How to Spot a Home-Contractor Scam

April 25, 2013 By 3 Comments

Most have integrity, but you have to rely on more than a handshake and your gut

By GEOFF WILLIAMS

April 24, 2013 RSS Feed Print

Couple standing in front of house while contractor points at something

This is the season when the lawn mowers begin roaring, the mulch is spread and homeowners, if they haven’t already, begin thinking about getting that roof fixed or finally putting up a privacy fence. But it isn’t just the sun that comes out. There are also the pests—the ticks, the mosquitoes and the con artists.

As plenty of homeowners are aware, there are ample anecdotes in the media of home-contractor scams. These often con the elderly into either giving up money for no work done, or having work done but at an exorbitant price that wasn’t agreed to. In the last few weeks alone, a 77-year-old man in the Philadelphia area paid for his roof to be repaired only to end up paying to have a useless, tar-like substance splattered across it; in Norfolk, Va., an 83-year-old woman gave a home contractor $4,300 and never saw him again; in San Diego, a con artist has been offering to fix driveways, collecting down payments as high as $2,500 and giving nothing in return.

The anecdotes go on and on. So what should you do if you want a project completed but don’t want to see your name in the local paper, where you’re quoted warning your neighbors not to fall for a scam?

Research your contractor. Everyone thinks they’re doing that, but it isn’t as straightforward as one might think to vet a home contractor.

“In many cases, we see a person posing as a licensed or reputable contractor, and all checks out until the first payment is made to begin the job, and then the subject disappears. We see fake business cards and websites being used, and criminals can assume the identity of a real contractor, register a company or use an alias. The goal is always the first payment,” says Tom Burnett, a spokesman for Wymoo International, a worldwide detective agency headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. Burnett is also a former private eye.

Despite all the tricks a con artist can play, you can vet a contractor, says Burnett. Obviously, there’s the tried-and-true method of using a contractor that a friend or family member swears by, but if you don’t have that avenue, Burnett suggests:

• Contact the Better Business Bureau where the company or contractor operates and check for complaints.

• Ask for references and make sure you actually contact, say, two of them.

• Check to see if the company is registered with its state or your state’s division of corporations.

• You can ask for the contractor’s license number to verify with your state’s Department of Professional Regulation, or your contractor’s state license board or similar office.

• And, of course, search the Internet for whatever you can find on the company.

Be wary of paying upfront. This is tricky, too, because even honest home contractors ask for money upfront, for good reasons. “Let’s say you want your front door put in, and if the contractor makes the order, and you back out, they essentially own that front door,” says Amy Matthews, a home contractor who has hosted numerous DIY Network and HGTV series and is a spokesperson for Home Advisor, an online portal that matches, for free, homeowners with licensed home contractors (homeadvisor.com).

So it isn’t weird for a home contractor to ask for money upfront, but it shouldn’t be astronomical numbers, says Matthews. “It’s very common for home contractors to ask for a percentage, say, 30 percent at the start, 30 percent in the middle and the rest at the end, and you should never pay at the completion until you’ve really looked it over.”

She adds that every state is different, and that in California, home contractors aren’t allowed to ask for more than 10 percent of the job upfront. Meanwhile, some states have no regulations regarding home contracting projects.

It is also wise to pay a home contractor with a credit card instead of forking over a wad of cash or paying with a check. This will give you a record of the payment for the authorities and improve the odds of getting your money back if you are swindled, since credit card companies may refund your money in such situations.

If the proposal isn’t very detailed, that might be a red flag. A home contractor who plans on putting a fence around your yard or fixing your roof isn’t likely to offer up lengthy, detailed plans, but if you want to hire a contractor for a fairly elaborate project, such as a room addition, you’ll want to see some detailed blueprints.

“The less gray areas there are, the better off homeowners will be,” says Nicholas Iarocci, who owns a home contracting company, Source Development, Inc, which services the New York City area. He says detailed plans can “make the homeowner aware of possible additional expenses,” which can help you if the contractor is ethical and if the contractor isn’t. After all, some unethical contractors deliver when it comes to work, but they overcharge. Or they might not plan to destroy your finances but do because of the shoddy way they run their business.

