Tag Archive | "Good"

4 Good Reasons to Have a Roofing Contractor Roof Your Home in the Winter

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If you live in an area of the country, such as Massachusetts, with harsh winters you might be wondering why anyone would consider roof replacement in the winter time. Well, it’s not as uncommon as you might think. Many roofing contractors offer their services year round even in cold and snowy regions like Massachusetts, which is where I’m from. Roofing Massachusetts homes during the winter is no different for a roofing contractor than doing it any other time of the year, with a few exception, and some roofing contractors and there crews even say that they prefer it. First let’s go over what makes roofing more difficult this time of year and the arguments against having a new roof installed right now.

It’s too cold outside for a roof replacement.

This argument just doesn’t hold any water. It may be cold out now but who cares? Your roof doesn’t care. The crew installing your roof doesn’t care. Don’t worry about the guys doing the installation. If the cold weather bothered them that much they wouldn’t be up there installing your new roof in the first place, they would be working an indoor job. I know a lot of guys that prefer roofing in cold weather just because it is cold. Try roofing a black roof in the middle of the Summer. Lots of fun, let me tell ya. In the Summer if it is 90 degrees on the ground it feels like 110 degrees up on that roof (and sometimes is).

There is too much snow on my roof to have it replaced right now.

This, my friend, is why God created snow shovels. It is really not a big deal to shovel the snow off of a roof. It usually takes a half-hour to an hour to remove the snow and most roofing contractors don’t even charge you extra for this as long as they are there to replace the roof and not just shovel snow (a service which many roofing companies provide in the North East). Does the crew need to be careful while doing this to avoid falling? Of course. However, the crew needs to be careful in every regard when it comes to roofing a house, this is nothing new. These guys are professionals and safety should always comes first, and does always come first with a responsible roofing company.

Alright, I just gave you 2 reasons why many people think roofing shouldn’t be done in the winter and why they aren’t really very good reasons at all. Now let me give you the 4 best reasons you should consider having your roof replaced this time of year.

1.) Ice dams causing leaks.

The winter time in Massachusetts tests your home and roof in ways unlike any other time of year. The most common cause of roof leaks during the winter is the dreaded ice dam. An ice dam is formed over the eaves of a house from built up snow melting and running down the roof only to refreeze at the very edge of the roof line. Here in Massachusetts, as well as other cold climate areas, roofing contractors use a product called “ice & water barrier” together with proper drip-edge flashing techniques to prevent ice dams from damaging your home and causing leaks. This technique, when done properly, provides added protection for at least 3 feet up from all edges of the roof. Many older roofs do not have “ice & water barrier” installed. If your roof is leaking because of ice dams this could be a great time to have the roof redone properly and insure that ice dams will not be bothering you and your home again.

2.) Winter conditions, in general, make a bad roof worse.

If you had a bad roof before winter hit it is only going to be in worse shape once spring arrives. There are many factors that adversely affect your roof in the cold weather. I already discussed ice dams but there’s more. During the winter as the temperature fluctuates it makes your shingles expand and contract causing curling and cracking in older shingles. Now let’s say some of your old roof shingles curl a bit, then you get a nice wet, heavy snow and the weight of the snow causes some of those curled shingles to crack. Now you have a potential new roof leak. Also, when that wet, heavy snow then freezes it will possibly cause even more damage to your old roof shingles. The thawing and refreezing that occurs throughout the winter time is nothing but bad for old shingles. Old roofs hate the cold winters.

3.) Faster service on your new roof installation.

It’s a simple fact that Massachusetts roofing contractors, and roofing contractors in general, are not as busy during the winter. What this means for a homeowner needing a new roof is that the roof contractor you choose might be able to install your new roofing in a matter of days from the time that you sign the contract as opposed to waiting weeks, or even months sometimes, if you hold off until the spring, summer, and fall months. For many homeowners this reason alone should be enough to have your roof done in the winter time.

4.) Save money by taking advantage of a slow time of year for roofers.

Who doesn’t want to save as much money as possible especially when it comes to an expensive home improvement project such as re-roofing. For the same reasons that you may be able to receive faster installation service on a new roof from a roofing contractor during the winter, you will also probably receive a better price than you would during the warmer months. Most professional roof installers will provide you with the same labor warranty for a roof installed in winter time as a roof installed any other time of year. The material warranty is provided by the shingle manufacturer and will be the same regardless of what season the roof was installed. Roofing contractors want to keep their crews busy and will give you a better price just to avoid having to lay off employees during the winter slowdown.

