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The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan cities is out and the numbers are not good. Home prices have fallen even more, this time to lows not seen since 2006. In Cleveland home prices are down 1.8% from February to March. These numbers are due to high amounts of foreclosures and less demand. David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Indices says “Home prices continue on their downward spiral with no relief in sight.” The S&P/Case Shiller index has been down for 30 straight months.
Do the lower home prices make you more or less likely to buy a new home? Are they an incentive to get a great deal, or do they make you nervous that the market is still going to get worse?
If you would like to get started buying or selling your Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, Solon, Cleveland Heights or Chagrin Falls home please contact Ellen Weiner at 216-789-9368 or email Ellen@NoPlacelikeCleveland.com
Here are some quick tips for staining your deck, so you can have a deck you can be proud of this summer.
Clean The Deck Before you Start: Make sure to prepare, prepare and prepare,the surface of your deck. A great product that wont harm your plant life or you for that matter is Sodium percarbonate wood cleaner. This is a great way to prep your deck for the stain.
Don’t forget to use a Wood Brightener: This is the most skipped step in staining a deck. Wood brighteners open up the surface to improve penetration of the stain. They also neutralize any stain strippers. Best of all, you just spray it on and rinse it off. No scrubbing is necessary.
Stay away from the Cheap Stuff: As always you get what you pay for. Better ingredients cost more money. Stay away from the cheap stuff if you expect the stain to last.
Using a Paint Brush is Still Best Method: Sherwin-Williams give instructions here for applying the stain. A paint brush is best for working the stain into the pores of a board. Make sure you keep one handy.
Let the Deck Dry for 24 hours and enjoy your beautiful deck with friends and family all Summer!
If you would like to get started buying or selling your Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, Solon, Cleveland Heights or Chagrin Falls home please contact Ellen Weiner at 216-789-9368 or email Ellen@NoPlacelikeCleveland.com
Remodeling or updating your home is a great way to increase its value. Here are the best rooms to fix up.
Kitchens: Families spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. That is why fixing up the kitchen is a great place to get your money back. What are you cabinets like? Are the insides in good condition? Have you thought about just refacing them? Cabinet refacing is a great way to change the look of your kitchen without bringing everything down to the studs. Check out this coupon from Sears and get an estimate!
Bathrooms: Bathrooms are the second most important room in a home to redo. Have you tried to change out a vanity? Maybe put in a new floor? Even a simple change like switching out the bathroom hardware might make a big difference. Here are some great tips from Lowes.
Resurface Floors: Have a lot of carpet in your house? Have you considered wood flooring? Wood floors look great in the downstairs of any house. There a so many new variations of wood floors out there too. You don’t have to break the bank to make your home gorgeous. Many flooring companies are showing a new vinyl wood floor. It looks just like wood but wears like vinyl. Check out Marshall Carpet’s supply.
The remodeling ideas are endless. One thing is for sure. Do something because you like it not what someone else will pay for. Chances are any improvements you make to a home will increase your investment. Just don’t go over board.
If you would like to get started buying or selling your Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, Solon, Cleveland Heights or Chagrin Falls home please contact Ellen Weiner at 216-789-9368 or email Ellen@NoPlacelikeCleveland.com
PlayhouseSquare located on Euclid in Downtown Cleveland has a lot to be proud of. It is the second-largest performing arts center in the country by audience capacity. Second only to Lincoln Center.
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PlayhouseSquare is home to 10 performance spaces with a total of more than 9,000 seats. Yesterday the Wall Street Journal highlighted PlayhouseSquare because in a time when “arts and culture is losing its market share of philanthropy,” Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare seems to be in better shape than the rest.
The article talks about what makes PlayhouseSquare and its foundation so unique. I think it is important to highlight the article here because we sometimes forget what a great city we live in. When is the last time you checked out a show at PlayhouseSquare? Maybe it is time you should. Here is a link to the upcoming events at PlayhouseSquare.
If you would like to get started buying or selling your Shaker Heights, Pepper Pike, Solon, Cleveland Heights or Chagrin Falls home please contact Ellen Weiner at 216-789-9368 or email Ellen@NoPlacelikeCleveland.com
