REAL ESTATE CLASSIFIEDS: 3D
House Home sales
To Home
THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018
1D
Check out current
CLIMB
MORTGAGE RATES 2D
2D
This Feb. 21, 2013 photo shows orchids photographed at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle. Houseplants of a different kind are finding their way into spacestarved dwellings. People no longer are wedded to growing a few African violets on sunny window shelves simply to add color to small spaces. They're choosing less demanding houseplants, like succulents, multi-purpose plants like herbs or long-living plants like these orchids pictured here. (AP photo)
Today’s houseplants do more than just look pretty By DEAN FOSDICK Associated Press Houseplants have been a mainstay of indoor decor item for generations, but their selection and use has changed over time, particularly with urbanization. People no longer are wedded to placing a few potted African violets on sunny window sills to add color and texture to small spaces. Instead, they’re choosing less demanding houseplants, like succulents and cacti, or those offering utility, like herbs and strawberries. Young folks new to independent living often lack the means or time to raise pets or children, so they find living substitutes like houseplants. The plants become part of the household. “People give their houseplants names and talk to them,” said Bodie Pennisi, an Extension horticulturist with the University of Georgia. “They also play music for their plants so they’ll grow better. I don’t know if that kind of reaching out is scientifically proven to work but it certainly shouldn’t hurt.” Houseplants do require care, but they don’t need early morning walks or shuttling to and from soccer games. They aren’t banned by condo boards, as pets might be. They are inexpensive and calming. And they’ve been enjoying a revival, Pennisi said. “Back in the ‘70s, the Green Revolution was a time when a huge push was made to grow things indoors,” Pennisi said. “The more plants in planters the better. “But times change,” she said. “Growers are selecting different plants. They’re going for smaller plants. Mobile plants. Succulents, orchids and cacti are being used to accessorize table settings and entries.” One of the newer trends is multi-functioning houseplants, Pennisi said. “Herbs, for example, are nutritious. They can go directly from planter to plate.” Some houseplants can clear the air in enclosed surroundings. They absorb pollen, bacteria and molds while taking in carbon dioxide to process into oxygen. These air-cleaning houseplants include spider plants, ficus, Boston fern, snake plants, aloe, English ivy and philodendron. Houseplants also can be therapeutic. “The mental health benefits of plants are obvious,” Pennisi said. “We’re linked with nature. Plants are part of us, whether we notice it or not. They give us something to nurture.” The DIY movement has also embraced plants, she added, whether through macrame hangers, decorated pots, or the popularity of terrariums, miniature fairy See Garden p. 2D
This Dec. 6 photo shows a gardener using a feather to help pollinate a lemon tree being grown indoors as a different kind of potted houseplant in Langley, Wash. Houseplants have special needs inside your home and you have to find them. (AP photo)
In this undated photo Nathan Shafer, a life-long book collector, poses in front of his bookshelf in Arvada, Colo. Shafer said he feels there is no point to a backwards-facing bookshelf. “That's not what books are for,” he said. (AP photo)
Books placed backward: art or nonsense? By TRACEE M. HERBAUGH Associated Press Looking for an easy way to organize a messy bookshelf? You might consider turning all the spines backward. Yes, the backward bookshelf is one of the easiest ways — albeit, not too functional — to clean up a hodgepodge of texts. It’s also an interior design craze that’s about as culturally divisive as national politics in America. Advocates tout the simplistic texture of the pages, while opponents argue that the idea is just plain stupid since you can’t see which books are which. Generally speaking, you love it or hate it. The backward bookshelf began to trend in the mid-aughts, mostly as an artistic styling tool in photographs on small-scale design blogs or bookshop websites. Now, big-box retailers such as West Elm and The Container Store have incorporated backward bookshelves into their product displays. A Google search for “backward books” will bring back millions of results, from sites including social-media mainstays like Pinterest and Instagram, various women’s magazines and some interior design staples like Apartment Therapy. “I can see the appeal because a lot of times, if there’s a lot of books in a room, people find it distracting or overwhelming,” said Sarah Cole, a Boston-area interior designer. “But it’s not super-functional, and unless the books are purely decorative, it just seems challenging.” Backward books, Cole said, do align with the neutral, monochromatic look that is popular now in design. Achieving a simple, stylish look is exactly why Cari Shane turned her books backward. Four years ago, the public relations executive was renovating a 1914 row house in Washington, D.C.,
This undated photo shows Cari Shane's renovated row house in Washington D.C. Shane took her college-aged daughter's advice and used backwards facing books to decorate a living space. (AP photo) when her teenage daughter suggested the idea. “I had these beautiful orange chairs for the living room and I needed some-
thing to set them off,” Shane said. “I needed something that was going to let See Books p. 2D
LOOKING TO SELL?
