Friday, June 3, 2016

Build a Backyard Getaway in 5 Steps | Outdoor Living


DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | FRIDAY, JUNE 03, 2016
Don’t leave a patio or backyard as a blank canvas. You can transform any outdoor space – from big or small – into an inviting and usable outdoor living area.


Alec Dakers, lead designer and partner at Rainbow Valley Design and Construction, and landscape designer Lytton Reid in Eugene, Ore., shared some of their tips for creating backyard getaways. Some of their steps include:


1. Evaluating the backyard. Do an assessment to see what the space has to offer, taking into account the topography, sun exposure, drainage, and even the pros and cons assessing the view into the neighbor’s yard, Reid says.



Try to work with the existing elements, such as an old cedar fence might be dressed up with new planter boxes or an old concrete patio may be salvaged into stepping stones for a path.


2. Creating public and private spaces. "There are three basic types of spaces: the private, the semi-private, and the public," says Reid. "I think all three should be represented in a good outdoor room design." A public space may include the main entertaining area where people can gather comfortably. A semi-private and private space would provide more shelter from the neighbors and offer plenty of privacy. Use of outdoor structures can help define these spaces, such as an open pergola to define a group dining space. A roof overhang and privacy screen can produce a nook against the house for privacy.


3. Consider drainage and utilities. Whatever you do, make sure you don’t create a problem by having water seeping toward your house and its foundation. “Big mistakes are made when people don’t consider drainage," says Reid. The designers also take note of the location of utilities, such as plumbing for outdoor sinks, gas for a fireplace, and electricity for lighting.


4. Design for the senses. "What are the views and the sounds and possibly even the smells that come into the space from neighboring areas?" Reid says. "Sometimes there are smells that you really want to enjoy. And sometimes you can mitigate the bad smells with good smells."

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For example, fragrant shrubs or perennials may help alleviate bad odors from, say, the neighbor’s nearby trash cans. Or, the use of a water feature may help mitigate the sound from a nearby roadway.


5. Compliment the home’s style. Take into account the home’s existing architecture when planning the outdoor spaces style. For example, don’t take on ornate colonial-style if the home is a low-slung, mid-century modern home. "I think most people think of the backyard as something separate," says Dakers. "But I think good design requires that you consider it as an extension of the house."

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

What is Transitional Design and How to Make It Work

Transitional interior design is a combination of traditional and contemporary design which creates a classic, timeless style that is both softer and more interesting.

Transitional Design

What it is: If Goldilocks were decorating a house, transitional design would check all of her "just right" boxes: not too cold, not too formal, not too fussy. It blends the comfort and warmth of traditional design with the clean profiles and understated colors of the contemporary look. The result? Gracious, streamlined spaces that radiate harmony. It's about meeting in the middle, but it's not at all middle of the road.

Why it works: Browse home design photos, and we'd bet that at least half of the rooms you see fall into the transitional camp. Its appeal lies in having the best of both worlds: You aren't straying too far from the familiar, but you have the freedom to freshen it as you see fit. And because you can update it indefinitely to reflect current trends, it ages well.

Although transitional usually denotes a balance between contemporary and traditional, that's not always the case. You can mix in a few (we repeat, a few) pieces from other styles as long as they don't detract from the casual, tailored setting.

You'll love it if ... You're a natural diplomat. You prefer a few statement accessories to layers of necklaces and wristfuls of bracelets. You serve mac and cheese on your wedding china. Your dream vacation involves chilling out at an elegant spa. You can't understand why people think beige is boring.

Making it Work

By incorporating design details such as straight lines with occasional sweeping curves, and subtle textures with tone-on-tone palettes, the Transitional look is both Modern and Traditional. The result is a unified and stylish space in any room of the home.

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Tone-on-Tone Palettes

The transitional look won't necessarily suit color junkies. Warm neutrals rule: cream, taupe, tan, khaki, gray, with the occasional hint of chocolate or espresso brown thrown in to ground the palette. Patterns, if used at all, should be understated; skip the punchy florals and Pucci-esque prints.


