Author: Husbad

Eclectic Homes

What Are the Costs of Refinancing?

Refinancing a home mortgage offers many benefits. A lower interest rate results in significant savings and mortgage payments, foremost. With the benefits, though, there also are several drawbacks to refinancing a home mortgage. Refinancing could be expensive for many homeowners. LendingTree.com estimates that refinancing will cost most homeowners to 6% of the outstanding principal plus the costs of any penalties required by the first mortgage holder. Understanding these costs allows homeowners to compute if the benefits of refinancing outweigh the costs.

Closing Prices

When you seek to refinance your mortgage, the lender often requires you to pay various fees. These charges, known as closing costs, assist the lender determine the condition and value of your property. The specific charges include an application fee, which goes toward processing your loan and assessing your own credit history, and an assessment fee, which can be used to pay someone to ascertain the worth of your home. The other fee is assessed for the title search and title insurance that must be paid.

Loan Origination Fees

This fee is a finance charge added by the lender at closing. The fee is assessed as a percentage of the amount of the loan. The fee is expressed in points. Each point is equal to 1% of the amount of the loan. Points can vary from one to three. In some cases, points are compensated as part of the closing prices. In addition to the original amount of the loan , though they are financed in other circumstances.

Prepayment Penalty

In addition to how much must be paid into the new lender, many homeowners need to pay the lender who provided the mortgage. This payment is known as a prepayment penalty, and it’s a charge used from the original mortgage lender designed to dissuade refinancing and be certain that the lender earns money on its investment. Prepayment penalties, frequently figured as a percentage of the outstanding balance of this loan, are subject to state regulation and also vary by the type of loan and lender. They are not permitted on several loans, including FHA and VA loans. The terms will be described in the mortgage documents When a prepayment penalty is needed. The punishment expires after a certain length of time.

Interest Consideration

Based on MSN Money writer Liz Pulliam Weston, most homeowners are unaware that they pay 85 percent in interest during the first couple of years of a 30-year mortgage but pay more toward main in the latter years of a 30-year mortgage loan. You start paying interest , when you choose to refinance. Weston says homeowners who keep refinancing are unaware that the outcome is significantly delaying their ability to build equity in their houses.

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Eclectic Homes

How to Qualify for an FHA Backed Loan

Established in 1934, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has made it possible for millions of Americans to purchase homes. The FHA does not loan money. Instead, the agency offers mortgage insurance for homebuyers who have had past issues with credit or who have limited financial resources. If you meet the requirements for FHA financing, the mortgage insurance you purchase reduces a creditor ’s danger. This makes the lender prepared to finance your house purchase.

Make payments. You should have no more than a payment of 30 days or more delinquent in the previous two decades (preferably none). If you lease or have an existing mortgage, then make these payments in time for at least a year before applying for FHA financing. The FHA is adaptable in regards to your credit score up to some point. In case you’ve got a score below 580, you might not be in a position to qualify or you might need to come up with a deposit of at least 10% of the cost of the house.

Expect to wait for a while when you’ve got a recent bankruptcy or foreclosure on your credit history. As a general rule, you can’t be eligible for an FHA backed loan for two years after a bankruptcy and for three years after a foreclosure.

Establish a stable employment and income history. You ought to have a steady income for the previous two decades. Ideally, your main employment ought to be using one company. Your income ought to be level over the two decades or have improved during that time. Be prepared to document your employment with your employer’s contact info or with pay stubs, W2 forms and copies of your tax returns. If you’re self-employed you may need your tax returns for the previous three decades, plus an up-to-date gain and loss statement.

Pick a property within your way. The FHA requires that your mortgage payment be less than 30 percent of your gross (pre-tax) income. Be sure to include and document all sources of family income, not just salary from your principal job.

Get in touch with an approved FHA lender. If you aren’t sure how to find a creditor, you can use the FHA online lender list search facility in hud.gov. It’s a fantastic idea to speak with a lender before you start the application procedure together with the FHA. Most will be eager to answer questions and help you with the application procedure.

Obtain the FHA application package, which will be accessible online at hud.gov or by FHA-approved lenders. Complete the application forms and submit them into the FHA together with all the necessary documentation.

