Long Beach Home Kitchen RemodelsLong Beach Home Kitchen Remodels - Nothing increases the appeal or saleability of Long Beach Homes and Condos more than a great kitchen and bath remodel.Long Beach Homes - Kitchen Remodels
Where do you start?
The key is in the design. If your kitchen is the center of activity in your home then the design needs to accommodate that. Consumers are seeking more integration, more space and more high-end features in today's kitchen remodels. They want a kitchen they can be proud of and show off.
In most older Long Beach Homes kitchens are very closed off, separate rooms, removed from the activities of the family, Formal Dining rooms sit largely unused. Many Long Beach Homeowners are opting to tear out the doors and walls between the kitchen and dining room and are incorporating the square footage into a more useful, functional and attractive space, integrating the kitchen with the rest of the home.
While some homeowners are still opting for white cabinetry, the current trend is towards the darker woods, light cherry and maple are the most popular with some interest in hickory as well. Oak is so out!
Consumers are concentrating on the design and style, choosing more streamlined cabinets with less detail, instead placing more emphasis on pulls and hinges.
Granite countertops have long been a favorite and still are. Other popular countertop materials such as glass, wood and concrete are providing options for one of a kind looks. Many homeowners are combining and incorporating different materials together for a unique look. Use of decorative concrete is very popular in the Downtown Long Beach Lofts, greatly enhancing the appeal of the Manhattan style loft lifestyle.
Hewn and Hammered, a subsidiary of Rejuvenation.com published a wonderful article a while back on unique remodeling materials which I thought was outstanding. While you may or may not be interested in their suggestions, the read really gets the mind working on the endless possibilities that are available in today's market. Rejuvenation.com is a great resource if you are considering a home remodel of an older or historic home.
Consumers are purchasing Energy Star rated appliances with their kitchen remodel. The majority are leaning toward the higher-end stainless models which work best with the more streamlined designs.
Green building materials are becoming more available, for instance Richlite countertops, which are made from paper believe it or not. These countertops blend well with the sleeker look consumers seem to crave.
Green building choices have not made the impact that many have hoped that they will. I wonder if it is because we are just not as familiar with what is available or because we just have our minds set on granite or another equally as popular surface? They certainly are a viable option.
This Downtown Long Beach Condo Kitchen Remodel reflects some of the above mentioned design styles and materials:
A well thought out and nicely designed kitchen and bath remodel can make the difference in whether a buyer decides to write an offer on your Long Beach Home or another. These are upgrades worth considering.
If you are considering a future sale and are remodeling in anticipation of that sale, it is wise to consult with your Realtor. We work with and know what Long Beach Homebuyers are looking for in their new homes. A consultation could make the difference in the amount you net at the closing table. It would be our pleasure to work with you prior to sale; call Laurie (562) 212-5420.
Thinking about a remodel of your Long Beach Home? You may also find this article helpful: Long Beach Home Bathroom Remodels
http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/009017
Posted on July 12, 2009 19:00:00 by Laurie Manny Professional Group
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Nothing increases the appeal or saleability of Long Beach Homes and Condos more than a great kitchen and bath remodel. With all of the information and choices out there it can get pretty confusing for a consumer. 
Allowing more natural light to stream in can create the illusion of more space. Many are adding additional windows, skylights or are just increasing the size of existing windows. 
Summer in Long Beach California - Reduce Your Energy Costs and Stay CoolSummer in Long Beach California - Reduce Your Energy Costs and Stay CoolSummer in Long Beach California
Long Beach Real Estate
Reduce Your Energy Costs and Stay Cool
Lazy days and cooler temperatures are a normal summer, if you live in Long Beach California. Unlike the hell of the valleys and the inland empire, in Long Beach the breeze travels in over the ocean cooling the air as it wafts in over us divinely. Most homes anywhere near the beach dont even have air conditioning. For the most part we dont need it. We have adapted to our lovely weather.
Does that mean it doesnt get hot in Long Beach? Not on your life! It can get absolutely molten here, and does, but usually only for about 2 weeks of the year total. I keep an air conditioner in my bedroom window, but I don't use it much.
Even with our lovely climate our homes do hold in the heat, and an attic temperature can reach in excess of 120 degrees, holding unwelcome heat in your home. Our homes can stay uncomfortably warm until about 10:00 PM, while the air outside is cool. Using fans to move air through your home can help but doesnt really cool down the house, because the air in the attic is still cooking.
Solution:
A whole house fan installed in your attic is the way to go in your Long Beach home. Open some windows, turn on the whole house fan. It pulls the cool air in from outside pushing the existing air in the home up into the attic which pushes the molten attic air out of the home. Let the fan run for about 10 minutes and all of the air in both your home and attic is refreshed and as cool as the outdoors.
