Minnesota Floor Styles

When remodeling, its the sum of all parts that make your Twin Cities home a winner or not when the dust settles. In all remodeling projects we have ever done, flooring is always a key ingredient in whether we hit the WoW! factor or not. Why is that?

Flooring is a big piece of the color palette, its one of the first things you notice when walking into a home. Not only is it important in a design sense, its important in other ways also. Will it stand up to your traffic? Is it easy to clean? Flooring is very critical to a beautiful finish. So where do you go to look at flooring and talk to a professional?

I go to Floors of Distinction. Minnesota floors take a beating from the wear and tear of the seasons we live through, and Floors of Distinction knows what to recommend depending on what you and your designer are thinking. Their store has over 4000SF of showroom with all the traditional products along with the newest and greenest solutions to your home makeover.

Owner Bruce Bedoin has been very helpful to me along with all the people on his staff. My customers are never rushed and with the staffs extensive product knowledge and numerous displays to look at I haven’t met anyone yet who has gone home disappointed. So what’s new at Floors of Distinction the showcase of Minnesota flooring?

This week I picked up 2 types of cork flooring, Antico premium vinyl tiles, some sheet goods from Europe and bamboo hardwoods that just knocked my socks off. They also feature carpet including Karastan rugs, which is what I have in my home.

What to expect: Real service in a nice showroom staffed by friendly sales people. Give them a try.

Floors of Distinction, the Twin Cities best shop for flooring.

Paul Lesieur Twin City Home Improvement Pros.

Twin Cities kitchen refacing companies typically deliver a better product than kitchen reface companies in other parts of the country, with one exception, the East coast. The reasons being partly because its the oldest part of the country and because of the house styles many New England homes lend themselves well to this type remodeling.

Twin Cities refacing companies on the other hand have great product suppliers near at hand and because of this we get better pricing on many materials.

Refacing comes in 3 flavors, being:

1. Lower end refacing using value price products with (MDF) Medium Density Fiberboard doors. This is a good product and very stable and is used for a painted door or a door covered with (RTF) Rigid Thermofoil. These are great looking products, but not wood in the traditional sense.

2. Solid wood doors in many wood species, this is the bulk of refacing and provides a beautiful job. Cherry, alder and maple is used and of course oak. Other woods can used and these doors are the raised panel/ flat panel doors you see everywhere.

3. Last but most impressive are the Ultra Refaced Kitchens, some going in at over $100,000. Here you will find custom woods and colors plus all the bells and whistles you would find on any high end kitchen remodel.

So whatever your budget, there’s a reface for you that will give you that beautiful kitchen fast and save you money at the same time.

Paul Lesieur/ Twin Cities Kitchen Cabinet Refacing

Paul Lesieur Kitchen

What is a 203K loan and why should you care?

A 203k loan lets homeowners and buyers finance  the purchase, remodel or even refinance if they have an existing home loan through a single mortgage. Simply this, want to buy a home and remodel the kitchen right away, with the FHA 203K loan you can.

For immediate needs there is also a Streamlined 203K loan for handyman specials and fixer uppers. And borrowers also have an option with the HUD Title 1 Home Improvement Loan Program. These programs can help you finance at a better rate and take money out for improvements whether you own or are buying, payments to the contractors are secure so Home Improvement Contractors like these loans too.

You, as a homeowner can go to my web page for information or click on the links imbedded in this article.

Not to be outdone Fannie Mae has a program called Homepath for refinancing and renovations. Fannie Mae is the huge mortgage company that has been in the news so much this past year.

Eligible Repairs & Improvements

The Streamlined 203K loan allows for simple repairs that can be easily estimated and completed. Many are considered light cosmetic repairs, but some will require hiring a licensed contractor if it falls out of the borrower’s area of expertise. Here is an approved list of repairs / improvements from HUD:

• Roofs, gutters and downspouts
• HVAC systems (heating, venting and air conditioning)
• Plumbing and electrical
• Minor kitchen and bath remodels
• Flooring: carpet, tile, wood, etc.
• Interior and exterior painting
• New windows and doors
• Weather stripping & insulation
• Improvements for persons with disabilities
• Energy efficient improvements
• Stabilizing or removing lead-based paint
• Decks, patios, porches
• Basement completion and waterproofing
• Septic or well systems
• Purchase of new kitchen appliances or washer / dryer

Special Conditions & Terms

• No minimum loan balance required.
• Borrowers must occupy the property.
• Property cannot be vacant for more than 30 days.
• Work must be completed within six months.
• Work must be professional.
• If job requires a permit, borrowers must get a permit and a sign-off.
• Work must commence within 30 days from closing.

