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It’s Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas: The Most (and Least) Festive U.S. Cities and States

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The holidays have always been rich with timeless traditions—mistletoe hanging overhead, a lit menorah, and the iconic Christmas tree twinkling through the living room window.

Yet, when it comes to decorating for the season, some U.S. cities and states are more festive than others. The decorations American homeowners prefer—as well as the time and money they spend to give their dwellings a seasonal shine—also vary geographically.

It all got us wondering: Which state is the nation’s most festive?

Where the holiday cheer is strongest

Vermont, the Green Mountain State, is America’s most festive when it comes to decorating for the holidays, according to a recent study commissioned by Michigan-based home builders Lombardo Homes. Wyoming, Delaware, Rhode Island, and North Dakota rounded out the study’s top five.

(The study analyzed 6,708 Google search terms related to Christmas decorations and surveyed 1,000 Americans on their favorite holiday decorations.)

Meanwhile, Oklahoma was the least jolly state for holiday decorating, but Minnesota, California, Mississippi, and Michigan weren’t far behind.

Las Vegas topped the list of America’s most festive cities, followed by Baltimore, Denver, Portland, and Seattle.

“Given the city’s reputation for extravagance, it wasn’t a surprise to us that Las Vegas goes the extra mile for Christmas decorations, too,” says Allison Hadley, Lombardo Homes spokesperson.

On the other end of the spectrum, New York City and Los Angeles were America’s least Christmas-obsessed cities for the second year in a row, trailed by Chicago, Phoenix, and Philadelphia.

“While our study found that New York and Los Angeles are once again the major cities that decorate the least for holidays, these cities still get into the Christmas spirit,” says Hadley.

America’s favorite holiday decorations

Not surprisingly, the Christmas tree was the clear winner when it came to America’s favorite holiday decoration, with 79% of Americans saying they plan to decorate a tree this year. Christmas lights, mistletoe, and gingerbread houses were the other favorites.

“One of the beauties of Christmas is that it offers such a variety of holiday decorations, yet some are more universal than others geographically,” Hadley points out. “For example, window candles are popular in New England states like Rhode Island and New Hampshire because the classic Cape Cod-style houses are the perfect settings for them.”

On the other hand, the ephemeral snowman is the most popular holiday decoration in most upper Midwestern states, including Michigan and Minnesota, where freezing temperatures and snow on the ground are typical over the holidays.

As for Americans’ preferred time to start decorating, the week after Thanksgiving is it. More than half (51%) wait until the week after New Year’s to pack away the lights and ornaments.

And while 90% of Americans say Christmas trees are more expensive this year, homeowners plan to spend an average of $140 on Christmas decorations in 2023, almost double the amount that they spent in 2022 ($82).

“Timeless holiday traditions are timeless for a reason,” says Hadley. “While Vermont might top the list as the state that decorates the most for the holidays, that doesn’t mean people in Wisconsin or California are any less excited. It’s clear, based on our study, that the Christmas spirit is alive and well as homeowners get ready for the holiday season.”

America’s most festive states—and their favorite decorations

(Ordered by most to least festive)

  1. Vermont: Christmas tree

  2. Wyoming: Santa

  3. Delaware: window candle

  4. Rhode Island: window candle

  5. North Dakota: nativity

  6. Alaska: Santa

  7. New Hampshire: window candle

  8. South Dakota: angel

  9. Maine: snowman

  10. Montana: ornaments

  11. West Virginia: snowman

  12. Pennsylvania: window candle

  13. New Jersey: Christmas tree

  14. Massachusetts: gingerbread

  15. Connecticut: Christmas lights

  16. Nebraska: Santa

  17. Idaho: nativity

  18. North Carolina: Christmas lights

  19. Utah: mistletoe

  20. Virginia: wreath and garland

  21. Hawaii: mistletoe

  22. South Carolina: wreath and garland

  23. Texas: wreath and garland

  24. Tennessee: nativity

  25. Alabama: Christmas tree

  26. Georgia: mistletoe

  27. New Mexico: Christmas lights

  28. Ohio: snowman

  29. Maryland: gingerbread

  30. Kentucky: ornaments

  31. Florida: ornaments

  32. New York: Christmas tree

  33. Oregon: gingerbread

  34. Wisconsin: gingerbread

  35. Nevada: stocking

  36. Kansas: nativity

  37. Illinois: snowman

  38. Indiana: Christmas tree

  39. Louisiana: wreath and garland

  40. Iowa: angel

  41. Washington: mistletoe

  42. Missouri: Christmas lights

  43. Colorado: gingerbread

  44. Arkansas: inflatables

  45. Arizona: candy cane

  46. Michigan: snowman

  47. Mississippi: nativity

  48. California: mistletoe

  49. Minnesota: snowman

  50. Oklahoma: Christmas lights

Read more at Realtor.com

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The Perfect Home Could Be the One You Perfect After Buying

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There’s no denying mortgage rates and home prices are higher now than they were last year and that’s impacting what you can afford.

At the same time, there are still fewer homes available for sale than the norm. These are two of the biggest hurdles buyers are facing today. But there are ways to overcome these things and still make your dream of homeownership a reality.

