Things are looking up!

With the housing market returning the home remodeling industry is starting to show signs of growth. We came across this great article in the Northwest Indiana Times that gives some great insights on what to expect in the coming year. Definitely a must read for anyone in or interested in the industry. Check out the brief below and click here to read the entire article?

Courtesy of Elaine Griffin Design
Most remodeling experts say that upgrading kitchens and baths
provide big returns. According to the last report
from remodelormove.com, bathrooms tied with kitchens
for the room most home remodelers plan to improve this year.

At Home: Remodeling — On the right side of the statistics, for once.

By Marni Jameson

Generally speaking, I am not a numbers person. That is, I only like statistics when they support what I want to believe: Weight down, bank account up. If they don’t, I pretty much stick a finger in each ear, squeeze my eyes closed, and make insect noises.

Thus, for the last four years, I have avoided any real estate news. Hearing the data about how house poor we all were just made me want to dive head first down the garbage disposal.

And that is not becoming.

But this week, as I heard promising rumblings about the home remodeling and sales market, I perked up. I cracked open one eye. Pulled my finger out of one ear, and darn if I didn’t find … now hold onto yourselves … good news.

Reports are showing that the housing market is coming ever-so-slowly back from a four-year coma, and it’s bringing the remodeling market along with it.

Builder confidence is the highest it’s been in 6.5 years, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo survey.

Click here to read the entire article.

Love is in the air!

It's that magical day of the year, when hopeless love is everywhere around us. In the Valentine's Day spirit we wanted to share some fantastic home remodeling inspiration with romance in mind. We came across this fantastic article on houzz.com, that showcases some of the most beautiful homes we've seen to date. Take a look at these beauties and let them conjure up images of what your next remodel could mean for you and that special someone. Click here for the entire article, and Happy Valentines Day!

'I'm With Cupid' — 10 Spaces That Shoot for Romance With the Roman God

By: Mitchell Parker

What's with Cupid anyway? And how did he (it's a he, right?) become such a prominent symbol of Valentine's Day recognition? Yeah, yeah, Roman god of desire — we get it. Just tighten that sash, would you? Perhaps even more intriguing: The seminude, bow-and-arrow-toting, horn-blowing figure seems to pop up in home decor almost as often as on Hallmark cards in February. Cupids are depicted as wall art, in statues and even in the garden. Sometimes they're large and commanding; sometimes they're subtler. See if you can spot them all here.

Mediterranean Living Room design by Santa Barbara Architect J. Grant Design Studio

Click here for the entire article.

Protecting your home before and after a snow storm

We are in the heart of winter and it's crucial that you know how to protect your home from all the weather that comes with this tumultuous season. Snow storms can be particularly dangerous for homeowners causing leaks, blocking vents, freezing pipes, as well as a slew of other issues they cause. We found a fantastic article that discusses various ways you can protect your home from snowstorms before and after they hit. Check out a brief of the article below and click here to read the entire piece!

Protecting Your Home Before & After a Snow Storm

By: Kamala1C's blog

• Keeping water away from the house is important. Clear out any basement window wells of snow or water to prevent it from seeping through window frames.
• Create a barrier of packed snow around basement window wells to prevent water from running into them.
• Shovel snow away from beside the home’s walls if possible to reduce water intrusion.
• Make sure that water overflowing from eavestroughs and downspouts runs away from the house.
• Remove snow from doors and windows to prevent water intrusion. Windows facing directly against the snow or wind may be more prone to heavy snow damage.
• Clear the areas around exhaust pipes and air vents on heaters, furnaces and dryers.
• Watch out for snow-covered trees close to buildings since branches can break and cause damage to nearby structures.
• Ensure that all drains and gutters are free from dirt and debris. Make sure to chip away any ice covering drains.
• Excess snow on roofs that melts quickly can freeze in the eaves and cause ice dams where the melting snow seeps under the shingles. Remove snow using a roof rake or hire a roofing professional. Insulating the attic area to keep it cold can also reduce rapid melting and the risk of ice dams.
• Make sure to remove snow blocking roof vents.

Click here to view the full list.

The booming real estate market in california

As we begin to see a return in the housing market there is no better example of things to come than in California. Currently the real estate market in California is booming, somewhat reflecting what everyone hopes is on the horizon for the real estate market in general. California is presently home to 7 of the top 10 cities for growth, showing positive signs for the economy and the housing market alike. The Huffington Post article below goes into more detail about this phenomenon. Click here to read the entire article.

Sacramento Real Estate Boom Leads Nation In Growth

By: Aaron Sankin

A woman walks towards a home for sale during a viewing for brokers in Leucadia, Calif., in November 2012. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

According to a report issued this week by Realtor.com, real estate in Northern California is booming -- especially in one housing market that was among the hardest hit of any in the country by the collapse of the housing bubble.

