Spice Up Your Home for Fall

Summer is ending, folks are coming back from vacation, "Back to School" signs are posted across every retail store… We all know what that means! Fall is upon us. If you're anything like me, you love the sound of leaves crunching, all the warm autumn colors of the outdoors, and the smell of cinnamon. What better way to bring a little fall into your home than to jazz it up with some DIY fall decor? These tutorials are super easy and are sure to add a little spice to your home!

1. Fabric-wrapped pumpkins - These pumpkins are ridiculously simple to make. You'll need an 18x18in square of orange fabric, a roll of toilet paper, a stick, some jute, and a little bit of green fabric for leaves. First, wrap the toilet paper roll with the orange fabric and stuff the excess into the center of the roll, Shove the stick down into the center of the roll, tie the green fabric around it to look like leaves, and wrap the base of the stick with jute. How easy is that?

2. Fall candle tray - This colorful piece with look great resting on a coffee table, entry table, or even dining room table. For this tutorial, you'll need a wooden tray, candles, glass candle votives, and fall garland. all of which you can find at craft supply stores. Simply place the candles in the votives and arrange them along with the garland inside the tray. Such an easy centerpiece!

3. Fall wreath - I especially enjoy the idea of creating a wreath because it can be customized to include whichever decorations you want. Simply purchase a twig wreath from the craft store and go crazy with adornments! You can use ribbon, garland, pinecones, or anything else you can come up with. Attach the decorations with hot glue and you have an easy, beautiful wreath for your front door!








If you or someone you know has a question about real estate, please contact me using the information provided below.

Arthur Confait
Email: arthurconfait@gmail.com
Website: CLICK HERE

4 Reasons Why Your Home Won't Sell

When an owner is having trouble selling their home, many people are quick to blame the Realtor. Yes, the fact that a home may not be selling could certainly be due to a bad Realtor, but remember, the Realtor has been trained and taught to follow the wishes of his or her client. If you aren't giving your Realtor the adequate time and effort they need to turn around and sell your home, that very well might be the problem. Here are the top four reasons why your home may not be selling, and many of these could be avoided on the part of the seller.




1. Sub-par photography - You are selling your gorgeous, spacious $500,000 home, and you just know it will sell quick. Everyone who has seen it in person gushes about how beautiful it is, so why isn't it selling? Take a look at the photos of your home that are posted on the MLS - do the photos accurately portray or play up the beauty of your home? If not, your Realtor should be able to either retake the photos for you using the correct lighting and angles or refer you to a professional photographer who can do the same thing. The better your photos, the more traffic you will get on your listing.


2. Overpriced property - Just about every homeowner feels their property is worth more than it is. If you have purposefully raised the price of your home by a few thousands, chances are that could be the very reason why your home is not selling. If your Realtor has mentioned lowering the price of your home before, you probably need to give in and listen to them. Granted, your Realtor is there to help you sell your home at the price you want, but they also know they have to be realistic in order to get the home sold.


3. Unavailable to show - You've given your Realtor strict instructions to only show your home between the hours of 8-10 and 4-6. You are doing yourself and your Realtor a disservice because you have severely limited the number of hours in the day that your home is able to be looked at by potential buyers. If you want to attract buyers, you need to operate on their schedule - meaning, you need to be open for business as many hours as possible, especially on the weekends.


4. It shows badly - There are numerous factors that could play into the reason why your home doesn't "show" well. Your kitchen or master bathroom could be severely outdated, it could be messy, you have a loud and distracting dog, etc. Many of these reasons are quick fixes, such as redecorating using a neutral color palate or giving your carpet a fresh steam cleaning. Your Realtor can help you rearrange furniture to maximize space and give you tips on what items to keep out and what to lock up in the closet. Be open minded - you are trying to attract buyers, so your home must appeal to them!







If you or someone you know has a question about real estate, please contact me using the information provided below.

Arthur Confait
Email: arthurconfait@gmail.com
Website: CLICK HERE

Summer-ize Your Home Decor

It's summer, people - time to stow away your warm blankets, cozy accents, and dark colors. The key to summer-izing your home decor is to stick with light colors, sheer fabrics, and whimsical details. Anyone can make their home feel like a summer getaway, even if you are nowhere near the shore. Here's how to give your home a fresh update that is in harmony with the warmer weather.



1. Change your bedding - Have you ever noticed that the hotel bedding in tropical or beach-y locales is usually always white? This is because white feels light, fresh, and not too heavy. Investing in an all-white sheet set and a white down comforter is such an easy way to give your bedroom an update during the warm summer months. When cooler weather sets in, you can easily switch your comforter set back to normal.






2. Sheer panel curtains - Sheer curtains in a light, fresh color or pattern instantly bring in more light, and isn't a little sunlight what summer is all about? The great thing about curtains is that they are so versatile - if you like a little more privacy in the evenings, you could leave up your opaque curtains and draw them back in the daytime, allowing the sheer panels to be on display.






