Editor's Letter
Once Upon a Realization
Some homeowners are creating fairy tales for themselves out of realities in the marketplace.

Watch Out For The Curb (Appeal)!
Don’t forget to extend your personality to your home’s exterior — and increase your chances of a home sale. Here’s what to use to reap some rewards:
-Natural materials
-Complementary colors
-Custom doors
-Architectural details
-Outdoor lighting
-Maintained landscape
There is one good thing I’ve noticed about our current real estate market — homeowners have begun to put themselves back in their homes. When the market was hot, I was seeing less custom remodel jobs and more evidence of updating for pure market value. Soon-to-be-sellers were doing projects that would appeal to the masses instead of individual tastes. Now that homes aren’t moving as fast, people are settling in for longer and creating spaces that suit them.

This realization dawned on me particularly while editing this issue’s section on kitchens. Typically, the kitchen is the room of the house that buyers and sellers alike place the most emphasis on. It often can make or break the deal. You’ll see for yourself the difference in quality, style and detail when homeowners design with themselves in mind. Their choices aren’t for everyone, but they certainly are inspiring. Yellow appears several times in our lineup, as do display niches for special objects. Cork flooring starts to show up, while microwaves are hidden. Tile accents walls brilliantly, and specialty appliances give cooks the power to become chefs. My personal favorite is the pizza oven you see on the cover.

The kitchen isn’t the only place that’s getting extra consideration these days. The lower level is no longer a gray basement used for storage but a huge multifunctional space that’s just as thoughtfully designed as the upper levels of the home. Homeowners are incorporating second master suites, exercise rooms, theaters, pubs, game rooms, wine cellars and more. We’ve picked four projects that express their owners’ personalities and, in some cases, bring their lifelong dreams to reality.

While you might appreciate these stories, you also could be one of the many homeowners still ready to move on to your next house or preparing to move on to the next life, and we haven’t forgotten about stories for you. We share some insight on how to use your property to your best advantage — avoiding Uncle Sam’s deep reach into your pocket — followed by a few suggestions for dismantling your estate without it incurring significant tax losses.

Whether you decide to stay or go, the times (and people’s perceptions of them) will always change. It’s up to you to make the most of them.



Andrea Darr,
Editor-in-Chief
adarr@kc-hg.com