Which COLOR PAINT can help you to LOOSE WEIGHT?

ORANGE evokes excitement, enthusiasm and is an energetic color. While not a good idea for a living room or for bedrooms this color is great for an EXERCISE ROOM. It will bring all the emotions out that you need when JUMPING INTO YOUR FITNESS ROUTINE.

 

Why YOU can’t afford NOT to have a CUSTOM COLOR CONSULTATION?

Most color consultations can be completed within an hour or two at the most. How much can just a gallon or two of the wrong custom color paint set you back, a couple days of a painting contractors’ time or how about if your choose a color that will make you relax when you’re supposed to be working out? Choosing the best colors for your home the first time around can literally save you hundreds of dollars in the long run and you can’t beat having a design professional who can walk you through the process of creating your unique vision for your home.

Whether you’re looking to PAINT your HOME GYM and any room(s) in your home Jill at Changing Spaces will bring her YEARS of experience in RE-design and professional paint color expertise to help you pick the RIGHT PAINT COLORS for your home. Jill will come to your home with a professional paint kit and an expert eye. Together we will choose the best colors and finish for your home based on your lighting, furnishings, personal style and exercise needs.

Changing Spaces by Jill Denton ~ Interior RE-Design, Color Consultations and Staging
925.998.7747

Please visit our website for more before and after photos and more information:www.jilldenton.com

Services offered: Full day Interior RE-Design, Half day Interior RE-Design, One Room Interior RE-Design, RE-Design consultations, Interior and Exterior Custom Paint Color Consultations, Staging Consultations and Home Staging.

Which PAINT COLOR can LOWER your BLOOD PRESSURE?

Did you know, BLUE brings down blood pressure and slows respiration and heart rate. That’s why it’s considered calming, relaxing, and serene, and is often recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms. Be careful, however: A pastel blue that looks pretty on the paint chip can come across as unpleasantly chilly when it’s on the walls and furnishings, especially in a room that receives little natural light. If you opt for a light blue as the primary color in a room, balance it with warm hues in the furnishings and fabrics.

Why YOU can’t afford NOT to have a CUSTOM COLOR CONSULTATON?

Most color consultations can be completed within an hour or two at the most. How much can just a gallon or two of the wrong custom color paint set you back, a couple days of a painting contractors’ time or how about if your coose a color that will make you relax when you’re suposed to be working out? Choosing the best colors for your home the first time around can literally save you hundreds of dollars in the long run and you can’t beat having a design professional who can walk you through the process of creating your unique vision for your home.

Whether you’re looking to  RE- paint one or all of the rooms in your home Jill at Changing Spaces will bring her YEARS of experience in RE-design and professional paint color expertise to help you pick the RIGHT PAINT COLORS for your home. Jill will come to your home with a professional paint kit and an expert eye. Together we will choose the best colors and finish for your home based on your lighting, furnishings, personal style and exercise needs.

Changing Spaces by Jill Denton ~ Interior RE-Design, Color Consultations and Staging.

925.998.7747

Please visit our website for more before and after photos and more information:www.jilldenton.com

Services offered: Full day Interior RE-Design, Half day Interior RE-Design, One Room Interior RE-Design, RE-Design consultations, Interior and Exterior Custom Paint Color Consultations, Staging Consultations and Home Staging.

Which COLOR PAINT makes BABIES CRY more?

YELLOW! It’s true, babies seem to cry more in a yellow room … and people are more likely to lose their tempers in a yellow room; therefore, the color yellow is NOT a good choice for a main color scheme. Although, yellow can work in kitchens, dining rooms, and bathrooms, where happy color is energizing and uplifting.

Whether you’re looking to  RE- paint your BABIES ROOM and/or any room(s) in your home Jill at Changing Spaces will bring her YEARS of experience in RE-design and professional paint color expertise to help you pick the RIGHT PAINT COLORS for your home. Jill will come to your home with a professional paint kit and an expert eye. Together we will choose the best colors and finish for your home based on your lighting, furnishings, personal style and exercise needs.

