Tag Archives: Real Estate Agent

First-Time Homebuyer Guide

“This is a good high level overview of the steps and process of buying a home. There are more steps once you start working with a Realtor and put an offer in on a home, but this is a great starting place.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

By Jennifer Nelson, published on HouseLogic

A real yard. Closets bigger than your average microwave. The freedom to decorate however you darn well please! Making the switch from renting to owning is exhilarating, but many rookie homebuyers find the process trickier to navigate than they expected. This is why we created our First-Time Homebuyer Checklist. The 12-month timeline will help you sidestep common mistakes, like paying too much interest or getting stuck with the wrong house. (Yep, it happens!)

12 Months Out

Check your credit score. Get a copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com. The three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) are each required to give you a free credit report once a year. A Federal Trade Commission study found one in four Americans identified errors on their credit report, and 5% had errors that could lead to higher rates on loans. Avoid last-minute bombshells by checking your score long before you’re ready to make an offer. And work diligently to correct any mistakes.

Determine how much you can afford. Figure out much house you can afford and want to afford. Lenders look for a total debt load of no more than 43% of your gross monthly income (called the debt-to-income ratio). This figure includes your future mortgage and any other debts, such as a car loan, student loan, or revolving credit cards.

There are plenty of calculators on the web to help you determine what you can afford. If you’re pushing the limits, start reducing your debt-to-income ratio now. To get a reality check on what you may actually be spending every month, use this worksheet.

Make a down payment plan. Most conventional mortgages require a 20% down payment. If you can swing it, do it. Your loan costs will be much less, and you’ll get a better interest rate. If, however, you’re not quite able to save the full amount, there are many programs that can help. FHA offers loans with only a 3.5% down payment. But they require mortgage insurance premiums, which will drive up your monthly payments. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides a list of nonprofit homebuying programs by state. Also check with credit unions; and your employer might even have an assistance program.

As you’re planning your savings strategy, keep in mind that banks like you to “season” your money. That is, they like to see that you’ve had stable funds in your account for 60 to 90 days before applying for a loan. Don’t worry: You can still use a financial gift from a family member or bonus received near the time you buy.

9 Months Out

Child exploring a closet at an open house Image: Emily Dunham

Prioritize what you most want in your new home. What’s most important in your new home? Proximity to work? A big backyard? An open floor plan? Being on a quiet street? You’ll make a much better decision on what home to buy if you focus on your priorities. If it’s a joint decision, now is the time to work out any differences to avoid frustration and wasted time. Perhaps most important: Know what trade-offs you’re willing to make.

Research neighborhoods and start visiting open houses. But now’s when the fun begins, too. Use property listing sites, such as realtor.com, to find out about neighborhoods, public transport, and cost of living.

Start visiting open houses to get an idea of what kind of homes are in your price range and what neighborhoods appeal the most. Seeing potential homes will also keep you motivated to continue reducing your debts and saving for your down payment.

Budget for miscellaneous homebuying expenses. Buying a home has some miscellaneous upfront costs. A home inspection, title search, propery survey, and home insurance are examples. Costs vary by locale, but expect to pay at least a few hundred dollars. If you don’t have the cash, start saving now.

Start a home maintenance account. Speaking of saving, start the good habit now of putting a little aside each month to fund maintenance, repairs, and home emergencies. It’s bad enough to have to call a plumber. It’s worse if you’re paying credit card interest on that plumbing bill.

6 Months Out

Collect your loan paperwork. Banks are very particular when it comes to mortgage loans. They demand a lot of paperwork. What they’ll want from you includes:

W-2 forms — or business tax return forms if you’re self-employed — for the last two to three years
Personal tax returns for the past two to three years
Your most recent pay stubs
Credit card and all loan statements
Your bank statements
Addresses for the past five to seven years
Brokerage account statements for the most recent two to four months
Most recent retirement account statements, such as 401(k)

If you start collecting these documents now, it’ll lessen the stress when it’s time to get your loan. Bonus: Looking closely at your loan documents each month will also help you stay focused on saving for your down payment and keeping your debt-to-income ratio low.

Research lenders and REALTORS®. Start interviewing REALTORS®, specifically buyers’ agents. A buyer’s agent will work in your best interest to find you the right property, negotiate with the seller’s agent, and shepherd you through the closing process. Your agent also can be instrumental in finding a lender who’s familiar with first-time homebuyer programs.

Even better, look for a mortgage broker, who will shop for a competitive loan rate for you among multiple lenders, unlike a bank, which can only offer its own products.

3 Months Out

People touring an open house Image: Jesse Keen

Get pre-approved for your loan. At this point, if you’ve been following this timeline, your credit score, paperwork, and down payment should be on track. You’ve done your research on lenders and buyers’ agents. Now it’s time to start working with them. First you’ll need to get pre-approved for a mortgage.

Make an appointment with your lender or mortgage broker and bring all your paperwork. He’ll run a credit check on you and tell you how much of a loan you’re approved for. It often makes sense to borrow less than the maximum the lender allows so you can live comfortably. Draft a budget that accounts for mortgage payments, insurance, maintenance, and everything else you have going on in your life.

Start shopping for your new home. One you’re pre-approved, the buyer’s agent you’ve chosen will be able to target homes that meet your priorities in your price range. This way you won’t be wasting time looking at homes you can’t afford.

2 Months Out

Make an offer on a home. It usually takes at least four to six weeks to close on a home. So if you have a firm move-out date, allow enough time to deal with any hiccups that can delay closing.

Get a home inspection. One of the first things you’ll want to do after an offer is accepted is have a home inspector look at the property. If the home inspector finds something that needs repair, that’s a common example of something that can delay closing.

In the Last Month

Triple-check that all your financial documents are in order and review all lending documents before closing. You’re in the home stretch! If you’ve been keeping your documents up to date, and your down payment is in reserve, these final steps are the easiest. Reviewing the mortgage documents is probably the most difficult. Your agent can help guide you through them.

Get insurance for your new home. Don’t forget to secure insurance before closing. You’ll need to bring proof of insurance to closing.

Do a final walk-through. Do a final walk-through of your new home, usually a day or two before closing, to make sure the home is in the shape you and the seller have agreed upon.

