Tiny Home Traits: 5 Features Every Small Space Needs

Tiny homes appeal to many people, whether as a solution to surging rents or because of the freedom they can lend your lifestyle. But if you decide living in 400 square feet (or less) is for you, how do you actually make it work?

Here are five features that help make tiny homes functional - and even comfortable.

1. A bed on the main level

Although most tiny homes have lofted beds for obvious space-saving reasons, it's a good idea to also have somewhere to sleep on the main level for guests, or if you can't make it up the stairs due to an injury, notes Dee Williams, author of “The Big Tiny” and founder of Portland Alternative Dwellings.

One of the easiest and most efficient ways to put a bed in the main living area is to purchase a couch that converts to a bed.

2. A ton of natural light

Many tiny homes are restricted to an 8.5-foot width and 13.5-foot height due to federal and state highway rules on transporting structures. (Although you can build a tiny home on a foundation, many tiny home owners choose to place theirs in backyards or even in RV parks, which means the home will need to be moved once it has been built.)

Because of this limited amount of space, the more natural light, the better. "Using windows or different wall finishes can make a space feel a lot bigger," explains Derin Williams, builder and designer for Shelter Wise, a design-build firm based in Portland, OR.

3. Creative storage solutions

If you are living (or planning to live) tiny, then a large majority of your items will most likely need to be recycled, given away or tossed. However, the items you still have will need a space, which can be a challenge in less than 400 square feet.

Simple solutions like hanging up your pots and pans instead of storing them in drawers, or keeping extra blankets and pillows in an ottoman or trunk, are good space savers.

When building your tiny home, consult with your builder, as there are tons of creative ways to make space for your items. "Many people have collapsible or hidden drawers in their tiny homes,” notes Dee. “A lot of builders are now also putting drawers in the toe-kick area, which is an awesome additional use of space."

4. Multipurpose areas

In a tiny home, every area has to be flexible in how it is used. A kitchen will not be your kitchen all the time in your tiny home, because it could be your office, dining room and maybe even your closet at any point in the day.

Because each room has to be multipurpose, it's important to have furniture that reflects these uses. "If you have a table for eating, make that space multifunctional,” says Derin. “Remove the table, and then you'll have a lounge area. Drop down the table and make it a bed.”

5. Multi-use appliances

Many of us are familiar with the stackable washer and dryer, and maybe some even have experience with combination washer/dryers, but the popularity of tiny homes has given rise to appliance innovation.

"GE and other manufacturers are leaning toward developing smaller appliances for tiny homes, studios and mother-in-law suites,” says Dee. “The idea is that you could have a whole kitchen setup - kitchen sink, range, dishwasher - all built into one set."

Although these products may not be widely available at every major appliance store, it could be something to look into if you are serious about moving into a tiny home.

Photos courtesy of Shelter Wise.

Related:

• Secrets of a Tiny Home Kitchen
• Could You Live 'Tiny'? See How a Seattle Couple Found Room for Their Dreams
• Meet Dee Williams: She Lives in 84 Square Feet

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Brooke Shields Asks $35K a Month for a Mansion With a Blue Lagoon

Nothing comes between Brooke Shields and her Los Angeles home - except renters willing to pay $35,000 a month.

Neighbors Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, who are divorcing but continue to live together, reportedly rented the place last year as a back-up property while theirs was being renovated.

Shields, meanwhile, spends most of her time in New York, leaving open her Swiss chalet-style mansion in the family-friendly enclave of Pacific Palisades. It’s plenty big for a family, with 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths and multiple dining, lounging and television-watching areas.

Even the master bathroom has a large-screen television, along with a soaking tub and a fireplace with a fainting - or dressing - couch, depending on your mood.

The gated home measures a roomy 5,345 square feet but offers numerous cozy enclaves, from a television room with its own kitchenette and seating area to an open-style upstairs library and study with built-ins and exposed beam ceilings.

It boasts expansive decks on each level with treetop views, and a wooded yard with a Blue Lagoon-style pool.

The listing agent is Dan Urbach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

Related:

• Come On Get Happy About This Former Partridge Family Star’s Encino Estate
• Ashley Benson Lists Pretty Little Lair in the Hollywood Hills
• Whoever Bought Charlie Sheen’s Home in December Is Unloading It Already

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How to Prepare a Vegetable Garden Bed

As strange as it sounds, preparing your soil for a vegetable garden is a lot like preparing a house for a sale. Just as you'd spend time and money adding value to a house, you can expect to do the same for a decent garden.

There's an old saying that goes something like: Don't put a five-dollar plant in a fifty-cent hole. Plants have undoubtedly become more expensive since that saying was coined (pun fully intended), but the point is that when it comes to planting, you get what you put in.

Unless you have perfect soil with no weeds or rocks standing in your way, preparing a garden bed can be really hard work. The good news is that if you do it right the first time, gardening will only get easier in time. Besides, you'll never regret turning an impenetrable thicket of weeds into a garden of fresh veggies, flowers and foliage.

