Skip to main content

Archives: November 2017

Transform Your Home with These Timeless Seasonal Color Schemes

rainbow of colors on paint swatch samplesNothing can transform a home quite like a simple seasonal color palette. Whether you want to embrace the fall foliage, some holiday whimsy, or a little winter coziness, you can do all that with a few coats of paint and some well-placed splashes of color.

The best part of all? Not only are these color schemes great for seasonal home decorating, they work wonders when staging your home to sell, too! Here are a few irresistible color schemes you can blend into your home this fall and winter.

Down to Earth: Rust Red and Terra Cotta

Connect with nature in the fall season using rich tones of red and brown. For an added touch of earthiness, incorporate natural elements like wood to really pull the look together.

Rustic: Persimmon and Oatmeal

orange wicker couch next to coffee table

Play up the autumn harvest theme with muted orange, shades of beige, and decorative elements like apples and pumpkins.

Cozy: Cream and Espresso

room with wood bed and beige walls

Neutral hues can make your home feel warm and inviting in the chilly fall and winter months. For a fun and functional look, add floor-length window coverings, which will keep the cold out and the coziness in.

Cheerful: Turquoise and White

gray couch with blue decorative pillows

Even if the weather outside is frightful, your home doesn’t have to be! Pair bright shades of blue with white to achieve a relaxing yet cheerful look. On a gray couch (like in the image above), turquoise accent pillows add a fun pop of color to the room’s neutral surroundings.

Small splashes of color here and there can go a long way into decorating a room for all seasons. All you have to do is switch out a few decorations and you’re set for the next season!

Merry and Bright: Snow White and Holly Green

stark white kitchen with greenery

While we typically think of red as a traditional holiday color, you don’t need bold hues to achieve a dramatic and trendy look. Stark white is becoming more and more common in interior design. To achieve this minimalist winter look, paint your space bright white and add pops of color with greenery.

When Selling a Home, Stay Neutral

The art of home staging is all about catering to the buyer. But since home buyers have drastically different tastes in color schemes, staying with a neutral color palette is the best way to appeal to the greatest number of buyers.

Selling Your Home Soon? Let’s Talk!

We’re always happy to share our knowledge of home staging trends, current real estate market conditions, and home selling resources with you. Give us a call and let’s discuss your goals.

Explore Historic Old Town Albuquerque

Albuquerque’s heart lies in its historic Old Town. An integral part of Albuquerque since the city’s founding in 1706, Old Town remains an important cultural hub. As Albuquerque’s first official neighborhood, this 300-year-old neighborhood is home to the oldest church in Albuquerque, the San Felipe de Neri.

Today, Old Town is a vibrant hot spot home to museums, locally owned shops and galleries, and delicious restaurants. Let’s take a quick tour.

All the Fun is Waiting in Old Town

When Old Town was first settled in 1706, settlers built historic adobe homes in a Pueblo-Spanish style. Newer architectural styles did not grace the streets of Old Town until the late 1800s, when the railroad brought more modern Victorian styles.

History

hot air balloonsIf you’re interested in learning more about the fascinating history of Old Town, peruse any of the wonderful museums here. The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History has both vast collections of native art and traveling exhibitions. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science will capture your imagination with its prominent dome planetarium.

Afterwards, walk through the Botanic Gardens to explore local foliage or go fishing at Tingley Beach. Fans of culture and history may have a hard time deciding exactly what to do in this cultural hot spot!

Here are some of our other favorite museums and attractions in the area:

  • The Turquoise Museum
  • Rattlesnake Museum
  • ABQ Bio Park
  • Tricentennial Tiguex Park
  • Tingley Train

Events and Music

From holiday celebrations to live musical performances and the annual Balloon Fiesta Week, Old Town Albuquerque has a lot going on. Every year, Albuquerque hosts the beloved Balloon Fiesta, which means a whole week of partying in Old Town!

A number of holiday events take place during the “colder” months (except it never really gets too cold in New Mexico), such as the Old Town Holiday Stroll.

New Mexican Cuisine

enchiladasIf you’ve been dying to try traditional New Mexican cuisine, you can’t do much better than Old Town. As soon as you wander into town, you’ll encounter the delicious smells of roasting meat and enchiladas. Treat yourself to a heaping plate of these wonders, or a sopaipilla stuffed with chiles and seasoned chicken.

Go Shopping!

There’s something for every budget waiting in the locally owned shops of Old Town. Whether you’re searching for fine-art, Breaking Bad memorabilia, or one-of-a-kind clothing, there’s a wide range of shops to peruse.

Eager to Call this Wonderful City Home?

There’s a reason so many homebuyers and visitors are flocking to beautiful Albuquerque. With fantastic natural wonders, excellent schools, and beautiful homes for sale, this is an excellent place to call home.

