The Phoenix Real Estate Advisor

Remodel 411: help for the remodeling-challenged

(ARA) - Thinking of remodeling but don’t know where to start? Let your mouse do the heavy lifting and transform your current space into your dream home. These days everyone turns to the Web to get inspired. In fact, a study conducted by Princeton Survey Research International found that 69 percent of Americans use the Internet as a source of information when it comes to housing and investment decisions.

"Whether you’re an expert do-it-yourselfer or this is your first home improvement project, the Internet can be an excellent resource," said Danny Lipford, host of the nationally syndicated television show, "Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford," and frequent contributor to "The Early Show" on CBS. "And the tools available on the Web just keep getting better and better - with educational videos, downloadable shopping lists, budget and return-on-investment calculators."

Getting started: The ABC’s of ROI

With a project as daunting as remodeling a home, sometimes the most difficult part is just getting started. The key? Prioritizing. Start your renovation by concentrating on the rooms you use the most and offer the best return on investment (ROI): your kitchen and your bathroom.

According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2010 Cost vs. Value report, homeowners will recoup the greatest share of their costs by foregoing super-deluxe projects in favor of mid-range kitchen and bath remodels. A mid-range kitchen remodel brings an average 72.1 percent return on investment and a mid-range bathroom project has an average 71 percent cost recovery.

Budget-minded enhancements

A "mid-range" kitchen or bath remodel sounds great on paper - but what types of projects does that really entail? Realtor magazine offers a few budget-minded enhancements to consider when remodeling:

• Add or replace tile - Purchase low-cost tiles to replace a dated backsplash or add a new one.
• Install granite tile instead of a slab - While granite kitchen counters are extremely popular, they can be a $5,000 upgrade. Instead, put in 12-inch granite tiles for as little as $300 in materials. You’ll get the same impact for less.
• Freshen up your bathroom. This is a room that can be refreshed with little effort: try simple updates like regrouting tile or reconditioning cabinets. These small upgrades can make a big impact.

Planning on the World Wide Web

Now that you’ve decided on the projects you’d like to undertake, it’s time to begin the planning process. Begin by looking at everything from current trends and style options to the nuts and bolts of estimated budgets and time to completion.

In the kitchen

Websites like dannylipford.com are a great place to get ideas and support from fellow homeowners. The site DIYnetwork.com gives visitors an overview of a variety of kitchen projects, with step-by-step instructions, a list of the materials needed and the products their designers recommend. And, there’s a time frame, price range and difficulty level listed for every project, helping you to choose a kitchen remodel that’s doable for you.

In the bath

Moen’s website is another great resource and features many design and planning videos to help inspire homeowners. The site even offers an interactive faucet selector tool, which helps you choose the right faucet for your space. Simply answer a few questions about your decorating style, how much you’d like to spend and which finish and features are important to you. Another way to stay up to date in the remodeling world is by signing up for Moen’s At Home eNewsletter, which provides trends and ideas for your home.

"The best advice I can offer when tackling a remodeling project is to relax and enjoy the ride," added Lipford. "While it’s easy to become overwhelmed, trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to try new things. At times, it may seem easier to call in a professional, but you’ll have a great sense of pride in knowing that you did the job yourself."

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Our firm does not endorse any vendor and disclaims responsibility for any product, promotion or content mentioned in this article.

Posted via email from Active Adult Living

Here’s an interesting article about our market that I bet you don’t hear this on the national news!

Market Recap

Good News

Phoenix-area housing prices have consistently gone up every month this year, despite tough economic times. The median single-family home price in the Valley has steadily increased.  The median price has gone up almost 5.5 percent from $136,500 in January to $144,000 in April.

The low prices are attracting out-of-state buyers who are looking for a retirement home.  Phoenix is considered a steal along with Las Vegas, Nevada and parts of California and Florida.

Homebuilders like Pulte, Meritage Homes and Toll Brothers have purchased bargain priced lots in Gilbert’s Stratland Estates and are busily building homes..  Last year Gilbert was one of the few Valley cities to report positive growth.

Bad News

Almost 3,500 homes were foreclosed on in April, way up from about 2,500 foreclosures last April. However, it is an improvement from March’s nearly 4,400 foreclosures. Foreclosures combined with the resale’s of previously foreclosed properties still account for 60 percent of the Valley’s single-family home market activity.

