Property Rehab: Fixer-Upper and Construction Talk

The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health Monday issued citations with proposed penalties of nearly $92,000 to a real estate investment company in connection with a tree-trimming accident that killed a landscaper last fall outside a home near the Spring Street Trolley Station.
http://www.cbs8.com/story/25244828/real-estate-firm-fined-for-tree-trimm...

Selling a house is always the key step in a real estate deal and obviously one of the most important ones to get that profit that you are looking for. Being able to sell your house quickly will make a difference on you making planned profit.
Step Up Your Curb Appeal
By: HouseLogic
A beautiful yard is a head-turner, no doubt about it. The good news is that even if you can’t tell a tulip from a turnip at the garden center, you can still create eye-catching curb appeal by paying attention to the basics of good landscaping. Ignoring your yard—or doing something that’s out of character with the neighborhood —can jeopardize the assessed value of your home.

The good news part of this article is about reducing your competition due to articles that scare people away from flipping. If you’re not already flipping and the information in the USNews article doesn’t scare you, that’s also good news. Here’s the first sentence from an article titled “What You Should Know Before Dipping Into Home Flipping”:
Don’t expect to make a quick and easy buck buying, overhauling and then reselling houses.

The concept of what adds “value” to a home is, at best, subjective.

One buyer may place a high value on a pool while another may see that as a reason to eliminate the home from consideration. Price and cost does not always equal value, and there can be any number of reasons why that’s the case.

The most common reasons reinforce a basic truth found in all real estate: This is not an exact science, and a number of variables — especially the motivations and desires of buyers and sellers — can be very difficult to account for. While data analysis provides a benchmark for value trends in an area, that data must be blended with the variables present in each situation.

The kitchen is the heart of most homes. It is where a family typically congregates in the mornings and evenings. Most home buyers will heavily base their buying decisions on the kitchen.

You want potential buyers to say “WOW” when they see your kitchen because this will sell your property. So here are 5 tips for making your kitchen sizzle and your Realtor say “We have multiple offers!”

Put in an Island If you have the floor space for an island, you should definitely install one. It has almost become a standard for most new construction homes.

If you are replacing all the cabinets, consider doing white cabinets with a dark island or dark cabinets with a white island. You see this in many home magazines and it is extremely popular.

I am as new as they come. I have a potential deal. A woman has about 47k worth of debt on her home in taxes. She's willing to let it go for that amount. I believe the ARV is somewhere around 150k. At the moment its MV is 126K. The house needs to be gutted. Her words. I'm putting about 40k for that type of work, but still I'm not sure of that either. Could you please help me?

Hey Dg'ers, I'm debating on the right type and size portable non electric propane heater i could use to heat up an average sized living room so I can finish drywalling/painting and so I can set in the basement to thaw out all the frozen pipes. I had an forced air propane heater around 35,000 btu's in mind that I assume would handle both jobs but my only concern is ventilation. Would carbon monoxide be a problem or do they burn clean enough? Any other concerns I should be aware of? I mostly see forced air heaters used in garages but some still use indoors too. Any advice?

As we’re all aware, spring represents the jump start to a winter of RE. Buyers will be more likely to move quickly, rather than hibernating, sellers are wanting to move onward and upward. With all of this rejuvenation comes the need for the dreaded spring clean. When getting ready to put your property on the market, whether it be for sale, rent or lease don’t forget to clean up the yard. You don’t have to put a ton of money into your landscaping. But you do need to give it some curb appeal. Rake up the leaves, mow the lawn to give it a fresh, clean, spring look. Weed the flower beds and plant some inexpensive plants. Trim trees and unruly bushes. Choose flower colors that will showcase the house, but bring some zing and brighten up the landscape.

It’s time to see what winter’s wind, rain and snow have done to your home and make fixes quickly to head off water-related damage. First, head outside.

Outside

What are some good colors from Lowes or home depot to use for exterior paint in California?

Thanks in advance!
Thom