5 simple ideas for an easy outdoor update

KIMBER WATSON

I consider my porch to be an extension of my home. When putting it together I thought about how I would be spending my time there and outfitted it with those essentials early on. But just like inside our homes, an occasional tweak to your outdoor space can produce dramatic results. Here are five different ways to give yours a subtle but refreshing makeover.

                                       

1. Go Green -  My porch has always had a few plants on it here or there.  Every season I add a new container garden to greet you as you walk up the steps, and I love a good hanging fern to add a touch of southern appeal. This season I changed  the vibe up totally by moving the majority of my houseplants to the front porch instead of spreading them throughout my garden. Thanks to a huge collection of plants and one happy ficus tree, I now relax in an outdoor oasis of greenery. (Photos 1 & 2)

2. Think Symmetrically - Many of us are naturally drawn to symmetry. Why?  It's generally calming and pleasing to the eye and can make a small space feel bigger. We often incorporate symmetry into our homes, so why not our outdoor living spaces?  If you only have one sofa or a porch swing, you can add symmetry by flanking the furniture with potted plants or small end tables.  If you have room for multiple chairs or sofas, just try rearranging them for an easy fix. (Photo 3)

3. Go Bright - Everybody knows throwing in a bright pop of color can give you the wow factor you never realized you were missing. You could forgo a permanent fix by just adding color in the form of bright pillows or a rug, but if you're feeling adventurous, consider painting your door or ceiling a bold color. (Photos 4 & 5)

 

4. Add Layers of Texture - Unlike color, which often makes a bold statement, texture may not be quite as obvious, but can still make a big impact.  Texture can add dimension to a space, create harmony between different elements, or serve as a focal point. Consciously adding layered and contrasting textures is a quick way to transform a room, especially outdoors where texture is easy to come by. Maybe you have an old bench that is beyond saving.  Why not swap it out for a crocheted hammock or rattan hanging chair?  If your porch floors have seen better days, consider adding an outdoor rug. I have a Mad Mat (similar to the one shown in image 8) that served its purpose so well, I decided to leave it in place even after my porch floor was restored. This type of recycled plastic rug adds so much interest, my porch seemed boring without it.  You could also switch out your dull plastic plant pots for embellished ceramic pots with funky glazes or stick your current plastic pots inside seagrass baskets. (Photos 6,7 & 8)

                  

5. Let There Be Light - I don't know what it is, but I love lights of all kinds in my outdoor spaces. String lights, lanterns, or a stake light in a potted plant can all be super easy ways to do this. I usually use solar lights which don't tend to be as luminous, so I never feel overwhelmed by the brightness. I love the idea of adding strands of light to each slat of the porch trellis for an over-the-top party vibe (as seen in image 10 above). If you have a bigger budget, consider installing a ceiling fan with a light. If you already have a ceiling or porch light, you could switch to a colored blue or purple bulb for a moody atmosphere.  (Photos 9 & 10)

Try incorporating one or two of these ideas to see how it transforms your outdoor space. You might find the end result was the outcome you were looking for (like me), or maybe you're so impressed with your simple update you'll want to try all five.

What Home Buyers Don’t Know Could Cost Them

With the housing recovery now well underway — housing starts are up; builder confidence is at a 7-year high; there are fewer foreclosures; and home prices continue to rise — you may be inspired to get off the fence and buy that dream home. But are you really prepared? Here are a few things you may not know — and what you don’t know could potentially cost you.

Credit score

By Vera Gibbons | Zillow 

When was the last time you checked your credit score? Any idea how good or bad it is? Are there any errors on your report that need to be fixed? Long before you begin to house hunt, you need to know where you stand. The higher your score, the better your interest rate. Get a copy of your report — for free — at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Mortgages

An astounding one-third of home buyers surveyed by Zillow are ill-prepared to get a mortgage. Among the findings: 34 percent of first-time home buyers are not aware that it is possible to get a home loan with a down payment of less than 5 percent; 26 percent of home buyers incorrectly believe that they are obligated to close their loan with the lender that pre-approved them; and 24 percent incorrectly believe that the best interest rates and fees can always be found through the bank where they currently do business. You have to shop around! Get multiple quotes, understand rates and fees, and read lender reviews online.

Competition

With the number of homes for sale at historically low levels, all-cash buyers — typically investors eager to renovate and resell or rent out homes — are jumping into this rapidly rising market. And they’re swooping up homes like there’s no tomorrow!  Don’t underestimate this deep-pocketed competition, but don’t take unnecessary risks (such as waiving inspection contingencies, for example), either, simply for the sake of getting your piece of the American Dream. You may be inviting trouble, and that trouble could be costly.

Price

Yes, you guessed it. Because there’s not much to look at these days (just a few months’ supply in some markets!), and you’re up against stiff competition, you could easily end up paying more than you bargained for. Don’t bust your budget! Your monthly mortgage payment should be 25 percent or less of your monthly take-home pay. Run the numbers using Zillow’s mortgage calculators.

NAR: Pending home sales surge to six-year high

WASHINGTON – June 27, 2013 – Pending home sales rose in May to the highest level since late 2006, implying a possible spark as mortgage interest rates began to rise, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).

