Additions to the Kitchen That Are Eco-Friendly

 If you are in the market to update your kitchen, why not update and go green? When updating your kitchen try to choose materials and appliances that help make your life healthier and more efficient. Choosing Energy Star-certified appliances will conserve water and energy. Here are several ways you can turn your dream kitchen into a green kitchen.

1. Clean up with an energy-efficient dishwasher

Beko, a home appliance manufacturer, is known for its energy-efficient, sleek styles. They have several dishwashers that use 50% less water and 25% less energy but still clean as thoroughly as the U.S. standards for dishwashers. They do this by using their own CornerIntense sprayer which is a three-arm design that sprays water in a rectangular motion instead of the traditional circular spray. Beko also offers a feature that rinses the Beko EverClean filter which prolongs the life up to four times longer than manual cleaning. Not only do Beko’s energy-efficient models help with the environment, but they also look good and have a whisper-soft operating sound.

2. Grow Your Garden…..

Going green means you are shrinking your carbon footprint. A good way to start is by adding a countertop composter which will help reduce your food waste by around 80%! You will not only help the environment but will also deal with less trash that will end up in a landfill. If you are a gardener, this is a perfect way to get your nutrient-rich soil.

3. Find A Fresher Fridge

A fridge can become a smelly place pretty quickly. Beko’s French three-door Stainless Steel Refrigerator will help get rid of any old veggies or fruits that are smelly. This fridge comes with EverFresh + technology that copies natural lighting conditions which will extend the photosynthesis process inside your refrigerator. Your fruits and veggies can stay fresh and retain their nutrients for up to 30 days. The dual-cooling system also helps maintain the humidity levels which helps keep a freezer frost-free.

4. Stop With The Single-Use Soda Bottles

Add a SodaStream PET carbonating bottle to your list. This is a great way to create bubbles at home. This bottle can be reused for up to three years and it will save you from using thousands of single-plastic bottles which pollute and end up in our oceans.

5. Reclaim The Recycling Process

Unfortunately, even if you separate your recyclables, they are not guaranteed to end up being recycled. In fact, it has been said that up to one-third of what we put in recycling bins end up in landfills. Beko’s Lass at-home recycler is a great way to make sure this does not happen by finding a way for every scrap to be repurposed. When you toss a bottle, can, or other items into the Lass at-home recycler, it does the guesswork for you by using sensors to determine if the waste can be recycled. It also goes as far as to wash items that can be recycled, grind it down, and store the remaining materials. Although this product will not be for sale to the public until 2024, it can be reserved as part of Beko’s pre-sale phase.

6. Flex Your Green Thumb

A garden can be grown inside your home, using the AeroGarden by Beko. The machine uses little local flora for an indoor hydroponic herb garden. There is no experience necessary when it comes to gardening. You simply drop in seed pods and then just add plant food and water. The LED light and quiet water pump will do the rest until you have greens to eat such as basil, oregano, romaine lettuce and more.

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The Housing Market Today

 At the end of 2022, the housing market was still weakening due to buyers not being able to afford home prices due to the spike in home prices coupled with the rising mortgage interest rates. NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz reported that at the beginning of 2023, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate was down from November 2022 to 6.5% from 7.1%.

NAHB believes that around 18 million households have been priced out of the current market. The decline in affordability is clearly reflected in current housing sales statistics: The volume of existing home sales in November 2022 was 35% lower than in November 2021. The Census data shows that new home sales were down 15% on a year-to-date basis.

Along with the pricing and interest rate comes low inventory. More construction is needed over a long-term period. According to the National Association of Home Builders, their new study reports that the current housing market is underbuilt by 1.5 million homes. Single-family builder sentiment, which is measured by the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), has been falling every month since December 2021. Unfortunately, this has been the lowest reading they have seen since 2012 and close to 62% of builders are offering some form of sales incentives to entice home buyers.

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Homeownership For Retirees

 Homeownership is a big life change and comes with many unique challenges. Keeping up with a home can be daunting and if you are in your retirement years, this might not be how you want to spend them. Owning a home after you retire can affect your health, finances, and your well-being.