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Eclectic Homes

Tile Functions High Tech in Italy's Enormous Expo

More than 900 companies from 33 countries around the world descend on Bologna, Italy, annually to showcase their ceramics and toilet products in the CERSAIE, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings.

From what I could see in the 2013 event, the Italian ceramic industry is forging ahead with its plans to push ceramic tiles as the sustainable material of their future. Meanwhile, a huge selection of Spanish companies appear to be giving Italy a run for the money, presenting stylish patterns that use high-tech methods to produce a handmade appearance.

Here is an summary of some of the highlights and trends that I noticed during my day in the 2013 show, which ran from September 23 to 27. Keep in mind, I did not get to see everything. Covering 176,000 square meters of exhibition space was a challenging task, even within my trusty boots.

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Many Spanish tile organizations are drawing inspiration from their country’s Moorish history, leading to some beautiful patterns that reference the Arabic background of the Mediterranean.

I’d strongly advise looking at samples before ordering any printed tiles, yet. The laser technology that’s utilized to apply the decoration may result in a broad range of quality. Some of the tiles seem almost pixellated up close, whereas many others more closely resemble their hand-painted predecessors.

Tile: Vives

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Meanwhile, a number of the big-name Italian companies have raised the bar on large-format tiles. Larger. Thinner. Lighter. That is the goal.

These superslim products may initially seem somewhat too industrial for a home job, but do not dismiss them. The fact that they are lightweight means that they may be used in areas you might not have thought of. For example, this 11/2- by 3-meter behemoth of solid porcelain is only 6 millimeters thick and seems like Cor-Ten steel.

Tile: Eiffelgres

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

The other significant benefit of those big, thin tiles is the ecological one. This faux cement may be used anywhere you’d want a stained or polished concrete finish, but its impact on the surroundings is a lot lower, because it uses far less raw stuff.

Many producers state that if you were to factor in the saved energy in terms of installation and transport (because it’s lightweight), you would find even more ecological benefits in this kind of material. As the ceramics sector grows, we are likely going to find out more research about the life-cycle prices and savings associated with tile.

Tile: Ariostea

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

As we have seen in recent years, wood textures have been mastered with the ceramics sector. It’s hard to argue against the case for a tile that resembles wood while being a lot easier to clean and maintain.

The trend of this floor substance’s continuing the side of this wall as well as on the ceiling lasts this season. I must mention that there were far fewer big examples, and a lot more stripes like this one cutting throughout the bathroom and emphasizing a specific strip along the wall.

Tile: Sant’Agostino

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Now that we have become accustomed to viewing wood that isn’t wood, tile makers appear to be stretching the limits of what seems natural. Wood-grain textures are being combined in ways that appear much more modern.

Tile: Ariana

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

In accord with the drive for more textures, I saw a couple of companies playing with all the orientation of the tile installation, like tilting tiles slightly and stacking them to make the appearance of shutters or siding.

Tile: Ariana

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Whenever the stacking effect is combined with specially formatted tiles (like these pieces with rounded borders), the architectural impact of the finish becomes essential to the look of this room.

Tile: Natucer

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Another twist on faux-wood tile is the new polished appearance, a glistening alternative to the more rustic interpretations of this timber appearance. I could see this having an elegant floor covering at a formal dining room or study.

though it appears pretty slippery, keep in mind that European tiles are, generally, more slip resistant than those in the USA. American designers often use small tiles that have many joints to provide enough friction for security. In Europe the large-format tiles are needed to be antislip. As the regulations and awareness concerning this growth, I anticipate the U.S. market will see more and more large-format styles, also.

Tile: Sant’Agostino

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Not only do these new surface technologies allow for more slide resistance, but they also address easier ways to clean ceramic tiles. Many companies this season are boasting new coating merchandise or treated tiles with all kinds of associated benefits. This one boasts antibacterial cleanliness and stain removal with just water.

Tile: Hydrotect Self-Cleaning Ceramics by Casalgrande

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

If the wooden appearance or the Moorish hand-painted appearance were for your liking, you might be considering something I observed popping up all over the place.

At a rustic-meets-modern kind of manner, there were several cases of wooden textures being combined with traditional patterns to make large expanses of patchwork. For example, these wooden tiles are cut to form a base grid, after which you can chose any sort of ornamental tile to fill in the boxes.

