Cut to the color.

Test your shade.
“Don’t just look at paint colors on a flat surface. I paint the inside of an old shoe box. That way you can see where shadows fall, or how light behaves with color in a room. Then if you’re choosing with swatches of fabric, carpet, or wallpaper, you will get a better indication of how the color will interact and alter once it’s up on four walls.”

Paint what you wear.
“People make color choices all the time – they think about it in the way they dress every day. I’ve always steered people toward experimenting with the colors that they’re comfortable wearing. Those are going to be the colors that look good in their home.”

Color is like music for your eyes.
“There’s a type of music called theme and variation, which is one melody played three of four different ways on different instruments. You can do the same thing with color. If there’s a color that you like, you can use the same colors in different rooms by changing the texture of it. If you like terra-cotta, paint one room terra-cotta, wallpaper one room in terra-cotta, and use terra-cotta fabric or tile in another. That gives you three very different personalities while sticking to a color that you’re happy and comfortable living with.”

Tart up hidden spaces.
“Places like the insides of cupboards or wardrobes that would otherwise be painted a shadowy tinted white are great for strong bursts of color. The inside of a cupboard could be painted a really shocking pink. It makes the whole idea of putting away the dishes much more inspiring. There are also transitional spaces in the home – like a hallway or stairwell – where you can use wallpaper or strong colors. You don’t spend as much time in these places, so you’re less likely to grow tired of the colors.”

New Premium Stain-blocking PrimerLOS ANGELES (October 1, 2010) – Dunn-Edwards has introduced BLOCK-IT Premium, a new, high-performance stain-blocking primer. BLOCK-IT Premium is made with an innovative waterborne alkyd formula that provides great adhesion, outstanding hide and superior stain-blocking properties. It is recommended for use on an array of previously painted or new interior and exterior surfaces.
BLOCK-IT Premium’s exceptional stain-blocking performance derives from utilizing waterborne alkyd resins, barrier-typepigments and stain-blocking additives that form a smooth, tight film over the stain, locking it in place and preventing it from migrating through the topcoat. This primer can be used on surfaces such as drywall, wood and acoustical ceilings. It is especially effective in hiding tough stains caused by food, grease, water or smoke damage, ballpoint or felt pen ink, lipstick, crayon and tannin bleeding on woods.
Like all other Dunn-Edwards products, BLOCK-IT Premium is eco-friendly and ethylene glycol (EG)-free. “This is a fantastic new stain-blocking primer that combines the great application qualities of an oil-based paint with the convenience and benefits of a water-based paint,” said David Hsia, product manager. “It is ultra-low VOC and low odor both during and after application.” In addition, BLOCK-IT Premium has excellent sandability and superior flow-and-leveling for easy brush and roller application.

About Dunn-Edwards PaintsDunn-Edwards has produced and sold premium paint products for more than 84 years throughout the Southwest. Operating 103 stores in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, Dunn-Edwards is one of the nation’s largest independent manufacturers and distributors of architectural paints and painting supplies. Based in Southern California, the company is composed of approximately 1,300 employees.

If your home is flooded by rain, water pipe break, or even a sewage backup, Az Complete Home Restoration can help. We will send our team out to clean and repair your home. Please call us at 602-535-9880.

Lead paint poisoning affects over one million children today. Adverse health effects include learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and speech delays. If not done in a lead-safe manner, renovations and repair activities that disturb lead-based paint can expose children, as well as adults, to harmful levels of lead dust.

On April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe work practices aimed at preventing lead poisoning in children. On April 22, 2010, the rule became effective and firms performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified, individual renovators must be trained by an EPA-accredited training provider, and the firms and renovators must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

AZ Complete Home Restoration LLC is licensed for Renovation, Repair and Painting. Certification # NAT-73767-1. Call Us at 602-535-9880.

The Good: New foreclosure filings dropped a total of 11.68% since the first quarter and more importantly, new Notice of Trustee Sale filings in Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties are down 21.95% since last year.

The Bad: Trustee Sales stayed at extremely high levels throughout the first half of the year. Quarter to quarter actualization rates remain above 60% in the three county area and is likely to stay at these levels as failed modification and delayed sales finally occur. The pressure from the added inventory from this increase in actualized foreclosures may end up putting downward pressure on price as demand wanes after government incentives expire.

Outlook: 90% of foreclosure activity in the last 3 years can directly be attributed to loans originated in the “bubble years,” of ’05, ’06, ’07. As time moves forward the pool of loans to foreclose is simply getting smaller. Government efforts to keep homeowners in their properties and banks’ readjusting their strategy to accommodate an uncertain market climate may also be contributing to the decline in initial notices. These factors should continue to put downward pressure on foreclosure activity through the end of the year. However, finalized trustee sales levels are likely to stay high as the estimated 40,000 homes in some stage of foreclosure make their way out.

With half the year behind us we have the usual mix of good and bad to report. There are broad implications from the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit that will undoubtedly be felt throughout the housing sector.

