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remodeling

Ranch House Remodeling Is A Sound Investment

by Debra on Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Remodeling a Safe Investment For 2009 and Beyond

With bad news bombarding us on a daily basis about the doom and gloom around every corner of the US economy, what is an investor to do in these difficult times?

The year 2008 will be remembered as one of the worst years on record for the US economy and certainly the worst since the Great Depression.

That being said, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel as they say and that tunnel just might lead to the very roof over our heads.

During the latter half of 2008, investors in the stock market saw six years of gains disappear as the economy crumbled and markets crashed around the globe.

• The Dow Jones Industrial average fell 33.8% for the year
• The Standard and Poor’s 500 Index fell 38.5% for 2008

It is hard nowadays to find any economist of note who believes the stock market will rebound in the first half of 2009. Noted money manager Gary Shilling, president of A. Gary Shilling & Co. is on record as predicting the S & P 500 will see a drop of more than 30% from its current level down to the 600 mark. Ouch!

Housing down but not Out

In terms of housing, the initial data suggests a story in the housing market much the same as that coming from Wall Street.

Foreclosures are up, home prices are down, inventories in the most affected cities are at record levels and there appears to be little relief in sight for the battered and bruised housing market.

According to statistics released via the S & P Case-Shiller price index of housing prices in 20 major U.S. cities, housing prices dropped by a record 18% in 2008 down from 2007 levels.

The index has posted losses for 27 months in a row with Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami, and San Diego experiencing some of the largest drops.

A first glance at the data is enough to make even the most optimistic housing market watchers cringe and squirm. But dig a little deeper and one finds that most housing markets across the nation haven’t experienced the headlines grabbing drops in value that we read about seemingly everyday.

If one removes the hardest hit cities in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Florida, markets where speculation by investors was highest, the numbers are easier to digest.

Markets such as Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, New York, and Boston saw a drop of 10% or less. Many more markets such as Dallas saw a drop in prices of less than 5%.

The incoming administration is expected to take big steps towards stabilizing the housing market and introducing legislation to reduce the large number of expected foreclosures still lurking in markets across the U.S. Assuming this is the case, what can one do to protect their home and what is often called most Americans single biggest asset they will own in their lifetimes?

Remodeling the Home a Safe Bet in 2009

Remodeling, improving, and upgrading one’s home might be the single best place to park your money in 2009 based on opinions from economists regarding their views on other investment sectors of the economy.

In a paper published by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies titled “Housing Wealth effects and the Course of the US Economy”, author Eric Belsky clearly states that “housing is the cornerstone of household net worth”.

What Remodeling allows a homeowner to do with their home that owning a stock does not is the ability to make changes and improvements to the home that can and usually do increase the value of one’s investment for the long term.

In fact, in 2008 owning stocks has been a drag on workers 401K’s and retirement nest eggs for virtually all participants in the stock market. At one point during 2008 88% of all of the stocks in the S & P 500 were trading at their 52 week lows for the year.

The downside to the nature of stock investments is that shareholders have little input in to company decisions and can do nothing to increase a company’s share price nor your investment like you can with your home.

On the other hand, homeowners can have a profound and direct affect on increasing the value of their home by making smart and cost effective renovations to their home.

As an example, since Remodeling magazine first introduced the minor kitchen remodel category in 2004 to their annual Cost vs. Value report, this category has consistently remained among the highest return on investment (ROI) projects. In fact, last year, the minor kitchen remodel had the highest ROI of any interior project.

Steve Khan, owner and founder of AnchorBayTile notes that his customers are undertaking small scale remodeling projects mostly with a focus on their Kitchens and Baths.

Mr. Khan says “minor kitchen and bath renovations and upgrades have been a popular choice during the latter half of 2008″ and he believes the trend will continue on in to 2009 since many homeowners can perform the work themselves.

Consider cost effective remodeling and renovation projects in 2009 as a means of stabilizing and strengthening your nest egg and what is the largest and single most important investment for most American households.

The beauty of improving your home is that nobody can ever take your work away from you (as long as you make your mortgage payment) and you have the benefit of enjoying those improvements every single day of your life.