Why YOU can’t afford NOT to have a CUSTOM COLOR CONSULTATiON?

Most color consultations can be completed within an hour or two at the most. How much can just a gallon or two of the wrong custom color paint set you back, a couple days of a painting contractors’ time or how about if your choose a color that makes your baby cry more? Choosing the best colors for your home the first time around can literally save you hundreds of dollars in the long run and you can’t beat having a design professional who can walk you through the process of creating your unique vision for your home.

Changing Spaces by Jill Denton ~ Interior RE-Design, Color Consultations and Staging
925.998.7747

Please visit our website for more before and after photos and more information:www.jilldenton.com

Services offered: Full day Interior RE-Design, Half day Interior RE-Design, One Room Interior RE-Design, RE-Design consultations, Interior and Exterior Custom Paint Color Consultations, Staging Consultations and Home Staging.

New Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Did you know, as of July 1, 2001 a New Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors in all single-family homes with an attached garage in California.  Let me know if you’d like a copy of this information emailed to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jill Denton
Realtor, Lic#01804876
925.998.7747
www.jilldenton.com

Conforming Loan Limits are going down in 2011

The temporary conforming loan limits for high-cost areas put in place in 2008 are expiring at the end of September.  For example, Alameda County is current conforming loan limits is $729,750. The new loan limit amounts for high-cost areas will return to $625,500 for a 1 unit property.  The new limits will apply for all mortgage loans originated after September 30, 2011. So … if you’re thinking about buying, NOW is the time!

Let me know how I can help!
Jill Denton, REALTOR, Lic#01804876
925.998.7747

Some tips on what you can to to help sell YOUR home quicker!

A buyers’ first impressions are set as they approach the house. Therefore, make your home more attractive and purchase-worthy starts in the front yard. To spruce up the yard: Make sure plants are of varied heights and sizes; add color, particularly pink, purple, blue and white flowers; thin out bushes; trim trees; and seed and fertilize the lawn. Put gravel in any thin strip of property between homes. This will make the space look cleaner and less neglected. Also, place mulch around plants. Among the many benefits, it’s aesthetically pleasing and provides unity in the yard.

Current buyers want homes that are well maintained and move-in ready. They may not have the money to make improvements, so go ahead and repair, repaint, update, clean and stage. Repaint in a neutral color. Remove clutter and lighten up spaces by getting rid of heavy curtains and adding new lighting fixtures. Have the windows professionally cleaned. Place fresh, plush spa-like towels in bathrooms.

Buyers will inspect all closets. Clean them out and leave them one-third empty, particularly in older homes with smaller closets. This is one of my favorite tips.  Buyers open a closet, see all the empty spaces and think “This home has a lot of storage” … they never think “The sellers must have had a stager come into the home who told them to clean out the closets to give the appearance to more storage space.”  The human mind just doesn’t work that way.

Finally, depersonalize the home so potential buyers can imagine themselves in the space. Once the house is model-ready, have professional photos taken. Unflattering photos are a huge red flag.  Some buyers are wary of flippers, so avoid anything that might lead buyers to think that quick and possible shoddy work has been done to the house.

Much of this can seem overwhelming to some sellers.  If that’s you, call in a professional stager like me to help you through the process.  Better yet call in a Realtor who also knows staging (ME) and get the job done so you can move onto the next chapter in your life.

 

 

Fast Facts

California highest median home price by C.A.R. region December 07: Santa Barbara So. Coast $925,000 (Source: C.A.R.)

California lowest median home price by C.A.R. region December 07: High Desert $244,330 (Source: C.A.R.)

Calif. First-time Buyer Affordability Index – Third Quarter 07: 24 percent (Source: C.A.R.)

