VIEWS41KSHARE221Designed to amplify nature, these cozy, modern cabins invite you to embrace the simple life.
Winter is the perfect time to rally family and friends for a cabin getaway, featuring days in the unspoiled snow and nights spent nursing hot (spiked) cider around the fireplace. If you’re dreaming about your own rustic retreat in the wilderness, look no further for inspiration than these 20 modern winter cabins below that demonstrate a deep respect for their snowy, wooded surrounds.
Described by Seattle–based Olson Kundig Architects as “a steel box on stilts,” this three-story cabin in upstate Washington is fitted with four 10′ x 18′ steel shutters that are rolled over the glass windows, so it can be sealed off from the elements when not in use. In fact, the client requested that Delta Shelter be virtually indestructible: the steel exterior makes it fire-resistant, while its steel-beam legs protect it from flooding.
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Built in 2005 for a client looking for a compact, easy-to-maintain shelter for his and his friends’ adventures, Delta Shelter’s design was inspired by structures like tree houses and fire lookouts.
Architect Håkon Matre Aasarød, partner at Oslo–based studio Vardehaugen Architects, led the design of Cabin Vindheim—an off-grid cabin deep in the alpine landscape near Lillehammer, Norway, whose spaceship-like appearance gives it an otherworldly presence.
The cabin’s concept was simple: To create a cabin that is small and sparse yet spatially rich. The 55-square-meter (592-square-foot) cabin, commissioned by a private client and completed in 2016, comprises a large living room, bedroom, ski room, and small annex with a utility room. It functions off the water and electricity grids.
Designed by Montreal–based MU Architecture, Nook Residence is an all-white retreat that harmonizes with the snowy landscape outdoors.
Squinting through Quebec’s seasonal fluries, one might not immediately register the Nook Residence, an all-white retreat that purposefully blends into the winter landscape. The house, designed by MU Architecture, presents itself to passersby as a blank monolith; yet around the corner, it opens onto Lake Memphremagog through expansive windows and an interior balcony.
This sleek cabin by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter adapts to the slope of the terrain, and divides into two branches of living areas. The same timber cladding of the exterior extends onto the roof, creating a unified expression.
Designed by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter for a family of four, the Split View Mountain Lodge is a holiday home near the village of Geilo, Norway. The main volume splits out to form additional annexes that frame individual views of the surrounding mountains.
The minimalist cabins of this Norwegian hotel offer elegant shelter, while striking a remarkable communion with the sublime, natural environment. Billed a “landscape hotel,” the lodge features nine separate rooms that offer distinct views of the topography.
Set in a beautiful stretch of fjord country about 250 miles northwest of Oslo, the Juvet Landscape Hotel is the kind of place you could not even dream up. The minimalist design of the Juvet’s rooms bring guests into close contact with the Valldola River and the sublime valley beyond it.
International firm Snøhetta created this new addition to Sweden’s Treehotel that’s perfect for stargazing. Barring a fear of heights, you can choose to lay your sleeping bag on the double-layered net that connects the cabin’s two bedrooms and enjoy a night under the stars.
Hovering over a concrete plinth, Troll Hus is a vacation home that accommodates three generations of skiers in Tahoe, California. The concrete base houses ski storage and a changing area during the snowy season. And when the family isn’t skiing, they can enjoy a partially roofed patio during the summer.
Located in California’s Sugar Bowl neighborhood, this shadowy lair by Mork-Ulnes Architects looks like something out of fairy tale. “We call the house Troll Hus, with a reference to the otherworldly beings in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore that are said to dwell in remote mountains,” architect Casper Mork-Ulnes says.
This snug guesthouse in upstate New York, designed by Studio Padron, boasts bright and modern interiors that are a surprising contrast to its dark cedar facade.
Jason and Suzanne Koxvold commissioned Studio Padron to design a 200-square-foot guesthouse on their Ellenville, New York, property. The geometric structure’s dark cedar cladding contrasts with the inviting interior, which is heated by a cast-iron Jøtul stove. A layer of built-in bookshelves made from felled oak lumber also helps insulate the building in winter.
This carbon-neutral house by Helsinki studio Avanto Architects has a facade of dark-stained wood, but light wooden interiors. The retreat allows the owners to live simply, growing their own herbs and vegetables and catching pike at nearby Vaskivesi Lake. There is no running water; the home is solar-powered, well-insulated, and is warmed by the fireplaces.
Shaped like a cross, this four-cornered villa offers four different views of its location on an island in Finland. Avanto Architects created a black exterior, dotted with large windows, to make it invisible from the nearby lake.
Teeming with owls, moose, and black bears, the snowy forests of Eastern Quebec make an ideal site for a winter fortress. It was perfect for Canadian architecture firm _naturehumaine’s latest client, a behind-the-scenes movie guy who wanted a secluded place to recuperate from intensive, exhausting projects. Its geometric silhouette that echoes the classic typology of the region’s gable roof barns.
