Lori Blank & Associates

06

Mar

Uncategorized

Winter Blues, 9 Easy Ways To Brighten Your Home And Your Spirit

These gray, dreary winter days can really sap your energy and dull your enjoyment of life. To survive the winter doldrums, brighten your home. Use These Easy Tips: Open your home's window treatments during the day to let the light brighten and warm your room. Close them again as soon as night falls to retain heat. Brighten dark rooms with few windows by placing spotlights on the floor behind furniture. Add a mirror. Wherever a mirror reflects light in a room, it visually doubles that light. Place a mirror opposite a window to immediately brighten your space. No window? Hang…

05

Mar

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

Highest Year-Over-Year Increase In Home Prices Since 2005

Two major indicators of home price trends showed a slowing momentum for home prices in December. The S&P Case Shiller 10 and 20 city indices reported that of 20 cities tracked, home prices were lower in December than for November. Case-Shiller’s seasonally adjusted month-to month reading showed that home prices rose by 0.8 percent as compared to 0.90 percent in November. David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said that “Gains are slowing from month-to-month and the strongest part of home price recovery may be over.” He also noted that seasonally adjusted data was showing…

04

Mar

By Lori Blank

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Homebuyer Tips

The Unexpected In Buying Real Estate

When buying real estate, you may find some unexpected problems. Generally, these issues revolve around plumbing, wiring or sticking doors and windows. Although they aren't as expensive to fix as other issues, there's always a possibility that they indicate bigger problems. Sticking Doors/Windows Spotting wear and tear on doors and windows is fairly easy. Check the hinges and locks. Squeaking hinges or locks that stick indicate wear on seals and metal. Although sticking doors and windows aren't a big deal in and of themselves, these issues can be indications of moderate to severe foundation problems. If you find these issues…

03

Mar

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – March 3, 2014

Last week's economic news was mixed, with new home sales increasing and weekly jobless claims higher than expected. Case-Shiller and FHFA home price reports reflected slower growth in home prices. Mortgage rates moved higher for the third consecutive week. Weakness in the jobs sector and harsh winter weather were seen as factors contributing to economic events, but sales of new homes jumped unexpectedly to their highest since 2008. Case-Shiller, FHFA Report Slower Growth for Home Prices The Case-Shiller composite home price index for December reported that home prices declined by 0.10 percent in December, which was the second consecutive monthly…

28

Feb

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

How To Make Your Home Look More Luxurious On A Budget

Have you been looking through home décor magazines and gazing with wonder at the gorgeous homes inside? Do you want to add a touch of elegance and luxury to your home, but you are on a tight budget? No need to worry, there are many ways that you can make your home look like a million bucks, without actually having to spend a fortune. Luxury Home Decor Ideas Here are a few great ideas that don't have to cost a lot, they just require a little bit of planning and some elbow grease and they will take your home…

27

Feb

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Where To Squeeze A Home Office In Your Home

If you have started working from home, whether you are a freelancer or running a business, having a home office in your home is very important. It is a place where you can separate your home life and work, so that you can get "in the zone" and concentrate on the important work tasks that you need to complete. But where should you place your home office? If you have a spare bedroom in your home, the answer is easy - but what if you don't have this extra space? Is it possible to squeeze a home office into an…

26

Feb

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

How To Maintain Your Gutters

An entire gutter system around the home might seem expensive to many homeowners. However, not having one could mean water pooling around your home creating a moat and costing you thousands of dollars in damage to your foundation. So it's a good idea to install gutters and take care of them. Below are tips for gutter maintenance to help keep water away from your home. Unclog The Gutters Annual gutter maintenance includes cleaning them of debris, such as leaves, sticks or animal nests. Remove downspout cages and clean them. Determine if they're still in good shape or need to be…

25

Feb

By Lori Blank

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Homebuyer Tips

What To Consider When Buying A Fixer-Upper

In your imagination it seems like a great idea - you purchase an older run-down property and you have the chance to fix it up and turn it into the home of your dreams. To Renovate, Or Not To Renovate However, the renovation project that is simply a quick montage in your imagination will actually take several months or years and thousands of dollars in real life. The concept of renovating a "fixer-upper" property is exciting, but the reality is a lot of work and investment. How can you make sure that you are making the right choice for you?…

24

Feb

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – February 24, 2014

Last week's economic data supported recent reports indicating that housing markets are slowing, The National Association of Home builders/Wells Fargo Home Builders Index (HBI) dropped by 10 points to a reading of 46 for February. Home builder confidence dropped to its lowest reading in nine months, and fell below the benchmark of 50, which indicates that more builders are pessimistic about current market conditions than not. Severe weather was blamed for the lower builder confidence reading, which fell below the expected reading of 56. Regional readings of builder confidence were also lower: Northeast: Builder confidence fell from 41 to 33…

21

Feb

By Lori Blank

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Homebuyer Tips

The Three R’s Of Fixing Historic Homes For Sale

If you enjoy history and fixing things, then it may be hard to drive by historic homes for sale without feeling the urge to buy one and fix it up. Before you do, you need learn the three R's of fixing up historic homes and the differences between them. The three R's of fixing up historic homes are restoration, renovation and repair. Some of the differences are minor, but they can make all the difference in cost, time and problems. Restoration "Restoration" literally means returning something to its original state. Restoring historic homes for sale involve city and state programs.…