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Paint colors that add value to your home

December 17, 2020 By C21 Communications

It’s common knowledge that a fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to help your home sell. However, the right colors are crucial. Research shows that certain paint colors in certain rooms of the home can raise the final sale value by thousands.

Blue in the bathroom: In 2017, Zillow found that blue can be a surprisingly valuable color. In particular, houses with bathrooms that were painted a pale, soft blue sold for an average of $5,440 more than expected.

Brown living rooms: That same study by Zillow also found that light browns, such as beige and taupe, added value when used in living rooms. Homes painted this way sold for an average of $1,926 more than expected.

Certain paint colors in certain rooms of the home can raise the final sale value.

Avoid bright white: While neutrals consistently cause homes to sell for more money, stark white for interiors is usually not the right choice. This color can easily come across as sterile and uninviting.

Paint it black: Generally light colors are better, but the exception is the front door. A black front door has been shown to increase the sales price of an average American home by 2.9%. Black can also be an effective color when used on kitchen islands and cabinets, so long as the walls provide ample contrast.

Neighborly exteriors: There are many exterior colors that can work well when selling your house. To help make the right choice for your home, look at what the neighbors have done. After all, buyers already like your neighborhood. Use that knowledge to your advantage when choosing an exterior color.

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New Report Reveals Massive Shifts in Tenant

December 15, 2020 By C21 Communications

A recent study by Zumper, an online rental marketplace, reveals massive shifts in renter behavior and historic market changes for renting in 2020.

The company’s “State of the American Renter” report for 2020 was based on surveys of more than 14,000 Americans conducted between June 2020 and August 2020. It demonstrates how the coronavirus pandemic is altering renter behavior and reversing rental market trends. Key findings include:

Renters are moving back in with mom and dad. Nearly 50% more renters are moving back in with their parents, with Millennials moving most often.
The majority of renters are under financial stress, with tenant unemployment at 12.7%.
Renters are moving more than ever before. A quarter reported moving to a new city within the past year, up 33% from 2019.
Renters are abandoning expensive cities in favor of cheaper, often neighboring, markets. For example, Bay Area residents are moving to Sacramento.
The country’s priciest cities are seeing the sharpest rent declines. The median rents in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Oakland, San Jose, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Seattle declined 15% from the start of 2020.

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The Home Gym Gets a Makeover

December 9, 2020 By C21 Communications

Where you work matters as much as where you work out. Like the home office, the home gym has moved from afterthought to forethought in the COVID era. Affluent homeowners are now creating workout spaces loaded with personal style. Whether it’s designing around Peloton bikes and Mirror systems or creating complete wellness suites for relaxation, the new home gym is all about you.

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How is Working from Home Affecting the Office Sector

November 24, 2020 By C21 Communications

The office sector is experiencing unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19. As shelter-in-place orders rolled out earlier this year and companies allowed their employees to work from home, the need for physical office space declined. So, what will happen to the office sector?

CoreNet Global, a nonprofit that represents over 11,000 corporate real estate executives, recently released a survey on the effects of the pandemic. Here are some key findings about the future of the office.

One-half of the survey respondents said it will be at least June 2021 before 50% of their workers return to work onsite.
Once workers do return, the office will be a place for collaboration and teamwork, rather than individual work, according to 86% of respondents.
64% said that the typical 9-5 workday is a thing of the past.
Survey respondents expect their company’s employees to spend about half their time in a traditional office, 42% in a home-based office and 7% in a co-working space.
70% of survey respondents say their corporate real estate footprint will shrink over the next two years.
71% report that their company will not shy away from densely packed urban areas, but 66% say that pandemic readiness on the part of cities will be a factor in their company’s site-selection plans going forward.

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Terrazzo flooring has stood the test of time, enduring for centuries as a durable and versatile surface.

November 19, 2020 By C21 Communications

To arrive in Venice for the first time is to be transported into a completely unique world—a city of gothic buildings floating on water, where grand palaces and churches stand above the ubiquitous canals, and an array of building materials is on permanent display. From the dusty-rose clay bricks that can be found on the exteriors of houses, palaces and churches, to the dazzling white Istrian stone that typifies many of the grander Venetian establishments, and the marble mosaics that adorn surfaces throughout the city, Venice is a city of contrasting textures and styles—and this is something that is reflected in one of its most famous exports: terrazzo flooring.