3. Fresh flowers - When you go out on your weekly grocery shopping trip, make it a point to purchase a bouquet of fresh flowers to put on display in your home. Go for a summery mix, such as daisies with baby's breath, sunflowers, or calla lilies. Be sure to place your flowers in a sunny spot , and try to make them a focal point in whatever room you choose to put them in. Nothing feels more summery than a little sprig of mother nature herself!










If you or someone you know has a question about real estate, please contact me using the information provided below.

Arthur Confait
Email: arthurconfait@gmail.com
Website: CLICK HERE

A Look at the Current Real Estate Market in Houston

It seems as if the topic of conversation lately has revolved around the health of the current real estate market. Some find the results to be shocking for a couple of reasons. First, the recent recession did a number on the economy and adversely greatly affected the real estate market; we weren't sure if we would see it bounce back any time soon, let alone a few years. Second, the Houston real estate market had been climbing steadily for several years before the recession while other major markets had skyrocketed. In Houston today, we are beginning to see a quickly-rising positive trend in our real estate market. Here are a few reasons why Houstonians can continue to see this positive trend in the years to come.

1. Increase in home prices - To put it simply, the supply of homes is low and the demand for homes is high. There are many more buyers than sellers, and we can expect to see as much as a 5% increase in home prices in the years to follow.

2. Food retail chains are expanding - Where food retail stores open, new home construction either precedes or follows. The Houston area can expect to see many food retail chain stores popping up everywhere, such as HEB, Krogers, and Whole Foods.

3. Rising mortgage rates - Due to the current home demand, we can also expect to see a slight increase in mortgage rates in the coming years. The current rate is around 3.5%, and is expected to average at about 4.6% by next year.

4. More apartments - New construction for apartment homes is spreading like wildfire throughout the Houston, area, especially in the heart of Houston. Job creation is fueling the need for more apartments, and this likely will increase new home construction as well. 

5. Less office space - Empty office space is as low as 5% in some areas, which makes renting office space more expensive. 

If you or someone you know has a question about real estate, please contact me using the information provided below.

Arthur Confait
Email: arthurconfait@gmail.com
Website: CLICK HERE

Five Aspects of a Modern Kitchen

One of the biggest selling points in a property is the kitchen. An old, outdated kitchen can be an eyesore and completely turn buyers away from a home. On the flip side, a modern, updated kitchen can   bring in buyers that never would have even looked twice at the home before. If you plan on selling your house, here are a few updates that can help take your kitchen from old to bold.



1. Dark cabinetry - If your cabinets blend in with your walls or backsplash, you may need an update. Dark wood, stained, or even black cabinets are sleek, modern, and super simple to create. If you have natural wood cabinets, you could stain them dark or give them a fresh coat of paint. Dark cabinets feel so luxurious, and updating them is the most effective way to modernize your kitchen.






2. Metal cabinet/drawer pulls - The right hardware can make all the difference in your kitchen, and can completely transform the look and feel of any room. Just like the way ornate, scrolled hardware gives a vintage or antique look, sleek, angular hardware gives off a modern vibe. The easiest and most cost-effective way to get the modern vibe is by changing your cabinet/drawer pulls. Think long, thin, and angular to get the best effect.






3. Seating - The great thing about dining furniture is that pieces can be mixed and matched. If you have an antique dining room or breakfast table, a grouping of modern chairs placed around it can give off a cool, eclectic vibe. Look for angular chairs made out of unlikely materials, or even chairs with no straight lines, like the chairs below.






4. Accessories - Think modern, yet minimalist. Notice the black vases in the picture below - they are all the same size, same height, and in a contrasting color. When choosing accessories, think minimalist yet bold. One great option is to incorporate fresh fruit into your decor, using a modern bowl made out of unusual materials.

If you or someone you know has a question about real estate, please contact me using the information provided below.

Arthur Confait
Email: arthurconfait@gmail.com
Website: CLICK HERE

DIY Home Decor for the Crafty Homeowner

Updating your home can be very costly, especially when you are trying to keep the overall look consistent throughout your home. If you are the arts-and-crafts-y type, chances are you've already found ways to redecorate on a budget. In this post, I have included 5 step-by-step tutorials that will produce beautiful, handmade home accessories that cost only pennies, as long as you are willing to put in a little elbow grease!

1. Stone placemats - This tutorial is so simple, and yields such a gorgeous, modern product. All these placemats consist of are 12x12 stone tiles from any home improvement store, and some felt. The felt is glued to the bottom of the placemats to avoid scratching your dining table. What an easy way to modernize your dining space!