Staging a home can increase sales price, help buyers visualize
V
iewing a house for sale requires buyers to visualize the property as a future place to call home. Would-be buyers often have to rely on their imagination for how they want to design the property as homeowners and what that man cave setup in the basement could look like. Staging your home before you put it on the market is a great way to impress potential buyers or create a living space homeowners may pre-
fer, according to a press release from the Upper Peninsula Association of Realtors. Seventy-seven percent of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2017 Profile of Home Staging. “Buyers want to be able to picture the home’s interior designs in the easiest way possible,” Pam Caron, president of the Upper Peninsula Realtors, said in the release.
“Staging your home with even the smallest touches like new bathroom towels, drapes over the windows or flowers on a coffee table will liven up your listing and make a big difference to the buyer.” Staging your home can also put you ahead of the competition, no small feat in an unpredictable and high-cost housing market, the release states. “Over 60 percent of sellers’ agents say that staging a home decreases the amount
of time a home spends on the market,” Caron said. “With so many factors that play in to what sells a home and what buyers are willing to pay, staging your home is an advantage that can mean selling faster or at a higher price.” The release included some simple staging tips that might help you spruce up your listing and stay ahead of the market: Declutter living spaces. See Sell p. 2D
2D The Mining Journal
Thursday, March 22, 2018
House to Home Mortgage Index 30-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pts.
15-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pt.
High rate
4.625
1
4.125
1
Low rate
4.250
1
3.625
1
Average rate
4.469
1
3.906
1
This graphic represents a Tuesday survey of regional lending institutions. Figures are based on rates at Range Bank, First Bank of Upper Michigan, the Marquette Community Federal Credit Union and mBank.
Garde n
from 1D
gardens and bonsai. Houseplants are durable, but that doesn’t make them easier to grow than ornamentals or vegetables, said Beth Berlin, an Extension educator with the University of Minnesota’s St. Cloud office. “Selection is important,” Berlin said. “Look at the natural environment in
which they thrive and then look at your own. Plants have special needs inside your home and you have to find them.” That includes deciding which potting soil to use, watering and feeding them properly, and providing enough humidity and light. “Light is the big deal,” Berlin said. “Leaves are the first symptoms to tell you if you’re overwatering
or underwatering.”
Online: For more about houseplants, see this publication from University of Georgia E x t e n s i o n : https://secure.caes.uga.ed u/extension/publications/fi les/pdf/B%201318_4.PD F You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net
Not very handy? Walmart offers TV installers and furniture builders By JOSEPH PISANI AP Retail Writer NEW YORK — Walmart doesn’t just want to sell TVs and furniture — it wants to send a professional home to set them up, too. The world’s largest retailer said Monday that it is expanding a deal with on-demand online services platform Handy.com, allowing shoppers to hire helpers at 2,000 of its stores nationwide to mount a TV on their wall or assemble a bookcase. Other retailers have offered similar services as they seek to make shopping more convenient to
get customers to buy more and cut down on returns. Wayfair, the online furniture seller, also offers Handy’s services. Amazon.com has its own ondemand services, and furniture seller Ikea bought Taskrabbit last year and is rolling out the service to its stores. Walmart, which first tested Handy in 25 stores in Atlanta, said shoppers can hire a Handy professional when then check out at a store or on its website. Mounting a TV starts at $79, while putting together furniture starts at $69, Handy said.
Book s
Shafer said, defies the purpose of books. “They’re for the unique words, the unique ideas, the unique characters inside them,” he said. “Part of the reason for hanging onto books is so you can go back and find something. You can’t do that if you’re hiding every identifying mark.” There are occasions, however, when art is executed just right, at least according to the customers of Newtonville Books, an independent bookseller in Newton, Mass. The store is known around the area for its visually intriguing counter, which is filled with backward books in different sizes and colors.