“If an insured contractor brings a day laborer or an employee that’s not on the books, and they get injured, the property owner is directly affected,” says Iarocci. “I collect certificates of insurance from my subcontractors.”

Don’t let yourself be rushed into a project. Some perfectly honest home contractors will come to your house unsolicited, says Matthews. “They’re called storm chasers,” she says, “and there are some very credible contracting companies that look for homes that have been hit after a windstorm or heavy rain, but you still have to do that background check to make sure.”

So if the contractor can’t wait for you to think about their offer, or for you to summon your inner Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew and check them out, stay away. And you should always keep an eye out for that classic red flag waving in the warm, friendly breeze. Sadly, just as there is no free lunch, there is also rarely an extremely cheap lunch.

Says Matthews: “If someone offers to do a really quick job on your house for a really low price, and it sounds too sound to be true, it probably is.”

 

Courtesy of your Arcadia Real Estate Agent

Filed Under: Brettany Harrison, Brian Peralez, Design, Make Over Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Latest Real Estate Buzzwords

February 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 / By Zillow.com 
Top Real Esate Buzzwords

Winter is considered “off season” in the real estate world, but that doesn’t mean that buyers aren’t still out there.

Even in December, when everybody was busy racing around to get ready for the holidays, the number of home sales — including existing homes, foreclosure resales and new home sales — was 8.7 percent higher than in the same month in 2011.

One way to make your home stand out from others during the winter doldrums is to choose words that jump out at potential home buyers when they’re searching through real estate listings.

Desirable features vary depending on price and city, but there are a few universally golden terms at the moment. Daniel Beer, a real estate agent and marketing expert in San Diego, says “open floor plan” and “downstairs master” are popular features everywhere.

“A downstairs master bedroom has long been standard in luxury homes,” Beer said. “But now that requirement has moved down into the middle market, and home builders are responding.”

He says this is especially true among aging baby boomers, who are now focusing on smaller homes with fewer levels and fewer, if any, stairs.

Similarly, the “walkability” of a neighborhood is rising in stature. Green terms such as “solar” and “energy efficient” are red hot. “Low HOA fee” continues to be a popular term in listings all over the U.S. because an estimated 63.4 million — and counting — Americans live under the governance of homeowners associations.

On a more local level, the term “No Mello-Roos” is a welcome phrase in California because it means that a particular property is not subject to a special property tax that’s often levied in newer communities to pay for parks, roads and other infrastructure.

In coastal Southern California “new construction” jumps out because there is currently so little of it while demand is strong.

Seeing the light

“Light and bright” or words to that effect are huge in Manhattan. “I can’t stress enough how important lighting is in New York,” Leslie Lazarus, an agent with DJK Residential, told the Wall Street Journal.

Lighting isn’t as important, of course, in a fair-weather city such as Miami, but a “sunny breakfast room” or nook seems to appeal to people everywhere.

Being as specific as possible with adjectives tends to result in higher sale prices, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Instead of “wood floors,” for example, say “oak floors.”

How about “stainless” and “granite”? Not so hot anymore or even necessary: Those are givens these days if you’ve noted that your kitchen has been “updated,” says Beer, who pointed out that “updated” is a word that always gets attention.

Stainless may not be king much longer anyway, according to Beer. A current hot buzzword in design material, he says, is “Caesarstone,” which is high-quality quartz.

Dropping high-end appliance brand names continues to be an effective “look-at-me!” lure. The biggies are still Sub-Zero, Viking, Bosch and G.E. Monogram, and “anybody considered a chef will demand a kitchen with a Wolf range,” Beer said.

In the bathroom, the coolest brand name is now Toto. “Actually, it has become the Sub-Zero of the toilet world,” Leonard Steinberg, managing director of Douglas Elliman in New York, recently told the New York Times.

Be cautious with the ‘F’ word

People tense up when they see the word “fixer,” and readers often translate the term “investor,” as in “investor special,” as “needs lots of work” (use “income property” instead, Beer counsels).