2. Fabric-covered corkboards - This DIY would look especially wonderful hanging in the home office or kitchen, and I like this one so much because you can customize the fabric colors to match ANY room in your home! All you need for this project is a glue gun, scissors, your choice of fabric, Command hooks, and pre-cut pieces of cork (the ones shown in the picture are cut into circles, and you can buy these at IKEA). Simply trim the fabric to adequately wrap around your cork pieces, glue the edges down on the back of the cork, and hang using Command hooks. 

3. Coffee table tray made from an old picture frame - My favorite thing about this DIY is that with just a few simple materials, you can transform something you were ready to throw out into something functional. For this tutorial, you'll need a medium/large sized picture frame with the cardboard backing and glass still intact, a piece of your choice of fabric a bit longer and wider than the length of your frame, batting, drawer pulls (get these at your local home improvement store), screws, and a hot glue gun. The first step is to remove the glass/cardboard from the frame and attach your drawer pulls using screws and a screw driver. Next, cover the one side of the cardboard backing with batting, then fabric and hot glue the excess to the back. Place the cardboard backing inside the frame, then take your hot glue gun and glue the glass onto the top of the frame by placing a drop of glue in each corner. Now you have a pretty, sturdy tray to place on top of your coffee table!

4. Faux "milk glass" vases - Have you ever stared longingly at beautiful pieces of vintage milk glass but not so longingly at the price tag? You can now get that gorgeous antique look at home using just two simple materials, all while finding a new use for your "blah" glass vases that need a facelift! All you need are a few glass vases/containers of any kind (these can be purchased at the dollar store or you can use existing vases you already own) and Rust-o-leum Universal spray paint in Gloss White. Simply take your glass outside and set them on a piece of cardboard, give them an even coat of paint, let them dry and now you have that gorgeous vintage milk glass look for less!

5. Penny vase - Since the use of pennies is pretty much nonexistent at this point, I think covering an outdated vase with them is a fantastic idea, especially because it really lends a modern, eclectic touch to any room. You'll need a vase of your choosing, universal spray paint in any color of your choosing, a hot glue gun, and as many pennies as you can get your hands on. Start by spray painting your vase and letting it dry. Then, grab your glue gun and begin gluing the pennies on starting from the top. Don't worry about which way the pennies are facing, as this eludes to the whole eclectic vibe. Cover the vase completely with pennies, and now you have a vase that will surely be the topic of conversation whenever you have friends over!











If you or someone you know has a question about real estate, please contact me using the information provided below.

Arthur Confait
Email: arthurconfait@gmail.com
Website: CLICK HERE

4 Ways to Attract Buyers to Your Home

Let's face it. You already know you have a gorgeous home, complete with a grand, sweeping foyer and  beautiful vaulted ceilings. However, chances are that your home is lacking a bit in curb appeal and could use some sprucing up. It is important to remember that first impressions are lasting impressions, and if your home doesn't "speak" to a potential buyer, they may pass it right up without having the chance to be won over by the spectacular interior. Here are four ways to spruce up the exterior of your home that will undoubtedly attract the buyers,



1. Porch lighting - It is probably within reason to assume that most homeowners have never thought twice about their exterior lighting. That old frosted, fluorescent, free-standing bulb tells buyers that it is possible that you have not put much work into your home. The best way to brighten up your front porch is to invest in some unique lighting fixtures. My personal favorite would have to be adding two exterior sconces or lanterns to either side of your front door. These come in many shapes and sizes, and can be a fresh and unique way to update your porch lighting.





2. Add shutters or update old ones - The great thing about shutters is that they are noticeable even from afar and they can instantly transform the overall look of your home. The bad thing about shutters is if they look worn or dull, they can greatly decrease the attractiveness of your home. Before you decide to sell your home, think about your current shutters (or lack thereof) and consider making a change. If you do not have shutters, the investment will almost certainly increase the curb appeal of your home. If your current shutters are looking a bit dull, consider adding a coat of paint in either a matching or abstract shade to either polish up or create an eye-popping appearance.




3. House numbers - House numbers are important for the simple fact that you want your home to be easy to find, and painted curb numbers do not count in this case. By adding house numbers to the exterior of your home, not only do you add tons of curb appeal, but you also make it easier for buyers to find your home! House numbers come in several shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, so matching the numbers to the overall feel of the exterior of your home will be a snap. The whole point of adding house numbers is for the numbers to actually stand out!




4. Porch seating - Adding some porch seating might be the simplest way to bring some character to the exterior of your home, but will still make a huge impact. Porch seating lends a cozy, "lived in" feel to your home, and entices buyers to walk up to your front porch. Furniture made for the outdoors will work best in this case. Porch seating could range from a simple bench to a set of chairs assembled around a small table. My personal favorite would be a few colorful outdoor pillows added to a simple wooden bench. The possibilities are endless!






If you or someone you know has a question about real estate, please contact me using the information provided below.

Arthur Confait
Email: arthurconfait@gmail.com
Website: CLICK HERE