If you just can't live without a jolt of color, keep it to a few strategic accents — for instance, you might repeat bright turquoise or saturated coral in a piece of artwork, a pair of lamps and a throw pillow or two.

Simple Silhouettes

Transitional furnishings have crisp profiles and straightforward style — not a baroque flourish in sight. Gentle curves and rigid lines feed off each other to create energy.


You don't have to leave older furniture styles by the wayside, but use updated versions, such as a modern wing chair or a pared-down bergère. Keep the scale large enough to feel inviting and the seating cushioned and comfy; you want guests to flop down and settle in without a second thought.

Neutral Flooring


Flooring tends to be a background player in transitionally designed rooms. It's less about the material than about the color — you can go with natural woods, stone, tile, carpeting and more, as long as they're kept to a subtle, restrained palette. And this style also gives you a lot of leeway to combine multiple floor surfaces throughout a home (though not, preferably, in the same room).

Textural Touches

You can't rely on color to punch up a transitional space, but texture rises to the challenge admirably. Coarsely woven fabrics, natural fibers and a blend of matte and shiny finishes lend a sense of layering and help the room pop.


Think leather, sisal, burlap, chenille, rattan and more — any material with tactile appeal will fit right in. Don't go overboard, though, or you'll lose the sleek elegance that's so essential to this style.

Minimal Accents

Cull your accessories wisely and you won't need a ton of them to make an impact. That's especially important in a style that avoids frills and flotsam — as with furnishings, transitional accents share a lack of ornamentation and have a certain purity of form. Artwork should be simply framed; lighting should have strong, clean lines.


Be prepared: The less-is-more approach requires firm and judicious editing. If you just can't bear to stow your prized majolica or dismantle your gallery wall, ask a style-savvy friend to handle it while you hide in another room.

Clean-Lined Kitchens


Like all such spaces, transitional kitchens have a foot in multiple camps. They might blend traditional surfaces such as wood and stone with sleek stainless steel, or pair paneled cabinetry with minimalist hardware. They might even borrow the idea of open shelving or apron-front sinks from cottage-style interiors.

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What you won't see: ornate mill work, fancifully painted tiles or other components that look jarring against contemporary touches.

Crisp Window Treatments


Bring in balloon valances, billowing draperies or elaborate finials, and a transitional room instantly feels overdressed. Yet if you leave windows bare, you risk casting a chill over the space. Treat windows elegantly but simply: basic panels, bamboo blinds, neutral Roman shades.

Serenity


Above all, a transitional space should feel restful. You're going for an air of peace and ease — sure of itself without being brash, calm without being too quiet. If you sense a discordant note, take a critical look to see what needs pruning or smoothing. Each piece should fit into a unified whole.

Source: Lisa Frederick, houzz.com

What's your interpretation of transitional design? Share your thoughts in the Comments!

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Is Your Home Secure | Modern Security Systems

According to a recent report, over 2 million home burglaries are reported in the United States each year and, on average, a burglary of a home in the U.S. occurs every 13 seconds or about four burglaries a minute, 240 an hour, and nearly 6,000 a day.


Both homeowners and renters need to consider these statistics when it comes to protecting their families, roommates, and possessions. One potential deterrent to home burglaries is a home security system, which, according to statistics, does have an effect on whether or not a burglary will be successful.

Where burglars break in

Despite any numbers or fears of break-ins, only 14 percent of U.S. residents have an anti-burglar alarm protection system installed in their homes. With crime rates increasing in metro cities especially, now is the time to decide if investing in a security system is the right decision for you.

Today's Modern Security Systems



Back in the day…many older home security systems were 'analog' systems that relied on a standard telephone line. These older models used a computer modem. The system would then use your telephone line to notify your home security monitoring center that an intrusion alarm has been signaled. Today’s home security systems go beyond alarm panels, sensors and keypads.


TODAY’S SMART SECURITY SYSTEMS DELIVER

What’s driving the change? Advancements in technology and homeowners wanting more from their security systems have led to sweeping changes in security. Today’s smart security systems go beyond traditional home security to provide a new level of control, accessibility and connection.