You might know it as that speckly concrete from government buildings of the 1970s and ’80s, but this hybrid flooring material was actually created in the 15th century. Venetian mosaic workers would gather up offcuts of marble and repurpose them, combining them with clay and other materials to use for flooring in their own residences. The workers would grind the stone down for an even walking surface, but without being coated, the color of the aggregate flecks would not emerge; terrazzo was merely a convenient and utilitarian choice for flooring.

The flooring style gained popularity when workers refined the process of installation by creating a grinding stone called a galeto to even out the surface, and discovering that a coating of goat milk would bring out the color and sheen of the stone. Since then, technology has advanced (and coatings other than goat milk have been developed), and terrazzo has established itself as a durable and attractive flooring material, first in Italy, and then across the globe.

In palaces and buildings throughout Venice, terrazzo is omnipresent, having been chosen for its aesthetic appeal and durability. In the centuries since its invention, the surface has made its way around the world, and recently, it has enjoyed a resurgence as a style statement in modern architecture and design.

David Filippi, Vice President of American Terrazzo Co., has a long family history with terrazzo, beginning with his great-grandfather Antonio’s emigration from Italy to the United States. Antonio Filippi set out for the United States from a small town called Casasola, not far from Venice, in the early 1900s. After an arduous journey and years of hardship as a foreigner in a strange land, Antonio established what is now American Terrazzo Co.

“Like so many Italian immigrants, my great grandfather left behind a wife and young child to board a ship and set sail for the country of his dreams,” Filippi says. “Some seven years after arriving in America, he called for his young family to join him and eventually secured a piece of property where he built his shop and home next door. Relatives and friends from the ‘old country’ joined my great-grandfather, and together they earned a reputation for performing the finest in terrazzo and masonry work.”

Terrazzo flooring has stood the test of time, enduring for centuries as a durable and versatile surface. image 1

Filippi’s family is dedicated to the continuation of the business, which is a testament to Italian ingenuity and Filippi’s great-grandfather’s hard work. “Over the years, terrazzo has had its ups and downs,” Filippi says. “Today, it is very popular.

Historically, you would have seen terrazzo mostly in airports and hospitals, and in the lobbies of large commercial buildings. Now, it has expanded to retail stores, universities and high-end homes.” As with many design and architectural trends, terrazzo has come in and out of style, but one of the enduring benefits of the material—and what makes architects and designers come back to it again and again—is that it is durable and versatile.

“Generally, of all building types, airports have the most foot traffic,” Filippi says. “One of the main reasons that terrazzo is so widely used in airports is that it is extremely durable.” It’s because of this that, even though the initial financial outlay for terrazzo might be greater than a simpler form of flooring, terrazzo is considered to be the most cost-effective flooring that there is—because it will never wear out. Fifty years from installation, a terrazzo floor will look as fresh as if it were installed yesterday.

Another major benefit of terrazzo flooring is its uniqueness, and the ability to customize its look to suit any setting. “It has many options,” Filippi says. “There is a wide spectrum of available colors, as well as many aggregate sizes and colors.” In recent years, terrazzo has been embraced as a wildly versatile material that can be used as a refined surface in professional buildings; for a fun and colorful addition to a retail space; and as a personality-laden feature in a beautiful home.

Because terrazzo is poured during installation, a fluid, unbroken surface can be achieved, providing continuity and connection between spaces in your home, which most other flooring and wall surfaces are unable to achieve. And designers are now experimenting with precast terrazzo, opening up a whole new channel for design experimentation—it’s no longer limited to just flooring and walls.

“Over the years, we have fabricated terrazzo sinks, bathtubs, tables, chairs and even sculptures,” Filippi says. “Terrazzo can be placed anywhere and everywhere. It has no limitations.” This expansion from building surfaces to accessories and decor is indicative of the strength of terrazzo in today’s design palette. Modern design outlets jumped on board, with Anthropologie selling a range of terrazzo-inspired bath accessories, West Elm doing a collection of melamine terrazzo-style dishes, and multitudes of furniture and fabric designers incorporating the material’s aesthetic into their products.

If you’re considering terrazzo for your home, there are a few important things to keep in mind. Consider your time line, because terrazzo is still laid by hand, and is considered artistic and artisanal work. If you’re going with traditional cementitious terrazzo, be prepared for it to take more than a month to install. Epoxy, on the other hand, can usually be completed within one to two weeks.

Cost varies, starting from $30 per square foot for installation. If you’re looking for intricate designs or installations in challenging areas, the cost will increase. But remember, the long-term maintenance costs of terrazzo are virtually nonexistent compared with other types of flooring.