The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 6.7 percent to 112.3 in May from a downwardly revised 105.2 in April, and is 12.1 percent above May 2012 when it was 100.2; the data reflect contracts but not closings.

Contract activity is at the strongest pace since December 2006 when it reached 112.8; pending sales have been above year-ago levels for the past 25 months.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said there might be a fence-jumping effect.

“Even with limited choices, it appears some of the rise in contract signings could be from buyers wanting to take advantage of current affordability conditions before mortgage interest rates move higher,” Yun says. “This implies a continuation of double-digit price increases from a year earlier, with a strong push from pent-up demand.”

Yun upgraded NAR’s price forecast for 2013, with the national median existing-home price expected to rise more than 10 percent to nearly $195,000. This would be the strongest increase since 2005 when the median increased 12.4 percent.

Existing-home sales are projected to increase 8.5 to 9 percent, reaching about 5.07 million in 2013. That would make existing-home sales the highest in seven years and slightly above the 5.03 million total recorded in 2007.

The pending sales index in the Northeast was unchanged at 92.3 in May, but it’s still 14.3 percent above a year ago. In the Midwest, the index jumped 10.2 percent to 115.5 in May and it’s 22.2 percent higher than May 2012.

Pending home sales in the South rose 2.8 percent to an index of 121.8 in May and 12.3 percent above a year ago. The index in the West jumped 16.0 percent in May to 109.7, but with limited inventory, it’s only 1.1 percent above May 2012.

© 2013 Florida Realtors®

Explore The World's Tallest Building In Google Street View

By Kraig Becker (RSS feed) on Jun 25th 2013 at 8:00AM

Nicolas Lannuzel

At 2722 feet in height, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world and quite an impressive feat of modern engineering. Since its opening in 2010, the glass and metal spire has become an iconic structure, even managing to stand out in a city that is known for its over-the-top architecture. Most of us will probably never get an opportunity to see it in person, let alone step inside, but now, thanks to Google Street View, we can still explore the building in all of its glory.

Yesterday, Google added the Burj to the ever growing number of places that it has cataloged and put online as part of Street View. The building is the first ever skyscraper to make the cut and the first place in the Arab World to be added as well.

In order to capture the Burj for use in Street View, Google employees spent three days walking in and around the building while wearing the Trekker backpack. That device, which has been specially built for capturing places that the Street View cars can't go, shoots 360° panoramic photos that are later incorporated into the system. In this case, it captured the view from the observation tower on the 124th floor as well as from the world's highest swimming pool on the seventh floor, amongst various other locations throughout the building.

You can begin your exploration of the Burj by clicking here. But before you do, check out the video below that gives you a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at this amazing structure and the lengths Google had to go to capture it.

'Dirty Dancing' Hotel In Ruins

by Megan Fernandez (RSS feed) on Jun 25th 2013 at 10:00AM

      Will Ellis, AbandonedNYC.com

                                                                                                                                                                                     When the Housemans put Baby in a corner, at least it was a sanitary and safe space. Now the corners at Kellerman's aren't even fit for a lowlife like Robbie Gould. Grossinger's Catskills Resort, a once-bucolic family playground in New York said to have inspired the setting in "Dirty Dancing," sits in a state of crumbled, rotted emptiness, according to the Daily Mail (viaAbandoned NYC).

The wholesome summer vacation depicted in the movie, one of privileged families learning the fox trot together and dressing up for dinner, was ancient history by the film's 1987 premiere, yet Grossinger's didn't close until the year before, according to Abandoned NYC. Since then, the property has been left to decay. Where vacationers used to have the time of their lives, debris covers the floor, mattresses lie bare and wallpaper slumps to the ground. But there are also signs of its former beauty, such as Mondrian wall tiles remaining in the salon.

"Dirty Dancing" was filmed at a different mountain lodge, but reportedly a summer at Grossinger's inspired the story. Will Ellis of Abandoned NYC, who took the photos used by the Daily Mail, wrote last year that the resort had another claim to fame besides its connection to Baby and Johnny: it was the first place to use artificial snow, in 1952.

A few commenters on the Daily Mail photo gallery call the story fake because some of the images also appeared in the paper's photo gallery of Creedmoor State Hospital, a former mental hospital in Brooklyn. Abandoned NYC provided the Creedmoor photos, too, and Ellis confirmed that the Grossinger's photos are authentic. It appears as though the paper mistakenly labeled some of the resort photos as the psychiatric center. The explanation makes sense, as Ellis points out: "It's the first I've heard of a luxury spa and swimming pool in a state-run mental institution!" Here's hoping the Creedmoor patients at least got to meet a hot dance instructor every now and then.

New home sales hit fastest pace in 5 years

WASHINGTON – June 25, 2013 – Sales of new homes rose in May to the fastest pace in five years, a solid gain that added to signs of a steadily improving housing market.

New home sales rose 2.1 percent last month compared with April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 476,000, the highest level since July 2008, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

The median price of a new home sold in May was $263,900, up 3.3 percent from a year ago.