Get a cashier’s check or bank wire for cash needed at closing. Make sure you get an exact amount of cash needed for closing. You’ll get that number a few days before closing so you can secure a cashier’s check or arrange to have the money wired. Regular checks aren’t accepted.

That’s it. Congratulations!

Design Your Closet for the Real World

“Tired of digging through your closet to find things? Get organized and speed up the morning process.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

A poorly designed closet costs the same to build as a well-designed closet. It’s how you design and use the space that makes the difference. If you’re starting with a clean slate, this guide will help you decide what to build, what to store and how to get the most out of every inch of space.

Clever Closet Company

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Only build what you need. Decide how big or small you need your closet to be before you start on the design. It’s tempting to see a big, blank wall and sacrifice it to a closet without considering what the contents will be.

By building your closet based only on how much hanging space you need, even a small bedroom can retain a feeling of spaciousness, with room for a large bed, a desk and maybe more. You can also end up spending less than half the money you would if you opted for a full-wall closet.

Clever Closet Company

Get organized. If you want to maximize space, group clothes of a similar size together — don’t waste an inch. If you have a group of similar items that amounts to at least 20 inches in width when hung together, it’s worth giving them a separate section.

Clever Closet Company

By being that specific, in this closet I have managed to squeeze in an extra drawer between the double hanging sections, as well as some handy shelves.

Tip: Hang the top rod high enough so you have enough space between the bottom of the hanging clothes and the second rod underneath.

Clever Closet Company

Focus on ergonomics. Nobody wants to crawl on the floor to find their summer shorts, and who can be bothered bending down to put bags or scarves on a shelf at knee height? Design your space more ergonomically and you’ll notice things are far easier to find. It will also be much easier to keep your closet tidy.

Positioning shelves above the hanging space is a smart move ergonomically, and making your shelves just 14 inches deep ensures you won’t lose things at the back. Space the shelves only 10 inches apart and things won’t migrate to the never-never. You can stack right to the top of the shelf because there’s no need to reach to the back. Do it this way and you’ll hardly ever need to reorganize your wardrobe — things have nowhere to go.

Tip: Shelf widths at 12-inch increments are best because folded clothes average 12 inches across and 14 inches deep.

Ardesia Design

Skip the drawers. Drawers add significantly to the price of a built-in closet, restrict the layout and waste space. Be resourceful with your space instead. If you already have a dresser or bedside tables in the room, perhaps that’s all you need for underwear and socks. Sweaters and T-shirts are best placed on open shelves where you can see them easily.

Clever Closet Company

Add storage elsewhere. When you have a small space, the trick is using every bit of storage fully. I often achieve this by not having anything but hung clothes in the closet. There’s little point in storing folded clothes on deep closet shelves — it ends up a mess. Instead, use deep space for hanging clothes, then put folded clothes and shoes elsewhere.

In my son’s room, seen here, we have deep drawers under the bed for shoes and sports gear. This is great because he can just dump them in and then open the drawers and see them easily when he needs them (although apparently not as easily as he can see them on the floor!). This is a much better option than storing the items at the bottom of a closet or under the bed.

See more of this bedroom

Design 13

Get smart with your shoes. If space is tight, storing all your shoes in the closet may not be possible. If you can fit them in, however, aim to stash them on shelves at mid-height so you can see them.

Whether you choose regular shelves, slide-out shelves or drawers, there’s no need to give shoes too much room to move — they’re usually only 12 inches deep and will fit into some pretty tight places.

This drawer method allows you to use the full depth of the closet, and makes shoes easy to see and access.

Clever Closet Company

If you can’t fit shoes in the closet, a shallow, purpose-built cabinet is a good alternative.

Clever Closet Company

Don’t waste your money on ‘clever’ accessory storage. Storage devices for accessories can be useful, but be selective. If a gadget involves more than one action to perform its role, you’ll probably grow tired of it. I find most closet accessories are a waste of money and space in a small closet.

What does work well are racks for belts, ties and scarves, which slide in and out. Or if you don’t mind things flapping on the back of a hinged door, you can install racks there.

Clever Closet Company

Go for flexibility. The great thing about this closet is that the hanging rods insert into the same holes as the shelf supports, so you can switch them around as needed. In summer, you could use rods to hang blouses, and in winter swap in shelves to hold sweaters. Store the off-season gear out of the way on the top shelf.

FormFunctionNT

Don’t forget to make use of the rest of the house. Your bedroom closet doesn’t have to bear the brunt of your your life’s clutter. Store as much as possible in the utility areas of your home to save on the cost of a built-in closet.

A shelving system such as this stores just as much as a standard built-in closet and for a fraction of the price. I installed something similar to this in my laundry rather than putting a built-in closet into a temporary bedroom for my daughter. Now that my daughter has left home, I have excellent versatile storage in the laundry room. The system is easily adjustable, so I can use it for anything and add shelves if needed.

Originaly published on HOUZZ, by Sally Hart

5 Ways to Cut Your Heating Costs

“The colder weather is starting to show up and it’s time to consider how you will control your heating bills.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Winter doesn’t have to mean higher heating bills. Here are a few simple home improvement tips you can use to help keep your house warm and your bills under control.

home matters Photo by: iStock

Following these easy tips and tricks can help keep your bill from skyrocketing as temperatures plummet.

1. It’s the mantra of dads worldwide – don’t turn up the heat, put on a sweater. By maintaining a steady air temperature and changing your body temperature, you’ll nix bill spikes. For every degree you lower your heat in the 60 – 70 degree range, you can save up to 5% on heating costs.

Read More: Save Money with a Learning Thermostat

2. Installing plastic film over your windows is an extremely affordable do-it-yourself project. Cutting down on the drafts from windows can save you about 14% on your monthly bill.

Read More: Energy Tip: Prepping Your Home for Winter

3. Another source of drafts is your front door. A simple door sweep will keep the heat in and cold out while likely costing you less than $10 at a home or hardware store.

4. Opening shades on west- and south-facing windows will allow sunlight in during the day. Conversely, closing these shades at night will help keep your heat in.

