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Luxury Outdoor Living Spaces
Friday, August 6th, 2010By Jamie Zdru, Executive Director – Exceptional Properties on August 6, 2010 Exceptional Properties, Market Trends, Raveis.com | No Comments »
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Outdoor spaces are a great way to extend the living space of your home. A few simple touches can transform your deck or backyard patio into a fabulous space to dine alfresco! �
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®, lundiea@raveisre.com
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When searching for that perfect luxury home, keep in mind that you shouldn’t have to wait for a vacation to really kick back and enjoy time with your family and friends. You have to find the home that will allow you to feel like you are on vacation every day. Luxury homes should be enjoyable for everyday living as well as entertaining. They should include both family gathering spots as well as plenty of private cozy nooks for everyone and anyone. This applies within the home, but also using the outdoors as an extension of the home with outdoor living/entertaining areas. In the luxury market, these outdoor spaces can be just as captivating as inside living areas.
Luxury outdoor living areas generally focus around a sparkling in-ground pool. The pools vary in size and shape, but they add so much to the outdoor space. They are usually surrounded by beautiful patio tables, comfortable lounge chairs and plenty of umbrellas to provide shade from the sun. This is also a place for a spa and perhaps a waterfall, spectacular lighting, and plenty of vibrant, grand landscaping. Also common around the pool area are other necessities for entertaining… outdoor kitchens, (for a great piece on the latest trends in outdoor kitchens, check out this article by Rismedia) built-in grills, fireplaces, bars, and surround sound music systems.
Picture this….after a hard week of work, waking up (before the kids, hopefully) on a beautiful summer morning to enjoy your early brew and read while lounging next to your exquisite sunlit pool. Ahhh..Monday seems so far away….
And if it happens to be raining, you don’t have to stay inside. Outdoor entertaining spaces include covered porches, patios, gazebos, and verandas… often with multiple places to relax and multiple sceneries for dining al fresco. Pool houses are very popular and can simply include a changing area and maybe a kitchen or they may include more extreme living spaces with multiple bedrooms and additional entertaining areas. All great ways to enjoy all that the outdoors has to offer in almost any season or weather.
If you are lucky enough to live on the water, then the views and perhaps your own beach might be part of your entertaining space. Many luxury homes on the water have been custom built and specifically designed to capture every single view. This includes a completely seamless indoor-outdoor connection with walls of windows and multiple decks and plenty of entertaining areas overlooking the water and capturing those wonderful water breezes.
For the more sports-minded vacationers (vacation at home that is), we have also seen the luxury homes transform to meet your every desire… from the more popular inclusion of tennis courts and basketball courts to putting greens and baseball fields. Where there is a will and a flexible budget, there is usually a way!! Again, you work hard to play hard, so you definitely deserve it! Your luxury home should be a reflection of you and should include some of what you enjoy most.
Check out a sampling of William Raveis’ luxury homes and exceptional properties here.
HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT CLOSING EXTENDED
Thursday, July 8th, 2010The extension of the home buyer tax credit closing deadline is great news for those already in the process of buying a home, in our area as well as for buyers across the country. This is especially good news for buyers purchasing bank owned properties (REO) and those that are in foreclosure or short sale status, where the transaction times typically take longer to complete. The key to remember is that in order for a buyer to qualify for the tax credit, they must have been under contract to purchase a home by April 30, 2010.
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®
[ REPRINTED FROM REALTOR.ORG ]
Home Buyers Get Tax Credit Closing and Flood Insurance Extensions Without Lapse in Coverage; Bills Now Headed for the President
Washington, July 01, 2010
The National Association of Realtors® today commended Congress for timely passage of two bills to extend the home buyer tax credit closing deadline and reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program. Both bills, strongly supported by NAR, had cleared the House earlier and were passed by the Senate last night. They now head to the president for his signature.
The tax credit closing deadline and the NFIP reauthorization were extended to September 30. NAR worked closely with congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to enact these important pieces of legislation. Extending the tax credit closing and flood insurance deadlines will help provide additional stability to real estate markets across the nation, NAR said.
“What a great way to begin celebrating our nation’s most patriotic holiday by opening the door to the American dream of homeownership to thousands of home buyers who would have been shut out of the homes of their dreams through no fault of their own,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox Real Estate in Tucson, Ariz.
“We know that up to 180,000 home buyers eligible for the tax credit are rejoicing this morning. And we all thank both houses of Congress for their work to ensure passage of both bills,” Golder said. She singled out Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) for their efforts to extend the tax credit closing deadline.
The passage of H.R. 5623, the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act, applies the homebuyer tax credit closing deadline extension only to homebuyers who have ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010, but could not close before June 30. The legislation is designed to create a seamless extension of the new closing deadline for eligible transactions to September 30. There will be no gap between June 30 and the date the president signs the bill into law.
For more information on the extension, visit www.realtor.org/government_affairs.
Senate passage of the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 5569), reauthorizes extension the NFIP until September 30, allowing currently stalled transactions to move forward. The bill is retroactive and covers the lapsed period from June 1, 2010, to the date of enactment of the extension. Any new policy applications or renewals that were signed and submitted during the lapsed period will be effective from the date of application. In the case of waiting periods, the waiting period will start from the date of application.
“We know that thousands of property owners seeking flood insurance policies will now be able to close transactions. NAR appreciates the extraordinary efforts in both houses of Congress to end the lapse in flood insurance,” Golder said. She singled out Senate Majority Leader Reid, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Dodd, Senator David Vitter (R-La.), House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) for their efforts on NFIP reauthorization.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section.
Alison Lundie Recieves Raveis 2009 Agent Awards
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Test Video
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
It’s February, Have You Checked the Furnace?
Thursday, February 11th, 2010The kids had already planned that there would be a school delay the night before, so I wasn’t in a rush when I saw on the news that their magical powers had worked. Stepping down the stairs, after my cats had been jumping off and onto my bed between wrestling matches, I began the morning. By the time I hit the bottom stair I knew something was wrong. The smell of oil filled my house and when I opened the cellar door to check on the furnace, it grew worse. Running down the steps to see what the matter was I stopped short into a smokey room. Opened the slider and windows. Turned off the furnace. What is going on?
No fire or further drama ensued. I called my service company. They came and cleaned out my furnace which had become choked with soot. Scary yes. The worst part was the smell though and to get rid of it meant airing out the house. Which I did, opening doors and windows throughout the house. Oh, the temperature? 20-degrees of course, and windy. Good thing we had a delay because none of my kids were getting out from their warm beds. But soon the delay was over and the bus was coming, so they layered on the clothes and came downstairs. Breakfast, lunches, no more hot chocolate, make more tea, brush teeth, coat, backpack, jump in the car, get on the bus. Now for child #2.
That reminds me. To remind you to check your furnace. A typical day in my life, but we could have awoken to something worse. Strange thing was we had had a cleaning back in June. Not cleaned enough I guess. So learn from my story of a cold February morning, to have your furnaces checked and cleaned regularly.
February 11, 2010
—Alison Lundie, Realtor
lundiea@raveisre.com
203-948-2856
alisonlundie.raveisblog.com
(ps, thanks to www.coolclips.com for the cartoon, it fits my morning perfectly)
Furnaces need regular checkups
Hungry? | Here are some great places to eat in Litchfield County
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
Hungry? | Here are some great places to eat in Litchfield County
This list is provided as a resource, not as an endorsement. My family, friends and colleagues have all enjoyed dining at these restaurants. Some are home-style family restaurants, while others appeal to a more sophisticated culinary level.
My personal favorites are highlighted in blue.
Cheers!
—Alison
alisonlundie.raveisblog.com