“The mood of the market right now is for a ‘turn-key’ or ‘move-in-ready’ property,” Beer said.

At times, however, a term like “needs work” is advantageous. First-time buyers are often looking for a fixer-upper in a desirable neighborhood or coveted school district in which they would otherwise be priced out.

Buyers are often put off by hardcore sales lingo such as “Hurry, won’t last!” Some phrases have been so overused that they now put buyers to sleep.

“Gourmet kitchen” and “luxury bath” are also in that category. And the word “rare” is anything but rare in real estate listings — “rare jewel,” “rare opportunity.”

Be careful with vague superlatives, too. Some people believe “charming” means “small.” Others consider “classic” a euphemism for “completely out of date.”

Finally, Laura Lothian, a Pacific Sotheby’s agent in La Mesa, CA, says she has seen the words “open house” more and more frequently in listings all over the U.S.

“It’s a trend I love,” she said. “People are having more open houses, and those open houses are attracting bigger crowds.”

She speculates that there are two reasons behind this trend. Most real estate photos are now taken by professional photographers, she says, so photos are looking more and more alike.

Images can be easily “enhanced,” so people want to get a more realistic look at a place with the electric wires in place and without a Technicolor blue sky.

The second reason open houses are increasing in popularity, Lothian believes, is that people are getting antsy about spending so much of their social lives online in places such as Facebook. “They want to connect with real flesh!”

Courtesy of your Arcadia Real Estate Agent

Filed Under: Brian Peralez, Bussiness, Make Over, Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Improve salability of home riddled with permit issues

February 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

REThink Real Estate

BY TARA-NICHOLLE NELSON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2013.

Inman News®

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=43156006" target="_blank">Kitchen remodel</a> image via Shutterstock.
Kitchen remodel image via Shutterstock.

Q: I’m having trouble selling my place because I added a second kitchen in what was the garage without permits. My bad, but I will have to take it out to get conventional lending. It’s a two-story house with one bedroom (with a walk-in closet), a living room and kitchen in the upstairs unit. The downstairs has a kitchen and dining area in the converted garage space, another room that can be used as a bedroom with closet space under the stairwell, and a three-quarter bath.

This is on one acre of horse property on a dirt road with a section of state land across the street. It was listed last summer and had four offers within a month, but because I didn’t have the permits for the second kitchen no lender will finance the place.

Here’s my question: Should I spend the money to install a real closet in the downstairs bedroom, or just leave it as it is? –Jan

A: It sounds like the big selling point of your place is its fundamentals, the land, the horse zoning and the location near the undeveloped/state land. But as you’ve been through this odyssey with trying to get this place sold, I can tell that you are in danger of getting off track and unfocused with respect to how you move forward. Here’s how I’d suggest you avoid that:

1. Solve for the real problem. Stay focused on solving for the real problem that stopped you from selling the place the first go-round. If you had four offers right off the bat when you listed it, I would say that adding a closet is really not going to increase your chances of selling the place this go-round. Stay strategic and devote your additional investment and preparation efforts to what really matters: rendering the place mortgage-worthy and salable by either removing the second kitchen or obtaining permits for it.

That said, if you happen to know that the downstairs kitchen was a big selling point for the buyers who made offers before and you decide to remove it before relisting the place, then I’d say you can put the closet conversation back on the table. It might, in fact, limit how some buyers might like to use that living space, but I’d first talk with your agent and get her sense for whether the earlier buyer feedback suggests that a closet would be greatly valuable in that room to the average buyer for your property. I just doubt that a closet will be a major deal maker or breaker on a property that already had such a high level of buyer interest without the closet.

2. Don’t make the same mistake twice. To carve out an exception to my earlier advice, if installing a closet gets you an additional, legal bedroom, then you should consider doing it. That would allow you to list the home as a two-bedroom vs. a one-bedroom — and that does have major, incremental buyer-attracting value. But for that to happen, you’d have to apply for permits to turn the space into a bedroom with a closet. The fact that it is under a stairwell makes me suspect that it might not qualify for bedroom status, but talk that over with your agent and a local, licensed contractor.

