Need a New Look For Your Bedroom This Summer? Try One of These Instagram Design Trends
Lighter Side of Real Estate • July 6, 2022
Summer is a great time to refresh and redecorate your space—including your bedroom.
But when it comes to bedroom design and decor, what’s currently timely, trending, and in style?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined some of the most popular summer bedroom styles trending on Instagram, including:
- Country florals. Florals are a big part of the “cottagecore” design trend that’s all over Instagram—and this summer, the best way to incorporate country florals into your bedroom design? With your bedding. Try adding a country floral quilt and shams to your bed for a peaceful, country-inspired look.
- Wicker. Another major bedroom design trend this summer is a more relaxed, laid-back, minimalist look. And a great way to add some visual interest and texture to the relaxed aesthetic? Wicker furniture. To embrace the trend without swapping out major pieces (like the bed or dresser), try a bedside table for just the right pop of wicker.
- Mix-and-match curtains. Want to go with a bolder look for your bedroom design? Mixing curtains with different colors, textures, and patterns is all over Instagram. To make sure the mix-and-match style looks purposeful (and doesn’t clash), look for curtains that share a design element (like a color palette or pattern type)—or buy mix-and-match curtain sets that are designed to go together.
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If you're a homeowner planning to move, you're probably wondering what the process is going to look like and what you should tackle first: Is it better to start by finding your next home? Or should you sell your current house before you go out looking? Ultimately, what’s right for you depends on a lot of factors. And that’s where an agent’s experience can really help make your next step clear. They know your local market, the latest trends, and what’s working for other homeowners right now. And they’ll be able to make a recommendation based on their expertise and your needs. But here’s a little bit of a sneak peek. In many cases today, getting your current home on the market first can put you in a better spot. Here’s why that order tends to work best (and how an agent can help). The Advantages of Selling First 1. You’ll Unlock Your Home Equity Selling your current home before you try to buy your next one allows you to access the equity you've built up – and based on home price appreciation over the past few years, that’s no small number. Data from Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) shows the average homeowner is sitting on $302K in equity today . And once you sell, you can use that equity to pay for the down payment on your next house (and maybe even more). You could even have enough to buy your next house in cash . That’s a big deal, and it could make your next move a whole lot easier on your wallet. 2. You Won't Be Juggling Two Mortgages Trying to buy before you sell means you could wind up holding two mortgages, even if just for a few months. That can get expensive, fast – especially if there are unexpected repairs or delays. Selling first removes that stress and helps you move forward without the financial strain. As Ramsey Solutions says: “It’s best to sell your old home before buying a new one to avoid unnecessary risks and possible headaches.” 3. You’ll Be in a Stronger Position When You Make an Offer Sellers love a clean, simple offer. If you’ve already sold your house, you don’t need to make your offer contingent on that sale – and that can help you stand out. Your agent can position your offer to be as strong as possible, so you have the best shot at getting the home you want. This can be a big advantage in competitive markets where sellers prefer buyers with fewer strings attached. One Thing To Keep in Mind But, like with anything in life, there are tradeoffs. As you weigh your options, consider this potential drawback, too: 1. You May Need a Place To Stay (Temporarily) Once your house sells, you may need a short-term rental or to stay with family until you can move into your next home. Your agent can help you negotiate things like a post-closing occupancy (renting the home from the buyer for a set period) or flexible closing dates to help smooth out that transition as much as possible. Here’s a simple visual that can help you think through your options (see below): But the best way to determine what’s best for you and your specific situation? Talk to a trusted local agent. Bottom Line In many cases, selling first doesn’t just give you clarity, it gives you options. It helps you buy with more confidence, more financial power, and less pressure. If you're ready to make a move but you’re not sure where to begin, let’s talk. We can walk through your potential equity, your timing, and your local market conditions so you can decide what’s right for you.
Considering Buying a Rental Property? Here’s What You Need to Know About Property Managers If you’re considering purchasing a rental property, here’s the good news: they can be a great investment. But they can also be a lot of work, and some homeowners don’t have the skills or desire to put in the work necessary to both take care of their property and ensure it brings in steady income. That’s where property managers come in. A good property manager can bring a ton of value to rental property owners, so if you’re considering buying a rental property, you may also want to consider hiring an experienced, trustworthy property manager. But what, exactly, do property managers do—and how does that help the property owner? A recent article from realtor.com outlines some of their main responsibilities, and the value they can deliver to property owners, including: Market your property. Finding new renters can be a hassle. Property managers leverage a variety of channels (including social media, paid ads, and the MLS) to get your property in front of qualified potential tenants. Vet potential tenants. Once they’ve marketed your property and generated interest, property managers will vet all potential tenants (including running a credit check, checking for past criminal history, verifying employment and income, and calling former landlords for references) to ensure you rent your property to qualified, responsible tenants. Perform property checks. If you live in a different area than your rental property, it can be hard to stay on top of the home’s maintenance and condition. Most property managers do regular home checks (typically, once per quarter or twice per year) to ensure the tenants are taking good care of the property—and will report back if any major repairs or maintenance tasks are necessary to keep the property in good condition.
The Five-Year Rule for Home Price Perspective Headlines are saying home prices are starting to dip in some markets. And if you’re beginning to second guess your plans based on what you’re hearing in the media, here’s what you need to know. It's true that a few metros are seeing slight price drops. But don't let that overshadow this simple truth. Home values almost always go up over time (see graph below): While everyone remembers what happened around the housing crash of 2008, that was the exception – not the rule. It hadn’t happened before, and hasn’t since. There were many market dynamics that were drastically different back then, too. From relaxed lending standards to a lack of homeowner equity, and even a large oversupply of homes, it was very different from where the national housing market is today. So, every headline about prices slowing down, normalizing, or even dipping doesn’t need to trigger fear that another big crash is coming. Here’s something that explains why short-term dips usually aren’t a long-term deal-breaker. What’s the Five-Year Rule? In real estate, you might hear talk about the five-year rule. The idea is that if you plan to own your home for at least five years, short-term dips in prices usually don’t hurt you much. That’s because home values almost always go up in the long run. Even if prices drop a bit for a year or two, they tend to bounce back (and then some) over time. Take it from Lance Lambert, Co-Founder of ResiClub: “. . . there’s the ‘five-year rule of thumb’ in real estate—which suggests that most buyers can buffer themselves from mild short-term declines if they plan to own a property for at least that amount of time.” What’s Happening in Today’s Market? Here’s something else to put your mind at ease. Right now, most housing markets are still seeing home prices rise – just not as fast as they were a few years ago. But in the major metros where prices are starting to cool off a little (the red bars in the graph below), the average drop is only about -2.9% since April 2024. That’s not a major decline like we saw back in 2008. And when you look at the graph below, it’s clear that prices in most of those markets are up significantly compared to where they were five years ago (the blue bars). So, those homeowners are still ahead if they’ve been in their house for a few years or more (see graph below): The Big Picture Over the past 5 years, home prices have risen a staggering 55% , according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). So, a small short-term dip isn’t a significant loss. Even if your city is one where they’re down 2% or so, you’re still up far more than that. And if you break those 5-year gains down even further, using data from the FHFA, you’ll see home values are up in every single state over the last five years (see map below): That’s why it’s important not to stress too much about what’s happening this month, or even this year. If you’re in it for the long haul (and most homeowners are) your home is likely to grow in value over time. Bottom Line Yes, prices can shift in the short term. But history shows that home values almost always go up – especially if you live there for at least five years. So, whether you’re thinking of buying or selling, remember the five-year rule, and take comfort in the long view. When you think about where you want to be in five years, how does owning a home fit into that picture? Let’s connect to get you there.
