Design Features and Trends Are Being Used by Innovative Builders

Luckily the housing market is picking up along with home construction. Now is a great time to become a new homeowner. As a new home buyer, you will want to look for these five up and coming latest trends. These design features and trends are being used by innovative builders, remodelers and architects in new home construction. The trends which were seen at the 2015 St. Tammany Parish Parade of Homes and which will also be seen at the New Orleans Parade of Homes are based on National Association of Home Builders “Best in American Living Awards.”

Do not fear!  If you are already a homeowner, this doesn’t mean you are left out of the loop. Just because these five design trends are used by the professionals in new construction, doesn’t mean you cannot incorporate them into your own home with a build-on addition or remodel.
First on the list is a white-on-white kitchens.  Whether you have a traditional or modern style home, this trend is popular in both.  Think white on white on white.  Designers are taking white cabinets, paring them with white countertops with a white backsplash and finishing it off with all white trim.  Ron Lee Homes incorporates a variety of materials (stone, ceramic tile, glass, and granite) to incorporate this look in kitchens and master baths, specifically.

Second is a double-island kitchen.  Once again it doesn’t matter what style home you live in, you are seeing more than one island in a kitchen.  Many times one island is used for cooking and preparing the food while the other is used for serving and dining. The second island can serve a dual function as a home work or hobby space.  In new homes built by St. Tammany Parish builder, Ron Lee Homes, you will see many of our kitchens use a double island and breakfast bar.  The island usually includes a sink as well as a dishwasher or warming oven / drawer.  The breakfast bar is attached to the island and normally flows into the family room – a perfect place for families to gather and socialize.

Third design is centered bathtubs and walk in showers.  If you visit a spa, this is often what is seen in these well designed relaxing atmospheres. Professionals are now taking the trend into the home.  Tubs are becoming a central focal piece and walk in showers are taking the place of a shower stall. Ron Lee Homes uses oversized showers and custom, hand-laid ceramic tile or stone.  Our home buyers request specific shower heads and sprays as well as seating areas inside these large shower spaces.  Also, glass doors or even “windows” are also popular with our new custom home designs.

Fourth is old world style meets modern contemporary. This is done by taking natural elements mixed with contemporary materials which soften the hard modern design.  Wood, steel and glass are popular materials being used in this trend.  In new custom homes, cypress beams and unfinished cypress fireplace mantles have been very popular in a few of our newly built custom homes.  Also, we enjoy mixing and matching materials on the fireplace surround, fireplace mantle, and built-in bookshelves.
Last is indoor-outdoor living. This trend is starting to be seen no matter what climate you live in.  Home buyers love to see a design that incorporates the outside view.  Indoor-outdoor transitional spaces can be easily added by using screens and removable/foldable walls.  In a few of the recent new homes built by Ron Lee Homes in St. Tammany Parish, we have incorporated screened-in porches that are “livable” – complete with a television, that open to outdoor patios with outdoor cooking areas.  We have even built outdoor kitchens inside of screened in porches upon request.

Ron Lee Homes takes pride in constantly staying on the cutting edge of residential building design and remodeling.  If you are interested in seeing a new, custom home built with these trends released by the National Association of Home Builders, take a tour of some of our newly built homes in Mandeville, Covington, and Madisonville.  To find out more, call 985-626-7619 or E-mail Info@RonLeeHomes.com.

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Five Remodel Ideas That Will Enhance the Value of Your Home

How do you remodel with a tight budget when it comes to home improvement? Need to find ways to stretch the dollar when it comes to your remodeling plans? Here are five remodel ideas that will enhance the value of your home.
First and foremost, we start with the heart of the home – the kitchen. Whether you are remodeling for your personal enjoyment or for the resale of your home, it is best to keep a happy medium in your design ideas – unless you never plan on selling your home. A good way to keep remodeling costs down is to use your existing kitchen layout. A little makeover on countertops and cabinets can go a long way. Re-facing your existing cabinets can refresh the overall look of your kitchen. If your cabinets are just too old or not worth keeping, go with ready-to-assemble cabinets which cost half of what new custom cabinets will run you. Countertops can also eat up your budget. Using two different surfaces in your kitchen can keep the cost low. A good way to do this is to use a solid surface on your countertops while using butcher block on your island top. A great benefit for you as the homeowner as well as a potential buyer (if you are looking to sell) is to add Energy Star® appliances. This will not only help with the aesthetic look of the kitchen, but it will also lower your utility bills.