And be aware that if you do apply for permits to turn the open space into a bedroom, you could be opening up a can of worms by inviting inspectors into the property who may begin to require other upgrades of the property to current building code standards. Given that you’ve heavily modified the home already without permits, this could be a train you’ll wish desperately you could put back in the station — and might not be worth the risk, even if you do think you could get an extra legal bedroom out of a closet addition.

3. Don’t assume removing the kitchen is the only solution. Allow me to add one more layer of complexity to this decision tree you face. Is it possible that you can get permits for the downstairs kitchen? Talk with your agent. If she feels like the property will get just as much buyer interest and just as many offers if you just pull the kitchen out, because of the nature of the place, then I’d say you should do that.

But if the downstairs “unit” was a primary reason buyers were interested last time, talk with your agent and contractor about whether it’s possible to cost-effectively get the kitchen permitted. If so, consider going that route, but do keep in mind the reality that applying for permits on the kitchen might expose you to additional inspector demands, like upgrades to electrical and other systems. So make sure you have a trusted, legitimate contractor on board who can tell you in advance what such demands would likely be.

Tara-Nicholle Nelson is a real estate broker, attorney and the author of two critically acclaimed books on real estate. Tara also speaks and writes on the art and science of life transformation at RETHINK7.com.

Courtesy of your Arcadia Real Estate Agent

Filed Under: Make Over, Market Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Eight ways to improve your home appraisal

January 25, 2013 By Leave a Comment
  • By Lou Carlozo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When Kellie and Michael May decided to refinance their home in the New York suburbs, they wanted to take advantage of historically low interest rates. But before landing a new 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, they had to get through a home appraisal.

“It was a major stumbling block,” says Kellie May, who has owned the 4-bedroom, 3-bath colonial for seven years. Not that she and her husband were unprepared; they’d been through an appraisal for another refinance in 2010, so they knew to point out improvements they’d made to the 3,400 square foot home, and supply prices for other neighborhood properties that had sold recently.

But the appraisal came back roughly $70,000 less than the $1,230,000 the Mays were expecting, and too low to support their new loan.

They responded with a paperwork arsenal aimed at their lender, asserting that the appraisal had been based on faulty recent sales data. The loan squeaked through, after the bank crafted an exception for the Mays. It was able to do that because their loan was a jumbo loan, not subject to the more rigid underwriting standards they would have encountered if it were a conventional loan aimed at secondary buyers like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Low appraisals are becoming a bigger problem for many would-be buyers and refinancers as home values have started to stabilize and rise in some markets.

In Leesburg, Florida, for example, low appraisals have caused the cancellation of as many as 15 percent of home sales for local real estate broker Gus Grizzard.

“We are seeing higher price appreciation and are starting to run into appraisal problems,” said Charlie Young, chief executive officer of ERA Franchise Systems, a firm with a national network of real estate brokerage offices, including Grizzard’s. The National Association of Realtors reported on Tuesday that inventories of homes were low and the median price a home resale was, at $180,800 in December, up 11.5 percent in a year.

Appraisals are based on recent sales prices of comparable properties. And in rising price markets, those sales prices might not be high enough to support the newest deals. Young said there were many places in California reporting appraisal problems.

On Friday, the federal government issued new rules aimed at improving the appraisal process as it pertains to high-interest mortgages on rapidly appreciating homes.

But those rules don’t go into effect for a year, and don’t apply to most conventional loans. It pays to protect your own loan before the bank even thinks about sending that guy with the clipboard over to your house.

“The reality is that the appraiser is only there for 30 minutes at most,” says Brian Coester, chief executive of CoesterVMS, a nationwide appraisal management company based in Rockville, Maryland. “The best thing a homeowner can do to get the highest appraisal possible is make sure they have all the important features of the home readily available for the appraiser.”