For a great garden bed, you'll need an excellent location, sturdy tools, cleared obstructions, great soil, hard work and patience. Don’t worry - it gets easier with every year.

Location, location, location

You've heard it all before about real estate, and the same is true for plants. A tomato plant grown in well-drained, rich soil with plenty of sunshine will likely thrive, while one planted in dry shade or a soggy spot will almost definitely die.

Also consider convenience and aesthetics. Plant vegetable beds near the house since they'll be used often, and plant seasonal flowerbeds where they can be enjoyed up close.

Invest in great tools

There are a lot of cheap garden tools out there, but you really do get what you pay for. Choose a hefty shovel with a sharp point, and it will stand up better to tough roots and stems.

If you have tough roots, weeds and shrubs to remove, you might want to consider getting a mattock. It's like a cross between an axe and a pickaxe, and perfect for heavy-duty garden work.

Clear for takeoff

Once you've found the perfect place and the right tools, it's time to break ground. There are two ways to do this.

Double digging is one method. It’s labor-intensive, but if you're cursed with rocks or clay in your soil, it will reduce work in the long run and lead to healthier plants. Dig up a spade-deep layer of dirt, place it on a tarp, and remove any roots, stems or rocks. Dig and loosen another layer of soil, and return the top layer along with well-rotted compost and topsoil. One downside to the digging method is that weed seeds are brought into the mix, which can compact and destroy the soil structure.

If you're willing to wait a season or two, try the no-dig method. Smother the grass with cardboard and newspaper, before topping that with compost and topsoil. This method requires patience, and is more difficult with tough lawns like centipede and St. Augustine grass, but your back and the soil will thank you later.

Add value to your dirt

When you plant a new garden bed, add plenty of compost. Your lawn's existing soil is probably nothing more than the thin layer of topsoil and fill dirt that the builders put there, and any organic matter (like aged manure or topsoil compost) you can add to that will greatly benefit your garden.

Whenever you dig or add mulch to your existing beds, remove the old layer of mulch and replace it with a topdressing of compost. It's like putting money in the bank!

Make weeds illegal

Don't be discouraged if it seems like weeds keep sprouting up in your new bed, and never resort to sprays - neither chemical nor natural. Even DIY weed killers will likely hurt your soil and other plants.

Take these three actions instead:

1. Ensure that all weeds and their stems and roots are removed from the new bed, since they will re-sprout and spread.
2. Shade out weed seeds with a barrier of newspaper, topped with mulch. You can also shade out weeds to an extent with fast-growing groundcovers or annual flowers and vegetables.
3. Remain vigilant. Remove weeds, roots and all, whenever they appear.

Keep it up

Caring for your garden bed is easy. Irrigate only when necessary, and fertilize with an organic product according to label instructions. However you choose to prepare your bed, just remember that it's all downhill from there. A well-cleared and prepared bed will leave you with healthier plants, fewer weeds and less work in the long run.

Related:

• Smart Watering Tips for Every Gardener
• Flower Gardening for Beginners
• Getting Rid of Garden Pests

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Before & After: Pre-War Apartment Remodel

There's no denying the charm of 18th- and 19th-century architecture, especially in those East Coast cities where contemporary apartments come at a premium price point. Fixer-uppers can often be had for a steal, and there's something romantic about pouring time and money into a space to make it all your own.

Yet updating an older home presents a unique design challenge: It can't be too trendy if you're planning to sell, but it shouldn't feel like a museum.

So how can you strike the right balance? We turned to Lexi Tallisman, a New York City designer with Grayscale Interiors, to see how she transformed a dated pre-war apartment into a contemporary home that lets its lofty architecture shine.

Living room

The loft-like apartment didn't feel dated because of its 1911 architecture, but thanks to the previous tenants' additions. On either side of an exposed brick wall stood a shohi screen - perhaps to give the illusion of continuity, since the bedroom had the same feature.

The space did indeed have a Japanese feel, but Tallisman says the screens felt like an afterthought, and ended up dominating the room. "The frosty glass panels seemed very early ’90s, and didn't feel classic," she says, adding that they weren't refined enough to work in the space.

Living room before.

Another problem was the exposed brick wall, which, combined with the screens, made the room feel too cluttered. "Typically, brick walls are a no-no to cover up. However, the owner was adamant about making the apartment look modern," Tallisman says.

After sheetrocking over the brick, Tallisman painted the rest of the space bright white. Suddenly the space felt more open - and hip. The shohi screen enclosing the bedroom found its edge, and the hardwood floors emerged from the shadows.

Living room before.

Early on, Tallisman had decided to "work with the wood that was there," she says of the honey-colored shohi screen and molding. "If we had removed it, it would have had a totally different effect," she notes - not to mention taking away from the charm of the layout.