from 1D
the chairs be the focal point.” The books used in the display were ones Shane had no plans to re-read. “I couldn’t tell you what books they are,” she said. On the other hand, Nathan Shafer, a life-long reader and book collector, has filled his Arvada, Colorado, home with hundreds of books, none of which face backward. “They’re entities, and when you turn them all backward it renders them one anonymous mass,” Shafer said. And an anonymous mass,
Se ll
from 1D
It is a good idea to clear all unnecessary objects throughout the house, such as magazines on the coffee table and bathroom items on the sink. In addition, take down magnets and pictures from the refrigerator and remove clothes you do not wear from closets to show a cleaner, more spacious area. Refresh your walls. Remove and rearrange artwork or photos and then patch and paint interior walls in order to give buyers a better visual of each room. “A new coat of paint can brighten up rooms and give the interior a facelift. Something as simple as refreshing walls can affect a
buyer’s perception of the home’s value and potentially raise the price,” Caron said. Personalize spare rooms. Buyers will have different needs depending on family size, and it is wise to stage a spare bedroom based on your target buyers. “If you are putting a condo on the market, you might want to stage the spare bedroom as office space for young and single professionals. Make sure the room is comfortable, has overhead lighting, plenty of room for a desk and an area for filing cabinets,” Caron said. By simply following a few staging guidelines, you can increase your home’s value and help it sell more quickly, the release states.
In this Feb. 23 photo a for sale sign stands in front of a house in Walpole, Mass. On Wednesday, March 21, the National Association of Realtors reports on February sales of existing homes. (AP photo)
US existing-home sales up 3 percent in February By JOSH BOAK AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON — U.S. sales of existing homes rebounded in February after declining for the previous two months, a sign that many Americans are still looking to buy despite rising prices and a shrinking number of homes available on the market. The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that sales rose 3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.54 million. This increase after declining sales in January and December suggests that competition will be heated during the traditional spring home-buying season. “The upward trend in home sales remains intact but there are headwinds in the way,” said Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. The shortage of properties for sale is creating a challenge for would-be homebuyers. As sales listings have steadily declined, prices have been climbing at
the same time as a stronger job market has elevated demand — and, also, competition — for purchasing homes. Higher mortgage rates this year might also cause even fewer people to list their homes for sale, which would make the current supply squeeze worse. The median home sales price was $241,700 in February, a 5.9 percent increase over the past year. Prices are climbing, in part, because the number of sales listings has dropped. The supply of homes for sale declined 8.1 percent from a year ago to 1.59 million. In February, sales climbed in the South and West but fell in the Northeast and Midwest. First-time buyers appear to face the greatest obstacles from the decline in listings, according to an analysis by the real estate company Trulia. Starter homes have seen the steepest price increases as well as sharp drops in inventory — and a greater proportion of them are fix-
er-uppers that require additional investment from buyers. Mortgage rates have been rising after President Donald Trump signed tax cuts into law toward the end of last year. The average 30year mortgage rate was 4.44 percent last week, up from an average as low as 3.78 percent in early September, according to mortgage buy-
BIG C REALTY (906) 387-3074 321 E. Munising Ave., Munising www.bigcrealty.com office@bigcrealty.com
1098746 Walking distance to schools and downtown. This completely remodeled home includes updates to electrical, insulation, plumbing, drywall, all new vinyl windows, kitchen and bath. $79,900 1100893 Cute home nestled close to schools and walking distance to downtown. Great neighborhood with spacious backyard, garage and basement. Option for Bedroom 4 to be converted back into more living space if not needed. $109,000 1102029 Nestled up on the hill in the woods in the City of Munising, enjoy this stunning view of Munising Bay from each level of this 3 BR 2 Bath home. $189,000 1102401 f you are looking for the perfect get away, here is the house to buy on Perch Lake with 11 acres, 272’ frontage tucked away on this beautiful private lake. Awesome fishing, swimming, kayaking and boating. $280,000 1105578 Beautiful Nevins Lake a 275+ acres all sports lake offers TWO PLATTED LAKE FRONT LOTS plus nicely wooded corner lot across the street. This is a great opportunity to build your home or cabin on any of the three lots - take your pick!!! There is a driveway in and a small 12x14 building on Lot 18. $78,000
er Freddie Mac. Real estate experts warn that higher rates could prompt more existing homeowners to keep their properties off the market, since selling their homes would require them to then buy a new home and pay more in mortgage interest.
1900 Presque Isle Ave.
228-7255
FEATURED PROPERTY
270 Bishop Woods, Mqt Beautiful 5 bedroom 4 bathroom home with a great room, master suite, den, kitchen island, cherry cabinets, sauna, bonus room over garage and more! (1106228) $419,900 215 S Co Rd 557, Gwinn The Up North Lodge is a wellestablished restaurant that is known for its excellence. It features vaulted ceilings, 60ft bar and woodwork throughout! (1105809) $1,300,000 175 N Pearce St, Gwinn Close to town this 3 bedroom starter home has a spacious living room, open concept, newer windows, master suite with bathroom and attached 2 car garage! (1099017) $65,000 Lot 66 Bishop Woods Rd, Mqt Very nice building lot located on a corner in a great neighborhood! This lot has had trees cut, fill brought in and is ready for your new dream home! (1106190) $46,500 103 E Johnson Rd, Skandia Country living just outside of Marquette sits this 2 bedroom, 2 bath open concept home. TLC needed. Storage space with one car detached heated garage and 25x22 workshop. (1104206) $74,900
www.lookrealtyinc.com
The Mining Journal 3D
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Real Estate Classifieds
This is
MAX. He found his very own bachelor pad. He found it fast in the Classifieds. People like Max, People like you, People like…
CLASSIFEDS
906-228-2500 906-486-4401 906-562-7811
Call The Classifieds 228-2500!
