New Home Sales Surge 18.6%

New-home sales soared in May, but the gains simply put the market back on track to match last year's overall pace, rather than signaled a significant momentum gain.

Home builders, economists and analysts described the May increase as a delayed rebound to normal sales levels after a weak start to the spring selling season, which was hampered by harsh weather and the fitful economic recovery. Many cautioned that one or two more months of strong gains are needed to prove that the housing recovery indeed has gained steam.

Prices, in contrast, are up sharply. The median sales price of new homes sold in May was $282,000, almost 7% above a year earlier.

14 Sneaky Mistakes that can decrease your Homes Value

https://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/14-sneaky-mistakes-decrease-homes-value-162300296.html

  1. Choosing a crazy exterior color 

"Curb appeal is huge, don't pick a paint color that isn't common in your neighborhood or doesn't fit the style of your home." -Pam Baldwin Foarde of Al Filippone Associates/William Raveis

2. Landscaping without a plan 
"Planting trees too close to the house or driveway - without considering how big they're going to get - creates major problems later. Roots can cause breaks in the pavement that might raise your homeowners insurance or make it hard for you get a policy until the problem is fixed. Before you plant anything, think about how it will look in twenty years." -Chris Winn of Kellar Williams/Advantage Group

3. Ignoring your entryway 
"Having a front door lock that doesn't work properly or hardware that looks old and pitted makes buyers uneasy and puts them on high alert for what else has been let go in the house." -Donna Marie Baldwin
of Coldwell Banker

Continue Here... https://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/14-sneaky-mistakes-decrease-homes-value-162300296.html

This Month in Real Estate: June

Kitchen Designs for Every Style

The Inman Team brings to you our favorite Kitchen ideas and designs for every style of kitchen, if your thinking of remodeling or just trying to spruce up your Kitchen for Summer we bring you our favorite designs:

TRADITIONAL

Classic & Time Tested

According to the Kitchen Design blog, Traditional Kitchens have an elegant and formal appearance, these designs often feature detailed molding, rich wood cabinetry, and period styling. Traditional kitchen islands are often designed to resemble antique furniture to convey a sense of history.

•  include ornamental wood hoods & raised panel doors.
•  decorative wood door panels to conceal the cold steel of modern appliances.
• Traditional kitchens are defined by their details, which can include arches, decorative moldings and corbels, raised-panel cabinets, a mix of antique finishes and furniture-like turned legs — even a chandelier. Whether they have a classic American or old-world flavor, they still carry the stamp of their owners' personal style.
• Architectural Details that feel layered; arches, moldings, beams, island legs etc.

      

MODERN

Clean & Sleek

When we say modern we usually think of frameless cabinets, sleek and simple hardware, strong horizontal lines and a lack of ornamentation, with the natural beauty of the materials shining through.

        

•  flat surfaces, geometric forms, and minimal ornamentation.
• While wood veneer and stone are occasionally used, materials in modern kitchens are more often man-made, including plastic, metal, concrete, and glass
• Often feature flat slab doors.
• By avoiding excessive details, modern cabinetry gives the room a clean and spacious look. Crown molding, wood carvings, and raised panel door styles are avoided, but curved and angled elements are quite common.
• Modern cabinets are usually faced with plastic laminate or wood veneer, with the wood grain often oriented horizontally to give the cabinetry a sense of motion and width.

          

FARM HOUSE

Comfortable & Functionality

• Farmhouse sinks, beadboard panels, and open shelving are trademarks of country kitchen designs.
• Knotty wood cupboards or painted and glazed cabinets with simple styling provide a traditional country feel that's not too stuffy.
• Popular cabinet styles include the standard raised panel or beaded flat panel cabinet doors with a simple frame.
• Wide-planked wood floors, antique brass hardware, knotty pine furniture, and antique knick-knacks all contribute to the casual atmosphere of the country lifestyle.
• Decor include a lantern sitting on a shelf, and images of roosters glazed on platters and mugs
• Their open shelving, wide sinks, classic flooring and big kitchen table make them easy to work in and easy to love.

 

LUXURY

Extraordinary & Rich 

Luxury kitchen cabinets often feature high-end American woods like Cherry and Walnut with rich, dark stains. Exotic woods such as Sapele Mahogany or Brazilian Cherry can take it to another level. Specialty painted and glazed finishes can also make for a luxurious kitchen. For a downright opulent look, some cabinet finishers use gold leaf to accent cabinetry details. High-end kitchens often feature flush inset, frameless, or beaded inset cabinets with deluxe undermount soft-closing drawers.

• luxury appliances can be framed in with decorative carved posts or fluted columns.
• Occasionally the appliances themselves are panelized with wood. Luxury kitchen sinks can be crafted of heavy gauge stainless steel, polished or hammered copper, or even marble or granite

  

TRANSITIONAL

Minimalist & Warm

Combines both contemporary and traditional features to create an updated look. Not too modern, and not too traditional, transitional kitchens are for those who want their style somewhere in between.

• The beauty of transitional kitchen design is that it allows you to pick and choose your favorite themes to create a style that fits your home and your sensibilities.
• Consider mixing both man-made and natural materials for an eclectic kitchen design.
• Rather than choosing a traditional wood hood, for example, create a focal point by contrasting a stainless steel hood against the wood cabinetry.
• Likewise, celebrate the classy look of your stainless steel appliances by eschewing the traditional wood door panels that some people use to hide them.
• Shaker cabinet doors in modern finishes, stainless steel handles, and glass tiles can make a transitional kitchen much more trendy without becoming ultra-modern.
• Choose your favorite crown molding, corbels and turnings to make the kitchen as rich and elegant as you desire, all while maintaining a degree of contemporary flair.