So what are you waiting for? If you have a house with an older roof that needs replacing get in touch with a local roofing contractor and find out for yourself why roofing Massachusetts homes or a home in any other area is a perfectly viable option in the winter time and often a bargain!

Josh Johnson is part of the team at BCI Contracting, Inc., a Massachusetts roofing contractor, and he would be happy to provide you with more information about their roofing, siding, and seamless gutter installation services if you visit the website. You can also visit Josh’s roofing blog which focuses on the roofing and siding industry, particularly in Massachusetts.

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Good News for Those Looking to Retire in South Carolina!

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Many people like to retire somewhere warm, and with plenty of fun things to do. The sub-tropic climate of South Carolina, and the historic charm of Charleston in particular, make this area an appealing choice.

An exciting new Del Webb retirement community is currently under construction in Summerville, just 45 minutes from downtown Charleston. While the models are still under construction, they are available for viewing by interested buyers. The official model park grand opening is September 15th, but those curious enough to view early may be rewarded with some buyers incentives.

One of the major advantages of choosing a planned retirement community is safety and easy living. In a Del Webb retirement community you not only know your neighbors, you have a lot in common with them. The yards are low maintenance, and the homes are high quality. Pulte Homes, the builder for Del Webb Charleston in Summerville, has a long history of building high end homes, and this means peace of mind for buyers. There’s also a wide variety of home styles to choose from.

At Del Webb Charleston, your social life and personal development will be a priority. In addition to golf, there’s the fitness center, featuring aerobics classes, fitness training and staff to help you out with anything. Or you can enjoy the variety of pools at your leisure, play tennis, bocce, horseshoes, lawn bowling or any one of dozens of sporting activities. There’s hot-tubs, hiking trails, dance studios and just about anything you could want to do.

There’s also a performing arts center, continuing education classrooms, library, craft center and computer lab. There are plans to have a full-time lifestyle director on staff here, someone to plan classes and workshops in things like yoga and french, and to help you decide what to do with yourself if you can’t decide between all the amazing options!

If the working world still calls occasionally, or a volunteer interest needs space to meet, residents will be able to take advantage of the conference rooms.

If you enjoy the outdoors, there is a community garden planned here, plus a pond and protected wetland areas for your enjoyment. And yes, your grandchildren are welcome to visit.

Living at Del Webb Charleston will give residents access to the amenities in Summerville, as well as the larger city of Charleston. This new retirement community is promising to be truly great, offering so much within itself and central to so much more. I expect it to be very popular. If you’d like more information, or to set up a viewing, don’t hesitate to contact me about it.

Lee Keadle is a professional Realtor

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How Much Does Solar Power Cost? Read On For The Good News!

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Due to the escalating prices of fossil fuels, many people are resorting to buying retail/professionally installed solar power systems for their home or are building their own. Statistics show that thousands of households in the U.S. are currently living off-grid and the number is growing each year. Installing a home solar power system is one of the easiest ways to start living off grid and anyone can do it these days. So how much does solar power cost, you’re wondering.. Stay with me here and i’ll tell you!

Remember that professionally installed solar system i was talking about? Well, the thing is you’re obviously going to need lots of panels in order to generate enough power to run your whole household, so a professionally installed system will cost you round about $4000-$10000.

Having Your Very Own DIY Solar Power System

There’s another option that you have to start saving money on electricity costs by installing homemade solar power systems which are growing in popularity these days due to their low cost of production. Should you choose to purchase a DIY solar power kit and construct one yourself, you’ll save a tremendous amount of money. So how much does solar power cost for a homemade kit? You’ll probably be suprised to hear that it only costs around $200.

During the winters there might not be enough sun light to supply your house with enough electricity, then you will need a few storage batteries to store the unused energy for the cloudy days. Another thing you can do is to switch from incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent and automatically reduce the amount of energy your house needs.

You shouldnt consider switching to renewable energy to be a daunting task. It isn’t! Its so easy to do, that more and more average household are doing it. Constructing your own solar or/and wind power system will cost you around $200! There are even some websites that offer these DIY kits for less than $50 on special offers! How much does solar power cost? Well, if you know where to look, it costs very little indeed!

If you’re concerned about how much does solar power cost, then click here for the truely fantastic answer!

