It is our goal at The Parks at Plaquemines to keep our buyers informed about the latest information from the local, state-level, and national real estate industry. We post content to our blog that we hope that you as our custom home buyer will find helpful. Look here for information about financing your new home, building restrictions for new homes, and real estate legislation that will impact you as you are looking to buy or build a new home in the Greater New Orleans area.

2022 Kitchen Trends To Use In Your Home

The new year has brought new trends and design ideas for your kitchen. Here are 15 unique ideas to use in your kitchen this year.

Glazed Tile Backsplashes

This is all the rage in 2022 for your kitchen. Glazed tiles are covered with enamel or liquid glass before they are fired in a kiln. This process gives the glazed tile a nice shiny look. These tiles come in all different colors, sizes, shapes and designs. They can be incorporated into any style of home.

Mixture Of Modern And Vintage

This is like a sweet and salty delicacy. A modern farmhouse design has used this platform but this year it has bumped up a bit. Now modern materials, cabinets and appliances are mixed with a couple of large vintage elements. An example would be taking a modern kitchen space and adding a vintage-style kitchen island.

Statement Range Hoods

This trend has been around and is still going strong. Homeowners love a statement range hood because they are sleek and eye-catching. They definitely create a focal point in the kitchen. If you have a range hood, a budget-friendly idea would be to cover the existing hood with inexpensive untreated wood.

Statement Lighting

Kitchen lighting is always a great way to add a designer dynamic touch. Statement lighting is a great way to do this. It adds an artistic element as well as creates an eye-catching look.

Natural Elements

Using natural elements in the kitchen is a big trend this year. Natural elements not only bring the outdoor elements indoors, they also give a calming refreshing feel. These materials include stone, greenery/plants, wood and natural light colors.

Wire Mesh Cabinetry

Glass cabinets have been a nice touch in an upscale kitchen. This year the trend is now wire mesh panels. The wire mesh panels give a nice rustic and vintage feel without giving up a sense of sophistication. Wire mesh panels can be brass, gray or black and can be made out of all types of wire.

Captivating Color Combinations

Color combinations that are well thought out and planned can make a huge impact in the kitchen. This year, black and dark blue combined with white and gold accents are popular. This gives a stunning look because of the balance between light/warm colors and dark colors.

Eye-Catching Statement Marble

A big trend in solid countertops this year is strongly veined marble. It comes in all colors and levels of veining. Marble has always given a space a luxurious and upscale look. To be even more dramatic, designers are taking the marble up making it the backsplash.

Wood Finishes

Just like the natural look, natural wood finishes are back in style. A great way to incorporate this is using a butcher block countertop. Natural wood tones are warm and inviting.

Mixed Wood Finishes

Using a mix of wood finishes and colors is a great option for this year. Thinking outside of the box is the way to go this year. A great example is to mix different colored cabinets such as a mix of brown, black and white cabinets.

The Green Trend Continues

Green is a popular color this year. A great way to do this is using green cabinets in your kitchen. Green is calming and gives a simplistic and subtle look to the kitchen. Using olive green cabinets with white counters is in demand.

Natural Light

Like natural wood and natural elements, natural lighting is always a must. This year this is used in a designer’s tool belt. Natural lighting gives the kitchen an open and bright eye-catching feel.

Tuxedo Kitchens

Last year the trend was all-white and now it is using dark and light. The new trend is called the tuxedo kitchen. This is where two colors are incorporated in a light tone and a dark tone.

Pet-Friendly Accents

Pets are a big part of many homeowners’ lives. Adding pet-friendly accents to the kitchen is a no-brainer for animal lovers. These can include built-in water and food bowls or a built-in pet bed. This not only is a convient idea but is also a great way to save space.

Glass Partitions

A glass partition is an awesome option especially when you have an open living space. A glass partition will help keep noise and odors down from the kitchen and give a nice stylistic element to the kitchen. These can come in many different styles and colors.