Here are eight ways you can bolster your appraisal:

MAKE SURE APPRAISER KNOWS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Is the appraiser from within a 10-mile radius of your property? “This is one of the first questions you should ask the appraiser,” says Ben Salem, a real estate agent with Rodeo Realty in Beverly Hills, California.

He recalled a recent case where an appraiser visited an unfamiliar property in nearby Orange County and produced an appraisal that Salem said was $150,000 off. “If the appraiser doesn’t know the area intimately, chances are the appraisal will not come back close to what a property is really worth.”

You can request that your lender send a local appraiser; if that still doesn’t happen, supply as much information as you can about the quality of your neighborhood.

PROVIDE YOUR OWN COMPARABLES

Provide your appraiser with at least three solid and well-priced comparable properties. You will save her some work, and insure that she is getting price information from homes that really are similar to yours.

Websites including Realtor.com, Zillow and Trulia offer recent sales prices and details such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms in a home.

KNOW WHAT ADDS THE MOST VALUE

If you’re going to do minor renovations, start with your kitchen and bathrooms, says G. Stacy Sirmans, a professor of real estate at Florida State University. He reviewed 150 variables that affect home values for a study sponsored by the National Association of Realtors. Wood floors, landscaping and an enclosed garage can also drive up appraisals.

DOCUMENT YOUR FIX-UPS

If you’ve put money into the house, prove it, says Salem.

“Before-and-after photos, along with a well-defined spreadsheet of what was spent on each renovation, should persuade an appraiser to turn in a number that far exceeds what he or she first called out.”

Don’t forget to highlight all-important structural improvements to electrical systems, heating and cooling systems – which are harder to see, but can dramatically boost an appraisal. Show receipts.

TALK UP YOUR TOWN

If your town has recently seen exciting developments, such as upscale restaurants, museums, parks or other amenities, make sure your appraiser knows about them, says Craig Silverman, principal and chief appraiser at Silverman & Co. in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN UPSTAIRS AND DOWNSTAIRS

Many homeowners covet that refinished basement, but that doesn’t mean appraisers look at it the same way. “Improvements and additions made below grade, such as a finished basement, do not add to the overall square footage of your house,” says John Walsh, president of Total Mortgage Services in New York. “So they don’t add anywhere near as much value as improvements made above grade.”

According to Remodeling magazine, a basement renovation that cost $63,000 in 2011-12 will recoup roughly 66 percent of that in added home value. That’s not as good as an attic bedroom, which will recoup 73 percent of its cost. Even similar bedrooms typically count for more if they are upstairs instead of downstairs.

CLEAN UP

Even jaded appraisers can be swayed by a good looking yard. “Tree trimming, cleaning up, a few flowers in the flower beds and paint touch up can all help the appraisal,” says Agnes Huff, a real estate investor based in Los Angeles.

That advice holds true indoors, too. “Get rid of all the clutter in your home,” says Jonathan Miller, a longtime appraiser in New York. “It makes the home appear larger.”

GIVE THE APPRAISER SOME SPACE

Don’t follow the appraiser around like a puppy. “I can’t tell you how many homeowners or listing agents follow me around in my personal space during the inspection,” he says. “It’s a major red flag there is a problem with the home.”

And while you’re at it, make the appraiser’s job as pleasant as possible by giving your home a pleasant smell. At a minimum, clean out the litter box. Baking some fresh cookies and offering him one or two probably won’t sway your appraisal, nor should it. But it couldn’t hurt.

(The writer is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed are his own.)

Courtesy of your Arcadia Real Estate Agent

Filed Under: For Sale, Make Over Tagged With: , , , , , ,

First impressions are made at the front door

January 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Home’s entrance is seldom high on remodeling priorities

BY ARROL GELLNER, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013.

Inman News®

Front door of a <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=75275389" target="_blank">Georgian era townhouse</a> in Salisbury, England image via Shutterstock.Front door of a Georgian era townhouse in Salisbury, England image via Shutterstock.

Have you ever been to a house where you had to skirt the gas meter or sidle around garbage cans to get to the front door? Or one where there was such a bewildering array of doors, you weren’t sure which one to knock at?