Tile: Natucer

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Along the very same lines, I watched many exhibits with big collages of ornamental tiles, interrupted by strips of solids, stones or forests.

The variant from the patterned tiles makes a geometric tapestry that seems organic in its own flow of colour. If you were to do exactly the same thing with just one cosmetic pattern, it might fortify the repetition of that pattern’s geometry.

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Tile: Fondovalle

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Now that the ceramic sector has handled wood, stone, metal and cement, I believe we are going to start to see more innovative textures like this one. Especially as the large-format technology grows, so does the chance to treat the tile itself as a piece of artwork or a painting.

The individuality of each tile also becomes more significant, and we’ll see more version and less repeat in each collection. I spoke with a single company that now has 36 different feel pictures for each format of each kind of tile. In tiny spaces it’ll appear as if each one is unique.

Tile: Cisa

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Natural and organic references persist, but there seems to be more emphasis on feel. Juxtaposing contrasting textures also resulted in some interesting patterns.

Tile: Efesus

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

As important as the tile is what’s between the tiles. At this year’s CERSAIE, I watched several companies playing with the grout for a means to combine two contrasting appearances in subtle ways.

Tile: Sant’Agostino

Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

The more advanced the technology gets, the easier it’ll be to generate specialty tiles — those with specific formats or abnormal profiles.

Certainly, architects and interior designers will have to start knocking their heads together sooner in the process of designing a home. As the versatility of substances expands, so do the choices.

Tile: Vives

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Eclectic Homes

Fashion Week Trends Your Own House Will Wear Well

New York Fashion Week feels like it has been happening for a month, but the tents are finally empty, and those people who didn’t possess a coveted front-row chair can sift through the thousands of runway shots and examine the trends American designers have created for spring up 2014.

Because house design and style tend to adhere to each other, I’ve looked in the trends which would translate best into house layout. Below are some trends that can go straight from runway to room.

1. The Trend: Orange You Glad?

Beautiful orange hues were anywhere: persimmon, tangerine, deep cherry and sienna.

Expressed in soft, flowing materials along with florals and color blocking, these hues were sudden for spring layout.

Mark English Architects, AIA

Can it work in a room? As an example. The built-in curved sofa in this color-blocked San Francisco pied-à-terre has profound chocolate accents like the trim on the prior dress, although the lacquered white helps it all stand out, just as the runway did in the series.

The Trend: Peekaboo

Ethereal whites and sheer fabrics also appeared at many of the displays, such as Tory Burch’s and Lacoste’s (shown).

Can it work in a room? Yes, and it doesn’t need to do with only cloths. The transparent appearance translates into windows, whether etched glass or screened openings and cupboard doors.

The Trend: Not-So-Heavy Metals

Many a metallic cloth was found on the runway, mostly softened by mild cream. Garish golds gave way to softer champagne and gold.

The Refined Group

Can it work in a room? Absolutely. The inspiration is glamour although not all-out bling-bling. It’s elegantly restrained.

Pick up metallics on mirror and picture frames, lamps and chandeliers, then tone the look down with cream and taupe cloths and wood accent pieces.

The Trend: Graphic Content

Mixed geometric patterns and a wide range of colours came together to form single appearance.

Anthony Baratta LLC

Can it work in a room? No uncertainty. A mixture of curves, triangles and squares enlivens this living room, with mild neutrals offering equilibrium.

The Trend: Floral and Graphic Fraternization

Mixing distinct prints is not for amateurs; note the way the solid orange band provides neutral ground between the two here.

Amy Lau Design

Can it work in a room? Yes, but attempt infant measures:

Step 1: Mix in florals in the form of fresh flowers as you dip your toes into this fashion.

Caitlin Wilson Design

Step 2: As you acquire some confidence in mixing flowers and geometric prints, experimentation with throw cushions, that aren’t a large commitment.

The Trend: Knot Happening

a couple of chunky knits showed up, plus they had a macramé-like appearance to them at Tommy Hilfinger.

Can it work in a room? I don’t hate to say I told you so. Macramé is back!

The Trend: Abstract Art Thrown on Dresses and Skirts

This trend showed up again and again…

… in a variety of color palettes.

