How to Remodel and Preserve an Old Home

Renovate Don't™ Decimate: How to Remodel and Preserve Old Homes

        

RISMEDIA, Thursday, June 30, 2016— DIY enthusiasts from around the world are learning that renovating something old is far better than buying new. Home building used to be an art, and it is important for our neighborhoods that we preserve history rather than bulldozing it for a new, cheap house. While new buildings are nice, there is something about the charm and character of an older home that is mesmerizing.

Each home has a story. There was a dream that built the place and all these years later it’s still standing. It may be tattered and even have mold growing in places, but these once amazing homes can be great again. If the foundation is good or can be repaired rather easily, then the home can usually be saved.

Rejuvenate Hardwood Flooring
At the heart of each older home is normally some type of hardwood flooring. Sure, some people decided that carpet was great and started covering up beautiful natural wood, but that is great news for those who want to uncover and rediscover these floors. The first thing to do when renovating one of these homes is to find out if there is hardwood under the dingy carpets. Even the most distressed floors can be brought back to life with some sanding and polishing, and if they can’t be brought back to a perfect shine, the scars of time can add incredible character to the home.

Preserve Old Window Charm
Typically, an old home’s windows are better for decor than they are keeping the elements at bay. New windows increase the energy efficiency and seal the home. With some care, new windows will have just as much charm as the old. According to the experts at FAS Windows and Doors, homes built before the 1950s typically use denser, higher quality wood for window frames. Preserving old window frames is a sure-fire way to preserve the quality and charm of the original architecture while keeping you and your home protected from the elements. New windows can work toward keeping the home cool in summer and warm in the winter by providing better insulation from the outside world.

Plumbing and Electrical
One of the most common issues in these old houses is outdated plumbing and electrical systems, but those can easily be updated without damaging the look and feel of the home. Knob and tube wiring is often uncovered, attached to dated fuse boxes, and a new breaker box that can handle the standard amperage should be installed. As far as plumbing goes, any pipes that are left in the home are more than likely filled with sediment. Replacing the plumbing and electrical is imperative.

Those quirky built-in cabinets and fireplaces are just some of the charm of the older home. The history is what makes them worth saving. Instead of tearing down and erecting something new, why not preserve and make something old new again?

This post was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Check the blog daily for top real estate tips and trends.

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Regular services and caring for your home will prolong the life of your home's systems

Can Preventive Maintenance Stop a Catastrophe?

 From Dottie Wells Blog, Branch Manager L&F Bethany Office

Owning a house means you'll need to dedicate time and effort to help prevent disasters. Regular services and caring for your home will prolong the life of your home's systems. Daily wear and tear along with weather damage can cause problems with your home's exterior, interior and mechanical systems. Take a look at these tips for preventive maintenance in your home.

Home Interior

Homeowners should inspect doors and windows that are in need of caulking or repair to save energy and avoid leaks. You should also check your chimney and have it cleaned by a professional before use to prevent a chimney fire. Also take a close look at the grout around sinks, tubs and showers and recaulk any brittle or worn caulk. 

In your laundry room, be sure to clean out the lint in your clothes dryer to avoid a fire, save energy and keep your dryer working properly for years to come. Inspect the smoke detectors in your home and replace the batteries twice a year to keep your home safe. (Many people replace batteries when clocks are set ahead in the spring and when they are set back in the fall.) Check with the manufacturer on the lifespan of the alarm, and replace them as necessary.

Mechanical Systems

The most preventive steps you can take for your home are performed on the heating and cooling, electrical and plumbing systems. Regularly change the filters in your air conditioning and heating systems, and have your air conditioning looked at during the spring and your heating system checked before the winter weather. Check your plumbing to ensure that your pipes are well insulated and aren't leaking. 

Remove sediment by draining your hot water heater and check the pressure relief valve to make sure it is functioning properly. To keep your electrical system safe and working properly, trip your circuit breakers and inspect for frayed wires and cords and for any exposed wiring.

Home Exterior

Keep your gutters and downspouts clear from debris and make sure that they are functioning properly and draining away from your home. Look for noticeable cracks in your stucco or brick, rotting wood and peeling paint that may need repairing. 

Check your roof for loose or damaged shingles to prevent your roof from leaking and flooding the interior of your home.

Your Lawn and Grounds

Trim your trees, bushes and shrubs regularly to keep your yard looking beautiful and to prevent them from growing onto your roof or other structures on your home. If your greenery is too close to a power line, the overgrown shrubs and trees can cause hefty damage when there is ice, snow or high winds. 

Shrubbery that has grown near your home can block the airflow in your home. As a homeowner, you should inspect for any rotted wood and clean the leaves and debris from your wooden deck to avoid mildew.

