To compile the list, real estate blog Movoto looked at six criteria that reflect root causes of stress, including commute times and hours worked. Arizona is the 10th most stressed out state, according to a new list from Movoto, a real estate blog. The higher these measures were, the more stressed the people of each state were deemed. Movoto used data from the U.S. Census' American Community Survey for 2008-2012. Here are the 20 most stressed out states: 1. Florida Rank according to hours worked: … [Read more...]
Archives for 2014
5 Ways to Protect Yourself When Buying a Fixer-Upper
June 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Hidden hazards can derail your dream of scoring a great deal. Before you plunk down any cash, sit down with this A fixer-upper can often seem like a first-time homebuyer’s dream: an older home with great bones that simply needs an update or perhaps a few tweaks to its layout.Unfortunately, even seemingly straightforward projects can be fraught with hidden problems discovered once work begins. While disclosure laws seek to protect homebuyers, sellers can always claim ignorance to problems like lead paint, … [Read more...]
Luxury-home sales rose in April, but pace expected to slow
June 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment
High-end homebuyers, particularly those spending more than $2 million, weren't just looking at metro Phoenix mansions during April. They were buying. Ten luxury estates priced above $3 million sold in April, up from seven during the same month in 2013. Twenty-eight houses priced between $2 million and $3 million sold, 11 more than changed hands during April 2013. According to Walt Danley Realty and Mike Orr's monthly luxury home report, another 28 houses priced between $1.5 million and $2 million were … [Read more...]
12 Ideas for a Family-Friendly Kitchen
June 11, 2014 by 1 Comment
The kitchen is so often the center of home activity, and it’s even more so when there are kids around. But setting up a space that can handle everything from homework and play dough to family dinner takes a little thinking. Here are 12 ideas for designing and organizing your kitchen to make it the bustling but not chaotic (at least most of the time) hub of family life you want it to be. Austin Patterson Disston Architects Half wall. Carving out a half- or third-height wall will give you the easy … [Read more...]
So Many Reasons to Love Cement Tiles
April 29, 2014 by 1 Comment
Would you believe me if I told you cement tiles are a lot like checkerboard cake? Hear me out. When you slice into a checkerboard cake, you see alternating squares of chocolate and vanilla goodness. Cement tiles, popular in Mediterranean- and Latin-style spaces, are often highly patterned with geometric and floral designs. So what’s the connection? That lies in how the cake and tiles are made.Like checkerboard cake batter, cement tiles are formed by hand pouring pigmented cement into decorative molds similar to … [Read more...]
Wall Street: Home price appreciation still expected to hit 7%
April 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Despite a weak first quarter, home prices are still expected to rise by 7% in 2014, according to Wall Street analysts. “We continue to expect home price appreciation to moderate from the torrid pace of mid-2012-13, supported by improving employment and growth prospects,” said analysts from Morgan Stanley (MS). “We leave our 2014 projections for new home sales (450-500 thousand units) and home prices (up 5-7% for the year) unchanged.” Analysts from Barclays (BCS) agree. “Our base case projection for 2014 US … [Read more...]
Pending Home Sales Gain for First Time in 9 Months
April 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The housing market is showing signs of picking up again after a sluggish few months. Pending home sales rose 3.4 percent in March over February, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings. Contracts were most on the rise in the West and South, increasing 5.7 percent and 5.6 percent in March, respectively. The Northeast saw an uptick of 1.4 percent in contracts month-over-month, while contracts in the Midwest fell by 0.8 … [Read more...]
Phoenix housing market has worst February in 4 years; prices could stay flat in 2014
April 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
It was the weakest February in four years for the metro Phoenix housing market, and it’s possible prices may stay flat in 2014. After a steep plunge and then a dramatic turnaround within that four-year span, this pause in the market could be both disappointing and relieving, depending on your perspective. The number of homes sold in February (5,398) fell by more than one quarter versus a year ago, while total cash spent in those transactions ($1.4 billion) was down 16 percent, according to Arizona State … [Read more...]
