Do You Prefer to Rent Rather Than Buy? Learn the Worst Cities to Live In Here!

Renting vs. buying is a personal choice. Sometimes renting is the best case scenario for where you are in life. In order to help you out we found this article with the most expensive cities to live in based on the income ratio. We hope it helps you make the right decision for you!

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From the article:

New York City and the surrounding area has seen the most dramatic increase, with rents up 50% over the past five years. However, household income in the area has risen just 8% in that period.

Overall, rents have increased faster than income in all but four of the 70 metro areas, according to a report Monday from the National Association of Realtors.

In some areas, rents may not have gone up astronomically, but income has actually declined, heightening the disparity. It is particularly glaring in Albuquerque, where rents have increased 10% in the past five years. But income in the metro area declined 12% in the period.

It’s a similar story in Providence, RI, Omaha, Tuscon and New Orleans, where income is falling even as rents rise (See full list below).

Nationwide, rents have increased 15% from 2009 to 2014. At the same time, the realtor group estimates that household income has gone up just 11%.

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Read the entire article here: http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/16/real_estate/cities-highest-rent/index.html?section=money_realestate

Interested in What a Skinny Skyscraper in New York Will Offer? Find Out Here!

Living in New York isn’t for everyone. If you are one of the people that do or would like to call New York home then this article is for you. One of the major downsides of New York is the lack of green parks and places to breath. One designer has come up with a way to incorporate a park into the skyscraper. We hope you enjoy learning about this skyscraper as much as we did!

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From the article:

Living next to a park is a treat in New York’s concrete jungle. But how about living under one?

A new superslim residential tower proposed for Midtown Manhattan will have built-in parks and even an outdoor cinema, among other common areas that its designers say will make it like a vertical West Village street.

Slated for 12 East 37th Street, the as-yet-unnamed tower will reach 700 feet???about half the height of New York’s tallest residential high-rise, the Rafael Vi??oly-designed 432 Park Avenue which is set to open later this year. Residents at the 37th Street building will have access to five clusters of common amenities, which will also include a fitness room, an infinity pool and a private yoga studio. “You’re never really four or five floors away from a common space,” says Robert Goodwin, the New York design director at Perkins+Will, the architectural firm responsible for the project.

He was helped by New York City zoning rules, which specify that skinny buildings with small footprints have virtually unlimited height restrictions. By going taller, he could slot 33-foot-high park pockets without reducing the number of apartments the tower could hold. The 65 apartments will range from 400-square-foot studios to 1,800-square-foot floor-throughs while the building itself will be roughly 50 feet wide and 54 feet deep.

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Read the entire article here: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-25/a-new-york-skinny-skyscraper-will-have-built-in-parks

Love the Idea of Secret Rooms in Homes? Take a Look at These Ideas!

Hidden and secret rooms can be a lot of fun. They can be used for a variety or reasons. In order to help you decide what kind of secret room you’d like we found this article with ideas. We hope it helps you design your perfect secret room!

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From the article:

If these walls could talk, the secrets they could tell.

Builders are getting requests to create hidden rooms in private homes, to serve as home offices, reading rooms, home theaters, wine cellars, children’s play spaces or security zones.

“People are realizing they’re not just for the movies, anyone can have one,” said Steve Humble, president of Creative Home Engineering in Arizona.

His company designs and creates disguised entryways to hidden spaces — everything from stone walls that open up, armoires with a trap back door, and of course, the bookcase that unveils a concealed room.

Entry into a clandestine spaces can vary, including pulling off the homeowner’s favorite book from a shelf, touching the right spot on a wall, or even having to play the right series of notes on a piano or moving chess pieces in the right order to get a wall to move.

Adding a custom secret room can be pricey, but it can also boost a home’s value when it increases square footage.

A simple bookcase that conceals a hidden room runs around $3,000 to $4,000, while a more shelter-like space could cost $10,000-$15,000, according to luxury home builder Greg Alford of Alford Homes in Texas.

Homes listed and sold that included a secret room from 2010-2014 in 48 markets had a median sale price of $409,400, well above the $235,000 for homes without a clandestine space, according to Redfin.

Wine cellars are also going underground — literally. The ground helps keep the cellars at the right temperatures and humidity levels for wine storage, according to U.K.-based Spiral Cellars.

Hidden spaces can also be used to protect other collectibles like a guitar or gun collection, to keep children’s play spaces out of sight or to create extra space in a smaller home.

Alford recently constructed a 10×15 walk-in gun vault with a hidden touch-open door that held 2,000 guns.

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Look at all the ideas here: http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/20/real_estate/secret-hidden-rooms-homes/index.html?section=money_realestate

Interested in What a Normal Down Payment on a Home is? Find Out Here!

Buying a home is very stressful. One important thing to consider is a down payment. Wondering how much is enough? We found this article to help you determine just that. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

RealtyTrac?? (www.realtytrac.com), the nation???s leading source for comprehensive housing data, today released its Q1 2015 U.S. Home Purchase Down Payment Report, which shows the average down payment for single family homes, condos and townhomes purchased in the first quarter was 14.8 percent of the purchase price, down from 15.2 percent in the previous quarter and down from 15.5 percent a year ago to the lowest level since Q1 2012.