Learn more about preventive maintenance ideas by contacting me today.

Mortgage Rates are now the LOWEST they’ve been in more than 3 years.

Commentary: Thanks, Brexit! Well-Qualified U.S. Buyers Reap a Windfall

By Jonathan Smoke

RISMEDIA, Wednesday, June 29, 2016— The surprise victory in Britain of the campaign to leave the European Union may be spurring panic across the Continent (and among some regretful British voters), but “Brexit” has left U.S. homebuyers with a very definable windfall: mortgage rates that are now the lowest they’ve been in more than three years. The average 30-year conforming rate on Monday was 3.46%, very near the lowest average rates recorded in late 2012.                                       Lower rates produce lower monthly payments and greater buying power—those who are well qualified can afford a home that’s 8% more expensive than at the beginning of the year. That’s more than enough to offset the rise in prices during that time. And that’s why Brexit has just increased the opportunity to lock in a low associated mortgage rate for a new home. And maybe added a bit of urgency to the proceedings. Low mortgage rates were already driving a strong real estate market this year—right up there with pent-up demand from first-time buyers, move-up buyers, and retirement buyers. And more and more real estate players these days are individual investors. Those investors—mainly wealthier and older households—are looking at single-family rentals as a reliable alternative to more traditional financial investments that, frankly, are flat-out lousy right now. Those low rates have a downside, though: They motivate lenders to be tougher on credit restrictions. As mortgage rates declined this year, we’ve seen that credit access has gone down, too. That’s because lenders have become more risk-averse as their profit margins have been whittled down by the double whammy of lower rates and higher origination and servicing costs. On the whole, lenders prefer refinances, which present less risk and will likely surge again to capitalize on the low rates. The tighter credit environment limits the first-time buyer pool and favors those who can avoid financing altogether. Or those who have grade-A credit. Or maybe those who can afford to shell out 20% or more on a down payment. So all this gives individual investors an advantage over younger buyers. But both types of buyers tend to look at similar, more affordable properties. And while some are chattering about whether the international economic tumult might push the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut interest rates at its next meeting, remember this: It doesn’t really matter what the Fed does. What matters is the global movement of money. Got that? Bottom line: U.S. investment vehicles are becoming even more attractive to foreign investors. So as foreigners line up to buy the popular U.S. Treasury bonds, their prices go up but their yield (interest rate) goes down. The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond correlates with mortgage rates. Mortgage-backed securities are another investment whose popularity also pushes mortgage rates down. But before we all put up banners, hire marching bands, and hold parades to celebrate the United Kingdom’s bold move, let’s take a big pause. Brexit is not likely to be a boon to all parts of the residential real estate market. The U.S. economy will now likely see a bit less growth than had been expected for the year, as the energy sector and manufacturing are affected by a lower price of oil and a stronger dollar. Likewise, the stronger dollar will dilute buying power for many international buyers (particularly the Brits), affecting such markets as Los Angeles, Orlando, New York, Miami, and Tampa. And in general, we’ll continue to see weakness at luxury price points as long as the financial markets react to the uncertainty with lower stock values. According to the 2015 Home Buyer and Seller Profile Report from the National Association of Realtors®, 20 percent of last year’s buyers sold stocks or used retirement funds for their down payment. Declines in portfolios will likely disrupt sales and closings, especially at higher price points. If we then see stock indices recover, the effect should diminish. Those already winning in the real estate market are getting a bigger boost from Brexit. Sellers in the right locations and price points will continue to have the upper hand as investors and first-time buyers fight for limited inventory. Well-qualified buyers will be able to capitalize on historically low mortgage rates. And developers and builders should be able to take advantage of those lower rates to line up land and lots to fuel more inventory expansion down the road. Jonathan Smoke is the chief economist of realtor.com®, where he analyzes real estate data and trends to develop market insights for the consumer. Follow him on Twitter at @SmokeonHousing.

Ocean City Museum Society is hosting its Free Summer Programs

The Ocean City Museum Society is hosting its Free Summer Programs again this season for everyone to enjoy

Each program begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. and last approximately 30 minutes.Please allow time for traffic and parking when planning on attending one of these informative sessions.

July 5 – August 27, 2016
Free Summer Program Schedule

MONDAYS – O.C.B.C. (Ocean City Before Condominiums)
TUESDAYS – Beach Safety
WEDNESDAYS – Knot Tying
THURSDAYS – All About Sharks
FRIDAYS – Assateague Island Critter Meet and Greet
SATURDAYS – Aquarium Feeding

Programs may be cancelled due to inclement weather

Seniors Seeking Roommates:                         ‘Golden Girls,’ Please Apply

From Realtor.com - Clare Trapasso is the senior news editor of realtor.com.