Read More: Tap Into Year-Long Benefits with Window Treatments

5. Make sure that you don’t have furniture blocking your heating vents. If you have a bed or sofa in front of a vent, your HVAC will work harder than necessary to maintain your desired room temperature.

These five tips should be a simple way to help out with your heating costs.

Originally appearing on AmericanHomeShield.com

13 Storage Solutions to Banish the Clutter

“It’s amazing all the ‘stuff’ we accumulate over time. And then you realize you have no place to put anything any more and your home is looking cluttered. It might be time to get creative.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you to throw out your stuff or give it away. And I’m not going to give you advice on how to part with it. Instead, I’m going to give you design tips on how to get it out of sight, quickly and easily. The trick to living without clutter is to make it super easy for you and your family to clean up fast. Follow these tips, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your home can go from chaotic to calm in no time.

WORKSTEAD

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1. Closed storage. Everyone likes the look of open shelving when everything is lined up just so, but the truth is, it’s not always practical to keep everything in perfect order. Closed storage can look just as great, when it’s well thought out. If you have lots of stuff, stay away from open shelving whenever you can, and conceal your stuff behind doors and drawers.

Bunker Workshop

2. Kitchen. Keep your counters clear. Dedicate a space for small appliances that’s easy for you to access. Pullout shelves make it easy to store heavier appliances, like blenders and coffee makers.

Discover more kitchen storage solutions

JACK ROSEN CUSTOM KITCHENS

If you don’t have the luxury of space for a dedicated appliance cabinet, consider creating an appliance nook or an appliance garage on your counter to tuck them out of the way and out of sight.

Ben Herzog

3. Stairs. Under the stairs is always a great place to hide stuff, but it’s easy for that space to turn into a black hole if it’s just an open area. Use pullouts to organize and make that space easy to access.

Browse more clever uses for the space under the stairs

Affecting Spaces

4. Foyer. This is the one space where open shelving really makes sense, so shoes and boots can properly air out. Stinky shoes that share storage with coats will inevitably make the coats smell a little funky.

Wende Woodworking LLC

5. Bathroom. The same rules apply for the bathroom as for the kitchen. Keep your counters clear of stuff. Use a vanity with drawers. Don’t even consider a pedestal sink or a vanity with doors if you tend to be a hoarder. Get the most convenient, easy-to-use storage with drawers. (The drawers can even be organized.)

Bill Fry Construction – Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.

And don’t stop at vanity storage. Maximize your storage by using your mirror as a medicine cabinet as well. If you don’t like the feel of a bulky medicine cabinet at your sink, recess it into the wall. This can often create even deeper storage.

Should you go with a recessed or wall-mounted bathroom mirror?

Scott Weston Architecture Design PL

6. Kids’ room. You may have to remind your children a hundred times that they actually have storage under their bed, but a bed with built-in drawers can help them clean up after themselves.

Patrick Perez Architect

7. Living room. Even if you try to keep stuff out of the living room, it will eventually migrate back to your more commonly used spaces. Build or buy storage (at least 24 inches deep) with large doors and deep drawers. It’s all about the ease of throwing stuff in there quickly.

Closet Factory

8. Garage. If your house is designed to be accessed from the garage, this is a great idea for keeping more stuff from entering the house. Invest in a well-constructed storage unit to make the most of this space.

S.A.N Design Group, Inc.

9. Bay window. As a designer, I’m always struggling with how to best deal with a bay window when I’m laying out a space. I love this idea of squaring off the wall and using that space as trunk-style storage.

Note: It’s really important that your window storage has locking hardware to keep the lid open. It makes it much easier to clean up faster.

Ogawa Fisher Architects

10. Indoor furniture. It’s such a bonus when furniture does double duty. If you are having a bench built for seating, I recommend you ask the millworker to build drawers into the face of the bench. It’s a really easy and clean way to add more storage.

C.O.S Design

11. Outdoor furniture. When planning your outdoor space, always create a storage space that is large and waterproof. You don’t want to have to bring all your outdoor stuff indoors when the weather changes.

How to keep your outdoor furniture looking new

Case Design & Remodeling Indy

12. Basement. This is another area that doesn’t always need closed storage, especially if it’s a space dedicated to storage. Stock up on budget racks and store everything you don’t want to part with but don’t actually use. If you apply the Pareto principle, you probably use only 20 percent of your stuff. So that means you can store the other 80 percent.

C3 Design

If you want to use your basement as living space, then use the closed-storage method to hide that other 80 percent of your stuff.

Organized Living

13. Final tip. If you are working on decluttering, don’t let the state of the inside of your cabinets or drawers deter you from clearing the stuff out of your living space. Once you get a sense of what it’s like to live without clutter all around you, the urge to organize your closets and drawers will come. The first step to clutter-free living is to get the stuff out of sight.

Originally posted on HOUZZ, by Gillian Lazanik

Lifespan of Modern Home Appliances

“Wondering if it’s time to fix or replace your appliance. Here are some average lifespans of 7 major appliances.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Homeowners often assume that with an increase in technology comes an improvement of everyday life. So it can come as a surprise that when appliance manufactures add tech, like sensors and displays, they are actually shortening the product’s lifespan.

home matters Photo by: American Home Shield

Major home appliances like washers, stoves and even refrigerators have plugged into the digital revolution thanks to the introduction of smart appliances by brands like LG and Samsung. You can now do things like scan food items into your fridge, and it will then make recipe recommendations based off of the current contents — that’s one less excuse for ordering takeout.

Unfortunately, the added bells and whistles have overshadowed the fact that appliances just don’t last as long as they use to. The current average lifespan of major home appliances is around 10-15 years — compared to roughly 20-30 years when appliances were mostly mechanical in nature. That’s why your mom’s avocado-green washing machine lasted so long.

Today, the presence of LCD screens, Wi-Fi and even load-sensitive sensors have increased the vulnerability of our modern appliances — the more gadgets, the more things that can fail. This, coupled with thinner plastic parts replacing the more durable porcelain and copper parts of the past means more calls to the repairman. Just like our cars, home appliances were once bulky behemoths made of heavier, more resilient materials.

