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Design Ideas For Your Bathroom

November 2, 2021 by khproperties 1 Comment

Are you ready for some perfect bathroom renovations? Or are you also considering to have a great tub to shower conversion? As anyone who’s completed a bathroom remodeling project will tell you, the most significant influence on design is the humble bathtub. Because of its size, its placement will dictate where other elements, such as the vanity, shower, and toilet, can be installed. If you’re dealing with a tight space, you should consider combining a bath and shower. This is often a better option than excluding a bathtub from the project altogether. If you’re living in a family sized home, you must have a tub. The reason? When it’s time to sell, you’ll exclude many young families as potential buyers if there’s no bath for the kids. There’s a lot to think about when buying a tub. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, of course, so below is a list of the eight most common design options to consider.

Remember, the design you ultimately select may require the relocation of water pipes, so build the cost of plumbing into your budget. Contact a residential bathroom renovation services company to get an estimate of the project based on the design you prefer. Visit sites like https://deansplumbing.net/service-areas/beavercreek/ to hire professionals for your plumbing fixtures.

Recessed: Also known as “alcove baths”, these models are installed against three walls. Usually, you’ll find them against the back and side walls, as this location provides the greatest design flexibility in an average sized bathroom.
Freestanding: Popular choices include the infamous clawfoot tub. Usually, freestanding baths are made of enameled steel or cast iron but new models are fiberglass. Before you fall in love with one, you should be aware that they can be heavy. If you’re installing it upstairs, you may require engineering advice to ensure structural integrity.
Whirlpools and spas: These are extravagant, fun options. Different jet designs will dictate whether the model is more a whirlpool or a spa.
Soaker: With luxury and relaxation in mind, soakers are extra large models in which you can totally immerse yourself. Again, if the installation is upstairs, you may need to get advice about the structural impact of its weight.
Garden: Similar to soaker tubs, garden tubs are typically deeper and oval in shape. Named garden tubs because in the 1700s, French aristocrats often opted to place their tubs in or with views of their gardens.
Corner: As the name suggests, this model is placed into a corner of the bathroom. It’s perfect in a large space that offers lots of design options.
Undermount: These baths are spectacular but need space and budget. They’re freestanding and can be placed in the middle of the bathroom. Tiles usually encase them on all four sides with storage shelves added.
Platform: This is a freestanding bath that sits proud on a platform that is perhaps a one-step-height above the rest of the bathroom floor. They can look amazing.
Drop-in: The opposite of a platform bath, drop-ins are sunken into the floor or platform, which minimizes the visual impact.

Add Value To Your Home With These Halloween Renovations

October 28, 2021 by khproperties Leave a Comment

The scariest night of the year is upon us so here’s a look at the most terrifying Halloween renovations to add value to your home. These hauntingly simple changes to your home can add values so high, it could scare even the strongest willed investor! We’ve assembled this list of Halloween renovations after exhausting research into the scariest houses all over the world. If you want to scare up some value in your home, here’s what we recommend:

A resident ghost – A spirit feature can add 20% or more to the value of a haunted house. The final figure is determined by the era of the ghost and the quality of the haunting. Well preserved heritage elementals are highly sought after by discerning buyers, although it can be hard to organize for them to make an appearance at showings.
A haunted attic – Every ghost needs a place to chill before terrifying a home’s inhabitants and an attic is the equivalent of an other worldly “parents retreat.” Even if you do not have a ghost, savvy sellers are styling their attics with chests of old toys, clothes, and photographs.
A creepy basement – Premium features include steep steps that are a threat to your life, rising damp, cobwebs, and a strange dark stain on the floor.
A hidden room – Whether it is accessed via a hardback in the bookcase or a secret panel, there is nothing that excites buyers more than a hidden room. Stylings vary from ghostly nurseries to bondage rooms – as long as it’s not on the official floor plan it it will attract premium offers.
Garden with pet cemetery – Forget water features, outdoor kitchens, or firepits, the hottest landscaping idea right now is a spooky pet cemetery complete with adorable tiny headstones to celebrate the afterlife of faithful friends.

This article is intended as some fun in the lead up to our favorite holiday and has absolutely no bearing on a real property value estimates (although our agents would be delighted to provide you with a comparative market analysis or to help you find your next home). Enjoy your Halloween renovations and Happy Halloween!