The front entrance is seldom high on people’s remodeling priorities. Yet, just like that old saw about first impressions, it’s your home’s entrance that people notice first. It’s practically impossible to rectify a bad impression made at the front door.

Tract-home builders have known this for years; even in the cheapest house, they’ll never cut corners on the front door. They know that a strong impression of quality here subtly colors a visitor’s perception of the whole house.

For much of architectural history, front entrances have been a focal point of a home’s design. In colonial New England, for example, the front door was often flanked by sidelights and topped by a pediment, setting it apart from an otherwise austere facade.

The entrance should also be clearly apparent from the street. That doesn’t mean it has to be glaringly exposed to view — just that its location should be easily deduced by an unfamiliar passerby. Architects call this principle “demarcation.”

There are lots of subtle ways to demarcate a front entrance. The most common is to surround the door with an architectural form such as a pediment or other type of trim. Another traditional strategy places the door in a recess, on a projection, or under a roofed porch. You can find a well-known example of the latter on the back of a $20 bill.

Here are some thoughts for planning your own grand entrance:

  • Don’t place an unsheltered entrance door flush with the front wall of the house; it’ll create an unwelcoming “side door” or trailer-door effect.
  • Don’t bring the path to the front door past utilities such as gas or electric meters, or past unsightly storage areas for trash or the like. Keep these kinds of features out of the visitor’s line of sight.
  • Don’t force visitors to walk on a driveway to get to your front door. Provide a separate walking path, or at least set aside a portion of the driveway paving using a different color or texture so it’s clearly meant just for those on foot.
  • If you plan to provide a covered entrance porch, make it at least 6 feet wide — enough for a person to stretch out both arms without touching either wall. Anything less will feel cramped and uncomfortable. Also, make the porch at least 4 feet deep (6 feet is better), or it’ll feel cramped when more than one person is waiting outside the front door. A cheaper alternative to building a projecting porch is simply to recess the front door. Again, make the recess at least 6 feet wide, and not less than 2 feet deep.
  • Lastly, if your house has several doors facing the street, make sure your front approach aims your visitors toward the main entrance. Your front door may seem obvious to you, but, hey, you live there.

Courtesy of your Arcadia Real Estate Agent

Filed Under: Brian Peralez, Bussiness, Design, For Sale, Make Over Tagged With: , , , ,

HOMESCHOOL: LIVING IN CONVERTED SCHOOL BUILDINGS

September 26, 2012 By 2 Comments

 

HOMESCHOOL: LIVING IN CONVERTED SCHOOL BUILDINGS


When I was younger, I often fantasized about being locked in school overnight. While I was never very gung ho about school during the day (you could often find me doodling away during math class), there was something oddly alluring about the idea of having the whole place to myself. I imagined strolling around deserted corridors, drawing murals on the chalkboards, climbing ropes in the gym and wreaking havoc in the auditorium. Sometimes this fantasy extended beyond the idea of being stuck in school to actually living there. School never particularly caught my fancy as a place of education, but as a place for living? By golly — it was palatial! I would sometimes express my living-in-school fantasy to friends, but nobody seemed to share my enthusiasm. “Why on earth would you want to spend any more time at school than you need to?”, they would ask. Still, the idea never really left my mind. Today, I still wonder what it would be like to buy an old, crumbling schoolhouse and turn it into anactual house. Luckily, in recent years, I haven’t had to imagine. Across the country, developers have been turning old elementary and high schools into apartments and even hotels. Here’s a quick roundup of some notable ones! — Max


