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.

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.

 

 

The housing market will turn around in the second half of 2011

Those of us in Real Estate have seen this coming all year! According to Freddie Mac: “The housing market will turn around in the second half of 2011” And the second half of the year is just 2 days away, so NOW is the time people! First time home buyers … buy NOW! Move-up buyers … sell and buy NOW! Investors … buys as much as you possibly can NOW! I am more than happy to help. I have time to help a few more good people realize their real estate dreams. Call me NOW!

Jill Denton
REALTOR, Lic #01804876
925.998.7747

Serving the San Francisco East Bay:  Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Castro Valley, Fremont….

Source:“Freddie Mac Economist Sees Sunny Economy in Second Half,”HousingWire (June 27, 2011)

Charming New Almaden in Almaden Valley – San Jose, California

$200,000 PRICE REDUCTION! 

Now listed at $1,400,000

If you’re in the south bay, you’re probably familiar with Almaden Valley, but are you familiar with New Almaden?  New Almaden is really Old Almaden.  Founded in 1852, New Almaden offers the peace and tranquility of the country within minutes of downtown San Jose and Silicon Valley.

 The New Almaden Quicksilver Mine in Santa Clara County, California is the oldest and most productive quicksilver (eg: mercury) mine in the United States^[4]. The site was known to the Ohlone Indians for its cinnabar long before a Mexican settler discovered the ores in 1820. By the time they were identified as mercury, the mine was perfectly timed to supply the California Gold Rush.^[5] The mine ran intermittently after 1927 and eventually closed. It was purchased by the county and is now part of Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

For more history visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Almaden

To learn more about the mines visit: http://www.kammneves.co.uk/abroad/New%20Almaden/almaden.htm

New Almaden is a historic area that has a strong sense of community and a 4,000 acre park in the backyard. Many New Almaden homes back up to the Quicksilver park and residents love the easy access to miles of trails.  Take a drive down Almaden Road to the main entrance to the park and you’ll most likely see people on bikes, joggers and horse back riders making they way to the beautiful park.

Some people fall quickly in love with this area and choose to make this magical place home. If you like being close to the  hustle and bustle of San Jose, but prefer to have more privacy and space this is a great place to buy a home.

Currently for sale in New Almaden is this Magical home sitting on a one acre lot. Recently reduced $200,000!  New Price $1,400,000.

20891 Almaden Road, San Jose

Breath Taking Oak Tree in the Backyard

Four stall barn was designed to be converted into a 4 car garage

One acre lot, 2888 sq ft updated home, 4 bedrooms (2 master suites), 3 full bathrooms – One of a kind home! 

Click on any of the photos to get more information about home and see more photos, view the flyer or contact Jill Denton for more information (925) 998-7747.

Check out the Almaden Flyer – one sheet $1,400,000 on this property!

Almaden Flyer – one sheet $1,400,000

Free First Time Home Buyers Seminar

Learn what you need to know BEFORE you buy your first home. Attend a Free First-Time Home Buyers Seminar in Pleasanton every 6 weeks.

Call 925-998-7747 for more information.

Home & Design: What’s In and What’s Out

IN

• A reduced carbon footprint: How your home and you impact the earth matters to more buyers who want a home that lets them save energy and lessen their contribution to global warming.
• Outdoor living: Massive fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, and under-patio heating to extend the season are not just for the Sun Belt anymore.
• Fully concealed appliances: That wood-printed cover for the fridge is not enough any longer; now appliances are hidden behind hinged doors.
• Floating homes: Not your father’s houseboat, these nonmobile homes are basically ranch houses sitting on stationary barges in a lake or river.
• Home elevators: Even builders of mid-priced homes are adding this essential for boomers wanting to age in place.
• Pet showers: Clean pets mean clean homes, and who wants to mess up the bathtub when this feature can be a part of the garage or mudroom?
• Freestanding bathtubs: These oversized soaker tubs, or “bath thrones,” have supplanted whirlpool baths as the must-have bathroom centerpiece.
• Bathroom suites: Whether it’s multiple flat-screen TVs or a mini fridge and cappuccino maker, you’ll soon have a whole home inside this one room.
• Ceiling Beams: Beams were in, then they were out – and everyone painted their beams white.  Well, they’re back in, so paint them a warm shade of brown or cover them with a wood veneer.

OUT

• Living rooms: The incredible shrinking parlor has ceased to exist in some homes.
• Voluminous ceiling heights: The absurd look and wasted space of 20-foot ceilings in 12- by 10-foot rooms is finally dawning on buyers. Tiny balconies Room for only one chair is worthless; balconies must now function for entertaining too.
• McMansions: Could it be that “small is beautiful” finally is gaining traction?

Source: Realtor Magazine

Paint Color Tips and Tricks

 

1.  Most of the local hardware/big box stores carry poster sized pieces of wallboard and sample boards (about the size of a piece of paper).  These are GREAT tools to have if you are unsure about your color choice.  Buy samples of the paint you’re considering and paint on the boards.  You can move these all around the room  and you won’t have paint patches all over your walls.  Be sure to place the board on each wall because the color will look different on every wall depending on the lighting.

2. Now that you’ve selected the right color, you have one more choice to make.  Which sheen do you want?  Ah geez!  Another decision.  Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss or Gloss?  (These are in order from flat to one with the most shine for Kelly Moore paints). Here’s a tip.  The higher the shine the more washable the paint/wall.  However, the higher the sheen the easier it is to see imperfections in the wall.  Nowadays, I find the most popular sheen is Eggshell.  It give you a little wash-ability without being over shiny. However, if you’re painting a wet area (bathroom/kitchen) most people use a  semi-gloss.

3.  How to get a perfect seam.  Sometimes you’ll find that you’ll need a perfect seam in between paints.  Maybe it’s a rounded corner or a transition from one room to another where two different paint colors meet.  Here’s the tip.  Start by making a line with painters tape. Then (and this is the most important part) apply a clear acrylic – matt finish to the seam of the tape and let dry.  This seals the tape to the wall so your new paint color won’t seep under the edge of the tape.  Paint your walls and remove the tape to find a perfect paint line.

Jill Denton

Changing Spaces

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)