We can’t welcome 2018 without wondering what the boomer
generation will be up to this year. In fact, many boomers are still doing what
they love, and they’re still doing it well! After years of working for others,
they’re making the decisions—and taking the risks—to start their own businesses
in retirement.
Notes writer Wendy Mayhew in the Globe and Mail: “Many people can’t wait to retire. They want to
golf, travel, or just take it easy. Others can’t wait to retire so they can
start the business they have always dreamed about.”
According to the 2017 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurship,
individuals between 55 and 64 accounted for 25.5% of all new entrepreneurs in
2016, while the number of 20- to 34-year-old entrepreneurs declined by 34.3%
over a 20-year period to 24.4% in 2016.
Why? It may be that the boomer generation is healthier
and more energetic than previous generations, it may be that boomers (who are notoriously
bad savers) need to supplement their income in retirement, or it may simply be
that older workers have a lot to offer.
In a recent CNBC article, Jody Holtzman, senior vice
president of market innovation for AARP, suggests: “[As a boomer] you know what
works and what doesn’t, you’ve been in small and big companies … You have a
network, possibly savings, or other ways to gain access to capital. All of
those things come together as key success factors for building and sustaining a
business.”
Plus, boomers have always
wanted to change the world. And now’s their chance.
Whether you’re planning to become a home buyer in 2018
or hoping to sell your current property, it can be hard to forecast the way the
real estate market will go. Here are some trend predictions, gathered from
several sources, which maydominate
in 2018:
A recent report from the Urban Land Institute and
PricewaterhouseCoopers brings good news: the usual boom-and-bust cycle isn’t
behaving typically, so what could have been a bust may be a gentle downturn
instead.
Smartcitiesdive.com, which highlighted elements of the
PWC/Urban Land Institute report, suggests the real estate industry has begun to
take an interest in a new generation.
This is not to detract from the importance of
millennials who, incidentally, are expected to become more interested in
purchasing a home in 2018 than in previous years. A new generation, “Gen Z,” is
indicating an even stronger interest in becoming homeowners at an earlier age
than their millennial counterparts. Born after 1995, Gen Zers are enthusiastic
about fixer-uppers and do-it-yourself projects and may lead the way in
gentrifying distressed urban neighborhoods.
The Internet of Things is changing everything, so why
not real estate? Smart home automation is driving the industry to incorporate
the latest tech in new home builds and attract tech-savvy buyers by focusing on
tech amenities in listings. The PWC/Urban Land Institute report suggests the
industry has been lagging behind, technologically speaking, so 2018 may well be
the year of the high-tech home.
Little is known yet about the economic and political
factors affecting the industry across North America.
Notes Smart Cities Dive: “A number of other changes
potentially arriving in 2018—such as tax reform and interest rate hikes—also
could affect the real estate market and cities’ development.
However, none of the known factors appear drastic
enough to derail the market’s long glide and instead send it into a nosedive.”
I work for a security company and here are a few good tips that I can share with you based on my experience. Crime is up so we have to all be diligent in being part of the solution to protect our Families and neighborhood (read Prop 47 & 57). I thought I would reach out and send a couple of tips on helping to prevent crime from happening to you.
1) CARELESSNESS: Avoid leaving valuables in the front yard for the criminals to see and are tempted to get.
2) GATES: Increase the height of your side gates and keep them locked at all times. If your grades are easy to jump over, this makes it easier for criminals to go to the back, make it difficult. You're trying to buy time and to make crime a little bit more challenging.
3) BUSHES: keep the bushes trimmed so that a criminal is unable to hide behind any big shrubbery. Take a step back from the street, and look at your house and ask yourself, ' where can somebody hide?'. Go ahead and trim on necessary shrubbery that is way too high, waist an above is a good measuring tool.
4) GARAGE DOOR: Criminals can come through your garage door and break in within a few seconds by putting in a coat hanger and pulling down the cable from the outside. In your garage there is a long cable ROPE with a knob at the end of it. Cut off the knob and shorten the ROPE so that in case they stick a coat hanger to attempt to pull that cable, it will avoid entry into your garage.