Other sites worth checking out:

DIY Alternate Energy Kits That Can Supply Free Power For A Lifetime

Mark Vasquez is a seasoned researcher who writes about various topics of interest. Mainly in the areas on saving money and self-improvement.

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Hire-A-contractor-Now gets you good home improvement contractors

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Are you living in home that is quite outdated?  And you just tired with the old and hindering kitchen sinks? Do you need something new and refreshing? Well, whether you are planning to repave your driveway and build an addition to your rooms or install an in-ground pool this season, Hire-A-Contractor-Now can help you to do the all-important research and planning to hire a contractor for your house maintenance and repair. Here you can find handymen and contractors in your neighborhood for any size repair project.

Hire-A-Contractor-Now is committed to providing its visitors with detailed information and listings of actual contractors in their own backyard. Here homeowners receive competitive bids from a network of contractors in their local area on a range of services from kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, attic and roof remodeling to landscaping.

A general home improvement contractor is defined as anyone who performs improvements on residential property.  All home improvement contractors can be called as roofers, addition and remodeling contractors, driveway pavers, and persons who install fences, siding, insulation, windows, masonry and underground fuel storage tanks. You can browse our home improvement directory for general contractors, electricians, plumbers, painters, carpenters, engineers, architects, landscapers, and other professionals, suppliers, and tradesmen.

Hire-A- Contractor-Now allows its contractors to access and bid for multiple projects posted by homeowners and they can directly contact the homeowners. On the other hand, homeowners also receive competitive pricing and services from remodeling contractors.   Everyday the number of homeowners using the Internet to hire and purchase home improvement goods and services is growing.

Richmond Johnson is a senior technical writer at hire a contractor now company. Hire- A-Contractor-Now is a home improvement service provider company located in Somerset, New Jersey. Simply list your request with Hire-A-Contractor-Now and get the list of contractors with in your locality.

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Good News for Owners — Sale of New Homes Down, But Existing Home Sales in Good Shape

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Over the past months, we have all been inundated with projections on the housing market bubble — Will it burst? It is going to burst soon, be prepared! Sell Now! Buy Now! And the forecast differs depending upon the television channel you are listening to or the media article you are reading.

According to James Cooper of BusinessWeek magazine, the numbers point to a gradual slowdown of the market — not a sudden crash, as many have predicted. In his July 10, 2006, article, Cooper cites how different indicators for the housing market are up one week and down the next. Some homes for sale indicators decline, while others rise. Though it is difficult to accurately project the future of the housing market for the remainder of 2006, he is optimistic — in spite of all the noise that changes the market outlook on a daily basis.

Compared to last year’s peak numbers, the housing market is in decline for both new and existing homes for sale and the growth rate of prices continue to slow. Yet, the expected drop in sales has not been as bad as predicted, and the market collapse forecast has not occurred. The progressive slowdown is expected, however, to continue through the remainder of 2006.

The area of the homes for sale market that has been hit the hardest is the new single-family homes and existing condominiums and co-ops. Existing single-family homes for sale have faired the best with only a gradual decline in prices.

New home sales have fallen off sharply in 2006 and have the most volatile market indicators that cause the chaotic forecasts. There have been some ups and downs since the first of this year; however, new home sales are down overall by 10.9 percent since the end of 2005. Currently, builders have large inventories of new homes for sale that are expected to create further declines in both sales, prices and new construction starts for the future.

In May of 2006, the number of new homes for sale was up nearly 24 percent from last year for the same period. Median prices of new homes for sale were up by 5.1 percent for the same period but now have slowed drastically. With the average time to sell a new home being almost six months, builders are offering incentives to buyers, including helping with the closing costs, and are more willing to lower prices in order to sell off their inventories.

Condos and co-ops sales were off by 6.7 percent during the first half of 2006. The number of such homes for sale on the market has soared in the past year, gutting the market and bringing down prices and sales. The number of unsold units are up 73 percent.

The good news is for existing homeowners with homes for sale. This market is currently in good shape with both sales and prices holding up better than the new homes for sale market. Such sales have declined in seven out of the past nine months, but median prices are up 8.2 percent over the same period in 2005. According to Cooper, homeowners are not as willing to lower their prices as are builders, preferring to leave their homes on the market in order to find buyers willing to meet their price.