Lastly, when you’re choosing the color and aggregates for your terrazzo features, make sure that you’re making a choice based on personal preference rather than trend, because this surface, with its virtual indestructibility, will be with you permanently.

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What are first-time homebuyers looking for?

November 11, 2020 By C21 Communications

Today’s first-time home buyers are a unique bunch. They are typically millennials, budget-conscious, and looking for smaller and less expensive homes. Many have been renting for a long time — longer than they wanted to — and when they get to the home buying stage, they’re excited and ready to go.

Here are four key things that today’s first-time home buyers are looking for.

Great photos: Millennials do most things online, including shopping for a home. To attract first-time home buyers, your listing needs to include a good number of high-quality photos. Before bringing in a photographer, consider completing cosmetic upgrades to improve the home’s aesthetic.

Small spaces: These days, first-time buyers tend to be OK with less square footage, as long as the home feels functional and flexible. Staging a smaller home with multi-use items, such as a fold-out bed and hideaway storage, can create a sense of efficiency and potential.

Be nice: For first-time buyers, the home buying process often feels very personal. Overly aggressive or dishonest tactics are likely to drive them off. On the other hand, simple gestures like being flexible during showings are a reliable way to generate good will and soothe nerves.

Eco-friendly features: Energy-efficient appliances, smart thermostats and solar panels tend to appeal to millennial first-time buyers. They’re savvy to the cost savings these technologies bring, and tend to be drawn to them as an easy way to reduce their overall carbon footprint.

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8 Covid-Friendly Ways to Honor Our Military this Veterans Day

November 9, 2020 By C21 Communications

Veterans Day is right around the corner, and our military deserves all the praise and recognition for serving our country.

Regardless of the circumstances, COVID-19 has brought upon us, on November 11th, join us in honoring their service in creative, safe, and socially distanced ways.

From Your Home

There are plenty of ways to get creative and show your thanks to our veterans from the comfort of your home.

Create a short video saying a special thanks.

Let the military personnel in your life hear how much you value them. Whip out your phone and create a quick video expressing your gratitude and appreciation. Sending this to them will undoubtedly put a smile on their face.

Create care packages for the soldiers overseas.

Care packages are a great way to celebrate and honor our military overseas. Grabbing some supplies from the store and shipping boxes of special items to Support Our Troops would be much appreciated by those currently deployed. Some things to include are:

Reading material
Baby wipes
Sunscreen
Non-aerosol deodorant
Lipbalm
Non-perishable food (beef jerky, protein bars, etc.)
Handwritten notes

Donating to organizations that specialize in sending care packages is another excellent option.

For Your Coworkers

While many companies are working remotely, you can still say thank you to your coworkers who have served our country.

Send out a special newsletter to your office highlighting those who’ve served.

This is an easy but thoughtful way to honor your coworkers and let them know they’re appreciated. Create a list of names and collect photos from when they were serving our country.

Send out the email first thing in the morning to make the whole day special for them, even if they’re working from home.

Incorporate red poppies.

The American Legion Auxiliary typically distributes red crepe paper poppies on Veterans Day nationwide. However, with limitations due to COVID-19, this may not be possible. Baking remembrance poppy cookies is a thoughtful and delicious option to say thank you to your coworkers.

Not much of a chef? Contact your local florist to see if they have any red poppies they could deliver to your coworkers’ house.

Prepare a special delivery of handwritten notes.

This might take some preparation, but collecting handwritten notes from coworkers and having them delivered to the veterans’ homes is sure to make their day.

In Your Community

Don’t know anyone personally in the military? That doesn’t mean you can’t still get involved in the celebrations.

Support veteran-owned businesses.

One of the easiest ways to honor a service member is to support their business. You can order from veteran-owned restaurants, share veteran-owned businesses on social media, shop in their store, and more. Can’t think of any businesses off the top of your head? Check out this directory of veteran-owned businesses.

Encourage others in your community to write thank you letters to those overseas.

A friendly note can go a long way. Spreading the word about programs like Operation Gratitude is a simple but impactful way to let our military know that we appreciate them, especially during a pandemic.

This would be a great thing to share on social media to get the word out about this program and encourage others to participate in Veterans Day celebrations.

Organize a drop off of supplies and thank you notes for those in veteran hospitals.

COVID-19 is undoubtedly a lonely time for everyone, especially those in care facilities and hospitals. Teaming up with friends and family, writing thank you notes, and putting together mini care packages for veterans needing extra care will let them know that their service is much appreciated no matter the circumstances.

COVID-19 has changed many things in all of our lives, but there’s one thing for certain that we shouldn’t have to change: our love and respect for our veterans.

