“A
perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze
is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”
-James Dent, U.S. humorist, 1928 – 1992
Tip of the Month
Is
your house lovely to look at until the eye finds that ugly
air conditioning unit, satellite dish or other eyesore? Here
are some easy ways to obscure unattractive views on your property:
• Evergreen trees. Fast-growing types
of evergreens include Pinus strobus, known as Eastern white
pine (12 inches per year and hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8),
and Emerald Green Arborvitae (4 feet per year, zones 2 to
7). Choose the appropriate tree for your area and plan according
to the height and width the tree will be at maturity.
• Pergola. This method is especially
effective for disguising air conditioning units. You can build
or have built an arbor or lattice cover (supplies can be found
at your local big-box home improvement or hardware store)
to loosely enclose the unit. To cover the pergola in the first
year, plant morning glory, which is a fast-growing annual.
You can also simultaneously plant a climbing rose bush, such
as Climbing Iceberg or Lavender Lassie (both zones 5 to 10)
or New Dawn (zones 4 to 9), and the box will be covered by
the second year.
• Perennial grasses. Probably the easiest
choice, perennial grasses are moderately priced and fast-growing.
At maturity, their height will screen any unpleasant views.
Arundo donax, also know as the giant reed, can reach 20 feet
tall within three or four years (zones 7 to 10) and Miscanthus
“Giganteus,” giant Chinese silver grass, can grow
up to 12 feet tall (zones 5 to 9).
Welcome to the July 2007 issue of “At
Home with HouseHunt,” HouseHunt’s monthly
consumer newsletter. Summer is in full swing (if you’ll
pardon the baseball pun!). Start this month off right
with our seasonal suggestion that shows you how to make
a basic sour cream dip, which will be a sure compliment
to any 4th of July barbeque. The summer is the perfect
time to take photographs of your home that can be handy
when it comes time to sell, so make sure you go over
our piece on the best way to photograph your home. During
this time of year, temperatures are up and global warming
is on everyone’s mind, so we’ve compiled
a list of simple things you can do to help the planet…summer
or not. As we all know, the housing market has cooled
off in comparison to where it was only a few years ago.
What does this all mean to you? We’ve put together
a feature story explaining, in detail, what you can
expect from this changing market. Closing costs are
just one of those things that we all have to deal with,
but there’s always a way for us to save money
on them. Take a look at our story on what you can do
to reduce closing costs so you can use this information
the next time your find yourself buying a home or refinancing
a loan. Despite money being printed on paper, there’s
still plenty of ways for you to make your dollar stretch,
as evidenced by the seven tips we give you on getting
the most out your money in a cooling market. Finally,
don’t forget our tip of the month on what you
can do with any “eyesores” on your property!
The HouseHunt Team - Information
you need for all your real estate needs
Survey Question
Would you buy a home over the Internet without actually visiting the property? (Please select one answer and hit submit)
1. Yes
2. No
3.
Only if I had complete confidence in the sales
agent.
We’ve
all heard that curb appeal is one of the most important
aspects of selling your home. Today, “pix appeal,”
or the appeal of your home in photos posted online,
is equally important. more>>
You
don’t have to sell your SUV, install solar panels
and wear hemp to be environmentally friendly. We’ll
walk through some easy ways you can help save the planet.
more>>
The
cooling market has meant trouble for many sellers who
have had to see their homes languish on the market for
months or see their prices drop in an attempt to lure
a buyer. A recent Wall Street Journal Online article
advises sellers on ways to make the most of their real
estate money. more>>
Feedback: Please tell us what you think of this newsletter. Just send us
an email.
With
Fourth of July around the corner and a multitude of
other summer gatherings and barbeques, why not try a
delicious summer dip? 
We’ve
all heard that curb appeal is one of the most important
aspects of selling your home. Today, “pix appeal,”
or the appeal of your home in photos posted online,
is equally important. 
You
don’t have to sell your SUV, install solar panels
and wear hemp to be environmentally friendly. We’ll
walk through some easy ways you can help save the planet.
Americans
have experienced a booming housing market for years.
Now, the market is cooling. What can you expect? 
We’ll
walk you through saving money on closing costs whether
you’re buying a new home or just refinancing your
loan. 
The
cooling market has meant trouble for many sellers who
have had to see their homes languish on the market for
months or see their prices drop in an attempt to lure
a buyer. A recent Wall Street Journal Online article
advises sellers on ways to make the most of their real
estate money.