Real Estate Appraisal Blog

 Finding a home that fits your dream list can be difficult. Add in a child (or two), and the criteria can get even tighter.

Take the McGinnis family, which was on the hunt for a more spacious home that could accommodate two home offices in the Dallas area.

“Working with Opendoor, my wife and I were able to buy a new home, sell our current house and skip the hassle of preparing for open houses with two small kids,” Billy McGinnis said. “The entire process was quick and easy, and allowed us to stay in our preferred location and school district for our kids.”

With schools across the country in session, the experts at Opendoor are helping parents and guardians find their perfect homes with this list of top cities and towns for families based on family-friendly features, including parks, picnic sites, swimming pools and proximity to schools.

The top 15 family-friendly cities and towns:

1. Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Cliffside Park, New Jersey
3. Arlington, Virginia
4. Chandler, Arizona
5. Tracy, California
6. North Richland Hills, Texas
7. Denver, Colorado
8. Portland, Oregon
9. Boulder, Colorado
10. Anaheim, California
11. Coral Gables, Florida
12. Kent, Ohio
13. Ann Arbor, Michigan
14. Mission, Kansas
15. Avondale Estates, Georgia

Other key criteria for family-friendly places to live include:

Academic Excellence
According to a real estate trends report, among the most common reasons homeowners cite for selling their homes is to seek a better school district.

The Great Outdoors
Research from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services shows children who play outdoors have lower stress levels, develop stronger immune systems and play more creatively. If you’re looking to maximize outdoor experiences, you can feel right at home in Denver, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; or Ann Arbor, Michigan. Each of these areas offers wide open spaces where children can learn and explore.

Small-Town Feel
If you’re seeking a small-town feel with big city amenities nearby, look no further than Arlington, Virginia or Avondale Estates, Georgia. Both locations offer areas for outdoor play, neighborhoods with strong community feel and a wide selection of restaurants and coffee shops the entire family can enjoy.

“Deciding where to settle down and buy a home is a difficult decision, especially for families with children,” Opendoor’s Consumer Trend Expert Beatrice de Jong said. “We found that most family-friendly cities on our list have quite a few common features – whether that’s a small-town feel or plenty of outdoor spaces to explore. With Opendoor, families can buy, sell and move at the tap of a button. Buyers can take advantage of virtual tours to view properties without leaving home, and sellers can receive preliminary offers in minutes while skipping the hassle of stagings and open houses.”

Whether you are buying or selling your home, visit opendoor.com for a streamlined experience.

Methodology: Opendoor’s family-friendly cities and towns are identified by analyzing and averaging the number of OpenStreetMap ‘family friendly’ tags that are within 3 miles of all addresses in a city where Opendoor Brokerage operates. These indicators include such phrases as: community center, garden, museums, park, picnic site, playground, school, swimming pool and supermarket.

 

 

 SOURCE:
Opendoor

 

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When it comes to home design, color can change everything. From understated, clean hues and calming neutrals to soft greens and mid-tone colors with artistic qualities, a whole new style is just brush strokes away. With the right color palette, you can transform your space to highlight contemporary trends while creating your desired ambiance.



These curated Clark+Kensington color palettes, showcasing on-trend looks for 2021, are heavily inspired by nature and natural materials like raw cotton, linen, wood tones and soft, peaceful greens. The colors invite the best of the outdoors inside so you can design a personal refuge where you're free to relax and unwind.

Each of these three collections, assembled by the experts at Ace Hardware, can help conjure a sense of calm and offer inspiration so you can thoughtfully incorporate color into your home.

Mindful Living
If you want to bring new layers of wellness to your life, the calming neutrals and soft greens that make up this refreshing and cleansing palette may be just what you're seeking. The muted tone of Fair Isle is a soft neutral that pairs well with a wide range of colors, such as the inviting Blue Spruce green that resembles a richly treed mountainside. Additionally, Swiss Coffee and Natural White offer neutral options that lend a surprising sense of coziness while Smokey Taupe and Playas de Cancun provide alternatives to bring bolder, but still soothing, color to your space.

Understated Impact
If minimalism and clean lines reflect your desire to simplify your surroundings, you'll likely be drawn to a "less is more" approach to design. This uncluttered sensibility allows you to focus on key elements of a room that are impactful yet edited. To achieve this look, build your palette
around slate-like hues of gray and blue, such as Gothic Iron or a cooler take on slate with Magic Fountain. Options like Silent White and Abstract Gray lend neutral warmth while an earthy burgundy like Red Tulip or the deep, not-quite-black tones of Midnight Stroll are ideal for creating a focal point.