Second, you can never go wrong with adding more square footage to your living space. This will increase your home’s value as well as the quality of your living space. When adding living space, keep in mind the cost can add up. You will need to think about the cost of removing existing walls, moving / adding electric and or plumbing, adding to your foundation, adding a new roof, adding windows, and adding new exterior siding. A word to the wise, a successful addition looks like part of the original structure. Keep this in mind when planning the location, choosing materials, and adding to the existing roof line.

The third thing on the list is curb appeal. First impressions go a long way. The first thing anyone sees is your home’s exterior. There are many solutions to creating a great look for both your home’s exterior and landscape. Make sure your yard is clean and neat by cleaning out overgrown plants, bushes and trees. Painting your home’s exterior can update your home’s look by giving it a nice facelift. If the budget does not allow for a new paint job, a good pressure wash to your siding will dramatically change the outside appearance of your home. To take it one step further, you can add a new entry door, change out old windows, add a front porch, or add dormers which will give your front elevation a new look without completely renovating the whole exterior.

Fourth but oh so important, is the master suite. Anyone buying a home will tell you that their sleeping quarters are very important. If you already have a master bedroom, an update will boost its appearance, making it a more inviting space to spend time in. By doing a few simple things such as painting, replacing the flooring, adding new accessories, and changing the lighting you can create a whole new look to your master bedroom. However, be careful with the choice of paint colors. Muted but distinct colors fit best in a master bedroom for resale purposes. If you do not have a master suite, consider adding one. Things to contemplate when adding a master suite are the location of your new room, if you would like a sitting area, window and door placements, what kind of ceiling you would like, and your lighting.

The last remodel area is where we spend a great deal of time – the bathroom. If your budget is a concern, the focus should go to the powder room and master bathroom remodel first. Stick to the old floorplan. Removing walls, moving bathtubs, sinks and toilets can be a huge cost. Go for cosmetic changes. New paint, new plumbing fixtures, new tile and lighting can enhance your existing bathroom. A great way to stretch your dollar is to use a flat mirror with two lighted sconces instead of a mirrored cabinet with a row of lights. Use plain simple white tile in your shower with a glass colored border which gives it an updated look without spending huge bucks. Regarding paint, this is one area where big, bold colors are a great way to make a huge impact.

If you are considering remodeling your home in St. Tammany Parish, Ron Lee Homes now offers a complete remodeling service.  Contact Ron Lee Homes today to learn more about our remodeling process.  Call 985-626-7619 or E-mail Info@RonLeeHomes.com.

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Sell Your Existing Home With Home Staging Techniques

In order to be able to upgrade your existing home to a second or even new third home buy, you will need to be able to sell your existing home with home staging techniques.  It can be a hassle to constantly have your home “show-ready,” so you in order to get as quick a home sale as possible, you will want to use the following advice on tips and tools to prep your home for sale.
Every detail, no matter how small, is important when staging your home.  Buyers want to be able to picture living in the space. When deciding to list your house for sale, remember, you will sell your house faster, and for more money, if you add interior decorating techniques that will make a home buyer visualize each room of your home’s space.

When selling a home, first begin with the basics and begin with one of life’s necessary chores – cleaning.  A dirty house is not inviting to anyone. Wild paint colors can be a distraction.  You may love your home decorating skills but others may not. Repaint with neutral colors for a nice clean slate. One thing to think about before adding your new paint job is to make any necessary repairs to damaged walls or trim.

De-clutter your home. Think sensory overload – this is not what you want to create for your potential new home buyer. Small knickknacks create clutter which creates chaos. Simple clean lines create a calm inviting feel. Depersonalize your home for sale.  Remove all family photos, or collectables – you want a blank canvas for the buyer to fill in with their ideas to personalize the space and make this their new home. A clean, newly painted, de-cluttered and depersonalized house for sale will give you an edge over some of your competition.

