Chance Gates' Blog

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By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, October 1, 2010–While the “green” movement may have slowed down slightly, similar to the economy, it is still alive and well.

More homeowners are opting to stay in their current homes, and many of them are turning to eco-friendly products and contractors for a variety of reasons: some are environmentally conscious while others have allergies or are chemically sensitive.

Whatever the reason for remodeling, almost everyone agrees that lowering their energy consumption and their electricity and water bills is important.

KitchenRemodeling.net offers six ways people can make their homes greener when kitchen remodeling.

1. Choose energy-efficient appliances. When purchasing a new refrigerator, dishwasher or other appliances, choose ones that are certified energy efficient. Use the water and energy-saving settings as often as possible. Plus, some states offer rebates for homeowners who use energy-efficient models.

2. Install energy-efficient lighting. When working on the kitchen remodel design in their new space, homeowners can increase their natural light to cut down on the need for electricity. But some bulbs will be needed. Choose fixtures that are compatible with compact fluorescents (CFLs), which save 75% of the electricity that incandescent bulbs use. These are slightly higher in initial price but last eight times as long and will significantly cut down on energy bills.

3. Purchase green kitchen cupboards and cabinets. There are more eco-friendly kitchen cupboards and cabinets available today than ever before. These are constructed of rapidly renewable resources or recycled materials. People remodeling their kitchen should ask their contractor about wheatboard, bamboo and other green cabinet products. Additionally, they should inquire about water-based adhesives and finishes.

4. Choose green products when kitchen remodeling. For flooring, cork is highly durable, comfortable and an excellent insulator of sound and heat. Cork is also hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. Concrete is excellent for flooring, countertops and other areas because it does not have harmful fumes, glues or laminates. For countertops and backsplashes, homeowners can choose from a variety of durable and attractive eco-friendly options, such as vertrazzo and recycled glass tiles.

5. Remodel with hypoallergenic materials. These materials are not toxic, like some building materials, and will not lead to harmful indoor air quality. Homeowners should look for low-toxicity finishes and surfaces, and water-based adhesives and finishes without synthetic formaldehyde resins. Paints should have low-VOC or no-VOC (volatile organic compounds).

6. Choose green kitchen remodeling contractors. When a homeowner is getting quotes from contractors, they should inquire about their products and building methods to ensure they are eco-friendly. Increasingly, contractors are becoming more conscious of their materials and methods and will be able to meet a homeowner’s needs.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog. Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most Northwest Nevada neighborhoods. I can be reached by email @ chance@ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates .  You can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates .  If you are behind on your house payment and looking for a loan modification, go to making homes affordable to request a modification.  If the modification fails, contact your local real estate professional to help short sale your home.  To make sure there is no deficiency judgment a homeowner might find it necessary to hire an attorney.

For those who are looking to do some upgrades to your kitchen here is what is trendy now.
Counter tops: Stainless steel, antiqued marble, lava stone, wood, concrete, mosaics and flamed granite with a textured, matte finish.

Cabinetry: Fewer overhead cabinets. Lift-up or sliding doors, self-closing drawers, glass-fronted cabinets and glass shelving, tracks inside doors for attaching storage accessories, pantires with multiple storage options. Fresh finishes, from smooth, high-gloss and matte lacquer, to textured, horizontal-grain laminates.

Appliances: Free-standing accent pieces and fully-integrated designs that blend with cabinets. Fridges with more crisper space, less freezer space; combination gas/electric ranges; designer range hoods; super-quiet dishwashers; specialty sink faucets; luxury items such as warmer drawers for coffee mugs.

Lighting: Combinations of soft incandescent, bright halogen and cool, energy-efficient LED bulbs.

Colors: Warm neutrals such as walnut, slate, sand, greige, celadon and magnolia.

Architectural elements: Wall niches and bump-outs for housing coffee machines, juicers, dinnerware, herbs, spices and collectibles.

(c) 2010, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in  Reno/Sparks and most of Northwest Nevada neighborhoods.  I can be reached by email @  chance at ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates you can also follow me at http://www.twitter.com/chancegates

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By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, September 13, 2010—This year has certainly flown by, and now, with fall around the corner, it’s a great time to start prepping your home for the cooler months. From water leaks to the chimney, it’s better to be ready for the cold season…before it hits.

