Home prices falling faster in most metro areas

AP – In this photo take Oct. 26, 2010, a sold sign is displayed outside a house in Mayfield Hts., Ohio. Home …

By JANNA HERRON, AP Real Estate Writer Janna Herron, Ap Real Estate Writer – 20 mins ago

NEW YORK – Home prices are falling faster in the nation's largest cities, and a record number of foreclosures are expected to push prices down further through next year.
The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday fell 0.7 percent in September from August. Eighteen of the cities recorded monthly price declines.
Analysts say high unemployment, tight lending standards and millions of foreclosures will weigh on home prices.
"Unemployment is still high, people are afraid of losing their homes and credit is hard to get," said Maureen Maitland, vice president of S&P indices.
Still, Americans are gaining more confidence in the broader economy, a new report Tuesday showed. The Conference Board, a private research group based in New York, said consumer confidence rose to a five-month high in November.
Yet the housing market remains depressed.
Among the cities in the Case-Shiller index, Cleveland recorded the largest decline. Prices there dropped 3 percent from a month earlier. Prices in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, which had been showing strength this year, also dropped in September from August.
Washington and Las Vegas were the only metro areas to post gains in monthly prices.
The 20-city index has risen 5.9 percent from their April 2009 bottom. But it remains nearly 28.6 percent below its July 2006 peak.
And home prices have fallen in 15 of the 20 cities in the past year.
Prices in Tampa, Fla., fell to their lowest point since the index was created in 2000. Portland, Ore., Charlotte, N.C., Miami are also near their low points since the U.S. housing market collapsed in 2006.
Prices were on the upswing in many cities from April through July, mostly boosted by government tax credits which have since expired. Job worries and record high foreclosures are dampening buyer demand and weighing on prices.
The national quarterly index, which measures home prices in the nine U.S. census regions, dropped 2 percent in the third quarter from the previous quarter.

Pets and the job site.

I love animals. People should be aware that some chemicals used in construction are harmful and toxic to your fur babies. Boarding is a good solution during the day but always notify your project manager about their location and existance. Even after the workers are gone you should keep the pets away from the area under construction. Large dogs in particular can cause problems if the subcontractors are not notified. For more tips please visit the aspca site and don't be afraid to ask your professionals about the processes used on your project.

Giving the Man Cave a Makeover

Once Relegated to the Garage, Rooms Get So Nice, Wives Muscle In; Pool Table or Quilting Table?

By Gwendolyn Bounds , WSJ.com

Nov 12, 2010

Provided by:

Buzz up!

Craig Schuelke's Forest Hill, Md., basement is a testament to manliness. There's the Arnold Schwarzenegger pinball machine and about $30,000 of signed Michigan and Maryland sports memorabilia the construction superintendent has enshrined on the walls. An air-hockey table commands one corner, flanked by a pool table, shot-glass collection and dart board.
It's a quintessential "man cave," except for one feature: Mr. Schuelke's wife, Melanie.

Slide Show: Enter the new 'Man Caves'
"He doesn't know what we're doing when he's not home," says Mrs. Schuelke. "My female friends, we shoot pool, drink beer and throw darts down there."
The man cave has a secret: Women use them, too. Their new interest comes as these spaces have morphed from cold garage outposts into tricked-out comfy spreads, complete with flat screens TVs, fully stocked bars, arcade games and plush (clean!) furniture.

Red-hot Coja Malibu recliner $1,493: CSN stores.

As a result, men are learning to share with the family while combating the inevitable intrusion of scented candles, flowers and kiddie toys. While couples often cozy up together or party in caves with friends, a growing number of women say they retreat there-even holding the occasional quilting party-without the guys.
The struggling housing market is partly behind the evolution of the man cave into a multipurpose space. Rather than trade up or build on, more homeowners are squeezing the most out of their existing living quarters-but splurging on the decor. As a result, today's man caves are desirable and even luxurious pads that the whole family wants to enjoy.

