4 Interior Designers With Must-See Furniture Collections

After you buy a new house, that usually means it’s time to do some furniture shopping. Finding just the right pieces to fill out your new space can be a challenge, though, that’s particularly true if the home dictates a specific style, like contemporary or rustic. Following are a few of today’s top interior designers with stunning furniture collections that are sure to inspire.

Bunny Williams Home
Bunny Williams knows how to stay at the forefront of style and her home collection stands as a testament to that. With everything from garden furniture to bamboo bed frames, the design legend’s trademark elegance certainly extends to her home décor line. You’ll find original designs and inspired reproductions that will instantly give your new home a refined ambience.

Timothy Corrigan & Perennials Collaboration
Timothy Corrigan is renowned for projects that capture European elegance without compromising on comfort, so it’s no wonder that high-end fabric brand Perennials decided to team up with him. This collaboration yielded a breathtaking array of performance fabrics and rugs that are all resistant to stains, mildew, and UV-fading, which means there’s no cause for concern if someone spills a glass of red wine at your housewarming party. 

Marmol Radziner Furniture
Marmol Radziner is an internationally recognized design-build firm with a list of noteworthy clients that includes Tom Ford, Ellen DeGeneres and Bradley Cooper, to name a few. The firm may not have designed your new house, but you can incorporate their sophisticated style with Marmol Radziner Furniture, which consists of pieces that were originally created for custom homes.

Kelly Wearstler Furniture
Another designer to the stars, Kelly Wearstler’s iconic furniture line is energetic and borderline eccentric with pieces that are sure to make for a memorable abode. If you want to try out maximalism or transitional style in your new home, this collection will certainly steer you in the right direction.

Is an Outdated Kitchen the Reason Your House Hasn't Sold?

For many prospective homebuyers, an outdated kitchen is a deal-breaker.

Some inexpensive upgrades may help you sell your house.

Repair damaged countertops or replace them with granite ones.

Replace an old sink and faucet and install an attractive backsplash.

If your kitchen has vinyl flooring, replace it with something more modern.

Install new appliances if necessary. If the existing appliances work, but just don’t look good, install new face panels.

If your cabinets are outdated but in good shape, repaint them and replace the hardware.

Improve lighting in the kitchen.

Ask your real estate agent for advice on kitchen upgrades that could help you sell your home.

February 2020 - Luxury Market Report for North America

February 2020 - Luxury Market Report for Placer County

February 2020 - Luxury Market Report for the Sacramento area

How to Save for Property Taxes

A property tax bill is easy enough to get. Local governments typically assess property tax and send homeowners a bill in the mail. Paying the tax, and saving for it, are the hard parts.

The amount of the tax is largely based on where the property is and how much it’s worth. They can easily be thousands of dollars and can usually be paid in two installments over one year. 

There are a few ways to save for the average property tax bill in the U.S. One of the easiest is to spread the payment out over 12 months with your monthly mortgage payment. This is called an escrow account, where the money is held and automatically paid to your tax collector. Homeowners insurance payments can also be paid into an escrow account, and by paying both bills on time, you’ll avoid penalties. 

One possible drawback to this is that if you’re not paying enough to your lender to cover the entire property tax bill, the financial institution will still pay your tax bill in full on your behalf and send you a notice of the shortfall. You may be required to pay it all at once, or the shortfall amount may be spread over the next year. Some banks may charge interest and fees to do this. 

If the opposite happens and too much money is collected in the escrow account for taxes, the bank may send you a refund or lower your tax payment for the coming year. 

Another option is to set up a separate savings account yourself and deposit money for your property taxes automatically each month. This allows you to keep your money as long as possible until the taxes are due and collect interest on your money before paying the bill. 

If you’d rather avoid that step, but still want to make monthly payments, some cities allow homeowners to pay their property taxes monthly so that they aren’t faced with one large bill. 

You could set up a pre-authorized payment to your municipality to deduct money from your bank account on a set day each month. It then holds the money and pays your property tax bill on the due date. 

However you decide to save money to pay property taxes, be sure to pay the bill on time. If you don’t, it could result in payment penalties. In the worst-case scenario, a lien could be placed on your home if you don’t pay your property taxes.