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We know, we’ve been waiting for summer since January too. Planning those summer vacations, BBQs, and beach days, but have you thought about your home. Just like you did in the fall, it’s time that you got your home ready for the summer months.

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Add fresh air to your home this summer by leaving the windows and doors open. This will help keep energy costs down by allowing the fresh air do the cooling rather than your AC. Place fresh plants or flowers near the sink in the bathroom to help filter the air. Some great air cleaning plants are snake plants, spider plants, English Ivy, and small leafed rubber plants.

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Cover your windows. There’s no point in turning the AC on if your huge windows are letting in sunlight and heating your living room. You can install a reflective film or sunscreen fabric curtains, or even roller shades. If you’re in the market for new windows, look into getting window panes with a low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). This will help keep your house cooler and decrease your energy bill.

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Swap your warm flannel sheets for lighter linens with a high thread count. Opt for solid light colors to give the room a more breezy feel.

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Keep up with your pool’s pH balance. The pool is a fun and great way to stay cool during the summer, but keeping up with maintenance is not. It’s easy to let the pool go, but make sure you’re monitoring the pH balance and chlorine levels. Failure to do so can lead to bacteria growth, fading bathing suits, and irritated eyes.

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We all know bugs tend to bug us a bit more in the summer and we all have our own remedies for dealing with these pests. While bug spray and citronella candles work just fine, attack the problem at the source, if possible. Start by clearing underbrush around trees and shrubs. Avoid planting thick, moist vegetation as these types of plants attract the most insects.

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Summer is meant to be spent outside, rinse off your patio furniture and top them with new patio fabric. This will create a luxurious, inviting vibe for your patio or deck.

Ask anyone how they feel about living within a homeowners association and you’ll get a different response each time. While it mostly depends on the person’s personality whether living within HOA is a pro or con, homeowners associations and their rules differ. Before you begin looking at homes that are in an HOA, make sure you take the time to really figure out if this is for you. Some people like living in a well-kept neighborhood while others don’t like to be told what to do. Here are some pros and cons to living within an HOA.

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Pro: Amenities

Many HOAs have amenities for their residents like tennis courts, swimming pools, and a community center. These are convenient and fun to have in close proximity.

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Pro: Low maintenance

Your HOA fees cover services and maintenance like lawn, trash, or snow if you live in colder climates. This leaves less work for your to do. The common areas are also maintained by the association as well.

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Pro: They help keep up appearances

Associations usually have rules about the appearance of your home. If you have an unkempt home, you may face fines. This keeps neighborhoods from having overgrown lawns, peeling paint, or ugly paint jobs. Some associations even have rules about a number of cars you have parked out front. They also have review boards that have the power to approve or deny any drastic changes made to a home.

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Con: HOA can foreclose your home

Although it doesn’t happen often, HOA can foreclose your home if you fall behind on your fees. Usually used as a last resort, foreclosure by the HOA is legal under state law and CC&Rs.

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Con: They may restrict you from renting out your home

It all depends on the association, but some restrict homeowners from renting out their home. While some forbid it completely, others allow only a small percentage of homes in a community to be rented. Almost always, the tenants who will be renting have to be approved by the HOA board.

From putting together your brand new house to giving your home a facelift, we have compiled a list of remodeling trends that are beginning to take over homes this year.

Customize

It doesn’t matter if it’s one-of-a-kind as long as the add-ons you are making to your home are creative. Think of anything that adds a pop to a room. A pop of color or interesting decor that can easily attract the eye are things every room should have.

Metals

The use of metal in the bathroom, kitchen, and as accents to any room has become a top trending element around the house. Blending metals together is a good way to add texture and make a space visually interesting.

Smart Hub

It’s 2018 and homes are now becoming more and more like the smart homes we saw in shows and movies growing up. Having a tech control panel that connects your lights, television, thermostat, and alarms are convenient and a valued option for homeowners today. Look to add wireless tech that sets reminders for you and makes your life at home easier.

Colors

Heavily saturated and brightly colored hues might not be the trending wall colors of the year, but they are trending as standout accent pieces. These colors offer an unexpected energy on rooms and show off your personality. Look at adding rugs, pillows, and chairs as colorful accessories in your home.

The Bathtub

The stand-alone bathtub and showering space is what the modern bathroom is starting to look like. These new freestanding options take up less space and become a sculptural statement in any bathroom.

Open Kitchens

One trend that is starting to knock down walls in a home is the open kitchen. The modern kitchen is used as a connection between the eating area and living space. The openness takes away the feeling of isolation from the cook and the family.

Buying a home can take months and months of planning.  To achieve your goal there are some bad habits you need to kick to the curb so you can be prepared for the big day. Take a look at seven bad habits you should have stopped yesterday if you’re looking to hit the housing market.

1. Credit Cards

It is no secret. Credit cards tend to poor decisions that can significantly affect your ability to buy a home. A rule of thumb to follow is not to use more than 30% of your available credit. Consistently exceeding this amount can make qualifying for a mortgage tough.

2. Job Hopping

Thinking of switching jobs soon or going into freelance work? You might want to think twice about leaving your 9-to-5 if you’re serious about buying a home. Someone who has a steady employment translates to stability. To a lender, someone who is stable puts their mind at ease.

3. Having a Low Bank Balance

Having a financial cushion is the best option if you are looking to buy a home. We have all been on the side of ‘stuff that happened, ’ and it’s usually never cheap. Be mindful of the unexpected expenses and have a cushion to avoid running up credit cards in these events.

4. Not Having A Budget

Half of Americans have reported that they do not have a budget at all. This is not a good habit if you want to buy a home. Start your budget today and keep the 50/20/30 rule in mind. That is, 50% of your income should go to essentials (rent, groceries, utilities), 20% should go to financial necessities ( emergency, debt, retirement), and 30% or less should go to lifestyle (shopping, gym, travel).