However, there are two simple recommendations on how to avoid premature breakdowns with modern appliances. First, simply reading through the manual and getting a sense of how to properly clean and maintain your appliance is highly recommended to preserve its lifespan. Second, when problems do arise, don’t jump the gun and swap it for a new one. If the appliance has not yet exceeded the average lifespan, chances are fixing the specific problem and keeping it for its full lifespan will save you more in the long-run.

Click here to download graphic

Although the lifespan of major appliances has decreased over the years, the added technology has greatly improved our lives. For what they now lack in years, these modern machines make up for in energy efficiency and technological versatility. It’s a small price to pay for managing more productive lives in our fast-paced digital age.

Originally appearing on American Home Shield

Wandering Paths That Take Joy in the Journey

“Even if you don’t have a large area to work with a path can add texture and visual interest to your yard and landscape.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

The best aspects of life are sometimes off the beaten path, and the same could be said about your garden. While brick paths and concrete driveways are certainly functional, necessary and expected, don’t overlook the possibility of creating or rejuvenating secondary paths that forge a strong organic relationship with the land and tell its story. With innovative design and proper planting, any backyard can provide the place and the experience, even if the path leads to that secret spot behind the garage, or simply to nowhere in particular.

Blasen Landscape Architecture

1. “Not all those who wander are lost,” J.R.R. Tolkien wrote. Wandering is good for the soul. Paths play a crucial role in the art and process of wandering. While major paths and sidewalks need to be paved to be safely navigated, secondary paths need not be. These paths may not be lit at night, as their usefulness may be limited to daylight, or they may be navigated by flashlight or candle after dusk. They may flirt more with curves and shrubs than the average path, but flirting evokes emotion. This is what makes these paths special and worthwhile.

The path shown here embraces its sense of place and begs to be explored. The best paths embrace their environment. With its curves and unknown destination, this path calls to those who dare to wander far enough to discover its hidden story.

PermaScapes Unlimited Inc

2. There are times when the suggestion of a path is all that is necessary. In the landscape shown here, strategically placed groups of flagstone hint at a pathway through a lawn. This works because they lead the eye; where the eye goes, the body follows and the journey commences.

Jay Sifford Garden Design

3. Wanderers know that a path doesn’t have to lead to anywhere in particular. This free-form gravel path, barely 25 feet long, has a Japanese maple at its end and could easily fit into an average suburban yard. For those who walk there in the late afternoon, this path partners with the setting sun to offer a 15-minute light show that is nothing short of spectacular. And for the wanderer, that is more than enough.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

4. In this landscape, the honed stone stair treads bring an element of antiquity to a very modern home. Their rhythmic placement has a meditative quality that makes the act of ascending this hillside path almost ritualistic. The depression in the center of each step gives the garden visitor both sensual and comforting feelings.

Rebecca Smith Garden Design

5. Paths can be mown through meadows. Additionally, many types of sedge (Carex spp., USDA zones 4 to 10; find your zone) can be planted, mowed and walked on. Some sedges are extremely drought-tolerant, an important concern in many parts of the U.S. The path’s configurations are easily changed. Paths of this type can trigger memories of childhood exploration.

Jay Sifford Garden Design

6. Unused secondary paths can be rejuvenated. This all-but-forgotten path was given new life with the introduction of five ceramic spheres, placed rhythmically along its curves. In a garden, pattern can establish a rhythm that sparks a connection with our internal rhythm, whether it be our pulse or that song that plays nonstop in our mind. This is the reason you feel so comfortable in certain gardens: their rhythms speak to yours.

MTLA- Mark Tessier Landscape Architecture

7. This Los Angeles garden could be found in any large city where land and privacy are precious commodities. A path such as this could wrap around any building, leading to that small private garden forged from a useless space behind a garage. Multitextured plants spilling over into an organic path create the sense of a journey.

Classic Nursery & Landscape Co. / Alan Burke, asla

8. An ascending path formed with raw stones that are partially obscured by ground covers begs to tell its story; perhaps this one leads to a sitting area on the highest point of the property. The highest point is a place of power, and sitting there after a hard day at work is a perfect opportunity to recharge. In the animal kingdom, the leader of the flock always sits highest in the tree.

Erik Block Design Build LLC

9. Rustic bridges always kindle feelings of mystery and exploration, and they frequently transport us mentally back to the simpler times of childhood. The bridge shown here is no exception. An impromptu path leads to the bridge, continuing on the other side of the creek.

Jay Sifford Garden Design

10. The path shown here is mulched with commercially available double-hammered hardwood. The serpentine stacked-stone wall, somewhat reminiscent of Andy Goldsworthy’s installation at Storm King Art Center in New York’s Hudson Valley, provides order similar to how a hard margin provides structure to a paragraph. The pathway’s right-hand side playfully flirts with the surrounding woodland while embracing its negative space.

Prassas Landscape Studio LLC

11. This paver pathway leads to a postage stamp-sized patio between buildings, then continues on the far side. A tight planting scheme creates the illusion of a forest right in Chicago. Two chairs may not be enough for a party, but they’re certainly enough for a memorable conversation.

Rebecca Smith Garden Design

12. The rustic, almost primitive placement of these steppingstones lends an air of antiquity to this secondary path. Their offset pattern is contemplative, giving the path a mystical sense similar to a labyrinth.

Princeton Design Collaborative

13. A tree trunk intersects and interrupts this Philadelphia path. Its unexpected placement and sculptural form elevate it to the status of living art, and the thoughtfully placed nearby bench offers the perfect place for brief contemplation.

Helen Rose Wilson Garden Design

14. Who says paths can’t be fun and gardens are not for children? This raised path made of cut logs is a thoughtful way to engage those children who don’t seem to mind an occasional skinned knee. The vertical flower inflorescences add to this garden’s jubilant nature in a way that prostrate ground covers and weeping conifers couldn’t.

Aaron G. Edwards Landscape Architect

15. Here we see another raised path, this time taking the form of a narrow boardwalk. It’s in an open space between a forest canopy and undergrowth, and the visitor is suspended so as to appreciate the fullness of the forest. This path’s narrow width forces visitors to walk singly. On a philosophical level, this speaks to the fact that we enter and leave this life alone and that our journey is, in reality, our own.

www.KarlGercens.com

16. This New York garden path incorporates the best aspects of the former two gardens. Made of vertical logs, it leads to a simple, narrow bridge. The palette of large and colorful foliage creates a sensory experience for those who take the challenge. The best gardens are cognizant of their audience and immerse their visitors in an unforgettable experience.

