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Chances are you have plenty of space in your closets, but the space you have is not being used to its full capacity.  But with a small budget and some hard work, you can transform a messy closet into a perfectionist’s dream.  If you already have a good base of wood shelving and wood rods, chances are you can just add a few accessories or more wood shelving.

Don’t be scared if you have to start from scratch.  And don’t be afraid to demolish whatever you have for a clean slate.  All you will need is some willpower, your music of choice for inspiration, spackle to fill in any voids, paint, wood screws, a leveler, and perhaps a handy helper.  I strongly suggest you invest most of your budget into buying some sort of closet organization system.  Home Depot, Lowes, or the Container Store all have easy-to-assemble melamine laminated shelves which can be customized to fit any space.

Here are some principles you should follow when redesigning or organizing a closet:

-          Make it easier to put things away. It should be easier to put something away than it is to get it out.  Use clear plastic baskets for underpants and socks and place the baskets on an open shelf so you don’t find yourself looking through an overstuffed drawer which sometimes does not even close properly.

-          Keep it open. Stack jeans, shorts, t-shirts and sweaters on open shelves so you will never forget about the capri pants you have in the dark corner of an overstuffed drawer somewhere.

-          Get shoes off the floor. Use a shoe rack or shoe bags to store shoes.  You can put them in those hard to reach corners or use clear plastic shoe boxes for the ones you use less often.

-          Double-up.  Suspend a second hanging rod in a section of your closet to increase hanging capacity.  You will need a section of your closet to hang dresses and suits, but optimize the other half for more hanging space or for open shelving.

-          Proper hangers.  Use sturdy plastic or wood hangers and recycle the wire hangers at the dry cleaners.  Buy specialty hangers for dress pants, ties, etc.

-          Use hooks.  Use every open wall space you have left over to place hooks.  They can hang robes, bags, hats, big necklaces, etc.

-          Lighting.  Closets should be bright.  If installing a ceiling light is out of the question, replace the closet door with a glass door to allow for extra natural light.

-          Make it fun for the kids.  Children love color, so arrange their closets with color coordinated baskets and leave the bottom of the closet clear of shelves so they can store baskets with their toys once playtime is over.  Paint the walls in a different color than the shelves.

When you are done, your closet will be a masterpiece of organization and you won’t be stressed out every time you open its door!

Enterprise Estates at Woodmore is minutes away from restaurants, shopping and other entertainment.  In addition, Enterprise Golf Course is right down the road.  The community has every amenity you could ever need within a short drive.

We are also currently offering a free recreation room and 5% towards closing when you purchase one of our homes!  If this community sounds like the perfect fit for you, call me at 301-674-2837 or email me.

We can hopefully look forward to seeing housing starts and sales rise over the next year, as we work our way up from rock bottom as the year goes on.  The article also recommends not waiting for “rock bottom”, as it seems that day has already come.  The longer that you wait, the greater the chance that you’ll miss out on the excellent deals that are currently available.

I hope that everyone enjoys ushering in the Year of the Dragon and, hopefully, the Year of the House!

As you can see in the graph, inventory typically follows a pattern of ups and downs.  However, in Prince George’s County there has been a downward incline for almost a year.  Inventories have been decreasing since February 2011.  Prince George’s inventory is also nearly 4,000 units lower then at its peak in August 2008.

The low inventory of homes in the area is an excellent indicator that the market is recovering and setting a foundation for future sales growth.  As inventories lower, home prices will start to rise.  The strategic buyer will look at this data and respond by purchasing their new home today so that they can lock in low prices and mortgage rates.

Klein quotes a Wall Street Journal article that lists a couple reasons why we can look forward to a positive 2012.  Lower unemployment, consumer spending, and the housing market are just a few of the reasons for his optimism.  Lower unemployment rates not only raise the incomes that people have to spend, it also increases confidence, which causes spending to rise.  This is an excellent sign for the economy.  Another positive sign is that mortgage rates, which are at historical lows, and rising consumer income will cause an uptick in housing prices.  Also, many investors are starting to acquire distressed housing units and predict that the housing market is going to be on the rise in the next year.

A Forbes article also predicts a housing recovery.  According to the article, several research firms are predicting that if the housing market has not already hit bottom, then it will very soon.  The Zillow Real Estate Market Report indicates that home sales in 2012 will be more consistent and frequent.  Clear Capital, a real estate research firm, predicts that home prices in the Washington, D.C. area will not only stabilize, but RISE over the next year.  They think that the area will experience a 9.3% price hike!