5) ATTACHED GARAGE: If your garage is attached to your home always lock it.
If they do get into the garage, you don't want to make it easy for them to just walk in to your house since you left the garage door unlocked.
6) WINDOWS: Keep all windows locked when you leave, this is one of the easiest and most common ways that the burglars get in. Lock all windows.
7) BACK AREA: A lot of times the burglars are going to want to break in through the back, the more complicated you make the back entry, the better you can prevent the crime from happening by making it difficult for them. Burglars like to be out of site, that's why the back doors are commonly hit.
8) LOVE THY NEIGHBOR: Always make sure that you and your neighbors communicate any suspicious activity and call the police. Be part of the Neighborhood Watch!
9) FACEBOOK Posts: Don't let the burglars know that you're out of town or that you're shopping at the grocery store real time info posted.
10) Security: Install cameras and alarms, these will help serve as a deterrent and if something were to happen, God forbid, you will have documented evidence to provide the police for prosecution. (Under $950 is petty theft)
We are all paying tax dollars, report any suspicious or criminal activity immediately.
A home office is on its way to becoming an essential item on a house buyer's wish list. After all, many people work at least part of the time at home — and even if they don't, they still want somewhere to store the computer and their household papers.
Here are some tips to help you create an attractive home office that you'll actually want to spend time in.
Good lighting: If you don't have a lot of natural light (or you'll be working mainly in the evenings), make sure you have good lighting, particularly task lights for illuminating your desk. Include other types of lighting too, so you'll make the room feel comfortable.
Choose good furniture: It's essential that your desk and chair are comfortable to work at, so take time choosing them. Make sure the seat and backrest of your chair are adjustable and that the height of your desk is comfortable.
Power and the Internet: Make sure there are plenty of power outlets in the room and easy Internet access. Avoid a 'rat's nest' of cables by bundling them together and tucking them out of sight.
Include good storage: Think carefully about the kind of storage you'll need and make sure there's enough of it. Consider stackable boxes to store paperwork efficiently, and an attractive filing cabinet. Put shelves on the walls and use them to store books; add wire baskets to the shelves for documents.
Bulletin board: Put up a bulletin board for reminders and other essential information you use every day. Then you'll avoid ugly sticky notes all over your computer.
A great coat of paint makes all of the difference in the world to your home. These tricks of the pros will help you to get the results you want.
Quality. Cheap brushes and cheap paint are amateur choices. Quality paint gives good value because it takes less paint and less time to cover the same area. Buy sufficient paint before starting.
Primer. Apply a primer coat first. The job will look better, last longer and require less of the expensive paint. Test. Professionals test colors thoroughly. Paint a patch of wall, and examine it against the room’s furnishings in various lights. Prepare. After the wall is prepared by cleaning, scraping and sanding, try this: Hold a light bulb near the surface and move it over the area. Any remaining blemishes will cast shadows that make them visible. Gloss. A flawed surface is best covered by a flat paint. Smooth surfaces can tolerate higher-gloss varieties, which better resist mildew and dirt. Mix. If several gallons of paint were custom-mixed at the store, pour them together into a bucket or drum and back into the cans. Thus, slight differences among the cans are erased. Trim. Mix some of the wall color into white or cream paint for a harmonious trim color. Use any proportion from a few tablespoons to a few cups per gallon of trim, according to the desired contrast.
Charming and surprisingly private home with great access to shopping and transportation. The lot slopes up from the street with steps at the front, but grade level access to the rear. You enter the home from a trellis covered patio and find an inviting living room with hardwood floor and a wood burning fireplace. The master bedroom has two closets, mountain views and features a bright and airy bathroom. The other two bedrooms share a bathroom, note that the third bedroom lacks a closet, but it does have sliding doors leading to the rear yard and access to the kitchen. The kitchen features a center island and access to the side yard. The seller is relocating and the Stove, Fridge, Washer, Dryer and BBQ are all included without warranty. The long driveway affords plenty of off-street parking and access to the detached two car garage. Between the house and the garage is a shady, covered patio ideal for summer barbeques. There is plenty of storage under the house with easy access. The AC unit is new and the roof has been recently replaced. There is copper piping throughout and a low maintenance yard with automatic sprinklers. La Crescenta also enjoys some of the best public schools in California.