Architects Stéphane Rasselet and David Dworkind delivered with a strikingly simple concept, anchoring two stacked, rectangular volumes into a steep mountainside surrounded by awe-inspiring vistas.
On a sloping, woodland site in Wintrop Washington, CAST Architecture has created a family retreat that allows the landscape to flow through the structure. Super-insulated walls and ceilings, energy-efficient windows, and an efficient radiant heating system minimize energy consumption—even in snowy winters.
This cabin has a commodious kitchen and living area that encourages family and friends to come together for meals and conversation.
Raised to capture views of Mont-Sainte-Anne, High House is a minimalist home in Quebec, Canada designed by Paris-based studio DELORDINAIRE with white, concrete panel cladding that blends into the snowy environment, and stilts that allow sunlight to penetrate the space throughout the day.
White concrete panel cladding and corrugated steel roof panels give this cabin a crisp, geometric form that almost melts into the landscape on bleary, snowy days.
In Hellerud, a borough of Oslo, Norway, local firm Arkitektur + Design used heat-treated pine and bricks to fashion a cozy, family retreat dubbed Stairway to Heaven.
Stairway to Heaven is located on the clients’ parents’ land, just steps away from the homeowner’s childhood home. Two siblings were also building homes on the property, making it a true family compound. The architects were mindful to create a home that utilized the views, but also allowed for privacy between residents.
Nestled within a forest near Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes, this modern cabin name Lake Cottage by Toronto–based architecture firm UUfie has an exterior clad in mirror panels that reflect the natural surroundings.
The cabin is surrounded by a thick forest of birch and spruce.
Set high on a soaring granite outcropping, I-Kanda Architects’ Cabin on a Rock is a modernist, prefab cabin in New Hampshire with a 24-foot-wide sliding glass wall that captures the most scenic views.
“The 900-square-foot cabin perches on one piece of granite, projecting precariously over a steep drop-off to afford dramatic eastern views across the valley below,” says Isamu Kanda, principal at I-Kanda.
To meet with strict Alpine valley building regulations when designing this mountain house in the French alpine commune of Manigod, Studio Razavi Architecture took great care in analyzing local historical buildings to understand what their forms accomplished functionally, and how they shaped the local architectural culture.
The base of this cabin is constructed out of cast-in-place concrete with formwork using the same wood as the floor cladding above.
Set within a hardwood forest along the shores of the Bras D’or Lake, and respectful of its surroundings, this cabin in Nova Scotia, Canada, was designed by local practice Nicholas Fudge Architects with a clear separation between the public and private realms.
This 1,900-square-foot home was assembled on-site in just two days with wall panels consisting of staggered 2′ x 4′ studs on a 2′ x 8′ plate, which eliminates thermal bridging and maximizes energy efficiency.
Designed by Canadian architect Brian Mackay-Lyons, Enough House is a Cor-Ten steel holiday rental home with wood beam ceilings and a blend of modern and vintage furniture. A 24-foot-wide corner window looks out to the valleys in the north, and a 12-foot window frames distant views of the beach. The house is available for rent through Boutique Homes.
Enough House by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects resides on Brian MacKay Lyons’ Shobac farm in Nova Scotia, a campus that allows the firm to experiment with form, materiality, and building. The Cor-Ten steel cabin, which features exposed Douglas fir plywood sheathing and stained pine flooring inside, houses an intern architect.
Chad and Courtney Ludeman, the husband-and-wife team behind Philadelphia’s design-driven Lokal Hotel, transformed this classic 1960s A-frame cabin in New Jersey into a Scandinavian-inspired holiday retreat in the woods.
The material palette consists of concrete, bleached flooring, pine plywood, and lots of matte black and white.
Mork Ulnes Architects designed this compact, pinwheel-shaped, pine-clad cabin on a hilltop side in the north of Oslo with four wings that branch out for distinct views.
Planning regulations required a gable roof, which the architects split into four shed roofs carefully designed to respond to heavy snow shed and meet spatial and aesthetic wishes.
Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, says, “The combination of cooling inflation and slower global economic growth led mortgage rates to drift down to the lowest levels in a year. While housing activity has clearly softened over the last nine months and the lingering effects of higher rates from last year are still being felt, lower mortgage rates and a strong job market should rekindle demand for the spring homebuying season.”
News Facts
30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.37 percent with an average 0.4 point for the week ending February 14, 2019, down from last week when it averaged 4.41 percent. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.38 percent.
15-year FRM this week averaged 3.81 percent with an average 0.4 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.84 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.84 percent.
5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.88 percent with an average 0.3 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.91 percent. A year ago at this time, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.63 percent.
Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following link for the Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.
California home sales close year on downward trend as home prices post mild gains, C.A.R. reports
– Existing, single-family home sales totaled 372,260 in December on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 2.4 percent from November and down 11.6 percent from December 2017.
