Buyers Can Expect More Fixer-Upper Homes for Sale Than in Years Past

Rising home prices and tough buyer competition may be giving sellers more flexibility to list their home for sale “as-is” without needing to fix it up. A new Zillow analysis shows there are 12 percent more fixer-uppers for sale now than five years ago.

Zillow identified the number of fixer-upper homes listed for sale beginning in 2011 and ending in 2015, and compared them to overall for-sale inventory trends.

To identify fixer-uppers, Zillow mined historical listing descriptions for phrases like “fixer-upper,” “TLC” and “needs work.”

Nationally, expensive fixer-uppers, or those priced within the top third of their markets, saw the biggest surge in inventory over the past five years, rising nearly 35 percent.

Conversely, affordably priced fixer-uppers, or those valued within the bottom tier, increased less than 3 percent.

So what’s happening?

There aren’t enough homes on the market to accommodate buyer demand in many U.S. metros. As a result, sellers have the luxury to list their home for sale “as-is” because they know it will likely still sell, even if it needs a little TLC.

For example, in Seattle, one of the nation’s hottest housing markets, for-sale inventory has decreased 10 percent over the past five years; however, fixer-upper listings increased 33 percent over the same time period.

“Across the country, homes are selling fast and for high prices,” says Svenja Gudell, Zillow’s chief economist. “Sellers are in the driver’s seat, with the freedom to list their home for sale ‘as-is’ without worrying about price cuts or the home sitting on the market. And without sufficient new construction, the housing stock has aged, so home buyers are finding more and more homes on the market in need of a little TLC.”

Curious if there are more fixer-uppers in your area? Local data is available in Zillow’s full report.

Related:

  • 4 Tips for Buying a Fixer-Upper
  • 3 Situations Where It Pays to Buy a Fixer-Upper
  • Embracing the Mess: Renovating a 1970s Fixer

Source: zillow.com

Escape your home for a safe holiday staycation

With the 2020 holidays upon us, it’s likely you’ve spent some time considering how you’ll have a COVID-safe celebration. Should you stay? Should you go? Is travel to your family even an option this year as some states impose new travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine periods?

Perhaps for safety’s sake, you’ve decided to stay put. But you also recognize that being “home for the holidays” doesn’t have the same cozy appeal as it used to when you’ve already been home working from home for months on end. What you might need is a staycation – the getaway for when you can’t get away.

Check out all the answers from our credit card experts.

Ask Stephanie a question.

Get away for the holidays without going away

Traditionally, when we think about holiday travel, we’re most likely planning how to get ourselves to a faraway destination – whether that’s to see family across the country, or to flee from some combination of family, holiday hustles and winter weather.

This year, I’ve personally decided I won’t be among the holiday crowds attempting to fly on the busiest travel days of the year. Instead, I’ll be sticking closer to home, celebrating in my own city with a staycation – and testing a theory that there is no place like a Hyatt for the holidays.

If you’re planning to stay close to home like me, here’s some good news: Your credit card points work just as well for living it up in luxury in your hometown as they do when you’re on the road.

Some more good news: You’ll save lots of points and dollars by not flying anywhere this holiday – so go ahead and book the suite!

How to use your credit card points to book a staycation

If you live in or near a city, finding a hotel to tuck into for a few days over the holiday period should be pretty straightforward.

To plan a staycation, I normally start by checking what’s available near me by searching the website for each of the hotel groups in whose loyalty programs I participate.

Here in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, I found plenty of options at varying price points when I looked up Marriott, IHG, Hilton and Hyatt – the four hotel programs in which I currently have points.

For example, a few weeks ago, I decided to take an early holiday staycation at the Hyatt Centric Downtown Portland. I chose the hotel because of its location right in the middle of the city, and because Hyatt has a 25% points-back offer on award stays and free parking for The World of Hyatt Credit Card holders through the end of the year.

I paid 30,000 World of Hyatt points for a two-night stay, got 7,500 points back, and got upgraded to a suite thanks to my World of Hyatt elite status. Without points, the suite would have cost $355 dollars a night – plus the free valet parking saved me another $47 a day. I was able to get a $804 value for 22,500 rewards points. Even though I was less than two miles from my actual house, I felt a world away.

How to use travel rewards to book a staycation

If you don’t already have a hotel-branded rewards credit card for earning points in a specific hotel program like World of Hyatt, or if you live in a location where there aren’t many chain hotels, you’ll likely have more luck booking a staycation using travel rewards points.

You can book directly through the respective program’s travel planning portal. Flexible bank programs include Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou points.

Once you find a hotel you want to visit, and before you make the booking, you’ll want to check to make sure the hotel amenities that excite you for your staycation are going to be open and accessible.