5. Avoid Big Expenses

Buying a new car or other significant expenses might be great and easily affordable but resist the feeling. The new spending can hold up a mortgage application. Wait it out until you have your house keys in your hand.

6. Keep Paper trail of income

Your lender is going to want to see your recent bank statements. If you fluctuate too much money around it does not look good in the eyes of a lender so be prepared to have a paper trail that can account for new income or transfer of income.

7. Don’t Closeout Credit Lines

You might be thinking it’s a smart move to close out a credit card and transfer your balance to a zero interest account. This is a significant step in the direction of taking control of your finances, but hold off because a closed account can tank your credit score. A sudden drop in credit can derail your lenders from approving a loan.

This is your year to get into the home of your dreams. Get away from these bad habits and start counting down the days till you’re in your home. For the best home buying experience let Mike Norton help you get into the home you have always wanted.

Long Beach has a long list of historic landmarks everyone should take the time to explore. From learning about the history of the city and its 114 landmarks, here are a few standouts you should take the time to visit.

Villa Riviera

The historic building located at 800 East Ocean Blvd. has been standing since 1929. At one point the second tallest building in Long Beach, the Villa Riviera is a 16-story French Gothic building. The castle-like building was added to the national register of historic places in 1996.

Rancho Los Alamitos

Sometimes referred to as Bixby Ranch after its last private owners, Rancho Los Alamitos built in 1806 is one of the oldest adobe houses in Southern California. The 19th-century adobe ranch house still stands today and is open to the public with the house and grounds converted into a museum that presents the history of the rancho era.

Cooper Arms Apartments

This twelve-story Renaissance Revival apartment tower was built in 1923 and had 406 rooms. The steel-reinforced concrete building has exterior walls of brick finished with stucco and has an L-shape.

The Queen Mary

The historic ocean liner that played a major role in the second world war and fastest liner from 1936-1952 is an Art Deco luxury and staple of Long Beach. It is now a hotel that is also home to a museum and convention center.

Breakers Hotel

The 14-story building in downtown Long Beach opened in 1926 as a luxury oceanfront resort hotel. The architectural development is described as “ultra Spanish.”  The building has had its fair share of owners throughout the year going from hotel to retirement community to hotel. It became a designated landmark in 1989. Currently is scheduled to undergo a new set of renovations.

The new year is in full swing and January has come and gone fast. With a  few months into your new year’s resolutions, it’s important to keep positive and moving forward.

Setting new year resolutions is great, but don’t leave out resolutions for your home in the process. As you begin your goals, here is a list of home improvement resolutions that will make your home the clean, efficient, and entertainment place to be this year.

New Paint

One of the most common ways people neglect their home is by not painting it. Start the year off with a new you and a new color to your home. It is a good safety practice to paint your home especially to remove any potentially hazardous lead paint that might still be hanging on.

Declutter

Fun Fact: Every year you add a lot more things to your home than you take out. Start this year off by taking time periodically to remove the ‘stuff’ that is clogging up space around the house. A great rule to follow is if you don’t use it on a daily basis store it away or clear it out.

Upgrade Your Home

Adding new technology modernizes your home. Buying new voice command gadgets can make the little things a lot easier. Amazon and Google have both released home assistants that will play music, tell you the time, and help you with day-to-day knowledge and tasks such as turning off lights.

Cleaning

Make a resolution this year to set up a weekly system to tackle tasks around the entire home. Don’t try and clean everything every day, but instead set small chores such as cleaning a room a day, or wiping the counters at the end of the night. Set goals for your family to get done and before you know it these chores will become a habit, and you’ll have a clean home every night of the week.

Having a green friendly home

Going green is not just about adding solar panels and having hybrid accessories around the house. The best cost-efficient way to go green this new year is done by adopting common-sense habits to your home routine. Save money and go green by switching off the lights when you leave a room, dial down your air conditioner, and switch to fluorescent light bulbs.

Invite friends

A resolution that is brought up every year is to be more social and connect with friends. One of the best ways to keep your home from looking and feeling dull is to invite friends and family over. The company will add a warm feel throughout the house. Make your house the place to be this year.

Belmont Heights is a beautiful historic area in Long Beach with roughly 11,000 residents that borders Ocean Boulevard and Livingston Drive. But, besides its historic beauty, it is a piece of Long Beach that all locals fall in love with. Here are a few reasons why.

Its homes are beautiful

Ranging from architectural styles that include Craftsman Bungalows, Victorians, Spanish Revival, Tudor Revival and Mediterranean not only are these home’s a sight to see but make up some of Long Beach’s most treasured neighborhoods. It is also the home of two historic districts.

Each home is unique

Take a walk down the neighborhoods in Belmont Heights and you won’t find two of the same residences side by side. One can find a spacious mansion next to a one-bedroom bungalow next to a condo complex. According to residents, there is a little bit of everything in Belmont Heights.

Residents preserve the area’s quality

Since most of the homes in Belmont Heights are of historic nature, residents are dedicated to preserving the area’s quality of life. The neighborhood association has more than a hundred dues-paying members. Many of whom regularly attend meetings.

Its a short walk to the beach

The ocean views are a reason why many locals love the area. The homes are a short walk from the ocean and they aren’t as crowded as other areas in Long Beach.

It’s a great escape from the city side of Long Beach

Those residents who want to escape the congested traffic and parking that Long Beach is often known for, but still live by the beach have made Belmont Heights there home. The area offers all the amenities Long Beach has to offer while still keeping a unique and small town feel to it.