– December’s statewide median home price was $557,600, down 0.5 percent from November and up 1.5 percent from December 2017.
– Statewide active listings rose for the ninth straight month, increasing 30.6 percent from the previous year.
– The statewide Unsold Inventory Index was 3.5 months in December, down from 3.7 months in November.
– For the year as a whole, sales were down 5.2 percent from 2017.
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 17) – California home sales declined for the eighth straight month in December, and a stagnating market for much of the year pushed sales lower in 2018 for the first time in four years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 372,260 units in December, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR®associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2018 if sales maintained the December pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
December’s sales figure was down 2.4 percent from the revised 381,400 level in November and down 11.6 percent from home sales in December 2017 of 420,960. December marked the fifth month in a row that sales were below 400,000 and the lowest level of sales sold since January 2015.
“The housing market continued to shift in December and drift downward as sales have fallen double digits for the past three out of four months,” said C.A.R. President Jared Martin. “This trend is expected to continue, as buyers remain cautious about the murky housing market outlook due primarily to the volatility in the financial markets and uncertainty in the economic and political arenas.
“Additionally, housing markets in and around the wildfire areas have been exhibiting unusual patterns that could remain unsettled for the next few months. The impact, however, is confined mostly within the region and should not have a noticeable effect in the housing market at the state level.”
The statewide median home price declined to $557,600 in December. The December statewide median price was up 0.5 percent from $554,760 in November and up 1.5 percent from a revised $549,550 in December 2017. The statewide median home price for the year as a whole was $570,010, up 6.0 percent from $537,860 in 2017.
“California’s housing market in 2018 was hindered by endlessly rising home prices and interest rate hikes, which combined to erode housing affordability and hamper home sales,” said C.A.R. Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “As a result, while the statewide median home price surpassed its previous peak and set a new record in 2018, annual home sales fell for the first time in four years to a preliminary 402,750 closed escrows in California, down from 2017’s pace of 424,890.
“In the coming months, we expect a brief hiccup in sales as the government shutdown temporarily delays closings due to interruptions in IRS income verification or the processing of HUD, VA and USDA loans,” said Appleton-Young.
Other key points from C.A.R.’s December 2018 resale housing report include:
On a regionwide, non-seasonally adjusted basis, sales dropped double-digits on a year-over-year basis in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Central Coast, Central Valley and Southern California regions, with the Central Coast dropping the most at 24.9 percent.
Thirty-nine of the 51 counties reported by C.A.R. posted a sales decline in December with an average year-over-year sales decline of 20 percent. Thirty-four counties recorded double-digit sales drops on an annual basis, and 10 counties experienced an increase in sales from a year ago.
Sales for the San Francisco Bay Area as a whole fell 17.5 percent from a year ago. Eight of nine Bay Area counties recorded annual sales declines of more than 10 percent. Only San Francisco County posted a year-over-year increase, gaining 11.3 percent from December 2017.
The Los Angeles Metro region posted a year-over-year sales drop of 17.8 percent, as home sales fell 16.3 percent in Los Angeles County and 18.3 percent in Orange County.
Home sales in the Inland Empire declined 19.8 percent from a year ago as Riverside and San Bernardino counties posted annual sales declines of 17.7 percent and 23.1 percent, respectively.
The median home price continued to increase in all regions, except in the San Francisco Bay Area. On a year-over-year basis, the Bay Area median price dipped 3.6 percent from December 2017. Home prices in Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties continued to remain above $1 million, but both San Mateo County and Santa Clara counties recorded a year-over-year price decline.
Statewide active listings rose for the ninth consecutive month after nearly three straight years of declines, increasing 30.6 percent from the previous year. All major regions recorded an increase in active listings, with the Bay Area posting the highest increase at 65 percent, followed by Southern California (34 percent), Central Valley (24 percent) and the Central Coast (12 percent).
The Unsold Inventory Index, which is a ratio of inventory over sales, increased year-to-year from 2.5 months in December 2017 to 3.5 months in December 2018. The index measures the number of months it would take to sell the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.
The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home rose from 25 days in December 2017 to 32 days in December 2018.
C.A.R.’s statewide sales price-to-list-price ratio* decreased from 98.7 percent in December 2017 to 97.4 percent in December 2018.
The average statewide price per square foot** for an existing, single-family home statewide edged up from $268 in December 2018 to $266 in December 2017.
The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 4.64 percent in December, up from 3.95 percent in December 2017, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate also increased in December to an average of 4.02 percent from 3.39 from December 2017.
Note: The County MLS median price and sales data in the tables are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state and represent statistics of existing single-family detached homes only. County sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as changes in the cost of a standard home. The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical than average prices, which are skewed by a relatively small share of transactions at either the lower-end or the upper-end. Median prices can be influenced by changes in cost, as well as changes in the characteristics and the size of homes sold. The change in median prices should not be construed as actual price changes in specific homes.