Other than being snuggled up in a warm bed that I didn’t make myself, the best part of my staycation weekend at the Hyatt Centric Portland was the food.

Masia, the hotel’s signature restaurant designed by Portland’s award-winning Spanish chef Jose Chesa, was finally open and serving after a long COVID closure. Since I live in a city where indoor dining still hasn’t made a full comeback (and is now taking a pause for the holiday season), it was a rather delightful experience to spend two mornings lingering over a long breakfast.

If you’re booking more than a week in advance, you should also make sure your reservation is flexible or cancelable should your own plans change, or the COVID regulations in your state or county change and require the hotel to amend their offerings.

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This Stylish Treehouse Is Luxury Off-the-Grid Living

Kati O’Toole and her husband, Darin, wanted to create a giant piece of artwork on their private and heavily wooded seven-acre property in Montana. They ended up with what they refer to as the Montana Treehouse Retreat – a two-story, fully finished treehouse nestled among three living trees.

“Everybody thought we were crazy [at] the beginning, like ‘What are you guys doing building a treehouse here?’ Our parents thought we were crazy,” says Kati.

But the hard work and vision paid off, and now visitors from all over the world routinely come to stay at their carefully crafted work of art. The 700-square-foot treehouse features a master suite with a deck that overlooks the forest, a living area with three benches that can double as sleeping quarters, and two bathrooms. Guests can also prepare a meal in the treehouse’s downstairs kitchen, complete with a refrigerator, a stove, a sink and a dishwasher.

“There’s even air conditioning in this treehouse, because we wanted to create a very luxury experience here. I have to be honest – the treehouse is nicer inside than the house that I live in, so I like to come back here and just have a little retreat away from it all,” says Kati.

Every detail of the treehouse was painstakingly thought out, and most of the materials were either sourced locally or repurposed. The trim and the interior feature wood that Darin himself milled, sanded and finished, and the breakfast table nook was made from the base of a tree located right on their property.

One of Kati’s favorite details of the treehouse, however, is the spiraling exterior staircase, which is wrapped around a large tree shipped in from Darin’s grandmother’s yard, roots and all.

Although Darin handled most of the heavy-duty construction of the structure, Kati’s handiwork is all over the interior.

“We wanted it to be kind of funky and modern – but still have some Montana accents and still be a little rustic too. So there were many things coming into play, and we wanted people to feel like it was a very cozy home away from home when they came here, and just like a one-of-a-kind Montana experience,” she says.

A combination of white shiplap and multicolored wood paneling covers the interior walls, giving the home an eclectic yet polished farmhouse look, and expansive windows create an open, airy feeling in the small living spaces. Modern elements that are dotted throughout the house, like the industrial chandelier in the kitchen and the black hexagon and subway tiles in the bathrooms, are more reminiscent of a boutique hotel than a remote treehouse located near Glacier National Park.

Close to Kati’s heart are the pieces by local artists that don the walls, with some of the pieces coming from guests who created the artwork while staying at the treehouse.

“It’s been really cool to see [how] this place inspires people,” she says.

But the defining characteristic of this home – and what guests travel miles for – is the unique experience of living out your childhood dreams of sleeping in a treehouse.

“It’s a very unique feeling that most people have never experienced, to be lying in bed and seeing a tree – or you’re actually moving. And people have told me that they love the experience, and it’s – yeah, it’s a treehouse. That’s the beauty. It’s a real treehouse,” says Kati.

Related:

  • Explore a Tiny Tropical Treehouse in Hawaii
  • This Nashville Treehouse Will Drench You in Light
  • Tour These Whimsical Cabins Made From Recycled Materials

Source: zillow.com

Luxury Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2020 

What will 2020 bring?  These four trends are expected to impact luxury buying and selling in the new year and decade ahead. 

1. Luxury Housing Holds Steady

This year, expect “guarded optimism” to replace last year’s uncertainty over fears about a global economic slowdown, a U.S.-China trade war and a potential U.S. recession, according to Mansion Global. This is encouraging news for luxury real estate, which has traditionally been tied to global economic growth, yet is generally more insulated from market fluctuations. Many U.S. luxury housing meccas are generally stable, while some high-end hotspots like Los Angeles and Miami could be poised to rise or make a comeback in 2020. 

2. The Rise of the Mid-Sized Luxury Market 

When realtor.com released its annual list of the hottest markets last December, surprise cities like Boise, McAllen, Texas and Tucson topped the list. “The cities that we expect to do best in 2020 are not necessarily big, fancy, coastal cities, but secondary markets where the job market is still pretty good but housing is affordable,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist of realtor.com. Affluent buyers from high-cost cities want a good deal as much as anyone — so we expect to see midsized cities with stable and solid economies and more affordable housing as the top performers in 2020. 