5 Halloween Ideas To Turn Your Home Into A Creepy Nightmare

October 25, 2021 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Being cool and creepy at Halloween takes effort. You know the house, you’ve walked by it in your neighborhood – it looks like a horror movie set and you find yourself jealousy wishing your Halloween ideas would come together so perfectly. So if you’re about to swing your attention to Halloween, here’s some super-scary Halloween ideas to turn your dream home into a nightmare!

Make a plan: Don’t arrive at the decorations store or Walmart and go mad with the credit card, buying everything that looks dark and evil. Instead, make a plan of how you’d like to decorate your porch or front yard, and then shop with focus.
Pick your poison: Stick to one ghoulish theme. Don’t take the shotgun approach and scatter shot your porch with zombies, vampires, and ghosts. Choose one dark direction and execute without mercy.
Crazy clutter: Avoid making your display too busy. Creating a clutter of pumpkins, creepy crawlies and fake spider webs will lack impact. Know when to stop, which is hard because Halloween is so much fun.
Scary sounds: Go to this website, learn about speakers and get a good quality Bluetooth speaker. Stream some super-creepy soundtracks and play them on repeat over a Bluetooth speaker. Spotify’s four minutes of “Scary Clown Laughing” is a total freak-out. “Evil Girl” is even worse, which is why it’s had 1.2 million downloads.
Lights: Invest in striplights with a remote control or app to manage the colors and brightness. It will allow you to really create a mood and occasionally plunge your neighbor’s kids into darkness to really creep them out. Avoid lights that are white and bright.

Of course, Halloween is all about fun, so don’t stress and enjoy the season.

Open House Listings

August 25, 2020 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Thinking about getting out this weekend and checking out an open house or two? You can now find open houses to view in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Our list of open houses come direct from the listing agent’s information and the listings are updated regularly throughout the day and are sourced directly From the MLS information for the property (so you can preview before you even attend the open house). Plan your weekend house hunting trip during the week using our open house website and as always, please let us know if you’d like any assistance in finding your next home. Happy house hunting!

www.openhouses-sanantonio.com

You can also click the “Open Houses” link in the menu under the “Listings” menu item.

image courtesy of Alex Ermolin

FIRPTA – The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980

August 25, 2020 by khproperties 1 Comment

The first time you hear someone say FIRPTA out loud (sound it out as if it was a word and not an acronym), you’re more than likely to think that person is making words up. Like many acts of the US government, FIRPTA has a much lengthier and descriptive name: The Foreign investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980. The act allows for tax withholding and reporting when a “foreign person” (see below) sells real estate in the United States. FIRPTA puts the obligations for withholding and reporting onto the buyer, which can make it a little frightening if you’ve never dealt with it as a buyer. As with most things in real estate (as mentioned on the homepage), it’s all a matter of asking the right questions and talking to qualified people who understand FIRPTA and know how best to advise you when you find yourself in this situation. For the best property related issues, https://itripfranchise.com/ this link had to be reached.

First, let’s define “foreign person.” According to FIRPTA, a foreign person is 1) an individual that is not a US citizen or a resident alien, 2) a foreign corporation that is not being treated as a domestic corporation, or 3) a foreign partnership, trust, or estate.

Under FIRPTA, a buyer must withhold a percentage of the “amount realized” (purchase price) and within 20 days of closing report and pay the tax to the IRS. The percentage is determined by several conditions. If the buyer is acquiring property that is not intended to be their residence, FIRPTA requires the buyer to withhold 15%. If the property being acquired is going to be the buyer’s residence, then the percentage of withholding ranges from 0-15% and depends on the sales price. Up to $300,000 it is 0%, over $300,000 and up to $1,000,000 it is 10%, and over $1,000,000 it is 15%. Like many IRS regulations, there are exemptions.

If you are notified that your transaction has triggered FIRPTA, you should call an attorney, CPA, or other tax professional, preferably one familiar with The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980. As there are exemptions, these professionals can guide you through your situation and recommend what your next steps will be. In many cases, a consultation with a tax professional will allow you to know the seller may be exempt and you as a buyer can move to closing without any further action. Exemptions include a sales price of less than $300,000, a seller able to provide an Affidavit of Non-Foreign Status, a seller providing a FIRPTA Withholding Certificate from IRS, and when sellers are participating in Rental Property 1031 Tax Exchanges and can provide the appropriate information about the sale in writing. As with anything of this nature, the laws and how they work can change over time and we are not tax professionals, so it is best to ask your CPA for tax advice.