*Sales-to-list-price ratio is an indicator that reflects the negotiation power of home buyers and home sellers under current market conditions. The ratio is calculated by dividing the final sales price of a property by its last list price and is expressed as a percentage. A sales-to-list ratio with 100 percent or above suggests that the property sold for more than the list price, and a ratio below 100 percent indicates that the price sold below the asking price.
**Price per square foot is a measure commonly used by real estate agents and brokers to determine how much a square foot of space a buyer will pay for a property. It is calculated as the sale price of the home divided by the number of finished square feet. C.A.R. currently tracks price-per-square foot statistics for 50 counties.
Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than 190,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
# # #
December 2018 County Sales and Price Activity (Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)
December 2018
Median Sold Price of Existing Single-Family Homes
Sales
State/Region/County
Dec. 2018
Nov. 2018
Dec. 2017
Price MTM% Chg
Price YTY% Chg
Sales MTM% Chg
Sales YTY% Chg
Calif. Single-family home
$557,600
$554,760
$549,550
r
0.5%
1.5%
-2.4%
-11.6%
Calif. Condo/Townhome
$460,660
$465,770
$446,840
-1.1%
3.1%
-10.0%
-21.4%
Los Angeles Metro Area
$500,000
$512,000
$495,000
r
-2.3%
1.0%
-8.3%
-17.8%
Central Coast
$717,650
$672,500
$657,500
6.7%
9.1%
-15.2%
-24.9%
Central Valley
$317,500
$320,000
$310,000
-0.8%
2.4%
-8.0%
-15.7%
Inland Empire
$359,000
$363,620
$342,000
r
-1.3%
5.0%
-10.1%
-19.8%
San Francisco Bay Area
$850,000
$905,000
$882,000
r
-6.1%
-3.6%
-20.2%
-17.5%
San Francisco Bay Area
Alameda
$850,000
$900,000
$862,000
-5.6%
-1.4%
-24.2%
-19.9%
Contra Costa
$612,500
$641,000
$600,000
-4.4%
2.1%
-19.1%
-16.7%
Marin
$1,270,500
$1,172,944
$1,268,900
8.3%
0.1%
-21.3%
-12.6%
Napa
$725,000
$683,500
$688,000
6.1%
5.4%
-14.1%
-21.8%
San Francisco
$1,500,000
$1,442,500
$1,475,000
4.0%
1.7%
-24.5%
11.3%
San Mateo
$1,483,000
$1,500,000
$1,500,000
-1.1%
-1.1%
-24.0%
-20.4%
Santa Clara
$1,150,000
$1,250,000
$1,300,000
-8.0%
-11.5%
-22.0%
-20.6%
Solano
$425,000
$450,000
$416,000
-5.6%
2.2%
-13.0%
-18.5%
Sonoma
$639,000
$612,500
$670,000
4.3%
-4.6%
-10.0%
-16.7%
Southern California
Los Angeles
$588,140
$553,940
$577,690
r
6.2%
1.8%
-3.0%
-16.3%
Orange
$785,000
$795,000
$785,500
-1.3%
-0.1%
-15.5%
-18.3%
Riverside
$398,000
$400,000
$385,000
-0.5%
3.4%
-4.9%
-17.7%
San Bernardino
$295,000
$299,450
$278,000
-1.5%
6.1%
-17.4%
-23.1%
San Diego
$618,500
$626,000
$605,000
-1.2%
2.2%
-7.4%
-14.7%
Ventura
$640,000
$643,740
$645,000
-0.6%
-0.8%
-14.0%
-13.8%
Central Coast
Monterey
$590,000
$630,000
$614,000
-6.3%
-3.9%
-26.1%
-31.0%
San Luis Obispo
$640,000
$624,000
$590,000
2.6%
8.5%
-16.3%
-23.7%
Santa Barbara
$806,030
$550,000
$730,000
46.6%
10.4%
-1.1%
-14.8%
Santa Cruz
$926,000
$862,500
$831,000
7.4%
11.4%
-16.2%
-31.7%
Central Valley
Fresno
$266,500
$265,750
$259,750
0.3%
2.6%
-4.1%
-4.7%
Glenn
$246,500
$225,000
$230,000
9.6%
7.2%
77.8%
113.3%
Kern
$242,380
$235,250
$233,000
3.0%
4.0%
-7.1%
-7.8%
Kings
$243,000
$222,000
$225,000
9.5%
8.0%
-7.1%
-17.0%
Madera
$263,000
$265,000
$239,000
r
-0.8%
10.0%
-18.8%
-34.6%
Merced
$269,060
$261,930
$239,900
2.7%
12.2%
22.0%
11.9%
Placer
$492,993
$461,000
$451,500
6.9%
9.2%
-10.2%
-18.5%
Sacramento
$364,500
$365,000
$350,000
-0.1%
4.1%
-14.8%
-22.4%
San Benito
$577,000
$583,200
$537,000
-1.1%
7.4%
-15.9%
-28.8%
San Joaquin
$365,000
$365,000
$349,720
0.0%
4.4%
1.1%
-14.1%
Stanislaus
$309,000
$310,000
$300,000
-0.3%
3.0%
-6.2%
-16.0%
Tulare
$236,450
$237,400
$219,500
-0.4%
7.7%
-11.5%
-20.1%
Other Calif. Counties
Amador
NA
NA
$305,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
Butte
$356,558
$326,940
$304,000
9.1%
17.3%
97.5%
