Introducing 4832 Lee Hollow Place

Welcome to Montjoy, the most prestigious neighborhood in town! If you're looking for a townhouse fit for royalty, look no further than this end-of-group executive townhouse with a large three-level bump out.

Just like the enchanted castle in Sleeping Beauty, this townhouse is filled with magic.   With three levels of luxurious living space, there's plenty of room for you to spread out and make memories with your loved ones.  The home is surrounded by a beautiful forest that you can enjoy from your own backyard. Imagine waking up to the sound of birds singing, sipping your morning coffee on your private deck, and feeling the fresh air on your face.

Inside, you'll find two master suites, each with its own private bathroom, perfect for providing guests or family members with their own space.  In addition to the rec room in the lower level, there is also a den (bedroom 3) and full bath.  This beauty also features not one, but two cozy fireplaces, adding a touch of warmth and charm to any occasion.  Plus, the two-car garage ensures that you'll always have plenty of space for your cars, bikes, and other toys.

Whether you're hosting a grand ball in your spacious living room or enjoying a cozy night in with your family in the first floor family room, this townhouse has everything you need to live happily ever after. So why wait? Come visit us in Montjoy and see for yourself why this end-of-group executive townhouse is the fairest of them all.

Get more details here

Image via Pexels

What You Need To Know About A Smooth Home Renovation

If you've never undertaken a home renovation before, the prospect can be intimidating. There are a lot of things to consider, from the types of renovations you want to tackle to finding contractors you can trust, as well as making sure you communicate your ideas clearly. To help you enjoy a smoother renovation experience, this article shared by Realtor Debbi Rivero outlined everything you need to know about home renovations from start to finish.

Choose the Best Renovation Project for Your Needs

There are many different types of home renovations to choose from, depending on your needs and goals. Some common types of renovations include:

●       Adding a home office: This can be a great way to create a dedicated space for working from home. If you're planning on adding an office, make sure to plan for things like adequate lighting and electrical outlets.

●       Updating your kitchen: A new kitchen will add value to your home and make it more enjoyable overall. When planning a kitchen renovation, be sure to think about things like layout, storage, and appliances.

●       Bathroom remodeling: A new bathroom is another great way to increase the value of your home. When planning a bathroom renovation, be sure to think about things like layout, fixtures, and storage.

Find a Contractor You Can Trust

One of the most important aspects of any home renovation is finding contractors who are reputable and open to sharing your vision. When vetting contractors:

●       Get recommendations from friends or family members who have recently undertaken similar projects.

●       Read online reviews carefully, paying attention to both positive and negative reviews.

●       Ask potential contractors for references from previous clients.

●       Make sure potential contractors are licensed and insured.

Establish Goals and Communicate Them Well

Before beginning any type of home renovation project, you must communicate your ideas clearly with your contractor (or contractors). This means being specific about what you want in a finished product, as well as what you can afford. Once you've communicated exactly what you’re hoping to achieve, it will be much easier for your contractor(s) to provide you with an accurate estimate of both time and cost.

Create a Timeline For Completion

It's also important to establish a timeline and schedule for your renovation project from the start. This will ensure your project stays on track and is completed promptly. Be sure to factor in any potential delays when setting your timeline so that you don't end up disappointed or stressed later on. This might include weather-related issues or shipping delays that will affect access to certain materials.

Work Out a Budget and Keep Costs in Line

One of the most important aspects of any home renovation is budgeting and estimating costs accurately. This means taking into account not only the cost of materials but also the cost of labor. Be sure to get estimates from multiple contractors before making a final decision so that you can compare prices accurately.

Get Familiar With Helpful Tech

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of apps or software by contractors during the construction process. Common examples include construction takeoff software and cost estimation tools. These tools can be used for tasks like managing construction documents or staying on budget. If you're working with a contractor who uses one of these tools, be sure to ask about how they use them and how they will benefit you. This may help you better understand how costs are calculated and give you more confidence in how your money is being spent.

Look Into A Home Warranty

Once your home renovation is complete, it's a good idea to get a home warranty that will cover breakdowns where your appliances and major home systems are concerned. This is an easy way to prevent adding a large repair cost to the renovation bill, especially if your home is older.

Home renovations can be a great way to add value to your property. However, it's important to understand all aspects of the process before getting started. This includes everything from knowing what type of project is best for your needs to finding trustworthy contractors, so a little research will go a long way.