The bad news for owners of homes for sale is the number of existing homes currently being put on the market. In May of 2006, the number of existing homes for sale rose to 3.6 million, that’s one million more than in May of 2005. This is sure to begin affecting the existing homes for sale market. Additionally, the Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates soon that will affect mortgage rates for buyers. Right now is the best time to sell your home as buyers race to lock in current mortgage rates before the Federal Reserve takes action.

The predicted housing bubble crash is not expected in the near future. Consumer confidence is up by one point in June of 2006, according to the Conference Board’s index on consumer confidence, weighing in at 105.7. With good buyer confidence in the homes for sale market, a solid economy, and good labor markets, owners with homes for sale are still at a competitive advantage for now.

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more information please visit Poway Homes for Sale

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Getting a Good Grand Junction Painting Contractor

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The first step in maintaining or upgrading your home or office with a fresh coat of paint is to search for a certified painting contractor. Today folks go right to the web to get a list of local painters. Also look in the Yellowpages and check with the Better Business Bureau for highly rated painters. In some areas you can check your local Angie’s List. And do not forget your pals and co-workers for suggestions. Also be certain the painter is a component of a recognized painting organization like the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America PDCA.

Experience and expertise are significant factors when choosing a professional painter. Check into the painter’s experience and suggestions. Find out previous painting projects and have a look if you can. Most painting contractors today have websites with their testimonials listed making it easy to judge their work. Also confirm they have the appropriate licenses and that they are contemporary. The painting contractor should also have satisfactory insurance to make certain his business and workers are covered.

Meet with the painter to discuss your project in full. Exchange ideas about the job to get an excellent idea of the Grand Junction Painter’s knowledge and professionalism.

Although price is a crucial matter, don’t make it an only factor when choosing a painting contractor. Cheap does not always mean bad and expensive doesn’t always mean good. The choice should be based on the various criteria discussed here after careful consideration. Ideally, the objective is to get the best Grand Junction Painter inside your budget.

Romeo Battle is currently working as an agent.

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Low Mortgage Rates Are Good News for Resale and New Home Market

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Mortgage rates are at historic lows and are predicted to stay low for some time to come. The end result is good news for the real estate market, in both resale and new homes. Recent reports outline just how good the news has been:

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is predicting that new home construction will increase in the latter half of 2009 and into 2010. They are expecting housing starts to reach 141,900 units in 2009 and improve to about 150,000 in 2010. These numbers are still far off the mark of 200,000 or more that the market has reached every year since 2002, but they are a clear sign that the new home market is regaining strength. Most experts predict that we are not likely to see housing starts in the 200,000 range again, since there is less demand. As the market stabilizes, 170,000 starts per year will probably become the new norm. Even the luxury market is bouncing back. The Globe & Mail recently reported on the Vancouver market, noting that in the spring of 2009 houses sold in the city for $10 million and $9 million. Victoria saw two sales in the $6 to $7 million range. Canada’s most expensive residential real estate deal of 2009 (at the time of writing) occurred just outside of Calgary, as the Falkridge Centre sold for $13.1 million. Another sale in the city of Calgary netted former Calgary Flames goalie Mike Vernon $10.3 million. Not to be outdone, the city of Toronto posted its strongest performance ever in the luxury market in May, 2009, with 273 high-end homes sold. Low mortgage rates are the reason for the huge 18% increase in resale homes sales, year over year from July, 2008 to July, 2009. Major lenders announced another cut to mortgage rates in early September, 2009. Rate cuts will help maintain strong home sales in all sectors of the market, from small condos to the luxury homes discussed in the previous point. Along with low mortgage rates, low inventories of resale homes have helped boost home prices and are, in part, responsible for the uptick in housing starts.

There is also good news for sellers, if not necessarily for buyers, at least in the Toronto market. There is some serious competition for housing, which has marked a return to bidding wars over resale homes.

If you are looking to enter the market, whether you are a first-time buyer or a current owner seeking to upgrade to a bigger home, be sure to get off on the right foot. Securing your financing is an essential first step. When you know how much you can afford, you can tailor your search for a new home accordingly. A meeting with a mortgage professional can help you analyze your current income and expenses so you can determine exactly how much you can spend.

For more information on current mortgage rates or acquiring a second mortgage speak with a professional mortgage broker, at Canadian Mortgage Inc.

