Well here we are at the unofficial start of summer – Memorial Day weekend just passed, and we are trying to get back to some kind of normalcy. Many families had barbecues which have always been a huge Memorial Day Tradition; however, this year they probably included less guests than in years past – probably just immediate family. I was fortunate enough to take my boat out this weekend – just with my family.
Another Memorial Day tradition is looking for new houses and one thing that is for sure the master-planned community of Summerlin is ready. Some of the nation’s top homebuilders have contributed to making Summerlin what it is today – The top selling master-planned community west of the Mississippi.
The homebuilders have all put in place social distancing guidelines and cleaning after each viewing. As a Realtor I do the same with the homes I show for sale. We at the Jeff Howard Group show by appointment only and follow social distancing protocols. Besides that, we all wear masks, gloves and booties inside the home being shown, and sanitize our hands regularly. If you would like a virtual tour prior to looking at a home in person, I will gladly go and film a virtual tour and concentrate on specific interests you might have. I go the extra mile for my clients, the home builders also have virtual tours you can look at.
When you decide on your forever home, I can set up virtual meetings with lenders, inspectors, escrow and anyone else we need to communicate with so you are not coming into personal contact with any more people than you want to. Meetings can be done via Zoom or another video platform, signing can be electronic. My point is, we can do everything in a way that makes you feel comfortable and safe. After all I want to be your Realtor for life… a long healthy life!
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
The kitchen is the heart of the home and now that we are all home more than we used to be, it serves basically as the center of operations for most families, which means it is probably the most trafficked area of your home. The kitchen should be functional and appealing plus well planned out.
The following are tips on how to have a kitchen that works for you and your family:
Kitchen islands help enhance the kitchen in many different ways. They help define the space the kitchen plus they also give you additional work and dining areas. Many families like to change it up when it comes to eating meals adding bar stools to the kitchen island and gives a bar-like feeling to many dining experiences. If your house does not have room for a large island, you can buy smaller ones that are on wheels from many retailers.
Extendable tables provide flexibility without have to put in table leafs. All you have to do with an extendable table is lift and slide with a base table that expands. Very good for projects you give the kids to do and still be in the same room.
Eat-in kitchens have a very wide appeal with all types of families – couples, singles, and families with kids. It is more casual than going into the dining room and is more highly functional. You can figure out what type of table fits your needs better… a round or rectangular table. The kind of materials the table is made of is also important – you want something that is easy to clean. Glass tops are very popular, they create a sense of lightness.
Lighting in the kitchen is important and chandelier lighting both sensible and esthetically pleasing. Putting it on a dimmer is great for giving the room atmosphere.
Mirrors and artwork help add a finishing touch to the space as they do in other areas of your home.
You should think about a timeless look with a soothing color palette. Many people go for white, taupe and grey a very neutral color scheme. If you like more color try soft yellow or add a splash of red orange or even green – the colors found in nature.
Real estate is still being bought and sold. Safety is our top priority. The Jeff Howard Group will make a one-on-one appointment with you when you want to visit a property in person and we use masks, gloves and booties and of course social distancing. Meetings can be done via Zoom or another platform, signing can be electronic and many homes have virtual tours set up for you to see – if they don’t, I can go and take a video for you.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
Staying at home and being in self isolation was ok at first. However is has now stretched on to the point of boredom for a lot of people. There’s quite a difference between choosing to stay at home and having to stay at home. Many people at home are starting to look for things that need to be done around the house – if you’re going to be stuck at home every day, you might as well be productive.
Fortunately, there are a number of cleaning tasks that can keep you busy for a while. Don’t just dust, vacuum and call it a day, though. Consider tackling the following jobs as well to reduce your future maintenance needs and ensure that you’re ready to face the next months ahead.
