Sandwiched between art nouveau and art deco chronologically, the American Arts and Crafts movement revolted against the mass production of home goods and the overcomplicated design style of the Victorian era. This design era favored originality, craftsmanship, simple forms and local and natural materials. Read and see more here.
Trends
Patios, porches, decks, terraces and verandas are lovely things. Too often we just toss out a few chairs, and perhaps a table and call it a day. These beautiful spaces are often neglected and not utilized to their fullest potential. When the weather starts to get warmer, we absolutely should take advantage and turn this outdoor space into an additional, usable living space. Read more here.
Home purchase contracts in New Jersey soared in April, recording a 28% increase compared to one year ago. Given that the pace of sales rose by 23% in April-2012, purchase demand has expanded by an astounding 58% over the past 2 years. The “buy now, pay less” mood among home buyers is creating a sense-of-urgency that is likely to raise purchase demand in 2013 to pre-recession levels last seen in 2006.
The New York Times says: Americans are in a buying mood, thanks largely to the housing recovery. Housing prices rose in every one of the 20 cities tracked, continuing a trend that began three months ago. Similar strength has appeared in new and existing home sales and in building permits. Read more here.
If you’re thinking about renovating your bathroom, check out what experts say are the hottest bathroom trends today. Read more here.
Homeowners who regularly cook and entertain need kitchen spaces that are functional, efficient and beautiful. Even if your culinary creations are more often inspired by Chef Boyardee than Chef Gordon Ramsey, the right layout, surfaces, sinks, storage and appliances can make your kitchen a star. Read more here.
Home appraisals can make or break a sale or refinancing. In particular, low appraisals are a big problem for many would-be buyers and refinancers as home values have started to stabilize and rise in most markets. Click here to read what you can do.
We can’t resist commenting on the story which appeared in the Wall Street Journal a while back regarding Colby Sambrotto, the founder and former CEO of forsalebyowner.com. It seems the founding father and lifelong evangelist of the concept of selling your home without a real estate agent was forced to hire a broker to sell his home after failing at what he preaches others should do. The rest of the story here.
While sellers sometimes make emotional mistakes, the reality is that a hot market like today’s creates massive competition among buyers, and can lead to a slippery slope of decision-making that leads to later regrets. Let’s take a look at the most common real estate regrets revealed in this new Trulia report, and what they can teach today’s home buyers about making real estate decisions they feel good about in the long run. Read more here.
A bathroom renovation is an exciting task. But before jumping to choosing the latest tile or bathtub design, there are some less exciting things to consider so your project turns out just the way you dream it. Read on.
Livingston Johnson 