Five Ways to Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal The first long glimpse of a house, as a potential buyer steers toward the curb and then slows to a stop, is a critical moment. It could be an experience of love at first sight or immediate dislike ̶or something in between. As the seller, you definitely want the person who’s shopping for a home to begin developing a good impression of your house before they step out of the car or click on your online listing. Here are five ways to ensure that happens. 1. Make Your Front Door Look Fantastic. Do something special with the front door. It’s not just the barrier blocking the entrance to your home; it’s the focal point of an artistic composition̶and it needs to be worthy of that focus. Give it a splash of color, polish the metal fixtures, or add an accent in the form of a heritage wreath or decorative knocker. 2. Do Some Landscaping. The lawn has to be lush and green and recently mowed̶but that’s not enough. Plant a fringe of flowers along the edge facing the house, or install a low hedge at the curb or sidewalk. A carpet of green is impressive but not necessarily inviting. Adding an extra element completes the picture and trans-forms a house into a home. 3. Add Inexpensive Accents. Short on time and money? Justadd pairs (two or four) of big stone flowerpots as accent pieces along the walkway or (if there’s room) on either side of the porch. Insert some colorful flowers, and̶voilà̶your home’s exterior view now includes new shapes to delight the eye. 4. Enhance Evening Curb Appeal. Add decorative lighting toimprove the evening curb view. Install low-voltage lighting̶or solar lamps̶along the driveway or along the walkway to your front door. Invest in a premium-quality front porch light fixture.

5. Don’t Forget the Roof. Yes, remedying any visualimpediments in the roof area can be pricey̶but doing nothing may not be a viable option if you

want the house to sell for its value. If there are a few loose shingles mar-ring the overall view, or if the rain gutter is twisted and uneven, get a quote from a roofer for the cost of a touch-up.

If the interior of your home is per-fection, but its curb

view is lacking, your house may not attract the at-tention̶and the offers̶it deserves. Before the “For Sale” sign is erected, do whatever is necessary to ensure that potential buyers fall in love with the view when they stop in front of your house.

News from Leeza and Shannon May 2016

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(469) 300-1109

Leeza Morris ~ Shannon Piper - (469) 300-1109 News from Leeza and Shannon - May 2016

Safe Alternatives to Toxic Cleaners

Open almost any kitchen cabinet and you’re bound to find cleaning supplies made with toxic chemicals or other pollutants. While harsh chemical cleaners have become increasingly popular, there are plenty of all-natural alternatives that work just as well̶usually at a fraction of the cost! Below are some common household ingredi-ents that pull double duty as effective, eco-friendly cleaning agents. White Vinegar: Despite the strong smell, vinegar is quite versatile when it comes to cleaning. In fact, due to its natural disinfecting and deodorizing properties, it makes an effective all-purpose cleaner for virtually every surface in the house. Mixed 50/50 with water, white vinegar can be used to cut grease, get rid of wax buildup on wooden floors, kill mildew, and even get rid of stains. Baking Soda: Baking soda is one of the best deodorizers available. It can be sprinkled over virtually any surface and simply swept, vacuumed, or sponged away when the job is done. Baking soda is also wonderful for scrubbing

surfaces that could easily be scratched, such as glass or stainless steel.

Lemons: Lemon juice is a powerful natural acid capable of tackling mildew with ease. It can also cut through soap scum and help get rid of calcium de-posits. Spritzing kitchen surfaces with a mixture of water and lemon juice helps keep them sanitized. The fresh, clean scent is a bonus!

Cornstarch: Due to its impressive absorption abilities, cornstarch is the go-to cleaner for dealing with grease and oil. It works especially well on stove tops, vent hoods, counters, and any-thing else in the kitchen that is ex-posed to grease. Also, mixing corn-

starch with water forms a paste that can be applied to carpets and upholstery before vacuuming to clean with-out the use of skin-irritating chemicals. Borax: Also known as sodium borate, borax is a multipur-pose cleaner. While it does a fine job of disinfecting and deodorizing, borax really shines when cleaning painted or wallpapered walls without causing damage. Borax is also an ideal choice for grout cleaning.

The Booming Rental Market

Harvard University recently published a report of the rental market in the United States. This study included rental-market trends over the last decade and predictions for the next ten years. One of the most surprising facts from the study is that renting a home has become a more common option for almost all types of Americans.

These are some of the results found in the report: 

‣ The number of renters increased for people with all levels of household incomes.

‣ The number of renters increased for single people, couples, and parents with children.

‣ The number of single-family houses that have been converted to rental units also increased.

Rising Rent Costs in Most Cities

This housing study also looked at America’s largest rental markets. Three out of four of the biggest population centers had vacancy rates of less than five percent. Typically, 95 percent occupancy is considered full occupancy by property management profes-sionals. Only one out of the 75 biggest markets had a vacancy rate that was over 7 percent.

