Sacramento’s 4^th Annual Wine & Dine Week is in full swing! This week only, restaurants in Sacramento, Davis, El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Granite Bay, Plymouth, Rancho Cordova, Roseville and Woodland offer a three to four course meal at a fraction of the regular price. Even better, each meal is paired with different local wines. View the menus online and be sure to make a reservation, this is a popular event!

So go ahead and treat yourself…affordably. With almost 40 restaurants participating, there is something for everyone. But hurry, Wine & Dine Sacramento ends this Sunday, July 11^th.

Good news for the luxury home market! “Amenity-laden properties at the top of the market continue to command just as lofty prices” according to a Forbes article this week. 

“Two of last year’s homes [from their most expensive home list] have been sold–no small feat in a down economy. But neither commanded anything near their sky-high asking prices. The massive Bel Air mansion Le Belvedere, which went on the market in early 2009, was quickly reduced from $85 million to $72 million. The discount worked: It is currently in the escrow stage of a sale for an undisclosed price.”

While most of us are not looking to buy or sell triple-digit million dollar homes, luxury homes are beginning to sell again in our area too. As a member of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, I posses the skills and experience necessary to sell your luxury home or help you buy the home of your dreams.

At the very least, it is always fun to look at the fanciest home in America

New paint makes everything look clean and bright again and, thanks to “oops” paint, can be as affordable as a dollar a can. “Oops” paint is paint that was purchased and returned because it was the wrong color is available at both Home Depot and Lowes. If you don’t find a color you like, return the next week for a completely different selection. Even painting the trim a contrasting color or creating a contrast wall can make a big impression with just a little effort and money.

Carpeting is another detail that can quickly update a home and make it look cleaner. A professional carpet cleaning is an inexpensive investment, especially if your rugs are in good shape and are neutral colors. If your carpet is showing serious wear, cover it with inexpensive, strategically placed area rugs.

Slipcovers can also easily cover furniture that is worn or discolored. Don’t be afraid of slipcovers; they’re not the same as ten years ago when they looked like a loose blanket awkwardly hugging your sofa. There are many slipcovers now available that fit and stay in place.

Check Back Tomorrow for…

Day 1: GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN

Day 2: MAKE A MEMORABLE ENTRANCE

Day 3: UPDATE THE BATHROOM

Day 4: LET THERE BE LIGHT

Day 5: MAKE THE OLD LOOK NEW

Day 6: DE-CLUTTER AND CREATE STORAGE

Day 7: CONSIDER CURB APPEAL

Changing the lighting in your home can both update and make your house appear bigger and more open.

Adding accent lighting and spotlights that plug into existing outlets can direct light to features you want to emphasize, like art or plants, while giving your home overall ambient light. If you have a ceiling fan, you can also buy replacement fan blades to update the fixture’s look at a much more minimal cost than replacing the entire fixture.

Outdated lamp shades can make a room feel stale and are easy to replace. For a more modern feel, replace your pleated shades with simple drum-shaped ones. They’re not only more modern looking but also easier to keep clean and dust-free. Replacing traditional lighting with statement lighting, such as a chandelier in the bedroom, can quickly update the entire room and change its level of sophistication.

Using mirrors to expand and reflect light is a great trick to add light to dark rooms and make small rooms appear larger. Hang a mirror where it reflects light from a window and your whole room will light up with natural light. Using lighter and warmer colors and fabrics also make your room appear much brighter.

Check Back Tomorrow for…

Day 1: GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN

Day 2: MAKE A MEMORABLE ENTRANCE

Day 3: UPDATE THE BATHROOM

Day 4: LET THERE BE LIGHT

Day 5: MAKE THE OLD LOOK NEW

Day 6: DE-CLUTTER AND CREATE STORAGE

Day 7: CONSIDER CURB APPEAL

Day 3: UPDATE THE BATHROOM

Next to the kitchen, bathrooms are often the most important rooms to update. Simple things that are relatively easy to install, like a new toilet seat and a pedestal sink, can make a big difference.

Refinishing the cabinets can update a dated bathroom, as well as adding new hardware to the drawers and doors. A new sink faucet easily serves as a focal point that adds a more modern feel. Replacing old, dated light fixtures can be done relatively easily and can change the whole look of the bathroom.