To keep the focus on the architecture, Tallisman chose "cleaner pieces of furniture" to outfit the space. A pair of cozy vintage chairs were upholstered in emerald velvet - "It's not too mossy or a shocking green, and it just worked tonally with the wood," the designer says - while a low-profile sofa was chosen to play up the "New York loft feel."

Living room after.

For visual interest, Tallisman found a sculptural coffee table with two cement block supports and a glass top. A goes-with-everything Beni Ourain rug "warmed up the space."

Tallisman kept the simple track lights that had previously been installed. "We weren't trying to play with too many things hanging from the ceiling," she says. "It's a high ceiling, which is enough of a statement."

Living room after.

Bedroom

Enclosed by the Japanese screen and a low wall dividing the dining area, the bedroom felt like a forgotten corner. "The bed looks thrown there, which it probably was," says Tallisman. "It was literally a mattress on the floor shoved against the side wall." The Japanese-style shelves were another remnant from previous tenants, and encouraged more clutter.

Bedroom before.

"Defining that space was key, and wrapping the wallpaper all around made it feel like a room," Tallisman says. Fornasetti wallpaper from Cole & Son, in Britain, added Old World elegance and custom ultra-contemporary sconces provided a fresh contrast.

"Even though the paper's dramatic, it's not so harsh on the eye," says Tallisman. "It perfectly blends in, and gives a good defining point to the space."

Bedroom after.

Dining Room

In the dining area, the track lights were unremarkable, the dark table overpowered the wood, and the overall feeling was gloomy.

Dining room before.

To brighten things up, "we first chose the kitchen lights, which are these hovering white lacquered pieces we found at a cabinetry store," Tallisman says. "It reminds me of works by lamp designer Michael Anastassiades."

To bring in a feeling of nature, the designer had a huge slab of green onyx cut into a "racetrack ellipse" instead of a complete oval for the dining table. "We didn't want it to be harsh and square," she explains.

Dining room after.

The wishbone chairs perfectly suited the wooden accents. "A space doesn't need to have so much going on to speak volumes," Tallisman says. "Layering textures has so much more of an impact."

Bathroom

Dueling tile patterns, a lack of storage and creamy beige paint made the bathroom look dull. Even the granite floors felt like a distraction.

Bathroom before.

To play up the room's high ceiling, Tallisman painted it a deep green "to draw your eye up." Then she painted the rest of the walls stark white, and had a contractor build a cabinet beneath the existing sink because "you can never have too much storage in New York City," she says.

Bathroom after.

Tallisman also added of-the-moment subway tile to the shower, which "made it feel like a whole new space."

Bathroom after.

As with the rest of the apartment, the light palette with pops of pink and green doesn't feel overdone, and adds an element of surprise. "What makes it fresh is the stark white," and, of course, allowing the best aspects of the old architecture to shine through.

Before images courtesy of Lexi Tallisman; after images courtesy of Tawni Bannister. 

Related:

• Staying Put vs. Moving Out: The Remodeling Dilemma
• 3 Low-Key Color Palettes for a Sophisticated Home
• Before & After: 4 Millennials Rescue a Detroit Home From Decay

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The Plain English Guide to Homeowner Tax Benefits

If you're like many homeowners at tax time, you don't know how to calculate your homeowner tax benefits, and instead just follow the steps of online tax programs or have your tax adviser figure it out. But it's important to know how your tax benefits work, so let's review the calculations in plain English.

Primary residence ownership costs

As a homeowner, your main monthly housing cost is comprised of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (P.I.T.I.).

Your mortgage payment is comprised of principal and interest. Principal pays down your loan each month, and interest pays your borrowing cost to your lender each month.

Taxes refer to local property taxes assessed by your city or county quarterly, semiannually, or annually.

Insurance is your fee paid to an insurance company of your choosing to help protect you and your lender if the home was impacted by fire, flood or other disaster.

If you bought a home for $3000,000 with 20 percent down and got a 30-year fixed rate of 3.5 percent, a mortgage calculator tells us that your monthly housing cost would break down as follows:

Principal and interest (your mortgage payment)	$1,077
Property taxes (using U.S. average rate of 1.2% on $300,000 value)	$300
Homeowners insurance	$75
TOTAL COST	$1,452

Annual tax benefits for primary residence owners

As the owner of your primary residence, your annual tax benefits come from being able to deduct the mortgage interest and property tax you pay each year.

Of the total $1,077 total monthly mortgage payment above, $700 goes toward interest and $377 goes toward paying down the loan. And we know that the property taxes are $300 per month.

So we know you're paying $8,400 per year in interest ($700 per month for 12 months), and $3,600 per year in property taxes ($300 per month for 12 months).

Together these total $12,000, and this full amount is deductible when you file your taxes (for low- to moderate-income homeowners).

How does a tax deduction help you save money?

When you file your taxes each year, there is a form called Schedule A: Itemized Deductions where you list eligible items that get "deducted" from your income so you pay tax on less income.

