now, one-color fashion and decor is timely, but decorating with white is also timeless. As color fads come and go, it’s easy to add color to white decor to reflect current trends. Of course, colors that naturally pair with white, such as pastels, blue, black, and gold, are classically elegant and ageless. So whether you want a changing or timeless effect, white makes the perfect backdrop.

ENERGIZINGSome say white is relaxing and calming,

and it has a Zen quality. In feng shui, white is a yang, or energizing color. Unlike its yang cousin, red, white has a thoughtful quality about it because white represents the mind and higher pursuits, while red indicates physical energy and action. So, if you like to select colors based on their qualities, white will help

you engage your higher mind. After all, doesn’t a white interior have a certain intellectual quality about it, almost as if the lack of color enables the occupants to think more clearly?

USING WHITEIf your white walls are tiring, maybe it’s

time to take away even more color from your interiors rather than put color on the wall. Bleach out your decor even further by adding white throws on the furniture or painting chairs and tables white. In the bedroom, bathe the bed in white comforters, sheets and throws; it will look like you’re sleeping on a cloud. Flowing white curtains will bathe the room in light and create an airy feeling.

For a more formal look, add a crystal chandelier, crystal lamps and mirrored accessories. Lucite furniture is another

gorgeous choice for a white room. Be sure to add texture with fabrics, artwork or throws.

Layering shades of white is another way to add dimension to a white room, so look for complementary hues, from frosty white with a gray hint, to ivory with its pale richness. White-patterned wallpaper is another way to extend the white theme and create dimensional interest.

Another key for a beautiful white interior? Layered lighting. This gives your decor more amplitude, particularly when the dominant color is white. Lastly, edit accessories. Because accessories really stand out against a white background, they become more important, making the less-is-more rule especially true with white interiors. n

© 2015, Kathryn Weber. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

by Norman Winter

Cardoon is a plant the Romans and Greeks ate as a vegetable, but today its popularity is such that you normally find them right alongside other pansy partners

like flowering cabbage, kale and mustard. You really could not find a more striking companion plant to grow alongside not only pansies but violas, snapdragons dianthus and the flush of spring daffodils.

Ancient civilizations ate them and you can too; a quick Internet search will provide you with an abundance of mouthwatering recipes that will allow you to polish your culinary skills. On the other hand, they are such magnificent architectural plants in the garden you just may be content to relish their beauty. The show they put on in the garden is approximately nine months long.

Botanically speaking, cardoon is known scientifically as Cynara cardunculus and is related to the globe artichoke. It is

from Morocco, northwest Africa and the Mediterranean, and it is a cold hardy perennial through zone 7. The whole country, however, has started to enjoy them as annuals. I have grown them for years and they have always proven to be real performers. The catalog for one of my favorite nurseries says that cardoon has been chosen by the Royal Horticultural Society as one of the top plants of the last 200 years.

Sometimes plants native to that part of the world don’t like the southeast heat and humidity, but this plant seems to be quite at home here in Georgia. We have some in our Mediterranean garden and others in the cottage garden where we have them partnered with Bouquet Purple dianthus and pansies and flower kale.

When I described it as an architectural plant I was referring to the dramatic statement it makes in the flower border with its long, arching, deeply toothed and soft gray-green foliage. It can easily form a 3- to 5-foot wide clump by late spring to early summer. In June you will be amazed as the plant reaches its full

height, producing 4- to 6-foot-tall spikes with thistle-like, blue-violet or purple blooms.

These cardoon blooms are sought after as one of the most sensational-looking cut flowers you’ll ever see in the vase. Each plant produces several flowers to use in your arrangements. After blooming, the plant dies to the ground to return in the fall.

In our Mediterranean garden cardoon fits nicely with other striking foliage like various agave and cold-tolerant bromeliads. Though we also have it with cool-season flowers in the cottage garden, know that it

could have its place in a large herb or vegetable garden and as the thriller plant in mixed containers.

Though many culinary artists rave about its use in the kitchen, you may find yourself among the many that will celebrate the fact it is not on the preferred diet of the growing deer population. Before running out and grabbing your neighbors’ cardoon plants for dinner, be warned that these plants are armed with spines. Besides that, don’t steal them when you can find them at your local garden centers and grow your own.