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Good News for Borrowers and Investors

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The small business you want to startup or the home you want to construct can now be within your reach. If you are having a hard time seeking and finding a lender that would be able to provide you loan amounts at good terms and provisions, it is about time you consider taking a hard money loan. If you need the loan amount at the soonest possible time and if you are having problems because of your bad credit history, hard money credit facilities are the best products for you. That is really spelling out a good news for many borrowers who are unable to process loans for quite some time.

Coastal La Jolla Funding is a loan specialist that could be of great help. As a hard money lending specialist, the company is very adept in providing loans to people who need it most. It is really hard to borrow money nowadays. Even good credit histories are no assurance that one can secure and attain a good money lending transaction. The processing time for usual loans take up so long that more loan applicants usually grow impatient. What is worse, there is no assurance that the loan application would be provided. Imagine after waiting for so long and spending much time and effort preparing and submitting loan requirements, your loan would be denied? That is the usual sentiment. But worry no more. With the emergence of hard money loans, the trend is set to be reversed.

As for the case of investors, hard money lending can make up good investment venues. At Costal La Jolla Funding, investors are assured that their money would be productive. Some current investors even assert that their investments in the company are earning better that in any other venues. Investments in Coastal La Jolla Funding and in other hard money loan providers are comparatively faster paced and more yielding than those at equities and other opportunities.

As a form of guarantee or assurance, Coastal La Jolla Funding has business and lending strategies to secure itself and the hard money loans it provides. The company takes some equities to the mortgage loans and several other assets of the borrowers. Thus, no matter what happens, the company is holding security and is ensured that losses on loans even if borrowers become delinquent would not be incurred. That is a subtle way of making sure investors’ capital would not be exposed to too much risk.

Costal La Jolla Funding is probably among the most reliable hard money lending specialists operating in California today. Borrowers have been relying on the company for their needs for California bad credit loans, California real estate loans, California residential loans, California construction loans, California bridge loans and California rehab loans. The company has also been reputable in providing hard money personal loans. If you are in need of specific and technical loans, getting in touch with the company would be a great start in your endeavor to search for the best there is in the market.

To reach out more borrowers, the company has expanded its reach from California to other US states like Oregon, Florida, Alaska, Connecticut, Nevada, Virginia, Arizona, Michigan, Colorado and Minnesota. Coastal La Jolla Funding is also working to refer clients to its affiliate loan providers in other states.

The amounts of loans, however, could also vary. Significant loans could amounting to about $100,000 to as much as about $20 million and could easily be provided for. The terms and conditions of the loans are made less stringent, but the interest rates, admittedly, are comparatively at a premium. The qualifications for loans are also relaxed and eased out. If you are taking loans at banks or at other loan providers, you are standing to incur more stress and more headaches in the loan provision.

Coastal La Jolla Funding facilitates hard money loan provisions. If you are aiming to secure hard money loans or of you want to place investments, getting in touch with the company would be helpful. Visit the company’s Website at http://www.coastallajollafunding.com/ and see how the company could be of assistance to you.

California hard money loans are admired and are looked up to in the overall credit and lending industry. Brows online website for hard money loan .

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How Do Collagen and Elastin Work on the Skin? The Good and Bad News

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Have you read about this recently?  Medical experts who investigate the natural healing abilities of the human body have discovered the critical role that certain proteins play to keep the skin soft, smooth and firm.  Their research has centered around how do collagen and elastin work on the skin.  Interestingly enough, the results of this research have both good and bad news for consumers who want to improve the health and appearance of their skin.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way, first.

The Bad News

Cosmetic companies have piggy-backed on medical science’s research into how do collagen and elastin work on the skin.  

Since these two proteins are responsible for naturally, generating moisture, elasticity and strength for the skin, these companies have worked diligently to generate hundreds of skincare products containing their man-made version of collagen and elastin.  

In theory, this is a great idea.  In practice, it falls on it’s face.  Let me tell you why.

When you answer the question, “how do collagen and elastin work on the skin,” you have to understand that they work because they’re manufactured within the human body.  

This means that their molecular structures possess a delicately fine complexity that is difficult, if not impossible to replicate in a lab.

Synthetic collagen and elastin are constructed of molecules that are big and clumsy.  These man-made proteins are incapable of penetrating the layers of the dermis.  And even if they could, their simple molecular structure can’t match the complexity required by human skin.

Long story short…how do collagen and elastin work on skin if they’ve been made in a lab?  They don’t.  These products are a waste of money.