Creative Escape
This palette of mid-tone colors with artistic qualities may be best suited for someone who embraces traditional crafting techniques and delights in working with his or her hands. Striking slate blue Midnight Oil is reminiscent of waves crashing in the dark of night while Subtle Gray offers a softer take on the slate-like tones. As the name suggests, Fiddlehead Fern brings lush vegetation to mind while Act Naturally and Caramel Apple deliver pops of color consistent with streaks of an orange-kissed sunset. The most subtle of this collection, Beach Cottage, features a slightly peach-to-pinkish tint that gives unique character to a neutral selection.

Any color in these palettes can be selected and ordered from the comfort of your home online using in-store pickup, curbside pickup or delivery from your local store. Start with color samples to test your colors on your walls in different locations and under different lighting then order your gallons and painting supplies when you're ready to complete your project. Find more inspiration and all the supplies you need to transform your space with paint at acehardware.com.
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Source: Ace Hardware



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Source: Ace Hardware

Mornings are often the most important part of the day - they can make or break your mood and set the tone for all of your to-dos. To help combat the hecticness that can arrive when the sun comes up, consider these five tips for a stress-free start to the day.

Fine-tune your fashion at night. Whether you are focused on getting yourself out the door or have kids who need to get to school, planning what to wear the night before can help save time. When the clock is ticking and you have somewhere to be, the fear of a missing shoe or misplaced accessory can throw everything off.  

Express gratitude. Take a few moments after rising to jot down or be mindful of a few things you are grateful for, no matter how big or small. Starting the day in a positive state of mind can lift your mood and provide residual benefits throughout the day.

Organize what leaves with you. Designate a place where everyone can stash the things they need to take when they leave the house - whether it's a backpack, purse, briefcase or gym bag. When you return home at night, empty used or unneeded items and replace them so you can grab and go in the morning.

Boost your breakfast routine. While cereal or toast are easy standbys, certain days call for a more savory breakfast. Skip dirtying dishes at home and snag Wendy's on-the-go. Breakfast becomes a breeze with craveable breakfast sandwiches like the Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant or Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant, both made with fresh-cracked eggs and housed on warm, flaky croissants. For caffeine lovers, grab a hot coffee made with 100% Arabica beans, cold brew coffee steeped for 12 hours or a one-of-a-kind Frosty-ccino - cold brew coffee topped with Frosty creamer - for that extra kick to jump start your day. See the complete breakfast lineup at Wendys.com or on its mobile app.

Avoid distractions. If you're like many people, reaching for your phone is the first thing you do after opening your eyes. However, this trap can get you sucked into emails, scrolling through your newsfeed or falling into a social media rabbit hole, which devours precious time. Force yourself to leave your phone and other similar distractions out of your morning routine to get out the door more efficiently.

No one wants to start the day in chaos. Simple time management and planning can help make hectic mornings more enjoyable and productive. 

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Source: Wendy's

 

If you're like most people, you probably don't get enough sleep. And if you don't get enough sleep, you're not alone.




According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than one-third of Americans do not get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

There are a number of reasons why people don't get enough sleep. Some people have trouble falling asleep, others have trouble staying asleep, and some people have both problems.

But whatever the reason, there are things you can do to get better sleep.

Here are some tips:

1.) Create a bedtime routine: A bedtime routine can help signal to your body that it's time to wind down and go to sleep.

Start by choosing a bedtime and sticking to it as much as possible. Then, create a pre-bed routine that includes relaxing activities such as reading, taking a bath or shower, or doing light stretching.

Doing the same thing every night will help train your body to know when it's time to sleep.

2.) Avoid caffeine before bed: Caffeine is a stimulant, so it's not surprising that it can make it harder to fall asleep.

If you're trying to get better sleep, avoid caffeine in the evening and try to limit your intake earlier in the day.

3.) Cut down on alcohol before bed: Alcohol may make you feel sleepy at first, but it can actually disrupt your sleep later in the night.

If you're trying to get better sleep, limit your alcohol intake in the evening and try to avoid drinking close to bedtime.

4.) Get some exercise: Exercise can help improve your sleep by reducing stress and anxiety and increasing the release of endorphins, which can make you feel good and help you relax.

But avoid exercising too close to bedtime, as this can actually make it harder to fall asleep.

5.) Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet: A dark and quiet bedroom is more conducive to sleep than a bright and noisy one.

If you're having trouble sleeping, try using blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out light, and use earplugs or white noise to reduce noise.

6.) Make sure your bedroom is cool: A cooler temperature can actually help you sleep better.