EMPLOYMENT Local…Regional…jobs. Check us out at: jobs.miningjournal.net
Open Houses
4D The Mining Journal
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Northern
Michigan
Land Brokers
HAPPY SPRING!
FEATURED LISTINGS
TBD FFR 3920, Iron River
N2025 Co Rd 510, Marquette
380 Hemlock Street, Republic
Well-built camp just south of US2 with year round access $139,000 MLS#: 1103592
113 Acres with frontage on Lost Creek $158,500 MLS#: 1106073
NATHAN BRABON
Three bedroom home in South Republic with many updates $53,000 MLS#: 1104935
2012 E. Pierce, Wakefield
Little Garlic River Road, Marquette
TBD Johnson Lake Road, Gwinn
Clean and cozy three bedroom home with many updates and two garages $75,000 MLS#: 1105966
27 acres of rolling highlands adjacent to public lands and near the Garlic River. $45,000 MLS#: 1105897
Waterfront lot on Blue Lake in Gwinn on a year round black top road with all utilities available $25,000 MLS#: 1105299
SUE FELDHAUSER
ROB SULLIVAN
BRIAN OLSON
11514 River Road, Republic
Gov’t Lot 3, M95, Republic
935 Patriot Street, Ishpeming
ROB SULLIVAN
Remarkable 45 acre parcel with over 2,000 feet of frontage on the Michigamme River in Southwest Marquette County $189,900 MLS#: 1101897
$16,000
NATHAN BRABON
New price! MLS#: 1099639
Two bedroom/two bathroom attached home $64,900 MLS#: 1106652
ROB SULLIVAN
NATHAN BRABON
E195 Sand Lake Road, Deerton
TBD M94/Townline Road, Skandia
40 Acres, Dalton Road, Skandia
Great waterfront camp on 500 feet of frontage on Sand lake and seven acres $179,900 MLS#: 1106362
Outstanding property with a beautiful building site overlooking the ponds on the Skandia/West Branch border $69,000 MLS#: 1085940
Year round access and utilities $39,000 MLS#: 1085938
BOB SULLIVAN
BRIAN OLSON
BOB SULLIVAN
BRIAN OLSON
1761 Lake Haven Drive, Little Lake
5389 Champs Elysses, Gould City
30 Acres, Diffin Road, Trenary
Year round camp/home with 600’ of frontage on Little Lake $249,900 MLS#: 1106231
Waterfront chalet cottage with over 200’ of sandy beach frontage on Lake Milakokia $299,000 MLS#: 1100558
Thirty acres of hunting land with year round county road access and power in Alger County $39,000 MLS#: 1106795
BOB SULLIVAN
NATHAN BRABON
ROB SULLIVAN
117 E. Sno Dance, Wakefield
TBD Silver Creek Road, Marquette
454 Cardinal Red Road, Michigamme
Large home on top of Indianhead Mountain $165,000 MLS#: 1098251
Residential building lot with almost 450 feet of frontage on Silver Creek $70,000 MLS#: 1106565
Sweetheart of a cottage home on 200 feet of Lake Michigamme frontage $299,900 MLS#: 1096536
BOB SULLIVAN / NATHAN BRABON
BOB SULLIVAN
SUE FELDHAUSER
Love the Land!
Bob Sullivan
Associate Broker/ Owner Cell: 906-361-4212
Rob Sullivan
Associate Broker, Office Manager Cell: 906-362-3337
Brian Olson
Associate Broker Cell: 906-869-6446
Nathan Brabon Agent Cell: 906-869-8451
Sue Feldhauser Agent Cell: 906-360-2891
Charles Drury Agent Cell: 906-235-3198
Toll-free 1-866-231-LAND • www.northernmichiganlandbrokers.com • 2552• 2552 USUS 4141West, Marquette 906-225-LAND (5263) • www.northernmichiganlandbrokers.com • www.premiumupproperties.com West, Marquette