Home Takes Center Stage for the Holidays

There's no place like home for the holidays and here's the December, 2011 Market Watch from the market gurus at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.  A new consumer survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate confirmed that the majority of Americans wouldn't have it any other way. Approximately four in 10 respondents (39%) say their holiday get‐togethers include 15 or more family members and friends, and more than half (54%) say they stay overnight with their families so they can all be in one household during the holidays.

Additionally, the survey of nearly 1,000 people found:

• More than three‐quarters (78%) of Americans "deck the halls" by decorating their home for the holidays. The vast majority (67%) say they decorate some, without going overboard, while 11 percent say they "go all out." Only 21% don't decorate at all.
• Most people claim they've never snooped for presents. 77% of respondents said they have never looked for stashed‐away presents before it's time to open them. (Only 23% freely admit to peeking around)!
• People gather in spots where they can mingle and graze. When asked which room is most used during the holidays (the kitchen, dining room or living room / den), the kitchen and living room are split almost evenly as the most popular spaces (41% and 43%, respectively), while 12% said the dining room is the most frequented area.

We all have a favorite memory or tradition that involves the holidays and being home with friends and family. We cook and share food, host parties and bring everyone together in our homes. At Coldwell Banker, we recognize that a home is more than just a place to live. This is true more than ever around the holidays.
Holiday events, memories and traditions underscore the emotional side of owning a home in a fun way, highlighting the role of family and their homes as central holiday headquarters. Watch this man-on-the-street video created by Coldwell Banker that showcases just how intertwined home and family are for some.

Here's the latest market trends for select ares. If you'd like trends for an area not listed, let me know and I'll get that to you.

Cave Creek market trends

Fountain Hills market trends

Paradise Valley market trends

Phoenix market trends

Scottsdale market trends

Wishing you happy memories, continued traditions and Happy Holidays to all!!

Photo from Flickr courtesy of mikebfotos.

Sheryl Crow turns to Interior Design

Talk about talent.  Chart busting, American singer/songwriter, Sheryl Crow, has more talent than you may know – In addition to winning 9 Grammy awards, she also gets an “A” for interior design. 

The March, 2011 issue of Architectural Digest has a great spread on Crow and her LA digs.  She apparently fired her decorator and unleashed a natural talent she possessed all along! 

The property perched high above the hustle of the city in the Hollywood Hills area of LA, was acquired over time.  According to AD, she purchased a 1920’s Spanish Colonial there in the mid 1990’s.  Since that time, she’s picked up several adjacent dwellings – a 1900’s Craftsman bungalow and a 19^th century cottage – to make an 11 acre compound.  The estate offers picturesque views of LA while providing the star with serenity, space and magic.

We’ve known all along Crow has style – But, you need to check out her digs!  Unpretentious, comfortable and diverse, she’s clearly got an eye for design.

The article takes us on a tour of her home and uncovers a Crow most of us were unaware of – she blends Deco with contemporary and antiques with folk art to create a wonderfully inviting home. 

According to the article, many of her finds came from the Venice-based Obsolete, an eclectic shop offering a multitude of accessories from mannequins to vintage lighting.   If their web site has anything to do with it, the shop has got to me amazing.

Crow may be a “100 miles from Memphis” but one thing is certain – she has class and inviting me into her home has given me a new perspective.  She’s grounded with an appreciation for the past and a view towards the future.

We all can learn a thing or two from Sheryl Crow when it comes to interior design.  Pick up the March issue and see for your self.

Nice Chi

It comes up every now and then.  I try to act intelligent and pretend to know what the heck they're talking about.  I can barely pronounce the term, let alone understand it.

Energy.  Harmony.  Vitality.  Clearly, these are important aspects to anyone’s life.  And, in the Chinese culture, it’s known as Feng Shui [fung-shway].   Some believe it’s the recipe for successful living.  Feng Shui deals with the earth’s five elements, then adds a bit of color to bring energy and vitality to a home.  Some absolutely live by the philosophy that dates back to when Buddha was in diapers.

Wikipedia describes it as, “an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi” [chi].

I know just a little enough about the subject – and it is obvious I needed to learn more.  I’m not looking to be Feng Shuiologist or anything, but there are some salient points to the practice that we can all benefit from.  It is said that even a Chinese vase, properly placed within the home can bring positive energy.  

Well, in this market, sellers need to do all they can to attract the right buyer.  It was time I did some homework on the subject.

I was watching HGTV’s House Hunters where a wife was most concerned about the home’s chi – energy, it seems, can enter a home allowing the occupants the good fortune of harmony and well being.  It does the opposite as well.  The position of a staircase and the direction of the front door are important elements when it comes to Feng Shui.  Even a tree in the front yard, if not properly placed, can be a barrier to chi entering the home and nurturing its occupants. 

Here’s a great dummies guide to Feng Shui I found through Google – I found it interesting and useful.  Perhaps you will too.  From the front door to the placement of furniture, you, too, can have nice chi.

I’m thinking I’ve lived in a home or two where the chi wasn’t so great.  Just saying.

©2010 Tom Weiskopf, PLLC. Tom Weiskopf, PLLC is an AZ licensed real estate agent with John Hall & Associates serving the Phoenix area. For more information, Tom can be reached at (602) 953-4000 or via e-mail at phxareahomes@gmail.com.