Homeowners of these "smart" security systems are able to utilize features that allow for remote access, at any time and from any location, using a smart phone or personal computer. What’s more, today’s newer systems integrate home automation systems, are customizable to fit busy families schedules and can meet unique needs.


FEATURES CAN INCLUDE:
  • Arm and disarm your security system remotely.
  • Easily automate lights or change them remotely for your arrival.
  • Adjust the thermostat to help save on utility bills or to have a comfortable environment to greet the kids when they return.
  • Access appliances like the coffee maker or set schedules to automate them.
  • Set up your system to get notifications through email, text, phone or real-time video clips of alarms.
  • Receive email or text message of selected events.
  • See who’s at the door, what your pet is doing or watch as the kids come home, from your phone, computer or mobile device.
  • View stored video clips of events from monitored areas of the home.

HOME AUTOMATION SYSTEMS LET YOU STAY CONNECTED

Connectivity and interactivity are driving the way families live and manage their homes. So while we are expected to be in more places due to business travel, children’s school schedules and social activities, these new smart systems provide cutting-edge connectivity to your household, even when you’re far away. And when the house is occupied, the high level of automation enables more convenience, control and safety from any part of your property. It all adds up to fewer worries and increased enjoyment of life, which is something we would all welcome.

Home Security Innovation

There has been a lot of advancement in home security innovation and with good reason. Burglary is big business. In the United States alone, a burglary committed every 10 seconds, according to the Metropolitan Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (MBFAA). That comes to approximately 13 million homes being burglarized each year.

From home automation to video monitoring, here are a few of the top home automation products and service trends:

Smart home integration: This hot home technology makes it easier to monitor and manage your home while you’re there or away. Smart systems such as ADT Pulse, let you can monitor such alarms as fire, carbon monoxide and personal emergency response systems remotely or from anywhere in your home using your computer, smart phone or iPad.


Broadband video monitoring: This technology makes it possible for your home security system to call your cell phone or send video to your smart phone or laptop at the first sign of trouble. Now you can see what is happening in and around your home while you’re away.


Interactive automation: Home automation is enabling homeowners to manage energy properly with programmable lighting and climate that helps scale back energy usage when they’re not home. You can set these sophisticated systems, you so come home to a comfortable, well-lit home. They also work great to stop your home from looking abandoned when you’re away.


Home security trends continue to evolve and progress and we’ll continue to report on developments in technology. Wondering what our favorite new trend is? More and more people are taking an active role in obtaining the best home security innovation that is right for their family. Make security part of your everyday routine.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

7 Best Tips for Spring House Hunting | Preparing to Buy a Home


Spring is here! The warmer climate, wonderful flowers, and longer days are great for viewing homes in person, and it’s no wonder that the spring season is a popular time for home buyers to begin seeking out homes and neighborhoods.

But before you go driving around and going to open houses, you should consider these crucial house hunting tips.

1. Get Pre-approved for a Mortgage
Getting pre-authorized for a home loan is one of the best tools to have when looking for a house, especially when you have competitors.

If you are pre-approved, the home seller takes your offer more seriously and may well end up accepting your offer over other interested parties who are not pre-approved.


Make sure your credit score is as good as you can get it. Many lenders adjust interest rates in part, due to credit score ratings. Most of the time, the higher your credit score, the better the deal you can get on a home loan.

2. Get to Know the Neighborhood
If you have a specific property in mind, it’s best to stop by the area more than once, at different times of the day and week.

3. Have a List of Your Wants and Needs
Have a detailed house hunting checklist outlining your wants and needs, and make certain that your list covers the type of house (e.g. house or condo), the location, quantity of bedrooms and bathrooms, and dwelling attributes that you are searching for.


One mistake that home buyers make during their property search, is getting a wish list that is too strict. You don’t want to get stuck browsing for some fantastic property that may not exist.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Examine Everything
If you have narrowed your home search and are viewing residences in person, it’s time to examine everything: doorknobs, cabinets, windows, faucets, light switches. Now is the time to discover out if there is something that needs repair, not after closing.