105.3%
Calaveras
$310,000
$325,000
$285,000
-4.6%
8.8%
11.7%
-26.5%
Del Norte
$243,900
$250,000
$251,500
-2.4%
-3.0%
-40.0%
-36.8%
El Dorado
$454,500
$461,750
$450,000
-1.6%
1.0%
-15.5%
-33.6%
Humboldt
$308,000
$310,000
$319,500
-0.6%
-3.6%
-15.3%
-28.4%
Lake
$269,000
$255,000
$269,500
5.5%
-0.2%
17.7%
-6.4%
Lassen
$208,000
$184,000
$175,000
13.0%
18.9%
53.3%
0.0%
Mariposa
$320,000
$355,000
$310,000
-9.9%
3.2%
0.0%
40.0%
Mendocino
$424,900
$414,000
$409,500
2.6%
3.8%
-17.0%
-2.2%
Mono
$541,000
$725,000
$515,000
-25.4%
5.0%
-55.6%
-42.9%
Nevada
$389,950
$399,000
$393,500
-2.3%
-0.9%
1.1%
-6.0%
Plumas
$262,950
$289,500
$256,000
-9.2%
2.7%
0.0%
-13.3%
Shasta
$267,500
$283,000
$258,250
-5.5%
3.6%
-1.3%
6.8%
Siskiyou
$182,500
$226,000
$192,500
-19.2%
-5.2%
-13.5%
-33.3%
Sutter
$320,000
$296,000
$270,000
8.1%
18.5%
26.6%
5.2%
Tehama
$255,000
$199,000
$190,000
28.1%
34.2%
184.6%
100.0%
Tuolumne
$258,950
$288,500
$269,900
-10.2%
-4.1%
21.2%
27.0%
Yolo
$429,000
$429,500
$420,000
-0.1%
2.1%
-1.0%
-19.8%
Yuba
$298,000
$263,000
$241,000
13.3%
23.7%
2.5%
17.4%
r = revised NA = not available
December 2018 County Unsold Inventory and Days on Market
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)
Many athletes have been doing it for a long time without even knowing it is now a fitness trend. It’s called plogging, a combination of jogging and picking up. And what is being picked up is trash. The Swedes are credited with starting the trend and now it’s spreading in the United States.
A sunny and breezy day is perfect for plogging. Jeff Horowitz, a personal trainer at Vida Gym in Washington, is plogging with a couple of his friends. To him, nothing is new about this routine.
“This is just my personal ethics, where I would go for a run and if I happen to see a piece of garbage laying around and it’s within my reach,” he says. “It was a kind of a little test for me to see if I can grab it and throw it in a near trash can without stopping. That way I thought it gave me a little bit of exercise, a little focus for my run and helped clean up the neighborhood.”
Now, he knows he’s one of a growing number of people worldwide who are plogging. He often organizes plogging events.
Rules of Plogging
Getting ready to plog is similar to getting ready to jog. You have to warm up by doing weight squats, some calisthenics, some balance exercises. Then, grab a trash bag and you’re ready to go, but not before wearing a pair of gloves.
Like other athletes, ploggers have to warm up first. (Jeff Horowitz)
“Gloves are important,” Horowitz says. “You want to make sure this is going to be healthy for you. Even if you’ve good intentions, you never know what you’ll find. It might be broken glass, medical waste.”
Like any other fitness routine, plogging has rules. The first of these rules one shouldn’t suddenly bend over in front of someone else, which seems like common sense.
“You can’t do that.” Horowitz explains. “It becomes like a three stooges’ event and you’ll end up falling over.” So, when plogging with a group a runner usually calls it out, stops and bends, so other members of the group become aware of his move.
Ploggers also need to cover all different territory.
“People kind of naturally follow that rule,” Horowitz says. “So, if I’m a little bit more to the curb side, I’ll look toward the gutter and someone else a little bit closer to the hedges they’re going to pick up there. So, you get a rhythm going between people without sometimes agreeing to it.”
Organizing plogging events encourages more joggers to try it. (Jeff Horowitz)
Running with Purpose
Sports event organizer Dana Allen finds plogging interesting. Like other runners who consider themselves environment custodians, she likes it when streets are trash-free and clean. That’s why she plogs, but admits she doesn’t do it all the time.
