Whitney Minnich Real Estate and Community Updates

5 Hints at the Future of Home Design February 25, 2019   Melissa Dittmann Tracey Bolder color schemes and more usage of brass were among some of the latest home design trends—which focused particularly on the kitchen and bathroom—featured on the expo floor at last week’s 2019 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.   Hosted jointly by the National Association of Home Builders and the Kitchen & Bath Association, the trade show brought together more than 80,000 builders and architects who offered forecasts for the new-home construction, remodeling, and home design industries. Here’s a look at some of the hottest design trends that were on display. 1. Striking Cabinetry Bolder hues were gracing kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, walls, and even sinks. Kohler delivered a colorful punch with a bathroom design that included a purple sink, purple claw-foot bathtub, blue sinks, and a black toilet. Homeowners are starting to branch away from neutral grays, and

How Homeowners Are Funding Home Renovations December 6, 2018 Secured financing is the key to how many homeowners are paying for home upgrades, according to a new survey from home remodeling website Houzz and Bank of America. Owners who used secured financing were able to fund much larger home improvement projects, too, at nearly three times the median spending of those who paid for renovations with cash only ($32,000 versus $13,000), the study showed. More homeowners are turning to the equity they’ve accumulated in their homes. Those with mortgages have seen their home equity more than double since 2011. HELOCs—home equity line of credit—are the most common form of secured financing. HELOC originations totaled $157 billion in 2017, which is more than 60 percent of consumer real estate–secured financing, according to the study. Consumers surveyed said the top motivations for using a HELOC were ease of use (39 percent), low cost (38 percent), quick access to fu

Millennials Are Active Home Remodelers Too DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2015 As home prices rise, home owners – across all age groups -- are sprucing up their homes again, according to the fourth annual Houzz & Home survey, based on responses from more than 170,000 U.S. respondents and 260,000 respondents globally. Millennial home owners were found to be just as active when it comes to remodeling as other generations. The key motivation for renovation projects among the 25-34-year-old crowd is making a newly purchased home their own. "While still a small group, millennial home owners are just as active as older generations when it comes to renovating and decorating," says Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz. "Because of delayed home ownership, we have historically known very little about their preferences when it comes to their home updates. However our data show that millennial views on resale value, energy efficiency, healthy ho