Are you thinking about putting your home on the market after your renovation? If so, let Realtor Debbi Rivero help you find the right buyer — as well as that perfect new home for you. Get in touch today by calling (443) 386-1306.

Blog provided by: Suzie Wilson

Top Eco-Friendly Ideas to Decorate Your Home 

Many would like to live in an eco-friendly home but also know the challenges of sustainable living. Documentaries like "Garbage Warrior" streaming on Prime Video, effectively show the many challenges that homeowners have faced while adopting this lifestyle.

However, decorating your home is one way to make changes unlikely to result in significant opposition from your neighbors or city officials. Decorating your home with eco-friendly decor is one way to live a greener lifestyle and have fun. Read on to learn more about some of the easiest eco-friendly ways of decorating your home.

Idea #1: Use Organic or Natural Materials When Possible

Natural fibers, such as bamboo or hemp, are excellent choices for linens. Although these products are more expensive, especially if organic, they are less likely to wear out as quickly.

Bamboo and wood are also ideal materials for decorative items, mainly if they have not been chemically treated. Another option worth considering is foregoing leather in favor of vegan materials.

Idea #2: Upcycle Existing Items, Instead of Buying New

Upcycling current items instead of buying something new is one of the best ways of decorating your home in an eco-friendly way. You'll save money, as well as keep otherwise unused items out of landfills.

Unused suitcases or similar items make excellent planters. Old blankets can have more productive futures as pillow covers. Thinking outside the box will go a long way toward finding new uses for old items.

Idea #3: Take Advantage of Plants or Plant Art

Plants are ideal for increasing oxygen and purifying the air, as well as being beautiful. Using pots made from natural materials like clay is a great way to make an eco-friendly impact.

Moss wall art is an increasingly popular natural way of decorating a home. One of the benefits of moss as an art material is its natural preservation.

Idea #4: Use Handmade Decor Items When Possible

Handmade decor items often last longer than their factory-made counterparts. You'll save a lot of money because you don't need to replace these items as often.

If the crafter that you buy from is local, this is a great way to help support local artisans. Supporting a local artisan is an integral part of sustainable living.

Idea #5: Avoid Plastic Decor When Possible

Many consumers interested in a more eco-friendly lifestyle avoid plastic because of its long decomposition time. Plastic is more common than you may realize, being present in materials like epoxy, glitter, and polyester fiber.

Another advantage of natural materials like glass or bamboo is less wasteful disposal options.  Glass is easy to recycle in many locations, and bamboo is a biodegradable material.

Idea #6: Choose Secondhand Furniture or Repurpose Existing Furniture

Using secondhand furniture cuts down on demand for lumber and other materials that are not as sustainable. A bonus to consider is opting for secondhand furniture made from eco-friendly materials like rattan, wicker, or bamboo.

Many pieces of furniture, like kitchen or bathroom cabinets, can find new life as shoe racks or coffee tables. A fresh coat of paint or wood polish can give these pieces a whole new life.

Idea #7: Use Others' Castoffs As Your Treasures

Thrift shops and garage sales are often excellent sources of items you might repurpose. Examples include:

●Using old blankets or comforters to make new pillows or quilts

●Holding potted plants in position with a wine rack in a horizontal position

●Creating terrariums from old aquariums

Your imagination is the only limit that you'll need to face when selecting these items. After repurposing a few used items, you might prefer to get more of your decor items this way in the future.

The Takeaway

There are multiple eco-friendly ways of decorating your home. You just need to have access to the right items and use your imagination.

Photos:

"100% Eco friendly text on a price tag" by wuestenigel licensed under CC BY 2.0.

"3 little handmade Christmas tree decorations" by Salinafix licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

"Handmade gift wrap" by erika g. licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

The market is changing. While bidding wars, sky-high prices, and homes flying off the market were a reality just a few months ago, rising mortgage rates, changing economic conditions, and increasing inventory have caused a serious shift in some areas.

And if you’re selling your home, it’s important to operate under the conditions of the market the way it is now, not the way it was last year or a few months ago.

So what, exactly, does that look like?