Island Gardens Company

17. This narrow path deliberately slows visitors and forces them to interact with the plants. Don’t underestimate the immense value of that branch that grows just a little too low or long and extends into the personal space that a path generally provides. A good gardener recognizes its tactile importance and purposefully leaves it in place. It only looks serendipitous, and looks can be deceiving.

Originally appearing on HOUZZ, by Jay Sifford

10 Ways to Use Ornamental Grasses

“Want some plantings that are easier to maintain? Ornamental Grasses might be a perfect solution for you.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

Originally published on HOUZZ, by Laura Gaskill

Water-wise, low-maintenance and available in an impressive range of colors and heights, ornamental grasses have a lot to offer in the landscape. It is critical to choose the right variety for your region (native is best), because some ornamental grasses can be invasive. A good local nursery with knowledgable staff should be able to point you in the right direction. Whether you want to replace the front lawn, create a privacy screen or simply add beautiful texture, here are 10 ways to use these versatile plants around your garden.

Paul Davis Architects

1. Enhance an urban outdoor space with a mini-meadow. Just because you live in the city doesn’t mean you must do without greenery. Create your own small-scale meadow with a custom planter filled with an abundance of lush, fluffy ornamental grasses — it makes a stunning backdrop to an outdoor seating area, and is sure to be a favorite of furry friends.

MB DESIGN & BUILD

2. Soften sounds and breezes. The breeze riffling through long, reedy grasses creates a relaxing auditory backdrop for an urban patio. A bank of tall grasses positioned around an outdoor seating area can also provide a windbreak, making time spent on the patio more comfortable and appealing.

Wagner Hodgson

3. Create a privacy screen. Choose a vertical-growing type, like feather reed grass, above, for the best results. While grasses will not provide the complete privacy of a tall fence, a bed of tall grasses during blooming season can give a patio, deck or pool some privacy while still letting in light.

Grass: Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
Need to know: Feather reed grass does well in most areas (USDA zones 3 to 9; find your zone), and grows tall rather than wide, making it a good choice for small spaces.

Rollin Landscape Design

4. Use as a low-maintenance border. Long driveway or sidewalk borders can be taxing to maintain. Use a single variety of ornamental grass to fill the length of the bed instead of mixed perennials and annuals for an easy-care (and handsome-looking) solution.

Grass: Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima)
Need to know: Mexican feather grass is extremely drought-tolerant and hardy in zones 6 to 10, but is identified as a highly invasive species in California and Oregon. Mexican feather grass reseeds, so it may need to be pulled out in places you don’t want it to spread. If you live in California, the University of California Master Gardener Programrecommends as alternatives California native blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’), California native prairie dropseed (Sporobolus airoides), Mexican deer grass (Muhlenbergia dubia) or pink muhly grass(Muhlenbergia capillaris, especially ‘White Cloud’).

Andrew Mann Architecture

5. Replace the front lawn. Replacing the front lawn with lush ornamental grasses cuts down on work (no more mowing!) and saves water. When you choose a variety of colors and heights, they can add more interest that a traditional lawn, to boot.

Davis Landscape Design LLC

6. Boost front-porch privacy. Taller varieties of ornamental grasses, like little bluestem, above, can create privacy on the front porch or patio without fencing. For year-round appeal, be sure to ask at your local nursery how the variety you choose will look in each season.

Grass: Little bluestem
Need to know: Little bluestem is an incredibly hardy (zones 2a to 9b) and easy-to-care-for plant, native to all of North America except Alaska, Oregon, Nevada, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and the Canadian territories. Little bluestem is very drought-tolerant and grows well from seed.

Addison Landscape & Maintenance, Inc.

7. Complement rustic character. Have a barn, farmhouse or rustic shed on your property? Tall grasses with some visual similarity to wheat, like Pennisetum ‘Fairy Tails’, the noninvasive variety of purple fountain grassshown here, look at once rustic and up-to-date.

Grass: Pennisetum ‘Fairy Tails’
Need to know: Unlike other varieties of purple fountain grass, Pennisetum ‘Fairy Tails’ does not seed, and so is not considered invasive in California (two other noninvasive varieties ofPennisetum are ‘Rubrum’ and ‘Fireworks’). Purple fountain grass is perennial in zones 8b to 11.

Andrew Mann Architecture

8. Gain textural contrast. The fluffy, feathery fronds of ornamental grass provide softness amid hardscaping like fences, pathways and walls. Allowing the grass to spill over the edge of the planting area is a great way to soften the edges of a path or sidewalk, as shown here.

Shirley Bovshow

9. Add vibrant color — without flowers. Some grasses, like the pink muhly grass shown here, erupt in colorful, feathery fronds from late summer to fall. This is a wonderful way to bring color to a water-wise garden where flowers are sparingly used.

Grass: Pink muhly grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris
Need to know: Native to the East Coast of the United States, pink muhly grass clumps, so it will not invade other planting beds. Hardy in zones 7 to 9.

Christopher Yates Landscape Architecture

10. Grow a backyard meadow. Native sedges, when chosen properly for the region, make excellent, low-maintenance (often mow-free) lawn alternatives, perfect for covering large expanses of yard. The Carexspecies, such as Carex pansa, shown here, are particularly good for this purpose.

Grass: California meadow sedge (Carex pansa)
Need to know: Carex pansa is a species of sedge native to the west coast of North America, spanning from California to British Columbia, and thrives in that area. For other parts of the U.S., the Brooklyn Botanic Garden recommends Texas native Carex perdentata; Catlin sedge (Carex texensis), hardy to Zone 6; Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica, native to the eastern and central United States; and Carex senta, known as Baltimore sedge, native to the eastern United States.

How to Care for Your Home Library

“Got a lot of books, but struggling with where to put them all? Check out some creative ideas!”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

I’ve Harbored a passion for books as long as I can remember (my first job, in fact, was as a page in my hometown library), and I can spend endless hours perusing bookstores and library stacks. Whether you swoon for rare first editions or romance novels, keeping track of your beloved books will ensure that they will be easily found when you need them and will remain in good condition for years to come. Here are a dozen ideas for organizing, caring for and enjoying your home library.