Here, State Farm offers up some fall maintenance tips for your home:

Check all window and door locks for proper operation
* Windows that can be opened by breaking the glass and unlocking them, are less effective deterrents to criminals. Check with the hardware store for window lock alternatives.
* All exterior doors should have deadbolt locks.

Make sure there are working nightlights at the top and bottom of all stairs
Other safety ideas for stairs:
* Tile and painted wood or concrete stairs can be slippery when wet or when a person’s shoes are wet. Resurface the treads with slip-resistant strips near the stair nosing.
* All stairs of at least three risers should have a handrail.
* Do not store items on the stairs.

Have a heating professional check your heating system every year
Woodburning stove connector pipes and chimneys should be inspected by a certified chimney sweep at least annually.

Replace your furnace filter
Furnace filters need to be replaced frequently to allow your heating and cooling systems to operate properly.

Run all gas-powered lawn equipment until the fuel tank is empty
By doing this, you are removing flammable liquid storage from your garage. At the same time, make sure you aren’t storing dirty, oily rags in a pile. They can ignite spontaneously.

Have a certified chimney sweep inspect and clean the flues and check your fireplace damper
Soot and creosote, which build up inside the chimney, can ignite when a fire is lit in the fireplace.

Remove bird nests from chimney flues and outdoor electrical fixtures
Bird nests on top of light fixtures are a fire hazard. Bird nests in chimney flues can prevent a proper venting of combustion gases and can catch fire from sparks. You should exercise great caution when working on your roof or consider hiring a qualified professional to take care of any work that needs to be done.

Make sure the caulking around doors and windows is adequate to reduce heat/cooling loss
Check glazing for loose or missing putty or glazing compound. This will also help reduce water damage to the windows and door frames.

Make sure that the caulking around your bathroom fixtures is adequate to prevent water from seeping into the sub-flooring

Check for cracked or missing caulk around the base of your toilet, bath tub, and bathroom cabinets. Properly sealing gaps between your bathroom fixtures and flooring material can prevent damage.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most of Northwest Nevada neighborhoods.  I can be reached by email @  chance at ballard-company.com or  http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

Image by bill barber via Flickr

By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, September 10, 2010–Now that fall is fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about preparing your lawn for the winter months and even the spring.

According to TruGreen, it’s important that homeowners understand how to care for their lawns, trees and shrubs in fall before the end of the growing season. The experts at TruGreen offer five fall green space tips to homeowners to better prepare their outdoor living rooms for spring’s vigorous growth.

ASSESS
Thoroughly walk your property and inspect lawn, trees and shrubs as these plants prepare for dormancy in late fall and early winter. Identify problem areas in need of treatment, pruning or replacement. Note patchy areas, where grass has thinned out or is in need of valuable nutrients and appears as light green. Also look for weed and pest infestations and overgrown shrubs and trees, especially those with the potential for interfering with roof and power lines. Consider a qualified expert, such as TruGreen, to properly gauge your lawn and landscape needs.

AERATE & PRUNE
Help your lawn breathe through fall core aeration to strengthen roots and to prepare for a hardy spring workout. Conduct corrective pruning of trees and shrubs in fall to enhance plant appearance and vigor, and thin rather than top-shear and overgrown shrubs and flowering trees to preserve their overall shape.

REPLACE
Fall’s favorable weather conditions, as well as moist and warm soil temperatures, create the ideal opportunity for successful seeding of bare lawn areas and overseeding of healthy grass to improve your lawn thickness and density. Replace dead or floundering plants in fall for a healthier landscape and improved curb appeal in spring.

MOW & MULCH
Mow your lawn into the fall and avoid removing more than one-third of the leaf blades with each cut. Return grass clippings and back to the soil for added lawn nutrients and use tree leaf compost to nourish plants.

FEED
A good fall feeding gives roots of lawns, trees and shrubs the energy needed to prepare for a healthy spring green revival. Keep fertilizer on target to prevent run-off and sweep fertilizer granules that may reach pavement back onto your lawn. Use a trained specialist, such as TruGreen, for insect and disease control measures customized to your region to help trees and shrubs thrive.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search the houses available in the Reno/Sparks and most of Northwest Nevada neighborhoods.  I can be reached by email @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

Image by nadja.robot via Flickr

By Debbie Arrington

Take the typical bedroom. Michael Payne has seen thousands, just this month.