All of this, especially the predictions for the housing sector, is great to hear, and I hope it all comes true.  Smart buyers are the ones who will take this information and use it to their advantage by purchasing a new home.

Here is a quick list of tasks (some fun and some annoying!) which you can tackle in the winter to help you maintain a better living environment:

-          Rotate your mattresses. Rotating your mattresses will help you sleep better and makes them last longer.  Also check to see if you need new pads.

-          Clean and organize a closet. Don’t overstretch yourself.  Pick one closet you know you can get done and go through the stuff that accumulates over the year.  Throw away any broken knickknacks and donate whatever you can to charity.

-          Perform an energy audit. Utility companies are now offering programs to help homeowners conserve energy.  You can go to your local utility provider and request an energy audit.  They may offer to replace your thermostats with programmable ones.  If you are serious about green living, you can also contact a private company to perform a comprehensive energy audit by measuring your home’s air leakage and its total water and voltage usage.

-          Clean your dryer vents. Move the dryer away from the wall and remove the tube that attaches to the machine to clean out all the lint.  Check and clean the outside vent as well.  By doing this twice a year, you will save on your utility bills and prevent fire hazards.

-          Change all the filters. HVAC filters should be changed every 3 to 4 months.  This will give you better air quality and prolong the longevity of your furnace.  Do you have a refrigerator with a water dispenser?  If so, you should also be changing the water filter.  Newer models have a light to indicate when to change it, but some of the older models don’t.

-          Clean window treatments. Inspect your drapes and determine if you can vacuum them rather than taking them to the dry cleaner.  You may be able to use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum to clean the dust off your window treatments and save on the dry cleaning bill.  Most of the discolorations on your drapes come from dust accumulation.

-          Check for moth damage. Did you start noticing little holes in your wool sweaters?  Chances are you have moths in your closets and now that you are wearing your winter clothes you are seeing the damage.  It’s best to vacuum all your shelves and make sure your clothes are clean before you store them away for the season.  Moths only attack natural fibers.  Be sure and vacuum under your rugs and upholstered furniture.  Use pheromone traps or mothballs if necessary.

-          Clean your windows and sliding door tracks.  Vacuum your window and sliding door tracks to make sure they operate property.

-          Lubricate your locks and garage door opener. A lightweight oil such as WD-40 works easiest.

Do you have a special cleaning or organizing tip?  Feel free to leave a message below with your own recommendations.  Check out our video tips section under Mid-Atlantic’s Customer Care website.

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New Years is always very exciting.  We get a chance to reflect on the highs and lows of the past year, as well as look forward to what we want in the next year.  2012 is a year of possibilities and I am personally very excited.

There is positive news from economists that the sluggish housing market is going to pick up the pace and more and more people are going to be buying homes.  This is one thing that I find very exciting for the New Year.  We are continuing to evolve our product with creative new ideas and energy efficiency measures.   I look forward to refining things even more as 2012 comes. I am also looking forward to building relationships with the people of our communities and working with our dedicated staff, suppliers, and contractors.

On behalf of the entire Mid-Atlantic Builders’ family, we hope that the next year is full of good things and we wish you a happy and healthy 2012.

If buying a new home is something that you envision for 2012 then now is the time to start getting organized!   Home prices and interest rates are forecasted to steadily rise as the year goes on, so early into the year is probably the best time to lock in great prices and low interest rates.

Come in and visit us at any of our communities in January after you are rested from the holiday season.  Our sales counselors will be on hand to help you see that a Mid-Atlantic home is an excellent choice for you to make this year.

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This time of year is always festive.  Store fronts are decorated and lights shine throughout the neighborhoods.  But, the most important sign of the holidays is what traditions are carried out inside the home.

Whether it be decorating your house from top to bottom, or a gathering of family, we each have our own special way of marking the holiday season.  I am happy that Mid-Atlantic Builders is able to provide homes for the holiday festivities. But it is the people who live in the houses we build that really make my holiday season.  They take the house that we build and truly make it a home. It makes my holiday season brighter knowing they make our homes a part of their holiday.

On behalf of myself and the whole Mid-Atlantic Builders family I would like to wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season.  May you all enjoy your celebrations.

On December 15^th the gifts were taken to the Home Builders Care Foundation at MNCBIA’s Annual President’s Luncheon.  Many other local builders delivered similar boxes full of items on St. Ann’s “Wish List”.  We are proud to be part of this worthy drive and that the Mid-Atlantic family was able to donate so many gifts for children in the area who otherwise might not have had them.  We hope we have helped make their holiday special.