Content proudly provided in partnership with Veterans United Home Loans. NMLS 1907

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Confessions of a #1

October 23, 2020 By C21 Communications

Securing the #1 spot as a top performer may not be easy, but it’s possible. Success isn’t necessarily something that just happens to you. It’s actually, quite the contrary. When you get the opportunity to learn the ropes from others who have implemented key methods that have helped them become #1 in their field, you can’t help but notice a theme. #WhatIf there are methods you could execute, day to day, and mindsets you could put into practice, right now, that could elevate your game 121%? #WhatIf you had the chance to sit down with a seasoned entrepreneur who has weathered the uncertainties of life and business and has come out on top?

Here’s your chance. Recently, we had the opportunity to speak with someone who’s taken success, by the horns, and hasn’t looked back. Joe Villaescusa is not only the Owner of CENTURY 21 Allstars in Pico Rivera, California, but he’s a top performer; and not just any top performer but, a #relentless one.

Don’t believe us? Read on.

Last year, Joe’s office closed over $18 million in sales with over 1800 closings. If that’s not enough, CENTURY 21 AllStars is on track to knock it out of the park again this year. To top that off (we know, right?) Joe has recovered from COVID19 and has worked each day to regain his momentum and build his strength. As you can see, it’s not just Joe’s tenacity but it’s the grit and grind mindset he’s taken on, day in and day out.

So here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Here are our top three confessions from Joe that he says has helped him to become a #1:

Show yourself accountable every day.- “We didn’t get into this business to be average.” Joe believes you don’t become complacent overnight. Over time, when you aren’t accountable to mentors and leaders, complacency can have a way of sneaking up on you. Allowing this to go on without the right accountability can lead to an overall lack of motivation before you realize it. Surround yourself with others who have reached milestones and goals, you’d like to achieve, to help you to push yourself and remain motivated.
Remove your choices so you have to do it “this way.”- When you have too many options, it can become second nature to choose the easiest route. The housing market crash of 2006, Joe says, helped him to develop a discipline in making decisions to help with his personal development and the growth of his business. “When your options are eliminated, you are forced to make decisions with what you have,” Joe says. During the crash, the options available to expand Joe’s business was greatly diminished. This put him in a position to have to choose the more difficult routes, in making day to day decisions. He’s been able to carry this mindset with him, even after the market made a turn for the better. When making decisions, it’s not uncommon to have a mix of easier and difficult choices among your options. Try removing the easier choices that don’t carry character developing challenges.
Get enough sleep.- This goes without saying. According to the CDC, one-third of adults don’t get enough sleep. Joe recommends getting a good night’s rest to get your day started bright and early. “If you can get out of the bed, you are 50% of the way there,” he says. Being intentional about getting adequate rest can help avoid playing the “catch up game” and set your things in motion to start your days off strong.

It’s a slow and steady pace that can lead one to a #1 spot but it’s not impossible. Be patient with your journey and surround yourself with others that are crushing goals you hope to accomplish. Being intentional about your growth and success is key and can help you #AlwaysElevate your game!

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The Top Secondary MSAs for CRE Investment

October 13, 2020 By C21 Communications

Which metro areas have performed best during the coronavirus pandemic?

COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on commercial real estate in top-tier metropolitan areas — particularly the gateway markets, many of which were forced to completely shut down businesses in an effort to control the pandemic. Most secondary markets suffered the same fate, but according to a recent report by data firm Trepp LLC, some fared better than others.

Trepp analyzed the performance of 21 secondary MSAs and created a list of the top 10 areas based on their commercial real estate investment potential. Here are the top five:

1. Austin-Round Rock, Texas. Austin ranked first due to a high rate of population growth, a low unemployment rate, a strong influx of high-tech and warehousing jobs and an increase in new CMBS issuance.

2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California. San Jose has strong employment and population growth, low CMBS delinquency rates and a high average occupancy rate.

3. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado. Denver saw the largest growth in the total outstanding CMBS balance as well as a low delinquency rate and limited exposure for retail and lodging loans.

4. San Antonio-New Braunfels Texas. The MSA has had strong population growth and a minimal increase in its unemployment rate. The CMBS delinquency rate is low even though retail accounts for the largest balance.

5. Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, California. The MSA ranks relatively high due to its average occupancy rate and low CMBS delinquency rate.

Wondering which MSAs didn’t perform as well? The lowest-ranking secondary metros were Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wisc. Both MSAs had high delinquency and unemployment rates.

For more information, click here or use the contact information below.

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