“The bedroom tends to get forgotten — you spend all your money elsewhere in the house,” said Payne, a celebrity interior designer and makeover specialist best known for his “Designing For The Sexes” series on HGTV. “You end up with a totally forgettable room that you don’t want your best friend to see.”

Helping people find indoor harmony — particularly at affordable prices — is a common challenge for designers. Instead of moving, homeowners are staying put and trying to make the most of their current house.

“This has been the busiest year I’ve ever had,” said Folsom, Calif., interior designer Jennifer FaGalde. “Absolutely, a lot of people are wanting to stay put and put money into their own home instead of moving.

“They’re creating a nest within their own space,” she added. “People are staying home more now than they did five, 10 years ago. They want a sanctuary where they can relax.”

But where to start?

Paint, lighting and flooring are three of the easiest, quickest and least expensive ways to update a room, say the experts.

Arizona Tile’s in-house designer Emitt Isaacks advises people to start makeovers with a very basic question: Who lives in your home?

“A retired couple is very different than a family with young kids. They have different needs and considerations,” he said. “Don’t forget dogs and cats. Pets influence (design) decisions, too. Then, start thinking about style — modern, traditional, old-school — and color.”

FaGalde points to two recent makeovers she completed in Sacramento, Calif. A typical home in the Pocket area needed a radical update for its kitchen and three bathrooms. A Land Park house started with a termite invasion and ended up with a remodeled family/living/dining room.

“The Pocket house was a real challenge,” she said. “The bathrooms all had walls separating the toilet area. They had a closed-in feeling, the style of homes 25 years ago. And the rooms were so dark.”

The answer: “We knocked down walls, gutted to zero and started from scratch,” she said. “We added new lighting. It made a huge difference.”

In the aftermath of fixing termite damage, the Land Park homeowners started with paint and flooring, but then decided to update with new window coverings, crown molding and fireplace tile.

“It really transformed the space,” FaGalde said.

Lighting is key, “especially in older homes,” she added. “They’re too dark. Lighting enhances your space and shows off the investment you put into it. You spend money on paint and flooring, you want to be able to see it.”

“Most people have furniture that was given them. They never would have bought it,” he said. “It becomes an obligation and very unfair,” Payne said. “Instead, people should surround themselves with things they love. And remember: Less is more.”

Room makeovers are a staple of home and garden media, spurring TV series and online contests.

Based in Los Angeles, Payne currently is serving as a judge of the Big Bad Bedroom Break-Up contest, sponsored by online home goods outlet CSN Stores. More than 6,200 people entered to win a $10,000 makeover of their bedroom. (Vote for your pick at CSN Stores’ Facebook page.)

QUICK BEDROOM MAKEOVER
Makeover specialist Michael Payne offers these suggestions:

1. Less is more. An uncluttered bedroom makes for a more restful space. Make use of area under the bed for storage.

2. Remember: It’s a bedroom. The bed should be the dominant feature. Other furnishings are secondary, but look better if they match in style, wood and stain.

3. Start with the right bedspread or comforter. Use that to pick up colors for paint and carpeting. The result will be more harmonious.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  Please feel free to use my back door to the MLS and search house available in the Reno/Sparks and all Northwest Nevada neighborhoods.  I can be reached by email @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

(c) 2010, The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.).
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

In order to develop your budget, keep all of your receipts for a month or two. That way you can get a realistic sense of where you are in your current spending.

An Easy Start

Give couches and chairs a fresh start by draping fabric over them or decorating them with pillows or a small rug.

Paint is a cheap way to change the look of a room. (Stores will re-sell paint that wasn’t quite the right color for a previous customer but you may love it!)

Buy accessories like candles on sale at the end of the season before new colors come in.

Plants are a cheap way to dress up a room. (Just don’t forget to water them!) 

Diving In

Lighting: old lamps from thrift store or yard sale. Lampshades: glue old buttons or fabric on shade. 

Frame your own photos with cheap store frames that you can repaint. 

Go for a mis-matched look for dining room table chairs and dinnerware, buying these things from thrift stores. 

Super Saver

Get more decorating on the cheap ideas through books found at your local library.

Trade furniture with a friend or relative.

Before you buy, check for what you need on listserves like Craigslist or Freecycle.

Turn thrift store finds into something new. Teacups and bowls can be come a candle or plant holder.