• In the last 18 months, new home construction’s share of total permitting soared to 33% of all permitting but has since dropped considerably and will continue to drop heading to the end of the year. With homebuilder’s overall sentiment at their lowest levels in over a year it is likely that their contribution to the market will continue to decline as they dial back construction in the face of an uncertain market.  However, opposed to large tract home builders, Custom Home construction has steadily increased since the beginning of this year due to low construction costs.

• The first half of the year had the highest levels of property sales activity in quite some time. However, now that the homebuyer tax credit is officially off the table, we are seeing a steep drop in buying activity heading into the second part of the year. So far in July, property sales are down over 30% since June and this trend will likely continue throughout the 3rd quarter.

• Initial Notice of Trustee Sales are down 21.95% since this time last year in the three county area. However, trustee sales have stayed at extremely high levels and will probably stay there for the next 6 months. Properties “stuck,” in foreclosure are finally making their way out and back onto the market.

Using Floorspace Efficiently
Both corner showers and bathtubs are excellent choices when it comes to maximizing the use of space. When modeling a master bathroom, you want a wide range of choices and high degree of functionality, but you don’t want the room to seem cramped. This is the strong suit of combining corner showers and bathtubs. In the morning, when you need to head to work, you can take a quick shower. When you get home, and you are looking to relax, you can take a long bath. All in a bathroom that still appear spacious and stylish.

Choosing the Right Units
When picking the corner shower and corner bathtub to install, keep in mind the general look of the bathroom. Both can be found in a wide range of colors and styles, so you will have amble choice. You want the shower and bathtub to match each other, and you want them to match the bathroom. The good news is that the corner installations lend the units well to stylish and elegant design. Their placement will not seem like an abrupt interruption, but, instead, a discrete blend.

When installing multiple units in a bathroom the danger is that the room will seem cramped. As mentioned, corner installations does well to avoid this, but there is more you can do to make the bathroom appear very spacious. As an example, it can be beneficial to choose a transparent shower, as this will make the room appear larger.

A master bathroom, containing both a corner shower and a corner bathtub, can be a marvelous thing. It will add loads of comfort and functionality. And, if done right, will make for a stylish and elegant bathroom.

Let us at AZ Complete Home Restoration remodel your bathroom into a new spacious comfortable room. Call us at 602-535-9880.

HB2345 – HOA Condo for Sale Signs.  This was again a clarification of the bill passed a few years ago.  To boil it down, the message to HOA is “thou shall not mess with my for sale sign.”  This bill also gives homeowners the right to post for rent signs.  This was recently signed into law by the governor.

HB2768- Private Transfer Fees.  This bill outlaws private transfer fees.  You ask, “What are those, and didn’t our Constitutional amendment take care of that?”  Not quite.  This bill outlawed fees charged in perpetuity by an individual or corporation.  The concern, companies in California & developers in order to get their project approved would put in a private transfer fee that would run with the land – forever.  These funds would often go back to the builder/developer’s slush fund for donations to environmental causes in their name. This bill out laws it and was signed by the Governor.

H2450 – Water & wastewater bill.  AAR heard from many Realtors last fall  with regard to back water bills & sewer bills that were being forced on new home owners or agents who had to get them turned on for inspections and the property is an REO.  This bill forces the municipality to charge those they contracted with up to 4 units.  This bill is currently in the Senate & is being debated contentiously.

But breaking down the statistics does show positive signs for the future, especially since Default Notices, which mark new foreclosures, are down 1% from the first quarter of 2009. However, over the same period of time, bank repossessions were up a staggering 36%.

“A repossession is usually the final stage of a foreclosure,” remarked Simon Campbell, a business analyst with Bank Foreclosures Sale. “The properties are repossessed, and then sold off from there. So, now the banks and lenders have a huge supply of REO homes to deal with. This is great news for buyers, because a big supply means low prices, and the banks are really looking to get these homes off their hands. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see average sale prices really drop in the coming months.”

The top 3 states for first quarter foreclosure homes rates were Nevada, Arizona, and Florida, although Arizona’s current rate is actually down 16% from the first quarter of 2009. Only one other state in the Top 10 saw a decline year over year, and that was California, down 6%. Utah, a relative newcomer to the top ten, saw the biggest year over year increase at roughly 75%, followed by Idaho, which rose 48%. California saw the largest number of new defaults in the first quarter by far, with over 83,500. The next closest was Nevada, followed by Michigan. Colorado is still seeing increases as well, hanging on to the number 10 spot with a 27% rise in foreclosures from the first quarter of 2009.

Georgia had the highest foreclosure property increase from the final quarter of 2009, at 30%. Idaho and Illinois saw the only decreases from last quarter, at 13.5% and 6.5%, respectively.

Visit Bank Foreclosures Sale (www.bankforeclosuressale.com) to stay informed about developments in the foreclosure marketplace that can affect how you buy and invest, as well as to browse foreclosure listings in your area.