Agence LALM

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Find your library style. No matter your reading preferences, the books you choose to keep in your home should hold special meaning for you — books that are only so-so aren’t worth making room for on your shelves. Once you’ve decluttered your library, it’s time to decide on a sorting method. Here are a few to consider.

Bookstore-style. Sorting nonfiction books by subject and fiction alphabetically by author works especially well for larger book collections, for which other organizing methods would fall short.
By theme. This fun method of sorting will appeal especially to creative types. To try it, pick a broad theme (like “water”) and shelve all books related to this topic together, from cookbooks (coastal cooking and fish recipes) to fiction (Like Water for Chocolate, The Old Man and the Sea) to nonfiction (beach houses, water-wise gardens).

Rainbow order. As sorting methods go, this controversial idea works best for visually oriented people. If you learn best visually, you may be surprised at how easy it is to find a certain book based on the color of the spine.

RedAgape Blog

Try it: Sorting by color. If sorting your books by color sounds appealing to you, I urge you to give it a try — there is something soothing about looking at shelves arranged by color, and it never fails to impress guests. If you want to try it, you will need to dedicate an hour or more (depending on how many books you have to sort) to the initial process. Here are a few color-sorting tips.

You don’t need to stick with rainbow order; books in blocks of color look great no matter the order.
Depending on the colors in your decor (and your personal preference) you may want to limit the color blocking to certain hues. Books that don’t work with the scheme can go in baskets or be moved to shelving in a different room.
Even one color-sorted shelf can have a big impact. Try it with your cookbooks!

ACRE Goods + Services

Take care of oversized tomes. Books like to be supported, and proper shelving is one way to ensure that they are. If you have a large collection of oversized art and design books, consider laying them flat instead of standing them up — it will reduce wear and tear on the spines. Just be sure to stack them in ascending order, with smallest books on top and largest on the bottom, so each book is completely supported by the one beneath it. And if you want to be able to easily access your books, don’t let the stacks get too tall.

Forsythe General Contractors, Inc.

Add a stand for heavy and oversized books.Doorstop-size art monographs and the infamously hefty Oxford English Dictionary can be more fully appreciated (and more easily flipped through) when cradled on a stand designed for the purpose. Selecting a different book to place on the stand every week or two is also a good way to feature lovely books that might otherwise be overlooked.

Burnham Design

Rotate books to spark new interests. Once your bookshelves are neatly ordered, whether by subject, color or another method, it can be all too tempting to leave the books alone (they do look nice!) — but what’s the point of having a wonderful collection of books if you don’t get them out and read them? One suggestion for making the most of your home library is to periodically walk through and pull from the shelves a pile of books that currently interest you. Place these books around the house where you will notice them — on the coffee table, in a little pile beside your bed, etc. — and enjoy!

Martins Camisuli Architects

Try it: Add cover appeal. One of the reasons it’s so much fun to browse in a good bookstore is the visual nature of the book displays. To increase engagement with your home library, try to find a few places in your home where you can display books with covers facing out. Here are a few ideas:

Top a round table with short stacks of interesting books.
Install picture shelves and use them to display books instead of artwork.
Top a credenza with a few favorite books, either lying flat or standing upright.

Don Welch Architecture

Special care for rare books. If you have a passion for collecting rare first editions or antique volumes, it is important to take some precautions to protect your investment. To keep your most treasured books in good shape, be sure to:

Keep books out of direct sunlight, as it can bleach the covers.
Shelve books neatly, with bookshelves snug but not overcrowded.
Lay very large and heavy books flat.
When looking at a book, set it on a table, and don’t open the spine farther than it wants to go.
Wash your hands before handling!

Fusion D

Take one off the rack. It seems to be a law of nature: Kids love things that spin, and bookshelves are no exception. Place a bookstore-style spinning book rack in a reluctant reader’s bedroom and fill it with appealing titles (like the Captain Underpantsseries or comics) to inspire a love of reading for pleasure.

Amy Aswell Interior Design

Go vertical. A small space does not have to equal a small library — invest in some vertical shelving to maximize available square footage. When choosing a vertical shelf, check to make sure it contains a counterweight in the base to prevent tipping, and stack heavier books on the bottom shelves.

Aesthetic Outburst

Put a bookend on it. Perfect for adding a small collection of favorite books to a space without bookshelves, bookends can be a lifesaver when it comes to keeping random piles of books neat and orderly. In the kitchen, keep a seasonal selection of cookbooks within reach on the counter, held between a pair of heavy crocks. Or keep favorite picture books handy beside a comfy reading chair.

Claudia Georgi Photography

Get inspired while you work. When you feel motivation and creativity lagging at work, flipping through a stack of inspiring books can be a quick and easy way to spark new ideas. And think beyond your profession when choosing books to shelve near your desk: If you’re a lawyer, try some architecture tomes; if you’re an engineer, stash a few slim volumes of poetry. Shaking things up is a great way to boost creativity.

Front Studio Architects

Leave room to grow. Ideally, every bookshelf in the house should have a little room on it. Otherwise, where will your new books go? Painting the backs of your bookcase in vibrant hues, as shown here, is one creative way to stay motivated to keep some open space on those shelves. If shelf space gets tight, take that as a sign that the time has come for another purge. If you find yourself reluctant to part with any books, why not donate them to your local library? Then if you have a change of heart, you’ll know you can always check them out!

Originally published on HOUZZ, by Laura Gaskill

Mastering Your Morning Routine

“Streamlining your routine and making it easier to get out the door is always a good thing.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

With the first weeks of school underway, and most adults settling back in to work (however grumpily) after vacations, mornings are bound to be more hectic. From searching for missing shoes, backpacks and important papers to remembering all of the minute details of shifting daily schedules, the tasks of the early hours of the day can put everyone out the door in a sour mood (not to mention late). A well-choreographed morning routine, on the other hand, can help start the day on a positive note, and can give you the opportunity to connect with your family or gain some extra personal time. Take a deep breath — tomorrow is another day, and with a bit of planning (and these 10 strategies), it can start off without a hitch.

