Buying & Selling Homes with The Collura Team

Courtesy of Houzz.com ( Brenna Malmberg ) When remodeling a bathroom, the bathtub will be a topic of discussion. Should you ditch it to make room for a large walk-in shower? Should you keep it? Should you upgrade it? If you’re a bathtub lover, and you have room for a separate tub, you’re probably leaning toward the latter. And you aren’t alone. Thirty-seven percent of respondents in   a Houzz survey  decided to upgrade their tub during their bathroom remodel. Of that group, the majority (43 percent) opted to install a freestanding tub.  To see what that transformation can look like, let’s take a look at six bathrooms that had enough room to replace a built-in tub  with a freestanding one. Maybe these examples will give you new ideas for your own bathroom remodel. Before Photo 1. Uneven to Smooth Bathroom at a Glance Who uses it:  A family of seven with three dogs Location:  Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego ...

For Buyers , For Sellers , Move-Up Buyers Homeowners: Do You Know Your Home’s Value? “National Home Prices Now 50% Above March 2011 Bottom” The real estate market has come a long way since 2011, which is great news for homeowners! Nearly 79% of homeowners with a mortgage in the US now have significant equity in their homes (defined as over 20%) , according to the latest Equity Report . The challenge is that not every homeowner knows how much their home’s value has appreciated. Homeowners in Denver, CO lead the way with 8.7% appreciation over the last year, while owners in Washington and Utah have experienced a 3% increase in values since the start of this year! Nationally, CoreLogic forecasts that home values will increase another 5.0% by this time next year. Bill Banfield, VP of Capital Markets at Quicken Loans, recently explained the importance of knowing the conditions in your area, “With home values constantly changing, and the rates of change varying a...

Empty Nesters: Best to Remodel or Time to Sell?   Sell your house and purchase the perfect home Based on the record of dollars spent on remodeling and renovations, it appears that many homeowners are deciding on number one. But, is that the best long-term solution? If you currently live in a 3-4-bedroom home, you probably bought it at a time when your children were the major consideration in determining family housing needs. Along with a large home, you more than likely also considered school district, the size of the property and the makeup of other families living in the neighborhood (example: you wanted a block with other kids your children could play with and a backyard large enough to accommodate that). Remodeling your home to meet your current needs might mean combining two bedrooms to make one beautiful master suite and changing another bedroom into the massive walk-in closet you always wanted. However, if you live in a neighborhood that historica...

For Sellers ,  20 Tips for Preparing Your House for Sale          The Collura Team  Call or Text 352-279-0899 Some Highlights: When listing your house for sale your top goal will be to get the home sold for the best price possible! There are many small projects that you can do to ensure this happens! Your real estate agent will have a list of specific suggestions for getting your house ready for market and is a great resource for finding local contractors who can help!

Millennial Homeownership Rate Increases Recent headlines exclaimed the homeownership rate, as reported by the Census Bureau , rose again in the second quarter of 2017. What didn’t get much attention in the reports is that the homeownership rate for American households under the age of 35 increased a full percentage point from last quarter’s 34.3% to 35.3%. Millennials proved to have the highest increase of any age group. This came as a surprise to some considering Millennials have come to be known as the “renter” generation. However, a new study by First American , 6 Trends Poised to Reshape Homeownership Demand , revealed reasons why homeownership numbers will continue to increase for Millennials. Millennials are the most educated generation in the U.S. Why does that matter? First American explains: “Our model shows that, all other factors being equal, the likelihood of homeownership increases by 3 percent for those that earn a bachelor’s degree over those wi...

3 Tips to Succeed in Today’s Real Estate Market   In today’s highly competitive real estate market, where inventory levels are not keeping up with the constant stream of buyer demand, there are steps you can take to ensure you are most prepared for success when buying a home. The 3 tips we are going to expand on today come from a recent blog by Trulia entitled, The Skinny on Skinny Inventory.   1. Be Prepared “Homebuyers should talk with a lender, real estate agent, and a home inspector BEFORE finding a home to make an offer on.” Being intentional, pre-approved, and prepared will set you up for the accelerated time tables that come with a highly competitive market. If you are the most prepared buyer interested in a home, if you have already secured financial approval, and if you are ready to move fast, your bid will be that much more attractive to a seller. 2. Think Strategically “Starter homebuyers don’t have a home to sell and can be flexible...

Pending Home Sales Sluggish as Low Supply Rears Its Head Pending home sales were sluggish in April as low supply reared its head, down 1.3 percent in the National Association of REALTORS ® (NAR)  Pending Home Sales Index  (PHSI). The PHSI posted 109.8 in April, down from 111.3 in March. The Index is based on contract signings. "Much of the country for the second straight month saw a pullback in pending sales as the rate of new listings continues to lag the quicker pace of...