Tara Seawright Interior Design

Can it work in a room? Of course. Where do you think the designers got the idea? Do not be afraid to mix abstract artwork into transitional and traditional rooms.

The Trend: Black and Blue

Blues were brilliant in Fashion Week, together with electric shades of deep cobalt and purplish blues mixing with black accents.

Ino Getiashvili

Can it work in a room? Absolutely. You don’t need to worry about the room’s looking like a large bruise when you use black because a smaller-dose accent shade.

The Queen of the Trends

Deep blue with black, vibrant orange hues and a abstract print all came together and look smashing on the celestial Ms. D.V.F.

Rikki Snyder

Can it work in a room? If you are cautious and you know what you are doing, yes. Start with your own neutrals and amp up the bold colours one bit at one time. Just keep asking yourself, What will Diane von Furstenberg do?

Inform usAre any looks from this week’s style shows inspirational decoration ideas for you? Please let us know in the Remarks section.

More: If This Shoe Were a Room…

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Fireplaces

Roots of Style: Georgian Homes Offer Familiarity Through the Ages

Familiarity comforts us. It is no surprise that when we choose a house, we often look for the comfortable or a institution from the context of our families. This may be one reason that Georgian-style houses are still common and popular, especially in the eastern U.S.. They’ve a long and productive history.

Georgian architecture began in England as the result of the Renaissance’s reaching the British islands in the middle of the 16th century, following its development from Italy and series in France. The Georgian interpretation of classical architecture flourished in England from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, coinciding with the establishment of their American colonies.

Americans constructed in the Georgian style for most of the 1700s, and it was not until the 1780s the nearly identical Adam style began to take over.

From the simplest terms, a Georgian-style home has a centered entrance door and two multipaned sash windows on all sides of the entry, occasionally with five aligning windows on a second level. Most but not all of are two stories, and sometimes they are three, along with there being urban townhouse versions.

Anna Berglin Design

It might appear surprising that out of such a rigid formula may come numerous combinations and these lots of detail. The colonial-era Georgian needed a formal design in theory, with architectural details often made by individual carpenters, masons and other skilled artisans. Pattern books of the time supplied guides, resulting in individual interpretations by its builders. Contemporary examples of the design follow first organization and have double-hung divided-light windows, but otherwise they vary considerably in implementation.

Though the home here is considered a Cape Cod, this sort of one-story design was popular in the Southern colonies during Georgian dominance. The negative gabled roof is one variation.

Others could have a hipped roof, a gambrel roof or a centered front-facing gable combined with either a hip or gable roof. Single-level originals normally have dormers, while two-story versions might or might not have them. Additionally, many Southern cases are brick construction; wood-frame construction is more typical in Northern originals.

Bonin Architects & Associates

Even not as common, some Georgians have rock exteriors, like this newer version. See that the entry is classically detailed, with sidelights and a fan light over the paneled entrance doorway, but lacks a protective roof. This is another substantial variation. Some Georgian homes have no entrance porch or cover, some have a very simple drop overhanging the entrance and some have considerably detailed porches.

If the porch extends beyond the entry to enclose different windows or the whole facade, the design is probably from the classical revival style. Chimney positioning varies also but usually increases the stout appearance of this style. Dentils trim the eave line; versions on this detail are often unique to every home.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

Contrast this 20th-century Georgian with all the previous example. A round porch accomplishes this painted brick-veneer home. Even though it’s similar to a dentil, the larger bracket-type detail under the eave soffit is referred to as a modillion. Quoins at the corners, keystones at the primary level windows and Corinthian columns at the entry porch bring about a rich expression. The unusual use of a French door to open onto the balcony of the entry porch farther individualizes this home.

Consider the simplicity of the Georgian plan. The next floor matches exactly atop the initial, along with the organization of rooms extends outside the central entry and inside hall where the staircase are placed. This functional and efficient design has stood the test of time.

Morgante Wilson Architects

Like I said, variations in roof form happen during Georgian-style architecture. A centered gable with a pediment jobs slightly from the front view of the example here.

The gabled entry porch has yet another pediment, while quoins and arched impressions from the brick over the lower-level windows farther express the theme. Notice the prominent modillions. The number and positioning of the second-floor windows is odd.