Cardoon likes deep, fertile soils and plenty of sun. Once established, it can take temperatures in the teens, so get it started in the fall. The cool season is a wonderful time to garden, and foliage plants like cardoon make it even more enjoyable. n

© 2015, Norman Winter.Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

8

The cardoon is a wonderful cool season crop that partners well with pansies and dianthus.

The blue thistle-like foliage of the cardoon emerges in June.

The Cardoon: Ancient Roots and Modern Popularity

by Kathryn Weber

Wine appreciation has skyrocketed in recent years—along with the

prestige of U.S. winemakers. And, as more and more homeowners expand their wine collections, many are looking for a way to store and display their treasures.

WINE NOT?Most vintners will tell you that wine is

fragile and that light and temperature can affect its shelf life and quality. That’s why wine was historically stored most often in caves; with their constant temperatures and little or no light, they’re still the perfect places to store wine.

WINE STORAGEIf you’re like most people, you don’t

keep a coveted stash of Pinot Noir that you want to preserve for years. You buy a bottle here and there for entertaining, drinking or cooking, and pour it long before light or temperature can do any damage. In this case, it’s easy to incorporate some wine style into your decor.

One of the most popular ways to display wine is with a riddling rack, a standing wooden rack that’s used in the

making of champagne, with holes that hold the bottles by the neck on an angle.

You can buy a real one imported from France made of oak ($265, Riddlingracks.com) or a reproduction riddling rack ($249, Potterybarn.com). You can also get one that’s freestanding and will hold two cases of wine ($110, thekingsbay.com).

If you like to buy your wine by the case, you can create your own wine storage with stacking racks meant to hold wooden wine boxes and show off your vintage at the same time ($99, wineenthusiast.com). Or put your bottles back in an antiqued wine barrel to store your favorite wine ($176, wayfair.com).

WINE STYLEAnother storage option is to put your

wine to work by displaying it where the labels are readable and easily selected from their holder. A 12-bottle wall-mounted rack will display your bottles beautifully ($70, westelm.com).

This storage uses little more than vertical wall space, making it a good option for something space-saving and eye-catching at the same time. n

© 2015, Kathryn Weber. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ORDER FREE SEED CATALOGS:

travel | garden | fashion | recipes | trends

Get Your Seed On!by Maureen Gilmer

For those unsure of what an heirloom vegetable is, they’re old varieties

still maintained by farmers and gardeners particularly in isolated or ethnic communities. Many would vanish forever if not kept in continuous cultivation, because seed lives only for so long in storage. Every heirloom we grow today helps to maintain these gene pools for the future. Every heirloom we grow today tells a story.

I prefer printed color heirloom vegetable seed catalogs for hours of study in midwinter. Each year I grow new varieties to test

for flavor, vigor and yield. I’m bored easily, so watching how new varieties perform adds a new dimension to my garden.

If you’re not signed up to receive printed heirloom catalogs, now is the time to request them from the top seed houses before the supply is exhausted. Catalogs can be ordered online. Those detailed here are in my opinion the best, so get them ordered now so they’re in-house to brighten the doldrums of winter with garden planning.

© 2015, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency,

LLC.

BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEED CO.This is a stunning catalog that borders on a gardening mag-azine. You’ll be amazed at how many varieties they carry. There are lots of good how-tos, as well as informative articles. Free Good Seeds catalog online at www.rareseeds.com.

SEED SAVERS EXCHANGEFor centuries local farmers have exchanged seed of their own private plant varieties, called a landrace, to expand their

diversity. In 1975 a nonprofit was formed on a global level to make it easy for gardeners to share their favorites. What began in print is now a mas-sive online exchange you can explore today. Request a free full-color seed catalog at www.seedsavers.org.

SEEDS OF CHANGEThis was the first swanky color catalog to offer heirloom veg-etables, and it remains a truly wonderful resource. Packed with helpful agronomics fact

boxes and useful planning guide charts, it’s far more than a retail catalog. Free catalog at www.seedsofchange.com.