If you have any questions about the real estate opportunities in Albuquerque, or its surrounding communities, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have easy-to-use home search tools and other buyer resources to help you in your real estate journey.

Why Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage is Crucial

So, you’ve decided to buy a home in the Albuquerque area. Congratulations! Investing in real estate is always a wise financial decision, and you’ve just chosen a wonderful area to invest in. Plus, buying your own home will bring you indescribably joy and security.

While the overall experience of buying a home is positive, searching for your dream home can be intimidating. You have to set a budget, determine what kind of features you need to have, schedule home tours, hire a realtor… and obtain a mortgage.

The majority of homebuyers use mortgages to purchase their home. There are different kinds of mortgages depending on your income and financial situation, but here’s the rundown.

A mortgage, quite simply, is a loan for the amount of money your home is worth. The amount of your loan depends on your credit report, annual income, and a whole host of other factors.

If you’re searching for a home in an area as competitive as Albuquerque, getting pre-approved for your mortgage is essential to buying the home of your dreams. Here’s why.

It Gives You a Competitive Edge

internet researchIf you’re pre-approved for a mortgage when you make an initial offer on a home, it lets the seller know that you’re serious. In competitive markets like Albuquerque, sellers often prefer pre-approved buyers.

Essentially, you’re given priority over other buyers. This means you’re more likely to buy the best home for you in a timely fashion.

It Helps Set Your Budget

Going through the pre-approval process with a lender is the ideal way to set your budget, because you’ll know firsthand how big of a loan you can get. To become pre-approved, you’ll sit down with a lending officer who will review your credit score, amount of debt, income level, and all other factors of your financial life.

Basically, the lender is reviewing your finances to determine if you can afford to buy the home. This includes monthly mortgage payments, which will vary depending on interest rates, as well as the big down payment.

Be Smart With Your Money

mortgage interest rateHowever, there are other things you should look atwhen deciding your budget. Take a hard look at your annual income, as well as your expenses. Try to determine how much money you’re comfortable spending per month on a mortgage payment. Our mortgage calculator can help with that.

You should also think about that down payment. Depending on what kind of mortgage you qualify for, which determine the down payment, you could be paying around 20% of your home’s value upfront.

When you sit down with a lender to become pre-approved, they can help you figure out what kind of mortgage is best for you.

Any Other Questions about Buying a Home?

Please reach out to us! We would love to sit down and talk with you about your mortgage pre-approval options, and your goals in real estate. Feel free to use any of our complimentary home-search tools and real estate resources.

If you ever have any questions about the home buying process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help.

 

 

What You Need to Know About Low-Maintenance Communities

fallen leaves on a lawn in the winterPicture this: It’s winter. It’s freezing. You still need to clear the last of the leaves from your lawn, but you’re finding every excuse to stay huddled inside your warm home and out of the cold, biting air. More than ever, you’re wishing your yard work would just do itself.

Sound familiar? Maintenance and lawn care can be tedious and exhausting chores, especially on the coldest or hottest days of the year. But there are types of residential developments that take care of these chores for you.

The Many Faces of Low-Maintenance Living

Low-maintenance communities, in general, are neighborhoods that provide services such as lawn care and exterior maintenance through an association fee. In a maintenance-free community, especially, little — if any — maintenance is required on the homeowner’s part.

As is the case with any neighborhood, different communities offer different amenities, especially when it comes to low- or no-maintenance living. So to give you a better idea about what to look for in a low-maintenance home, we’ve come up with a quick guide.

Low-Maintenance Townhome Developments

properties along a wide streetIf you want all the space of a single-family home but don’t mind sharing a wall, a townhouse is a great option for low-maintenance living. Though the amenities many vary from community to community, townhome developments typically provide common area maintenance and landscaping.

Low-Maintenance Condominiums

Think of condos as upgraded rental apartments: you have your own space, you can access community amenities, and you can count on someone else to take care of the most mundane chores.

It’s important to note that condos are a type of ownership: when you own a condo, you own everything within the walls of your home. Unlike with townhomes, you aren’t required to care for the exterior.

In addition, condo associations typically maintain the common areas and provide services like trash removal and pest control. Depending on the association, the community may also provide utilities, phone service, and cable or Internet.

No-Maintenance Residential Communities

house common in a maintenance-free communitySome communities, like 55+ communities, take care of more than just the common areas. True maintenance-free communities may also take care of your home’s exterior maintenance, lawn care, landscaping, and services like trash or snow removal.

Real estate options in these no-maintenance communities can include condos, townhomes, and/or single-family homes.

Where to Do Your Research

If a community has an association, check the rules and regulations to learn about what services the association provides. Not sure where to look? It never hurts to ask a trusted real estate agent.

Want to Buy a Low-Maintenance Home? Let’s Talk

We’re familiar with the types of homes and communities found throughout our area, so we’re more than happy to answer any questions you have. Just give us a call!