Archive By Section - HOME SCENE
Going green on your remodel? Try tile
Are you planning an upcoming remodel for your home? Going green and using sustainable building materials continues to be a top trend in home improvement. Remodeling green isn't just about using products with recycled content, it's also about using superior products that will stand the test of time and reduce energy costs.
Different kind of short sale
Short sales - and not bank foreclosures - is where the largest chunk of the action is today in the Manteca housing market.
Tips for cleaning, organizing your garage in time for spring
Garages may have started out as a place to store cars, but gradually they've become a place to store almost everything else, from sports equipment to dog food to holiday decorations.
Tiny houses are catching on
Tiny houses are going mainstream. Just look at the Katrina Cottage, originally designed by architects Andres Duany and Marianne Cusato as a dignified alternative to the FEMA trailer for flood-ravaged New Orleans. The tiny charmers with pitched roofs, nostalgic front porches and 300 to 1,800 square feet are becoming popular elsewhere; Lowe's home stores sell the blueprints and materials. The cottages are being used as affordable housing, guesthouses and vacation cottages. It's part of a ...
If it glows indoors, you can find it outdoors too
A trend toward creating "outdoor rooms" has dramatically increased lighting options for homeowners who want to extend their time outside.
Close cropping is an easy way to gain garden space
Gardeners react no differently than anyone else when times are tough: They tighten spending and try to squeeze more from their budgets. Some turn to close cropping - crowding plants as a cheap and easy way to maximize yields from minimal space.
Homes selling almost 7 times faster than they did back in 2007
There is a 3.4-month supply of available resale homes in the Manteca market based on available property on the Multiple Listing Service.
Tax refund can make home ownership become a reality
K. Hovnanian Homes has initiated a sales promotion urging potential homebuyers to make the most of their tax refunds by applying them toward the purchase of a new K. Hovnanian High Performance Home.
Ayon joins Medallion in Manteca as part of new home sales team
Lory Ayon has joined the sales team at Medallion in Manteca by K. Hovnanian Homes. In the new position, she will utilize her extensive experience in real estate sales and loan origination to assist prospective buyers with their new home purchases.
Navigating a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
DEAR BENNY: My friend and I would appreciate knowing how to go about initiating a "deed-in-lieu of foreclosure."
Bringing home a 3-D TV? What you should know before you buy
Everyone, it seems, is eager for 3-D. It's a fad that's had its heyday more than once in pop culture, but this time all signs point to 3-D finding staying power in American theaters and homes. If you have any doubt that 3-D is hot, consider the fact that more than 100 movies - from children's animated films to big-budget sci-fi offerings - were released in 3-D in theaters and on DVD in 2009 and ...
Expert tips for choosing the right fountain
Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon spent many years and covered many miles searching for the fabled "fountain of youth." Fortunately, you don't have to go to those lengths to find a special fountain that will transform your backyard into a private oasis. You only need to make a trip to the local garden store.
Updating classic California flat-top
Home Depot for close to a month became my home away from home. It's what happens when you decide to remodel your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room and make other assorted improvements throughout your home all at the same time. The decision to remodel was easy. Just like with buying a home, this is an opportune time to remodel. Contractors - well most anyway - are extremely competitive and reasonable and aren't so buried with work ...
Affordability drops slightly in Manteca housing market
Manteca is bucking the national trend ever so slightly when it comes to housing affordability. Housing affordability did not drop in Manteca during 2010 as it did nationally. It actually went up. Economists determine housing affordability based on the ratio of annual household income to home prices. That made Manteca's affordability index 2.78 in 2010 when the median selling price of an existing home was $185,000. In 2009, the affordability index was 2.68 when the ...
Manteca on pace to sell 1,026 homes during 2011
Manteca is on pace for a fourth straight year of 1,000-plus existing homes exchanging hands. Thirty-two days into 2011, there have been 90 resales that have closed escrow for a daily pace of just over 2.8 homes. If the rate continues there will be 1,026 home sold by year's end. Existing homes sales for the previous three years in Manteca are as follows: •1,193 homes in 2010 with a median selling price of $185,000. •1,211 ...