“It’s a complicated question because it involves emotions and decades of memory. Living in the right place can add to your longevity and promote healthy retirement lifestyles. And likewise, the wrong place can shorten your longevity and shorten the aging process. I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” explains Nancy Schwartz, founder and transformational strategist for Envision Healthy Retirement.

Since this can look different for different people, retirement planning should be done on an individual basis. If you are unsure of what do, hire a professional. In the meantime, here are three questions to ask yourself when you are retired and considering homeownership.

1. Can You Afford to Stay in Your Home In Retirement?

Your current financial situation will be the biggest determining factor when asking yourself this question. “If you still have a mortgage on your house, are you going to be able to afford that? If a spouse passes away, can you still afford that once you lose Social Security or if the pension gets reduced?” asks Kimberly Strosnider, president and founder of Estate and Wealth Management Services LLC.

How much money is tied up in your home is another determining factor. It might be in your best interest to sell your home to help finance your retirement. “If you don’t have a nest egg put aside, does it make more sense to sell the home, get a smaller place, and then use the equity to help finance your retirement?,” asks Strosnider.

As an example say you are a homeowner of a million dollar home that you do not want to sell. You cannot bank on that $1 million as discretionary spending but it is holding cost. Think of it as renting to yourself. Remember owning a home has many expenses, so you cannot think of this home as a liquid asset you can leave your children.

2. Is Your Home Set Up for Aging?

If you live in a three story home on a hill, this might not be the best suited home for you to live in as you age. When decided if your home is suited for aging, you need to look at everything from the layout to the size. Look at the accessibility of bedrooms and where you can add safety features to bedrooms and bathrooms. If you have stairs in your home, you might want to factor in getting a chair lift.

Sad to think about, but you need to think about if you have to live in your current home alone, could you keep it up. As you get older, maintenance gets harder. When you are alone, you also would like to live close to friends and family.

3. What Lifestyle Do You Envision in Retirement?

The kind of lifestyle you choose once you retire, will greatly affect the type of home you want to live in. If you want to travel, then a smaller home with less upkeep would be a smart choice. “Many clients who come see me, their number one goal is to travel. How much of a house do you need if you’re going to be traveling a lot?” comments Schwartz.

When making a decision like this, look at all the elements of your personal situation. Not only do you need to look at the practical side, but also how you feel about this decision. Important factors to include are financial, health, family and lifestyle.

“This is a huge decision that can affect your health and longevity. I come back to: Take time, learn all you can, asses it, and make the best decision possible. And then find that love, safety, and belonging in your new or your same home again,” advises Schwartz.

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Several Reasons To Purchase a Home This Winter

 It has been said that springtime is the perfect time to buy or sell a home, but is this always the case? Not necessarily, while springtime is the most popular time, winter months can work in a home buyer’s or seller’s favor. This can include having more time on your side to decide, not as much competition, and real estate agents have more time to focus on just you. Here are several reasons that this winter might be the right time to purchase a home.

1. Winter-Tested Houses

The winter brings harsh cold weather to most every area in the US. During the harsher cold weather, a home inspector can see the home’s flaws a little better. If you close on a home in the summer, you might have some surprises in store next winter. Professionals in the industry will tell you that the best time for a property inspection is during the rain and snow.

2. Motivate Sellers

Inventory is fairly low and slow in the winter. If someone puts their home on the market in the winter it usually means they are a motivated seller. If you are in the market for a new home, sellers will be more prone to accept offers and negotiate more on the price and closing costs during the slow winter months.

3. Fewer Buyers

The winter months are a great time to hibernate indoors so to speak. This means that there are fewer buyers out there during the colder months that are looking for a home to buy. You definitely will have less competition in the housing market during the winter. This means you can take your time and make sure you are not rushed into making an offer.

4. Available Realtors

Since winter is considered an “off-season” for realtors, this means that realtors have more time on their hands to devote to you and your search. A realtor will not only be able to devote more time but also support your specific home search.

5. Discounting Movers

Colder winter months are also slow for professional movers. This means that many movers might give company discounts for their services during this time. Since they will also have a lighter schedule, they will have more free time so they should be able to accommodate when you would like to move.

If you are ready to move before the spring, contact a local real estate agent who can help you with the home-buying process. A realtor can not only find you the home of your dreams but can get it at the right price and right terms.

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