This form has line items for mortgage interest and property tax deductions. In our example, the IRS allows you to itemize $8,400 in mortgage interest and $3,600 in property taxes into their respective line items on Schedule A.

Doing so will reduce the amount of income you get taxed on by $12,000 ($8,400 plus $3,600).

Let's say your W-2s showed that you made $90,000 this year. These two line item deductions of $12,000 get subtracted from your $90,000 gross income, which means the income you'll actually be taxed on is reduced to $78,000.

Different incomes are taxed at different rates, and you'd be taxed at about 28 percent on this level of income.

To quickly estimate how much your tax deductions save you, multiply the $12,000 in allowable deductions by your 28-percent tax rate. This gives you an estimated annual tax savings of $3,360, meaning you'll pay about this much less in taxes because of your primary residence owner deductions.

If you convert this to a monthly figure of $280, and subtract it from your total monthly housing cost noted above of $1,452, it reduces your total housing cost to $1,172 after tax benefits.

This is affordable for a $300,000 house, and is likely to be cheaper than renting a comparable home in most cities.

Additional tax benefits for homeowners

Other annual tax benefits for owners of primary residences include deducting points paid on a refinance, home energy credits, deducting mortgage insurance for lower earners, and home office deductions. Each of these benefits has fine print to read and discuss with your tax adviser.

Other homeowner tax benefits come when you sell your primary residence. Single people are exempt from paying capital gains taxes on up to $250,000 in capital gains, and this exemption increases to $500,000 for married couples. Also, money you spend on improvements while you own the home reduces your taxable gain.

All the information given here applies to primary residence owners, and most of these rules will apply for second-home owners - your tax adviser will let you know of any variations for second homes. If you own a rental property, consult this guide to tax benefits for rental properties.

As with all tax matters, benefits change based on your individual profile, so consult your tax adviser regarding your exact benefits.

Related:

• 4 Tips for Putting Your Tax Refund Back Into Your Home
• Tax Tips for Rental Property Owners
• 4 Ways to Snag an Extra Tax Break

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10 Signs You're in a Competitive Real Estate Market

When you're searching for new digs in a competitive market, buying a house isn’t easy. The good news is "if you keep going, you will get the home you want," says Los Angeles real estate agent Jane Peters.

So gird yourself, grab a coffee and maybe even do a calming yoga pose or two. After all, cafes and exercise studios indicate you're searching in a potentially cutthroat neighborhood, according to industry experts.

Here are 10 clear signs you're in for a competitive ride.

1. Cash is king

One major indication of a competitive market is when sellers can reasonably expect cash offers for their property. "If you come in with cash, you're going to beat out a loan offer every time," reports Peters, a 12-year veteran of the L.A. market, home to a handful of extremely competitive neighborhoods. If paying in green is not be an option, don't panic. It's not the only tool up a potential home buyer's sleeve.

2. Bidding wars? You betcha

Bidding wars are another sign that competition is fierce. This is when aspiring homeowners try to outdo each other in a battle over who can make the highest offer. Bidding wars are "really common on properties with a trifecta of price, really good condition and really good location," says Lindsay Dreyer, owner of Washington, D.C.'s City Chic Real Estate firm.

3. A city so hip it hurts (your pocketbook)

When a city becomes a wildly desirable place to live, that is reflected in its housing market. "You've got to look at where industry's going, where jobs are going," explains Peters. The tech industry has been a major factor in boosting the competitive edge in a number of markets (think: San Francisco, Seattle and Austin). How do you know when your region has reached the competitively chic threshold? Trendy stores, coffee shops and yoga studios are good indicators, claims Dreyer, who has worked in the booming D.C. market since 2007.

4. Escalation clauses

An escalation clause may sound like a real estate elf from the North Pole - and it can bring you an early Christmas gift in the form of the house of your dreams. But all of this comes at a price. Inserting an escalation clause in your bid indicates that you are willing to increase the dollar amount of your offer up to a certain point if there are other, higher bids. Why would you do this? Competition.

5. All about the extras

When the prospect of multiple bidders is likely, buyers may try to curry favor with an offer that makes a sale especially easy for the owners, or plays to their emotions. "As [agents], we try to find out what will motivate the seller; how quickly do they want to close; how slowly do they want to close," Peters explains. Buyers who write a heartfelt letter explaining why they want the property also give themselves a leg up.

6. Sell price soars above asking price

The simple rules of supply and demand are nowhere more apparent than the housing market. One of the greatest signs of competition is homes that sell for way more than their listing prices, leaving would-be lower bidders back on the mean streets, pounding the pavement.

7. Multiple offers

When you're a buyer, it's never the more the merrier. Multiple, rapid bids on properties are a sure sign that it's a cutthroat market. So are packed open houses.

8. Snatched off the shelf

You're in a tight market "when you search online and there's just not that much to chose from," Dreyer says. That's because housing is flying off the shelf almost as quickly as it appears. If you find yourself racing to view properties before the competition can get to them, cut down on the stress by setting up an alert on your phone to notify you about new listings.

