JANUARY 4, 2021 ISSUE | REJGUAM.COM
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Castle in the sky
The right stuff — housing trends Problem prevention Safe event planning
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The doctor is in Furniture assembly
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Need to know Staging a property
t INDEX THE RIGHT STUFF ...........................................................2 PROBLEM PREVENTION................................................4 THE DOCTOR IS IN...........................................................5 PROFILE............................................................................6 NEED TO KNOW...............................................................7
This spacious room creates an immediate impact. Photo courtesy of Guam Home Creators
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THE RIGHT STUFF | HOUSING TRENDS
THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
Castle in the sky There’s a home for everyone, and sometimes it takes a bit of looking around to see what style, size and features can best suit an individual’s or family’s needs. Meeting with a realtor to discuss your dream home can help a prospective homeowner get an idea of what’s popular in a dwelling space these days. Big or small, traditional or modern — Guam has a diverse range of homes on the market. Leonora Dela Cruz, a real estate agent with RE/MAX Realty Group, said the size of the home is truly dependent on the individual’s preference. However, large singlefamily homes have been doing well on the market. “Lately, many three and four bedrooms have been selling,� she said. “The more square footage, the happier the buyer.� In addition to the sizable indoor space, Dela Cruz said that
A blend of modern and traditional styles for a home is popular with Guam residents.
Photos courtesy of Guam Home Creators
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THE RIGHT STUFF | HOUSING TRENDS
THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
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Patios are one of several additions that are popular features in the housing market. Photos courtesy of Guam Home Creators
large yards and carports have also been requested by clients. Colors are always changeable and vary by preference, but clients particularly like neutral tones, she added. “When it comes to paint color and furniture, I always remind the buyer that they can change it to their personal preference and focus more on things like the layout, how they feel when they walk in to the house or if they can see their future in the home,” Lee said. Johnny Lee, contractor of Guam Home Creators, also added that large yards are favored, especially among families with kids or pets. Neutral tones also are requested, with some pastel accents throughout the home. “Traditional and modern homes are both in demand,” Lee said, adding that preferences these days are slowly going back to the traditional aesthetic. “But this doesn’t mean modern renovations are slowing down. It just means there’s more people building their dream homes.” And this is just from the design aspect, Lee said. He is seeing more and more people opt for “smart home” designs — homes that integrate technology to add a whole new experience to the household. Other features such as walk-in closets, outdoor kitchens and patios are also very popular, he said. At the end of the day, it all boils down to a matter of preference. Prospective homeowners should assess their lifestyle by asking themselves questions to determine what they would need from a home. Does the family have an active lifestyle? Will the home be occupied for most of the day? These questions will help hone in on the right home. p
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PROBLEM PREVENTION | SAFE EVENT PLANNING
THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
Making a list and checking it twice With the island still on alert from the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrations with family and friends are just not what they used to be. Social distancing limits most types of gatherings outside of the home, making it difficult to plan something nice, even a small gathering. Event planner Kathleen Thomas-Benavente, owner of the Occasion, said the pandemic put her business in for a spin this year and that coordinating gatherings was very different from what she was used to. “This is the worse year ever, especially to have an event,” Thomas-Benavente said. “I have lost 95% of my events since March.
This pink-themed birthday party was staged in a garage for family members.
Usually about this time, I’m booked out for the following year.” She recently coordinated a wedding and shared how her team had to check off a list of various social distancing rules to keep the event safe. “Public Health and (the Guam Police Department) popped in five times during the event. In fact, a representative was in the parking lot all through the event,” ThomasBenavente said. Guests were required to sign in as a record for contact tracing, in the event one of them later test positive for the virus. A sixfeet distancing rule was enforced at all times, even between tables.
Bracelets were given to the guests to confirm their attendance. And masks had to be worn at all times, unless guests remained at their tables. Each table was limited to five people, who had to be from the same household. “Guests had to be served food cafeteria-style, or each guest table had to have their own servings on the table. There was no buffet, to avoid cross-contamination,” Thomas-Benavente said. Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero’s recent executive order allows up to 15 people at a social gathering, but has now included limited indoor dining at restaurants as well as at outdoor areas of their facilities.
Local hotels and restaurants have already proven their flair at organizing events on their properties, so you can certainly lean on their experience for planning for a special event. If you want it to feel like a fancy gathering, Thomas-Benavente recommends going the extra mile. “Dress it all up, from linens to glassware to silverware,” she said. And it’s good to have a least one person to keep an eye out on guests just to make sure everything is going smoothly and safely, she added. p
Any event with gatherings has to follow strict social distancing rules, such as this setup at Jeff’s Pirates Cove.
