Sandra Plantenga

Is it Time for a "Facelift" in 2017? Ideas for First Impressions Never underestimate the importance of a pretty faceon your home. A curbside facelift is money well-spent, whether prepping to sell your house, increasing its equity-value, or just for your own pleasure....Continue reading

Is it Time to Sell? Home prices continue to chart growth, rising on an annual basis to outpace inflation, according to CoreLogic’s recently released Home Price Index for January 2017. Prices increased 0.7 percent month-over-month and 6.9 percent year-over-year. A combination of factors is driving momentum ahead of the curve.... With lean for-sale inventories and low rental vacancy rates, many markets have seen housing prices outpace inflation. Over the 12 months through January of this year, the CoreLogic Home Price Index recorded a 6.9 percent rise in home prices nationally and the CoreLogic Single-Family Rental Index was up 2.7 percentboth rising faster than inflation. Forecast expects home prices to rise 0.1 percent month-over-month from January to February, and 4.8 percent year-over-year from January 2017 to January 2018. Home prices continue to climb across the nation, and the spring home-buying season is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent memory, says Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic. A potent mix of progressive economic recovery, demographics, tight housing stocks and continued low mortgage rates are expected to support this robust market outlook for the foreseeable future. Is it time to downsize? Go to www.downsize4me.com

Here are 8 High-Tech Features to Include in Your Next Remodel Consider including some high-tech features on your list of remodeling must-haves. Adding a few new smart devices is a cinch when you’re in the process of remodelingwhy not make a little room in the budget for something that can make your life easier and help cut down on expenses overall? Here are eight of the coolest smart devices to include in your home remodel....Continue reading

I'm Dreaming of a house like this! The Honuala’i Estate is a majestic oceanfront residence comprised of 1.16 acres with approximately 450 feet of prime ocean frontage on the Kohala Coast. Located near several world class beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii, the home boasts 7,744 of square feet inside, six bedrooms, seven-and-a-half baths, and views that’ll take your breath away. Every fine detail of this property is sophisticated, timeless, and epitomizes Hawaiian style. Incl...uded in its expansive interior is an office, expanded enclosed garage, covered lanais and private patios of over 11,000 square feet. Its new owners can enjoy the beauty of ocean life by snorkeling from a little beach right out front. This residence is one of the only resort-zoned properties in the area and great for entertaining guests and coordinating special events. Visitors are greeted with grand double gates that open to a beautifully manicured landscaped turnabout circle drive. They can enjoy water features, vaulted ceilings, a zen garden and fireplace as they enter the home, with a backdrop of endless views across the expansive swimming pool that disappear into the Pacific. The historical home and its surrounding area area blends luxurious privacy with the classic lifestyle of Hawaii. Check out more photos and a video below! https://vimeo.com/197864881 Listed by: Carrie Nicholson, Hawaii Life One Listed for: $23 million

Are You Considering A Relocation? Here are 4 Tips For Finding The Perfect New Home Considering a relocation? The last thing you want to do is blindly choose a house out of necessity. Here are four tips that can help you in your quest to find the perfect new home in your new city. Understand Your Personality and Desires... Your personal characteristics, for the most part, remain the same regardless of where you reside. It is important that you have an honest conversation with yourself before contacting an agent or any real estate professional throughout the nation. The most skilled Realtor cannot assist in your home search without first having a scope of your wants and needs. Research Before Looking Do a quick search of the region and identify three to five neighborhoods that intrigue you the most. Take into account nearby schools, recreational facilities, crime rates, and cost of living in your communities of choice. Also, keep in mind your price range and start searching for properties that fall within those bounds. There is no need to set your sights on the house on the hill if you cannot afford such luxury. Think Long Term Instead of Right Now Yes, it is true that you need shelter now, but you want to consider more than your present needs. You may decide to extend the family one day and living in a neighborhood with sub-par schools may not be in the best interest of the kids. Consider where you may find yourself in the next ten years career-wise and family-wise, and plan accordingly. Hire a Realtor. Even the most detail-oriented books about real estate cannot provide the knowledge that you need to navigate the ever-changing world of home ownership. You need a real estate professional who knows the complex parts of the industry to help you find the ideal home at a reasonable price. Selecting the right Realtor is not merely a matter of choosing the first candidate that you meet. You should inquire about a potential agent's success rate as well as their perception of buyer representation. Asking family members and friends for referrals can be the first step in your quest for the right agent. Researching candidates is another fundamental element of the selection process. You always want to make sure that your salesperson of choice knows the city well since you are new and still finding your way around town.