Yep, our condo was listed yesterday. It feels right, and we’re excited. So, if you’re looking for a cute 3 bedroom with great neighbors who will make you dinner on occasion, come watch your baby when you’re sick, and play Sequence with you well into the night, then look no further! Check out the listing on Redfin. {Call our Realtor Sue McKinley with questions}

At my 9-to-5 job, I have been working incessantly on this project. Despite layoffs and paycuts, I’ve had my nose to the grindstone slamming out this project with my colleagues. This is a wordpress based blog that features housing predictions, market analysis, and podcasts with some of the industry’s big boys and girls. This was not my design, but a production that I spearheaded with the help of my fun and inspirational colleagues, Terry, ML and Jim. Why I think this is pertinent to ohbrooke, is that it has really relative content. All the posts and podcasts have been of [...]

I am not afraid of color, pattern, or paint. Because of this, I am drawn toward elaborate paint treatments, bright colors and stylized rooms. I learned that as I moved all of my furniture out of my Sacramento house, and tried to sell it, the patterns and colors on the walls stood out. While they still looked beautiful, I believe it took away a percentage of the market that may have been interested in my home. We were in a hurry to sell, and didn’t want to take the time to repaint all the walls before leaving. Next time I [...]

I have a pattern when cleaning the bathroom that involves only one rag. I think we could all use a few cleaning tips to keep us more efficient. Do you have easy cleaning tips? Here’s the procedure: 1. Clean the windows with window cleaner. 2. Fill the sink(s) up with hot water and a little Lysol Disenfectant. Using the same rag, Wipe down the countertop, cabinets, faucets, and lastly the sink. 3. Use the same rag with the disenfectant and clean the base, lid, and tank of the toilet. By using the one rag instead of those disposable wipes to [...]

Remodeling magazine’s report on average return on home improvements is as follows: Improvement Project Cost Value at Resale Rate of Return Bathroom Remodel $12,918 $10,970 84.9 percent Home Office $20,057 $12,707 63.4 percent Kitchen Remodel (minor) $17,928 $15,278 85.2 percent Kitchen Remodel (major) $54,241 $43,630 80.4 percent Roofing $14,276 $10,553 73.9 percent Sunroom Addition $49,551 $32,854 66.3 percent Window Replacement (vinyl) $10,160 $8,500 83.7 percen

My friend and neighbor Carson dreamed up an uber-organized Master bedroom closet. When I saw his, I had to have it. So, together we created this beautifully organized, less stress in the morning, fully functional master bedroom closet. See the before and afters below. My problem with closets has always been shoes. In one house, all of our shoes were under the bed(disorganized disaster). In another house, the shoes were in shoe and sweater organizers in the hall closet (which left no room for jackets and sports equipment). FINALLY, my shoes lie showcased, undisturbed, and in perfect condition in the closet. [...]

A hand-me-down and a birthday present from my friend Shannon inspired this little burst of color in the master bathroom. It’s hard to find the right thing to accent a bathroom, but if you keep it relevant, it will make sense and look great. This black tray was a hand-me-down from a friend. It would look great in the bathroom holding candles or jewelry, but what you really need in the bathroom near the sink is handtowels. The little dish to the left was the lid to this gorgeous vase, and I use it to store my wedding ring and [...]

Though families already in homes may be experiencing some turmoil thanks to the downturn in the housing market, first-time homebuyers and couples looking for starter homes (like me) may be able to take advantage of the market.  My husband and I just bought a new home for a great price in a great location—an area we couldn’t even consider a couple of years ago.  We had to wait in line for over 24-hours to get this great deal, but that was a small price to pay for a great investment. If you are considering buying a new home in today’s [...]

After reading this article, it seems so easy!There are countless products on the market for keeping the area underneath your computer desk clean, however, this do-it-yourself pegboard solution looks easy and effective. The article is found on The Closet Entreprenuer and these pictures are from Tomas’s post. Those clean desks look like a breath of fresh air compared the disaster that is at my feet. This will definitely give a new feel to your office.

Cleaning a house after a tenant moves out or in preparation for putting your house on the market can be tough. You never know what you are going to come across or if you can clean it or not. I found a good resource for Cleaning Tips, and here are a few of my favorites: Sinks“Once a month, pour one cup of baking soda, followed by one cup of white vinegar down the drain. Wait an hour and flush with warm water. The combination fizzles away most of the buildup. Works for shower, tub and kitchen sink drains as well.” [...]

My favorite kitchen designs and how you can mimic them… Bright and colorful – paint your lower cabinets a dark blue, and your upper cabinets in a complimentary teal color, and change out your faucets. You can easily change these items for just a couple hundred dollars and make a big difference! Modern and Simple – Hillsdale home in Dublin and El Dorado Hills, Ca., and Salt Lake City, Ut. has quite a selection of durable sideboards (including the one above) that might make a great island. Combine that with rustic bowls from Williams and Sonoma. Streamlined – Ikea has [...]

Realtor Magazine has a great moving checklist, which will come in handy because moving can be stressful and overwhelming. Refering to the experts will help keep things under control. Moving List Provide the post office with your forwarding address two to four weeks ahead of the move. Notify your credit card companies, magazine subscriptions, and bank of your change of address. Create a list of friends, relatives, and business colleagues who need to be notified about your move. Arrange to disconnect utilities and have them connected at your new home. Cancel the newspaper, or change the address so it will [...]

If you’re listing your home for sale or for rent, Postlets.com is a great and easy-to-use resource. I have used this site personally, and it makes your listings look professional and organized. This free site lets you create an online flyer for your home, including princing information, descriptions, photos, maps, and more. With your newly designed flyer, you can link to it from your website, email it to friends, easily upload it to a craigslist, ebay or zillow.. there are limitless things you can do. Additional features include: (taken from the Postlets website) A DEDICATED WEBPAGE Every postlet comes with [...]

Last summer, my sister Shelley helped Mike Collins write a book called, “The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone.” The book’s main theme is that Open Innovation creates opportunities for people to make money from the things they already know and that you don’t have to have fancy degrees or years of schooling to be an expert on something. In addition to people already prospering in the Open Innovation environment, Mike wanted to profile three people who have the potential to take advantage of this new world but who aren’t already doing so. He selected his own brother (Steve Collins), one of [...]

Anyone who has owned a home can tell you that it can be a strenuous learning experience. Sometimes the excitement of owning your own home can cause you to lose sight of what you really need out of a home, and worse yet — break your budget. Below are a list of some of the ways I have seen first-time home buyers make their first mistakes. 1. Setting the BudgetWhen analyzing how much you can really afford for a house, stay within your means. I have seen couples buy a house for the maximum amount that they would be able [...]