Clean the Windows (And the Screens)
Cleaning the windows is a classic spring-cleaning task (or in Las Vegas an anytime task) but it’s one of those tasks that’s all too easy to only do halfway. When you clean your windows, make sure to clean both the inside and the outside with a quality glass cleaner or vinegar (mix water with distilled white vinegar in equal parts and pour the solution into a spray bottle). Take those newspaper style advertisements you get in the mail and use those instead of paper towels. They do a better job! Also, since you removed the window screens, clean them as well, especially if any of them have dirt or other icky stuff stuck in them after the winter.
Pressure Washing
Dirt, mold, mildew and moss can all degrade the materials of your home over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to break out the pressure washer and give your home a good scrub down at least once a year. Spring is a good time to do this since it’s usually still a bit too cool for things that grow on your house to get out of hand. While you’ve got the pressure washer out, you should also look to see if there’s anything else around the house that could use a good deep clean. Check out picnic tables, fences and any other spots where dirt and other contaminants might accumulate. If you don’t own a pressure washer, Home Depot rents them!
Gutter Cleaning
A lot of people view gutter cleaning as a fall task, associating full gutters with fallen leaves. There are a lot of things that can clog up your gutters, though, including debris that gets washed off your roof by spring rain. To reduce wear and tear on your gutters and make cleaning them easier overall, make cleaning your gutters into a task that you should do at least twice a year.
Don’t Forget the Furniture
It’s easy to forget that dust and dirt accumulate on furniture as well as other places in your home. Break out the vacuum or a steam cleaner to give your furniture a good cleaning as a part of your spring-cleaning routine. Not only will this keep your furniture looking good and in good shape for longer, but it can also reduce allergies and other health issues within your home.
After doing all of this you will have a very clean home and a keen interest in getting back to work.
Real estate is still being bought and sold. Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
As we all know buying or selling a home can be stressful under all circumstances and the current state of the world is far from ordinary. Sales have fallen off slightly, however there are still a lot of people buying and selling right now (if you want a better sense of the current market visit www.JeffHowardGroup.com/marketupdate). Since, as they say, “the show must go on”, Real Estate agents in the Las Vegas Valley have come up with a few ways for buyers and sellers to accomplish their goals safely.
If you’re ready to sell or buy, here are a few new “rules” to keep in mind when entering the real estate market in the era of social distancing.
Increasing Online Presence – One of the big changes to the real estate process is an increased dependence on online resources instead of in-person shopping. This includes lots of pictures and videos of properties being posted online, however many sellers are taking things even further than this. Recorded virtual tours, online conferences to allow buyers to ask questions about the property, and even livestream walkthroughs with a seller or agent showing the property are all increasingly popular options to supplement or even replace in-person showings.
Open houses have been cancelled due to social distancing and Realtors want to make sure everyone feels safe. In Nevada they have been banned for now. Online “virtual open house” conferences are popping up as one option to adapt to this, letting multiple potential buyers come together on Zoom or a similar video conference service at the same time to get a better feel for the property that’s being sold.
While this may not be enough extra information to decide if that is the home you want to buy, it is often enough to eliminate it. Photos tell part of the story, but a virtual walkthrough tells much more. Because of this, we have reduced the number of homes buyers needs to personally visit to find the right home for you and your family.
More One-on-One Time – Since online access and virtual tours show so much of what buyers want to see, there are a few that are signing on the dotted line without getting a chance to see a property in person first. Most agents are meeting with potential buyers by appointment only when a potential buyer still wants to visit the property in question, and everyone is encouraged to restrict the size of the meeting as much as reasonable. These appointments should be made with the understanding that if any participant feels the least bit under the weather on the day of the meet-up, then it will need to be rescheduled for another time.
Respecting Social Distancing – When buyers and agents do meet up, the process is usually a little different than it used to be. Social distancing rules are usually respected; meaning that everyone involved should stay at least six feet apart from anyone they don’t live with to prevent potential infection. Your agent is going to take his/her car separately and you’ll drive your family in yours. Discussions about the property and general Q&As are more likely to occur outdoors in the open air, and any greetings or introductions skip out on traditional handshakes. Masks, gloves, shoe covers and hand sanitizer are used, and many sellers go through and open all of the doors and windows to both maximize airflow and to allow interested buyers access to the entire house without having to touch doorknobs or other surfaces in order to see inside.