Improve a golf swing at halftime: Electric-Spin

An entire marketplace has emerged in recent years to outfit these spaces. There's Man Cave LLC, modeled after Mary Kay cosmetics, where guys hold barbecue parties dubbed "meatings" to sell steak and cave accoutrements, such as bacon-scented candles and beer pagers to locate lost brew. Online retailers mancavemarket.com and themancaveoutletstore.com hawk essentials, such as beer kegerators, pool tables and Skee-Ball games.
Higher-ticket items make women feel more proprietary over caves, originally intended as spots where guys could be alone or hang with pals, says Mike Yost, who runs cave community site mancavesite.org. "If the guys spend on the big-screen TV and chairs, the wife typically is going to have to sign off on it, too."
Further stoking female cave envy is cable TV's "Man Caves" show on the DIY Network. Episodes feature bling such as a pool table that rises out of the floor. "These are really, really nice spaces, and when the guys want to spend time there, the family wants to spend time there," says Andy Singer, DIY Network's general manager.

Neon signs are a popular touch: Alex Bellus.

That's the case in Robert Butterfield's Sierra Vista, Ariz., home. His retreat is a 400-square-foot homage to Nascar racers Dale Earnhardt and his son. It also sports a 50-inch TV, couch, hundreds of Diecast model cars, even a Christmas tree decked in Earnhardt ornaments-about a $50,000 investment. Mr. Butterfield, 43, calls it "my space," but it's often where his wife Maria and sons also congregate when he's home from his overseas government-contracting job.
Says Mrs. Butterfield, 45: "I enjoy being in there because it's kind of like a little getaway from the rest of the house. When I'm in there, I'm not reminded about dishes or laundry." That's cool with her husband: "Sure, I like time to chill alone, but I started a family because I wanted to be with them."
Still, the gender cohabitation raises a nettlesome question: When does a man cave stop being a man cave and become just a family room? "There's a real blurring of the line between man cave and family room," warns Minnesota decorator Sue Hunter, who runs mancaveinteriors.com. "I think guys are going to start taking charge back in that area."
And certainly purists remain, such as Tommy "Buck Buck" Sattler of Islip, N.Y., who rigged his 325-square-foot getaway with New York Giants football paraphernalia, seven TVs, a red-oak bar top, and urinal in the bathroom.

Hockey-themed NY Rangers chairs: DIY Network

Mr. Sattler flips on an outdoor blue light to let the neighbors know when his "underground lounge" is open, but jokes that women, including his wife, typically stop by only if "they are dropping off food or bringing cleaning products."
Most guys, however, seem game for co-ed caves-so long as there are ground rules, such as no potpourri or decorative pillows. Ms. Hunter, the man-cave decorator, steers clear of big glass vases and baskets in favor of art, she says, that means something to a man, such as "I want to go kill the buck in that picture."
Then there's the "no touch" rule that's reigned in Mr. Butterfield's Nascar sanctuary since he found his 4-year-old son's fingerprints on the display cases with his model cars. "It's a little bit of an ownership thing," he says. "I'm really detail oriented, and this is the way I want the room."
Other regulations are trickier to enforce. Karen Dixon gladly turned over her Friendswood, Texas, garage to husband Shawn, even though parking outside means unloading groceries in the rain. "I'm not controlling, and it makes him happy," she says. Inside, he's stationed his Harley Davidson motorcycle, a 1967 Cavalier Coca-Cola machine, pay phone painted Harley orange, and heavy-weight punching bag.
The Dixons, both 38, often play cards together in the cave, but she balks at his suggestion that usage is by "invitation" only. "Really? I think that he doesn't own it," says Mrs. Dixon, who believes her husband would be secretly "flattered if I brought my friends in there to have crafts and a book club." Mr. Dixon's concern: "I'd be afraid something would be moved and I'd never find it."
The stickiest time can be during cave construction. Mrs. Dixon advises other women to negotiate time limits. "When Shawn is focused on something, it consumes him. Looking back, what I should have done is said, 'Spend as much time with your family as with the man cave. If you work out there for an hour, then come inside for an hour.' "
Indeed, compromise is critical in any man cave negotiation. Married 36 years, Steve and Pam Flaten, both 56, share space in AutoMotorPlex Minneapolis, a compound of high-end garages ranging from 1,000- to 6,500-square feet for fixing up and storing specialty vehicles.
In the loft living area the Flatens constructed inside their garage, Mrs. Flaten typically quilts while her husband tinkers with his race cars below. Recently she held a quilting party.
Despite the domestic influence, Mr. Flaten has stood his ground on certain points. The racing flames on the toilet seat, those get to stay. The flowers she wanted for an end table, those got moved outside.
Women's interest in the man cave phenomenon is sparking a logical next step: woman caves. The DIY Network is exploring development of a new show around the concept. Retailer HomeGoods just launched a campaign to outfit what it dubs "Mom Caves."
To some, that's redundant. "A chick cave?" sniffs Dan Cunningham, owner of the Monroe, Mich.-based mancavemarket.com, "That's what the rest of the house is."
Click here for more photos of 'man caves.' Other popular stories on Yahoo!:

Top Interior Design Sites for Inspiration

Here are some of the top sites for interior design inspiration in the modern world. I love modern though I design a lot of traditional rooms in Dallas. Dallas is a bit of modernist newbie but they are coming along fast. Look at how you can incorporate some modern into your home.


http://www.design-training.com/interior-design/best-interior-design-websites.html

The Coolest Home Upgrades

By Cindy Perman, CNBC.com

Oct 29, 2010

Provided by:

Fewer people are buying new homes these days, opting instead to do home renovations - you know, just to spice things up a little.
Maybe you turn your bathroom into a high-tech spa or get some smart appliances in the kitchen. Maybe you do some green upgrades or maybe you do something purely for luxury.
So, what's the new rain showerhead, the new infinity pool?
We talked to contractors, designers and developers all over the country and here are the 10 Coolest Home Upgrades.

Hidden, Wall-mounted TV

Photo: Electronichouse.com

It's go big or go home with televisions these days - but when you bring one of these drive-in movie-sized screens home, it can often wreck the design of the room. When a guest walks in, they won't say, "Wow, what a nice house," but rather, "Wow, what a big TV you have!"
Well now, you can have it all - a big screen and big style. Designers are increasingly choosing to hide gigantic televisions in the wall and cover them with a mirror or artwork so when they're not in use, you don't even know they're there!
When it's above the fireplace, it can be a framed mirror or piece of art. In the photo at left, this Samsung 37-inch LCD is mounted in the closet behind the mirror, hidden by a removable panel in the closet.
You probably want a pro to do this - TVs require proper ventilation.

Water Feature With Fire

Photo: MerchantCircle.com

Fountains aren't new and fire pits aren't new but put them together - maybe even add some LED lighting - and shazam! Welcome to the future.
A water feature with fire shooting out of the middle can instantly remind you of that Hawaiian vacation (maybe pump some hula music into the outdoor speakers) or just ensure that you not only keep up with the Joneses but knock their socks off when they come over for a barbeque.
They can be rectangular trough-like structures with broken glass in the middle where the fire shoots out, or circular like this one in the picture at left. They can be freestanding, attached to a pool or create a big ridge of fire in a stoned wall. Have a seat because you can control it all by remote control!
OK, who wants toasted marshmallows?

Home Golf Simulator

Photo: Truegolf.com

Golfers have been practicing their swing at home for years but not quite like this - a floor-to-ceiling golf simulator with a massive screen to let you "play" on some of the coolest courses in the world from Hawaii to England.
A golf simulator like the one from Trugolf at left is the ultimate addition to your game room next to the pool table and pinball machine.
Not only do you really feel like you're on the course but it helps you with your game, with sonic ball-tracking sensors and a program that gives you valuable feedback on your swing. They run from $20,000 to $60,000 or more.
She winds up the swing, good form and... Four!

Glass Rooms on the Patio

Photo: Cotton & Co.