Whole house fans are easy to install. They are designed to fit between the joists in the attic, either 16' or 24'. The opening for the fan, usually installed in a hallway ceiling, is approximately 14.5' by 22.5'. Easily installed, if you are handy.
The bonus? You save big on your electric bill. A 5 ton air conditioning unit can use more than 6000 watts per hour. A typical whole house fan uses only about 118 to 600 watts, and you are only running in for short bursts several times a day to refresh the air.
Personally I think it pays to have a whole house fan installed even if you have air conditioning. Air conditioning is not necessary most of the time down here at the beach. It is really nice to be able to keep cool, fresh air running through your home, to be able to keep your windows open and to be comfortable in your home.
Enjoy your summer, and stay cool.
Home Buyer Tips:
(Direct feeds from the Southern California MLS)
Long Beach Homes For Sale
Long Beach Condos For Sale
Long Beach Income Properties For Sale
http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/008FED
Posted on July 07, 2009 19:00:00 by Laurie Manny Professional Group
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Property Tax Relief for Long Beach and Los Angeles County Homeowners? Not Without An AppraisalProperty Tax Relief for Los Angeles County Homeowners? Not Without An Appraisal - The Los Angeles County assessor's office on Monday announced completion of their automaticProperty Tax Relief for Long Beach and Los Angeles County Homeowners?Not Without An Appraisal
The Los Angeles County assessor's office on Monday announced completion of their automatic "decline-in-value" reassessments that reviewed 473,000 homes purchased between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2008. This review resulted in 330,000 county residences qualifying for automatic reductions in their October 2009 tax bill. Homeowners with qualifying properties will be notified of the results in writing by June 30. Those who were not reviewed can file for free with the Assessor's Office until December 31. According to the assessor, the average reduction in assessed values for single-family residences was $126,000, for an average tax savings of $1,400 per year. Condos saw averaged reductions of $96,000, for savings of about $1,100 per year. Just how generous the savings will be on an individual basis is hard to say. Presumably, homeowners that purchased between 2005 - 2007 will see the bulk of the savings, while others may not see as large a reduction. But with budgets on the brink throughout the State, should anyone should expect assessor largesse? Not without your own appraisal. Two reasons:
If you've been watching the news, you know prices continued sliding into this year. So homeowners accepting their auto-assessment might not be maximizing the savings they otherwise could see. In two recent tax-reduction cases, the homeowners handed me their reduced-assessment notices sent to them by the assessor. Both assessments were --- get this --- high by about $150,000. (Which explains why they called me to begin with.) If either case reflects at all the data the assessor's using to calculate 2009 taxes, you want to get a second opinion. To know if you property was reviewed, click here. If your property was not reviewed, or you didn't qualify even though you bought your home between June 30, 2003 and July 1, 2008, download a copy of the Decline-in-Value Reassessment Application then call for us a consultation-it's free. PS. You want to get your options out of the way quickly, the deadline to file an appeal with the Assessment Appeals Board is November 30. Los Angeles County Tax Assessors Office500 West Temple Street Room 286Los Angeles, CA 90012Rick Auerbach, Assessor213-974-3211assessor.lacounty.gov
Also see: LA Times: Property tax relief coming for more than 330,000 L.A. County homeowners
Read Also: Property Tax Reassessments in Long Beach & Southern California
http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/009824
Posted on June 05, 2009 16:24:38 by Laurie Manny Professional Group
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Newspapers are DEAD! Long live the WEB! Long Beach Real Estate NewsNewspapers are DEAD! Long live the WEB! Long Beach homeowners thinking about selling need to know why marketing their homes on the internet is critical to the sale of their home, learn more here...Long Beach Real Estate News
Newspapers are DEAD! Long live the WEB!
Back in February of 2007 Arthur Sulzberger, owner, chairman and publisher of the NY Times was asked in this article: Given the constant erosion of the printed press, do you see the New York Times still being printed in five years?
His response:
"I really don't know whether we'll be printing the Times in five years, and you know what? I don't care either," he says.
When asked if it would be free Sulzberger commented:
No, Sulzberger says. If you want to read the New York Times online, you will have to pay. Fast forward to September of 2007, just a few months later, and the Times announces that it will no longer charge for its online version siting for the reason: The move is an acknowledgment by The Times that making Web site visitors pay for content would not bring in as much money as making it available for free and supporting it with advertising. "We now believe by opening up all our content and unleashing what will be millions and millions of new documents, combined with phenomenal growth, that that will create a revenue stream that will more than exceed the subscription revenue," Schiller said. If the New York Times realized that a pay to read model wasn't going to work, the Long Beach Press Telegram doesn't stand a chance! In response to the February article I wrote an article and posted it on a large social networking site, open for comments, The article received 72 comments - some hilarious, all with very interesting viewpoints on pay for online news and the future of print news and advertising.
