TO RENOVATE OR REBUILD, THAT IS THE QUESTION.

The housing stock is getting older in many parts of the country, and more home owners are facing the need to make drastic upgrades. In some cases, home owners are facing an even bigger decision, such as whether to tear down and rebuild a new home.
The following infographic from Blu Homes, a builder of prefab green homes, provides information to help home owners reach a cost-effective decision on whether to renovate or rebuild, including even how to recycle your old home and ways to incorporate green features too.

 

 

*courtesy of the National Association of Realtors

FIVE MORTGAGE TIPS FOR TODAY'S HOUSING MARKET

You want to beat the rising cost of homes and increasing interest rates by buying a home soon — but are you going to be able to get a mortgage? 
The latest Case-Shiller housing data shows prices have gone up a little over 12% in just a year, and the National Association of Realtors’ latest numbers are even more optimistic, showing a nearly 14% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, the rate for a 30-year mortgage has shot up by more than a percentage point in the past three months and is now hovering a bit over 4.5%.
Of course, those home prices haven’t rebounded to anything close to their pre-recession peak in most markets, and interest rates are still low by historical standards, so if you’re thinking of buying a home sometime in the future, doing so sooner rather than later might make economic sense.
The “but” here is that getting a mortgage, though easier than it was a couple of years ago, is still a challenge for many Americans. Data from the Ellie Mae Origination Insight Report shows that in July, the average mortgage applicant approved for a conventional loan had a FICO score of 759. Meanwhile, even the ones who applied and were rejected had FICO scores averaging 726. This is actually an improvement over last year, when borrowers had an average FICO score of 763. But the days of waltzing into a bank with a 640 FICO score and getting pre-approved on the spot are over.
(MORE: Housing Report: Tight Inventory, Still-Rising Prices)
As a result, about a third of home purchases are being made by people — investors, foreign buyers, or wealthy Americans — who just plunk down cash for a house. That’s great if you happen to have $213,500 — the average amount of an existing-home sale in July, according to the National Association of Realtors — laying around, but if you don’t, here are some tips on how to give yourself the best shot at getting a mortgage.
Improve your credit score. ”Credit is getting a bit looser recently, but even people with high credit scores are being denied loans,” says Jed Kolko, economist at real estate site Trulia.com, an observation that’s borne out by that Ellie Mae data. Order your credit report from annualcreditreport.com so you know what you’re dealing with, especially if you’ve never checked your credit before. Getting any mistakes corrected should be your first order of business. After that, look to lower your utilization ratio — the percentage of your available credit you’ve used at any given time. The typical rule of thumb is to keep it under 30%, but lower is better.
Don’t open any new cards. This is old advice, but it’s even more important now that lenders have such high expectations. You might think adding a new credit card would help your utilization ratio, but applying for credit shortly before or during the application process pulls down your credit score. It could be only a few points, but that could affect your rate and even whether you’ll be approved for a loan at all.
Here’s the exception to this rule: If you’re new to the world of credit, apply for the best credit card you think you can get six months or more before you plan to begin the mortgage application process. Since you’ll ding your credit score a little bit, you want to space it out so you get the benefit that credit has on your utilization ratio without taking the hit for opening the new card.
(MORE: Rising Interest Rates and the Fate of the Housing Market)
Put more money down. ”Zero-down loans are rare nowadays compared with the bubble years,” Kolko says. That said, don’t despair if you don’t have 20% of the purchase price saved up.
“Lenders are more willing to work with consumers these days even if someone doesn’t have a perfect score,” says Ken Lin, CEO of CreditKarma.com. “For example, if you have a little lower credit score, but can put down 20% or maybe you only have 5% to put down but a great credit score, you can still qualify for a mortgage,” he says.
Pay down your debt. “Because home prices are rising faster than incomes, and also because mortgage rates are rising, the debt-to-income ratio will become a hurdle for more buyers,” Kolko warns. He says monthly payments have risen 20% in just a year thanks to the combination of rising home prices and interest rates.
“When you think about just your housing costs, your debt load— which includes taxes and homeowners insurance — should be 28% or less of your gross monthly income,” Lin advises. But once you add debt from credit cards and auto and student loans, the amount shouldn’t be higher than 36% of your income, he says. The Ellie Mae data shows that successful mortgage borrowers have an average housing debt-to-income ratio that’s even lower, at 24%.
Give yourself more time than you think you need. Improving your credit score and socking away a down payment takes time. Lin suggests giving yourself a six-month head start. In theory, credit report errors can be cleared up in 30 days or less, but an investigation last year found that getting even simple stuff fixed can drag on for months in some cases.