The Good News

So now that we know that cosmetically-engineered collagen and elastin can’t work, we can get down to the business of doing what does work: enhancing and supporting our own natural production of these two important proteins.

You see, maintaining healthy, beautiful skin is a health issue and not a cosmetic issue.

If we support our body’s natural healing ability, rather than chase after every new face cream, then we can get our natural production of collagen and elastin running at top speed.  Ultimately, we achieve better, longer-lasting results.

Start by protecting your skin cells from damage that impairs collagen and elastin production.  

Free radicals that are produced from UV sunlight, environmental toxins, as well as, vitamin/antioxidant deficiencies, attack and kill cell function.

Getting rid of free radicals is a simple, three-step process: 1. avoid UV sunlight; 2. flush out toxins with lots of purified water; and 3. build up your body’s antioxidant reserves by adding lots of healthy fruit and vegetables to your diet.  

Next, get your cells back to work by providing them with energizing nutrients that are delivered via special preparations.  

High concentrations of natural, bio-active ingredients possess these nutrients, as well as, the molecular compatibility needed by the skin for immediate, deep absorption.

The special preparations I refer to are developed by companies that focus on a health-based approach to skin care.  Most of these companies keep a low profile because their budgets are spent on research, development and testing, and not high profile advertising.

One company that I accidentally came across resides in New Zealand. They have developed some highly effective products made exclusively with ingredients that come from local resources, such as a wool extract from a special New Zealand sheep (Cynergy TK), active manuka honey from the manuka honey bush, and koalin, an extract from New Zealand clay.

It doesn’t stop here.  There is more good news that answers how do collagen and elastin work on skin. Visit my web site to get the details.

This article was written by dedicated skin care researcher, Therese Higgins, who says,”Knowledge is power. Learn how to identify which bio-active ingredients are being used to stimulate natural collagen and elastin production.” You will find them at http://www.absolutely-radiant.com.

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Good News for Seattle’s Renters

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The consensus is still out on the Seattle real estate market. Sure, the economy is hurting. The market is saturated. Foreclosures occur less frequently than they did last year, but there are still plenty to report. Some experts thought these circumstances would increase demand for apartments. It did, for a time.

Rent prices soared and vacancies dipped to low levels in response to that demand. For many of the city’s renters, the hike felt like a rebuke. Many people rent apartments, after all. And in a metropolis like Seattle, when reliable renters are forced to pay more or be switched out for someone who will pay more, emotions tend to run high.

But now a different trend is emerging. Vacancies are up. Apartment prices have flat-lined. More people are staying put. This is in response to the real estate market. Home prices are falling. People are scooping up new properties or waiting to sell until their property value can go up. This is good news for Seattle’s renters.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer recently ran article addressing the issue.

The spike in local foreclosures isn’t much of a silver lining, they said. “Some people tell us they think the foreclosures in single-family homes and condominiums will increase apartment demand. But we believe this increased demand will be completely offset by lower home prices making the cost of home ownership more competitive with rentals again. This was already starting to happen this fall.”

All of this, of course, depends on trends that emerge this spring. If the real estate home market grows stagnant once again, Seattle residents could face another spike in apartment demand. If low-priced homes sell quickly, rental property owners may well increase rent to offset the demand loss. But if things remain as they are now, Seattle may find a healthy balance that makes renting or owning a piece of property an attractive prospect, depending on personal circumstances.

“Our Apartment Market Is Never In Equilibrium — It Just Passes Through It From Time To Time.”

That’s how Dupre + Scott Apartment Advisors leads off their December issue of “The Apartment Advisor.”

What they mean is that it looks like the market is quickly passing from rising rents and falling vacancies to the opposite.

Dupre + Scott forecast in September that market vacancy (not counting new construction in lease-up) would rise from 4.8 percent this fall to nearly 6 percent by early 2010. They now say it will peak at 7.3 percent in June 2010 but won’t get back into balance until early 2012.

With time to spare, Seattle has work to do. The good news is that it ranks as one of the country’s most economically diverse and innovative urban centers. Now is a smart time to rent, especially if you are waiting to see what the home market does. The numbers are in a renter’s favor, and the increased vacancy rate means more attractive spaces from which to choose.

Michael Russell writes about a variety of subjects, including real estate, environmentalism and modern architecture. This article discusses the latest news in Seattle’s apartment market. For more information about Seattle apartments, visit Apartment Finder.

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