Regan Baker Design

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First figure out what’s holding you up. If you find yourself running late (or nearly late) in the morning, the first step to taking control of your time is to identify how you are spending it. Where does your routine tend to veer off track? Look over this list and see if any fit.

Hitting the snooze button repeatedly, or sleeping through the alarm, then rushing to get ready
Getting the kids ready takes forever
Just sipping coffee, reading and browsing online make the time get away from you
Can’t find anything to wear
Can’t find essential items (keys, phone, bag) as you’re about to head out the door
Forgetting about things you need to bring (lunch, signed papers, gym bag) until the last second

House of Beatniks

The Strategies

1. Get dressed first. Instead of sipping coffee in your PJs, try making a practice of getting dressed first thing. Whether or not you have kids, if you leave your own getting ready to the last minute, mornings will always feel crunched for time. If choosing an outfit tends to eat up a lot of time, select it the night before, including accessories — then you can just put it on in the morning, and you’ll already be a step ahead.

2. Review the calendar over a cuppa. Make a habit of looking over the day’s schedule while you sip your first cup of coffee or tea — knowing what’s on deck will help ensure that you don’t forget any key papers or supplies. Whether you prefer old-school paper or an app, be sure to use one calendar for the entire household so you can sync activities. And if checking the day’s schedule reminds you of some key item you need to bring with you, grab it right then and put it in front of the door where you won’t miss it.

Claudia Georgi Photography

3. Use a big wall clock to stay on track. Sure, you can always glance down at your phone,but there’s something about having a nice, clearly marked wall clock that makes it easier to keep schedules running smoothly. Plus, if you tend to get distracted by your phone when you check the time, this can help cut down on aimless browsing.

If you’ve been underestimating how long it takes to complete morning tasks, keeping track on the clock can give you a clearer picture of how much time you need to get ready and leave. You may find you need to get up earlier, or shift some activities to another time of day (like prepping lunch the night before), to get out the door on time.

Shop for wall clocks

Regan Baker Design

4. Use a timer. If there is a particular part of your morning routine that you either (a) dread or (b) spend too much time on, using a timer can help speed things along. For instance: Set a timer for 10 minutes to enjoy your coffee and catch up on email, but when the timer goes off, immediately get up and move on. Or set a timer for five minutes and see if you can pack all the lunches before it goes off.

For kids, using a stopwatch can be even better than a timer, since it turns getting ready into a race — use it to time them putting on shoes or cleaning up toys, and see if they can beat their own record. Just don’t make breakfast a race … no one wants to start the day with a stomachache!

Rusk Renovations

5. Dangle a carrot. It was impossible to get my son motivated to get ready for school in the morning, until we started leaving early enough to play on the playground or have a scooter ride before the start of school. Now (most days, anyway) all it takes is a reminder about the extra playtime to get him to cooperate.

And if you’re the one who has trouble getting out the door on time, find a treat worth leaving the house early for, whether that’s a refreshing walk by the water or a cup of coffee at your favorite place.

Angela Todd Designs, Portland, OR

6. Have a precise place for every single thing you need in the morning. The more specific, the better. A dish for the car keys, a tray for your phone and wallet, wall hooks for backpacks and jackets, and a wall-mounted letter sorter can all be useful additions to the entryway, if used consistently.

Papers can be especially problematic, so it helps to be a stickler about sorting — letter sorters are great, but only if each slot is labeled and used as intended. Sort in a way that makes sense for your household. Just make sure to have a way to keep important outgoing papers (like school forms that need to be returned or bills to be payed) separate from the rest of the onslaught.

apartmentjeanie

7. Add little conveniences to the entryway. For instance, I’ve started keeping a hairbrush in a drawer by the front door to give my son’s hair a swipe before we leave, which saves a last-second trip back upstairs to search for it. Other items you might find helpful:

A pen for signing school papers
Sharpie and name labels for sticking on things before they go in the backpack
A spare phone charger
A stash of clean kids’ socks
Nonperishable grab-and-go snacks

Regan Baker Design

8. Try some alarm clock tricks. If all the strategies in the world won’t help because you simply can’t seem to get out of bed on time, you may need to change your waking-up routine. Here are a few tricks to try.

Put your alarm out of reach, so you have to actually get out of bed to turn it off.
If you’ve been using your phone as an alarm, try an old-fashioned alarm clock — they tend to be louder and more annoying.
Pretend you have something super important to do. Have you noticed that it’s easier to get up early on an important day, like your wedding, or the first day of a new job? Before going to sleep the night before, take a moment to think about what time you need to get up and why it’s important that you do. In my completely personal and unscientific research (on myself), this does seem to help.
Get up earlier gradually. If you’ve been waking up way too late, start shifting the time you get up by no more than 20 minutes earlier each day.
Get to bed earlier. If you’re short on sleep, mornings will continue to be hard.

Clean Design

9. Unpack first thing. Your getting-home routine is just as important as your morning routine in ensuring that you get out the door on time. When you arrive home, don’t just fling your things down anywhere. Take the time to unpack all of your bags, hang up coats, file papers and put your keys and phone in their places. If your children are having trouble following a getting-home routine, hold off on an after-school snack or screen time until their stuff is away, and pretty soon it will be second nature.

Kid-friendly tip: Add a few low hooks. Starting young children on positive, doable habits, like hanging up their own backpack and coat, paves the way for more complicated responsibilities later on — not to mention makes your life a bit easier! Hang a few sturdy wall hooks within reach to make the job easier for little hands.

Olivier Chabaud Architecte

10. Set your routine in stone. The great thing about a routine is that the more you do it, the less you have to think about it. It’s like how a dancer learns a complex routine. When you practice the same movements over and over again, your body remembers. So, while it may feel a bit regimented at first, deciding on a certain order of business for your morning (and sticking to it) will make things easier in the long run.

By Laura Gaskill, originally published on HOUZZ

5 Container Gardens for Fall and Beyond

“We love container gardening. It’s perfect for patios and decks and gives you more versatility. Here are some ideas that will carry you through the whole year.”