Commercial real estate is still struggling and some experts feel banks have hung on too long to underperforming assets.  The vacancy rates are not pretty with office vacancies running as high as 30% in Scottsdale Airpark, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and Glendale’s sports and entertainment district as compared to an average of 22.7% valley wide.  Retail vacancy rates average 11.9% with an occasional bright spot like Ahwatukee with a low 6%.  Industrial vacancy rates average 15.5%.  Experts say 25% of outstanding commercial real estate loans are in good shape while 25% are on the verge of foreclosure. The remaining 50% could go either way.  If there is a sudden increase in commercial foreclosures it could drag the whole real estate market down again.  The main reason for the problem is overbuilding.

Jim Lee, Sr. Mortgage Consultant

16150 North Arrowhead Fountain Center, #260    Peoria, AZ  85382
Phone:  480.444.7136    Direct Fax:  480.444.7186

jim.lee@onqfinancial.com    /    www.onqfinancial.com

Posted via email from Active Adult Living

Posted via email from Active Adult Living

I came across this interesting article and thought you might like to read this. With all the identity theft around the country you can never be too careful!

Carnegie Mellon professor Alessandro Acquisti and graduate student Ralph Gross discovered that Social Security numbers are easily predicted using public data. Below, Acquisti tells how.  We found that Social Security numbers, which are supposed to be confidential, are predictable from publicly available data. We can start with someone’s birthday, add the state where they were born and, based on these two pieces of information, infer their Social Security number.

How?  The assignment scheme for Social Security numbers has been publicly available for many years. Take that scheme, combine data from other sources, apply statistics and data-mining tools, and you can end up with information that is significantly more sensitive than what you started with.

Who is most at risk?  It’s easiest to predict the Social Security numbers of people from less-populous states and those born after 1988, when a number of policy initiatives made it more likely that parents would apply for a newborn’s Social Security number right away. On average, we can identify the entire nine-digit number in fewer than 1,000 attempts for 9% of people born after 1988. That makes those numbers no more secure than a three-digit PIN.

How do you go from there to identity theft?  To make the algorithm work, you need only information that’s public or semi-public for most of us. An attacker has to find a way to exploit the information, and unfortunately, there are many ways. For example, attackers can use botnets — networks of compromised computers controlled by someone, somewhere. Botnets can be used to run automated queries on an online system, such as an online credit-card application, to verify a Social Security number.

How can we prevent such exploitation?  We need to stop using Social Security numbers as both identifiers and authenticators. The numbers were created to identify earnings in the Social Security program. Your phone number is another example of an identifier. But the password for your voicemail is an authenticator, a secret fact that proves you are who you claim to be. No sane person would use the same digits as identifier and authenticator, but that’s exactly the way we use Social Security numbers.

Reprinted with permission. All Contents © 2010 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. www.kiplinger.com

Posted via email from Active Adult Living

Here’s an interesting article I read this morning. I don’t usually purchase the travel insurance travel agency offer but it’s something to think about.

Summer is right around the corner, and that means many people are starting to plan some kind of summer getaway.  When planning your fun-filled itinerary, the last thing you want to do is worry about any financial loss that might occur as a result of a missed flight, an injury or illness, lost baggage, or any other unforeseen incident. To ensure your peace of mind while away from home, many companies provide several different types of traveler’s protection plans to help ease the burden.

Without insurance, a traveler can lose nonrefundable deposits and prepayments that can add up to hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. A good, comprehensive travel insurance plan will often reimburse a traveler for all pre-paid, nonrefundable expenses for a covered loss.

Here are some general types of coverage you may want to consider before heading out for this summer’s vacation:

Travel Arrangement Protection - This covers you in case of trip cancellation, interruption, or travel delays (these can include inclement weather, lost or stolen passports, quarantine, hijacking or natural disaster).

Medical Protection - Just because you have health insurance at home, the moment you set foot on foreign soil or even set sail on a cruise, many health plans are considered null and void, so be sure you get travel medical protection to cover emergency medical expenses, such as illness and accident expenses, and emergency medical transportation to the nearest medical facility.

Baggage Protection - Not only do you want coverage for lost, stolen or damaged baggage, but many plans offer reimbursement for the purchase of essential items if baggage is delayed.

Worldwide Emergency Assistance - If traveling outside of the country, make sure you purchase a policy that covers international emergencies. This can include emergency cash transfer assistance, legal assistance, and lost travel documents assistance.

The cost of travel insurance is based, in most cases, on the value of the trip and the age of the traveler. Typically, the cost is 5-7 percent of the trip cost. Like most every other type of insurance, be it automobile, medical, or homeowner’s, you hope you never need to use it. But it can be a relief to have it when you do need it.

The bottom line is: Before embarking on your next trip, do your homework! Talk to your insurance agent - or call me for a recommendation - and learn more about all the different insurance options available to you, so you can make the best choice for your peace of mind!

Posted via email from Active Adult Living