If you're having trouble sleeping, try turning down the thermostat to create a more comfortable environment for sleep.

7.) Practice relaxation techniques: Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce stress and promote sleep.


If you're struggling to get enough sleep, don't despair. There are things you can do to improve your sleep habits and get the rest you need. Try some of these tips and see what works for you.

 

While you may see kitchens in a variety of styles and find them all beautiful in their own way, finding inspiration for your dream kitchen often requires sorting through many different considerations. From transitional to modern and every style in-between, these ideas can help you decide what suits your home while also fitting your personal tastes.

 

Find more inspiration at wellborn.com. 

 

In the current economy, it's often difficult to sell a home for a good price, especially if you want to sell it quickly. While the average homeowner is unaware, there are techniques that real estate investors sometimes use to sell properties quickly at very good prices. This article details one of those techniques.

 

In a nutshell, the plan is to create a big stir, and then do a round-robin auction on your house. It's not uncommon to get a higher price than the house is actually worth!

 

Make plans with your realtor to follow these steps for a 7-day sales strategy:

 

1. List your house. While it isn’t required that you have your house listed on the MLS, it will make things a lot easier. There really isn't a more effective way to let the world know about your property. Let the listing go live on a Monday. Include these details in the listing:

    

   • List your house at a 10% discount off of what it's actually worth. Most people make the mistake of listing their $200,000 house for $220,000, with the hopes of eventually getting $200,000. List that $200,000 house for $180,000 and people will pay attention. You'll get the other $20,000 in the end.
   • State that there are no showings until Friday. In fact, state that the showings are only allowed between 9:00 am and 11:00 am on Friday.
   • State that there will be a second showing on Saturday. Again, limit this showing to between 9:00 am and 11:00 am. Be sure all the time constraints are in the listing itself.

1. Open the doors Friday and Saturday morning. With some good promotion, at 9:00 on Friday and Saturday morning, there will be anywhere from 10-20 parties ready to get into the house and take a look.

2. What happens when a family pulls up to view the house and there are already 10 other cars there? They’re thinking, “Wow, this is a really great deal. We need to act fast.”
   
   
3. As the agents and prospective buyers enter the house, they should be told, "This house will sell this weekend; we're going to take the highest offer we get by Sunday night."
   
   

    

4. Start the "auction." By Saturday night you’re likely to have 5+ offers on the property. Here is where you put the auction into play. For the time being, ignore the highest bidder. Sunday morning, you (or your agent) are going to call the others and say: "I really appreciate the offer you put in, but you're not the highest offer. But you have until 9:00 tonight to submit another offer. The house will sell at 9:00 tonight."

5. Remember, these people have already been in the house and feel competitive. It's like when you bid on something on eBay. If the bid is just a little bit higher than you want to spend, you're probably willing to raise your limit just a little bit.
   
   

    

6. Continue calling everyone that is not the latest highest bidder until 9:00 pm. You simply repeat step 3 until the time runs out.
7. That's it - you're done! You can now proceed with setting up the closing.

 

This process is highly effective and reliable. There is no reason for you to be stuck trying to sell your house for months and eventually sell it for a lower price than you deserve.

 

It might take a little bit of work to find an agent to use this non-traditional technique, but you won't have to call many to find one that's game.

 

 

 

If ever there was a need to create a tranquil escape from the chaos of the world, the time is now. Converting your living space into a soul-soothing refuge may be easier than you think as a serene color palette is often all you need to shift the mood of your home.

For many people, the home is a personal sanctuary, and through thoughtful color design, you can discover a renewed sense of balance and ease each time you walk through your front door. Incorporating colors inspired by simplicity and serenity can create spaces that transform the home into a soothing and comfortable space.

A restorative style starts with soft and natural colors; simplicity, approachability and comfort are also essential. Softened tones keep things easy and uncomplicated for spaces that feel balanced and meaningful.

To start creating a peaceful refuge within your home, consider these tips from the experts at HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams to discover how to use color to paint a sense of calm for all who enter.


Peace on the Porch
Fuss-free styling on the front porch sets a tone for the ambiance inside. Make sure all who enter know this is a place of calm and comfort by using soft, subtle colors. A fresh coat of exterior paint - or a new shade on the front door - can help freshen and brighten the space while purposeful, understated furnishings and accessories lend themselves to a graceful welcome.

Balanced Bedroom
There's no space quite like the bedroom to command a peaceful presence. A curated palette like the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams 2022 Color Collection of the Year offers multiple options that exude peacefulness and facilitate tranquility. The Softened Refuge Collection, available exclusively at Lowe's, is composed of 10 soft and simple