9. “Tidal wave” neighborhoods

When one neighborhood becomes a hot spot, it's not uncommon for the next one over to soon follow suit. "It's like a tidal wave going over all of those areas," Peters says of Los Angeles. The same holds true for D.C., according to Dreyer: "We're seeing whole neighborhoods recently transformed." With a major resurgence in urban renewal, it's not surprising that these popular areas often top the list of competitive home markets.

10. Offer deadlines

As if buying a house weren't hard enough, now there are deadlines. "Want to get buyers to hustle and create momentum and competition? Set a cutoff," the thinking goes. This can only be achieved, of course, in a competitive market where there will be enough bids to set a good old-fashioned due date.

Related:

• It’s a Sellers’ Market: What That Means for You
• Winning Tips for Buyers and Sellers in Sellers’ Markets
• Hottest Housing Markets for 2016

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It's a Sellers' Market: What That Means for You

Real estate is growing strong in many parts of the country. First-time and entry-level buyers find little inventory but lots of competition, leading to a frustrating seller's market.

For sellers, this means quicker and easier sales, if they cross their t's and dot their i's. For buyers, this means fighting it out with others for their dream home. Here are tips for both sellers and buyers in competitive markets.

Seller: Prepare, inspect, disclose and plan ahead

Although you hold the cards and can call the shots, the market is less forgiving if you make a mistake. Going "back on market" can mean that you will never see the dream deal you had with the first buyer.

The trick is not to lose the first buyer. If you know you have issues, get in front of them. It’s better for you to tell your buyer before they discover it on their own, because once you have a deal, the buyer takes control.

If the roof is old, you have a room that’s not permitted, or you have a small plumbing issue, it’s better for you to tell the buyer in advance, so they can factor that into their offer. Buyers are more forgiving of defects if they are competing with other buyers. But withholding it from them could kill your deal.

Buyer: Be ready to move

Buyers today are aggressive, motivated and quick to act. You must compete with these folks if you are serious about becoming a homeowner in a competitive sellers’ market.

The second a desirable new listing alert hits your phone or email, make a point to see it. If a home goes on the market Tuesday, you can't expect it will still be available that weekend.

The competitive juices and a strong desire for homeownership will propel a serious buyer to get into a house and make an offer within hours of it listing. If you have a seriously motivated seller, they will work with the buyer and take it off the market. There is nothing more disappointing than to hear a great home is no longer available.

Seller: Have a strategy for dealing with offers

It might seem obvious to take the offer you get two days after going on the market, but are you moving too fast? Will there be others if you wait? You and your agent should know going in what to expect from the market.

There’s no universal approach because each town, county and a market are different. In some, it will make more sense to wait a week to 10 days, have more showings and review any and all offers at once. In others, you might want to act on the offers as they come.

If you take the wrong approach, you might miss out on a better offer to come, or lose the excitement and momentum of your hot-to-trot buyer.

Buyer: Expect to miss out a few times

I always tell buyer that they need to miss out on a few houses to truly appreciate it when the right house comes along.

The process takes buyers in many directions, and is organic in nature. Go with it. You might not offer enough or not act fast enough on one or two homes early on. Missing out motivates you to keep in the market and up the ante.

Plus the more you see homes, the more comfortable you will be with the market and how it works. The first offer you make might be comparable to a home you fall in love with a month later.

Learn from each missed opportunity. Knowing that you lost out once before will motivate you to make the best offer the next time. You don’t know what you don’t know, so be willing to chalk up a loss or two to experience. Plus when you look back, you may realize that a home you thought was perfect wouldn’t have been so great after all.

Seller: Know the competition - and compete

A smart seller will hit the open house circuit weeks before going on the market. Once they are ready to go, they will analyze the "comps" again. The strategic seller will price their home to get the eyeballs and activity.

Chances are you can't compete with the similar home down the block with the killer kitchen. But price your home well below it, and a buyer sees value and room for improvement in your kitchen.

Today's buyers like the herd mentality. If someone else wants your home, it must be desirable and valuable, so they want it, too. The well-priced homes that show well will grab the immediate attention of the buyers, and sell faster and for more money.

Be prepared, whether buying or selling

Real estate is expensive, and the process can be stressful. In active markets, both sellers and buyers need to be on their game if they want to successfully buy and sell.

Sellers have the advantage because they can plan in advance of going on the market. They have the luxury of being proactive, and they should use that to their advantage.

Buyers need to be reactive and, as such, they need to be prepared to move on a dime. When all is said and done, life goes back to normal. But prepare for a wild ride in the meantime.