Make your own curtains using fabric from thrift stores or use old sheets

All the tips came from feedthepig.org

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  You can email me @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

If the ground shaking doesn’t scare you away here are a few of the amenities at Sommersett.

Great Room:  Basically a place to lounge and take it easy.  Has a fireplace, wireless network and an outdoor deck that overlooks the Canyon Nine Golf Course.

Media Room:  Has a 52” flat screen complimented by a state of the art audio and video system.

Aerobics Studio: Has cardio kick boxing, body sculpting, spinning, yoga and pilates classes.

Cardio-Weight Studio:  Comes with elliptical trainers, exercise bike, treadmills and a variety of Paramount strength training equipment.

Sports Court:  Has three basketball hoops, hardwood floors, community stage and NEC projector and pull-down screen.

Kids Corner:  Was designed to entertain children ages three to six.

Teen Club: Entertaining environment for teens with video games, board games and a pool table.

Arts and Crafts Studio:  This has ceramics kiln and two potter’s wheels.

Massage:  Shea butter body wrap, salt scrub or hot stone massages.

Locker Facilities:  Include day lockers, restrooms, showers, diaper changing tables, and cedar lined saunas.

Two Pools:  One an interactive pool with a 98 foot water slide.  The other one is a three lane junior Olympic pool.

Two Spas:  An adult-only and one for the entire family.

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional, I encourage all questions and comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.  You can email me @  chance at ballard-company.com or http://www.myspace.com/chancegates

By Heidi Stevens

RISMEDIA, June 9, 2010–(MCT)–Peter Walsh has you all figured out. You bought the melon baller because it was on sale and, heck, you like melon. You’ve held on to that 3-year-old magazine because you will make the recipe on Page 127. Some night. And those new black pumps do not look exactly like your four other pairs.

You’ve got yourself some clutter, my friend. And Walsh, best-selling author, host of TLC’s “Clean Sweep” and Oprah Winfrey’s go-to organizational expert, wants you to clear it out. Now.

“Later is the best friend of clutter,” he says. “Clutter is really just decisions delayed.”

We chatted with Walsh about tackling five common clutter zones.

THAT KITCHEN DRAWER
“Take the pizza rolling slicing thing and all those other items you bought for less than $5.99 that you just knew you’d always use and put them in a cardboard box,” says Walsh. “Whenever you use one of the items, put it back in the drawer. At the end of the month — with the exception of the turkey baster — whatever is still in the cardboard box you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Will I ever use these?’”

THE BEDROOM CLOSET
“We wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time,” Walsh says. Which means the vast majority of your closet is filled with — you guessed it, clutter. Walsh suggests the “reverse clothes hanger trick.”

“Take everything on a clothes hanger and turn it around back-to-front. For the next three to six months — you decide — every time you wear something hang it back the correct way after you launder it. Whatever is still hanging back-to-front, ask yourself: ‘Will I ever wear this item?’ It’s an efficient, non-traumatic way to see what you wear and what you don’t.”

YOUR SHOES
“To understand how many shoes you have, you have to release them from captivity,” he says. “Find the largest room or hallway in your house and line them up. Every pair of shoes you have. Just the visual of that can often throw people into coma.”

Sort the shoes by type — running shoes, sensible pumps, sandals and so on. Then give yourself a ratio. “Let’s say it’s 10-to-1. For every 10 you keep, get rid of one pair,” Walsh says. “Five-to-1 if you’re brave. Three-to-1 if you’re a true pioneer.”

THE CAR
“One: Get in the habit that whenever you gas up the car, in those two minutes you declutter and throw out any trash.”

“Two: Get milk crate-size containers, and put them in the way back. Whenever the kids bring something into the car — sports gear, book bags — it goes in their crate.

“Whenever you go shopping, put the groceries in the crates. Nobody leaves the car empty-handed when you get home. Everyone has to carry their crate into the house.”

THE GARAGE
“Divide your garage into clear zones: one area for gardening equipment, one area for holiday decorations, one area for luggage, one area for tools,” Walsh says. “Establishing zones is a functional way of keeping the place organized and the volume of stuff in control.

“Say the holiday decorations zone is three shelves that will hold two plastic totes each and that’s the limit for holiday decorations. Once they expand beyond six totes, you have to do some purging and discarding.”