Closing Remotely – Remote closings are becoming much more common, taking advantage of video conferencing to bring everyone together without actually having to be in the same room. There may be some instances where people must meet in person to have some items Notarized, but digital signing is substituted when allowed because it removes that point of contact. When people do come together to sign, everyone will utilize social distancing and pens won’t be shared.
We expect some of these practices to “survive” long after this incredibly disruptive virus is under control. If you have any questions about how to buy or sell in “the new normal” please contact me and my team & I will “hold your hand” through it… figuratively of course… not literally.
Real estate is still being bought and sold. Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
The best thing that we can do right now to protect ourselves and our families, friends and neighbors is to stay home. There are only so many hours in the day you can watch Tiger King or binge on whatever show you like. And if you have young children you will hear them singing along with some Disney character. Let’s face it your family needs something new to do and it needs to be something that the whole family can enjoy while you’re all staying safe at home.
There are some unique opportunities available right now that may be less likely again once this is all over. They provide experiences that the whole family can enjoy that aren’t just the same old TV shows. Though this is not a huge list, there are a few activities that are quite interesting and maybe a learning experience for your kids.
A Virtual Reunion
There are record numbers of people working and doing schoolwork at home, and more people are using video conferencing services like Zoom, GoToMeeting and Microsoft Teams than ever before. These services aren’t just for work, however. You can use them to get in touch with family from around the country, and even schedule a “virtual reunion” to catch up and check in with each other. This can be a recurring event, letting you stay connected with loved ones throughout the pandemic. You may even grow closer as a family despite the distance and your kids can enjoy knowing cousins that could be near their age. I recently baked cookies with my sister, brother & mother via Zoom… then (to make it interesting) we mailed cookies to each other and had the other family members choose a winner! (well everyone won because we spent time together from far apart & there were cookies!) Then we got on a subsequent Zoom call to announce the results from each house.
Museum and Zoo Tours
Even though museums and zoos are currently closed to the public, a number of high-profile museums and zoos have started offering virtual online tours for free. You can go online and view great works of art, watch animals relaxing during their downtime, and even see unique things like puppies getting to run wild in an aquarium. On top of these custom experiences, many zoos and similar facilities have webcams focused on specific exhibits that you can check out throughout the year.
Learn Something New
To help families pass the time, many online learning platforms are offering extended free trials so that people can pick up new skills or learn interesting things while in self-isolation. On top of that, some teachers and experts are streaming free courses on Zoom and other platforms as well. There is a wide range of topics available for both kids and adults, meaning that there’s something for everyone to learn and enjoy. Heck, I’m learning to play guitar for free!
Start or Join a Book Club
Reading is a great way to pass the time, and you can share that with the family by starting a family book club. The premise is simple: Everyone picks out a book, and once a week you get together and discuss what you’re reading. Even younger children can participate; let them pick out a book that they want you to read, and at the meet-up you can let them show off the book and tell everyone about it.
If you want a bit more social interaction with your book club, you can also look into online book clubs that are a bit closer to traditional book club offerings. These can have members from across the nation or around the world. Some of them operate on dedicated websites, and others use social media groups. Either way, there should be options available for most readers.
Listen to a Story
Even if you don’t feel like doing all of that reading, there are a good number of authors and celebrities doing podcasts and videos in which they read a variety of books or stories. Quite a few of these are aimed at children, and some of them are more tailored to adults. Levar Burton (of Reading Rainbow fame) has even recently launched a video version of his podcast Levar Burton Reads with a wide range of content.
A Night in at the Movies
Under ordinary circumstances, you’d be able to take the family out to see some of the many movies that would be in theaters right now. But that’s not possible since all the theaters are closed. So instead, movie theaters are adapting with special digital rentals now available for recent box-office hits that ordinarily wouldn’t be available for rental yet, so that a wider audience can enjoy them. And some movies that were scheduled for early summer release, such as Trolls World Tour, are also making their debut via digital rental. So pop some popcorn and enjoy these new and recent blockbusters all from the privacy and safety of your own home.
