10 Ways to Keep Your New Years Resolution in Your Elite Home!

It’s a time-honored tradition to make resolutions for the New Year. We vow to improve ourselves – exercise more, start a home improvement project… the list is endless.  This year, take the initiative and see how many resolutions you can keep – right from the comfort of your own Elite Built home in Louisville!

1.     Get organized. De-clutter your drawers and desk. Sort paperwork, bills, mementos and mail. Find a spot that’s just for paperwork & bills, and create a system for sorting things as soon as they come in. Clean out the closets – and see how much space you have. Invest in a closet organization system if it will help you keep things tidier.

2.     Make technology your friend. Whether you’re trying to lower your heating bills or find time to exercise consistently, automation is the key. Automated thermostats. Automated bill paying. Automatic reminders. It’s easier to develop and stick to new habits with a little help from technology. 

3.     Start – and finish – a home improvement project. If it’s a large project, break it into smaller steps. Create a rough schedule and cover parts of the project in monthly increments. 

4.     A space for everything. Go room by room, and think about what you really use each part of your home for — watching movies and reading in the den, for example. Make sure that everything you need to do these things is at hand, and get rid of anything and everything unrelated.

5.     Actually exercise more. You’ve been wanting to create your own mini fitness center, so go ahead and turn your bonus room into a gym or yoga studio. And use your smart phone or tablet to remind you to exercise every day. No excuses!

6.     Read more. You know that pile of books (traditional or digital) that’s been sitting unread for ages? Create a reading nook for yourself. Find a comfy chair, a good light and a shelf or table, and settle in. (Don’t be surprised if you keep finding kids in your nook, though!) 

7.     Create and follow a budget. Get yourself on a healthy fiscal track. Once you have your bills sorted (#1), then you can create a budget to track your spending habits. There are lots of easy to use budgeting programs. Set one up and get your finances in order!

8.     Create a healthier environment. Slow down and think about what you’re eating, wearing or cleaning with. Get the junk food out of the house and load up on lots of nuts, fruits and veggies. Take the time to sit down and eat as a family. Be aware of the chemicals in your cleaning supplies. Replace them with non-toxic or earth friendly versions if possible. Buy better made clothes with natural fibers.

9.     Learn a new skill. Hop on the DIY bandwagon. Choose an area that appeals to you and search for tutorials online, pick up a book, or hunt for a local class or workshop to get started. The sense of fulfillment you’ll get when you finish a DIY project is unbeatable.

10.  Concentrate on quality. Don’t fritter away money on furniture that will fall apart within a year or decor bought on impulse. If you have your eye on a special piece, try keeping a picture of it where you will see it regularly (like on your phone) as a reminder to save up for what you really want.

8 Reasons Why you Should Buy New in the New Year!

If you’ve been thinking about buying a new Elite home here in Louisville, taking the plunge before year-end could save you money and potentially even increase your future take-home pay. Here are some of the reasons the fourth quarter is a great time to buy a home.

1. Flexible schedules

There’s no need to wait until Saturday or Sunday to cram five house tours into your schedule. Rather than wasting precious weekends, take an end-of-the-year vacation day to check out available homes. Chances are, agents and sales people have some time on their hands as well, and would appreciate staying busy throughout December.

2. Low interest rates

The Federal Reserve continues its' slow march toward higher interest rates, signaling that it remains on track to raise its' benchmark interest in December for the first time this year. Expectations are that rates will be raised gradually, but even an extra half point can make a big difference in monthly payments as well as the lifetime cost of a loan.

3. Lending lull

With everyone off celebrating the holidays, December is traditionally a lean month for mortgage brokers. Since there are fewer real estate transactions, loan officers may be motivated to offer special incentives and possibly waive or reduce origination fees. With so few loans in the pipeline, underwriting turnaround times will be quick.

4. Tax savings

If you close by December 31, you can mortgage interest, property taxes,and interest costs. These deductions are significant, especially in the early years of your loan when you’re paying off a lot of interest.

6. Down payment options

For many years, 20% has been considered the magic number for a mortgage down payment – anything less could end up costing you. Consider how adjusting your down payment will affect your interest rate; generally the less you put down, the higher your rate will be. But if getting into a home quickly is your priority, a low down payment can facilitate that goal.

7. Available movers

Many moving companies are booked six weeks or more in advance during the busy summer months. In the fall and winter, it’s normally easier to secure the services of a moving company or rental equipment on shorter notice.

8. You have time to move and unpack

Coordinating a move takes time and energy. The whole process can be a headache if you’re juggling a move and full-time work. If your employer offers time off around the holiday season, this is the perfect opportunity to buy a house because you’ll have time to move and unpack before heading back to work.