The report also shows that the average down payment for FHA purchase loans originated in the first quarter was 2.9 percent of the purchase price while the average down payment for conventional loans was 18.4 percent of the purchase price.

The average down payment in dollars was $57,710 in the first quarter, up slightly from $57,618 in the previous quarter and down slightly from $57,992 in the first quarter of 2014. The average down payment in dollars for FHA purchase loans originated in the first quarter was $7,609 while the average down payment for conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was $72,590.

FHA loans as a share of loan originations increased throughout the quarter, from 21 percent in January to 22 percent in February to 25 percent in March.

???Down payment trends in the first quarter indicate that first time homebuyers are finally starting to come out of the woodwork, albeit it gradually,??? said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. ???New low down payment loan programs recently introduced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with the lower insurance premiums for FHA loans that took effect at the end of January are helping, given that first time homebuyers typically aren???t able to pony up large down payments. Also helping tilt the balances toward first time homebuyers in the first quarter is less competition from the large institutional investors that have been buying up starter home inventory as rentals.???

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Read the entire article here: http://www.realtytrac.com/news/home-prices-and-sales/q1-2015-u-s-home-purchase-down-payment-report/

Designing a High End Kitchen? Learn What Trends are Currently Trending!

Kitchens are essential in any home. If you love to cook and love high end appliances then this article is for you. We hope you enjoy dreaming about these trends as much as we did!

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From the article:

Touch open cabinets
Forget cabinet hardware.

Stickle said he’s been installing cabinets in high-end kitchens that open automatically with just a touch.

The minimalistic look has also led to a more integrated kitchen, according to Jason Maltas, president of luxury home builder Gordon Gibson Construction in California, with hidden storage spaces for everything.

“Think of those things like ladles and spoons that would usually be on the counter top in a vase,” he said. “Instead now, they are integrated in a drawer that pops up next to the range and there’s a space cut into the drawer for every utensil.”

Refrigerated drawers
No more cramming the fridge after a big grocery haul. Refrigerated drawers are being added throughout kitchens to add more chilled storage space.

“They look just like a regular drawer in your kitchen that you pull out,” said Robinson, adding that nearly every kitchen he built in the last year had this feature.

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Looking for more kitchen design ideas? Then checkout this article about kitchen design ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Checkout all the trends here: http://money.cnn.com/gallery/real_estate/2015/02/27/luxury-kitchen-upgrades-renovations/index.html?section=money_realestate

Looking for Ideas to Make Your Home Better? Take a Look at These Ideas!

Every homeowner wants to improve their home. There are a variety of reasons why. Regardless of what your reasons are we found this article with 26 different ideas. We hope you find ideas that you absolutely love!

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From the article:

One of the great perks of working at Design*Sponge is being able to look into people???s beautiful homes and see all of the crazy, wonderful, and simply ingenious ideas they come up with. Here are 26 brilliant ideas, gleaned from some of our favorite spaces, that will simplify your life, satisfy your budget, and add flavor to your home. ???Max

Fill an out-of-commission fireplace with painted logs???

Cinder blocks: They hold your bed up and store your shoes!

Display art books, children???s stories, and cookbooks cover-out on shallow wall shelves.

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Looking for more home design ideas? Then checkout this article about http://www.designsponge.com/2013/08/26-ingenious-ideas-for-your-home.html

Looking to Design Your Kitchen? Learn What Key Measurements You Have to Take Here!

Designing a kitchen takes a lot of time and effort. Since it’s such a big expense to remodel or design a kitchen from scratch it’s important to get it right the first time. In order to help you out we found this article all about measuring out a kitchen. We hope it helps you design your dream kitchen!

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From the article:

Whether you are moving into an existing kitchen, remodeling the one you have or building a new one, understanding a few key building measurements and organizational guidelines can help your culinary life run more smoothly.

Kitchens provide storage for your food and cookware, give you room for prep and cleanup, and of course also provide a place where you can cook and bake. When it???s thoughtfully arranged, these functions operate logically, making working in your kitchen a better experience. Here???s how to get the ideal setup.

Ideally, refrigeration and dry-goods storage should be located nearest to the kitchen???s entry point. The cooking area should be located toward the dining spaces, and the sink is best positioned between those two functions. This creates what???s called a work triangle. The best work triangle is less than 21 linear feet (6.4 meters). Work triangles that exceed 26 feet (7.9 meters) make moving from one function to another inefficient in most cases.

This cutaway plan illustrates arrangements and dimensions for a modest-size kitchen. Note that the preparation area is split between the island with the sink and the corner of the kitchen. The work triangle is compact. There will always be a few tradeoffs in any space.

Let???s take a look at the three main functions of a kitchen:

1. Storage
2. Preparation
3. Cooking

Everyone has personal preferences for what works best, so consider this a guide and not a rulebook.