Now, to win over all your competition you must go the extra mile. You want to “wow” your buyer in the first five minutes. If they walk through the door and think to themselves, “I don’t see it,” you have lost a potential buyer.  The following tips will help you stand out from the other houses for sale in your neighborhood.

1. Ever hear the old saying, “Home is where the heart is”?  You want to entice your buyer to visualize the good life they would live in that space. Set up a board game in the family room or stage a potential garden party in the backyard with margarita glasses and festive linens.  You want your buyer to feel like they can sit down and relax in the space.
2. Use the “Rule of Three” when redecorating for the sale of your home.  Remember, you want your home to look natural and flow.  Decorators will tell you that an odd number will give you a good balance.  Too much symmetry makes a space look too stale and too cold, basically uninviting. Barb Schwarz, owner of Stagedhomes.com suggests, “When arranging tablescapes, go with three items of three different heights, in a triangle.”
3. Keep your buyers focused on the space, not what’s in the space.  Do not leave any interesting reading material out for them to browse through, taking their mind off the task at hand.  If you choose to display any reading materials, a great idea is to use decorating, gardening or home magazines. Make sure any books or magazines that are displayed are appropriate and will not offend anyone, turning the buyer off.
4. The master suite is one of the more important spaces in the house. Play the angles of a room and tastefully accessorize the space with stylish, if minimal decorations.  Putting furniture at an angle can break up a stagnant room.  Spruce up the master bed with decorative pillows. Think about how a luxury bathroom or spa is set up.  Take new thick bath towels and display them in the bathroom.  Tie the towels on the towel racks with raffia, tulle or thick ribbons.  Also place the towels on the edge of the bath with new soap and a loofah on top of them. Clean out your cluttered closets.  Only leave seasonal garments with matching non-wire hangers. Organize your shoes and have absolutely no dirty laundry visible.
5. Another very important room is the kitchen.  You want the kitchen to feel clean and open.  You can do this by removing a lot of the stuff you normally use on your kitchen counters and just have basic decorative pieces such as plants, towels, some canisters, and maybe a cookbook. Clean out and organize your refrigerator, pantry, shelves and drawers; your goal is to have some empty space.  This gives the illusion that there is room to spare. Schwarz suggests, “My go-to touch is a white rectangular plate with three pieces of the same fruit spaced evenly on it–peaches, pears, apples.”  Let the buyer envision themselves cooking in the space with an open cookbook placed on an easel.

Remember you do not have to completely do an overhaul by renovating your home for sale or remodeling your home for sale.  By following the guidelines mentioned, you can accomplish a new look to your house. As a seller you want to master the “lived-in-without-looking-lived-in” look. Sellers can expect to experience stiff competition with other home sellers, so they should put their best and most creative “foot forward” when staging their home for sale.

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Designer of Terra Bella Village to Create Lakefront Traditional Neighborhood Development

The term, traditional neighborhood development, evolved out of the concept of urban planning which included designing a “small town” within larger cities that has its own town center as well as commercial, retail, residential, and sometimes rental opportunities for its residents.  Walk to where you work and play became the buzz words for these urban and suburban communities.  Now, in Mandeville, Louisiana urban architect Steve Oubre, of Architects Southwest is set as the designer of terra bella village to create lakefront traditional neighborhood development plans for the site of the now abandoned industrial concrete plant.

Located just east of the Causeway Bridge, the plant was used to fabricate the concrete sections and

pillars for the Causeway Bridge, which was originally built in 1956.  The plant has not operated as an industrial concrete fabrication site since 1984.  Drs Michael and Marcus Pittman purchased the property at sheriff’s auction that same year.  In 2011, they commenced a massive cleanup effort to prep the land for development.

Three planning  meetings have been scheduled by Architects Southwest, the developers, and interested community groups and residents of Mandeville on April 7th, April 9th, and April 13th.  Steve Oubre spoke at the first meeting on April 7th and presented a 90-minute powerpoint explaining the vision of this new community.  After extensive market studies, high-rise towers were eliminated from the plan, and the vision now includes retails shops, housing units, a hotel, and a marina on the lakefront location all centered around the town center, just like the traditional neighborhood developments he designed both in Lafayette, LA and Covington, Louisiana.