NATIVE SEEDS/SEARCHThis modest catalog of a non-profit strives to preserve land-race food plants from indige-nous gardeners of the desert Southwest and northern Mexico. It includes more than 500 varieties of plants. Get the catalog for $1.50 or a free downloadable version at nati-veseeds.org. n

LIFE

STYL

E The Wine is Fabulous...But How Does It Look?

A popular option is to display wine in a wall-mounted rack

so the labels are readable.

Online Seed Resources(No printed catalogs):

SouthernExposure.com

SustainableSeedCo.com

TerritorialSeed.com

CooksGarden.com

VictorySeeds.com

What are people doing today and tomorrow at the Villa del Palmar, the mystery resort you’ve never

heard of, south of Loreto, on Mexico’s Gulf of California? For some, the answer is “nothing.”

When I asked the man digging clams on the beach what was up, he answered, “Not much, just relaxing, looking at the scenery.” I asked the woman perched on the pool deck near me and she said the same thing.

“Oh, nothing, really. I’m just enjoying the solitude.”

Splashing in the bay, I exchanged smiles with a snorkeler who popped up nearby and all I got were bubbles and a far-away look, as if words were superfluous.

Some say it’s the rugged Sierra de la Giganta mountains that make the magic, rising behind the resort to leave guests gasping for adjectives. Others say it’s the divine Mexican cuisine, the best they’ve ever tasted. Or it’s the sports and recreation that do the trick: kayaking and paddle boarding, deluxe spa treatments, the tennis courts and the sunrise hikes.

The enchantment here is the 4,447-acre site on an alluring blue bay framed by red-rock cliffs and access to five offshore islets within the Loreto Bay National Marine Park, now with additional protection as a World Heritage site.

Our neighbor Elaine, a new friend in the adjacent one-bedroom unit, provided the proof.

“Oh, no, we’re not newcomers to Mexico,” she said. “We’ve been coming down to Cabo San Lucas forever. But we transferred our timeshare over to this property this year because Cabo is so crowded it doesn’t feel like Cabo used to. Traffic, nightclubs, fast food joints, it’s a mess. We had to pay more to make the exchange, but this feels like Mexico did 20

years ago.”Strolling down to the beach

after breakfast, I found Jim and his brother-in-law Ron standing knee-deep in the water, gazing at Danzante Island lying low on the horizon, the very image of a sleeping dragon.

“They say that whales often swim by,” I said, hoping to start a conversation. “Six or seven different species, they say. See anything today?”

“Not really,” said Jim. “We’re just looking. I’m used to wide-open spaces and forests, without a lot of people. I like it empty.”

“It’s a big change from Cabo,” added Ron, asking me not to use his real name. “We had a timeshare in a condo over there, but Cabo attracts so many tourists now that we turned in our membership and moved it over to this side of Baja. The beach here is practically empty and you can get an umbrella when you want one. No beach vendors, either. The resort has exclusive use of all of it. Loreto? It’s a nice village, not very big but interesting for a day out. You should see the museum and the church, which dates from the 1750s.”

While we were talking, a small yacht motored into the bay and anchored offshore. Five minutes later a man appeared, jumped into the water and swam toward the beach, going like 60. Hmmmm, I thought, as he came closer. A trespasser. On the other hand,

he looks at home. Maybe he’ll talk to me. But while I hesitated he hurried up the beach and vanished behind the building.

Eventually it was obvious why the resort felt empty during the day. People were busy, walking on the trail above the coast; sport fishing for dorado, yellowfin tuna and sailfish; kayaking around the bay, paddle boarding from the beach or shopping in Loreto.

Snorkel and scuba diving excursions headed

for the Marine Park almost daily, taking snorkelers and scuba divers into the heart of the “world’s aquarium,” as marine conservationist and diver Jacques Cousteau tagged it.

Most outings cruise around one or two of the five nearest islands, each known for rocky coves, powdery white sand and emerald water. I joined the Isla Coronado adventure and was rewarded with a couple hours of snorkeling in sunlit, glass-clear water, where our guide Manuel estimated the visibility at 25 to 50 feet. The fish were abundant and easy to see, and our group spotted seals and dolphins before heading to a white sand beach for a picnic.

Each evening, as people slowly gathered for dinner, the adults wandering through the gardens to watch the last light fade behind the mountains and kids chasing each other across the plaza, I realized that the resort was actually very full.