(c) 2010, Chicago Tribune.Chance Gates does welcome any questions or comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or on any articles that may be posted.  Send your  emails  to  chance at ballard-company.com

I believe that every single event in life happens in an opportunity to choose love over fear.
Oprah Winfrey

I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.
Oprah Winfrey

I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.
Oprah Winfrey

I don’t think you ever stop giving. I really don’t. I think it’s an on-going process. And it’s not just about being able to write a check. It’s being able to touch somebody’s life.
Oprah Winfrey

I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.
Oprah Winfrey

I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.
Oprah Winfrey

I still have my feet on the ground, I just wear better shoes.
Oprah Winfrey

I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that’s how I operate my life.
Oprah Winfrey

As a Reno/Sparks real estate professional; I encourage all questions and comments, on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or any of the articles posted in this blog.

Image by Keenahn via Flickr

RISMEDIA, June 7, 2010–Once everything is unloaded, you may feel overwhelmed by the stacks of boxes surrounding you. Unpacking in an organized manner can make the transition to your new home less stressful and can save a lot of time. Try these unpacking tips, courtesy of Lowe’s.

1. Unpack Essentials First
You should have a few boxes of essentials marked to be unpacked first. These boxes should include items like toiletries, pet supplies, tools, a couple changes of clothes and so forth. Go ahead and unpack these boxes right away and distribute these essential items to their respective rooms.

2. Clean and Prep Your New Home
Though it’s tempting to dive right in and start unloading boxes, it’s a good idea to clean, prep and get organized. Here are some moving tips to help you prepare to unpack at your new home:

• It’s easier to wipe down shelves, clean windows, and mop under appliances before your belongings are in place.
• Complete any prep work. Line kitchen and bathroom shelves with paper. Consider installing closet systems in bedroom closets, if necessary. Once these jobs are done, you’ll be able to unpack more efficiently.
• Plan where to place certain items. For example, in the kitchen; put dishes and glassware in the cupboards above the dishwasher, coffee cups above the coffee pot, and so on. Deciding what goes where before unpacking will save you time in the long run.

3. Go Room by Room
Focus on one room at a time, and unpack essentials first. Though it can feel like an insurmountable task, rest assured: Your house is going to feel like home in no time!

Kitchen and Baths. In the kitchen, unpack most-used items first. Items that you won’t use immediately can be set aside to unpack at a later time. In the bathrooms, hang shower curtains, unpack toiletries and put out toilet paper and soap.

Bedrooms. In your bedrooms, have the beds set up and made with clean sheets by the first night. Unpacking your clothing and bedroom accessories can wait. Again, now is a good time to install a closet organization system.

Living Room. Unpacking the living room should be a combined effort by everyone in the household. There will be a lot of items to be placed and electronics to hook up.

Garage. Having an organized garage is important. If you haven’t set up shelves and hooks for placement of tools, yard supplies and sports equipment; do so now. Having organizational systems in place will help curb the tendency for making piles later.

4. Play Interior Designer
Place furniture so the room feels open and functional. Strive for balance by distributing heavier pieces of furniture around the room. Create a focal point or use a natural one like a fireplace.

When positioning furniture, it’s a good idea to make a sketch of the room, including desired locations of items. Erasing an armoire, rather than lifting it, could save you a trip to the chiropractor.

It takes time get settled in, but here are some quick and easy tips for making your house feel like home:

• Hang shades, blinds or curtains for instant privacy and a homey feel.
• Consider painting rooms a different color, or stenciling around an archway.
• Brighten up a room with self-adhesive wallpaper borders.
• Refinish old cabinets or add new knobs.
• Hang family photographs, mirrors and framed artwork.
• Add potted plants for extra color or to fill empty corners.

Helpful Tips for Setting Up
• As boxes are unpacked, take an inventory of everything you have to make sure nothing has been lost. If you have any broken or damaged items, make sure to keep them as evidence for insurance claims. Claims usually need to be filed within a set number of days after the move.
• Use a surge protector when setting up a computer or stereo equipment.
• As you unpack boxes, collapse them for storage or recycling.
• Start a log of home repairs and maintenance that needs to be done.
• Create a shopping list to make sure you have everything you need.

Chance Gates does welcome any questions or comments on the Reno/Sparks real estate market or on any articles that may be posted.  Send your  emails  to  chance at ballard-company.com