The Oak School Lofts, Buffalo

Built in 1915, the building at 362 Oak Street in downtown Buffalo, NY, housed Buffalo’s Alternative High School until 2004. After the school shut down, Rocco Termini, a visionary developer responsible for rejuvenating many of Buffalo’s forgotten spaces, took over the property and converted it into loft spaces. Although the lofts at the Oak School are luxurious (many feature gas fireplaces and plasma televisions), efforts were taken to preserve the look and feel of the building’s original purpose. Many of the classroom-converted apartments still have their original chalkboards, hardwood maple floors, ceiling molding and giant 5 x 10 windows. Additionally, the public spaces of the building have been lovingly renovated to their more or less original state. When one enters the building, one gets the sneaking sense that they are actually at school — original water fountains and bookshelves populate the halls, and frosted windowpanes on apartment doors still have their classroom numbers emblazoned on them. According to Jason Termini, Rocco’s son, the goal of repurposing such gems is to combat suburban sprawl and bring life back to the urban center. “You don’t throw out a person when they get old,” he says, “so why a building?”

TheBuffaloLofts.com. Above images courtesy of Jill Greenberg and Oak Street Lofts.


Kennedy School Hotel, Portland

Like the Oak School Lofts in Buffalo, the Kennedy School in Portland opened its doors to students in 1915. Over the course of the 20th century, the school pulled double duty after hours, serving as a public meeting hall, polling place, blood donation center and weekend playground. Unfortunately, the school was forced to shut its doors in 1975 due to lowered enrollment and disrepair. Heartbroken, community activists petitioned to preserve the school and ultimately saved it. In 1997, McMenamins, a local hospitality group dedicated to repurposing old buildings, converted it into one of Portland’s most unique destinations. With 57 guest rooms (many with classroom features still intact), a couch-filled movie theater, its own brewery, soaking pool and charm to spare, the Kennedy School hotel is the perfect home away from home.

5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR. Above photos courtesy of Liz Devine and McMenamins.


Old St. Francis School Hotel, Bend, OR

Also owned by McMenamins, the Old St. Francis School Hotel was built in 1936 and was originally a Catholic schoolhouse. Today, the school’s classrooms have been converted into lodging spaces, and the hotel boasts dozens of unconventional amenities such as a pub, a bakery, a brewery, a movie theater and a majestic soaking pool with delightful arabesque features.

700 NW Bond St., Bend, OR. Above photos courtesy of Liz Devine and McMenamins.


Above images: 279 Sterling Place and 205 Warren Street in Brooklyn, both old schoolhouses converted into lofts and condos.

More

While this post focuses on just three school-to-living-space conversions, there are dozens more where these came from. All over, it seems, developers are feeling the itch to go back to school and are turning once abandoned local treasures into rejuvenated homes. Here are a few more notable conversions:

COURTESY OF YOUR NUMBER ONE ARCADIA REAL ESTATE AGENT

 

Filed Under: Community, Make Over Tagged With: , ,

6 Kitchens, 6 DIY Updates

August 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Get inspired to give your own kitchen a fresh look with ideas from these affordable, do-it-yourself fixes