In smaller Georgian houses, there could be a single window on either side of the entry, in larger homes there could be as many as three on every side. Among three-, five- and seven-rank fenestration, five is undoubtedly the most frequent.

Highgate Builders

Very similar to the former home, this hip-roof model contains a centered forward-facing gable with a prominent pediment. Notice the arched windows with radiating muntins, the strips of timber dividing the glass panes, place from the gabled dormers.

Contemporary interpretations of Palladian windows put off the side sections. Unusual here you’ll discover the segmented arched windows of the primary facade. Originals occasionally had a brick lintel stacked vertically in this exact same form, but this window formation proved to be quite infrequent. There’s also a brick belt line, which is another element found in some, but not all, Georgians.

Witt Construction

In contrast to the previous examples, clapboard siding with prominent pilasters defines this closely comprehensive residence. A Palladian window concentrates attention over the entry, and stout chimneys pierce the middle of the hip roof.

An ironic flexibility exists within the Georgian style: Houses can be quite small, or they are sometimes the most extravagant mansions.

Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects

Much like the previous example in composition, this clapboard house with a gable roof maintains a simpler appearance from the front. The eye is drawn to the minimally detailed entry, while a marvelous Palladian window rests over.

Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects

Delight in the inside view of the Palladian window of the pervious example, place logically at the stair landing. Who wouldn’t want to go up and down this path every day?

Highgate Builders

This modern Georgian house exhibits the gambrel roof form, which could also be found in colonial originals. This roof isn’t to be confused with belonging to Dutch colonial design, which preceded Georgian.

DeMotte Architects

Within this 20th-century Georgian, a main, symmetrical front part (or altitude ) is flanked by varying but still arranged sections. The closely connected Adam design replaced Georgian at the turn of the 19th century. Classical revival, the design with big porches with prominent columns, supplanted Adam in the middle of the 1800s.

Early-20th-century tastes revived many previous fashions, including Georgian, although the advent of historic preservation and restoration made an affectionate following.

Roots in classical architecture and a strong and popular background continue to support conventional design through present times. Even in the event that you don’t reside in a traditional-style home, chances are there’s one close by.

Learn about more traditional house designs

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Small Spaces

8 Creative and Clever Ways With Bathrooms

In case you have a small bathroom off a hallway or a tiny half bath tucked under the stairs, do not be intimidated by the size — embrace it! Take the emphasis off the square footage and place it on your own materials, colour or design to transform your area from ordinary to extraordinary. Using tile, paint, background and built-ins creatively can help turn your small bathroom into a stone box.

Dunlap Design Group, LLC

Creative paint remedies. Use the easy and reasonably priced power of paint to completely alter your bathroom’s appearance. Bold colours are excellent, but innovative paint remedies also work well in small spaces. Paint is an easy update to correct, so don’t be afraid to play.

The stripes within this half bath make the room look wider. The painted ceiling pulls the eye away from discovering the little size.

How to paint an ideal stripe

Hammer & Hand

An open shower. Europeans have understood for decades that eliminating the shower door can make a shower fit into the smallest of bathrooms. Additional waterproofing steps need to be removed — like tiling from floor to ceiling — but this design could be well worth it if you have a little space like this.

PLAN architecture | design | plan

An unconventional design. This bath has the space to deal with a little bathtub, but the bathtub’s position could have cramped the vanity. The designer chose a creative approach, placing the vanity directly against the shower glass with a mirror up top to conserve space.

Marsh and Clark Design

Great flooring tile. Put your toilet’s focal point on the floor to draw the eye toward the back of the room. This narrow bath appears tight at first, but the flooring tile makes you overlook that the square footage. Putting the identical motif on the back window glass on the floor made for a cohesive design.

Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Built-ins. Small baths in older homes frequently have loads of nooks, crannies and random walls which go rancid. Make the most out of these surfaces; do not let anything turned into dead space. This homeowner took advantage of this inside wall next to the bathroom to create additional storage and an immediate inside focal point.

Olive Juice Designs

A mural. The mural within this hot little bathroom fools the eye at first glance. Poster-style murals are available at several online retailers — imagine taking a trip to Maui or the desert each single time you open the bathroom door. Take a cue from the bathroom: Line that the mural up with a vantage point that suggests that the bathroom continues on and on for a playful, realistic touch.