Repairs Not Permitted

• Landscaping or yard work
• Major remodeling
• Moving a load-bearing wall
• Room additions or add-ons to the home
• Fixing structural damage

Requirements to Perform the Work

• Borrowers can select among licensed contractors.
• The lender will review the contractor’s experience, background and referrals.
• The lender will want a copy of the contractor’s estimate and the agreement between the contractor and borrower.
• Borrowers can also arrange to do some or all of the work under a “self help” arrangement.
• Do-it-yourself projects require providing the lender with documentation supporting the borrower’s knowledge, experience and ability to perform the necessary work.

Disbursement of Payments

• Maximum of two payments to each contractor, including the borrower, providing the borrower works under a “self help” plan.
• No more than a 50% advance is allowed.
• Do-it-yourself allowances do not include labor; only materials costs are allowed.
• Final payment is paid after submission of evidence of payment to sub-contractors / suppliers or other possible lien claimants.

Reasons to Apply For a Loan Below $15,000

• The lender is not required to inspect the completed work.
• The lender is not required to authorize a third party to inspect the completed work.
• A letter from the borrower or copies of contractor receipts will suffice as notice of completion, providing the lender has no reason to determine a third-party inspection is necessary.

In all there are some decent deals and some opportunities for all kinds of homeowners with mortgage needs, or remodel and repair work that you would like to get done. So check it out and start planning.

Paul Lesieur/ Silvertree Const

Paul Lesieur General Remodel

This is a long subject, but this will be a short article.

Minnesota has some of the best builders in the country, its a slow and steady growth state and this ensures an experienced and steady group of experienced tradespeople. And what does remodeling cost in Minnesota?

Comparisons are tough to measure, the Minnesota lifestyle is better than many places and this means Minnesota isn’t going to have the cheapest labor force. But here’s a cost comparison for the country.

These numbers don’t take all details into account, but this is what good remodeling sells for, and the returns are based on professional installs, Cousin Bob may be handy, but if he’s not a pro you won’t see these returns on his “Looks OK I guess” results.

Paul Lesieur/ Silvertree

2008-09 National Averages

Project	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped	Change vs. 2007
Attic Bedroom	$48,398	$35,694	73.8%
Backup Power Generator	$14,040	$8,026	57.2%
Basement Remodel	$61,011	$44,467	72.9%
Bathroom Addition	$38,078	$24,187	63.5%
Bathroom Remodel	$15,899	$11,857	74.6%
Deck Addition (composite)	$15,277	$11,260	73.7%
Deck Addition (wood)	$10,601	$8,676	81.8%
Family Room Addition	$81,315	$53,608	65.9%
Garage Addition	$57,272	$38,161	66.6%
Home Office Remodel	$28,094	$15,329	54.6%
Major Kitchen Remodel	$56,611	$43,030	76.0%
Master Suite Addition	$101,571	$67,037	66.0%
Minor Kitchen Remodel	$21,246	$16,881	79.5%
Roofing Replacement	$18,825	$12,336	65.5%
Siding Replacement (vinyl)	$10,256	$8,274	80.7%
Sunroom Addition	$71,745	$40,715	56.7%
Two-Story Addition	$146,538	$103,553	70.7%
Window Replacement (vinyl)	$10,537	$8,132	77.2%
Window Replacement (wood)	$11,512	$8,946	77.7%

Project	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped	Change vs. 2007
Bathroom Addition	$74,325	$49,100	66.1%
Bathroom Remodel	$51,455	$36,400	70.7%
Deck Addition (composite)	$37,498	$23,706	63.2%
Garage Addition	$85,844	$53,908	62.8%
Major Kitchen Remodel	$110,964	$78,398	70.7%
Master Suite Addition	$223,876	$136,764	61.1%
Roofing Replacement	$36,296	$22,861	63.0%
Siding Replacement (fiber-cement)	$13,177	$11,424	86.7%
Siding Replacement (foam-backed vinyl)	$12,528	$10,074	80.4%
Window Replacement (vinyl)	$13,608	$10,781	79.2%
Window Replacement (wood)	$17,580	$13,455	76.5%

Paul Lesieur General Remodel