Soak brushes in fabric softener to keep the bristles soft. Mix half a cup of fabric softener with a gallon of water, and swish the brush in the mixture for 10 seconds. Lay flat or hang the brush to dry. The softener will keep the bristles from developing a bend and will help distribute the paint more smoothly. Use plastic wrap to protect items from paint splashes. Putting plastic wrap around large items such as toilets and sinks will protect thei
This may be the biggest bargain ever for a home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two homes in Oakland, Calif., are being listed for a mere $1 each. But obviously, there's a catch.The homes, one of which was built in the 1800s and the other in the early 1900s, are on a site owned by a development company that plans to construct an apartment complex there so the houses would need to be moved to a new location. They will be razed if a buyer doesn't st
Baby boomers and millennials have different attitudes when it comes to marriage, children, and homeownership. Researchers with the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University compared adults who were 25 to 34 years old in the 1980s with those who are in that age group today. One difference they found is that millennials are getting married later in life. In 1980, two-thirds of 25- to 34-year-olds were marrie
How is your city’s noise pollution? The Department of Transportation has released a National Noise Map for you to find out. The heat map reveals the medium to loud sounds surrounding 97 percent of the population. The map focuses on airplane and road noise, with views from a national to county level.Areas that appear in blue to deep purple on the map are considered the noisiest, in which nearby residents are exposed to 80 to 95 decibels regular
Over the last 10 years, the price distribution of new homes has changed significantly, as new homes have grown more expensive. Builders blame a weakness among first-time buyers and rising regulatory burdens as the reason for the shift in focus in the pricier tiers of the new-home sector following the Great Recession.The number of new homes that sold for less than $250,000 started to decline prior to the Great Recession. Sales in this segment have
Townhomes are now the fastest-growing segment of the single-family housing construction market, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Construction of townhomes surged 17.8 percent from 2014 to 2015. That is compared to a 10 percent increase of construction of detached single-family homes and a 12.1 percent increase in co-op, condo, and apartment construction in that time period.Last year, townhomes comprised about 12.4 percent o
Home sellers say the greatest challenge for them this year is the lack of homes to choose from when it’s time for them to move, according to a new survey of more than 800 real estate professionals from Redfin.“It’s a seller’s market, but the catch is, most sellers need to buy as well,” says Eileen Lorway, a Redfin real estate professional in the Boston area. “This is a conversation I have with many clients at our first meeting. We dis
Pushing out listings via e-newsletters to prospective clients is great, but what about clients who have already closed? Keeping in content with past clients ensures they’ll remember you next time around and increases your chances for referrals.E-newsletters are still an effective marketing strategy to connect with your sphere. If your company is currently sending a content-based email campaign or considering one, here are some ideas for keeping
Areas of the country with legalized marijuana are seeing a major impact on their real estate. More than two dozen states now have legalized pot for recreational or medical use and are reporting a spike in demand for factories, warehouses, and self-storage facilities to cultivate and process marijuana plants and products. Suburban strip malls are being retrofitted to distribute pot.Landlords are charging a premium to new tenants working in the can
The pace of rising rents is slowing in many of the priciest markets and is now spreading to other parts of the country. That’s good news for renters, especially those who are looking to save more to buy a house one day.Rents nudged up by 0.4 percent from February to March, according to data from Apartment List. Data from Abodo shows rents increased only 0.2 percent on one-bedroom apartments from March to April.“There’s a large number of new
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