“When I’m running seriously, in training for a marathon, I probably wouldn’t be as inclined to stop regularly because I’m focusing on a certain goal,” she says. “But then there are other days, where I’m out and into sort of a more relaxed running that would be a situation where I might do it.”
On other occasions, a group of runners gets together early on a weekend morning, and goes plogging.
“We go for run, pick up some garbage, then we go for brunch. We kind of make a little bit of event of it.”
Plogger Azell Washington says participating in such events makes him feel better. “It would clear a lot of space for me. And I’m rewarded myself.”
Washington DC: Clean and Fit
Encouraging more people to plog helps raise awareness about Washington’s litter problem, says Julie Lawson, who works with the mayor’s Clean City Office.
“When the street looks bad and it’s dirty, you’re going to feel bad about the neighborhood, about the community. You may even feel less safe because of that,” she says. “So if we’re all doing our part and picking it up, it’s very easy to help beautify it, help build those social connection, you get to know your neighbors, you get to feel some social responsibility and community feel, when you do this.”
Plogging also helps advance a city-wide fitness initiative.
“FitDC is Mayor Muriel Bowser’s initiative to get DC back to number one in the country as the fittest city in the nation,” Lawson adds. “And as part of that our Department of Parks and Recreation put up a couple of plogging events combining fitness activities with beautifying the city. We look to continue to support that.”
Participants of all ages are welcome to plog. (Jeff Horowitz)
Plogger Allen hopes one day there won’t be a need for plogging.
“I would just hope people around would think twice before dropping a garbage on the ground,” she says. “We have receptacles, seems like on every block. So, it’s easy to put your garbage in the trash can. So, I just think people should think about it a little bit more and be cognizant of keeping the city as beautiful as possible.”
Super-low inventory and quickly rising prices largely framed this year’s housing market. But a closer look at 2018’s buyers and sellers reveals other intriguing real estate trends, captured by a new report from the National Association of Realtors.
Here are five big takeaways:
Marriage not needed:
The share of married couple buyers hit the lowest point since 2010 at 63 percent. Single females made up the second-largest buyer group at 18 percent, following by single males at 9 percent and unmarried couples at 8 percent.
The decline in married couples reveals that marriage is no longer a prerequisite to buying a home. “You don’t need a ring,” says Jessica Lautz, director of demographics and behavioral insight for the NAR.
Tough for first-timers:
Low inventory for entry-level homes and rapid price increases continue to befuddle first-time homebuyers. This year, the share of first-time buyers fell to 33 percent, down from 34 percent last year and well below the historical norm of 40 percent.
“They didn’t bounce back,” Lautz says.
Almost a quarter of first-time homebuyers (23 percent) moved directly from their parents’ homes before purchasing a house, a new high. Lautz notes that may be how some first-timers can compete in today’s market. “They’re not stuck in a lease and its time frame,” she says. “They can save for a down payment because they’re not paying rent.”
First-time homebuyers contributed a median 7 percent of the sales price to their home purchase, up from 5 percent last year and the highest level since 1997. Overall, buyers put down 13 percent, up from 10 percent in 2017 and the highest since 2005.
Older repeat buyers:
Repeat buyers are getting older. The median age was 55 years, up from 54 last year and an all-time high for the survey.
Lautz says that these younger Boomers are healthier than their counterparts in the past, so they don’t need to move to an assisted-living facility or downsize, which has become less and less common. “Many are purchasing multi-generational homes and taking care of parents, or their children are moving back home,” Lautz says.
Many homeowners who bought their homes eight to 10 years ago at the peak of the previous housing bubble also stalled their home sale as they waited to regain equity. That’s another reason repeat buyers could be older.
Student loan woes:
College debt remains a significant challenge for potential homebuyers. Almost a quarter of all buyers reported having a median of $28,000 in student loan debt, while two in five first-time buyers said they had a median of $30,000 in education debt.
Of the 13 percent of buyers who said saving for a down payment was the hardest part of buying a home, half said their student loan debt had hampered their ability to save for a home purchase or down payment.
“Even with a thriving economy and an abundance of job opportunities in many markets, monthly student loan payments coupled with sky-high rents and rising home prices make it exceedingly difficult for potential buyers to put aside savings for a down payment,” NAR’s chief economist, Lawrence Yun, said in a statement.
Fewer children:
The share of homebuyers with children under 18 reached the lowest point in the survey’s 37-year history at 34 percent, mirroring recent low birthrates in the country, says Lautz. “This changes the neighborhoods buyers are looking at. Schools are a reduced preference. Some buyers may be willing to move to up-and-coming neighborhoods more than before.
Additionally, buyers without children may be content with houses with less than three bedrooms, no recreation room or even a townhouse or condo if they don’t see children in their future. Many buyers also are interested in how their homes work for their pets. Fifteen percent of buyers this year said it was important that their home is close to green spaces or a veterinarian for their pets. This is the first time the NAR posed this survey questions.