Photos courtesy of Kathleen Thomas-Benavente
THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
THE DOCTOR IS IN | FURNITURE ASSEMBLY
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A step in the right direction A fully furnished home is one of the most refreshing things a homeowner can experience, especially when setting up every piece is quite the hassle. There are many things to consider when approaching furniture assembly. First, one must have the space to lay out all the hardware. Putting the pieces together takes some patience and care. Next is figuring out where the furniture will be placed. Finally, moving the furniture piece to its designated location may require an additional two or four hands. A good furniture seller can coach you through these steps, and even offer delivery and installation services so you can skip the last one. Shen’s Furniture Assistant Manager Eve Shen said the store always gives
customers tips on how to take care of the pieces they buy. “Depending on the material they buy, we tell them how to handle it and what cleaning products to use so they won’t get damaged,” Shen said. For setup, there are a few essential tips Shen tells customers. Most furniture pieces at the store are in compact packaging, meaning some pieces may be inside bigger pieces to minimize space. Sofas, for example, may have their pillows and legs inside them. Shen reminds customers of this in the event they are not aware of the additional pieces. For items that require assembly, like shelves and desks, Shen said the first thing to do is making sure every piece of the puzzle is accounted for. “Some customers would open up an instruction manual and their
head would start to spin. What I usually advise is before looking at setup instructions, identify all the hardware pieces. Once you see everything, your mind will begin to piece what goes where, and the setup instructions will be easier to read,” Shen said. Most times, the tools needed to put the item together are provided. If not, the required tools are what can typically be found in a home, like a standard wrench or screwdriver. It is also good to keep in mind what the furniture piece is made of. The material or fabric needs to be cleaned routinely to increase its longevity. Wooden pieces should not be near water. Leather pieces should not be in direct sunlight. “Leather is like human skin,” Shen said. “It needs to be moisturized.
When a customer buys a leather product I usually recommend some leather cleaners and moisturizers to help them.” Furniture cleaning products can be found in most Guam home improvement stores, such as Benson, The Home Depot and the Guam Home Center. Even a simple wipe down on the furniture pieces can go a long way in maintaining that fresh appearance. Giving furniture pieces the care they need prevents unnecessary damage to them and, in some cases, the home. If you are unsure about how to set up or care for your furniture pieces, be sure to contact your local furniture provider. p
When buying furniture, always consider how you’ll set it up, where you’ll put it, and how you’ll move it there.
Photos courtesy of Shen’s Furniturez
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REAL ESTATE PROFILE | IDEAL REALTY
THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
Real Estate Profile — Ideal Realty EMPIRE REALTY YEAR FOUNDED ON GUAM: July 2014 PRINCIPAL BROKER: Karen Z. Pan NUMBER OF REALTORS: 6 WEBSITE: www.idealrealtyguam.com PHONE NUMBER: (671) 649-1883 PHYSICAL LOCATION: Pacific Plaza, 845 N. Marine Corps Drive #201, Tamuning, GU 96913 AREAS OF EXPERTISE/SPECIALTIES: Residential sales/rentals, vacant land sales, foreclosures. INVESTMENT TIP: Investing in the real estate market is the best choice for people who are low risk takers. Don’t wait to have the whole bucket of gold to invest. Investment begins with little capital. PICK OF THE MONTH: Marina Bay is located in the heart of Hagåtña and away from the hustle and bustle of the busy Tumon Strip. There are 24 newly renovated residential units, just minutes away from the ocean, in the same building as a state-of-the-art gym and Shirley’s Restaurant. You can enjoy waking up every morning to the stunning ocean views and enjoy the amenities of secure and keyless entry, secure mail delivery and a washer and dryer in every unit. The units can come fully furnished or unfurnished.
The Marina Bay units as seen in Hagåtña.
Photos courtesy of Ideal Realty
THE REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
NEED TO KNOW | S TAGING A PROPERT Y
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Open mind, Open House The longtime tradition of Open Houses is a way to get a variety of house hunters to look at a property for sale in a casual setting. While this is opportune for buyers, sellers can also use open houses to observe the type of buyers their property attracts. To draw people into an Open House, the property needs to be in a presentable state with exceptional curb appeal to draw attention. On the other hand, buyers should be open-minded when looking at homes, and a peek into an Open House wouldn’t hurt. Jeffrey Sanchez, a realtor with Century 21 Commonwealth Realty, said, in regard to sellers sprucing up their properties, “Presentation is everything. … Not all sellers are the same, and not all buyers are the same. Some sellers do not have the luxury of time or money to spruce up a property, which is perfectly fine. “On the flip side,” he said, “For
A simple, clean and modern approach to staging can allow buyers to both see the promise in the home and get more personalized ideas.
those that are able to put time, effort and energy into making the place look nice, I would wrap the house in a bow if I could. They’re Sanchez p u t t i n g themselves in the best possible position to make a great first impression. Simple things like cleanliness, tidying, de-cluttering and organizing significantly increase your chances of not having them look elsewhere, which is exactly what you want.” Buying a house is no easy feat, however, it should not be a daunting one for either the buyers or the sellers. That’s where staging a home comes into play. While the normal décor of a home is great for the
family living in it, just like Sanchez said, everyone is different. Some buyers might like a bare-bones look so they can put their stamp of creativity on the home, while other buyers might want to see ideas on how to design and furnish what might be their new home. Whether the seller decides to spruce and stage, the buyer is in a good position, according to Sanchez. “You’re positioning yourself for your best days ahead,” he said. “Generally speaking, buyers already have an idea of what they’re looking for. They’re looking for something bigger, better and with perhaps an extra room to set up a home office for working remotely. They want more space so their families can play around, spend time, and build memories in, and that is something you simply can’t put a price on. p
“Simple things like cleanliness, tidying, decluttering and organizing significantly increase your chances of not having them look elsewhere, which is exactly what you want.”