News from Leeza and Shannon
May 2016
Five Ways to Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal
Want to know what your home is worth? Call today for an estimate.
The first long glimpse of a house, as a potential buyer steers
(469) 300-1109
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.
5. Don’t Forget the Roof. Yes, remedying any visual impediments 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
1. Make Your Front Door Look Fantastic.
loose shingles mar-
Do something special with the front door. It s
ring the overall
not just the barrier blocking the entrance to
view, or if the rain
your home; it s the focal point of an artistic
gutter is twisted
composition̶and it needs to be worthy of
and uneven, get a
that focus. Give it a splash of color, polish the
quote from a
metal fixtures, or add an accent in the form
roofer for the cost
of a heritage wreath or decorative knocker.
of a touch-up.
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 transforms a house into a home.
If the interior of your home is perfection, but its curb view is lacking, your house may not attract the attention̶and 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.
3. Add Inexpensive Accents. Short on time and money? Just add 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 to improve 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.
Leeza Morris ~ Shannon Piper - (469) 300-1109
News from Leeza and Shannon - May 2016
News from Leeza and Shannon
Safe Alternatives to Toxic Cleaners
May 2016 surfaces that could easily be scratched, such as glass or stainless steel.
Open almost any kitchen cabinet and you re bound to find cleaning supplies
Lemons: Lemon juice is a powerful
made with toxic chemicals or other
natural acid capable of tackling mildew
pollutants. While harsh chemical
with ease. It can also cut through soap
cleaners have become increasingly
scum and help get rid of calcium de-
popular, there are plenty of all-natural
posits. Spritzing kitchen surfaces with
alternatives that work just as well̶
a mixture of water and lemon juice
usually at a fraction of the cost! Below
helps keep them sanitized. The fresh,
are some common household ingredi-
clean scent is a bonus!
ents that pull double duty as effective,
Cornstarch: Due to its impressive
eco-friendly cleaning agents.
absorption abilities, cornstarch is the
White Vinegar:
Despite the strong
go-to cleaner for dealing with grease
smell, vinegar is quite versatile when it
and oil. It works especially well on stove
comes to cleaning. In fact, due to its
tops, vent hoods, counters, and any-
natural disinfecting and deodorizing
thing else in the kitchen that is ex-
properties, it makes an effective
posed to grease. Also, mixing corn-
all-purpose cleaner for virtually every surface in the
starch with water forms a paste that can be applied to
house. Mixed 50/50 with water, white vinegar can be
carpets and upholstery before vacuuming to clean with-
used to cut grease, get rid of wax buildup on wooden
out the use of skin-irritating chemicals.
floors, kill mildew, and even get rid of stains.
Borax: Also known as sodium borate, borax is a multipurBaking Soda:
Baking soda is one of the best deodorizers
pose cleaner. While it does a fine job of disinfecting and
available. It can be sprinkled over virtually any surface
deodorizing, borax really shines when cleaning painted or
and simply swept, vacuumed, or sponged away when the
wallpapered walls without causing damage. Borax is also
job is done. Baking soda is also wonderful for scrubbing
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
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.
rental-market trends over the last decade and predictions for
Rising Rent Costs in Most Cities
the next ten years. One of the
This housing study also looked at
most surprising facts from the
America s largest rental markets.
study is that renting a home has
Three out of four of the biggest
become a more common option
population centers had vacancy
for almost all types of Americans.
rates of less than five percent. Typically, 95 percent occupancy is
These are some of the results found in the report:
considered full occupancy by
‣
The number of renters
sionals. Only one out of the 75
increased for people with all
biggest markets had a vacancy
levels of household incomes.
rate that was over 7 percent.
Leeza Morris ~ Shannon Piper - (469) 300-1109
property management profes-
News from Leeza and Shannon - May 2016
News from Leeza and Shannon
May 2016
Because vacancy rates are low and demand is high,
If the predictions in this study are correct, many of those
property owners have been steadily increasing rents.
sold homes will get converted to rentals. This is because
While renting has become popular with people in differ-
upcoming generations don t seem as eager to buy a house
ent economic classes, it may be the only choice for peo-
as their parents or grandparents once were. The study
ple with modest incomes. The main concern of the study
cited higher levels of student loan debt and tighter qualifi-
was not that landlords would have trouble finding people
cation rules for mortgages as some possible reasons.
to lease properties but that people with lower incomes would be unable to find affordable housing in many
Even though both small and large investors have been
parts of the country.
supplying more inventory to satisfy the needs of all kinds of renters, the supply is not keeping up with the demand
Will the Rental Boom Continue?
in some places. The next great real estate opportunity in
The study predicted an even greater demand for rental
the United States might be an investment in rental prop-
apartments and houses in the next decade. The baby
erty. Vacancies are very low and rental prices are rising.
boomer generation is now aging into senior citizens. The
Of course, markets differ across the country and even in
authors of the study believed that many seniors would
different parts of the same city, so wise investors should
choose to sell their houses in order to cash out their
do their research.
home equity and enjoy the simplicity of renting.