In our experience, many of the title companies will provide access and a free consultation with a tax professional who can advise you on your next steps and whether or not you will need to withhold. Further time may be required if it is decided that withholding is necessary as there are rules and as you well know with the IRS, there will be forms to be filled out.

As it is tax related, there are penalties for not withholding the appropriate amount, not reporting it, and not reporting it within the allowed amount of time. And the IRS can tag on interest as well – so you really want to make sure you follow the letter of the law on this one (which is why we highly recommend a tax professional, particularly one with experience with FIRPTA).

While FIRPTA can seem scary at first, with a little patience and consultation with the right people, you can get through the regulations and successfully close on your new home or other property.

image courtesy of cafecredit

Organize Your Move: Moving Checklist

January 10, 2020 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Whether you’re buying a home or selling your home, once you’ve left the closing table and everything is signed off on and the loan is funded, you’re going to have to move. Moving can be a bit of a crazy time for anyone – boxes everywhere, the fear of packing that one thing you know you’re going to need on the last day, the decisions of which boxes go where, the physical stress of the move – it’s a lot. Some people go it alone, some people hire the professionals, but no matter which way you decide to go, you can always benefit from a moving checklist. A simple list of what to do and when to do it. While everyone may have different items they want to add to the list, we thought a simple, basic list would help get you started. You can download a PDF of our moving checklist by clicking on the image below.

Moving Checklist – Download

Image of Kimberly Howell Properties Moving Day Checklist

Download a PDF version of our moving checklist.

image courtesy of myguys.nova

Beneficios de ser dueño de su propia casa.

October 18, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Felicidad: No hay nada que se compare a la sensación de tener su propio hogar. Puede arreglarlo, darle su propio estilo, tener un perro o un gato, e incluso plantar un árbol si lo desea. ¡Solo imaginarlo causa alegría!

Ahorro de impuestos: el gobierno recompensa a los propietarios de viviendas proporcionándoles excelentes beneficios en los impuestos. El interés pagado por su hipoteca y otros gastos relacionados con el hogar generalmente se pueden deducir de sus ingresos.

Apreciación: Hay un crecimiento de valor en las viviendas con el paso del tiempo; este aumento se convierte en ganancia cuando sea el momento de re-financiar o vender la propiedad.

Renta variable: tanto rentar como alquilar se puede comparar a pagar 100% de interés, pero cuando usted es dueño de una casa y cuenta con una hipoteca, una parte del pago se destina al saldo principal de su préstamo. Esto construye su capital y actúa como una cuenta de ahorros.

Vida en comunidad: quienes son dueños de sus casas son más propensos a permanecer en sus hogares 4 veces más que quienes rentan propiedades. Esto brinda la oportunidad de conocer a sus vecinos y conectarse con su comunidad.

Educación: las investigaciones muestran que los hijos de los propietarios de viviendas obtienen puntajes más altos en exámenes y se gradúan en un porcentaje más alto que los hijos de inquilinos.

¿Necesita un agente de bienes raíces que hable español?

A Bird’s Eye View of 650 Winding Ravine

August 9, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

As 650 Winding Ravine continues to take shape, Stadler Custom Homes has provided us with some new drone footage to share with you. The home, which is being built to benefit the Military Warriors Support Foundation and the San Antonio Food Bank, will be sold with all net proceeds going to these two terrific charities. Kimberly Howell Properties is thrilled to be a part of this project and we’re excited to see the home take shape. The home will be a 4,814 square foot, four bedroom, 3.5 bath contemporary luxury home right in the heart of Stone Oak. There aren’t many opportunities like this left in Stone Oak and with all of the proceeds being donated to worthy causes, this home will be something you can be proud of for many reasons. If you’d like to schedule a tour, please contact Kimberly Howell.

Downpayments: How Much Should You Pay Up Front?

