Casey O. Smith - Pittsburgh Real Estate

The home improvement industry, much like the broader housing market, experienced a severe downturn, but a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University finds that prospects for growth are already developing.

"As the housing market stabilizes and the broader economy begins to recover, remodeling activity will return to a more normal pace of growth. As credit conditions thaw, owners will find it easier to finance their home improvement projects. As home prices edge back up, owners will again see the wealth-building benefits of investing in their homes. And as sales pick up, recent buyers will want to make improvements as they settle into their new homes.

Of the sources of demand that are most likely to boost improvement spending, three stand out: the increasing need to upgrade the rental housing stock, ongoing growth in the immigrant homeowner market, and emerging interest in sustainable remodeling projects."

Download a free copy of the entire report here.

Real estate sales in Upper St. Clair were up slightly in April compared to March (17 vs. 14) and matched last April's total of 16 homes sold.

Here's the list of 17 homes that sold this April:

Call me today if you are ready to buy or sell a home in Upper St. Clair, or in any of our great Pittsburgh communities.

Related Posts:

• Upper St. Clair Home Sales Continue Slow Growth
• Upper St. Clair Real Estate Sales Improve Slighty in February
• January Sales of Upper St. Clair Homes Show a Slow Start
• Upper St. Clair Home Sales Match Previous Year's Total

If you're getting ready to sell your house or just want to do some spring cleaning, holding a garage or yard sale can be a great way to clear out clutter and earn some extra cash. Here are some tips, provided by Bottom Line:

• The best time to hold your sale is on a weekend when a local church or civic group is staging a large rummage sale. Many of those shoppers will visit nearby garage sales as well.
• Start your sale 30 minutes earlier than other sales.
• Avoid scheduling your sale for a holiday weekend when people are away from home.
• If it rains on sale day, take down your signs and postpone your sale.
• Before holding your sale, visit a few garage sales in your area to determine appropriate prices.
• Place all of your merchandise on tables; many shoppers won't bend down to examine goods on the ground.
• Spread the word about your sale through local newspaper classifieds and on Craigslist.org.
• Greet those who visit your sale, then give them space to shop undisturbed.

For more information on successful yard sales, here's one website that might help.

Unlike the jump in real estate sales Mt. Lebanon had in April, home sales in Peters Township basically stayed at the same level as March (14 vs. 12).

Here are the Peters Township homes that sold in April:

There are a lot of great Peters Township homes on the market, so give me a call if you want to take a look at what's available - especially while mortgage rates are still low.

Related Posts:

• Peters Township Home Sales Declined for the 1st Quarter
• Peters Township Real Estate Sales Were Low in February
• Which Peters Township Homes Sold in January?

As temperatures continue to rise, so will electricity consumption driven by the use of fans and air conditioners. What can you do to stay cool and save money? Thanks to Green Home for passing along these tips:

• Close your drapes and blinds during the day.
• Set your air conditioner thermostat to 78 or higher when at home. Turn it to 85 degrees or off, when you leave. (Air conditioners make up as much as 60% of summer energy bills.)
• Clean or replace air conditioning filters.
• Use fans to circulate air (they can allow you to set the thermostat at least 4 degrees higher.)
• Turn off lights when not needed; three fourths of the electricity used by the average light bulb becomes wasted heat.
• Use heat-producing appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and clothes dryers in the morning.

The Department of Energy says the most effective way to keep your home cool is to prevent heat from building up in the first place. A big source of heat buildup is sunlight, absorbed by your home's roof, walls and windows.

So try a new paint job. Light colored surfaces effectively reflect most of the heat away from the house. Or, get out in your garden and plant some trees. Trees planted on the south and on the west sides will help keep your house cool in the summer, and still allow the sun to shine in the windows in the winter.

Try some of these tips to keep cool this summer and cut energy costs at the same time.