3. Less Square Footage

“Less” is becoming “more” — even in the highest price segments. Consistent with NAHB data that found the average new single-family home size has been trending lower since 2015, realtors in some luxury markets are reporting that a growing number of affluent buyers are willing to “trade space for place.” This is especially true in the luxury condo segment, where buyers are increasingly getting flexible on square footage if a building has amenities or hospitality programs attached to it. 

4. Urbanization of the ‘Burbs, Emergence of ‘Hipsturbias’

People are moving back to the cities, it’s true — but as millennials start families another phenomenon has emerged, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020, a report released by Urban Land Institute and PwC: “hipsturbias.” Hipsturbias are suburban markets with hip or cool live/work/play environments offering walkability and/or transit access. Brooklyn is a prototype, but hipsturbia examples are beginning to crop up across the U.S. — from New Jersey communities such as Hoboken, Maplewood, and Summit, to New York’s Yonkers and New Rochelle, to Evanston, Illinois and further out west — Santa Clara, California, and Tempe, Arizona. 

Which trend do you see impacting your community?

The post Luxury Real Estate Trends to Watch in 2020  first appeared on Century 21®.

Source: century21.com

This Stunning Modern House Was Built With Fire Safety in Mind

The record-breaking 2020 fire season has seen huge wildfires tear across California. In fact, five of the six largest fires ever recorded in the state have occurred this year, endangering residents, prompting evacuations and leading to thousands of lost buildings.

Unfortunately, researchers are forecasting even longer, more extreme wildfire seasons in the years to come — which means fire safety is now fast becoming a feature more treasured than even the most extravagant of amenities. And home builders are starting to cater to that need, coming up with ingenious ways to ‘fire-proof’ their projects.

One stunning example of that is this newly-built $5 million home in Marin County, Calif. that prioritizes fire safety — something that’s likely to become a new standard for million dollar homes throughout the Golden State.

Newly-built home in Marin County, CA focuses on fire safety
Newly-built home in Marin County, CA. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne

The builder picked all of the outdoor finishes with fire safety in mind, using only steel, glass and concrete. Even the decks are made from Fibergrate (a type of molded fire-resistant fiberglass and stone).

In fact, the only wood you’ll find in this home is the wide-plank engineered oak floors. As expected, there is also a fire suppression system throughout the home.

Newly-built home in Marin County, CA focuses on fire safety
Newly-built home in Marin County, CA. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne

Yet fire safety is not the only area in which this home excels. With its dramatic walls of glass, soaring steel beamed ceilings, and high-end designer finishes, the property is a stunning example of modern 21st century architecture.

Set in the coveted Country Club neighborhood of San Rafael — roughly 11 miles north of San Francisco — the house boasts a modern industrial design, with its walls of glass opening up the indoor areas to the outdoor greenery and flooding the home with sunlight and captivating views. The space is anchored by a stunning ultra-modern kitchen and features wide-plank oak flooring and a modern fireplace.

The house boasts a modern industrial design with soaring steel beamed ceilings.
The house boasts a modern industrial design with soaring steel beamed ceilings. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
Walls of glass open up to beautiful nature views and flood the home with light
Walls of glass open up to beautiful nature views and flood the home with light. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
dining room of an ultra-modern house in california
Walls of glass open up to beautiful nature views and flood the home with light. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne

The fire-resistant home comes with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and quite a few ultra-modern features. It has its own solar system (powered by 28 solar panels) and battery back up systems for when the power is out, and has been outfitted with smart home technology like a Doorbird Entry System, Nest thermostats, smart lighting, automatic blinds and more.

Adding to that wow factor is a dramatic, Instagram-worthy foyer at the entrance, which has ‘living walls’ of exotic plants on both sides. Same goes for the outdoor pool, which comes with a built-in spa, automatic safety cover and gas heater.

living wall in the foyer of a luxury home
Dramatic entrance has walls of greenery on both sides. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
The fire-resistant house features plenty spaces to entertain guests
The fire-resistant house features plenty spaces to entertain guests. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
modern bedroom with glass walls overlooking the pool
Walls of glass open up to beautiful nature views and flood the home with light. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne
Newly-built home in Marin County, CA
Newly-built home in Marin County, CA. Image credit: Thomas Henthorne

The home is currently on the market with a $4,995,000 price tag. Thomas Henthorne with Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty is exclusively representing the property.

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The post This Stunning Modern House Was Built With Fire Safety in Mind appeared first on Fancy Pants Homes.

Source: fancypantshomes.com