You can replace an old bathroom floor with easy-to-apply vinyl tiles or a sheet vinyl for very little cost and minimal effort. If your tub and shower look dingy, consider regrouting the tile and replacing any chipped tiles. A more complete make-over is a prefabricated tub and shower surround. While these one-piece units often require professional installation, they are still usually cheaper than paying to retile the walls and refinish the tub.

Check Back Tomorrow for…

Day 1: GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN

Day 2: MAKE A MEMORABLE ENTRANCE

Day 3: UPDATE THE BATHROOM

Day 4: LET THERE BE LIGHT

Day 5: MAKE THE OLD LOOK NEW

Day 6: DE-CLUTTER AND CREATE STORAGE

Day 7: CONSIDER CURB APPEAL

First impressions are important, especially when it comes to your home. Your entryway is the first thing you and your guests see when entering your home. With a little money and effort, you can spruce up your entrance and help your home make a great first impression!

The front door is the focal point of your entrance and can be inexpensively made to look new with a new coat of paint or easy refinish. Replacing the worn, flimsy knob with a more substantial (and secure) handle-and-lock set gives the entrance a polished feel.

Consider adding two large planters on either side of the door filled with plants of a variety of heights and textures. For a great year round look, mix perennials and  annuals. If you want to add another personal touch, hang a coordinating wreath on your front door.

Don’t have a penny to spend? You’ll be amazed how much of a difference an hour of cleaning can make to the look and feel of your entry area. Getting rid of winter’s dirt and twig remainsdeclutters and brightens up your space to give it a more inviting feel.

Check Back Tomorrow for…

Day 1: GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN

Day 2: MAKE A MEMORABLE ENTRANCE

Day 3: UPDATE THE BATHROOM

Day 4: LET THERE BE LIGHT

Day 5: MAKE THE OLD LOOK NEW

Day 6: DE-CLUTTER AND CREATE STORAGE

Day 7: CONSIDER CURB APPEAL

Day 1: GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN

For many, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Updating the hardware on your cabinets can modernize your kitchen while keeping costs down. For only a little more, a new, coordinating kitchen faucet set and new light fixtures can transform the look and feel of the entire kitchen.

Rather than replacing, consider resurfacing your cabinets. A fresh coat of paint or lacquer can bring old cabinets back to life. If you’re looking to spend a little more, many companies will refinish the cabinet boxes and replace the doors and drawers from the cabinets for substantially less than new cabinets.

If your kitchen appliances don’t match, don’t replace them. Instead, order new doors or panels from the manufacturer. Many dishwasher panels are white on one side and black on the other, so it may be as simple as removing the screws and flipping the panel.

Check Back Tomorrow for…

Day 1: GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN

Day 2: MAKE A MEMORABLE ENTRANCE

Day 3: UPDATE THE BATHROOM

Day 4: LET THERE BE LIGHT

Day 5: MAKE THE OLD LOOK NEW

Day 6: DE-CLUTTER AND CREATE STORAGE

Day 7: CONSIDER CURB APPEAL

I can stage a home practically blindfolded…it’s all about making the most of space, color, and light! I can walk clients through the process of buying or selling the home of their dreams with ease, but planning a wedding is something entirely new to me! The last wedding I planned was my own…26 years ago, and quite honestly, my mother did most of the planning. So, I enlisted help…actually, my sister, enlisted some help for us.

Ann Farrow is best known to me as the incredibly talented woman who has decorated/designed much of my sister’s home in the bay area. It’s one of the most well decorated homes I’ve ever seen…and I’ve seen A LOT of houses! Ann is the owner of HomeStyle/EventStyle…”the bay area’s only full-service staging firm,” and she was kind enough to meet with us and talk us through some of the details involved in planning a wedding that is “special and unique.” She had so many great ideas…many of which we hope to implement. I began to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all UNTIL Ann said, “Have you heard of the concept of ’staging?’ It’s generally referred to in reference to staging a home, but you also want to ’stage’ a wedding. It’s all about the wow factor, and first impressions.”

“YES, I have heard of staging and I’m actually quite good at it…YES, I can plan a wedding and it’s going to be amazing…And, Ann, you’ll still help out a bit won’t you?” I’m going to rely on some of Ann’s expertise in planning a wedding, but rest assured that you can depend upon mine when buying or selling your home…I’m really good at that!