Prompted by waiters taking bar orders and by the tantalizing smells of warm tortillas, roast vegetables and grilled pork and chicken drifting from the kitchen, people headed in to eat, some choosing the more casual Market cafe or El Danzante, the resort’s upscale restaurant.

Accompanied by candlelight and guitar music, the spirit of fiesta took hold, amplified by laughing and talking and plates of food, delivered from the kitchen. And at 9 o’clock, a folk-dance group filed out onto an impromptu stage to announce the evening’s entertainment, a show of regional dances and slapstick comedy. n

© 2015 Tribune News Service

SPO

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HTNature unspoiled, where the sea meets the mountains, at Villa Del Palmar,

Baja California South, Mexico.

Poised at high tide, the Villa Del Pal-mar bay water is perfect for kayaks and paddleboards.

A refreshing appetizer of fresh oysters on the beach.

MAGICAL MYSTERY

this month: travel lThe enchantment here is the

alluring blue bay framed by red-

rock cliffs. Colorful, dramatic and

secluded, it compels just-arrived

guests to stand and gape, amazed

and speechless.

SEA OF CORTEZON THE BY ANNE Z. COOK

9

by Lisa Kaplan Gordon

When it comes to home improvement, some dollars stretch more than others. And

if you’re on a limited budget, it becomes even more important to spend dollars wisely.

Here are eight affordable home improvement projects that’ll help you enjoy your home more today and provide excellent financial return.

1. Add the Finishing Touch of MoldingToday’s wood moldings come in hundreds

of options—from simple to ornate—that you can stain, paint, or leave natural. You can also find moldings in flexible materials, such as foam, that make installation a whole lot easier.

2. Install Quality Ceiling FansOver the years, ceiling fans have become

quite the crowd pleaser. Once they were just a cheap solution to rising energy costs—ugly, wobbly, noisy eyesores endured because they were cheaper than air conditioning.

Today, ceiling fans have evolved into an essential component of American homes as energy prices continue to rise. If your ceiling fans are old and outdated, new ones could give your rooms a refreshing update while saving money.

3. Plant Some TreesA mature tree could be worth between $1,000-

$10,000, says the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers. A 16-inch silver maple could be worth $2,562.

In urban areas, money really does grow on trees. A recent study of home sales by the Pacific Northwest Research Station of Portland showed that street trees growing in front of or near a house boosted its sale price by an average of $8,870 and shaved two days off its time on the market.

4. Install a PatioPatios are a great cost-effective way to increase

your home’s living space without actually adding on. Plus you’ll recover 30 percent to 60 percent of your investment. A $2,000 patio would return around $900 at resale.

But don’t go crazy and trick out your patio with high-end amenities, like an outdoor kitchen. When it’s time to sell, you won’t get back much of your investment on kitchens and other high-end amenities. Instead, keep it simple and functional.

5. Pump Up Your Home SecurityYou can buy and install a home security system

yourself for $50 to $300, or a security company can sell and install a system from $0 to $1,500. The “zero” is the hook companies use to lure you into signing a multi-year monitoring contract that ranges from $95 to $480 per year.

If a monitored system suits your needs, you’ll also get a break on your home insurance.

Home security systems also make your home more marketable: 50 percent of homebuyers say a home security system tops their list of most-wanted technology features.

6. Do Almost Any Energy-Efficient UpgradeThe value of energy-efficient houses just keeps

going up. A UCLA study examined the prices of 1.6 million California homes from 2007 to 2012 and found that homes with Energy Star, LEED, or GreenPoint certification had a 9 percent higher price.

That finding is echoed in NAHB’s report that surveyed homebuyers across the nation: Nine out of 10 potential buyers would select an efficient home

with lower utility bills over a less efficient home priced 2 percent to 3 percent less.

One energy-saving home improvement project that not only saves energy but gives you tons of enjoyment, too, is converting a wood-burning fireplace into a gas one.

In fact, 39 percent of homebuyers say a gas fireplace is an essential or desirable feature of the next home they purchase.

7. Add Some Creative StorageWe don’t have to sell you on the value of storage

and built-in organization. Since when have you heard someone complain about too much storage? Adding storage is a no-brainer, but it does take some brainpower to find your home’s hidden storage.