 While an incredible kitchen remodel is impressive, sometimes a quick fix is all a kitchen needs — or all you can afford. These Houzz users got creative with their spaces, sticking to the basics but still creating a fresh new look. From new paint colors to clever countertop solutions to a smart layout fix, these six Houzzers managed to update their kitchens on tight budgets.
tsemdkel before
1. Cabinetry refresh in New HampshireBEFORE: Although the existing cabinets in tsemdkel‘s 1975 ranch were well built, they darkened the already poorly lit space. With a quick coat of paint and a new hardwood floor, the style changed dramatically.
traditional kitchen Small Kitchen Before/Afters
AFTER: The owner kept the original backsplash for its classic look and installed new countertops. By taking down a wall that separated the kitchen from the den, she was also able to let more light into the space. “I now have a wonderful, sunny great room where there were two small, dark spaces before,” she says.New kitchen size: 13 by 12 feet
Budget: $10,000. The owner designed the space with the help of her mother, who’s an interior designer.
Location: Durham, New Hampshire
sarah gayle carter before
2. Bachelor’s barn in MaineWhen designer Sarah Carter moved to Maine to live in a converted barn with a new boyfriend, she found herself having to cook in a chaotic kitchen.”My South-African, ex-Rugby-playing guy was cute, but clearly oblivious to his surroundings,” she says.
kitchen Small Kitchen Before/Afters
AFTER: Most of her budget went toward infrastructure changes — rewiring, putting in new outlets and track lighting, and installing on-demand hot water were musts. The flooring is simple DIY self-stick vinyl tiles, and the countertop was updated with a simple, stainless steel substrate. Ikea cabinetry and shelves and salvaged furniture provided the final — and affordable — touches.New kitchen size: 20 by 15 feet
Budget: $12,000, work done entirely on her own
Location: Bristol, Maine
capucine28 before
traditional kitchen Small Kitchen Before/Afters
3. New paint and counter finishes in QuebecAFTER: The bones of capucine28‘s kitchen were pretty good, so she knew that she could do the cosmetic work on her own. Sanding and varnishing the cabinets and painting the knobs refreshed the space, as did a fresh coat of soft yellow paint. Scrubbing the floor tiles and cleaning the grout revealed a decent kitchen floor. But the biggest change was on the countertop, which she refinished using the Encore Countertop system for a natural cement look.New kitchen size: 11 1/2 by 14 1/2 feet
Budget: $600 CAN, work done entirely on her own
Location: Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
malena before
traditional kitchen Small Kitchen Before/Afters
4. Simple floorplan fix in MassachusettsAFTER: Houzz user malena933 knew her kitchen needed an upgrade but she was on a tight budget. Instead of knocking everything out, she had her father carefully remove some of the cabinetry so she could turn the floorplan from a C to a more of a U shape. She repurposed almost all her cabinetry and hired a college student to help her install it in the new configuration.New paint and trim to match the original house gave the kitchen consistency.New kitchen size: 9 by 9 feet
Budget: about $10,000. The owner did all the work except electrical and plumbing.
Location: Monument Beach, Massachusetts
mizzyc before
traditional kitchen Small Kitchen Before/Afters
5. Empty nest revamp in TexasAFTER: As the mother of three boys and the manager of a miniature donkey ranch, Houzz usermizzyc didn’t have the time to update her kitchen until her boys were out of the house. Although she had built it in 1994 with materials meant to withstand three sons, it now felt outdated and inefficient. She got creative with materials and installation to cut down on costs. Granite was the major splurge, but tile from Home Depot and Lowe’s and a sink and faucet found online saved some serious cash.New kitchen size: 14 by 20 feet
Budget: $4,000, owner made the changes herself
Location: Lufkin, Texas
pfmorgan1416 before
traditional kitchen Small Kitchen Before/Afters
6. Countertop Changes in AlabamaAFTER: Houzz user pfmorgan1416 set out to redo her kitchen on her own. A DIY subway backsplash, minor carpentry changes and new hardware dressed up the space dramatically — but she was still plagued with a dark green, ’80s style laminate countertop. In the end, she decided to splurge and contract out for a new granite countertop that made a world of difference. Next up: A new, dark hardwood floor.New kitchen size: 12 by 12 feet
Budget: Done on her own over many years. The $1,500 granite countertop was biggest splurge.
Location: Alabama 

COURTESY OF YOUR NUMBER ONE ARCADIA REAL ESTATE AGENT
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Living Room Makeover for Less

May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

What does it take for a so-so living room to soar? A single weekend, a few crafty ideas, and accessories under $100!

By Jourdan Crouch

 

Dana Gallagher

Living Room Makeover for Less

The difference really is, as they say, in the details, whether that’s a new lipstick, a touch of truffle oil, or in this case, pillows and paint. The living room above already had a lot going for it: a rough-hewn coffee table, a versatile sofa by Cisco Brothers, and a gorgeous ceramic garden stool. But apply one shopping trip’s worth of accessories—all under $100—and this just-okay space turns remarkably elegant.Homemade artwork and creative DIY lamps provide added personality, while refined textiles (including a classic ticking stripe for $2 a yard) deliver real polish—resulting in an “after” that exudes rich style without pulling too tightly on the purse strings.

Read more: Cheap Living Room Decorating Ideas – Decorating a Living Room on a Budget – Country Living

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