News from Leeza and Shannon May 2016

Leeza Morris ~ Shannon Piper - (469) 300-1109 News from Leeza and Shannon - May 2016

Because vacancy rates are low and demand is high, property owners have been steadily increasing rents. While renting has become popular with people in differ-ent economic classes, it may be the only choice for peo-ple with modest incomes. The main concern of the study was not that landlords would have trouble finding people to lease properties but that people with lower incomes would be unable to find affordable housing in many parts of the country.

Will the Rental Boom Continue?The study predicted an even greater demand for rental apartments and houses in the next decade. The baby boomer generation is now aging into senior citizens. The authors of the study believed that many seniors would choose to sell their houses in order to cash out their home equity and enjoy the simplicity of renting.

If the predictions in this study are correct, many of those sold homes will get converted to rentals. This is because upcoming generations don’t seem as eager to buy a house as their parents or grandparents once were. The study cited higher levels of student loan debt and tighter qualifi-cation rules for mortgages as some possible reasons.

Even though both small and large investors have been supplying more inventory to satisfy the needs of all kinds of renters, the supply is not keeping up with the demand in some places. The next great real estate opportunity in the United States might be an investment in rental prop-erty. Vacancies are very low and rental prices are rising. Of course, markets differ across the country and even in different parts of the same city, so wise investors should do their research.

Small Gains in the National Housing MarketFreddie Mac’s Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi) analyzes home-purchase applications, payment-to-income ratios, employment figures, and the number of on-time mortgage payments in markets across the country to determine the stability of the housing market. All of these indica-tors point to a slight im-provement in the housing market as it heads into the busy spring season. Janu-ary’s national MiMi value reached 82.7; while this isn’t as impressive as the all-time high MiMi value of 121.7, it is still a 40 per-cent improvement over the MiMi’s all-time low back in October 2010. January’s MiMi saw a three-month in-crease of 1.46 percent. Year-over-year values showed greater gains, with a 7.57 percent climb.

National Pending Home SalesThe Pending Home Sales Index, an indicator based on contract signings, reached 109.1 in February, a 3.5 percent increase from the downwardly revised 105.4

in January. This is a 0.7 percent improvement from February 2015's index of 108.3. The index has seen year-over-year gains for the past 18 months, yet this last gain was the smallest of the lot.

Regional Pending Home SalesIn the Northeast, the Pending Home Sales Index fell 0.2 percent; it is still 12.6 percent higher than Febru-

ary 2015. The Midwest saw the index climb an impres-sive 11.4 percent month over month and 2.5 percent year over year. The index rose 2.1 percent and 0.7 percent in the South and the West, respectively. Compared to February 2015, the index dropped 0.4 percent in the South and 6.2 percent in the West.

Future PredictionsEconomists with the National Association of Realtors predict that existing-home sales will reach 5.38 million this year̶up 2.4 percent from 2015. The national median existing-home price should also climb be-tween 4 and 5 percent. In comparison, 2015 saw existing-home sales rise 6.3 percent, with home prices increasing 6.8 percent.

News from Leeza and Shannon May 2016

Leeza Morris ~ Shannon Piper - (469) 300-1109 News from Leeza and Shannon - May 2016

Tap into the Nordic Décor Trend

Here are some tips from Sherwin-Williams to steer your space clear of clutter and embrace the minimalist beauty of Nordic décor for a balanced and bright 2016.

Start with a Clean Slate Selecting the right hue of white paint on your walls can create the foundation for Nordic design. Take a cue from colors inspired by natural, fine-textured stone.

Embrace Natural Tones Nordic design is all about using natural, live-well tones to create environments where we can feel serene. To

achieve this look and feel, use earthy, natural materials, such as Carrera marble, to bring an element of sophistication to a countertop in a kitchen or bath.

Make a StatementIn a home that celebrates simplicity, small details can make a big statement: a zebra-striped pillow on a couch or bed; several multicolored candleholders lined up in a row on a dining room sideboard; or red-painted counter stools in a winter-white kitchen.

For more help planning your painting projects, visit your local Sherwin-Williams store or www.sherwin-williams.com.

Inside This Issue

- Five Ways to Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal

- Safe Alternatives to Toxic Cleaners

- The Booming Rental Market

- Small Gains in the National Housing Market

Photography Credits:

© Tab1962 / Dreamstime© icarmen13 / iStockphoto© scyther5 / iStockphoto© Kali Nine LLC / Dreamstime

The material in this publication is provided for your informational purpose only and is not intended to substitute professional ad-

vice. If your property is currently listed

with a Real Estate Broker, this publication is not intended as a solicitation. ©2016

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Cloud Realty1308 Tealsey Lane #112Denton, TX 76205Office (469) 300-1109txcloudrealty.com

Leeza MorrisBroker / Realtor®Cell 940-391-5080Leeza@txcloudrealty.com

Shannon PiperRealtor®Cell 940-300-9067Shannon@txcloudrealty.com

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