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

Is now a good time to buy a home in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Nowadays we hear, “It is not a good time to buy real estate” … then we hear “It IS a good time to buy real estate!”  So which is it?  You could ask 100 different people and you’d get 100 different answers.  The real quesstion is … “Is it a good time for YOU to buy a home?

Before you decide to shop for a new home ask yourself a few questions.  For example: Why are you buying a home? Are you a first time home buyer?  Looking to upgrade?  How long do you plan to live there? What interest rate do you qualify for? Is it a fixed or variable rate?  How much are you planning to put down? How much income do you earn? Are you living alone or sharing expenses? What are the many tax benefits?  These are just a few questions you should ask yourself.  Do your homework. Buying a home is probably the biggest and most important decision you’ll ever make, so make sure that all of your answers are in your favor.

Buying a home in the San Francisco Bay Area can cost a lot more money than in other parts of the county, but typically the return on investment is also a lot more.

Depending on your circimstance, now may be a great time to buy!  Why?  Because …

Reason #1: Home prices lower than they’re been in long time!

Reason #2: Mortgage rates lower than they’ve been in years!

Reason #3:  This is a Buyer’s Market!

Reason #4:  Because it’s a Buyers Market, usually you can take a little more time to make a decision.

Reason #5:  Plus you typically do not have to worry about bidding wars in a Buyers Market.

Reason #6: Prices are more likely to be negotiable in a Buyers Market.

Reason #7: With a home as a right-off, you’ll most likely pay less in taxes.

Reason #8: If you’re currently renting, you’ll be able to decorate or renovate YOUR home any way you like.

Reason #9: Appreciation!  Although real estate moves in cycles, sometimes up and sometimes down, over the years real estate and consistently appreciated.

Reason #10:  I’m available to assit you in finding and purchasing the place you’re looking to call home.

Jill Denton, Realtor

Hometown GMAC Real Estate

925-998-7747

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

Show me your ceilings!

A while back I wrote “What color is your ceiling?” 

They’re spectacular all around the world and in the US, they’re white.  Countless numbers of people have seen my blog on What Color is your ceiling.  Now I want to know, what color is your ceiling??? What else have you done to make your ceiling spectacular.  And if you have an image posted/uploaded to the internet, I can even show what you’ve done.  It’s time to share.

Jill Denton ~ Changing Spaces

The Color Wheel

 

Complementary: This scheme uses two colors which are directly opposed on the color wheel (for example: Orange and Blue)  

Split Complementary: This scheme uses 3 colors. One color and two other colors that are directly adjacent to its complement on the color wheel (for example: Orange, Blue-Violet, and Blue-Green)  

Triad: This color scheme uses 3 colors that are equally spaced out on the color wheel (for example: Orange, Violet, and Green)  

Analogous: This scheme uses three colors, one that is in the center, and the two colors adjacent to it on the color wheel (for example: Orange-Yellow, Orange, and Red-Orange).

Monochromatic: This color scheme uses colors from the same Hue on the color wheel, but with varying saturation and/or lightness (for example: different shades or tints of Orange).  Jill Denton ~ Changing Spaces

3 Steps to Choosing Paint Color

Choosing a paint color can be one of the most difficult decorating decisions, there are so many choices out there, but with a few designer tips, it can be as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Pick your favorite object in the room. This can be a rug, fabric, wall art, comforter or piece of furniture. The color(s) of this object will set the mood and overall look for the room.

2. Select colors that go with the favorite object you selected. In a rug, a piece of fabric or wall art, coordinating colors will be easy to spot.  Just match one of the colors that you like.  Or you could choose an analogous, complementary, split complementary, triad or monochomatic color scheme based on the color wheel. For example, if your sofa is blue and you added analogous colors, you’d be adding other shades of blue, if you were to add shades of orange you’d be adding a complementary colors.

3. Choose accents to pull the room together.  For most people, this is either the fun part or the hard part.  Look to the color wheel for direction if you need help.  The same rules apply.  Choose accent peices, furniture, window treatments, art and accessories that are coordinating, analogous or complementary ito complete the room.

Decorating Trends for 2008 II

Beams are back!  Remember those dark brownish black beams from the 70’s?  In the late 80’s and 90’s everyone painted their beams white to make them disapear into their ceilings.  Well, guess what?  It’s time to make them look like what they are – a beam.  Okay, so the color they used in the 70’s is very dated and we don’t want to recreate that look, but we do want a beam to look like a beam.  Why?  Because it is a architectual element that adds interest and appeal to your space.

Nowadays, you’ll find beautiful beamed ceilings in new custom homes and beautifully restored beamed in vintage homes.  It’s the homes in between that need some love.  Here are a few easy solutions.  1. Paint the exisiting beam brown.  It could be as easy as selecting the right color, or take it to the next step and add some wood graining.   2. Surround the beam with a wood veneer.   3. Place a “Faux Beam” over an exisitng beam or just put some up where you want to add them.

The beam is there to stay, it’s not going anywhere.  Everyone knows it’s there so don’t fight it … make it the best it can be … love it!

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%