Having roommates has been a godsend for 83-year-old Freda Schaeffer.

The retired secretary began renting out the extra rooms in her three-bedroom, brick home in Brooklyn, NY, to fellow seniors after her husband died about eight years ago.

“It helps with finances,” says Schaeffer, who is on a meager fixed income from Social Security. “And it’s very nice to have a friendly person in the house.”

As housing prices across the nation continue to reach dizzying heights, it’s no longer just young millennials moving in with one another to save some bucks on rent. These days, more seniors, particularly single women, are taking a page straight out of the ’80s cult-classic “The Golden Girls” (or Netflix’s newer hit sitcom, “Grace and Frankie”) and getting a roommate.

To those who are joining the geriatric group–living parade, it’s a bit like college living,  50 or 60 years later—minus the keg stands.

Senior housing organizations across the nation are reporting a surge in demand from the young and old alike to move into the spare rooms of lonely and often lower-income elderly homeowners. This provides the homeowners with the money and companionship they need to maintain and manage to stay in their homes, instead of moving in with family or into a nursing home.

“It is creating affordable housing and preventing homelessness,” says Linda Hoffman, president of the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, of the growing trend. “It’s keeping people out of institutions. It’s keeping people from losing their homes.”

In 2015, there were about 703,000 households in which someone lived with a nonrelative over the age of 65, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Only about 1% to 1.2% of the population over the age of 50 has lived with roommates over the past 15 or so years, according to AARP, a Washington, DC–based nonprofit and lobbying group for older Americans. But the group anticipates that percentage could rise as more baby boomers, a much larger generation than their predecessors, retire.

That makes sense, as the median income of those over 65 was just $20,600 in 2014, according to the most recent data available from AARP. It was significantly lower for women, who often outlive their husbands, at $15,800.

Finding the perfect (room)mate

Cohabiting has worked well for Schaeffer’s Brooklyn roommate of a little more than a year, 66-year-old Loretta Halter.

“We get along extremely well,” says Halter, a retired grocery store manager. “Here we are all doing our own little thing, and [then we] come home and hear stories about how the other’s day has been.”

Halter sold her home and truck in Georgia and moved to New York City about four years ago to live out her dream of spending her retirement going to museums and attending plays and book signings in the city. Scared of potentially dangerous Craigslist roommates and scams, she initially rented a room in a private home. When that didn’t work out, she turned to the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, which helped her find Schaeffer.

The foundation puts home hunters and elderly owners into a database and tries to then match them up according to their needs. They meet with a social worker and then chat on the phone before an in-person meeting is arranged.

“It’s like a date,” Hoffman says of the first meeting. Potential tenants are encouraged to ask about whether alcohol and, ahem, overnight guests of the opposite sex are allowed in the home.

The agency typically places about 80 to 100 people annually, and demand is rising along with monthly rents, Hoffman says. Most roommates contribute to the household expenses and exchange services, like grocery shopping, in lieu of rent.

For Halter, the arrangement leaves her with enough money to attend the cultural events she came to New York to enjoy—and still come home to a safe neighborhood. In exchange, she contributes to household expenses and helps Schaeffer around the house by taking out the trash and draining the boiler.

“We look out for each other,” Halter says.

The good, bad, and ornery

Such arrangements can enable roommates to have enough money to retire early, take the trip of a lifetime, or even hire a home health aide, says Michele Fiasca, founder of Portland, OR–based Let’s Share Housing. The business connects seniors with potential roommates through meet-and-greet events held twice a month.

“It’s a lifestyle choice where people can actually pool resources and be able to work less and have more time to themselves,” says Fiasca, who’s seen interest in the program jump about 50% compared with last year. “The great thing about people pooling resources is, you can afford a home that’s much nicer than what you could get for yourself.”

Indeed, about 43% of Americans over the age of 45 said they would get a roommate to help out with chores in a 2014 AARP survey of more than 1,000 participants. In addition, 26% said they would move in with a roommate to supplement their income.

But while having a roommate may be the stuff of sitcoms, it isn’t always a barrel of laughs.

Aspiring roomies should really get to know each other to ensure they’re compatible before moving in, warns Fiasca. They can hang out a few times or a take a trip together, she says. And they should definitely do a “suitcase test” where they live together for about 10 days before hiring a U-Haul.

They should also sign agreements making it crystal clear what the tenant and homeowner will and won’t do, and how much money will be exchanged. That ensures no one gets upset when a boarder who was supposed to help out with some light chores refuses to refinish the floors or clean out the litter boxes of their new roommate’s 12 cats.