The report, which looked at the year-over-year increases in median home listing prices in housing markets across the United States, found that the Sacramento area had the largest gains of any metro region. This data suggests that sagging housing prices, which have been a drag on the economy in much of California's Central Valley for years, are not only beginning to rebound, but are doing so with surprising strength.

Five of the top 10 cities with the fastest growth are located in Northern California and two more are in the southern portion of the state.

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL LIST)

"In Sacramento, you have a desirable area that was hit really hard by the housing bubble, with a lot of foreclosures and a lot of overbuilding," said Alison Schwartz of Move, Inc., the operator of Realtor.com, who noted that the spike in prices in the area is largely a result of how far home values had dropped in the region during the recession.

During much of the 2000s, loose financing led to an oversupply of housing being built in the San Francisco Bay Area's far outlying suburbs in the run-up to the crash. Since then, there's been little new construction; so as demand naturally increases with the gradually improving economy, supply hasn't been able to keep up and prices have jumped.

Additionally, many homeowners in the region still underwater on their mortgages, making it impossible for them to sell and further drying up some of the liquidity that would otherwise be present in the market.

Click here to read the full article.

Was 2012 the Year the Housing Market Recovered?

Hey all you Homeowners out there, we know it's very important to have a solid grasp on where the Housing Market is and what that means for you as a Owner. This morning we came across this great article, definitely a must read. The article discusses what happened to the Housing Market in 2012 and the state of the Housing Market as we move into 2013. Click here to read the entire article.

Was 2012 the Year the Housing Market Recovered?

By: Daniel Carroll and Samuel Chapman

On many occasions during the past few years, housing market conditions have been cited as a key factor contributing to the slow recovery. For a typical household, the largest component of wealth is house value. As house prices fell and sales were depressed, household wealth shrank. The decline in house values has been indicted as leading cause of restrained consumption, as households saved from current income to recoup the loss in housing wealth. The decline in house values has also been suggested as partly responsible for stubbornly high unemployment due to “lock-in,” where a household that is underwater on its mortgage limits its job search because it cannot afford to move.

Fortunately, over this past year there have been signs of modest, yet sustained, improvement in the housing market. According to the latest report, sales of single-family units, both of new and existing, have been up year-over-year from January to November. The latest month shows new and existing sales up by 15.3 and 12.4 percent, respectively, compared to their values in November 2011. Since April 2012, monthly sales of existing multifamily units have also been positive relative to the previous year, with the November data turning in a whopping 33 percent increase.


After several years of weakness in the home construction sector, 2012 has also been marked by large increases in home starts. For single-family units, the change each month from its counterpart in 2011 has averaged 23.6 percent; for multifamily units the average is 38.0 percent.


The descent of home prices has leveled off, and prices have begun to move upward again.


During 2011, home price indexes reported negative year-over-year changes each month; however in 2012, these changes have been increasing each month. As of October, house prices were roughly 5 percent greater than the previous year. Price increases are a welcome sign as they point to a steady return of demand and suggest household conditions are improving both in terms of income and credit. The recovery also has a positive implication for general aggregate activity as it increases household net worth, thereby stimulating consumption.


Finally, while the good news discussed above is certainly encouraging, it should be noted that it is unclear at what point we should declare the housing market “fully recovered.” The data on sales, starts, and prices were all well above trend before they began to plummet in 2005. Therefore, the previous peak level is not likely the correct baseline by which to judge recovery. Nevertheless, any recovery must begin with a sustained increase in housing activity, and 2012 has, so far, appeared to deliver just that.

Click here to read the full story.

It's that time again! National Bath Safety Month!

Nearly 370 people suffer bathtub or shower related injuries each day throughout the country according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. With January being National Bath Safety Month, we felt it was a good time to share some of the great tips to keep families safe throughout the year. From grab bars and walk-in tubs to something as simple as rubber shower mats, there are a number of options for making your bathroom safer for the elderly and children alike.

Here are three things to keep in mind when choosing to improve the safety of your bathroom:

• Traffic: Is the bathroom in question one that is frequently used? Do you have a lot of family visiting throughout the year for holidays and other events? Do you have kids or elderly people in your home? These are some very important questions to ask yourself when choosing safety options. Just like people, all homes are different and looking into the needs of a home can help with making decisions.

• Practicality/Time: As we all know, some projects take longer than others. When choosing to improve or renovate your bathroom having a timetable of when projects need to be completed will reduce your stress and keep you on task. Knowing that your improvements will keep your family safe should be fun and will ultimately give you peace of mind.

• Cost: It's what we're all thinking, right? Don't worry, there are a number of options to choose from that might be right for your family without re-doing your entire bathroom. Any improvements you make will be worth every penny when the ones you love are safe in your home.

House Doctors featured on Cincinnati Business Talk

House Doctors CEO Jim Hunter recently appeared on a segment of Cincinnati Business Talk that aired November 9, 2012. The segment focused on Jim’s background, why he purchased House Doctors, and some trends like the aging in place solutions within the home improvement industry. Click below to listen to the segment or visit the show's site here.

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