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Read the entire article here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/25228528/list/Key-Measurements-to-Help-You-Design-Your-Kitchen

Looking to Make Your House Smarter? Take a Look at These Gadgets!

Technology is an amazing thing. It has the ability to make our lives easier but only if we know about what’s been developed. In order to help you out we found this article with 5 different gadgets to help improve your home. We hope they make your life easier!

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From the article:

There are so many neat little gizmos and gadgets emerging in the home automation market these days. Technology is moving at a breakneck speed, and each year that passes unveils lots of interesting toys. It won???t be long before things like turning the faucet on and off, adjusting water temperature manually, turning the lights on or off???or even worrying about whether or not you have enough milk in the refrigerator???become a thing of the past. In the future, all of these processes, and more, are going to be automated. Let???s take a sneak peek at some of the new home automation gadgets that are on the market.

Lockitron
With a name like Lockitron it must be cool, right? Of course it takes more than a cool name to make one of these gadgets worth purchasing, but this one looks very worth it. You place the Lockitron over your existing deadbolt, and it connects to your phone. So you can use your phone to lock or unlock the door from anywhere, and you can share the ability to operate the door with friends. Best of all, it fits on the inside of the door, so you don???t need to worry about somebody messing with it. Anytime the door opens, you get a message sent to your phone. Plus this device has Bluetooth; you can simply walk up to the door, and it automatically unlocks.

Nest
The makers of the iPod have created another beautifully designed and functional gift. It???s called Nest, the prototype thermostat of the future. Nest is like a little artificially intelligent robot that learns your living habits in about one week. This little thing is so smart that it can actually feel your presence and know you???re awake. The program is designed in such a way that, after answering a few set-up questions and tweaking, it will perform more or less on its own. As with all of these gadgets, you???ll get Wi-Fi-enabled device connectivity, and remote controllability, but you won???t need those things, because Nest will do all that thermostat stuff for you.

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Read the entire article here: http://www.bobvila.com/nation/post/5-gadgets-that-will-make-your-home-smarter

Love the Idea of a Mud Room? Take a Look at These Ideas!

Mud rooms are rooms that some people find a must have and other people don’t really give it a second thought. In order to either help open your eyes to what a mud room could do for your home or to give you ideas on what to include in your mudroom we’ve found this article for you. We hope it helps your design your perfect mud room!

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From the article:

When asked people to share their best mudrooms, we were surprised by the outpouring of love for a room whose most important function is storing and organizing boots, coats, gloves ??? basically, the things we shed as soon as we enter the house. Readers and design pros offered their ideas for making the room work harder by configuring it to suit everything from pets to gift wrapping.

Byron Haynes and Andrew Garthwaite of Haynes & Garthwaite Architects say that mudrooms are more than a luxury in New England ??? they are essential. In this one the clutter is hidden in a wall of cabinets. ???The owners are very active,??? says Haynes. ???They ski, climb, snowshoe ??? you name it. The cabinets allow them to stow all that stuff and still have a space that looks tidy.??? Their big idea was to outfit the doors with slatted windows, allowing air to circulate and dry damp gear.

The other life-bettering move was to install radiant heat under the tiled floor. Haynes says the heat not only feels good on the feet; it helps dry wet boots.

Designer Diane Gordon calls her new mudroom no less than a life changer. ???For 10 years we trekked across the patio from our garage to the house,??? she says. ???I have two teenagers, and there were wet boots and coats all over the place.??? The designer created an addition that bridged the space between garage and house ??? she describes it as a covered breezeway. ???On a day like today, when the temperature is 0, you really appreciate it,??? she says.

There is radiant heat under the terra-cotta tile floors, but the designer says it???s more for comfort than for drying. ???The space is a bit chilly,??? she says.

Right now, in the dead of winter, she puts out boot trays under the row of hooks. Old metal locker baskets in the cubbies are assigned to each family member.

The bench has drawers that hold regular shoes. One is for the designer and her husband; the other is for the kids.

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Looking for more ideas for your mudroom? Then checkout this article about mudroom ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/37283060/list/mudrooms-that-really-clean-up

Looking for an Idea for a Different Kind of Home? Take a Look at This Idea!

Homes come in all shapes and sizes. Some people love large homes. Some people love small homes. Others would love a different type of home. If you fall into the last category then this article is for you. It’s all about how a couple turned a school bus into their home. We hope you get some inspiration!

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From the article:

Four years ago, when Mira and Jeremy Thompson bought a 1989 International school bus, you would never guess what kind of plans they had in store for it. At 37-feet long, it’s plenty spacious and the couple set out to make the big yellow school bus into their charmingly cozy cottage.

Douglas Fir flooring, cedar shingles, reclaimed wood for the ceiling and other reclaimed building materials make their tiny home even more environmentally friendly.

One of the huge wheel wells supports a love seat, the other supports a cast iron stove used to heat the home.

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Read the entire article here: http://www.wimp.com/bushome/