*courtesy of Time

PORTLAND, OREGON A POPULAR MOVING DESTINATION

Remember those reports about how Portlanders are more likely to move to Seattle than vice-versa?
It turns out there’s more to the story.
Portland is plenty popular, according to United Van Lines' annual tally of moving destinations.
Portland saw 42 percent more inbound moves than outbound during the peak summer moving season, placing it second in the nation for net migration.
Overall, Portland was the No. 7 most popular destination for movers and Seattle was No. 5.
St. Louis-based United credits the growing tech sector for the overall migration patterns, which show the Pacific Northwest and Northern California as the fastest-growing areas.
“The continued growing in the tech sector is drawing people to Northern California, but the high cost of living in Silicon Valley is causing tech companies and workers to migrate north to Seattle. Portland is also experiencing unprecedented growth attracting a range of millennials and retirees relocating for amenities such as public transit, green space, local arts and a vibrant urban culture,” said Michael Stoll, chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles.
United Van Lines said the summer 2013 moving season was one of the busiest since the recession, with an 85 percent increase compared to the prior year.
Washington, D.C., had the dubious distinction of being both the most popular city to move to and the most popular city to move from.
United studied domestic moves between May 1 and Aug. 31, when approximately 35 percent of all household moves take place. Its data included nearly 45,000 interstate moves managed by United itself.



*courtesy of Portland Business Journal

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF SMALL KITCHENS

Many people complain about small kitchens but tiny spaces aren't always to be dreaded. If you're selling your home and your kitchen is, well, compact, know that you can find ways to achieve big appeal with a little creativity.

Bring in the light. Sometimes small kitchens can be dark, making them feel even smaller. But if you remove the curtains from any windows in your small kitchen, it'll let light in and open up the area. Instead of curtains, you can use small blinds that are recessed inside the frame of the window. These are easy to clean and still provide some privacy even when the blinds are open.

De-Clutter the counter tops and the walls. Most people have a tendency to let kitchen clutter build up on the counter tops and walls. Removing items from the counters, kitchen table, and even off the walls will make the space feel bigger. Yes, I know these items on the counters are useful but when you're selling your home, a little inconvenience may help you receive a higher offer and you'll probably agree, that's worth it! Take the appliances and either store them in the kitchen cabinets or, if there isn't enough room, pack them up. You're moving soon, anyway. Clearing off photos and miscellaneous papers that are stuck on your refrigerator door or kitchen walls will also help make your kitchen look bigger. If you're tight for space, mounted storage units can be added to your kitchen walls to free up limited counter-top space. But again, too many storage units, even the decorative kind, will give people a feeling like the walls are closing in on them. The same goes for hanging pot racks from the ceiling. Be sure to leave some open wall space and to use storage units that aren't completely solid. The open units, if the shelves aren't stuffed, will give a less closed-in feeling.

Opt for lighter and brighter wall color. Going with lighter colors tends to open up a room. Light and bright colors are also very inviting and friendly, making them a perfect choice for the kitchen. You can use a darker accent trim to create some contrast. You can also use decorations including floral arrangements or even some colorful kitchen appliances to add spice to the kitchen.

Wall-mounted appliances and reduced counter-top depth. Wall-mounted or under-the-cabinets-mounted appliances can save valuable kitchen counter-top space. You might even have a way to wall-mount your kitchen faucet. In one small home design, the faucet was mounted to the wall, creating a very distinctive look. The counter-top was a standard 24 inches deep but elsewhere the counter-top was reduced just slightly down to 21 inches–very subtle and hardly noticeable but it allowed more floor space in a tiny kitchen. Small kitchens don't have to be an eyesore. Some even prefer less space because there's less to clean. If you know the audience you're marketing your home to, you can play up the home's best features–including, perhaps, a small, quaint, and simple kitchen.

*courtesy of Realty Times