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Boost Your Curb Appeal By Painting Your Shutters

A great way to update your curb appeal is to paint the exterior of your home. This can be a huge expense and might not be in your financial plan right now. If you have a smaller budget in mind, think about just painting your shutters to update your home’s look and curb appeal.

If your shutters are dated, you might want to think about updating them to make sure the shutters fit your home. “Having an accurate ratio of shutter to window is pretty critical,” says Greenville, South Carolina-based interior designer Taylor Hill. “You want to make sure your shutters are architecturally correct, meaning if they were to close, they would actually cover the window.” Once this is achieved, follow these professional tips.

Play with Color…Correctly

Even if your favorite color is purple, you would not want to paint your shutters purple unless you live in a tropical area or an eclectic home. Remember to consider what type of home you live in. Many neighborhoods have HOA rules and regulations, so you have to be mindful of the HOA’s color palette.

Consider a More Modern Monochromatic Look

Even a traditional home can have a nice clean modern look. One way to accomplish this is to paint your shutters the same hue as the exterior of your home. “It delivers a very chic look without being trendy,” Hill says.

Take a Tone-on-Tone Approach

“If I’m starting with a neutral-colored house, I’ll often look at the undertones present in the exterior paint color to help us determine a shutter color,” Hills says. Hill confirms that this will add both contrast and balance to your curb appeal.

Embrace Classic Contracts

“I love a glossy black pop against a pretty red brick house,” Chelsea Robinson, a Nashville interior designer, says. “Painted white brick might be really trendy right now, but you don’t have to fall into a trend to make a big impact.”

Keep it Natural

If you live near the coast, a natural-looking shutter is perfect for you. A natural wood shutter adds instant character with low maintenance. When you have a natural wood shutter, natural elements can improve their look by oxidating the wood and giving it a green or copper hue color.

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The Homebuying Process Made Easy

Buying a home is can be a stressful and complicated process. Homes.com reported that 40% of people say that purchasing a home is one of the most stressful events. This is a life-changing event and homeowners should be excited about it.

Now is an awesome time to purchase a home with low-interest rates. In fact, in the past 18 months, the low-interest rates have pushed homeownership up by 2.1 million in 2020. If you are in the market for a new home becoming familiar with the steps you must take can help smooth out the obstacles that might come your way.

Determine How Much Home You Can Afford

This is the first basic step. A homeowner needs to know how much house they can afford. It is important to become familiar with the debt-to-income ratio (DTI). The DTI is the percentage of your income required to pay down existing debt.

Professionals in the industry advise keeping your housing expenses around 30% or less of your annual income. So if you have an annual income of $50,000 your expenses should not be over $15,000 a year. These expenses include your mortgage payments, property taxes, and homeowners insurance.

Get A Pre-Approval Letter

Once you have established how much you can afford, then you need to get a pre-approval letter. Having a pre-approval letter lets agents and sellers know that you are a serious buyer. Just remember that each pre-approval letter you obtain will put a hard inquiry on your credit report.

Some leaders in the industry suggest getting more than one pre-approval letter. If you do decide to do this. Get them within a 30-day period so that it will count as just one hard inquiry.

Explore Your Mortgage Options

You will want to shop around to find the best rate and the best mortgage option for you. There are two mortgage types that leaders suggest. The fixed-rate mortgage loan has a rate that stays the same so the payment throughout the loan will be the same. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARMs) begins with a fixed rate but does change every so often. If you are planning to stay in your home for a shorter period of time, then this loan might best suit you.

Another thing to consider is mortgage points. If you want to reduce your long-term costs you can purchase mortgage points to save. You can purchase these at closing and each point is worth 1% of your mortgage amount and each point will reduce your rate by .25%.

Take these steps into consideration before you start on your homebuying journey. Remember to choose a Realtor who can help you through the whole process.