Articles by Section - HOME SCENE
Create an outdoor space that ‘wows’, functions as living space
Whether you own a cozy cottage or mega mansion, as a homeowner, you likely embrace the outdoor living trend. But when you look at your deck or patio, does it leave something to be desired? By taking a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach, you can affordably create outdoor spaces that enhance the style and functionality of your home, plus add to the overall value of the property.
Single-family homes are in a number of cases no longer that
Think American Dream and images of owning a single-family home pop up.
California home prices jump 26 percent in May
SAN DIEGO (AP) - California home prices surged to their highest level in more than five years last month as demand outpaced a thin supply of properties, a research firm reported Thursday.
Rate on fixed 30-year mortgage rises to 3.98%
WASHINGTON (AP) - Fixed U.S. mortgage rates rose for the sixth straight week, putting the average rate on the 30-year loan just shy of 4 percent.
Making your home stand out in hot real estate market
The residential housing market is heating up, but before you post that for-sale sign, consider making upgrades that add style and value to your home. With many buyers seeking wood floors, kitchen upgrades and other add-ons, it's important for homeowners to highlight these features so their property stands out from the competition in today's market.
Fence & survey differ: So what do you do?
Q: We enjoy reading your column and would appreciate your comments on the following situation. You helped us with excellent advice in the past so we decided to seek your opinion on the following issue.
Top remodel trends for the modern home
Thanks to foreclosures and short sales, home buyers are snatching up great houses at reduced prices and remodeling to create stylish modern homes. Lucky for those buyers, many of today's top trends are relatively easy to recreate, and will add re-sale value to their homes.
Birdfeeder basics: Bring on back yard birds with the right feeders
When you dine, do you prefer clean and attractive tableware? Does ambiance enhance your enjoyment of your food? Birds feel the same way about their dining habits - the type and cleanliness of your bird feeders directly affects the number and species of birds that will visit your backyard this season.
Race affects homebuying, renting
WASHINGTON (AP) -Minority renters and homebuyers deployed to test for housing discrimination did not run into the blatant discrimination of four decades ago, but were told about and shown fewer homes than their white counterparts with similar backgrounds, according to the results of a major federal housing study released Tuesday.
Buyers & sellers beware: It’s a jungle out there
The Real Estate Boys: Boy, I don't know how you guys do it but you seem to be ahead of the game. Many weeks ago you wrote about funds for buying foreclosed homes in bulk from the large banks and a few weeks later I read about it in Time. You both seem to have the pulse of the market - or at least you talk a good game! So, what's coming up for us amateurs to watch out for when buying or selling? I enjoy your fun articles. Keep it up.
RealtyTrac: Home repossessions rose during May
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Lenders stepped up action last month against homeowners who had fallen behind on their mortgage payments, taking possession of more homes and initiating the foreclosure countdown clock on many others.
Today’s flippers aren’t the same as those who drove prices up
Flippers - the whipping boys for many who believed they played a big role in pumping up the housing bubble - are being criticized again.
Signed contracts to purchase homes at highest level in 3 years
WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes ticked up in April to the highest level in three years. The increase points to growth in home sales in the coming months.
30-year fixed mortgage rate increases to 3.81%
WASHINGTON (AP) - Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages jumped this week to their highest levels in a year, signaling slightly higher costs for homebuyers. But rates still remain low by historical standards.
Sections:
- NEWS |
- SPORTS |
- BUSINESS |
- OBITUARIES |
- OPINION |
- HOME SCENE |
- 209 |
- MULTIMEDIA |
- FEATURED EDITIONS |
- MOVIES |
- REGIONAL NEWS
Services:
Submit News:
Online:
Contents of this site are © 2013 Manteca Bulletin - All Rights Reserved Privacy policy and Terms of service | Contact Us