Real estate is still being bought and sold. Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that, safely… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
As a Realtor I like to know what features buyers across a few generations list as being very important in their home search.
Among the top 10 were indoor/outdoor living, natural sunlight, renovated bedrooms and bathrooms, and energy-efficient features. Also high on the list were open floor plans, an area for a home office and hardwood floors or in the last few years the ceramic “wood” tile floors. Another feature that has become popular is an area for a home gym.
Demand for outdoor living space has been the most popular feature in the southwest and most homebuilders in recent years have constructed homes with an indoor/ outdoor feature. They have glass panels that stack to open up the home to the outside.
In keeping with the outdoors, many homebuyers want fire features such as a fire pit so they can enjoy the outdoors all year round.
I would love to hear from you and hear what are the top features you want in your next home?
When consulting with me on your home search, we will be sure to prioritize what is important to you. This process will help us find homes that meet your needs more quickly and get you into the home you will love.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
Many of us have a little more time on our hands at the moment. Instead of binging on TV shows, you and your family might want to try some new DIY projects around your home to for the spring season. The following are fun and easy ways to add some color and vibrancy to your home, and you can get everyone involved. Keep reading for six DIY projects to get your home ready for spring.
DIY vertical pallet planter –This idea will liven up your outdoor space ready by making your own planter stand with wood pallets. Stand the pallet vertically up against the side of your house and use metal duct clamps to secure flowerpots to the individual pallet slats. You can grow perennials, herbs or anything you can think of to dress up your outdoor area.
Make your own wall stencils -For a project inside your home, try making over a room by changing the walls. It’s easy to cut your own stencils out of cardstock or other durable paper. You could design and cut out a Moroccan-themed stencil, geometric patterns, leaves or anything else you can think of. Paint over the stencil on your wall using regular house paint or spray paint to make things even easier.
Make your own milk glass vases -Milk glass is a coveted, vintage item. If you don’t own any, it’s simple to imitate. Choose some vases, bowls or glass bottles around your home and simply spray-paint them white. Make sure to do the inside and outside. They will make the perfect, crisp white backdrop to some of your favorite spring flowers.
Frame spring printables -One of the easiest ways you can freshen up your home for spring is to hang new prints that reflect the season. There are tons of free printables online that you can download. Choose from colorful spring patterns, blooming flowers, motivational quotes and more. Then, simply choose a frame that suits your style to display the printables and hang them to instantly give your home a facelift. To hang them on the wall use removable hooks (they stick to the wall with removable adhesive). This way each season you can change the prints and move the frames to different positions
DIY wreath out of your favorite flowers – Start with a grapevine wreath, which you can purchase from most craft stores (even online). This will be your base for the wreath that you will decorate with any flower of your choosing. We suggest using artificial flowers so that they don’t die on you, but if you’re willing to change them out for fresh flowers once a week, more power to you! Cut the stems off of your fresh or faux flowers as needed, and weave them into the wreath. In minutes, you’ll have a brand-new wreath for your front door that reflects the new season.
Striking fabric flower pots – If you really want your flowerpots to stand out, decorate them with fabric in any design you like. You could choose a floral print, polka dots, zigzags or anything that suits you. Using the pot as a guide, cut the fabric so that it will fit snugly around the pot. Attach the fabric to the pot using mod podge, and wrap it around the pot. Make sure you don’t cover the hole at the base of the pot where the water seeps through. Now you instantly have one-of-a-kind pots for your spring flowers to bloom in.
Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? Are you ready to buy or sell a home? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
Spring is finally here and the days are getting longer – Hooray!! Now it’s time to start thinking about the spring landscaping. There are several landscaping activities that you generally want to do in the springtime, but where do you start?