Related:

• 10 Signs You're in a Competitive Real Estate Market
• Tips for Evaluating Multiple Offers
• 3 Extreme Home-Buying Tactics to Get the House You Want

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

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Bellyfit Holistic Fitness for Women - Belly Dance meets Yoga! - Date: April 5, 2016 6:00 PM

Location: Fort Myers - What is Bellyfit? A spirit soothing, shakti shaking workout designed by women for women. Belly Dance, Bollywood, African Dance and Yoga combined for a workout thatleaves you feeling strong, sexy, sacred and glowing with sweat! Bellyfit classes are a non-competitive, welcoming environment for ALL women! Drop in rate - $18 discount packages @ http://ift.tt/1LVROMG zanawing@gmail.com

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Come On Get Happy About This Former Partridge Family Star's Encino Estate

Shirley Jones, best known for her role as the matriarch of the hit sing-a-long TV show “The Partridge Family” has re-listed her expansive Encino estate for nearly $2 million. Tucked away and surrounded by delightful foliage, the property features a lengthy driveway leading to a gated entrance, allowing plenty of time to enjoy the lush scenery before heading into the spacious abode.

The 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom ranch-style home sits on a .71-acre lot perfect for anyone that loves spending time outdoors - especially if they crave additional privacy away from the limelight of nearby Los Angeles. Complete with walking paths, waterfalls, gardens, a swimming pool and a water slide, the property is made for staying home and entertaining.

There’s a great deal of wide open space inside, too, thanks to the home’s large rooms graced with stone and hardwood floors, and skylights throughout that let natural light stream in.

One of the home’s highlights is the downstairs living area, featuring a cobblestone fireplace, arched ceilings with exposed beams, floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the pool, and easy access to the large kitchen. The home includes a great deal of functional space that will have you singing “I think I love you” while you rejoice in the versatility of this stylish residence.

When it’s time to head to the master suite, which boasts a walk in closet as well as a fireplace, you’ll delight in the added luxury. Guests can find rest and relaxation in the multi-room guest suite with its own breakfast bar and bath.

The biggest selling point may be the outdoor patio, featuring an outdoor kitchen, a shaded seating area, benches and easy access to the Jacuzzi. With green as far as the eye can see and bright flowers throughout the property, the home has the feel of a vacation destination.

Jodie Francisco and Andrew Spitz of Berkshire Hathaway hold the listing.

Related:

• Party Animal Kesha Selling Peaceful Nashville Oasis 
• Alicia Keys Lists Glass Mansion in Phoenix 
• Jason Derulo Wants you to Want His Coconut Creek Home 

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Book Fest 2016 - Date: April 3, 2016 10:00 AM

Location: Fort Myers - Meet local authors signing their books and enter raffles. This free event will also feature children's activities.

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Book Signing - Date: April 2, 2016 2:00 PM

Location: Fort Myers - Author S L Kaufman will sign copies of his INTO MY LIFE UNEXPECTED seires

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Transform Your Junk Drawer (Without Spending a Dime)

Kick off your spring cleaning with this fun and easy organization project. A cluttered drawer full of junk quickly becomes neat and tidy with a little help from some basic household items and recyclables.

 

1. Gather small cardboard boxes, tubes, and even egg cartons, as well as glass jars, plastic bowls, and other trays and dishes handy for holding small items.
2. Take a look at your junk drawer to see what kind of odds-and-ends you need space for.
3. Cut the boxes down to a height that will fit inside the drawer. 
4. Cover the boxes in leftover wrapping paper.
5. Take everything out of the drawer and fill it with the paper-covered boxes, jars, and trays.
6. Group like items in each space.

Enjoy having everything you need right at your fingertips!

 

Related:

• House Cleaning With a #HomemadeHack
• The Junk Drawer: Facing Down a Household Horror
• The Beauty of Organized Cosmetics and Toiletries

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How to Tackle Downsizing in 5 Steps

Moving house, in general, is notorious for being one of the most stressful and demanding experiences in life. Moving to a smaller home presents an even greater set of challenges.

Not only will you have to adapt to a radical change in your lifestyle, but you will also be forced to part with a number of cherished belongings that won't fit into your new tighter space. However frustrating and upsetting this idea may be, realize that with fewer possessions to weigh you down, your life can be simpler and more enjoyable than ever before.

So, how do you downsize effectively and handle such an overwhelming transition smoothly and without great emotional turmoil? All you need to do is take the right steps to downsizing your home.

1. Make a complete inventory of your belongings

To efficiently pare down your possessions you need to know exactly what you own. So, walk through your home and document all your belongings.

You can write everything down on paper, if you like the old school method, or you can use a spreadsheet application to create a home inventory list that can be easily edited. Either way, try to be thorough and register all the relevant specifics, such as the current condition of every item you possess, its market value, etc.

Not only will such a detailed inventory sheet help you identify duplicate, outdated or unneeded items, but it can also serve as a packing list when the time comes to prepare your belongings for shipment. Besides, you will be able to use the same inventory information in order to get an accurate estimate of your moving costs.

2. Draw a floor plan of your new home

Planning your interior design in advance will allow you to make the best of the available living space, as well as avoid wasting your time and money on relocating items you won't be able to use in your new surroundings.

