Summer is the Best Time For Home Improvement: Landscaping, Home Maintenance & Remodeling Ideas for You!

By Eugene G. Makeev  

Summer Time Home Improvements

The heat is on! When everyone’s out vacationing, one of the best ways that smart homeowners do to make use of their time and money is investing them in a home improvement project. So that when the vacationers have had their time of fun under the sun and come home drained physically and financially, there you’ll be sitting pretty and lavishing at all the benefits. From renewed aesthetics, improved functionality and efficiency, better quality of everyday living, to boosted value for your New York home… all these and more can be enjoyed. So if you are thinking about summer home improvement, here are great tips ideal whether you are in Manhattan, Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, or Brooklyn.

Landscaping

The sunny, dry days that summer brings make up for great outdoor works. Landscaping is among the most common home improvements that are being done. Contrary to what many think, landscaping is not just limited to gardening but involves other aesthetic and functional decors. To make the most charming landscape, here are top ideas:

· Garden – nothing beats the look and feel that nature brings through a beautiful garden that can easily up the ante of your curb appeal. With this outdoor home improvement, there are various factors to consider including: seasonal plants, soil type and preparation needed, water irrigation systems, and pest control.

· Structures – Other than the natural elements such as the fauna and terrain, other structures that could add appeal as well as functionality into the overall landscape design include fences, fountains, pools, and walkways.

· Technology – today, technology has extended from the comforts of your homes to outdoor areas that are within the property. One of the most common touch of advancements that bring about not only a sense of safety but also an ambiance to accentuate the beauty of your home and its surroundings is outdoor lighting. And outdoor sound system is one of the products that are gaining popularity when it comes to additions and landscape ideas.

Home Maintenance

There’s no better time to evaluate the condition of your home and property than summer. This makes maintenance tasks another set of important home improvement projects to undertake this season. Here are common places to look into:

  • Roof and gutters
  • Foundation of your home
  • Doors and windows
  • Caulking
  • Gates and fences
  • Weather stripping
  • Exterior painting
  • Siding
  • Water leaks
  • Wooden decks
  • Concrete patios, driveway and walkways

Remodel to Increase Living SpaceWhether you plan to extend your living space sidewards, backwards, or upwards; there’s no better time to do such home improvement than on summer time. As most home addition projects require temporarily opening up a portion of the house, these are ideally done when the weather is least wet to avoid delays as well as water and moisture issues. One project worth considering is extending a part of the house to give way to a sunroom. With this, the family can enjoy all the beauty that the every season brings without having to endure the discomforts of the outdoors.

“Eugene Makeev uses his skills and expertise to help home owners in Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island avoid the common remodeling New York pitfalls by matching their needs with prescreened contractors Manhattan.

Inside Lending Newsletter From Scott Voelkel May 16, 2016

  Scott Voelkel
Branch Manager
Residential Mortgage Loan Originator
NMLS# 297779
921 Chatham Lane STE 101
Columbus, OH 43221
Office: 614-946-1706
Fax: 614-474-8053
svoelkel@pnlending.com
www.myohiohomeloan.com

 

For the week of May16, 2016 – Vol. 14, Issue 20

>> Market Update 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK… “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” –Walt Disney, American entrepreneur and animation pioneer

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE … There’s always lots to talk about in the housing market, but happily what more people have begun doing is actually buying homes. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported existing home sales saw their best first quarter in almost a decade. The NAR chief economist painted this picture: “In spite of deficient supply levels, stock market volatility and the paltry economic growth seen so far this year, the housing market did show resilience and had its best first quarter of existing sales since 2007.” For single-family homes and condos, that was a 5.29 million unit annual rate–4.8% higher than a year ago.

Seeing this excellent Q1 performance, an NAR economic forecast forum predicted existing home sales would post their best year in the last ten, finishing 2016 at a 5.40 million annual pace. They expect median existing home price gains to moderate from 6.8% in 2015 to 4% to 5% this year. A major real estate information firm’s report on Q1 loan originations showed purchase mortgages up 3% and home equity lines of credit up 10%, versus a year ago. Oddly in this low rate environment, refinance originations dropped, but the firm’s senior VP pointed out, “the purchase loan market continued the pattern of slow-and-steady growth that it has been following the past two years.”

BUSINESS TIP OF THE WEEK… In every endeavor, always choose to succeed. People are successful for many different reasons, but they all share this one: they chose to succeed.

>> Review of Last Week

LOSING STEAM... This morning, you have to give a nod to those who say the bull market is cooling off. We’ve now had three losing weeks in a row for the blue-chip Dow and the broadly based S&P 500, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq has given us four down weeks. Traders saw another batch of first quarter corporate earnings, and with 92% of the S&P 500 companies reporting, earnings are down 7.6% year-over-year. Investors were also worried about crude oil prices moving lower and Chinese banks pulling back on lending. But those clouds had a silver lining: Fed Governor Lael Brainard indicated the “challenging” global environment keeps her from voting for a rate hike. Yes!