With the current stock market bull run reaching nearly 10 years in length, it’s understandable that many investors are nervous about the end of the party coming sooner than later.
However, as UBS notes in its latest report, there is also growing concern about another prominent bubble that’s been in the works since the aftermath of the financial crisis.
Large amounts of easy money have fueled real estate bubbles in the world’s major cities – and the Swiss investment bank now sees the property markets in six global cities as being at risk.
THE BUBBLE INDEX
In the 2018 edition of the bank’s Real Estate Bubble Index, here are the major cities around the globe that are in or near bubble territory:
Any city with a score over 1.5 is considered at “Bubble Risk”, and right now those include two cities from Canada, one from Asia, and three from Europe.
Hong Kong (2.03) tops the index this year, leaping past Munich (1.99), Toronto (1.95), and Vancouver (1.92) which all remain at bubble risk themselves. Amsterdam and London are the two other cities that score higher than a 1.5 on the rankings.
It’s also very important to note that there are four cities that score just under the 1.5 threshold: Stockholm (1.45), Paris (1.44), San Francisco (1.44), and Frankfurt (1.43).
A COMING CORRECTION?
Investor and writer Howard Marks has noted in recent months that the wider market is in its “8th inning”, and the same case could be made for real estate.
Historically, investors have had to be alert to rising interest rates, which have served as the main trigger of corrections.
– UBS Report
According to UBS, the cracks are already starting to show at the top end of the market, with housing prices declining in half of last year’s list of bubble cities. Some of the worrying factors include rising interest rates, as well as growing political tensions as the crisis of affordability makes it harder for average people to live in these global financial centers.
Here is annualized growth in percent over the last year, as well for the last five years for cities in the index:
As you can see, some of these cities have had negative growth over the last 12 months, including New York, Toronto, Sydney, London, and Stockholm.
CHARTING SPECIFIC MARKETS
In Hong Kong, you need to work 22 years to afford a 645 sq. ft (60m²) apartment, when that took just 12 years just a decade ago. In recent years, Hong Kong’s ascent to becoming one of the biggest real estate bubbles has become very evident, especially when juxtaposed with Singapore:
In Canada, the two cities in the index are starting to go in alternate directions, although recent signs also point to a potential slowdown in Vancouver:
Finally, the U.S. market – which felt the pain of the housing crash in the late 2000s – is home to zero cities in the bubble risk category, according to UBS.
Whether it is a bubble or not, many people agree that San Francisco’s housing situation is still a crisis. In the Bay Area hub, 60% of all rental units are in rental-controlled buildings, and the median single-family house price is a hefty $1.7 million.
A lot of factors play into the cost of a home painting project. The type of paint, the number of rooms, the siding material and the height of the house all have an impact, the painter decorator dublin can give your space a new feel, or your old flaking paint needs a touch-up, they are the most highly recommended professional painters and are available to help you with all of your commercial and residential exterior painting needs.
According to HomeAdvisor’s True Cost Guide, homeowners pay an average of $1,500 to $4,000 to have their home exteriors painted and $1,000 to $3,000 to have their entire home interior painted. So, how much will your project cost? And what factors do you have to consider?
When to Paint
Interior Beyond apparent fading and wear, or simply changing up your style, there are a few parameters for how often interiors should be painted – and how frequently you should factor interior painting into your annual home improvement budget.
How Often to Paint Interior Rooms
Low-Activity Rooms
Bedrooms
Living Rooms
Dining Rooms
3-4 years
High-Activity Rooms
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Hallways
Laundry Rooms
5-7 years
Exterior Climate and maintenance practices will determine how often you’ll need to paint your home. But the type of siding you have plays a major role.
How Often to Paint Home Exteriors
Cement Fiberboard
10-15 years
Aluminum
5-6 years
Stucco
5-6 years
Painted Brick
15-20 years
Wood (Paint)
3-7 years
Wood (Stain)
4 years
If you’re not sure it’s the right time, consult with a painting expert.
The best time of year to paint exteriors is in the late spring and during the summer—when the weather is warmer and dryer, for optimum application conditions.
DIY vs Hiring A Pro
If it’s within your budget, you’ll get the most out of your investment by hiring an expert for your house painting project. Experienced exterior painting contractors can do the work in better time. Plus, they’ll have the equipment and training to perform the best preparation and application.
If you do hire a pro, be wary of low quotes. “The wording they’ll use a lot of times is: ‘We guarantee coverage,’” says Nick May, owner of Walls By Design in Denver, Colo. “And that just means they’re going to do one coat and touchups. So, really be sure the contractor spells out: ‘How many coats am I doing? How am I applying it?’”
If you’d prefer to save money and paint your home yourself, keep in mind that it’s easier and safer to paint your home interior yourself than it is to paint the exterior. There are many dangers associated with exterior work — especially on homes with multiple stories.