Take precise measurements of the exact dimensions of every room, door and hallway in your new residence and compare the figures to the sizes of your larger household items to find out which of them can fit inside.

Keep in mind that even if you manage to get a bulky piece through the doors or around sharp corners in your new home, you may still end up not being able to find a suitable place for it, especially when it comes to custom-made or oddly shaped furniture pieces, appliances and others.

3. Consider all the relevant circumstances

Even if you like a certain item and have enough space for it in your new home, it may still not be worth moving. There are several crucial factors to take into account when determining the fate of your belongings:

• Climate. You'll have little use for a snow blower or a fur-lined coat, for example, if you are moving to a Southern state.
• Daily routine. You may not have many - or any - chances to use your barbecue or lawn mower if you are going to live in an apartment building downtown.
• Cost of moving. Quite often, it makes much more financial sense to sell an item of yours and buy something more suited to your new surroundings than to ship the old piece to your home-to-be.
• Value. When it comes to rare antiques, valuable artwork, expensive equipment, precious family heirlooms, high-quality pieces, or any other items you are really attached to, you will most probably prefer not to part with them, however restricted your available living space may be.
• Practicality. If an item is worn-out, outdated or in need of repair, you should consider leaving it behind. The same applies to anything you haven't used in over a year, don't like or have duplicates of.
• Context. If you're discarding everything else a particular item fits in with, it’s a good idea to let it go as well.

Once you have figured out which of your old belongings to take along to your new place (be it for practical, aesthetic or sentimental reasons), you need to find an advantageous way to get rid of the rest.

4. Organize your belongings

Decluttering your home should be your top priority when planning to move to a smaller place. Go through every nook and cranny of your old property, open every drawer and cabinet, look under the beds and inside the closet, and sort out everything you find in these catch-alls for miscellaneous items and categorize them into several piles:

• Keepers. Useful, valuable or coveted items you are taking with you.
• For sale. Unneeded items in good condition you can sell in a yard sale or on sites like eBay or Craigslist to make some extra money.
• Give-away. Unneeded items in good condition you'd like to donate to charity or give away to family or friends.
• Throw-away. Damaged or worn-out items that are unfit to be sold or donated and should be taken to a recycling center or dump.

Make sure you address each pile in a timely and efficient manner. Organize the items from the first group in a meaningful way and pack them carefully to ensure their safety during shipment. Don't forget to label the boxes properly, so you can easily unpack and find whatever you need when you arrive in your new home.

Keep the items you're selling, donating or giving away in a separate room or area of the house, so they don't get in your way and you don't think about them. Get rid of them as soon as possible, as it's very easy to change your mind and start pulling some pieces out of the pile, compromising your downsizing efforts.

5. Start early and stay resolute

Keep in mind that waiting until the last minute to downsize your home is very likely to result in severe mistakes: you may discard something you actually need; you may not be able to sell your used items if you are pressed for time; or you may get overwhelmed and just toss everything into the moving boxes without sorting it.

Start paring down your possessions as soon as you decide to move to a smaller home, and don’t reconsider the fate of an item you have already agreed to let go of. Downsizing your life will only make it easier.

Related:

• 5 Common Moving Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Checklist: Everybody you Need to Notify When You’re Moving
• Move This, Not That: 10 Items to Get Rid of Before Your Next Move

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8 Tax Breaks for Homeowners

By Brette Sember

Owning a home can be a big expense, but the good news is some of your expenses are actually tax deductible. Read on to see how you can maximize homeownership write-offs on your tax return. (Note that this information is valid for tax year 2015 only.)

Mortgage interest

You can deduct all of the mortgage interest (not principal) payments you make on your home, up to a $1-million loan for a couple filing jointly. This applies to your home equity line of credit (on a loan up $100,000) and second mortgage as well.

If you own a second home, such as a vacation cottage or mobile home, you can deduct the mortgage interest for it as well, so long as you reside there for the longer of 14 days per year or 10 percent of the time it is rented out.

Mortgage points and insurance

In addition to the mortgage interest, you can also deduct the points you pay on your mortgage for your main home in the year you pay them, as well as points paid for a home equity loan. Points paid for refinancing your home mortgage generally have to be amortized over the length of the loan.

You can also deduct any premiums paid for private mortgage insurance (PMI) on your loan if you earned less than $109,000 in 2015 and the policy was taken out after 2006.

Property taxes

As strange as it sounds, you can deduct taxes on your taxes! Your property taxes are a deductible expense. Keep your property tax bills and proof of payment.

Home office

If you have some sort of home-based business, you may be entitled to a home office deduction on your taxes. There are several hoops to jump through to qualify for the deduction, the two biggest being that your home must be your primary place of business, and that you use the office space only for work. (The IRS spells out the rules for claiming the home office deduction in Publication 587.)