The following are a few suggestions of how to tackle your to do list. These are some of the most common landscaping tasks that need doing once things start to warm up and getting them out of the way early can make other landscaping tasks easier as we roll though spring, and summer comes. Who knows – maybe taking care of some of these items will inspire you to take on a larger landscaping project later in the year?
Clean Up That Winter Refuse -The winter can be tough on your lawn especially if you still have grass. Even if you have desert landscape you will likely find clumps of leaves that haven’t quite decayed, sticks and branches that fell during the winter … it can all leave a bit of a mess behind. Spend some time cleaning up the mess left by winter before you start any other tasks and you’ll find that the rest of your spring to-do list will be much easier.
Prune the Trees and Shrubs – Early spring is a great time to prune most of your trees and shrubs, since it’s before they get into a strong growth period. Early pruning allows you to shape them the way you want them to be and gives you a chance to eliminate unwanted overhangs and encroachment. If you wait until there’s new growth you can actually stunt some of that growth and make it harder to control how your trees and shrubs are forming.
Prep Your Lawn – If you have a grass lawn you will want it to look its best, so you need to show it some love in the spring. Aerate the lawn to help break up soil packed by cold temperatures in the winter, de thatch it to help it grow in thicker, and sow some seed to fill in bare spots once it’s warm enough. If your lawn has an uneven surface after the winter, bringing in a roller to go over the lawn wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
If you have desert landscaping, you might want to rake your rocks and use you hose to clean them off. Look to see areas that are sparse you might want to purchase some new rocks and spread them around.
Clean Up Your Flower Beds – If you have flower beds around your home, chances are they could use a bit of picking up after the winter. Get rid of any damaged plants, pull any weeds or grass that tried to get established during the winter, and tidy up any debris or other crud that might have found their way into your beds. You should also pull away the winter mulch surrounding your perennials and divide them to get your beds off to a good start.
Feed and Protect – While you’re working on your lawn and your flower beds, go ahead and take the time to prep them for spring growth. Add new mulch to your beds as needed, give your lawn a good dose of fertilizer, and make sure that all your other plants are similarly fed and protected. Your plants, trees and bushes will be doing a lot of growing in the coming months, so you want to make sure that they have everything they need.
Plan Your Summer – This is also the time to prepare for late spring and summer projects as well. If you’re going to have a garden, take the time to start prepping it now by tilling the soil, working in compost and starting some of your spring seeds indoors. If you’re going to undertake a construction project or add new features to your lawn, go ahead and start clearing the area. The work you put in now will make things so much easier when you get to that project.
Ready to Get to Work? – Depending on what you have planned, you may need a bit of help to get your landscaping in tip-top shape. Luckily, I have a list of professional and trusted landscapers that I can recommend to you. Just reach out any time.
Are you ready to buy or sell a home? Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
There’s no catch! You don’t even have to give them a credit card number! Start learning guitar, bass and/or ukulele at home via your smartphone or computer today. Don’t have an instrument? Post on Nextdoor or Facebook to see who has one collecting dust (someone does… I guarantee it). Just make sure you sanitize it well before using it. And there’s even an app you can download that helps you magically tune your instrument!
The current global situation has many people with a lot of spare time on their hands. To take their minds off of the current situation, many people are turning to music to help keep their spirits up. Surely, you’ve watched videos of various professional and amateur musicians entertaining themselves and others. So why not ensure this forced downtime is as productive as possible and learn a musical instrument? Worried about disturbing the rest of the house? That’s why this instrument is perfect! It’s not the drums or a trumpet! I took an old guitar into a bedroom and closed a door while my girlfriend was studying something new online in another room that she had always wanted to learn… she said I did not bother her at all.
According to this report from Fender, there are so many benefits to learning and playing the guitar; from reducing stress and inspiring creativity, to boosting your immune system, to help stave off Alzheimer’s disease. (their words, not mine).
When this offer first hit the streets, Fender had limited the number of free subscriptions available to just 100,000. In an amazing demonstration of generosity, they’ve just increased the offer to 500,000. If you or a loved-one missed out the first time, don’t let it pass you by this time.