Interior Painting Costs The typical cost of supplies is $200-$300 for one room, which includes tarps, ladders, tools and paint. If you hire an expert, you’re likely to pay $400-$800 per room or $1,000-$3,000 for the whole home.
Exterior Painting Costs An average-sized house calls for 12 gallons of paint, which averages $400-$900. With supplies like extender poles and ladders, you’ll pay roughly $600 to $1,200 to paint your home’s exterior yourself. If you hire a painter or painting company, you’ll pay around $1,500 to $4,000. This price fluctuates according to the number of stories and the type of surface being painted. Painting a three-story home could cost over $5,000. And painting concrete or vinyl siding tends to cost less than painting wood or stucco.
“Paint is the least expensive thing you can get the biggest bang for in your house. You can spend $5,000 on a dining room set, or you can spend $5,000 on paint and redo your whole entire house.”– Nick May, Owner of Walls by Design in Denver, Colo.
Picking Paint
The quality and type of paint you choose can make all the difference in extending the life of your paint job. “Really understand your options,” says May. “Most paint companies make a good paint, but they also can sell a crappy paint. Some paints hide better; some paints perform better; some paints will touch up better.”
Interior Color and Finishes Bedrooms are best in soothing colors like blue and green. Living rooms can be done in energizing colors like red or purple, but blue and beige are also good tones. And kitchens and bathrooms should be painted clean blues, grays, whites and neutrals. If you can’t decide, you can consult with an interior designer for advice. As far as finishes, semi-gloss has the best moisture resistance and is easy to clean — perfect for kitchens and bathrooms. And satin and eggshell are top sheens for bedrooms and living rooms.
Exterior Color and Materials Beige comes out on top as the most popular and best color for exteriors, followed by similar neutrals, blues and grays. Mute and forest greens, as well as brick reds, are also good choices. Stay away from obnoxious yellows, oranges, and too-bright greens, blues and pinks. For finishes, satin is most commonly used on the entirety of the exterior. And a glossy finish works best on details like doors and window sashes.
If you’re struggling to choose a color for your painting project, look for a pro who offers color consulting among their services. “We know that’s one of the biggest barriers to entry for a homeowner when they’re painting their house,” says May. “So, we just made a decision, almost since the beginning, to have trained color designers that go out and work with customers.”
New home sales increased in May, partially reversing the previous month’s decrease, according to the latest report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Sales of new single-family homes in May increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000 home sales, the report showed. This is an increase of 2.9% from April’s 593,000 and is 8.9% above last year’s 560,000 sales.
Click to Enlarge
(Source: HUD, U.S. Census Bureau)
The median sales price of new homes sold increased from last month’s $309,200 to $345,800 in May. The average sales price for new homes sold came in at $406,400 for the month.
The seasonally adjusted estimate of new homes for sale at the end of May came in at 268,000 homes, the same as the previous month. However, with the faster sales pace, this represents a 5.3-month supply, down from April’s 5.7 months.
NAHB analysis of the most recent Quarterly Sales by Price and Financing published by the Census Bureau reveals that just 4.7% of new home sales in the first quarter of 2017 were purchased with cash—down from the most recent peak of 9.5% in the fourth quarter of 2014. In contrast, the share of new home sales financed with conventional mortgages rose to 72.0%, its second-highest share since the fourth quarter of 2014. Meanwhile, FHA loan market share continued its upward trend, rising from14.4% to 14.7%.
Census data and NAHB calculations show that new home sales backed by VA products rose to 22,000 (+4,000) in the first quarter of 2017, though market share fell from 8.8% to 8.1%. The market share of VA loans averaged just 2.9% between the 2001 recession and the Great Recession, but has averaged 9.3% since the U.S. economy came out of recession in 2009.
It is worth adopting some caution associated with the Census market share estimates. In particular, the statistical error associated with the FHA, cash, and VA sales estimates from this data set are relatively high. This reduces the reliability of measures of short-term market changes.
Mindful of this limitation, over the long run the current FHA share is roughly one-half the 28% share determined for the first quarter of 2010 but still elevated compared to the 2002-2003 average of 10%.
Although cash sales make up a small portion of new home sales, they constitute a considerably larger share of existing home sales. In February 27% of existing home transactions were all-cash sales—the highest share since November 2015—according to estimates from the National Association of Realtors.
It is also worth noting that a different measure from CoreLogic shows a higher market share for cash sales for new construction: 17.7% in January.
FHA-backed loans were responsible for 14.7% of new home sales during the first quarter of 2017. Although the share has increased in two consecutive quarters, it remains more than twice its pre-recession average of 6.4%.
Conventional financing has expanded as the housing recovery has grown. The market share of new home sales with conventional financing was 62.2% in 2009 and 72.0% in the first quarter of 2017. This share has remained between 68% and 75% over the past four years.
7. Troll Hus by Mork-Ulnes Architects