Oh, and one more thing…my sister’s exquisite home is the site of the wedding reception. It’s going to be magical…and perfectly staged!

Today’s kitchens today are continuing to evolve into family rooms which can accommodate multiple cooks, family dining, and entertaining. Here are just a few of the major design trends popping up in luxury multi-purpose kitchens as 2010 begins. 

Countertops
Kitchen countertops are increasing in mass – think thick – and demand is growing for new surface materials.  As granite wanes in popularity, crackle glass, concrete, and wood (with decorative edges) are all moving to the fore as popular countertop materials. One of the most innovative counters combines glass with LED lighting.  The result is a glowing glass countertop which can be programmed with most any color to match your mood of the moment. 

Counters in new kitchens may also vary in height to add visual interest and to create work zones for special purposes and for both short and tall cooks.  Counters and islands are also increasingly designed to double as serving and dining areas.

Work zones
As more activities gravitate to the kitchen, designers are building in special purpose areas.  A quick food prep station makes simple meal preparation and cleanup easy.  A baking center offers ingredient storage within reach and a counter height designed for chopping, mixing, and rolling.  A coffee bar or a wine tasting and beverage center are other popular special purpose work zones. 

Sinks
Large farm sinks are a hot trend and multiple sinks continue to be in demand.  Water conserving faucets are part of a trend toward eco-friendly kitchens.

Cabinetry
Mid-height cabinetry is a major trend in contemporary kitchens and beginning to appear in traditional kitchen designs as well.  Shorter cabinets may “float” on the wall or incorporate European-style legs and even be used as room dividers.  In-demand cabinet materials include stainless steel, environmentally-friendly bamboo, pecan or alder wood.  Cabinets are customized with interior fittings for efficient storage. Horizontal cabinet doors (sometimes motorized) are another emerging kitchen trend.  

Although the all white kitchen is still popular, cabinetry is also showing up in a variety of finishes and colors to give a kitchen the look of a furnished room.

Appliances
Forget the concept of a cooktop, double oven, microwave, dishwasher and a refrigerator creating an adequate kitchen.  Today’s cooks want more.  Extra dishwashing drawers, elaborate coffee making appliances, warming drawers, additional ovens, wine coolers may all be part of a luxury kitchen and many of these appliances may be hidden within cabinetry. 

On the other end of the spectrum, forget subtle, some homeowners are using the refrigerator as kitchen art.  Coolors, an Italian company will silk screen a refrigerators with a bold animal print, your favorite photograph or most any other image.  The range hood or cabinet fronts can be silk screened to match. 

Electronics
The kitchen is now home to televisions, computers, and sound systems.  With friends and family gathering in the kitchen, entertainment and information need to be within reach. 

Multiple kitchens
Luxury homeowners frequently want multiple kitchens.  In addition to the primary gourmet kitchen, a catering kitchen – where preparations occur for dinner parties and other entertaining – may be on the must have list.  A mini-kitchen in the master bedroom and another in the primary guest suite provide a convenient place for a midnight snack or that first cup of morning coffee.  Of course, what was once the barbeque grill has morphed into a full outdoor kitchen with ice maker, dishwasher, dining area and more.

The kitchen is the heart of the house and this decade begins with trends which focus on making it more functional for a variety of lifestyle purposes and more attractive as a entertaining center.

As your real estate professional, I quickly found myself in need of an entirely new skill set…“saving the American dream of homeownership!” I am excited to share with you that I have just completed the necessary training to obtain my CDPE designation (Certified Distressed Property Expert) and find myself fully equipped to tackle the challenges that we are currently facing.

You can’t turn on the television, surf the internet, or read the newspaper without being bombarded with the news that the country is experiencing a spike in foreclosures and defaults. Hopefully, you’re also aware of the fact that new legislation has been put into place and lenders are becoming more willing to work with distressed borrowers to help keep them in their homes…“keeping the dream of homeownership alive!”

If you or someone you know is facing the possibility of foreclosure, now is the time to act. My recent newsletter helps to explain the ins-and-outs of the foreclosure process, how it can be avoided, and provides possible options.

In today’s ever-changing Real Estate market, it pays to work with a professional. If there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

From castles to condos…

Let me know how I can make your real estate “dreams” come true!