by Jeff Pittman | Jul 27, 2015 | Sellers
Hottest Homebuyer Kitchen Trends The kitchen has become one of the most important rooms in the home when trying to sell a house. In fact, it made the list for one of the top 6 upgrades homebuyers are looking for in 2015. Homebuyers are expecting more today from a kitchen than at any point in the past. It is important to know what people want when upgrading a kitchen. Here’s a bit about the hottest kitchen trends homebuyers are looking for to help with your home remodel and sale. SPACIOUS COUNTERTOPS Source: bhg.com Buyers are looking for spacious countertops to make storing items, displaying decorations and cooking much easier. Granite countertops are currently the most popular. Resin countertops that look like granite are also in demand. Most buyers want a matching granite or tile backsplash as well. MODERN APPLIANCES Source: apartmenttherapy.com The majority of home buyers today are looking for modern and nice appliances. This means new appliances with modern features that are integrated smoothly into the kitchen. Stainless steel finishes on appliances are currently highly in demand. Appliances from AppliancesConnection.com that look great and function at a higher quality level as well are in high demand. AN ISLAND Source: taylorlombardo.com A large number of buyers want a freestanding island in the middle of the kitchen. The island provides extra counter space and a unique look. It also helps to divide the kitchen space. Something that will impress buyers is a kitchen island with a prep sink installed at one end. TECHNOLOGY Source: atgstores.com Home buyers today want a kitchen that is ready for technology. This means space for...
by Jeff Pittman | Jul 23, 2015 | Renovations
7 Stellar Isle Renovation Project – The Demo Get a behind the scenes look and be a part of the transformation during the 7 Stellar Isle Renovation Project! This renovation may be part of a new show on HGTV with New York designer Cindy Montgomery! I’m hoping to take this from a vacant house to a valued home in the community of Covenant Hills located in Ladera Ranch! As usual things don’t go as planned…the old wood floors were glued to the subfloor. The subfloor was supposed to be plywood but instead it was particleboard. As we pulled up the old floor it pulled up most of the particleboard. Now we have to take out the old particleboard and put down new plywood. Decided to get rid of the entire hard scape around the pool and outdoor living area. The rust color slate didn’t go with the Colonial architecture. Looks better already! Get a behind the scenes look at this transformation! Stop by 7 Stellar Isle in Ladera Ranch on Saturday, July 25th from 10am-12pm & Wednesday, July 29th from 2 – 4pm! Thank you for reading. Jeff Pittman, Realtor in Ladera Ranch – Orange County,...
by Jeff Pittman | Jul 16, 2015 | Renovations
7 Stellar Isle Renovation Project – The Beginning Get a behind the scenes look and be a part of the transformation during the 7 Stellar Isle Renovation Project! I have renovated over 100 homes – this time I’m renovating for my family. This renovation may be part of a new show on HGTV with New York designer Cindy Montgomery! I’m hoping to take this from a vacant house to a valued home in the community of Covenant Hills located in Ladera Ranch! This is how rehab projects start out…kind of hard to tell how it’s going to come out, right? Now that the master bath is demo’d I can start to see what to do. Post has to go, all the soffits and fake beams need to be removed. The cave like shower will be opened up and seamless glass installed. Take out the Whirlpool tub and install Jason therapy tub. Found this beautiful carpet for the staircase. Looks great with the distressed whitewashed flooring I’m going to use. I got rid of that ugly hood and back splash! Making room for a Viking stain steel hood, Calcutta Marble back splash and counter tops. Get a behind the scenes look at this transformation! Stop by 7 Stellar Isle in Ladera Ranch on Saturday, July 25th from 10am – 12pm! Thank you for reading. Jeff Pittman, Realtor in Ladera Ranch – Orange County,...
by Jeff Pittman | Jul 7, 2015 | Buyers
4 Renovation Tips For New Landlords If you happen to be new to real estate investment, then you will likely feel excited when you end up closing escrow on the first purchase you make. It’s a powerful feeling, making headway on your new career, but there are many ways you can improve your abilities and presence on the market – if you know what you’re doing. There is a lot of hard work involved in being an exceptionally good real estate investor, as you will soon find out, especially when you need to renovate a new investment property. The following tips will give you more information on making it work and how you can improve what you already own: BUDGETING OF TIME AND MONEY When closing time comes around, you will likely have a list of improvements you may have in mind, but you will need to place those in a suitable budget. Repairs will also need to be completed within a month’s time if you want to be able to rent the property out and generate profits without losing your momentum on the market. Once you realize that most improvements will be quite costly, chances are you will need to revise your budget and let some of your ideas go. Be careful in such cases and do your best to do so when you estimate a low-price and quick renovation. AVOID TAKING THE FIRST BID You need to check out several bids to ensure you get a fair price for your contracting work that needs doing. The more expensive the job that needs doing, the more bids you...
by Jeff Pittman | Jul 7, 2015 | Homeowners
10 At Home Drought Tips To Save You 28,000+ Gallons This Year Finding ways to ease the California drought is quickly becoming a part of our daily lives. On April 1st, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order that cities and towns must reduce their water consumption by 25%. The reduction is supposed to take place until the end of 2015. The image below is from an infographic with Top 10 Drought Tips that will not only help homeowners conserve water but reduce their bill. The infographic also has a by-the-numbers look at how 29 California cities stack up when it comes to water usage and conservation. Graded on an A to F scale, cities such as Irvine and Long Beach earned an A , while Westlake Village received an F. Following these easy tips can save 28,000+ gallons per year per person. 1. A point-of-use tankless water heater can save thousands of gallons of water by cutting down on “warm up” time. SAVINGS: 1,000S GALLONS / YEAR 2. Use a low flow shower head to save 15 gallons of water during a 10 minute shower. SAVINGS: OVER 5,000 GALLONS / YEAR 3. Upgrade to a high-efficiency WaterSense® toilet and save 1,200 gallons of water a year. SAVINGS: UP TO 1,200 GALLONS / YEAR 4. Install low flow aerators on your faucets and cut your water usage by 40%! SAVINGS: UP TO 40% 5. Save 5,000 gallons of water a year by using Energy Star dishwashers rather than washing dishes by hand. SAVINGS: 5,000 GALLONS / YEAR 6. Fix leaks under your home, in your kitchen, and in your bathroom...
