Showing posts with label homes for sale Lakeview New Orleans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homes for sale Lakeview New Orleans. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Touch of Black Adds Allure to a Home




Everybody knows what a little black dress does for a woman. Guess what? Black accents do the same for a home.

A touch of black can add intrigue, sophistication and even mystery to a decorating scheme, inside or out. Paint your door black, and suddenly your house stands out. Add a black coffee table or a black-and-white chair to a monochromatic room, and the decor goes from dull to dramatic.

A bit of black is almost a cure-all for an uninspired space! Black works because it adds contrast without clashing. Since it goes with everything, it’s easy to add to any color palette.

And it doesn’t have to involve a big change. Even something as simple as adding black knobs to a vanity can break up the monotony of a bathroom with matching fixtures. Black works well in accessories or small accents, such as throw pillows or area rugs.

Painting window sashes black are becoming popular. The effect is almost like eyeliner, drawing attention and adding interest both inside the house and out. It’s also a historically accurate detail on an older home, since sashes were often painted dark colors in the 19th century.

Black, however, is best used with restraint. Too much black, and the power of contrast is lost.

Some other good ways to add a touch of black:
— Paint non-matching chairs black to unify them.
— Paint an outdated piece of furniture black to update it.
— Spray-paint ornate gold picture frames flat black to downplay the glitz and focus the attention on the artwork.
— In a traditional room, add a chair or pillow in classic black-and-white toilet. In a mid-century modern setting, use a bold pattern such as a trellis design.
— Instead of decorating daughter's bedroom in her favorite color, use black and white as the base with the color as an accent. Black and white will be more sophisticated and easier to live with as the child grows older, and the accent color can be changed easily as her taste evolves.
— Add black in odd numbers: maybe one strong piece, such as a sofa, wall or door, or three smaller pieces sprinkled around the room, such as a throw, a vase and an accent pillow.
To search for homes go to http://findneworleansproperties.gardnerrealtors.com/ 
 

Monday, April 14, 2014

Who Pays America's Highest (and Lowest) Property Taxes?



The second biggest cost of home ownership—following the mortgage—is usually property taxes. In 2012, U.S. homeowners paid an average of about $2,800 in property taxes, according to a recent Zillow study. And if you live in New York, New Jersey, or Colorado your taxes were in some cases five times more than the national average. The numbers are based on an average of real estate taxes paid on single family housing in 2012.
The residents of Westchester County in New York pay more in property taxes than the typical resident of any other major American county. The average property tax bill for a single family home in Westchester County comes to $14,829 a year.
Adjusting for the average cost of single-family homes in each county, homeowners in Allegany County, NY win the award for the highest property tax burden. The average tax obligation of $2,549 in Allegany County amounts to 3.8 percent of the average single family home value; in Westchester County, the average tax obligation is slightly lower, at 2.5 percent of the county’s average home value. Nationally, the typical homeowner is spending approximately 1.4 percent of their home’s value on annual property taxes. See the full rankings below.
Highest Property Taxes as a Percent of Home Value
Allegany County, N.Y. (3.76 percent)
Milwaukee County, Wis. (3.68 percent)
Kendall County, Ill. (3.57 percent)
Sullivan County, N.Y. (3.56 percent)
Orleans County, N.Y. (3.49 percent)
Lowest Property Taxes as a Percent of Home Value
Caroline County, Va.( 0.17 percent)
Catahoula County, La. and Randolph Ariz, (0.2 percent)
Iberville County, La. and Cumberland County, Tenn. (0.21 percent)
Butler County, Penn. and Maui County, Hawaii (0.22 percent)
Elmore County, Ala. and De Soto County, La. (0.23 percent)

For more information go to http://findneworleansproperties.com/