Mortgage rates – week ending 01/24: 30-yr. fixed: 5.48%; Fees/points: 0.4% 15-yr. fixed: 4.95%; Fees/points: 0.4% 1-yr. adjustable: 4.99%; Fees/points: 0.6% (Source: Freddie Mac)

Bay Area Housing Stats, December 2007

Housing Statistics

December 2007
Complete Report – Alameda – Castro Valley – Dublin – Fremont – Hayward – Livermore – Newark – Pleasanton – San Leandro – San Lorenzo – Union City

Real Estate Terms of the Week

Amortization  
Gradual payment of a mortgage loan by installments over a period of time

Amortization schedule  
A timetable for payment of a mortgage loan. The amortization schedule shows the amount of each payment applied to interest and principal and shows the remaining balance after each payment is made.

Amortization term  
The amount of time required to amortize the mortgage loan. The amortization term is expressed as a number of months. For example, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, the amortization term is 360 months.

Source: GMAC Real Estate

2007 Housing Market Review

Out with the old and in with the New!  This is a phrase that has been used time after time.  As we move out of 2007 and into 2008, we hope to see some calm in the storm. We have had a “wild” ride with the mortgage crisis, housing market decline and stock market decline, but interest rates still remain among the lowest in years past. 

Real Estate markets just like stock markets will have cyclical movements.  Factors that drive these changes are interest rates, supply and demand and our economy.  Inventories in some areas have dropped in the 3^rd quarter due to the Holidays.  These inventories will increase as we move into first quarter of 2008.

Most people will wait to list their home until March, but I have found that buyers start to come back out in January/Feb.  If you are thinking of making a move and selling, don’t wait for the supply of homes to increase, which will increase your competition.  Call me now to discuss a plan to help you achieve your goals for the up coming year.

On the upside, Interest Rates are projected to remain stable or possibly move slightly lower.  Lending underwriting standards have become more restrictive and a mortgage bail out bill offers homeowners tax breaks on forgiven debt on mortgage refinances or foreclosure work-out programs.   This will keep volume of sales and prices slightly down but it will be a good time to buy.  With the passage of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, eligible taxpayers do not have to pay federal income tax on debt forgiven for loans secured by a qualified principal residence and for some it will be a good time to sell.  If you know of someone who may need more information about this and how this may help them please give me a call.

 According to California Association of Realtors: 

Home sales decreased 36.2 percent in November in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home fell 11.9 percent, C.A.R. reported Dec. 21.“While it is normal for sales to decline at this time of year, regional sales fell more steeply than usual because of the ongoing liquidity crunch and tighter underwriting standards,” said C.A.R. President William E. Brown.
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 287,600 in November at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate. Statewide home resale activity decreased 36.2 percent from the 450,930 sales pace recorded in November 2006.The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during November 2007 was $488,640, an 11.9 percent decrease from the revised $554,500 median for November 2006, C.A.R. reported. The November 2007 median price fell 1.7 percent compared with October’s $497,110 median price.In summary, 2008 may continue to be soft for sales and the Real Estate climate is not the best it has ever been but homeownership has always been a solid investment and it always will be.  I will be watching the market on a daily basis and will be available to you anytime you want to discuss your specific needs.  I am looking forward to 2008 and I look forward to working with you.

Oh by the way, Hometown GMAC Real Estate was voted “Best of Pleasanton”.

 CALIFORNIA HOME SALE PRICE MEDIANS BY COUNTY AND CITY

Reporting resale single family residences and condos as well as new homes

% Change is from the same month last year

 ALAMEDA COUNTY

City            #Sold      Nov 07          Nov 06       Change 06-07

Dublin             20      $ 557,750      $ 662,500     -15.81%

Livermore       48       $ 537,000     $ 589,500      – 8.91%

Pleasanton       39      $ 715,000      $ 700,000        2.14%

Danville          62      $1,021,000    $ 975,000        4.72%

San Ramon    105      $ 797,500      $ 800,000        -0.31%