5. Take Climate Into Consideration
Relocating from a different state or nation? When purchasing a house in a new location, taking into consideration weather circumstances and seasonal temperature changes is essential.

For instance, you may possibly want a house that has a covered garage if you move to a region where snow is more common, or you may perhaps, want to choose a home with a shaded backyard in an area with warmer temperatures.

6. Order the Property Inspection


It’s critical to have a trained professional examine the house you are interested in buying, even a home that has just been constructed. This is the best way to identify any key repairs that need to be addressed. Typically inspections are performed after an offer is accepted. If needed repairs show up on a property inspection, the buyer can usually back out of the contract with no penalty if they feel that the repairs are too much to tackle.

7. Have the Best Real Estate Agent on Your Side
If you are feeling frustrated and overwhelmed while house hunting and competing with other property purchasers, your real estate agent is there to guide you through the process and keep you focused on the next steps.

We want you to be able to find the best home in an ideal location, and we are right here to help. So if you are browsing for a house in central Arkansas this spring, speak with us about what you are hunting for in a home and we can find it together.

By Luke Thomas from the Tracy Tidwell Team at ERA TEAM Real Estate in Conway, AR
ERA.com
Luke: 801-502-2799


Friday, March 18, 2016

Greers Ferry Lake House | Arkansas Real Estate

Get away for the weekend and enjoy the great outdoors!
Greers Ferry Lake House
255 Eddie Lane, Clinton, AR 72031

Treat yourself to a day on the water anytime and enjoy the evenings at your home by the lake! This 3 Bedroom 2 Bath home sits across the street from Greers Ferry Lake. Only 1 Mile to Choctaw Recreation area. In a quiet area. The perfect weekend lake house. House being sold with all furniture and appliances. Ready to move into down to the kitchen silverware! 20x12 storage building/workshop with power. Patio, horseshoe pits, fire pit, and a pig roaster. Great for entertaining family and friends!



Listing ID: 16008360
Price: $89,500
Address: 255 Eddie Lane
City: Clinton
State: Arkansas
Postal Code: 72031
Bedrooms: 3
Total Baths: 2
Full Baths: 2
Square Feet: 1,456
Acres: 0.420
County: Van Buren


Marketed by Luke Thomas from the Tracy Tidwell Team at ERA TEAM Real Estate in Conway, AR

Call today for more information or to schedule a showing!

Luke: 801-502-2799



Information about Choctaw Recreation area on Greers Ferry Lake:
Choctaw Recreation Area

Overview

Choctaw Campground is located on the spacious Greers Ferry Lake nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.



In the 19th century, a city named Higden flourished where the lake now rests. The city suffered from frequent flooding and as a result a man-made lake was created for flood control of the area.

Today, the city's remains sit below the lake, enticing scuba divers and archaeologists alike.

Natural Features:

Greers Ferry Lake spans 30,000 acres of north-central Arkansas. The dam creating the reservoir stands at the foot of the beautiful Round Mountain, with water trickling through to the Little Red River.
Natural Beauty of Greers Ferry Lake

Recreation:

Whether a visitor prefers boating, water skiing, fishing, swimming or scuba diving, Greers Ferry Lake has it all. The river tributaries keep anglers entertained, as they produce some of the largest walleye in the world; the record breaker was a whopping 23 lbs.



In spring, the countryside becomes a photographer's paradise with wildflowers, redbud and dogwood trees in full bloom.

Facilities:

Choctaw Park is open from the middle of May through mid-September. The sizable campground has 91 sites with electric hookups and 55 non-electric.

Campers can enjoy the hot showers, group picnic shelter, boat ramp, playground, swimming area and public marina.



Choctaw Recreation Area Camping

Nearby Attractions:

Explore the quaint historic towns around the lake for shopping and dining.