Once community feedback has been received, it’s “back to the drawing board” to actually draw up plans and renderings to present to the Mandeville City Council and the St. Tammany Parish government for ultimate approval to begin construction. Homeowners in Mandeville can expect property values to appreciate with the construction of several hundred housing units if the engineered plans are approved.

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Multiple Reasons for Optimism in the Housing Market

Home builders nationwide have a reason to celebrate – it’s beginning to look a lot like a seller’s market once again in the current real estate market.  According to statistics, the monthly supply of homes ready to be purchased on the market has dropped below a 5 months supply.  The tightening of inventory will promote quick sales as well as an eventual increase in home prices as demand will soon outweigh supply.
Potential home buyers will be able to purchase these new homes for sale as well as existing homes for sale because of an easing of credit requirements and down payment requirements both for FHA and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loans.  Decisions are being made to introduce loan packages that will offer down payment assistance to home buyers as well.

Another huge factor in supply and demand is the dramatic increase in household formation which means that more people will be out looking to establish a residence whether it is in an apartment or buying a home.  Millennials that were unable to get a job “right out of college” have started to move out of roommate or parent / relative living arrangements because of the new availability of employment nationwide.  The percentage of Millennials looking to get their own place increased by 11% from November to March according to surveys.

Finally, even though housing starts have been stymied by the unusually brutal winter weather, housing sales as of February reported a 7.8% sales increase on a monthly basis for new home sales and a 1.2 sales increase on a monthly basis for previously owned homes.

Wall Street is reflecting this sentiment with the iShares Dow Jones U. S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) showing a new 7.5 year high which is a reflection of the averaging out of home pricing gains which were on a roller coaster ride as the economy recovered.  Investors are interested in housing shares once again as the real estate market is showing true signs of recovery.  Overall there are multiple reasons for optimism in the housing market

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New Home Buyers Can Make More Flexible and Informed Mortgage Decisions

As credit requirements and down payment requirements become more feasible for first-time home buyers as well as conventional loan buyers, new home buyers can make more flexible and informed mortgage decisions about the type of loan that they would like to use making their purchase.  First-time home buyers can enjoy the benefits of using a loan offered by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae or even an FHA loan.  These loans typically reduce the amount of money that must be brought to the table and make it more affordable to buy a home.

Other home buyers can also use an FHA loan if they meet the time period requirements between the purchase of their existing home and the purchase of a new home.  Also, for the veterans, the VA loan is an incredible opportunity to become a homeowner and start establishing home equity.  Regardless of the type of loan you use when you buy your home, you still have to make a decision about the terms of your loan.  Interest rate, purchased points, ARM vs. standard, and time periods come into play when you are making your decision.  Below are some of the reasons that using a 15-year loan vs. a 30-year fixed loan can be beneficial to your long-term financial situation.

15-Year Home Loans:

1. Pay Off Your Home More Quickly:  If you are in a position to make a higher monthly payment (you have a lot of residual income each month, you have no financial responsibilities for multiple children’s expenses, you have a really low loan amount because you had a lot of equity when you purchased your home, etc.), you will want to consider using a 15-year loan.  Even though the payments will be higher each month, you will save 10’s of thousands of dollars in interest.  If you are near retirement age, you may want to pay off your home quicker so that you don’t have to make loan payments with a social security benefit check.

2. Faster Equity Accrual:  Because the way that a 15-year mortgage is structured, you are making a huge dent in your principal and interest for every loan payment that you make.  Because your payments are higher, you are also paying off more principle, more quickly, thereby creating “instant” home equity by being in a shorter-term loan.

3. Pay Less Interest Overall: Have you ever looked at a Federal Truth in Lending page and wondered how in the world you ended up with $120,000 interest on a $200,000 loan?  With a 15-year mortgage, you pay significantly less interest over the life of the loan because you are cutting the time in half and increasing the amount you pay.

4. Lower Money Up Front: 15-year loans can require less money up front because they require a less stringent loan-to-value (LTV) ratio – 95% vs. 80%.  This means you can finance up to 95% of the value of your loan.  Also, 15-year mortgages typically have better interest rates because they deem the buyer more financially stable and responsible to make higher monthly payments.

