New Again modernizes the old-but not-dead-yet

A modern miracle

Steve Laird purchased his home in Chico’s California Park community as an investment property in 2003. As a Realtor himself, at the time, he knew how to spot a good deal, and the home was certainly that. With a decent floor plan, the right number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and starter features, it was the perfect rental opportunity. He closed escrow on the home and found tenants immediately. When they decided to move out in 2006, he and his wife decided to sell their home and move in. It wasn’t long before they realized the home would be in need of some upgrades if it was to be their forever home.

As with most homes built throughout the late 90s and early 00s, the home’s kitchen looked dated shortly after being built. Honey-oak cabinets, tile and grout countertops, and warmed boxed lighting above all contributed to a yellowed hue throughout the kitchen and a worn look just a few years after purchase. They quickly decided to make some upgrades, electing to start with new cabinets and handles to modernize the look of their kitchen. Over the years, they completed a number of upgrades, eventually bringing the home to a happy medium, but when it came time to complete the larger renovations, they decided to seek help.

The Lairds’ friends, Gail and Pete Rossi, had recently hired New Again Kitchen Remodeling to renovate their kitchen and couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. On their recommendation, the two visited New Again and met with store manager and resident designer, Ric Powers, who walked them through the showroom. “We told Ric we were interested in modernizing our flooring throughout the house, installing new countertops in the kitchen and bathroom, and changing up our shower.” Steve said, “He was so helpful and did such a great job discussing all of the options with us. He made the process so easy and helped us narrow down exactly what we were looking for.”

The New Again team arrived at the Lairds’ residence on time and promptly set out to renovate their home. They pulled up the preexisting flooring and replaced it with luxury vinyl, giving the home’s floors a natural hardwood look that’s both scratchresistant and waterproof—perfect for their little dog. They removed the tile countertops in the home’s two bathrooms and installed creme Marfil quartz counters in their place while adding a 6-inch backsplash and three vessel sinks. They also tore out an acrylic shower surround, built a dam, and created an entirely new shower enclosure using 2x2 simply modern tan tile and accented it with a Bedrosian Times Square/Brick Mosaic glass tile. In the kitchen, they replaced the tile counters with New Calacatta quartz countertops, and their resident tile contractor, Victor Cabrera, artfully added 2 ½-inch x 8-inch honed Makoto Kumo grey tiles. The result was night and day.

Asked about the experience, Steve said, “New Again did fantastic work. The guys came in, and they were absolutely perfect. They just worked and worked until the project was complete and couldn’t have been easier to work with! Ric was wonderful and made the project a breeze. They’re all great people, and we plan on referring them to anyone looking for a kitchen or bathroom remodel. We just love our home’s new look!”

Happy as can be in their newly updated kitchen, the Lairds are two more of an evergrowing list of customers that sing New Again’s praises. If you have a kitchen or bathroom remodel in your near future, give New Again a call at (530) 899-2888 or visit them at 2502 Park Avenue in Chico!

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5 Levels of Financial Freedom: LEVEL 5: Legacy

BY RENEE MICHEL, MBA, AND JOE SWEENEY, CFP® , FINANCIAL ADVISORS AT SWEENEY & MICHEL, LLC

When you’ve got a strong financial foundation, it can be incredibly fulfilling to use your excess wealth to make an impact. You’ve probably thought about the legacy you’d like to leave, what lives you want to touch, and in general how to make the world a better place. You don’t have to wait to be wealthy to do these things, but there are money strategies around giving that can help you meet these goals efficiently. We’ll go through a few below:

If there’s someone in your life who you want to help go to college, you can set up a 529 College Savings account. The account will grow tax-free, and distributions are tax-free if used for college-related expenses.

If you’re under age 59.5, IRA distributions sent straight to the university can avoid a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

Giving appreciated assets to children allows you to avoid paying capital gains on the appreciation.

Assets given to a family trust can appreciate outside of your estate, and avoid estate taxes for heirs.

Non-Cash Giving to Charities can be more attractive than giving cash. If you give appreciated stock or assets, you can write off the full market value of the gift and avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation.

A Donor Advised Fund allows you to get an immediate tax deduction for assets given today, but the flexibility to spread the gifts out to a qualified charity over time. Funding a DAF with appreciated assets is an extra win.

A Charitable Remainder Annuity allows you to live on a set income from the account, but give the principal to a designated charity when you pass away. You’ll also enjoy a 30-60% tax deduction when you begin. For further details on any of these strategies, you can reach out to us at SweeneyMichel.com. Consult your attorney and accountant as well.

Renée Michel, MBA and Joe Sweeney, CFP® | 196 Cohasset Road, Suite 100, Chico CA 95926 (530) 487-1777 | renee@sweeneymichel.com | joe@sweeneymichel.com | www.sweeneymichel.com

Sources: www.irs.gov; www.ssa.gov; www.medicare.gov | Sweeney & Michel, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This brochure is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Sweeney & Michel, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Sweeney & Michel, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.