Activities and Amenities

Within Facility
  • Accessible Flush Toilets
  • Boat Ramp
  • Boat Rentals
  • Drinking Water
  • Dump Station
  • Entrance Station
  • Marina
  • Parking Area

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

ERA TEAM Real Estate Donation Drive For Deployed Soldiers | Care Packages

Deployed Soldiers

ERA TEAM Real Estate is now accepting donations for care packages to be sent to soldiers deployed to foreign theaters of operation. Your everyday household items go a long way towards making the conditions more bearable and cheering up deployed soldiers.

There is no further cost to you beyond your donation. We will package and ship donations to our overseas military personnel and send them a little bit of the comforts from back home.

  

Recomended Items:
Letters
ThermaCare Heat Wraps (lower back, knee and elbow, and shoulder)
Black Cotton Tube Socks,
Powdered Drink mixes (boxes of the individual serving type)
Moleskin,
Gold Bond foot powder,
Lip Balm (non wax based)
Gum
Beef Jerky
Cans of peanuts/almonds/cashews
Current Magazines,
Crossword Puzzles/Word Search/Sudoku
Small board games
Spices
Non-perishable single serving items ex: Vienna sausages etc...
Other items you think might cheer up a deployed soldier


Items Not Recommended or Prohibited
Chocolate or anything else that easily melts not in a sealed non-porous container
Risque material
Alcoholic Beverages
Tobacco Products

When:
ERA TEAM Real Estate will accept donations during normal office hours; Mon-Fri 8:00 am til 5:00 pm. Deadline is March 8 after which we will be packing and shipping the donations. Only a week left to get your items in for the troops during this drive!

Drop off location:
ERA TEAM Real Estate
1600 Dave Ward Drive
Suite A-7
Conway, AR 72034

Sunday, February 28, 2016

How To Set Up a Home Theater System Like a Pro

Home Theatre System

Building a killer home theater includes more than just throwing a significant wad of cash at your local electronics dealer. It demands preparing, finesse, and scientific acoustic manipulation. There are a lot of strategies and technologies used in today's major home theatre systems. Here's how to setup like a pro.

A good way to develop the ultimate home theater system, not surprisingly, is to fill the space with a quality system. If you can afford to do that, amazing. But you nonetheless have to employ a set of design methods to assure that the gear performs it it's peak capability. The following guidance applies whether your sound-blasting spending budget makes it possible for only a couple hundred or as a big deal as quite a few thousand dollars.

The Seat:

What you sit on is just as important as where you happen to be sitting. Here are some things to hold in mind when picking furnishings for your house theater.

Keep chairs clear. Seats with higher backs can block the audio coming from your surround sound speakers, compromising the experience. Shorter furnishings clear the path to the speakers.

Home Theatre Seating

Help your spine. This is about minimizing distractions. If you're back is stiff and your coccyx is numb, you are not going to really feel that bass rattling your can.

Get off the wall. Positioning seats right next to the walls interrupts the path sound travels in most rooms.

The Space:

Before you commence shoving seats and speakers in an open space, stop for a minute and look at the room. The acoustic chamber contributes about half of the possible sound quality and presentation. Envision your layout strategically.

Keep the area quiet. Remove sources of distracting background noises. Shut the door!

Handle the light. Relocate distracting lights or reflections. Placing the Television opposite a window that faces the sun will result in a glare. Use lights that can be dimmed for ideal viewing. Close the shades. The area doesn't require complete darkness, just dimmed some.

Get rid of visual distractions. Keep away from vibrant reflective surfaces close to the screen. This is especially critical with a 3D Tv. But 3D or not, peripheral visual distractions pull you out of what is supposed to be an immersive experience.

Stay centered. Make sure the room makes it possible for the center channel to be placed in the heart of the layout. This is the source of most of a film's dialogue.

Do not overdo dampening. You do not will need to run out and purchase acoustic treatment. Most living spaces with bookshelves, photos, furniture, and drapes absorb and reflect sound in a way that is fine for most people today. Never program in a completely empty space, as it can act as an echo chamber.

The Picture:

Shop for the right Television to fit your room. You want a screen that's big and adequate to be enveloping, and modest enough to be sharp and clear.

