{The Intimate Dining Room Experience}

I can imagine getting chummy in this room! This room has great curves throughout including curved button back dining chairs with curved wooden legs, a spiral staircase, curved archway, and two light pieces that contain curved metal in them. The soothing shades of blue and grey compliment the smooth flowing curves wonderfully. I also enjoy the gray raised details in the carpet. From the ceiling to the floor, the room has something to look at!

{ Serene & Stylish Living Room }

A perfect duo!
The natural light adds the perfect brightness this beautiful gray and ivory living room combination.
The room is beautifully decorated. Not too much going on or overwhelming.
This is a great spot to sit down, hang out, and make sweet memories.

{ Ivory Victorian Bathtub }

Feminine and chic! I absolutely adore and love this bathroom. I could spend hours in that tub.

{Seafoam & Ivory, Cotton Drapes & Taffeta Pintuck Bedding}

I love everything about this room. Very elegant and classic. Love the soft color arrangements and patterns on the bed.

Check out this link: 10 Tips on How To Outfit Your Bed with Contrasting Patterns. It’s a great article on how to mix and match bedding.

Consumer confidence rises this year! 2012 is a good time to buy!

Consumers May Prowl for Homes in 2012: Fannie Mae

A new Fannie Mae study suggests Americans are beginning to consider 2012 a good year to acquire a home.

The GSE released its March National Housing Survey of just over 1,000 Americans and found more citizens expect rents and home prices to increase in the coming months, making today a better time to purchase a residence. 

About 73% of those interviewed said buying a home today is a good idea, up from 70% in February. 

Thirty-seven percent of those interviewed believe prices will increase, which is up 5 percentage points since February and the highest point reached in more than a year.

About half of the respondents expect both home rentals and purchases will grow over the next 12 months. 

Consumers also are more confident about their own finances, with 44% believing their financial situations will get better in the near future.

“Conditions are coming together to encourage people to want to buy homes,” said Doug Duncan, vice president and chief economist of Fannie Mae. “Americans’ rental price expectations for the next year continue to rise, reaching their record high level for our survey this month. With an increasing share of consumers expecting higher mortgage rates and home prices over the next 12 months, some may feel that renting is becoming more costly and that homeownership is a more compelling housing choice.”

Still, 58% of those surveyed believe the economy is still on the wrong track, with only 35% holding a more optimistic view of the nation’s economic situation. Twelve percent believe their financial situation will worsen, and 21% believe their income is now significantly higher than it was 12 months ago. 

 ~ HousingWire

This is a sweet deal that we love!!!!

Locking in peace of mind 

Mortgage rates are near historic lows, but they are rising, leading some borrowers to consider locking in their rate.  When borrowers lock in their interest rate, it freezes the terms of the loan while it is being processed, potentially saving borrowers thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage.

Making sense of the story

• Locking in a rate may be especially important for those who are refinancing, where even a quarter of a percentage point could skew a borrower’s calculations and make a refinancing less financially desirable.

• Rate locks can provide buyers with some peace of mind, not to mention one less thing to think about in an otherwise onerous application process.

• Lenders typically will give loan rate guarantee agreements when a borrower has a purchase agreement, but a few will provide them to those who are preapproved for a mortgage.

• The cost of reserving an interest rate depends both on the duration of the lock and the amount of the loan.  The longer the lock, the more costly it is.  Most locks are for 30, 45, or 60 days, but some lenders will go as long as six months.

• Most lenders offer some version of a free lock, though it may be only for 30 days. Others charge points – or fractions thereof – based on the loan size, which could amount to several hundred dollars.  One point is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount.  Sometimes these charges are refundable at closing.

• Borrowers may want to skip a rate lock, or delay taking one, if they are unsure when their home purchase will close.

• Knowing how long to lock in a rate requires a clear picture of the mortgage process, and a good estimate from the lender on how long it will take to approve the loan and complete all the paperwork and other requirements. For some lenders handling refinancing, this can be 15 or 20 days; others take longer.

 ~ The New York Times

Greetings! Here’s something fun that I came across one day and I wanted to share this with you! This picture definitely made my day. This house can be found in Detroit, Michigan. This is actually one of many house projects of artist, Tyree Guyton, and as well as his own home. I didn’t know what to think of it nor find words to explain this picture. I figured you guys could help me come up with a caption for this photo of this funny house! Put your thinking cap on and come up with a funny caption for this picture!! I look forward to reading the captions you will think up. Good luck and have fun!

Did you know that…

In 2011 the Assessor’s office reviewed 305,000 properties and adjusted the value of 177,000 properties that were eligible for a tax value reduction. 

– Orange County Association of REALTORS®

So make sure you get your property reassessed this year so you can save money on your property taxes!

Katie Bayliss, Esq.
katiebrealty at gmail.com

{ Lattice Pattern Accent Chairs }

Aren’t these chairs a beauty? I love them all. Which shade would you want?

As HGTV’s Color Splash: Miami host, David Bromstad quotes, “I just don’t think there are any rules to color.” Those who have not heard about design star, David Bromstad, his TV show is based on color and showing people in America that they don’t have to be afraid of color and they, of course, can take it to a whole new level by using it in lots of fun ways.

{ TV Host David Bromstad }

{ Heck why not post of picture of David shirtless … drool! }

Looking at the current trend, society is definitely not shying away from color. People want to see great and powerful color and we are definitely seeing it. Colors are bright, vibrant and BOLD. Everyone wants to wear hot pink, sea foam green and anything that screams confidence. So why not do something a little different and let your home scream color as well? Add a touch of your own personality to your own home. You can start off by spicing up your house with a splash of color to your front door. The front door is the first thing that welcomes your guests and prospective buyers into your home. Make a great first impression by adding some that makes your home really pop. Plus, your guests will not have a hard time locating your home if you are the only house in the block with an inviting teal-colored front door. Don’t be afraid to also add color in your home as well. Give a room a little character and style by adding a splash of color or even a combination of colors. It will accentuate and add life to a dull room. Who wouldn’t want to relax and have some fun in a bright pink room? I know I would! Every color has a different feel and meaning. Color induces deep emotions. Choose a color or a combination of colors that symbolizes you. What color represents you?

Here are a few photos of David’s amazing work for your inspiration: