Buyers Archives - Page 9 of 10 - CENTURY 21 MarketLink Realty

A Day in the Garden: Paint Palette

March 28, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Use this bold and vibrant color palette to decorate your home!

What: This palette is inspired by one of our favorite springtime pastimes, gardening.

Where: Let your garden inspire your outdoor decor! Section off your deck or patio with a large area rug in honey to provide a contrast to your wood furniture. Paint a piece of furniture chartreuse to create a fun and bold pop of color. Combine patterned and solid pillows with shades of honey and cerulean. We recommend displaying potted plants in similar shades such as: hydrangeas, daffodils, peonies, and snowball bushes.

Why: Nature makes people feel calm and regenerized.

How: If you like vibrant colors, try cushions in bubblegum and chartreuse. To tone it down, keep the accent pieces simple and elegant in shades of cerulean. For a monochromatic look, play with different shades of one of the colors with minimal accents in the remaining colors.

Would you paint your home with this palette? What colors in your garden inspire your decor?

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Worldwide Wanderlust: CENTURY 21® Homes from Around the Globe

March 5, 2014 By CENTURY 21

One word, ten letters: wanderlust. This seemingly never ending winter has left us with a major case of wanderlust. Do you feel the same?

Get your daily dose of wanderlust by looking at these homes around the world. Looking to make a commitment? The houses are all on sale at CENTURY 21® Global.

Australia:

This incredible home is an architectural triumph of unrivalled quality wrapped in spectacular harbor panoramas. The postcard style views create a sense of seamless extension of this substantial home’s multi-level layout. The exceptionally private home has an open vista to the world’s most beautiful harbor, cutting edge security, and a no-expense-spared approach to luxury and personal comfort. The streamlined residence captures the essence of flowing indoor/outdoor open plan living, with the main living and dining areas flowing onto the fabulous sundrenched terrace-garden. All principal rooms have balconies or terraces and views of Australia’s most prestigious peninsula. Framed by clipped hedges and low maintenance garden areas, the generously proportioned home includes secure garage with space for twelve cars and a private elevator to all levels of accommodation. This exquisite home is dressed to impress!

This incredible seven bedroom, six bathroom home is a surfer’s paradise. The modern home includes: a helipad, a guest house, five garages and four car parks, a tennis court, Miele kitchen appliances, a home movie theater and more.

London

This bright 2,888 sq ft penthouse apartment features spectacular views over communal gardens, London’s skyline, and Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. The stunning home has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, three receptions, a kitchen, an entrance hall, a utility room and a guest cloakroom. The apartment boasts opulent grandeur throughout, which is of particular prominence in the principal receptions and in the dining room. Kingston House North is a desirable purpose built apartment block on Hyde Park with 24 hour porters, a lift, visitors parking, and beautiful communal gardens. With the park a stone’s throw away, the amenities of Knightsbridge and South Kensington on your doorstep, including fashionably restaurants and cafes, world class shopping such as Harrods and excellent transport links, this most desirable location is second to none.

Canada

This custom built luxury home sits on 1.3 ac backing onto Blue Springs Golf Club near Acton. The 13,000 sq ft home has: five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a balcony, a separate guest suite, custom walnut millwork, two laundry rooms, a main level master suite with large walk-in closets, a fitness room, an office nook, a heated flooring system, above grade windows, a walkout, custom wine cellar, walk-in fridge and freezer, den and outstanding games and entertainment room with billiard and ping pong rooms as well as a custom bar ideal for entertaining. The grounds have been impeccably landscaped with concrete and stone walls, a large gunite pool with waterfall feature and wading area, a huge concrete deck and a patio with stone privacy walls, outdoor kitchen with built-in grills, wood burning pizza oven, sink and more.

We hope that you enjoyed this dose of wunderlust. If it has inspired you to go away, bon voyage!

Which home is your favorite? If you could move anywhere in the world where would you move?

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90′s Nostalgia: Doppelgängers to our Favorite ’90s Television Homes

February 18, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Do you still have Baby One More Time stuck in your head or are you still Clueless about who was Saved by the Bell and why Ross and Rachel keep breaking up and making up?

Don’t worry, a CENTURY 21® Agent is in the house with your Guide to the ‘90s: Television Homes Edition. These CENTURY 21® homes are all on the market so Shop ‘til You Drop.

Beverly Hills, 90210: Beverly Hills, 90210’s heartthrobs, Brandon and Brenda Walsh would be right at home here .

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: We could picture Sabrina, Hilda, Zelda, and Salem brewing up spells here.

Buffy: Before there was Edward and Bella there was Angel and Buffy. We could picture Buffy and Angel having romantic dates in this doppelganger to Buffy’s Sunnydale home.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air: “I pulled up to the house about seven or eight. And I yelled to the cabbie ‘Yo homes smell ya later.’ I looked to my kingdom. I was finally there. To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air (Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme Song).” This home looks like the Banks’ family’s mansion where we would be able to find Carlton, Will, and Geoffrey dancing.

Friends: When they aren’t at The Central Perk listening to live renditions of Smelly Cat, you could expect to see Rachel, Monica, Phoebe and their friends here.

Full House: “Everywhere you look, when you’re lost out there and you’re all alone, a light is waiting to carry you home, everywhere you look. Everywhere you look (Everywhere You Look, Full House).” If you’re looking for a home similar to the one Danny, Joey, Jess, D.J., Stephanie, and Michelle lived in, well, “You got it dude (Full House).”

Dawson’s Creek: You don’t have to wait for your life to be over. A CENTURY 21® Agent is in the house. We would not be surprised to find Joey rowing to this dock before climbing the ladder to Dawson’s bedroom.

“It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear. When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year (a CENTURY 21® Agent will) be there for you (I’ll Be There for You).”

We want to hear from you! What is your favorite 90’s television show? Which of these homes would you want to live in the most?

For entertainment purposes only.

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Living in a House of Cards: Studies to Scheme In

February 14, 2014 By CENTURY 21

As the wise Francis Underwood once said, “Power’s a lot like real estate: It’s all about location, location, location. The closer you are to the source, the higher your property value (House of Cards).” Francis knows power best, last we checked, “He’s got power. He’s got a lot to lose. And he’s winning (House of Cards).”

These CENTURY 21® listed studies are perfect for plotting revenge or preparing to be the Vice President even if you don’t believe that “there is but one rule: hunt or be hunted (House of Cards),” or that “democracy is so overrated (House of Cards).”

1. We think that Francis and Claire can be found scheming late at the night in this study. As he says, “I love that woman. I love her more than sharks love blood (House of Cards).” The couple that schemes together, stays together.

2. We can picture Francis and Doug playing chess and plotting here. Check mate.

3. Francis can be found swapping secrets with Zoe in this spacious study.

4. Congressmen always have large offices like this one, but Francis’ is about to get much larger when he goes from the Capital to the West Wing.

Grab your provisions and settle in to watch all 780 minutes of season two.

We want to hear from you! Which study is your favorite?

For entertainment purposes only.

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The 5 Best “Man Caves” For Watching Football

February 2, 2014 By CENTURY 21 Leave a Comment

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a man cave to watch the game in. (Adapted from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She never said this but we think she would concur.)

What is a man cave, you ask? Merriam-Webster defines a man cave as, “a room or space (as in a basement) designed according to the taste of the man of the house to be used as his personal area for hobbies and leisure activities.” It is your mantuary – a place to watch sports, play pool, bartend, and conduct other mantivities.

Here are the five best CENTURY 21 listed man caves to watch football in. These man caves, and the less important rooms that accompany them, are on the market and could be yours to cherish for sports seasons to come.

1. This Snohomish, Washington man cave has soundproof doors (don’t worry about loud cheering and screaming at the TV), a fireplace, a pool table, and plenty of seating for watching your favorite sports teams.

2. This mantastic Hiawassee, GA man cave has a television area to watch football, a table for snack storage, and a bar. Talk about a macho man cave!

3. Play pool, drink beverages, and football on a big screen in this Paradise Valley, AZ man cave. This basement was turned into a man cave so, perhaps it would be better defined as its own manpartment.

4. This Young Harris, GA man cave has a kitchen with plenty of space for wings, chips and dip, bacon, and pizza. When you are done grabbing food, bring your snacks into the movie room.

5. Access to an outdoor grilling area means your room is pretty much burger-scented heaven. This Marathon, FL man cave has a large space with room for many mantivities and easy access to the grill.

Choose one now – which cave would you want to call your own?

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Five Simple Chalkboard Paint Projects for the Home

January 22, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Chalk it up! Five simple DIY projects to make with chalkboard paint.

Chalkboards are not just for the classroom. Use chalkboard paint to decorate your home with these five simple DIY projects.

GET ORGANIZED USING CHALKBOARD LABELS Use chalkboard paint to label just about anything. The possibilities are limitless, but some of our favorite ideas include: labeling Mason Jars for beauty accessory storage, labeling food storage boxes to create the ultimate organized kitchen, labeling spices in a spice rack, and labeling file drawers, cabinet doors, and dresser drawers to easily identify the contents. Make entertaining a breeze by painting labels on wine glasses, pitchers, cheese trays, coasters, and table runners (no more forgetting whose glass is whose). Paint the outside of shelves in a bookcase to organize books alphabetically by author, title, or genre or take it outside by using chalkboard paint to make garden tags and garden pot labels.

MAKE A FORGET-ME-NOT STATION BY THE FRONT DOOR Write out helpful reminders like “Pick up the kids at three!” “Don’t forget your keys!” and more. We can’t promise that you’ll never forget anything again, but this will certainly help!

PAINT ROOMS You can use chalkboard paint to paint any room of the house, but we recommend using it for kid’s rooms, home offices, and kitchens. How many times have you heard parents tell their children not to draw on the walls? Chalkboard paint gives kids a large canvas in their own space – your son or daughter might be the next Rembrandt! Use chalkboard paint in a home office to make a calendar, a to-do-list, and a brainstorm board. Use kitchen walls to display a menu, shopping list, or your favorite recipes.

PAINT STAIRCASES Make a statement by painting your staircase. Use the chalk space to make note of your favorite quotes, mantras, and reminders.

PAINT FURNITURE Use chalkboard paint to give old furniture a budget-friendly makeover. For example, write love notes and inspirational quotes on a headboard, to-do-lists and reminders on a desk, table setting and dining etiquette reminders on a kitchen table, a television show schedule on a coffee table, or reading lists and reminders on a nightstand.

Did you try one of these projects? Send us your photos on Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr with the hashtag #C21 or by Tweeting at us at @Century21. What are your ideas for DIY projects with chalkboard paint?

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Tips From The Pros: Designer’s Corner

January 14, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Our kitchen and bath design expert answers your questions.

Question: How can I connect my kitchen to the outdoors?

Answer: Try using large, undivided windows. Install one long, tall window above a kitchen sink instead of two smaller openings. Allow at least three inches of “breathing room” around a window, too. Or try including a “garden window,” a small bay window with shelves that gives a three-dimensional feel.

If your kitchen lacks a view or an outside wall, a skylight may be appropriate to flood the space with daylight.

If windows don’t fit in your budget, cut flowers, fruits and vegetables around the room add a fresh feel, as do green plants and herbs. Grow lights, mounted under wall cabinets, do double duty by providing accent lighting, too.

Question: What recent innovations in kitchen surfaces are homeowners finding useful?

Answer: Today’s kitchens are witness to a design switch: the typical homeowner spends more on countertops and less on cabinets. Lower-priced cabinets with a host of door and finish styles have given homeowners the funds to upgrade their countertops.

The options are unlimited. Laminates alone come in a number of brands and hundreds of colors, textures and patterns: modern, retro, traditional, Asian inspired, nature-inspired and even metal. Styles, colors and shapes as well as edging continue to push the boundaries of kitchen design. Although natural granite continues to remain a top choice, trend-conscious homeowners are looking for new options,including a honed or brushed surface that shows fewer smudges and fingerprints.

Engineered quartz, a new market entry, comes with a huge array of colors and textures. Appearance is also more consistent, even as the benefits keep pace with real granite.

Exotic wood countertops come in different thicknesses, shapes and sizes. The wood can run in full-length planks with a face grain, edge grain or end grain boards. Two different woods can even be combined in a checkerboard pattern.

Concrete has moved out of the driveway and into the kitchen—natural, stained or embedded with glass or other products. It’s a great, durable product that takes heat and is easy to clean.

People often forget metal makes a superior countertop, too. Stainless steel can be brushed or enhanced with other textured finishes, and copper, galvanized or even raw steel can substitute for countertops.

Glass counters are best used as serving counters or in areas of light use, but glass tiles are gaining in popularity, particularly for kitchen sinks.

Be sure to consult with a trained professional to guide you in the options best suited to your application.

Exotic woods:
• Zebrawood
• Iroko
• African Paduak
• Wenge (“wen-gay”)
• Antique Heart Pine

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VA Loans Still Experiencing Incredible Growth

December 24, 2013 By Molly

Guest Post: Chris Birk, Director of Content Development for Veterans United Home Loans

For the past six years, the VA home loan has experienced incredible growth in spite of a sluggish economy.

The VA backed 630,000 mortgages in the 2013 fiscal year, an all-time high for a program that turns 70 next year. The program has grown exponentially since the real estate and housing market collapse – a whopping 370 percent since 2007.

Here’s a look at VA guaranties over the last six years:

FY12: 539,884

FY11: 357,592

FY10: 314,011

FY09: 325,690

FY08: 179,670

FY07: 133,313

Low rates combined with a tight credit environment have made the VA program more attractive than ever. About 8 in 10 VA borrowers couldn’t have qualified for conventional financing.

The VA loan program is dedicated to making homeownership affordable and accessible. VA lenders are typically looking for a credit score of at least 620, which is well below what homebuyers will need for conventional and often even FHA financing.

For example, the average credit score on a successful conventional loan in October was 758, according to Ellie Mae. For FHA loans it was 692.

The recent low rate environment has also meant a boon for VA refinance options. The VA’s Streamline refinance program has emerged as a key benefit for homeowners who owe more than their home is worth. Some VA lenders can process these refinance loans without the need for an appraisal.

Why the Growth?

Both the collapse of the housing market and the failing economy have played huge roles in the growth of the VA home loan. Accordingly, lenders have made their lending requirements stricter and made financing less affordable. With a conventional loan, prospective homebuyers were in need of higher credit scores and higher down payments – two factors that the waning economy made difficult for many prospective homebuyers to obtain.

The VA home loan program allows a more flexible debt-to-income ratio, lets borrowers with lower credit scores secure financing and helps veterans purchase without the need for a down payment. For many veterans, this nearly 70-year-old program has become the most – and sometimes the only – financially feasible path to homeownership.

Perhaps surprisingly, VA loans have also thrived in the face of foreclosure. They’ve had the lowest rate of foreclosure of any mortgage product for nearly all of the last five years. That’s despite the fact that 9 in 10 VA borrowers purchase with no money down.

This historic loan program isn’t just about helping veterans secure home financing. It’s also done an incredible job ensure veterans keep their homes. As VA loans head into their 70^th decade, they’re just as important today as they were in 1944.

To learn more about the VA home loan program, watch Veterans United experts live chat with the VA and Rick Davison, CEO and president of Century 21 Real Estate LLC.

About the Author: Chris Birk is the Director of Content Development for Veterans United Home Loans and author of “The Book on VA Loans: An Essential Guide to Maximizing Your Home Loan Benefits.” Connect with him on Facebook at VA Loans Insider or on Google+.

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Looking For A Gingerbread House? A CENTURY 21 Agent Can Help

December 23, 2013 By Molly

If you’re looking for a house this holiday season, even a gingerbread house, CENTURY 21 has an agent who can help.

A home that suits your design vision? We’ve got that.

A kitchen with all of the amenities? But of course!

This time of year fresh baked cookies make any open house more inviting, don’t you agree?

See all the CENTURY 21 Gingerbread homes here.

Happy holidays!

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3 Powerful Real Estate Investing Rules For Regular Folks

November 12, 2013 By CENTURY 21

I’m a fairly average guy. Average intelligence, average income, average lifestyle. I don’t have millions of dollars, well-connected friends, or an excess of free time. However, I do invest in real estate, which makes me a little different than the average Joe. The way I invest isn’t complicated, difficult, or time consuming. Sure, there are ways to invest in real estate which are complex, expensive, and extra-risky. However, that’s not my style and it’s probably not yours.

Therefore, today I want to share my thoughts on how to invest in real estate when you aren’t uber-rich, uber-connected, or uber-smart. This post is about investing in real estate for regular folks like you and me. So let me give you the three real estate investing rules for regular folks.

1.) Learn Selectively

Learning how to buy that first investment house or property can be overwhelming. If you search Google for “Real Estate Investing” you are given 217,000,000 results, or if you search Amazon for “Real Estate Investing” you are presented with 11,472 books on real estate investing…

Ouch.

So how can you possibly consume that much information? Easy: Don’t.

When investing in real estate, there are a whole lot of different niches you can get into (like single family homes, multifamily properties, commercial retail stores, etc) but you don’t need to master them all. In the same regard, there are many different strategies you can choose (like long term buy and hold, house flipping, and more) but you don’t need to know them either.

You simply need to pick one niche and one strategy, and learn a little about those. That’s it.

For example, you might be interested in buying small multifamily properties, like duplexes or triplexes, and hanging on to them until retirement. Suddenly, the vast amount of information out there becomes a lot smaller, and it’s much easier to find the information you need. Searching Google for “how to buy a small multifamily property” will bring you far more targeted responses. This is a good thing!

Additionally, once you narrow your focus of learning down, it’s easier to find individuals who have experience in the kind of investing you want to learn more about. Using the same example as before, perhaps you can ask family and friends if they know anyone who is a landlord of small multifamily properties – and then take that investor out to lunch to learn.

Therefore, the first rule of investing in real estate for regular folks is to learn selectively.

2.) Start Small

The second rule of investing for regular folks is to start small. Yes, you may want to acquire millions of dollars in real estate to stock your retirement fund, but that million dollar portfolio starts with a single purchase. And that’s okay!

Perhaps it’s your goal to buy ten single family houses over the next five years. You do not need to buy all ten this year, or next. Perhaps you can buy just one this year, while learning how the process works. The year after you might buy two. Then three. Each year, you become more and more familiar with the process and can buy more and more properties.

The great part about this kind of learning is that it happens naturally. You don’t need to feel overwhelmed, because those other properties will come in time. The knowledge and experience will come slowly, so let it. Just start with the first deal. Starting small is not only necessary, but it’s also a good thing.

3.) Buy Only the Best Deals

Let me ask you a quick question… Would you rather buy ten homes that broke even each month, or one deal that made you $1,000 per month? Hopefully you picked the one one deal, because wealth is built buying great deals. So when you start shopping for your next real estate deal, focus intently on only buying the best deals. Remember these three simple words: Quality over Quantity.

Having hundreds of properties does you no good if you aren’t making any money from those properties. When you are a multinational corporation or large hedge-fund buying up property, you can wager your bets and buy thousands of properties, hoping that some turn out good in the long run. However, if you are a regular guy or gal looking to stock your retirement fund, you can’t afford to buy bad deals.

Keep in mind that just because you might be an regular person – doesn’t mean you should buy regular deals. Since you probably won’t be buying dozens of properties at a time, you can take the time to shop selectively for the best ones.

Look for properties in good neighborhoods that provide good monthly cash flow (the extra income you get to keep after paying all the monthly expenses.) Estimate the future potential of a property very carefully and conservatively:

If you think you might spend $50 per month on repairs, perhaps you should double that just to be safe.
Not sure how much the property will rent for? Aim low – and if it turns out better than you estimated you can celebrate.
Nervous about the potential tax increase in your city? Plan for the worst-case-scenario.

Buying the best deals will allow you to spend less time managing properties, give you less stress while owning them, and help you build wealth even faster. As I said, quality over quantity.

Conclusion

Look – you don’t need to be exceptionally brilliant, rich, or connected to invest in real estate. Instead, you just need to follow the three rules I’ve listed above. Learning selectively can help you get off the couch and investing with less hassle, starting small can keep you from getting overwhelmed, and buying amazing deals will help ensure you achieve your financial goals. Stop worrying about being average and start planning for an above-average financial future.

Brandon Turner is an active real estate investor and Senior Editor at BiggerPockets.com, the real estate investing social network. He enjoys writing epic long blog posts, such as his The Real Estate Agent’s Ultimate Guide to Working with Investors.

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