By Charlie Basil
The current troubled economic climate has created new problems for landlords. Prior to the downturn, it was widely predicted that a significant recession would be led by the residential real estate industry. Corollary forecasts predicted a boom for multi-family real estate and other leased housing models as a result. In actuality, something much different has happened. Vacancies rates are exploding and rental rates are drastically declining. The reason for this is quite simple. It is a function of supply and demand; and frightened competition.
SUPPLY
Supply of "for rent" housing stock has increased in many primary markets for several reasons. Ranked high among these reasons are the following:
During the last housing boom, many speculative properties were constructed with the growing pool of first-time home buyers in mind. When the "bubble" burst, the developers realigned financial strategies and converted unsold units to "for rent" housing stock.
Many people who own real estate have experienced a change in their financial condition, and can no longer afford their mortgages. Due to the recessed market, they have elected to rent their property instead of selling it.
In higher priced markets, populations are retreating to lower cost options which may include moving outside of the submarket, relocating outside of the metropolitan area or moving within the submarket to a lower cost housing product.
DEMAND
"For rent" housing demand has declined and tenant preferences have shifted. There are several reasons for this shift in demand. Among those reasons are the following:
California is experiencing a net job loss, which reduces the capital available for housing in the marketplace. Additionally, workers and families are moving to lower cost metropolitan markets in search of income and reduced expenses.
Americans have generally become more conservative in spending habits. Thus, tenants have retreated to value-oriented rentals as opposed to higher cost luxury product. In our coastal markets, it had been popular for Landlords to upgrade rental real estate to harness the demand for luxury product and amplify return on investment. Such luxury product is no longer highly desired and therefore, remains vacant or must be reduced in price in order to be competitive with more value-focused rentals. As luxury rents reduce, they create downward pressure on value-oriented rentals as higher quality products enter lower price ranges.
Household consolidation has curbed demand for rentals as Americans have chosen to reduce housing costs by entering into roommate partnerships. For example, two individuals who once lived in separate one-bedroom units have chosen to collectively rent a two-bedroom unit, occupying one unit, but vacating two units.
As supply has expanded and demand has constricted, pricing and terms have moved in favor of the tenant population. Landlords are now experiencing longer vacancy periods and are receiving lower rents. Therefore, landlords are taking drastic measures to compete for the business of a rental pool with seemingly limitless options. Terms like reduced security deposits, no credit check, multiple months of free rent and reduced rental rates are now prevalent in the marketplace. This is referred to as "frightened competition" and has adverse effects on the overall marketplace. It creates a downward spiral as property owners vie to achieve immediate occupancy by offering terms that are increasingly positive for renters and negative for landlords.
Charlie Basil is the Director, Operations and Bliss for the RENT guru, a turnkey residential leasing service that provides landlords with a quick, efficient and cost-effective way to fill vacant properties. The cornerstone of the RENT guru is the signature concierge service which includes:
A determined sales team to manage and execute property tours and open houses during peak traffic hours. -Designer advertisements on craigslist.org, westsiderentals.com and other listing services featuring high quality photos taken by a RENT guru.-Promotional campaigns via email, social media (i.e. Twitter and Facebook) and other information-sharing platforms to quickly spread the word about your property.-SMS (text message) and email information on-site that immediately delivers property details directly to mobile phones.-Comprehensive tenant qualification (credit, income and background checks) and execution of all contracts with delivery of finalized tenant package for your files.-Ongoing customized reports containing market feedback specific to your property
Charlie also is President, The Fresh Basil, Inc. marketing consultancy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charlie_Basil
Modern Farmhouse Design
ป้ายกำกับ: Homes, Modern Design
By James Crisp
There is no absolute prototype for a farmhouse, but most of us can recognize one when we see it. By definition the originals were located on farms and were integral to the life and work of those farm families who lived there.
Depending on when and where those homes were built, they could be made of stone, brick, shingles or clapboard. Most farmhouses had porches since there was no air conditioning and many farm and family chores were undertaken there. The porch roof provided shelter from the sun and rain yet allowed the cool breezes to flow through and help make those steamy summers tolerable.
The center of family life in the farmhouse was the kitchen. Meals were prepared and often eaten there as well as home pickling and canning for the long winters (in the North). In the older farmhouses, a cooking fireplace was essential. Additional fireplaces were used to heat as many rooms as possible.
I live in an old farmhouse originally built around 1790 and then added onto in the 1800s and more recently added onto by my family. I have come to appreciate the simple detailing the wide board floors and beautiful fireplaces.