What economic data
we saw looked pretty good. Retail Sales in April took their biggest jump in a year, up a very strong 1.3%. Curiously, this report contrasted sharply with disappointing earnings and forecasts from a couple of flagship brick-and-mortar stores. But a big part of April’s gain came from online and mail-order retailers, so the contradictory data can be explained by shifting channels, rather than slowing sales. Wages are gradually improving, allowing consumers to spend more at retail–and on housing! They’re clearly feeling better, as the Michigan Consumer Sentiment index shot up surprisingly to 95.8 in May from its disappointing 89.7 in April.

The week ended with the Dow down 1.1%, to 17540; the S&P 500 down 0.5%, to 2047; and the Nasdaq down 0.4%, to 4719.

The week’s stock rout sent investor money to the safe haven of bonds. The 30YR FNMA 4.0% bond we watch finished the week UP .02, at $106.91. In Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending May 12, national average 30-year fixed mortgage rates fell for the third week in a row, to their low point for the year. Remember, mortgage rates can be extremely volatile, so check with your mortgage professional for up-to-the-minute information.

DID YOU KNOW?…According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate is more than 3% lower than the 30-year average. 

>> This Week’s Forecast

HOUSING STARTS, EXISTING HOME SALES, INFLATION UP, FED MINUTES REVEALED This week’s economic reports are expected to show two major components of the housing market moving in the proper direction. Housing Starts and Existing Home Sales should show gains for April. But inflation is forecast to be up too, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Core CPI, which takes out volatile food and energy prices. Wednesday‘s release of FOMC Minutes from the Fed’s last meet will have pundits prognosticating when we’ll see the next rate hike. As if anybody knows.

>> The Week’s Economic Indicator Calendar

Weaker than expected economic data tends to send bond prices up and interest rates down, while positive data points to lower bond prices and rising loan rates.

Economic Calendar for the Week of May 16 – May 20

 

 Date Time (ET) Release For Consensus Prior Impact
M
May 16
08:30 NY Empire Manufacturing Index May 6.2 9.6 Moderate
Tu
May 17
08:30 Consumer Price Index (CPI) Apr 0.3% 0.1% HIGH
Tu
May 17
08:30 Core CPI Apr 0.2% 0.1% HIGH
Tu
May 17
08:30 Housing Starts Apr 1.135M 1.089M Moderate
Tu
May 17
08:30 Building Permits Apr 1.130M 1.086M Moderate
Tu
May 17
09:15 Industrial Production Apr 0.2% -0.6% Moderate
Tu
May 17
09:15 Capacity Utilization Apr 75.0% 74.8% Moderate
W
May 18
10:30 Crude Inventories 5/14 NA -3.410M Moderate
W
May 18
14:00 FOMC Minutes 4/27 NA NA HIGH
Th
May 19
08:30 Initial Unemployment Claims 5/14 278K 294K Moderate
Th
May 19
08:30 Continuing Unemployment Claims 5/7 NA 2.161M Moderate
Th
May 19
08:30 Philadelphia Fed Index May 2.7 -1.6 HIGH
Th
May 19
10:00 Leading Economic Index (LEI) Apr 0.3% 0.2% Moderate
F
May 20
10:00 Existing Home Sales Apr 5.40M 5.33M Moderate

>> Federal Reserve Watch

Forecasting Federal Reserve policy changes in coming months… There may be more yak in the media about a June rate hike, but most economists don’t see the Fed touching rates through September. Note: In the lower chart, a 4% probability of change is a 96% certainty the rate will stay the same.

Current Fed Funds Rate: 0.25%-0.5%

 

After FOMC meeting on: Consensus
Jun 15 0.25%-0.50%
Jul 27 0.25%-0.50%
Sep 21 0.25%-0.50%

Probability of change from current policy:

 

After FOMC meeting on: Consensus
Jun 15         4%
Jul 27       20%
Sep 21       39%
This e-mail is an advertisement for Scott Voelkel. The material provided is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment and/or mortgage advice, or a commitment to lend. Although the material is deemed to be accurate and reliable, there is no guarantee of its accuracy. The material contained in this message is the property of Premier Nationwide Lending and cannot be reproduced for any use without prior written consent. This message is intended for business professionals only and is not intended for distribution to consumers or other third parties. The material does not represent the opinion of Premier Nationwide Lending. Programs, rates, terms and conditions subject to change without notice. All financing subject to credit and income approval. This is not a commitment to lend. Rates can change daily. Other restrictions may apply. Premier Nationwide Lending is an equal housing lender. Sponsored by NTFN, Inc. 700 State Highway 121 Bypass, Suite 100, Lewisville, TX 75067 NTFN NMLS 75333.

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We’ve worked lots of deals with Scott. He’s even on our website where you can learn more about him by clicking: Scott Voelkel . Need a hand with your real estate needs, just give us a shout!

Sincerely,

Diana Barnum  REALTOR®, e-PRO®, BPOR

Best Homes Real Estate, LTD
Direct: (614) 314-4960 mobile / text
www.dianabarnum.com