Carmel Valley Remodel 1

by | Mar 1, 2011 | Bubbleinfo TV, Jim TV, North County Coastal, Remodel Projects, Thinking of Buying?, Tips, Advice & Links, Vendors | 25 comments

In hot areas like Carmel Valley, home buyers are smart to consider expanding their target zone by looking at homes that need work – and if you buy one, you can remodel to your taste. 

Chances are good that any house you buy will need something fixed or remodeled anyway, so getting comfortable with repairs/improvements is inevitable. Check this before-and-after montage:

Carpet

by | Feb 1, 2011 | Vendors | 2 comments

A youtube primer on carpet – I get no benefit from you buying from Ken and Chuck, just want you to enjoy good pricing and service:

Cantina Doors

by | Jan 31, 2011 | Bubbleinfo TV, Vendors | 9 comments

Potential home buyers who are frustrated with the limited inventory can try to expand their target areas.  But if you are already set on the neighborhood in which you’d like to live, what then?

Take a closer look at the fixers.

It is VERY common that buyers only want to consider the homes in top condition – but how many of those do you see?  Hardly any, because sellers typically don’t spend the money on upkeep, or spruce them up, in order to sell.

If you plan to spend at least $25,000 to $50,000 on any house you buy, it’ll open up the selection tremendously, and hopefully you’ll find one where you can spend less.   To help readers become more comfortable with repairing/improving homes, I’ll keep the posts coming – here’s a youtube on the cantina doors:

Repair Costs vs. Value

by | Jan 16, 2011 | Remodel Projects, Repairs/Improvements, Tips, Advice & Links, Vendors | 11 comments

Remodeling Magazine has published their latest cost comparisons of 35 home-improvement projects, and the additional value created.

The data is broken down into “Midrange” and “Upscale” projects, and has the percentages of how much of your investment you can expect to recoup.

Projects include Home Office Remodel (recoups 54.4% of investment), Major Kitchen Remodel (77.0%), Vinyl Window Replacment (80.3%), Garage Door Replacement (96.4%), and Entry Door Replacement (112.1%).

Here is the link below:

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/2010/costvsvalue/division/pacific/city/san-diego–ca.aspx

Local Expertise in RSF

by | Jan 11, 2011 | Interesting Houses, Vendors | 6 comments

This is somewhat awkward because this is another agent’s listing, but because I know the builder to be one of the better craftsmen, I want to direct some attention to his work:

The house, built in 2010, is 3 br/3 ba, 2,175sf and is in the heart of the village. LP = $2,200,000.

The architect is Max Wuthrich, Jeff Steffen is the builder, (858) 756-3680 and listing agent is Jill K. Wheeler, (858) 353-2639.

Fixing Stuff

by | Jan 10, 2011 | Remodel Projects, Repairs/Improvements, Vendors | 12 comments

Owning a home means having to fix stuff – there are no perfect houses!  Once that reality sinks in, it makes home buying easier – because you begin to see houses for their potential. 

Knowing that you have competent help available makes a difference.  We can get you quotes on any potential project prior to making an offer, or during the contingency period. Brian Carter of Thomas Construction (pictured in the video below) covers most quotes, and I have other people if needed:

P.S. The buyers of the second house took their own videos of each property that was a contender, which was about one out of four or five.  It provided very thorough comparison between homes, and helped shorten the looking time.

P.S.S. Here is the link to the ABS drain-pipe litigation: http://www.abspipes.com/id.html

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