When designing a modern farmhouse, porches, wide board floors and beautiful fireplaces are welcome. The floor plan can be center hall, side hall or a variation of the two. Gathering places within the home are as important today as they were 200 years ago. Modern farmhouses include big bright kitchens to accommodate the inevitable influx of friends and family. These days many families spend most of their time in the kitchen cooking, eating, talking, studying and just visiting. Energy efficiency is important, with some farm houses using geothermal heating and cooling and solar panels on the barns.
We are lucky to inherit the traditions of our founding families including their most treasured possession, the farmhouse.
http://www.crisparchitects.com/ James M. Crisp, AIA is an architect working in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. He is the author with Sandee Mahoney of On The Porch, Creating Your Place to Watch the World Go By.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Crisp
There is no absolute prototype for a farmhouse, but most of us can recognize one when we see it. By definition the originals were located on farms and were integral to the life and work of those farm families who lived there.
Depending on when and where those homes were built, they could be made of stone, brick, shingles or clapboard. Most farmhouses had porches since there was no air conditioning and many farm and family chores were undertaken there. The porch roof provided shelter from the sun and rain yet allowed the cool breezes to flow through and help make those steamy summers tolerable.
The center of family life in the farmhouse was the kitchen. Meals were prepared and often eaten there as well as home pickling and canning for the long winters (in the North). In the older farmhouses, a cooking fireplace was essential. Additional fireplaces were used to heat as many rooms as possible.
I live in an old farmhouse originally built around 1790 and then added onto in the 1800s and more recently added onto by my family. I have come to appreciate the simple detailing the wide board floors and beautiful fireplaces.
When designing a modern farmhouse, porches, wide board floors and beautiful fireplaces are welcome. The floor plan can be center hall, side hall or a variation of the two. Gathering places within the home are as important today as they were 200 years ago. Modern farmhouses include big bright kitchens to accommodate the inevitable influx of friends and family. These days many families spend most of their time in the kitchen cooking, eating, talking, studying and just visiting. Energy efficiency is important, with some farm houses using geothermal heating and cooling and solar panels on the barns.
We are lucky to inherit the traditions of our founding families including their most treasured possession, the farmhouse.
http://www.crisparchitects.com/ James M. Crisp, AIA is an architect working in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. He is the author with Sandee Mahoney of On The Porch, Creating Your Place to Watch the World Go By.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Crisp
Sofa Tables - They Have a Lovely Decorative Quality
ป้ายกำกับ: Furnitures
By Jennifer Akre
You have decided that you are going to rearrange your living room and instead of putting your sofa up against a wall like you always have, you have moved it out into the middle of your space so your family has a better view when watching TV. The thing is, the back of your couch is kind of boring to look at. Well, one way in which you can jazz up its appearance is with sofa tables. One will have that spot looking smashing in no time.
Just like the name suggests, sofa tables are designed to go behind a sofa and the reason why they are able to spruce up the look of that space is because they are styled in a variety of eye-catching ways. For instance, you can purchase one that has a bold modern style with clean, uninterrupted lines that are very sleek and beautiful. Or, you can get another that has more of a traditional look to it with some accents that highlight certain areas of the piece. And, you can even get one that has an antique appearance filled with delicate detailing and ornamentation. In addition to those style choices, there are many, many others and they include, art deco, country, and transitional options.
Any of those style selections will definitely infuse some flair into your living room, however, in addition to doing that, sofa tables will also add some functionality to it as well. This is the result of this furnishings design as one has a long, but slender table top where you can set down and display any number of things from simply using it to hold a remote control or an area where you can showcase your family photos. There are options that are even more practical than just those that have table tops because there are other choices that come with drawers, shelving, and even cabinets. The ones with these features allow you to easily stow away a variety of things like DVD's, board games, magazines, and even smaller blankets.
You might think that sofa tables only work behind a sofa, yet they are actually a fantastic option for placing in other areas throughout your home as well. One spot is in your foyer area, another is at the end of a hallway, and you could even use one in a larger bathroom if you chose to.
For a fast and effortless way to look into the sofa tables that you could possibly purchase for your living space, simply go to your family computer and do some online shopping on the World Wide Web. Seriously, shopping has never been such an easy thing to do given that you just have to browse all the online retail sites. When you do pick something, it will be sent right to you so you do not even have to worry about have to move anything anywhere.
When it comes down to it, sofa tables are just a great option for sprucing up the back of a sofa. Plus, they can be used in other areas throughout your home, making it one top notch furnishing choice.
Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is glass coffee tables for your living room or console tables for you newly remodeled home, there are many tips you can use to make any spot both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre
You have decided that you are going to rearrange your living room and instead of putting your sofa up against a wall like you always have, you have moved it out into the middle of your space so your family has a better view when watching TV. The thing is, the back of your couch is kind of boring to look at. Well, one way in which you can jazz up its appearance is with sofa tables. One will have that spot looking smashing in no time.
Just like the name suggests, sofa tables are designed to go behind a sofa and the reason why they are able to spruce up the look of that space is because they are styled in a variety of eye-catching ways. For instance, you can purchase one that has a bold modern style with clean, uninterrupted lines that are very sleek and beautiful. Or, you can get another that has more of a traditional look to it with some accents that highlight certain areas of the piece. And, you can even get one that has an antique appearance filled with delicate detailing and ornamentation. In addition to those style choices, there are many, many others and they include, art deco, country, and transitional options.
Any of those style selections will definitely infuse some flair into your living room, however, in addition to doing that, sofa tables will also add some functionality to it as well. This is the result of this furnishings design as one has a long, but slender table top where you can set down and display any number of things from simply using it to hold a remote control or an area where you can showcase your family photos. There are options that are even more practical than just those that have table tops because there are other choices that come with drawers, shelving, and even cabinets. The ones with these features allow you to easily stow away a variety of things like DVD's, board games, magazines, and even smaller blankets.
You might think that sofa tables only work behind a sofa, yet they are actually a fantastic option for placing in other areas throughout your home as well. One spot is in your foyer area, another is at the end of a hallway, and you could even use one in a larger bathroom if you chose to.
For a fast and effortless way to look into the sofa tables that you could possibly purchase for your living space, simply go to your family computer and do some online shopping on the World Wide Web. Seriously, shopping has never been such an easy thing to do given that you just have to browse all the online retail sites. When you do pick something, it will be sent right to you so you do not even have to worry about have to move anything anywhere.
When it comes down to it, sofa tables are just a great option for sprucing up the back of a sofa. Plus, they can be used in other areas throughout your home, making it one top notch furnishing choice.
Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is glass coffee tables for your living room or console tables for you newly remodeled home, there are many tips you can use to make any spot both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre
Living Room Decor Ideas - Spectacular Living Rooms
ป้ายกำกับ: DecorBy Madison Bree
the living room is bijou to say the least, there are living room décor ideas to suit you and your budget. You can go for cozy chic and warm up your living space or go for open-plan with vaulted ceilings and an expanse of herringbone hardwood floor. At the end of your project you will have ended up with a space that you can live in comfortably, decorated according to the space you have available. Are you aiming for a peaceful retreat, full of serenity and harmony or a more user-friendly, basic living space where you feel comfortable slipping your shoes off and putting your feet up.
If I was choosing a color scheme for my living room I would go to the cooler colors on my color wheel chart - the blues and greens which can be used in different shades to achieve a 'joined-up' look of cool elegance. I always make sure that, when I paint my ceiling, I use a light shade of the room's main color on my ceiling so, if my color scheme was blue, I would use the lightest eggshell blue I could find for my ceiling and then a slightly deeper shade of blue for my walls. If you have mouldings you could paint those completely white, or go for a darker shade of blue to both the walls and the ceiling. I would use matt paint on my walls and a paint with some kind of sheen on the mouldings.
For windows, to add height, place the curtain pole as high as possible near to the ceiling. This will give your curtains plenty of drop to achieve an elegant drape. Modern décor arrangements always suggest that the fabric should be allowed to pool on the floor - never in my house. To me, artistic though it evidently is, this 'pooling' idea for the fabric is just a dust collector and, if you have dogs like I do, is just asking them to make a bed out of the fabric! Why did I mention this? Find out what the trends are, but that does not mean you have to follow the trends slavishly. Adapt styles to suit you and your lifestyle.
You would think, wouldn't you, that a large picture placed on the wall in a small room would be overpowering. Surprisingly, it isn't. I have the tiniest lounge you can imagine and, on the wall above the fireplace I have a really large picture of the Defence of Rourke's Drift, depicting the British soldiers of 'B' Company, South Wales Borderers. This picture is very loud, very busy, with plenty going on in it. However, it looks absolutely fantastic in that room, almost as if the room was made to fit the picture!
Home Decorating Ideas offers quick cheap tips on how to decorate your house. Includes tips on decorating the office, living room, bedroom, kitchen and more
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Madison_Bree
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