8. Light Up the OutdoorsExterior lighting makes your home shine in the

evening, accents features you like most about your house, and helps keep burglars away. A hard-wired lighting fixture can cost $150 to $250 to install.

And with technological advances in solar lighting, it’s easier and more cost-effective than ever to boost your home’s nighttime curb appeal.

Plus, 90 percent of buyers say outdoor lighting is on their list of desired home features. n

Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL

ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

In making your home safer and more marketable, we decided

to track down some unique high-tech security devices available now.

1. Mind-controlled robot spy dog

Conventional dogs can scare aware away potential robbers while you’re not home, but this little tricked-out toy is more than man’s best friend—it’s an extension of man itself. Unlike a real live Fido, this remote-controlled gadget can show the owner what’s in front of it via camera, can project the owner’s voice in real time, and can be told where to go, not by treats or joysticks, but by brainwaves. It’s a gadget befitting a superhero villain.

2. Cell phone-operated locksEverybody forgets to lock a door now and again. But not

everybody has a remote system to control their locks with a

cell phone and a text-messaged pin code that’s as encrypted as a password for a bank website. With this doozy, you can lock your doors or let in friends from anywhere that has cellular service. It can also notify you whenever the system’s been used.

3. Tweeting laser tripwireNo, it’s not science fiction. It’s actually

possible to set up a laser tripwire that tweets when touched, and even takes a photo of the guilty party—though it takes

more tech skills than money to build this Mission Impossible device, as is clear from the how-to on Instructibles.com.

4. Personal droneHoused in a mailbox-like

enclosure, this observant gadget can launch into the sky, record video, and return to home base all on its own—and it can be up and running within one

minute of a security breach. (The biggest sci-fi fans could also use it for lightsaber training.)

5. Fog shieldAn added deterrent for the high-

security home, this motion-activated fog shield acts much like the dance-floor variety, except it’s programmed to go off when an intruder is in close proximity. It won’t do much to stop the intrepid burglar, but in a tight enough space, the dense smoke might confuse them enough to second guess the heist—or break into an impromptu Macarena. n

Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.

com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

1 0

home safety | architecture | interior design

WHA

T’S

THE

BUZZ The 8 Most Financially Savvy Home Improvements

A mature tree could be worth between $1,000 and $10,000,

with a 16-inch silver maple valued at more than $2,500.

Ceiling fans and crown and chair rail molding are consistently on buyers’ most desired lists.

5 Over-the-Top Home Security Devices1

3

5

4

2

C R O S S W O R DPUZZLE

P U Z Z L E answers created by Crosswords Ltd.

ACROSS1 Tucked-in part of a dress shirt4 Cocoon contents9 Glaringly vivid14 “__ you kidding me?”15 Words after make or close16 Carne __: roasted Mexican

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52 Japanese cooking show56 Schemer Charles60 Gallivants61 Certain rock music fan, and

what 17-, 21-, 36-, 43- and 52-Across each has

64 Last Olds off the line65 Mental picture66 NBC skit show67 Zac of “The Lorax”68 Glove material69 Game gadget, or the area

where it’s usedDOWN1 Boaters and bowlers2 Actor La Salle3 It may drop down or pop up4 Made vulnerable5 Axlike shaping tool6 Tribal land, informally, with

“the”7 Colorado resort8 Out of the wind9 Fire truck feature10 Lady Liberty’s land, familiarly11 Somerset Maugham novel,

with “The”12 Prefix with logical13 Pub missile18 On fire22 South Sudanese supermodel

Wek

24 Goof25 Short person?27 Missouri river28 La Scala’s city29 Like eyes showing boredom31 Drops in a slot32 Stranded at 7-Down, perhaps34 Chirp35 Jetson dog37 By way of38 Spree41 Multi-screen theater43 “Gee whiz”44 It goes for a buck46 Second-most populous

Arizona city49 Warm Argentina month51 “Stupid me!”52 “Dies __”53 Massage deeply54 Actor Jannings55 Earthquake response gp.57 Cozy home58 Writer Grey59 Inactive62 Art on the reality show “Ink

Master”63 Single-malt datum

© 2015 Distributed by TribuneContent Agency, LLC.

11

just for fun l

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