Check the size. What size screen need to you get? You want a horizontal viewing angle of 40-degrees from your seats. There's an actual formula that helps you figure this out. Measure the distance of the screen to the principal seat, in inches. Multiply that by .84 and you are going to get a diagonal screen size (Distance x .84 = Screen Size). This a maximum screen size recommendation.
If your seat is 72 inches from the screen, the formula would look like this: 72 x .84 = 60.4. So the maximum recommended screen is 60 inches. Of course, you can go bigger. It is definitely up to you. Just make sure that you don't have to move your head back and forth to keep up with the action on screen.

Best Buy Co, Inc.

Find a deal. Technology changes quickly, so it is hard to say what will be the greatest form of HDTV from day to day. If you can afford the best, get it. But, get the ideal TV obtainable in your price tag range at the time.

The Sound:

That rumbling crescendo at the starting of a THX-certified film in a public theater, known as the Deep Note, emphasizes the importance of the system's speakers.

Seek uniform delivery. You want a sound coverage pattern, recognized as off-axis overall performance, that equally envelops everybody in the room.

Speaker Placement

Test the placement. The center channel is the largest challenge to a sound system and the most crucial speaker in the room. Low quality speakers are prone to lobbing, a degradation of sound triggered when speakers of the very same size and shape are placed too close together. This degradation causes each seat to get a different sound. But there is a test to make sure the speaker array provides the same sound to every viewer: pink noise.

Pink noise is a test signal. It really is a shushing sound that has the similar power at all octaves. You can download iOS and Android apps that feed pink noise to the system. Pump up the pink noise and walk about your theater space. You'll hear the sound adjust as you move. You want to check that the sound that is broadcast to all of your seating sounds similar. Adjust the room's configuration until you are accurately aiming all the speakers at your audience.

Come across the center. The center channel is fine under the screen. It's much better above the screen. It really is at its finest when it is behind or within the screen—that works if you are using a projection technique with a screen that makes it possible for sounds to pass through without muffling them.

Position the surround. Surround sound speakers need to be to the side, above, and perhaps a bit behind the audience. Do not aim the speakers directly at the listener's' ears. The surround sound speakers should really have a left and right spread of 45 to 60 degrees. If feasible, get high dispersion speakers, which spread the sound as it comes out of the speakers.

Match the mouths. Forward left and right speakers must be 5/8 of the way up the Tv screen. This aligns the speakers with the actors' heads on the screen, producing the feeling that the sound is coming from their mouths.

Pump the bass. The purpose of the subwoofer is to have it play all the sounds at frequencies of 80Hz and below. (Verify your unique hardware's guidelines for setup procedures.) Keep the subwoofer away from walls. The quality of the bass will improve and your neighbors will thank you.

The Electronics:

To connect the Tv and speakers with each other, you want a configuration that is higher in top quality and low in complexity.

Match the receiver to the space. It is essential that your receiver is acceptable for its environment. An overpowered receiver in a tiny room is just a waste of dollars. This doesn't mean sacrificing quality. A high end system has noticeably better sound quality than cheaper knockoffs. It's better to buy higher quality than bigger system size. Scale down the deafening stadium level output and choose better quality for the same price.
Bose Lifestyle 535 5.1 Home Theater System - 1080p - Control Console - Black - Ethernet - Wireless LAN - HDMI - USB - Internet Streaming
Bose Lifestyle 535 5.1 Home Theater System - 1080p - Control Console - Black - Ethernet - Wireless LAN - HDMI 

Make it plain. If you have five remotes on the table, you are doing it wrong. The goal is to operate the theatre system applying a single remote that the least tech-savvy individual in the home can operate.

Get the appropriate gear. Initial, cover the fundamentals. Does the receiver you happen to be thinking about have adequate inputs for all of your peripherals? There is no shame in purchasing equipment from a dealer that will support your set up and show you how to use it. If the equipment's manual is larger than the last book you studied, get support.

Conclusion: 
The equipment you choose is as important as how you set it up.Go for the best you can get but set a budget. Do what works for you and your household. I hope this guide helped you and have an awesome time with your home theater system!

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