5. Multiple Loan Types From Which to Choose: You can get many different types of 15-year loans – FHA loans, conventional loans backed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and VA loans.  You can pretty much select to turn any type of loan into a 15-year mortgage vs. a 30-year fixed mortgage.
If you are in the market for a new home for sale in the St. Tammany Parish area, you may want to consider building a new custom home in the cities of Mandeville, Madisonville, Covington, and Abita Springs on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.  For more information about building a new home and using a 15-year loan, Contact Us at 985-626-7619 or E-mail Info@RonLeeHomes.com.

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Ways to Maximize Your Home’s Marketability

It’s time to sell your home because you are ready to move on, move up, or move out of state and relocate.  Since real estate has been on the steady track to recovery, chances are good that your home will sell relatively fast in this emerging market.  However, there are ways to maximize your home’s marketability to be able to compete against all of the other home owners who are having the exact same hopeful thoughts as  yourself.  Take note of the concepts below when you are preparing your home for sale.

Keep it Simple:
The way to sell a home successfully to a potential home buyer is to help them imagine their furniture, children, pets, friends, and life in your currently occupied space.  You may want to consider going ahead and packing away the items in your home that make you “uniquely you,” which could include African animal heads on the wall, an extensive doll or teddy bear collection, or a series of books from a particular author alphabetized on your bookshelves.  You never know what people may find strange or offensive, so you want to minimize their exposure to these types of personal belongings.  In the kitchen, living room, and even your master bedroom, get rid of the clutter and clean up the surfaces to allow buyers to “fill up” the spaces with their imaginary lives.
 
Keep it Clean:
This may be a common sense concept for many home sellers, but your definition of clean and a potential home buyer’s concept of clean may be totally different.  Don’t take any chances: go from the outside in and the floor up.  You don’t necessarily have to hire someone to pressure wash the exterior of your home to clean it up, although, here in Louisiana, homes can accumulate mildew in

less than 2 year’s time, so it might be time for a thorough cleaning.  If you want to put some elbow grease into it, you can actually just mix up buckets of lightly bleached water and using a long-handled scrubbing tool for those stubbornly stuck-on spots, you can “wash” the exterior of your home to make the paint look fresh and almost new.  More work can be done by washing your windows both on the outside and the inside, making your floorplan more light and airy while also making the glass sparkle.  Vacuum and MOP your floors on the inside of the home – this will make your home smell fresh as well.  You can either rent a steam cleaner with a scented deodorizer in it or use a powder deodorizer in your vacuum cleaner for your carpets.  Once you have scrubbed every inch of every surface in your home, cover up any remaining odors and put your best foot forward by buying plug-in’s for each room.  They are very powerful and will probably last for the hopefully 30 – 45 days it will take to sell your home.  You never get a second chance to make an excellent first impression.

Keep it Maintenanced
There is a good chance that it will rain in Louisiana while you are trying to sell your home – a chance that it may even rain very hard.  You will want to make sure that your home is kept in good repair throughout the entire selling process.  Before you even start the cleaning process, make sure you REPLACE damaged parts of your home – this includes dents in the walls, water leaks, cracked door or window frames, broken windows, and chipped formica or granite.  If you are not selling your home as a KNOWN, as-is renovation project, you don’t want a buyer to bypass purchasing your home because they see that work will have to be done as soon as they move in.  When selling a previously-owned home, there may be an understanding that it has already been lived in by other people, but you want to give them the illusion that they are buying a home that is in superior condition and will need little to no work at all.

Keep it Exposed
If you use the Internet for professional or personal use, you know that there are websites out there which maximize your home’s marketability through the use of social media.  You can be your own online agent for your home by taking excellent pictures (or having your really talented photographer friend take pictures) of your home and then posting to your personal social media pages.  If you do not yet have an online presence, ask one of your tech-savvy friends to help you by posting the listing for your.  In addition to social media, you can also sign up for real estate websites for free such as trulia.com, zillow.com, activerain.com, and redfin.com to post just your house for sale on the Internet.  Remember, the more pictures and descriptive information that you add, the more your listing will show up in the search results.
After all of your hard work, and your new home sells; you may be interested in building a new custom home on a lot in one of the excellent subdivisions in St. Tammany Parish.  You can Contact Ron Lee Homes at 985-626-7619 or E-mail Info@RonLeeHomes.com to get started on building your new home.

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