Now Arriving on Platform 2: A Playful Powder Room

UK Bathrooms

Bold wall coverings. In scale, bold wall coverings result in smaller bathrooms which are delightfully shocking to the eye. Consider adding the identical wall covering to a ceiling for additional drama.

Expert Talk: Wallpaper Gains Steam in the Bathroom

RKI Interior Design

Mirrors. Adding a mirror to a little distance is the oldest trick in the book — because it works! This bath has a corner mirror which doubles everything in its view, such as the lights on either side. This is a good technique when you have a bathroom without natural lighting.

More photographs: Read thousands of toilet designs

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Eclectic Homes

A Bird Photo Booth for Your Backyard

Odds are, your lawn has a secret life you do not know about. Your crops go too slowly for you to see how they grow and move. And wildlife likely will not come around when you are out there watching.

Fortunately, there are ways to see what’s happening, as a result of special cameras that allow you to see what you normally can’t.

birdphotobooth.com

The Bird Photo Booth is a weatherproof housing to get a camera you already possess so you can take amazing, close-up pictures and videos of all birds in your own backyard.

birdphotobooth.com

Bird Photo Booth – $149.99

Especially, it can hold either an iPhone or even a GoPro camera (it includes foam inserts for holding the camera in just the right place). The camera peeks out via the Bird Photo Booth’s macro lens. You have to use either iPhone or even GoPro apps or equipment to take remote photos. Some iPhone apps allow you to remotely watch through an iPad exactly what the telephone discovers, then snap the pictures or record videos from the iPad. The newest GoPro, known as the Hero3, has an iOS app remote, which connects to the camera through Wi-Fi.

The Bird Photo Booth website lists a broad array of options for how to capture videos and photos and socialize with all the birds. A number of these involve watching throughout the camera live, even from within the house. Other people take advantage of motion detection — if there’s movement out there in front of the camera, it begins taking pictures or video.

The website even proposes utilizing Apple’s FaceTime apps — you really have a videoconference using birds, which means that you can see and hear them and they can see and hear you! The Bird Photo Booth kit comes with a stainless steel perch and an attachable feeding bowl.

swann.com

OutbackCam – $149.99

The Swann OutbackCam camera is a watertight, ruggedized camera which takes pictures or videos when motion is detected in your backyard. So every time a raccoon, an owl, a deer, a bear or even your neighbor’s cat comes stomping through your lawn, you will automatically capture an image or video of it when it gets to the camera’s field of view.

Powered by four AA batteries, the OutbackCam retains a 2-gigabyte SD card also has the capability to take 2-megapixel pictures or 30-frame-per-second video in darkness, due to an infrared attribute. The picture and video file names indicate the date and time and even moon period once the pictures were recorded.

Just set it and forget it. Afterwards you can come back, catch the SD card, then insert it in your PC and watch your own private Discovery Channel.

brinno.com

GardenWatchCam – $139.95

The Brinno GardenWatchCam can capture a video of the life of the crops — in plant time. Meaning time-lapse photography spanning months — the entire life cycle of your flowers or garden crops. It has seven settings to how frequently pictures are recorded, such as one picture every one, five or 30 minutes or a single, four or 24 hours or a user-determined rate. At the end of the season, the GardenWatchCam will create a 1280×1024 AVI file on its 2-gigabyte flash drive, which you can watch on any pc.

The GardenWatchCam will not take pictures in low light or in darkness. A light sensor turns off the camera at night. It runs on 4 AA batteries, which power the camera for up to six weeks, as stated by the manufacturer.

More: Gardening for butterflies and birds

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Water Damage

10 Tips for Water Damage Repair

The key to water damage repair is to take care of the problem as soon as possible. Flooding and water damage is a very common issue. Even though there’s little you can do to prevent this, there are many steps you can take to limit the damage.  

Here are 10 simple steps that you can explore before the water damage company arrives:

Turn Off the Water and the Electricity

The most important thing to keep in mind during flooding is safety. You must turn off the main water and electricity supply to the building before you start working on anything. Turning off the water could help reduce the extent of the flooding. Switching off power reduces the risk of electrical shock.