Do you really think it is not possible to find reliable news for free? I cannot imagine anybody paying for news service or feeds five years from now, we can already access this information through feeds for free. I can only imagine the innovations in the tech world in the next five years.
The news industry has a long history with the real estate industry nationwide. A huge chunk of their income has traditionally been earned from real estate and related companies and Realtors® placing ads for services and advertising clients properties. This is occurring on a vastly smaller scale currently and continuing to shrink. One would immediately think that the reason real estate advertising and marketing revenues have dropped is because of the current state of the economy and the real estate industry. While this would be partially correct, the real estate industry began to gravitate away from print marketing and advertising long before the current state of the economy and the industry. The advent of the Internet and the reception and adoption by the general public/consumers is staggering.
In 2006 Time Magazine's Person of the year was "YOU"! An interesting observation from the article:
It's about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.
As the real estate industry began to crumble the news industry, having problems of its own, made matters worse by sensationalizing the troubles of the industry and reporting their misguided opinions as facts adding further fuel to the fire. The real estate industry, feeling scathed by the media found themselves no longer wanting to pay to advertise in their rags and began to turn to the Internet. So did the consumer.
While it is entertaining, sensationalized news is not informative and skews real facts. A great example of this can be found in this fantastic article involving Stephen Gandel a senior writer for Money Magazine, where he completely misguided real estate buyers into "going it alone", infuriating the real estate industry nationwide, and sending the market into an absurd tizzy for weeks. Be sure to read the comments, they are very enlightening. The discussion regarding Mr. Gandel's faux pas continues in this article from the blog site of one of the agents he interviewed for the aforementioned article (one of Spencer's top read posts). It's a really good read if you are interested.
Dennis Miller joked about this as well. From The O'reilly Factor :
Used to be "All the News That's Fit to Print."
"Now it's "All the News That Fits," We Print!"
Maybe better stated as "All the news that's fit to twist"!
As a result of all of this turmoil surrounding the news industry, the real estate industry moved online as did the real estate consumer, further drying out the revenues of the news industry. Today it is said that over 80% of all buyers are searching the web for both homes and Realtors®. The heavy traffic received on our consumer sites is a testament to this.
If you are considering selling your Long Beach Home or Condo, it is imperative that your property is found on the Internet. You will need to hire a tech savvy Long Beach Realtor® to promote, market and advertise your property. Internet marketing is what drives traffic to your listing. Traffic is what you need to drive offers in.
We at the Laurie Manny Professional Group enjoy organic positioning at the top of the engines driving massive buyer traffic to your Long Beach and Southern California listings. If your Long Beach home or condo is properly priced and presented, professionally marketed on the Internet and you are represented by a seasoned and well versed Long Beach Realtor®, you have best positioned yourself to sell your Long Beach home. If you are considering selling your Long Beach home or condo contact us today to learn what we can do for you which is above and beyond what all others can and why. Or just call to find out what is going on in the Long Beach Real Estate Market, we would be happy to chat with you.
Read Also:
http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/009813
Posted on June 03, 2009 20:33:29 by Laurie Manny Professional Group
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Newspaper readership has been dying on the vine for several years now as more readers abandon print versions for news on the web. Recent 
Before the economy and the real estate industry began its decline it was becoming painfully obvious that paper advertising and marketing were no longer having the impact or garnering the reception they had in the past, the effectiveness was waning at an incredible rate. Business was dropping off rapidly making it an expensive and undesirable form of promoting both businesses and client listings. Consumer contact from print media had dropped to a dribble making this an ineffective business tool and expense. Many in the real estate industry realized that major change was in the wind, the way we marketed and advertised our business and client properties was about to undergo a major overhaul. It was time to start investigating other options and avenues. Best Real Estate Blogs in Los AngelesBest Real Estate Blogs in Los Angeles-Long Beach Real Estate blog by Realtor Laurie Manny is named Best Los Angeles area real estate blog by relocation...
Relocation.com is roaming around the country revealing the best real estate blogs in each city. The Long Beach Real Estate Home Blog is very pleased they have included us in this prestigious group of excellent blogs.
Best Los Angeles Real Estate Blogs per Relocation.com are:
If you are thinking about Relocating to Long Beach California we have put together an exhaustive resource guide that will come in handy.
http://www.longbeachrealestatehome.com/00972A
Posted on May 07, 2009 17:00:09 by Laurie Manny Professional Group
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To begin your search for the perfect home or to sell your home in the Long Beach area, begin your journey by calling Laurie Manny at (562) 212-5420.