July 10, 2019 by khproperties Leave a Comment

If you’re going to be buying a home any time soon, you’re going to need to start thinking about your downpayment. Typically expressed as a percentage of the sales price, the downpayment is often one of the more difficult obstacles for people to overcome on their way to home ownership. You’ll need to budget your money and save up enough to make your downpayment, but how much will you need? You’ve probably heard the rule – you’ll need to save for a 20% downpayment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20% is solid, as it shows that you have the financial discipline and stability to save for a long term goal and it can also help you get favorable interest rates from your lender. Additionally, the bigger your downpayment, the less you need to borrow, so the less you’ll pay in interest in the long run.

But there can actually be financial benefits to putting down a smaller downpayment — as low as three percent – rather than parting with so much cash up front, even if you have the money available.

The Downside of a Small Downpayment

The downsides of a smaller downpayment are pretty well known. You’ll have to pay private mortgage insurance (often referred to as just PMI) for years, and the lower your downpayment, the more you’ll pay. You’ll also be offered a lesser loan amount than borrowers who have a 20% downpayment, which will put some higher priced homes out of reach for you when searching.

THe Upside of a Small Downpayment

The national average for home appreciation is about five percent. The appreciation is independent from your home payment, so whether you put down 20% or three percent, the increase in equity is going to be the same. If you’re looking at your home as an investment, putting down a smaller amount can lead to a higher return on investment, while also leaving more of your savings free for home repairs, upgrades, or other investment opportunities.

The Happy Medium

Of course, your home payment options aren’t binary. Most borrowers can find some common ground between the security of a traditional 20% and an investment focused, small downpayment. It’s always a good idea to talk with your Realtor and your lender to discuss the potential paths for you and to see what strategy works best for you and your personal needs.

image courtesy of AleXander Agopian

Credit Healthy – Credit Scores, Lenders, and Pre-Approval Letters

July 1, 2019 by Joyce Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Agent Joyce Marie Jackson returns for another installment in her “Credit Healthy” series with information about the all important pre-approval. A very important step in the process of buying a home, a lender’s pre-approval relies on several factors, including your credit score. Let’s hear from Joyce…

Too often, people are more interested in their credit score than what’s in their credit report. The truth is a person can have a good credit score and still not qualify for a loan or credit card for a number of reasons. This concern opens the door for one of the most important questions a Realtor will ask a potential buyer, “are you pre-approved?” This important question may cause a buyer to stop communicating with the Realtor…for some misunderstood reason, for some buyers, the question seems offensive and invasive.

If it was asked incorrectly, I understand. However, it is one of the most necessary questions a Realtor will ask a buyer in addition to asking if you are already signed with another Realtor. Too often a person pulls their credit history and gets their credit scores through a number of sources for free or a small fee. The scores that come with this type of report may show credit scores at a higher number than what a lender will pull. It is frustrating trying to understand why the scores are so different. More to the point, why are the Lender scores usually much lower than what the buyer can pull independently?

According to findings by the Credit Sesame app, there are a few reasons why. Most lenders will pull the FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) score and there are several types of FICO scores: FICO Auto Score (250-900), FICO Bank Card Score (250-900), and FICO Mortgage Score (300-850). Other types of FICO scores vary: FICO 5, FICO 2, FICO 4, FICO 8, and FICO 9 all exist. They are similar and different. In addition, all lenders may not use the same FICO score algorithm. The FICO score will consider more of your debt than other types of credit scoring systems.

Once a lender receives your three credit scores, lenders have a formula that they use to determine your final score. One example could be, from three credit bureau, your scores were 730, 685, and 710. The highest and lowest score is knocked out. The middle score will stand as the winning number, 710.

With other types of scoring systems such as Vantage, all debt may not be included therefore resulting in a higher credit score.

These are just a few reasons why your free credit scores may be higher than the one the lender will pull. So, what should you do? You can still get the credit report and use it to clean up anything that is not yours or should not be there. Once you’ve done the credit clean up, then allow a lender to pull your report and provided you with the scores that will be used to qualify you to purchase your home. The Lender will go over the report with you and provide tips if needed to help boost your score. After the lender receives requested documentation, verifies employment, and the credit score is right, you will receive a pre-approval letter naming the amount you can purchase at. Sounds like a plan. So, the next time a Realtor asks if you are pre-approved, don’t let that question scare or stop you from moving forward. Knowing the answer to that question will open the door for a successful home buying adventure.

image courtesy of karmadude