Columbia MO Real Estate

Enhance Your Home With Light

Jmorton — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:52:25 +0000

The lighting you choose for your home can have a very dramatic effect on it, that's why it's a subject that shouldn't be taken lightly. Incorporating a selection of both practical and aesthetically pleasing lighting fixtures means you can have the best of both worlds, you don't have to be an interior designer or have artistic leanings to achieve a specific mood or look to your home just by choosing the right kinds of lights, and it doesn't have to cost too much either.

There are plenty of stores that stock lighting fixtures these days so you are sure to be inspired once you start looking. And don't stop at the interior of your home, extend the lighting out onto the patio and into the garden and really make an impact.

If you have never heard of accent lighting then get online and do some research. Used as an addition to stronger practical light fixtures, accent lighting is used to emphasise a particular area or object in a room and can really add to its style by drawing attention to these aspects. Use them to highlight items on the wall, or pieces of furniture, they can often add surprising amounts of dimension and depth to a space. Decorative sconces or wall lights can add character to an entrance hall or porch by creating a warm, cosy glow, a great welcome home for your family, and any visitors, on a cold winters evening.

Floor standing lighting in contemporary and traditional designs are particularly effective in any room, placed in a strategic position, next to the fireplace or in a dark corner, they provide extra light for reading or other activities and are a solid addition to a room that sees plenty of use. Find black uplighter floor lamps teamed with alabaster glass shades, or adjustable options in chrome or antique brass finish complete with white glass shade. Shades are manufactured from fabric or glass and can reach up to 152cm high. Mother and child lamps feature a main lamp with a smaller light lower down the stand that can usually be adjusted to throw extra light on a particular item.

Table lamps too can be placed all over the house and enhance it with a cosy look as night starts to fall, place them on hallway tables, on a desk, on bedside table for the kids room, bookshelves and dressing tables and save on overhead lighting. The contemporary Hamburg Table Lamp has an attractive traditional shape and comes in an antique brass or chrome finish complete with shade, the range also offers matching pendants and wall lights in the same style. The Tevere Table Lamp is a traditional fixture with a black gold chain that can be removed giving you the option to fit it flush to the ceiling, and comes complete with glass shades.

Spot lights help to create a striking yet understated effect by using uplighting, place them behind particular pieces of furniture, have them highlighting works of art, or disguise them in crown molding to highlight a beautiful wood ceiling.

You can totally transform your home just by adding simple lighting schemes and it doesn't have to cost you a lot of money. Take a trip to your local DIY, homeware or lighting store and you'll find hundreds of designs and styles within your price range.

There are plenty of familiar names in the lighting industry, you are sure to recognize some of them. If you are lighting a new build then consider getting in the professionals to assess your requirements and help with a lighting plan. Some lighting stores can provide this service for free if you set up an account for all your lighting purchases with them. Check out online illumination experts for advice, good quality products and affordable prices.

by: Michiel Van Kets

Understanding the 10 Mortgage Loan Steps to Buy a Property

Jmorton — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:14:39 +0000

Purchasing a home is exciting, but can also be stressful when you don’t know what to expect. Here are the 10 loan steps to buying a home so you’re prepared:

Step 1 – Lender Pre-Qualifies A Homebuyer For A Certain Loan Amount

Getting preapproved for a mortgage loan is one of the most important steps in the house purchasing process. A mortgage loan preapproval will let you know how much you qualify for. Also, a preapproval will give you an idea of your monthly house payment and will also give you the peace of mind of knowing that you are able to qualify for the purchase of a new home.

Step 2 – Homebuyer Makes Purchase Offer On Home With Assistance From Realtor

As a homebuyer, working with a Real Estate Agent is commonly a free service. Normally, the seller pays the Homebuyer’s Agent a commission. Realtors also help homebuyers with the process of looking for a property and working on the homebuyer’s behalf in the negotiating of the sales price. The Real Estate Agent will also help the buyer is negotiating the terms of the sales contract. Realtors also provide information about the community and neighborhoods. Their service is very important to the buyer.

Step 3 – Contract Is Accepted, Property Is Placed In Escrow

For many states, once the contract is agreed upon, the property is placed in escrow. For states like Texas, the earnest deposit and contract is dropped off at a Title Company.