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AnchorBayTile.com is a full service online store offering all types of ceramic tile, glass tile, wood tile and metal tile for homeowners and commercial customers. The family-run company is committed to providing best-in-industry customer service to support their unique tile designs, shapes and colors. Their products are suitable for projects ranging from a basic residential remodel to a high level commercial design project. For more information, please visit their Web site at http://www.AnchorBayTile.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Khan
http://EzineArticles.com/?Remodeling-a-Safe-Investment-For-2009-and-Beyond&id=1881882

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Find Ranch House Front Doors

by Debra on Saturday, November 1, 2008

Replacing ranch style house front doors can be tricky business, especially if you’d like to retain the look and feel of the original house. It’s not always easy to find ranch house front doors that are original. You may be able to find a new one that you like if you know where to look.

To find mid-century ranch doors, you may want to check out architectural elements at area flea markets, second-hand stores, salvage yards, and antiques stores. With people renovating older homes, more and more people are looking for architectural items to add to their homes. You may just luck out, but don’t count on it.

If you live near a door manufacturer, you may be able to commission them to create a door based on a design you like. This option may be very costly, however.

You may want to try your hand at making a door in the style you prefer, if you’re handy with woodworking equipment. Be sure to double check your measurements if you choose this option. Remember to measure twice and cut once.

Your best option, however, might be to do some research online. Go to your favorite search engine and type in “custom mid-century door” and you should come up with a number of links. You may find companies that already create custom mid-century doors that would be perfect for your ranch house front door.

One place to look at is Crestview Doors. Located in Austin, Texas, this company has spent a good amount of time researching the door styles of mid-century ranch houses. They use the designs of the past and combine them with the manufacturing materials and methods of today. When they’re finished, you have a great looking door that matches your home’s original style.

This site has the coolest tool! You take a picture of the front of your house… upload the picture… and then you can try different doors on your house to find the perfect solution! How cool is that? Here is the link to the tool: Ranch House Front Door Tool

Simpson is another manufacturer of custom-made doors. They have dealers all over the United States, so it may be easier to find one near you rather than having to send off to Texas to get a door. The cost may also be more reasonable since you won’t have as many shipping charges to contend with.

When replacing the front door to your home you may also want to keep in mind the décor inside the home. Obviously you won’t choose an Oriental style front door if the interior of your home is decorated in a classic or country style.

You may also consider how much privacy you want in regard to your door. Doors of the period had small inset glass windows. If you want more privacy, you may want to have a frosted glass rather than clear glass.

No matter which option you use to replace your ranch house front door, remember that the front door is the place to make a great first impression. You can create a personal statement by the design and color of the door you choose.

Installing and Hanging Doors (For Pros by Pros)

photo credit: berbercarpet

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Brick Ranch Ideas

by Debra on Thursday, October 16, 2008

With the economic downturn in the housing market, many homeowners are choosing to remodel or renovate their existing homes rather than moving to a new home. If your home is a brick ranch, ideas about remodeling may seem limited. Here are some places you may be able to find ideas on how to update or renovate your home.

Decide what you need to have more of so you know what changes you need to make to your home. Is your kitchen too small for the appliances you’ve always dreamed of? Has your family size increased and you need additional bedroom space? Have you started a home business and need an office?

Or do you merely want to make a break from the ordinary by creating something extraordinary in your home? It really doesn’t matter what your reason is for renovating your home, but knowing what that reason is ahead of time can make finding brick ranch ideas easier.

One of the best ways to begin compiling ideas for remodeling your brick ranch is to drive through your area. Take a look at the other homes in your neighborhood or within your city. Someone near you may have already added on or renovated in a way that you could see doing.

Another place to look for brick ranch ideas is by looking at architecture books and magazines at your local library. The library will have access to a myriad of sources and what they don’t have on their shelves; you can probably get through inter-library loan.

Check out your favorite search engine and look up the type of remodeling you’re thinking of doing. Make the decision of what you’d like to do to your home before you speak with a contractor or architect. They will be able to give you the best advice if the changes you want to make to your home are even feasible or not.

As risky as it may be, take a trip with your spouse to the home improvement stores near you. They will have trained staff that can help you weed through all of the information you’ve compiled and make final decision.

If your brick ranch is a raised ranch, you may want to take in your garage and make it into extra living space. You can then add another garage at the end of your existing home so you still have that prime parking space.

Extend your roofline to create a new porch for the front of your house. If the front appeals to you and you don’t want to change it, the back of the house is fair game for changes. This is usually the best location to make changes to your home especially if you can’t match your brick perfectly.

These are a few of the places you can go to get brick house ideas for renovations. Print out the ideas you like, talk to someone who is knowledgeable, and then seek out the help of a professional before jumping in on the changes. Most importantly, if there’s something you’d really like to do, unless it is structurally unsound, don’t let anyone keep you from creating the brick ranch house of your dreams.