Denise Buck & Ed Johnson – DC Metro Realty Team

By Karen Chapman, originally appearing on HOUZZ

Whoever suggested we “deck the halls with boughs of holly” clearly wasn’t also trying to cook a turkey, wrap gifts and bake dozens of cookies. Planting a container garden is rarely on the holiday to-do list, yet it is such a perfect way to welcome friends and family to a home.

With a little creativity you can quickly transform any container gardens you may already have, and with some extra planning you can ensure that they continue to shine year-round. By starting with a backbone of great foliage and then adding a few seasonal highlights, you can have your container gardens mark each season with style while still having enough time to enjoy the festivities.

Here are five easy container garden designs and ideas on how to change them up for each season.

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1. Fall Container Garden

Fall shades are the starting point for a Thanksgiving design that can easily be given mini makeovers to look great all year.

Year-round interest:
• Dwarf vine maple tree (Acer circinatum ‘Little Gem’)
• ‘Spellbound’ coral bells (Heuchera hybrid), with gorgeous purple foliage
• Dwarf evergreen conifer
• Orange grass-like ‘Goldfinger’ New Zealand iris (Libertia ixioides)
• Trailing ‘Wojo’s gem’ periwinkle (Vinca maculata)

Fall interest (shown):
• Add deep red pansies.

Thanksgiving accents:
• The orange pot itself sets the scene.
• Nestle orange and yellow gourds among the purple foliage.

Christmas cheer:
• The bare red stems of the maple add height and Christmas color.
• Replace gourds you added in fall with gold accents, such as weatherproof ornaments.

Le jardinet

Spring interest (shown):
• Orange ‘Princess Irene’ tulips will repeat the color of the container and can be planted in fall with the pansies.
• Forgot to add bulbs? You can purchase pots of flowering spring bulbs and simply tuck them in.
• The pansies will be in full bloom.Summer interest:
• Replace the pansies and tulips with deep burgundy ‘Black Magic’ ivy geraniums.

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2. Quick Summer-to-Fall Pot

I often have leftover plants at the end of summer — this container idea is an easy way to put them to good use. These plants are still in their nursery pots and simply nestled into a decorative container. Milk cartons and empty pots are stacked inside the brown container to get the plants to the right height. You can always plant them properly when you have more time.

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Year-round interest:
• Big leafy coral bells (Heuchera)
• Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)
• Andromeda (Pieris japonica)Fall and Thanksgiving accents (shown):
• A large pumpkin easily fills in space.
• Colorful vines provide instant trailing accents.

Christmas cheer:
• Replace the pumpkin with faux gifts wrapped and beribboned in festive colors.

Spring interest:
• Add a basket of pretty primroses, still in nursery pots and surrounded by Spanish moss to hide the evidence!

Summer interest:
• This is a good time to plant everything properly, as it will make watering easier.
• Replace primroses with shade-tolerant annuals, such as begonias or impatiens.

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3. The Little Black Dress

Black never goes out of fashion, and with a few new accessories this artistic container can easily be ready for a party.

Year-round interest:
• Gardenia

Fall interest:
• White Japanese anemones (Anemone japonica) planted behind the gardenia

Thanksgiving accents:
• Add a couple of mini white pumpkins around the base of the gardenia.

Christmas cheer (shown):
• Add everlasting accents and stems, such as silk magnolia, white berries and clusters of cones dusted with silver.
• Insert evergreens from the garden — such as cedar, juniper and fir — into the moist soil; they will keep fresh for weeks.

Hanukkah highlights: This elegant, monochromatic design could easily be enhanced with silver and blue glass baubles.

Le jardinet

Spring interest:
• Hide pots of flowering white daffodils behind the gardenia.Summer interest (shown):
• Replace spring bulbs with white cosmos or wand flower (Gaura lindheimeri).

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4. Holly Isn’t Just for the Holidays

Keep holly (Ilex sp.) in your container and you have a jump start for every season.

Year-round interest:
• ‘Gold Coast’ holly (Ilex aquifolium)
• Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus nigrescens)
• Leatherleaf sedge (Carex buchananii)

Fall and Thanksgiving accents:
• Add colorful pumpkins.
• Add stems of yellow and orange bittersweet(Celastrus scandens)

Christmas cheer (shown):
• Add pinecones, stems with berries and silver balls
• Insert lengths of evergreens from the garden, such as fir and spruce.

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Spring interest:
• Pots of flowering spring bulbs or primroses can replace the Christmas accents.Summer interest (shown):
• Switch out the spring flowers with redimpatiens and bright green trailing ‘Margeurite’ sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) for summer color.

Le jardinet

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5. Nontraditional Colors

The color scheme for this container garden is blue, white and silver but that doesn’t mean it can’t work for fall holidays and springtime too.

Year-round interest:
• Korean fir (Abies koreana)
• ‘Baby Blue’ boulevard cypress(Chamaecyparis pisifera)
• Trailing ivy

Fall interest:
• Cyclamen offer wonderful fall color on a protected porch. Keep them in their nursery pots for ease of watering. Simply remove the plant in its container and stand it on a saucer of water for a few minutes before tucking back it into the planter.
• The felted silver foliage of dusty miller(Senecio cineraria) is winter hardy.
• Blue and white pansies

Christmas cheer (shown):
• Hang silver ornaments from the tree branches.
• Add larger silver and white balls at the base.
• Insert a few stems of blue spruce around the container’s edges.
• Consider just a single splash of bright color, such as this little red cardinal.

Spring interest:
• White crocus
• White hyacinths
• The pansies will be in full bloom.

Summer interest:
• Replace the pansies with white million bells (Calibrachoa).

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Just a few minutes of your time can transform those container gardens from frumpy to fabulous.

Happy holidays

DC Metro Info – Events, Info & Real Estate Trends

Keeping You Informed About Where You Live

Tag Archives: Real Estate Agent

First-Time Homebuyer Guide

Avoid First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes with This Checklist

Design Your Closet for the Real World

5 Ways to Cut Your Heating Costs

13 Storage Solutions to Banish the Clutter

Lifespan of Modern Home Appliances

Wandering Paths That Take Joy in the Journey

10 Ways to Use Ornamental Grasses

How to Care for Your Home Library

Mastering Your Morning Routine

5 Container Gardens for Fall and Beyond

Avoid First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes with This Checklist

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