There are two ways to calculate your deduction. Under the simplified option, you can deduct $5 per square foot of your home office's area, up to a maximum 300 square feet.

The more complex (but often more advantageous) option involves dividing the square footage of your office by the total square footage of your home; this yields the "business percentage" of your home. You then multiply allowable home costs - namely mortgage interest and utilities - by the business percentage to arrive at the deductible amounts.

Energy credits

If you implemented energy-efficient improvements to your home, you can get a credit of up to 10 percent of the cost of those improvements, to a maximum of $500. This covers expenses like new windows and doors, insulation, and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. You could also get a credit for 30 percent of the cost of renewable energy systems, like solar power.

There could also be state tax credits for these items as well which you can stack on top of your federal credit.

Medical home improvements

If you have a medical condition that necessitates home improvements, such as adding a stair lift because you have arthritis or an air filter because your spouse suffers from allergies, you may be able to write off some of these costs as part of your medical deduction.

However, you can deduct only that portion of your medical costs that exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income (7.5 percent if you are 65 or older).

And in most cases, you can deduct only the difference between the cost of the equipment and the increase in value to the home from this improvement. Some improvements (such widening doorways to accommodate a wheelchair) add no marketable value to the home but are fully deductible if you meet certain income requirements.

Home sales

If you sold your home in the last year, you could be eligible for some tax savings resulting from that transaction. The costs of your real estate agent’s fees, advertising, and title insurance are deductible expenses. You can also deduct improvements you made to the home in order to sell it, but only if you have a taxable capital gain from the sale.

Home damages

If your home was damaged by weather, fire, theft, or another disaster, you've suffered a casualty loss, a portion of which may be deductible. If your loss was greater than 10 percent of your income and was not covered by insurance, you can deduct the loss. You'll need to be able to document the value of what was lost, however.

Related:

• 4 Tips for Putting Your Tax Refund Back Into Your Home
• Are You Paying Too Much Property Tax?
• Tax Tips for Rental Property Owners

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

Brette Sember is a former attorney and author of more than 40 books, including The Divorce Organizer & Planner, The Complete Divorce, and How to Parent with Your Ex. She writes often about law, parenting, food, travel, health, and more. Brette also writes for AvvoStories. 

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Secrets of a Tiny Home Kitchen

The popularity of the tiny home movement is no secret, but what remains a mystery to most people is how tiny home dwellers actually make their space work in their daily lives. One fascinating aspect of tiny home living is cooking and food preparation.

"The main challenge is space, because so much of how we've learned to cook is based on having larger appliances," says tiny house pioneer Dee Williams, founder of Portland Alternative Dwellings and author of "The Big Tiny."

Dee Williams’ kitchen includes a single-burner stove, limited counter space, and wall-mounted storage. Photo courtesy of Dee Williams.

When Williams was planning her move from a big home to a tiny one, she had to measure her largest pot to see if it would fit her new small stove. In other words, whatever didn't work with the space simply had to go.

Pare it down, plan it out

Collapsible and stackable bowls like these from Progressive International can serve many purposes.

For those who are thinking about taking on the tiny home lifestyle (or for those who are simply curious), start paying attention to how you use the kitchen you have now. For example, how often are you using more than one or two burners? Do you ever use the entire space of the oven? How many of your kitchen gadgets do you actually use on a daily basis?

"The reality is that we only use a portion of our kitchen,” Williams notes.

A tiny home doesn't mean you’ll be limited to microwave meals. Cooking nutritious, complex dishes is still possible, but you have to be organized and understand that food prep tasks may require patience. “It takes me a lot longer [to cook a meal] because I have to rotate, and I don't have a lot of prep space,” says Williams.

Tiny home dwellers may also have to rely on friends and neighbors for help when they don't have the space to store multiple pots or food for a big meal. Williams says this fosters a greater sense of community.

"The thing that's been a challenge for me is that I'm part of a soup club,” she says. “I have to cook soup for eight people, so the days I have to do that, I have to go and borrow a pot.”

Functionality rules

To make a tiny home kitchen work more efficiently, Williams suggests simple solutions such as using a drop-down kitchen table that you can easily remove when it’s not in use.

A drop-down table like this IKEA model supplies prep and serving space when needed, and folds away when not in use.

Other tips include putting drawers in the often-unused toe kick space, hanging pots and pans from the walls or ceiling, and putting a large cutting board over the sink to extend your prep space. Use one-pot recipes, and check out cookbooks that are specifically geared toward living small, such as "My Tiny Alaskan Oven" by Ladonna Gunderson.

While working in a two-by-two-foot kitchen space would be a challenge for most people, Williams embraces it. "Learning how to live small is not letting go, but stepping into an adventure,” she says. “It's an invitation to reexamine who you are. I think that's really fun.”

Related:

• Could You Live ‘Tiny’? See How a Seattle Couple Found Room for Their Dreams
• 10 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Tiny Home
• Tiny Home in The Hamptons Lists for $550,000

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