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Decorating Advice: Creating Focal Points

February 24, 2017 by Laura Kubicki Leave a Comment

Hello Friends!

For those of you who are in the process of buying a new home, you may wonder how to put your personal stamp on its décor. How do you start? I always recommend, whether you’re decorating a living room, bedroom or bath, starting with a focal point – to enhance the room’s ambiance and underscore the room’s purpose.

Focal points can be easily be created by highlighting a room’s unique architecture, such as a magnificent fireplace or a sunny bay window with a garden, pastoral or water view. But what if some rooms don’t have an outstanding architectural feature to build upon? You may have to create one yourself. Here are some tricks of the trade you can use – size, color, light, and curiosity.

Size: Large items attract interest. Start by putting the largest piece of furniture against the largest wall to help traffic flow. This can be an entertainment center in a family room, the bed or recessed seating area in a bedroom, hutch in a dining room etc. Rugs also command attention and work to anchor your décor.

Color and Texture: Paint a contrasting wall color behind your sofa or bed, or add texture with fabric, colorful quilts, or wood such as shiplap. Pop the color on small items like pillows, table runners, and placemats. Vivid color helps direct the eye to seating areas and pairs well with neutrals.

Shiplap creates a dramatic, natural focal point for this fireplace.

Light: Your eye travels to where it can see the best. Put directional light on a piece of fine art. Dim or brighten lighting when you want to change the room’s atmosphere. Make sure you have plenty of lamp light vs. the harshness of bright overhead lighting. Cabinet lighting can create a beautiful glowing focal point in your kitchen!

Curiosity: A collection under glass, a great piece of art, interesting plants, flowers, or books, an unusual piece of furniture – all invite conversation and draw attention.

By establishing your focal point, I’m sure you’ll have an easier time putting the rest of the room together!

Thanks for reading and have fun decorating my friends! As always call/text/email/comment me if I can help your further!

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A Moment of Gratitude – From Me To You.

November 24, 2016 by Laura Kubicki 2 Comments

Wishing You and Your Beautiful Family a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

My Friends.

I am truly thankful for each and every one of you. You make my world a happy and fulfilling place,

and I so sincerely appreciate your loving kindness and support over the years.

2016 has been a wonderful year, full of family and friends, new beginnings, new client relationships, happy cooks and happy homeowners! I’m so thankful that you allow me the honor of participating in your world – whether it’s whipping up a healthy, quick family dinner, pondering over some of life’s most precious moments, or selecting and purchasing your family’s new home!

I sincerely thank you for allowing me into your lives and working with and placing your trust in me. I promise to continue to work every day to earn your continued interest, trust, respect, and most of all…your friendship!

My family and I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving 2016! Here’s to your continued health and prosperity!

With sincere appreciation and fondness.

Laura

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Earnest Money – How Much Do You Need?

July 28, 2016 by Laura Kubicki Leave a Comment

Hi Everybody!

If you’re considering buying a home (before interest rates begin to rise), thought it might be helpful to give you some basic information on earnest money, so you have a better understanding of how much cash on hand you can plan on needing when getting ready to start your property search!

Most buyers today understand they need a sizeable down payment and a strong credit score to secure a conforming home loan. But you don’t want to forget to have enough cash on hand for your earnest money deposit when making an offer on a property.

Earnest money is usually handed over to the seller’s agent, to place into an escrow account for saving until the closing date, when your transaction is completed with your closing attorney. This demonstrates to the seller that you are a serious buyer and are backing your intentions to purchase with cash.

Without this, buyers could simply make offers on many homes, essentially taking them off the market, until they chose a favorite. This of course would not be good for sellers! So, sellers rarely accept offers without some early skin in the game so to speak.

There is no set amount for an earnest money deposit – it’s negotiable. Around Winston-Salem and the Triad the average amount is around the .7% of sales price amount. That means if you and the seller agree to a contracted price of $200,000, the average amount of cash you’d need for your earnest money payment would be about $1,400. However, if there are multiple bidders, the seller may ask for up to 3% of the asking price as earnest money – it varies from sale to sale. Then, assuming the sales contract goes through settlement (or closing), that $1,400 earnest money would go towards your down payment and closing costs. If the transaction does not close, there may be a nominal transaction cancellation fee or you may get it all back.

So, I encourage you to be sure your purchase agreement clearly defines the earnest money and refund process, so you know exactly what you’re getting into and there are no surprises. Remember, you can lose earnest money through default, which would happen if you did not perform according to the terms stipulated in your specific purchase and sale agreement. Make sure that you have a clear understanding of all terms and obligations before you sign, which will make for a less stressful and happier house hunting experience!

I hope you found this information helpful and thanks for stopping by Laura’s Choice! And for more tips and information, and to join the real estate conversation be sure to “Like” Laura Kubicki Realty on Facebook! Look forward to seeing you there!

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