Inspect for Serious Issues

The second step is to inspect for serious issues after the flooding. Things like mold and mildew should be your main focus. Some types of mold and mildew can be toxic to humans and the last thing you want is to live in a home infested with them.

Dry Out the Affected Areas

It’s also important to dry out all the affected areas. This should be done as soon as possible. The more the water remains clogged the more damage it will cause.

Disinfect Materials

There’s no way of knowing what kind of germs came with the flooded water so don’t take any chances. Disinfect every inch of the flooded areas to avoid any issues.

Replace Damaged Wood

The wood will suffer the most when flooding occurs. Inspect the wooden structures in your home after the water is dried off and replace any damaged or rotten wood as soon as possible.

Start Off with Ceiling

Just like wood, the ceiling is also susceptible to damage after flooding. The rule of thumb in cleaning up the mess is to start from the top to the bottom. In light of this, inspecting the ceiling for damage and drying it off is highly recommended.

Install New, Sealed Floors

Once you have removed the rotten wood, disinfected the entire place, and dried off the water, it’s time to consider possible repairs. Installing a new, sealed floor should be your first step. A water damage restoration service can help you a lot with this.

Replace Drywall

Once the sealed floor is in place, you need to move to the drywall. Take all the necessary measurements and replace the damaged drywall accordingly.

Check Your Insurance

The cost of restoring your home after flooding can be high. If you have homeowner insurance, it’s important to get in touch with your provider and see what options for your specific situation are.

Inspect External Siding

Finally, repair the siding on your home too. The damage on the siding might not be extensive if the flooding was internal but it doesn’t hurt to check.

These are the ten simple steps you can take in water damage repair. But always make sure you move as fast as possible to limit the damage extent.

Eclectic Homes

Modern Luxury at the Hamptons

Thinking of Long Island houses, particularly in the Hamptons, may force you to consider this conventional shingle design that influences to this day. But as I’ve explored previously, there’s a strong history of contemporary residential architecture on the island. 1 inheritor of this more recent convention is Bates Masi Architects, the company of Harry Bates and Paul Masi situated in Sag Harbor. The duo has compiled an impressive portfolio that’s consistently modern while ranging from small to big in their unique answers to site requirements. On the larger end of this spectrum is this home that’s a brief walk from the beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Let’s have a tour of a home that’s modern and open yet warm and scaled to the family’s use of the home.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Alison and Andy Brod — she runs a PR company and he’s an investment manager — and both sons
Location: Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York
Size: 6,500 square feet
That is interesting: Alison asked architect Paul Masi for a weekend home using Zen-like calm akin to one of her favorite Aman Resorts

Bates Masi Architects LLC

While big at 6,500 square feet, the home is broken down into six boxes arranged in a casual L shape. From the road side we can see three of those boxes. In the center is the open living/dining area; to our right is the two-story box with all the children’s bedrooms above guest rooms; around our left is the small family area box, even though a hint of others can be found beyond it.

The exterior includes a small but abundant palette of mahogany, glass and travertine. They’re all used in contemporary manners, but the first two mention the island’s shingle-style architecture.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

The view of the back of the home reveals a pinwheel-like symmetry, where a two-story box is on the right side. Again there are guest rooms, this time above the garage (obtained from the right). The box projecting toward the pool on the left is the master bedroom.

What is also constant from front to back is the way the boxes have been articulated, with glass facing one direction and wood walls on the side. With neighbors on three sides, glass had to be used selectively, even though the expanses are rather big. The L shape allows for a courtyard and a private zone where glass can be used without worry of their neighbors.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

There’s actually a seventh box, the pool house, that’s taken out of the remainder of the home. The pool home combines with all the stepped landscaping to help screen the home from neighbors on this side.

This view of the pool home also gives a closeup of this travertine, which is cut thin and applied like shingles. Bates and Masi had to design a custom system for hanging the rock, given this atypical use of this substance.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

The one box where glass is used on two parallel sides is the central living/dining place, which can be the main entrance. A wraparound canopy provides shelter at the doorway while echoing the way in which the wood siding wraps the boxes.