Step 4 – Buyer Submits More Detailed Home LoanApplication, Selects Home Loan Type And Locks Rate

Once the house has been identified, the mortgage lender can now assist the buyer with choosing a home mortgage program like first time home buyerloans. The buyer can lock the rate of the mortgage loan. The buyer will also provide the documents to complete the home mortgage loan. The paperwork consists of income and asset documentation as well as any other needed documents the home loan lender requires.

Step 5 – Once Client Information Is Verified, Lender Orders Title And Property Appraisal

Titles and appraisals are a vital step in the home mortgage process. The appraisal will give the house a current market value while the title will check for current liens on the house. In order to close on the home, the title company will make sure that all liens are paid so the transfer from seller to buyer is smooth.

Step 6 – Mortgage Package Is Submitted To Underwriting For Approval

Once all the documentation for the home loan is completed, the underwriter will examine the file to make sure the mortgage qualifies. The underwriter will verify all documentation from income and asset documents as well as title and appraisal. Once final approval is given, the home mortgage loan can close.

Step 7 – Escrow Office Prepares To Transfer Assets, Per Mortgage Contract
account.

Step 8 – Participating Parties Sign Mortgage Loan Documents

This is the exciting time for a home buyer. The buyer will go to the title company office and sign papers.

Step 9 – Home Mortgage Loan Is Funded And Recorded

Once all parties have signed the paperwork, the home loan is funded. The title company will then send the transfer paperwork and mortgage deed to be recorded. The funds will be disbursed based on the information on the HUD-1 Settlement Page.

Step 10 – Seller Moves Out, Buyer Moves In On Agreed Date

Once the mortgage loan is funded, the buyer is now the owner of the home. The buyer can now move into their new home!

Does Walkability Raise Property Values?

Ace — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:21:43 +0000

Pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods within walking distance of schools, parks, and businesses may be more valuable than similar homes built where residents must drive to those amenities, according to a study by CEOs for Cities, a national network of civic, business, academic, and philanthropic leaders working to improve cities. The city of Columbia, Missouri has taken great strides in the walkability and sustainability through the GetAbout Columbia Program providing an exciting opportunity for everyone in our community to think differently about how we get about town, and experience the benefits and enjoyment of walking and biking. Whether it's a quick stroll to your lunch destination, a short bike ride to the store, a daily commute to the office, or a weekend journey on the trail with friends or family, GetAbout Columbia is for you.

What makes a community walkable?

Dan Burden, founder of Walkable Communities, has developed a 12-step checklist for defining, achieving, or strengthening a walkable community. Among the items on his list: a welcoming public space where people can gather and socialize, speed-controlled key streets, pedestrian-centric design, and a town center with a wide variety of shops and businesses. Examples of other walkable communities include Bethesda, Md.; Jackson, Wyo.; Madison, Wis.; and Savannah, Ga.

Safety and walkability

Although you can’t physically move your neighborhood closer to amenities, there are things you can do to raise its walkability factor. Safety is a big concern for those on foot. To address safety concerns in Castle Hills, a walkable community outside Dallas, the developer built wider sidewalks, reduced speed limits, and installed solar-powered speed signs. Columbia, Missouri has gone to great lengths in improving the safety of community walkability. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Columbia is improving sidewalks making them safer and more accessible to everyone in the community.

Improving walkability

In addition to making safety improvements, you can also try these tips for improving walkability from John Wetmore, producer of Perils For Pedestrians Television:

Trim shrubbery that’s blocking the sidewalk in front of your house.

Pick up trash and litter to make it a more pleasant place.

Support initiatives in your town to build new sidewalks and repair existing sidewalks.

Be polite to other drivers and pedestrians when you drive.

Set an example by walking more by yourself or with your family.

Walkability programs

A relatively low-cost way to get people walking in your neighborhood is to organize walk-to-school or walk-to-work events. International Walk to School in the USA offers a good planning guide with ideas for events that you can plan in as few as seven days. Walk-to-work programs, such as those supported by the American Heart Association, use incentives and tools, such as pedometers, to encourage employees to forgo their cars and walk to work. Some programs strive to make walking fun. Walk Arlington, an initiative of Arlington County, Va., holds scavenger hunts and sponsors senior adult walking clubs. As you think about improving walkability in your current neighborhood or moving to a place with a higher walkability score, remember that the health and social benefits are plentiful and the payoff for home value is long lasting.