A recent article from realtor.com outlined some of the widely believed rules about selling a home in today’s market that are no longer true (and that you’ll definitely want to consider breaking!), including:

• Pricing your home as high as you’d like. There was a time when sellers could virtually put any price tag on their home and it would sell, often for even higher than their asking price. But those days are over, and if you want to successfully sell your home in today’s market, you need to price your home conservatively and in line with its current market value.
• Don’t worry about offering concessions. At the height of the buying frenzy, buyers were bending over backwards for sellers, and that meant sellers could forgo any concessions. But now that the market has cooled, if you want to sell your home—and sell it quickly—offering concessions to buyers (like helping them “buy down” their mortgage rate or cover closing costs) isn’t out of the question.
• Home staging isn’t necessary. There was a time when just about any home would sell, regardless of how it looked. But now that buyers are more selective, you’ll want to do everything you can to make your home marketable and appealing—and that includes investing in professional staging.

We have been through this market a few times before and know what is necessary to get your house sold.  If you want a private consultation, contact us, we will let you know exactly what you need to do and don't need to do to get your top dollar when you sell!

5 Practical Ways to Get More Done Working at Home with Kids

Most parents are familiar with juggling family and professional responsibilities. And for parents who work from home, those challenges are compounded. Fortunately, there’s hope. While there’s currently no “hack” to pack extra hours into each day, there are ways working parents can accomplish more, even with kids underfoot. Avoiding chaos isn’t always possible, but these tips from Rivero Realtors offer practical advice on checking everything off your daily to-do list.

Implement a Routine

No matter your children’s ages or your line of work, setting up a routine can help the whole family stay on track. A bit of spontaneity is fun, of course. However, outlining your family’s daily schedule in order can help everyone understand what’s coming next and what needs to happen when. Younger kids may find a visual schedule helpful, too.

In fact, Zero to Thrive’s experts confirm that routines support social-emotional development starting in early childhood. Outlining a bedtime routine is healthy for children as well, studies suggest, especially if early wake times are part of your family’s work-life balance.

With purposeful transitions from one activity to the next, you may even prevent meltdowns – on both your kids’ end and your own. For parents working outside the home, sticking to an ordered routine minimizes late mornings and missed appointments, too.

Coordinate with Your Team

If you’re running your own business from home, you may find it difficult to oversee a team of remote workers. When managing a remote team, you’ll need to effectively define goals and tasks, manage proactively, and make sure you're using the same platforms to communicate.

Cleanse Your Space

An organized home is far easier to live in than a cluttered one, and when everything has its place, you’ll be less stressed, too, says Thrive. Spending a few minutes each evening picking up discarded toys, soiled clothing, and bringing dirty dishes to the kitchen can help the following morning feel less overwhelming.

Save deep cleaning for days when you have less work or fewer family tasks to handle. Eliminating dust and germs means your workweek will be that much easier to handle, even if you’re only heading into your home office.

Enlist Expert Help

Whether your children are school-age or still need lots of hands-on care, there are myriad challenges when working from home with kids underfoot. If you’re telecommuting and need care for your kids, explore local educational programs.

Not only can a high-quality childcare environment help open up your packed schedule, but studies suggest it may also be beneficial for your child’s development, confirms Motherly.

You can also enlist the help of freelancers and services. For example, instead of attempting to create your own website, hire a freelance web designer. Or if you’d like to register your business as a limited liability company (benefits include more flexibility and reduced liability), you can save yourself a lot of hassle and simply hire a formation service to file for you.

Dedicate Time to De-Stressing

Even with a solid daily routine and a relatively clean house, taking time away from work and household responsibilities is essential for minimizing chaos. Especially when the workday ends, it’s crucial to decompress and do things you enjoy with the people you love.

With kids, reconnecting at the end of the day means meaningful time with mom and dad that’s not bound by schedules, rules, or quiet time for parents’ remote meetings. Addressing mental health through gentle and honest discussion is just one way to express support for one another and air any underlying anxieties your kids may have.

For some people, de-stressing involves pursuing personal goals, like going back to school. Pursuing a different job, like medical coding, could allow you better work/life balance with more flexible hours or even a higher income. Plus it provides a tremendously satisfying sense of accomplishment. Apply online for a medical coding course that you can complete in only 30 hours of coursework. Then, you can decide if you want to move forward with other related skills or pursue a new career in medical coding.

As both a professional and a parent, you’re already adept at juggling multiple responsibilities and, more than likely, likely multiple children. But these practical tips can help make your days more manageable, no matter how many Zoom meetings or toddler tantrums you need to address.

If you decide that you need a bigger space to accommodate your family and your business needs, Rivero Realtors are here to help. We will find you the right home in the right area to help you meet your personal and professional goals. Contact us today to begin your house hunting process.

Photo Credit: Ketut Subiyanto via Pexels

 Blog written by: Katie Conroy