Sales of new homes remain below the 700,000 annual rate that’s considered healthy by most economists. But the pace has increased 29 percent from a year ago.

Analysts say the housing recovery is looking more sustainable and should continue to boost economic growth this year, offsetting some drag from higher taxes and federal spending cuts.

The sales gains in May were led by a 40.7 percent increase in the Midwest followed by a 20.7 percent gain in the Northeast. Sales were also up 3.6 percent in the West but they fell 9 percent in the South.

The inventory of unsold homes rose 2.5 percent to 161,000 in May, the highest level since August 2011 but still just 13 percent higher than the record low for inventories set in July 2012. Prices of new homes have been rising in part because more people are bidding on a limited number of homes.

The National Association of Realtors reported last week that sales of previously occupied homes surpassed 5 million in May. It was the first time that’s happened in 3 1/2 years.

Sales of previously owned homes rose to an annual rate of 5.18 million in May. The last time sales had exceeded 5 million was in November 2009, a month when the pending expiration of a home-buying tax credit briefly inflated sales.

Steady hiring and low mortgage rates have encouraged more people to buy homes. And with demand up, prices rising and few homes on the market, builders have grown more optimistic about their prospects, leading to more construction and jobs.

Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cited the housing gains as a major reason the Fed’s economic outlook has brightened.

Still, mortgage rates have jumped in recent weeks. And they’re expected to rise further now that the Fed has signaled it plans to scale back its bond purchases this year if the economy continues to strengthen. A pullback in the bond purchases would likely send long-term borrowing rates up. Higher mortgage rates could slow some of the housing market’s momentum.

For now, a brighter outlook for housing has made builders more optimistic. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index rose in June to 52, up from 44 in May.

That was the highest reading in more than seven years and the largest monthly increase in more than a decade. A reading above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good rather than poor.
 Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press, Martin Crutsinger, AP economics writer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Celebrity real estate: Jodie Foster lists super private residence

Zillow

Jodie Foster has listed her Hollywood Hills home for $6.399 million.

This week, Jodie Foster listed her super-private residence and both Billy Joel and Rosie O’Donnell sold South Florida estates.

Jodie Foster sells renovated Hollywood Hills home
For a celebrity known for keeping her private life private, a home can serve as a window into the past. Such is the case with Jodie Foster’s Hollywood Hills home, now on the market for $6.399 million.

The 50-year-old actress, director and producer has let her resume do most of the talking. But her personal life made headlines while she was living at 9219 Flicker Way, Los Angeles, Calif. 90069.

Foster was set to play the lead in “Double Jeopardy,” when word quickly spread that she was pregnant with her first son, Charlie, raising questions about paternity and conception. Fortunately, Foster had an escape from the paparazzi in her new Spanish villa, which could be discretely accessed from a rear-gated driveway.

The home, located in the distinguished Bird Streets, has 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half-baths and an attached guest suite — plenty of room for her new baby and partner at the time, Cydney Bernard.

“The Silence of the Lambs” star reportedly updated part of the home soon after she bought it in 1997, while maintaining its 1930s Spanish style. Overhead beams, brick patios and a backyard pool are a few highlights, as well as a large media screening/kids’ play room.

With her second son, Christopher “Kit” Foster, entering his teenage years, Foster isn’t an empty nester quite yet. Last year she bought a new Beverly Hills home for $11.75 million, which will likely become her new primary residence.

Zillow

Rosie O'Donnell sold her waterfront Florida property for $12.675 million.

Rosie O’Donnell sells Star Island home
Rosie O’Donnell has also sold her waterfront property, this one on Star Island, for $12.675 million. The same day her show on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN TV Network was canceled in April 2012, O’Donnell listed the 1.1-acre estate for $19.5 million.

Surrounded by lush tropical landscaping, the estate features a 11,035-square-foot main house, two private guesthouses, a pool and 203 feet of beachfront property. O’Donnell bought the place in 1999 for $6.79 million and has done extensive upgrades over the years, including a gourmet kitchen and custom millwork.

Zillow

Billy Joel just sold his La Gorce Island home for nearly $14 million.

Billy Joel’s La Gorce Island home sells
Billy Joel just sold his La Gorce Island home for nearly $14 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Piano Man bought the 7,856-square-foot Mediterranean mansion for $13.5 million in 2006. Six years later, he listed the beachfront property for $14.75 million.

With 7 bedrooms, 8.5 baths, a wine bar, covered poolside patio and private courtyard — not to mention 165 feet of beach looking out over Biscayne Bay — the home looks more like a five-star resort than a vacation home. Located in a popular spot for A-list celebs and Wall Street bigwigs, Joel was neighbors with Cher, who previously owned a home down the street.

Joel and O’Donnell join a handful of celebs who have listed or sold their South Florida homes over the past month. Alex Rodriguez made headlines for selling his modern Palm Beach home for $30 million, while Olivia Newton-John decided to list the home she moved into after marrying John Easterling in 2008.

Catherine Sherman, a real estate writer for Zillow Blog, covers celebrity real estate, industry trends and home improvement tips. Read more of her work here.

Editor's note: This story bylined incorrectly when published. Zillow'sCatherine Sherman wrote this post.