Fender Play features an ever-increasing bounty of easy-to-follow, instructor-guided videos to help new musicians get underway, as well as developing players who are a little further along on their musical journey. I took 1 guitar lesson here in Las Vegas a few years back and found Fender’s online instruction much easier to follow
“How do I get started?”, you ask? Just visit fender.com/playthrough to redeem your code. Once you have your code you can download the app via Google Play or the App Store and sign into your account. You can also sign into Fender Play via web/desktop.
Learning songs is a fundamental part of musical development and, in addition to the lessons, the Fender Play library is packed with jam tracks by artists from America to ZZ Top, and there are current artists like Ed Sheeran, Sia and Shawn Mendes. If you’ve been looking for a new hobby or a way to get creative during the uncertain weeks and months ahead, the Fender Play app could be the virtual music teacher you’ve been waiting for.
Hopefully there will be a few silver linings come out of this global pandemic, and if the world has more musicians, I happen to think that would be amazing!
Are you ready to buy or sell a home? Do you want 3 cash offers? Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? We can help you with all of that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
The internet in homes is now being over-used with most people working from home and their children getting schooled via the internet. If you’ve had a business videoconference stutter while your teenagers play Call of Duty online, or found yourself unable to stream the news while your spouse uploads huge data files for work, you’ll have a good idea of the problem.
According to experts the internet’s core is managing the spike in traffic just fine. It has massive capacity to handle Netflix, YouTube, Zoom and other streaming services. True, Netflix recently throttled down its video quality in Europe at the request of authorities there. But the company already stores its programs on servers close to users’ homes already, and there’s no evidence that it’s clogging networks.
Some people are wondering – if the internet is so sturdy why does my home connection stutter? The problem partly lies in the so-called “last mile,” the link that connects your home to the ultra-high speed internet backbone. Most homes in the United States get their internet from cable companies and thus connect to the broader network via coaxial cable, a legacy of the cable TV era. These connections provide faster “downstream” speeds to your home than “upstream” speeds back to the internet. Since videoconferencing sends equal amounts of data both ways, simultaneous sessions can clog the upstream channel and disrupt service for the entire household.
If this situation is happening to you, one quick solution is to have some family members switch to audio-only, which conserves bandwidth. This also applies to anyone in multiplayer online games, where — per a wag on Twitter — the banter between players often resembles conference calls with occasional shooting.
You might want to consider ordering a service upgrade, although that might not be strictly necessary. Some providers are temporarily offering more bandwidth, particularly for families with school-age children, in response to the current situation. Others have dropped service caps that charge extra when data usage passes a certain threshold. I tested my speed today to see that my provider has almost doubled my speed… and I didn’t even ask.
The relatively few U.S. households with their own direct fiber-optic connections have the same bandwidth in both directions and shouldn’t experience serious hiccups.
Does your home network need an upgrade? It might. Start with your internet modem, the device that most likely has a coax cable connecting it to your wall. Your internet provider often rents the modem to you.
If your modem is several years old, it’s probably time to ask your provider if upgrading the modem’s internal software, or replacing the modem entirely, will help. Also, some older modems often can’t deliver the full bandwidth you’re paying each month for to your household.
Next look at your Wi-Fi router. If you have cable, it may be built into your modem. If you haven’t already, try moving it to a more central location in your home or apartment; that will ensure bandwidth is distributed more equally. Another possibility you can connect some devices directly to the router with ethernet cables instead of using Wi-Fi. This may improve the performance of videoconferencing.
Or you can add more access points and distribute Wi-Fi with a “mesh” network. Newer routers let you add several satellite stations that boost your signal throughout the house, though you might have to arrange that with your provider.
Want to test your internet speed? Click this link, then click “GO”; https://bit.ly/39pYwa0
Are you ready to buy or sell a home? Do you have a need for commercial / industrial / retail buildings or land? We can help you with that… just call us at 702 SELL NOW or click on this link to my website http://www.702SellNow.com