Outdoor patios with full kitchens are getting even huger these days, with some nearing 10,000 square feet, said Stephann Cotton, owner of the real-estate sales and marketing firm Cotton & Co.
They've got the Rolls Royce of grills, outdoor wine fridges, fireplaces, sweeping views -- you name it. But guess what else they've got? Bugs.
Cotton said his high-end clients with penthouses in Boca Raton, Fla., are increasingly asking for these glass structures, out at the end of the patio where the best views are. They're turning them into everything from outdoor dining areas and zen gardens to man caves and music studios.
A four-sided glass structure means there aren't just northern views or southern views, Cotton says, there are north, south, east and west views!

Exotic Landscape Lighting

Photo: Robert Davie

So you've got spotlights and those little solar path lights but this is taking your backyard to the next level and doing exotic landscape lighting.
Maybe it's uplighting on the palm trees, Cotton explained, or in the waterfall that spills over into the pool.
The cool thing is, Cotton said, you can even use solar lights - so it won't cost you an arm and a leg in electricity! Take a solar light, put it in a spotlight and turn it upside down shooting up into your landscaping or water feature like a fountain or koi pond.
"Landscape lighting in the water is fairly easy to do," Cotton said. "You get that constant reflection - It's very romantic mood light. It produces a romantic and flickering light - just like a fire does."
Check out more ideas, like the one at left, from Robert Davies landscape design.

Outdoor Shower

Photo: Karmasamui.com

No, we're not talking about the kind you put next to the pool so the kids can wash off the sand, dirt or chlorine.
These are luxurious showers, usually off of the master bath, made of high-end stone and other natural materials, with lush foliage that create your own personal Eden.
You'll already find this type of outdoor shower in resorts in Bali, Fiji and the Caribbean, but now, homeowners are bringing the resort home.
"It's a very sexy thing," said Walid Wahab, president of Wahab Construction in south Florida. "It's your private shower -- you can get completely naked and take a shower outside in your private garden."
Wahab said the construction is getting very creative - things like a shower head coming out of a tree.

Master Control for Energy Consumption

Photo: Control4.com

You know you can control your entire house now from a laptop, iPhone or iPad. Everything from the lights and thermostat to the stereo - and even the pool. Here's taking it to the next level - a master control for energy consumption.
"This is very, very new - people are just experimenting with it," said Ron Rimawi, who co-owns Digital Interiors in Atlanta. "It helps make you more aware and more conscious of your energy usage, so you don't waste energy."
Basically, they're small digital panels that connect with the utilities and track various appliances and systems in your home. They can tell you everything from your usage to the temperature and how much it's all costing you!
"We have long held the belief that the promise of the Smart Grid can only be realized if the consumer is front-and-center in the design of demand-response systems," said Control4, which makes the master control for energy consumption pictured at left.

Pop-up Ventilation for the Kitchen

Photo: Dacor.com

No one wants the lingering smell of smoke and cooking fumes in the kitchen - particularly with how hot the open-concept kitchen-living area is right now. But hoods, no matter what high-end materials you use, can be clunky, not to mention they get greasy and dirty.
Enter the pop-up hood vent - You can sink it into an island or other countertop (of course, with an underground vent to the outside) and then at the press of a button, it comes up, sucks all the smoke and fumes out and then press the button again and - poof! - it vanishes again.
This is not only great for kitchen design, but also to lure other members of the family into the kitchen to help.
Make it high-tech - and they will come!

Cooling Drawer

Photo: Electronichouse.com

Let's face it - kitchens are getting cool. From sleek granite to smart appliances, this isn't your grandma's kitchen.
One of the places where the most innovation is taking place is in the refrigerator. Maybe they have double French doors or are hidden by paneling that makes them blend in with the cabinets.
One of the coolest things - literally - is a cooling drawer, like the one shown left from Fisher Paykel. These are drawers with several different temperature settings, so you can store soda, wine, snacks for the kids - even ice cream.
They're individual drawers, so you can have any number of them scattered around the house.





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