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Single-Family and Multifamily Ends 2021 With Strong Demand for New Construction

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau reported that both single-family and multifamily production increased 11.8% to an annual rate of 1.68 million units. The strong production stems from the high demand for new construction in the housing industry.

This means that 1.68 million homes will be started in the development stage if this pace kept up for the next year. Separated out, single-family increased to 11.3% to 1.17 million seasonally adjusted annual rate and multifamily increased 12.9% at a 506,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate.

Compared to the same time frame of 2020, on a regional and year-to-date basis (January through November of 2021 compared to that same time frame a year ago), combined single-family and multifamily starts are 24.4% higher in the Northeast, 9.6% higher in the Midwest, 15.4% higher in the South and 19.4% higher in the West.

As far as permits, they increased 3.6% to 1.17 million. Single-family permits rose 2.7% to 1.10 million and multifamily increased 5.2% to 609,000 annual paces.

“Mirroring gains in the HMI reading of builder sentiment, single-family housing starts accelerated near the end of 2021 and are up 15.2% year-to-date as demand for new construction remains strong due to a lean inventory of resale housing,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke. “Policymakers need to help alleviate ongoing building material supply chain bottlenecks that are preventing builders from keeping up with buyer demand.”

“Breaking an eight-year trend, in recent months there have been more single-family homes under construction than multifamily units,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Moreover, despite some cooling earlier this year, the continued strength of single-family construction in 2021 means there are now 28% more single-family homes under construction than a year ago. These gains mean single-family completions will increase in 2022, bringing more inventory to market despite a 19% year-over-year rise in construction material costs and longer construction times.”

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Five Things Not To Do When Venting Your Attic

A good environment for your attic is very important. Your attic ventilation system should work together and not against each other so it is important to make sure the system is balanced. Below are five mistakes not to do when it comes to your attic ventilation.

1. Placing Intake Vents Too High or Exhaust Vents Too Low

You want a balanced system that brings in fresh, cool air at the lowest part of the attic space and sends out the warm, moist air at the highest point of the attic space.

If the vents are placed in the wrong spots, the airflow will not work correctly. This will hinder the attic vent system’s effectiveness. If they are too low on the roof, they can disrupt or short circuit the system. Remember the rule of thumb is to place the intake vent should sit at the lowest possible point on the roof which lines up with the lowest part of the attic space. Exhaust vents should be placed at the highest possible point. This point aligns with the highest part of the attic space.

2. Mixing Exhaust Products within the Same Attic Space

Doing this can short circuit the airflow. Also mixing exhaust products can allow for weather and leaves and debris to come into the home through the attic.

Always use the same type of exhaust vent in your attic space. Also, make sure that the vents meet the NFVA (net free ventilating area) requirements. This will allow continuous airflow through the attic space.

3. Cutting the Ridge Vent Opening Too Long

Sometimes homeowners want to put a ridge vent along the entire ridge for looks but this is doesn’t mean you have to cut open the entire air slot on the ridge below the vent. Doing this can disrupt the airflow of the whole system.

An example of the correct installation can help with understanding the process. If a homeowner has an attic space that must have 288 square inches of exhaust and a 4ft plastic ridge vent is used with an 18 square inch per lineal foot of NFVA, then only 16 ft of the 40-foot ridge needs to be cut open.

4. Clogged or Blocked Intake Vents

Weather and debris such as paint, dirt, dust or even spiderwebs can clog your intake vents even if they are installed correctly. Check your intake vents and clean them by removing the debris. Remember to never install attic insulation from the inside over the vent, and make sure to check to see if the hole in the vent has been properly cut.

5. Having Missing or Inadequate Intake

This is the most important component of the attic ventilation system. If there is no air coming in through the intake or not enough, an exhaust vent will not function correctly. The powered exhaust vents will also overrun and burn the power vent’s motor. Remember always check that you have a balanced attic ventilation system with the proper amount of intake and exhaust ventilation for the attic space being ventilated.

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