Not all shady deals are bad. These patio shade projects are each under $300.
If you hop-skip like a rookie firewalker across your sun-drenched patio, then patio shade projects are probably a hot priority.
But there’s no reason to get burned on price; you’ll find plenty of low-cost shade-giving options to cool your tootsies.
If you’re looking for shade beyond the typical market umbrellas ($45) and freestanding gazebo kits (starting at $200 at home improvement centers), check out these other easy, affordable patio shade projects -- all for under $300:
Tall order: vertical trellis
Even if you have overhead shade, low morning or late afternoon light can make your patio uncomfortably hot in summer. Filter low-flying rays with a vertical trellis for growing leafy climbing plants.
The taller the trellis (60 inches or more), the more time you enjoy in the shade. Plus, an attractive trellis adds structure, lush greenery, and home privacy to your outdoor getaway.
Trellises can be made of weather-resistant wood, metal, PVC, or a combination of materials. Build one from scratch in just a few hours for less than $100 using vertical posts and cross members that plants grip and climb.
Or, make a simple frame and add pre-made garden lattice, $20 for a 4-by-8-foot sheet.
Trellises also come in kits ($40-$250 and up) or ready-made ($15-$200 and up). In an hour or less, you’ll be ready to set the trellis in the ground.
For plants, choose climbing leafy or flowering vines, such as English ivy, golden hop, morning glory, clematis, bougainvillea, or roses. Prices range from $10 to $40 and up for climbers.
Or, start veggie climbers from seed ($1 or less per packet), such as pole beans or sweet peas, and harvest the rewards later.
Patio-dwelling trees
Add leafy shade by planting a sapling or ornamental tree in a container. A small (6-10 feet tall) tree will still throw plenty of shade -- Japanese maples and dwarf red buckeyes are favorites. You’ll pay $40-$100 for a young tree.
Select a container large enough to stabilize the tree so wind won’t blow it over. Add a wheeled base for shade mobility. Fill out with these other ideas for container gardening.
A potted tree requires more care than one in the yard. Feed it monthly during the growing season and water regularly (once or twice a day in dry weather). As your trees grow, transplant them to larger pots. Winter over container trees indoors -- anywhere with ample light and temperatures that won’t drop below 40 degrees.
Potted citrus trees are a beautiful, bountiful option. A lemon tree loves a sunny patio while offering shade and juicy fruits for squeezing. Other fruit-bearing trees include fig and semi-dwarf apple trees.
A potted palm transports your patio to the tropics with wide fronds for dappled shade and an island feel. Chinese windmill, or chusan palm (Trachycarpus), for example, can grow up to 7 feet tall in a container.
Sailing in the shade
Shade sails are triangular or square pieces of high-strength nylon that you suspend over your patio, adding color, pattern, and plenty of shade. The sails require connections to posts, trees, or rigid structural members of your house, such as exposed rafter ends.
A sail with 11-foot sides starts at $40. More expensive shade sails ($170 and up) include hardware (turnbuckles, eye bolts, and cable) for sturdy, wind-resistant installations.
As a frugal alternative, make your own shade sail using a canvas drop cloth ($15 for a 6-ounce, 9-by-12-foot piece). Install grommets ($10 for a kit) at the corners and loop clothesline ($5 for 50 feet) through the grommets.
Shade from the islands
Mix up a mai tai and enjoy a cool respite beneath these tropically inspired patio shade projects:
Top an existing structure, such as a pergola, with reed or bamboo fencing. A 6-by-16-foot roll of bamboo fencing starts at $22. Secure the fencing with galvanized staples or roofing nails.
Thatch panels ($200 for a 12 pack of 4-by-4-foot panels) are typically made from palm fronds cut into strips. Staple or nail the panels to the top of an existing pergola or awning frame for tiki-hut charm.