But even if the roomies refrain from squabbling over whose turn it is to do the dishes, the arrangements often hit an expiration date when one person starts having health problems, says Andrew Carle, chief operating officer of assisted living provider Meridian Senior Living.

“If your roommate has a stroke, who’s going to bathe her?” says Carle, also a part-time professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. “If she’s got Alzheimer’s and she starts to wander, who’s going to find her?”

Finding good roommates at any age is pretty tricky, says Mark Stewart, program coordinator at Shared Housing of New Orleans, a group that provides a roommate matchmaking service for the elderly.

“A lot of the homeowners can be pretty ornery,” he says of his graying clients. “But when you get a pair that works well, [and] they’re almost always older women, it works perfectly.”

Clare Trapasso is the senior news editor of realtor.com. She previously covered finance for a Financial Times publication and wrote for the New York Daily News. Clare also teaches journalism at a local college, loves food festivals and bike trips, and enjoys playing with her dog.

Celebrity Interior Design Trends at Affordable Prices

Implement Celebrity Interior Design Trends at Home

From:  Dottie Wells, Branch Mgr Bethany Beach Office, L&F Blog 

Who says your home can't look like Reese Witherspoon's? Or even George Clooney's? Let's dive into celebrity interior design trends that you can integrate into your home without having a celebrity salary to dedicate to your home's design.

  

Wallpaper Is All the Rage 
After years of using paint as the basis of the main design trends for interior walls, celebrities are now starting to incorporate wallpaper. Wallpaper is an easy way to make a big design change, even in small amounts. Celebrities are wallpapering just their ceilings and nothing else and even putting felt carpet on the ceiling instead of the floor.

Bringing the Outdoors In
Not everyone can live in nature, but that doesn't mean you can't bring accent pieces of nature into your home for an added design element. Easy ways to incorporate the outdoors into your home include bringing in tree stumps or shells. If you don't have the celebrity budget to build a custom coffee table, you can embrace this trend by bringing the things you love outside inside, whether they are branches, rocks, pinecones or plants, and using them as accent pieces for your home's design.

Mix Metals
Another hot design trend in the celebrity world is the mixing of metals. Don't confine what you use in your home or even rooms to simply one metal — change things up by incorporating both gold and silver into your home. Brass, stainless, gold, chrome and oil-rubbed bronzes can be mixed and matched throughout your home — for the maximum effect, mix warm metals like gold or brass with cool metals like silver.

Local Art Decor
Support your local artists by exploring the galleries in your city or town and finding unique and striking art to purchase for your home. By buying art locally, you can decorate your home and support your local community, like many celebrities do. Don't be afraid to think big and add pieces that will make big statements in your home.

Glamming Powder Rooms
Many celebrity designers think the powder room should be the most design-crazy room in the home. This is a great space that can be wild with art, texture and color. When people visit your home for dinner or a social gathering, this decor can be an automatic icebreaker and conversation starter. The small space is ideal for experimenting with different design trends and ideas that you may want to execute in other rooms in your home. Don't be afraid to let your personality and personal style shine through in your powder room. It is a great starting point when you are completely redesigning your home.

What Buyers Want to Know when Looking For A Home

ellers: What Every Buyer Wants to Know about Your Home

RISMEDIA, Saturday, June 11, 2016— Home sellers are in an advantageous position this summer, with demand high and sales at their strongest in close to a decade. Planning to list your home in the coming weeks? Get the most for your house before the season’s up by making it accessible to buyers—with information.

Every homebuyer wants to know specific aspects of homes they’re considering purchasing—information that may seem premature to advertise initially, but could ultimately be determining factors in their decision to make an offer.

This information may include:

• How old is the home? When was it last renovated? How old is the roof?
• What structures or fixtures are included in the list price? (Appliances, ceiling fans, lighting, shed, swing set, window treatments, etc.)
• What are the home’s annual costs? (Electric, municipal water, gas, oil, lawn care, pool maintenance, etc.)
• Has the home required asbestos, lead or mold removal? Has the home been tested for radon?
• How is the home heated and/or cooled? How old is the heating and/or cooling system? How old is the hot water heater?
• How old is the wiring? Is it up to code?
• Has the well water been tested?
• Is/was an oil tank buried on the property? Is there a septic system, cesspool or drywell?
• Are there any outstanding permits or liens on the property?
• What are the homeowners association fees? What is the move-in fee? What amenities or services are provided by the HOA?

Providing these answers up front not only meets prospective buyers on their terms—they’ll be searching for it online—but also could lead to an offer that much sooner. Work with your real estate agent to compile this information as comprehensively as possible. It will be appreciated!

Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s Online Associate Editor.

This article originally appeared on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. Check the blog daily for real estate tips and trends. 

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