Small Gains in the National Housing Market
in January. This is a 0.7 percent improvement from
Freddie Mac s Multi-Indicator Market Index (MiMi)
last gain was the smallest of the lot.
February 2015's index of 108.3. The index has seen year-over-year gains for the past 18 months, yet this
analyzes home-purchase applications, payment-toincome ratios, employment figures, and the number
Regional Pending Home Sales
of on-time mortgage payments in markets across the
In the Northeast, the Pending Home Sales Index fell 0.2 percent; it is still 12.6 percent higher than February 2015. The Midwest saw the index climb an impressive 11.4 percent month over month and 2.5 percent year over year. The index rose 2.1 percent and 0.7
country to determine the stability of the housing market. All of these indicators point to a slight improvement in the housing market as it heads into the busy spring season. Janu-
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.
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 percent improvement over the MiMi s all-time low back in October 2010. January s MiMi saw a three-month in-
Future Predictions
crease of 1.46 percent. Year-over-year values showed
Economists with the National Association of Realtors
greater gains, with a 7.57 percent climb.
predict that existing-home sales will reach 5.38 million this year̶up 2.4 percent from 2015. The national
National Pending Home Sales
median existing-home price should also climb be-
The Pending Home Sales Index, an indicator based on
tween 4 and 5 percent. In comparison, 2015 saw
contract signings, reached 109.1 in February, a 3.5
existing-home sales rise 6.3 percent, with home
percent increase from the downwardly revised 105.4
prices increasing 6.8 percent.
Leeza Morris ~ Shannon Piper - (469) 300-1109
News from Leeza and Shannon - May 2016
Cloud Realty 1308 Tealsey Lane #112 Denton, TX 76205 Office (469) 300-1109 txcloudrealty.com
Leeza Morris
Broker / Realtor® Cell 940-391-5080 Leeza@txcloudrealty.com
Shannon Piper
Realtor® Cell 940-300-9067 Shannon@txcloudrealty.com
SOLD! 2504 Pottery Trail Corinth 3 bed 2.1 Bath Lake Sharon Estates $345,000
SOLD! 8825 Sierra Trail, Cross Roads 2280 sq ft. 4 bed, 2.1 Bath Beautifully decorated! $199,900
Under Contract! 1917 Stonecastle Dr. Keller 4647 sq ft. 4 bed, 4.1 bat Beautiful backyard oasis $714,900
New Listing 6201 High Meadow Krum 3334 Sqft. 3bed 3bath 2.5 acres $434,900
Inside This Issue
Tap into the Nordic Décor Trend Here are some tips from Sherwin-Williams to steer your
- Five Ways to Enhance Your Home s Curb Appeal
space clear of clutter and embrace the minimalist beauty of Nordic décor for a balanced and bright 2016.
- Safe Alternatives to Toxic Cleaners
Start with a Clean Slate Selecting the right hue of white paint on your walls can
- The Booming Rental Market
create the foundation for Nordic design. Take a cue
- Small Gains in the National Housing Market
Embrace Natural Tones
from colors inspired by natural, fine-textured stone.
Nordic design is all about using natural, live-well tones to create environments where we can feel serene. To
Photography Credits: © © © ©
Tab1962 / Dreamstime icarmen13 / iStockphoto scyther5 / iStockphoto Kali Nine LLC / Dreamstime
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 Statement In 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
The material in this publication is provided for your informational purpose only and is not intended to substitute professional advice. If your property is currently listed with a Real Estate Broker, this publication is not intended as a solicitation. ©2016 AnyPresentations.com and its licensors
in a row on a dining room sideboard; or red-painted counter stools in a winterwhite kitchen. For more help planning your painting projects, visit your local Sherwin-Williams store or www.sherwin-williams.com.