Tips for Warming Your Home Through Decor!

As the temperatures begin to drop, and the days get shorter, we’ll start spending more time indoors.  For those colder days when you’re inside your Elite home in Louisville, your fireplace shouldn’t be the only thing keeping you nice and cozy.  Here are some ways to use warm decor to help take the chill out of winter.

1.     Pops of bright colors (cheery reds, tropical blues, deep pinks, juicy oranges) can help chase the winter blahs away.

2.     Change up your throw pillows & blankets with velvet covers or fuzzy fleece.  Add a fluffy faux fur rug to warm up chilly floors.

3.     Add the impression of warmth with metallics like gold, copper and bronze. Add some light & sparkle with silver mirrors or mercury glass accents.

4.     Think white is a cool color? Not when it’s a creamy winter white. A few hints of this warm neutral suggest snowy days – even if you don’t have any!

5.     Bare windows can seem pretty cold. Lined drapes in a thick material can go a long way to warming up your rooms visually and physically.

6.     Natural materials make any room cozier. Create a centerpiece or a mantle display with interesting twigs, pinecones, seedpods, evergreen branches, etc.

7.     Winter decorating is all about layering. Slipcover your chairs or sofa, and pile them with squishy pillows and snuggly throws. Then burrow in to keep the chill away.

      Lights are the obvious way to counteract the dark days of winter – whether it’s a reading lamp in a cozy reading nook, candles in the windows or dramatic landscaping lights outside.

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Buying New Furniture for Your New Home!

Nice furniture can be a pretty big investment, but at some point, the sofa that’s been with you through four apartments and one bad-tempered cat has to go. It’s time to go shopping for your new Elite Built home! Here are some tips for saving time and money as you search for new furniture for your home in Louisville.

1.     Know What You’re Buying. Buying furniture is a complex affair. It takes time and patience to figure out what you want and what works in your space. But now, you can go window-shopping from the comfort of your home. Make sure you compare similar products from different stores or websites. Get a feel for what you want, and what you can realistically afford.

3.     Smart Sales. Buying something on sale obviously saves money, but furniture is a little trickier. Prices fluctuate throughout the year, so you have to time your purchase right. New product is debuted twice a year (usually spring & fall), so for 2 to 3 months prior, furniture companies are trying to get rid of inventory by offering good deals. 

 

4.     Look At The Label. Many pieces are made of a mixture of woods or small pieces glued together, and may crack because the wood may be weaker or not constructed properly. Actual solid wood usually lasts longer because it isn't weakened by composition. If you're not enough of an expert to recognize the difference, make sure you get a one-year warranty for both the parts and labor. 

5.     Stick to Neutral Colors for Large Pieces.  You might love orange, but not everyone does, and manufacturers know this. Bolder color palettes mean a higher price because they don’t have mass appeal. Instead, manufacturers produce more neutrals and sell them at a lower price. So, if you want a red, gray and white room, and want to save money, look for sofas and chairs in grey or white, and use red as the accent color on throw pillows, lamps, or the rug.

Louisville Offers a Low Cost of Living & High Quality of Life!

As was recently reported in ProBuilder.com, Louisville, Kentucky, has been ranked by the research website Niche as one ofthe most affordable cities in America! 

Niche, which ranks places to live, K-12 schools, and colleges, analyzed 223 U.S. cities with populations of more than 100,000 to find out which are the most inexpensive to live in relative to income.

They focused on criteria such as the ratio of home value to income, as well as median home values. The cost of other expenses, such as gas and groceries, was also taken into account.

Cities were ranked based on consumer price index and access to affordable housing, which is measured by the ratio of monthly housing cost to income. Louisville came out ranked 13^th out of 223 cities, with an overall grade of A-.

Traditionally, experts say that people should spend no more than about 30% of their income on housing per month, but it’s not uncommon for residents in pricier urban centers such as New York City or San Francisco to spend more than half of their income on housing. In Louisville:  

·      The median monthly household income spent on monthly housing costs is around 20%

·      The median home value is $140,400 vs the national average of $176,700

·      The median monthly housing costs for homeowners is $817

·      60.8 % of people own the property they live in

As far as quality of life goes, Louisville has great schools, and was named as one of Niche’s 2016 Best Cities to Raise a Family, too.  It has a diverse population, an easy commute, and a dynamic array of recreational opportunities available.

Unsurprisingly, Louisville comes out as one of the Best Places to Live in the U.S. – something we here at Elite Homes have known forever!