The Brods desired to be able to have different things happening at once — for example hosting a dinner party while amusing kids — and the six boxes accommodate that. They also lead to the striking views through this central portion of the home.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

One enters the house into the open living/dining place, awaiting the courtyard through the glass walls. The most striking part of this tall space is the fireplace created from vertical bronze bits in a different shingle reference. This thing, which includes storage on the trunk, also serves to divide the space between the living area onto the best and dining area on the left side.

The mahogany proceeds inside on the walls, ceilings and flooring. The flooring also include travertine.

The Brods acknowledge that a lot of their guests are surprised by how small furniture is in their house, which comes about through built-ins the architects designed. 1 example is the bar on the side wall of their living space, made of the same mahogany to blend in almost seamlessly.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

From this angle, we can see the dining area and glimpse the opening to the kitchen beyond. The view through the glass wall shows the back leg of the home (the garage/guest chambers). In the distance we can actually understand the neighbor’s home peering above the trees.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

Of the few furnishings in the home is the striking dining room table, one of 2 tables (the other is the 1,000-pound plexiglass coffee table) designed and constructed by Alison’s dad Alan Friedman, a former antique dealer who currently designs bronze and iron furniture in West Palm Beach. Above the table is a Terzani chandelier created from two miles of bronze string.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

A lot of the Zen-like personality comes across in the kitchen, a generous area with windows to the semi-enclosed courtyard and the front of the home. The built-in banquettes and island seating are like a fusion of a sushi restaurant and also a resort.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

The kitchen might be located in its own box, but it is visually open to the living area in addition to the exteriors. The location of this sink onto the island is strategic, giving a view to the landscaping in front of the home.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

The travertine wall opposite the window in the past view is another detail which exudes the Zen-like calm, while also bringing a depth from the outside inside. The effect is heightened by the strip skylight above the wall.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

A similar notion comes across in the mahogany-lined master bedroom. Bates Masi designed the platform bed and inserted it into an alcove with a custom leather wall.

Bates Masi Architects LLC

This last view of the home is the master bathroom, which includes a tub between glass-enclosed toilet (left) and shower stalls (right). Here, Walker Zanger’s glass tiles add a splash of something different, also as the mahogany continues on the floor. Natural light comes in through clerestory windows which face another personal courtyard.

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Eclectic Homes

What Does a Home Evaluation Consist Of?

In a real estate transaction, the purchaser wishes to ensure he isn’t paying over a home is worth. At the exact same time, the lender wishes to provide financing which will not depart the debtor overextended with debt at a home that isn’t worth the mortgage sum. That’s why the appraisal is so important: It offers an objective and precise valuation of the property.

Definition

A home appraisal is a thorough valuation of a home, offering an estimate of its worth. The appraiser usually charges a flat fee for the property appraisal, subsequently submits copies of the written appraisal report to the purchaser, the actual estate agent, the seller, the lender or lender, as well as the underwriter.

Components

The purchaser in a real estate transaction typically orders and orders for the assessment. A licensed or certified appraiser visits the house to assess the house’s worth and to compare it to other homes in the region that have sold in recent months. The appraiser compiles a written report which details the appraisal value, which the lender, mortgage company or other lender uses to underwrite the financing. In general, the appraisal value has to be equal to or higher than the purchase price for financing to be accepted.

Factors

The appraisal is a crucial step in the financing part of the real property sale, as it could spur or discontinue a purchase. A professional appraiser knows how to interpret the present marketplace and compare possessions in order to deliver a valuation of the property accessible. The condition of the home plays to the final appraisal.

Reasons For Appraisals

Appraisals are arranged for reasons other than purchases. Included in these are settling an estate, determining a list price, contesting real estate taxation, establishing replacement expenses and determining compensation for possible condemnation. Within the appraisal report, the appraiser should include the causes of its assessment.

Three Kinds of Appraisals

Three forms of appraisals may be used in assessing properties. The cost approach estimates replacement expenses minus physical harm, decrease of the property’s value resulting from surrounding home usage and other deterioration. The comparison strategy only contrasts the subject property with similar properties in the region that have sold in recent months. The next strategy is based on income and is generally used for properties that are properties. It simply estimates how much an investor may pay for the house as determined by the net income produced by the property. Each strategy results in a comprehensive report of market data, giving a final amount of the property’s value.

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