As you set out to make a purchase this season, you’ll want to be strategic. This includes taking a close look at your wish list and considering what features you really need in your next home versus which ones are nice-to-have. This will help you avoid overextending your budget or limiting your pool of options too much because you’re searching for that perfect home.

Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains:

“The key to making a good decision in this challenging housing market is to be laser focused on what you need now and in the years ahead, . . . Another key point is to avoid stretching your budget, as tempting as it may be . . .”

To help identify what you truly need, make a list of all the features you’ll want to see. From there, work to break those features into categories. Here’s a great way to organize your list:

  • Must-Haves – If a house doesn’t have these features, it won’t work for you and your lifestyle (examples: distance from work or loved ones, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, etc.).

  • Nice-To-Haves – These are features you’d love to have but can live without. Nice-to-haves aren’t dealbreakers, but if you find a home that hits all the must-haves and some of these, it’s a contender (examples: a second home office, a garage, etc.).

  • Dream State – This is where you can really think big. Again, these aren’t features you’ll need, but if you find a home in your budget that has all the must-haves, most of the nice-to-haves, and any of these, it’s a clear winner (examples: a pool, multiple walk-in closets, etc.).

If you’re only willing to tour homes that have all of your dream features, you may be cutting down your options too much and making it harder on yourself (and your budget) than necessary.

While you’d love to have granite countertops or a pool in the backyard, those are both things you could potentially add after you move. Instead, it may be best to focus on finding the things that you can’t change (like location or a certain number of rooms). Then, you can upgrade or add some of the other features or finishes you want later on.

Sometimes the perfect home is the one you perfect after buying it.

Once you’ve categorized your list in a way that works for you, discuss your top priorities with your real estate agent. They’ll be able to help you refine the list further, coach you through the best way to stick to it, and find a home in your area that meets your top needs.

Bottom Line

With the current affordability challenges and limited housing supply, you’ll want to be strategic so you can find a home that meets your needs while staying within your budget. Connect with a real estate agent who can help make that possible.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

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Gen Z, millennials are ‘house hacking’ to become homeowners in a tough market. How the strategy can help

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Gen Z and millennials are “hacking” the housing market as high prices and interest rates make affordability difficult.

The term “house hacking” refers to the practice of renting out a portion of your home or an entire property for an additional stream of income.

Almost 4 in 10, 39%, of recent homebuyers say the practice represents a “very” or “extremely” important opportunity, according to a new report by housing market site Zillow. That share is up eight percentage points in the past two years.

Younger generations are especially keen on the idea. In Zillow’s survey, more than half of millennial, 55%, and Gen Z home buyers, 51%, expressed positive views on house hacking.

Zillow polled more than 6,500 recent homebuyers between April 2023 and July 2023. Respondents were adults who moved to a new primary residence they purchased in the past two years.

The additional income from house hacking can “help make those dreams of homeownership penciled into reality, given that there’s so many affordability constraints on the current market,” said Manny Garcia, senior population scientist at Zillow. 

The median sale price for a house in the U.S. was $413,874 in October, up 3.5% from a year ago, according to a report by real estate site Redfin.

The average rate for 30-year mortgages hit 8% in October, the highest level seen in 23 years, according to Bankrate. To compare, rates bottomed out slightly below 3% in January 2021.

While renting out portions of a newly owned property can help offset higher costs of a home, potential buyers will need to make a few considerations beforehand.

‘You need to earn six figures to afford a starter home’

As home prices and interest rates have risen, potential homebuyers need a salary of $114,627 to afford a median-priced house in the U.S., a recent report by Redfin found. Redfin’s analysis used the median home price of $420,000 in August.

“In many places, you need to earn six figures to afford a starter home, so it makes sense for young people who are seeing how expensive homeownership is to want options,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. 

With few small starter homes available, a millennial or Gen Z buyer may have to jump on a more expensive home than they would have wanted, Fairweather said.

“Having the option to rent or have a roommate is important in an environment where there just aren’t that many small homes for sale,” she said. 

House hacking may help those homeowners by providing them additional income for expenses or even help cover the mortgage.

More apartment buildings are available

The opportunity to house hack may be short lived. In some markets, new apartment buildings are under construction that will have available units next year, especially smaller, one bedrooms. 

Rental market inflation, which had been stubbornly high for much of 2023, has cooled due to new inventory, pushing the rental vacancy rate up to 6.6% in the third quarter, the highest level since the first quarter of 2021, according to Redfin data. 

“We’ve already seen rent prices stabilize, especially for single occupancy rentals,” Fairweather said. It’s going to be harder to rent out a room as more rentals become affordable, she added.

Despite the growth in available apartments, the U.S. is facing a “massive shortage of housing, especially affordable housing options,” said Zillow’s Garcia. 

“If you’re pricing your home competitively, renting out can be a reliable source of income because there’s no shortage of people looking for a place to live,” he said. 

What to consider before ‘house hacking’

While renting out a portion of your home can serve as an additional income, interested buyers would still need to gather a sufficient down payment and proof of income to show they can already afford the monthly payments.

“If you’re going to rely on rental income in order to qualify, you’ll have a problem,” said Melissa Cohn, mortgage banker and regional vice president of William Raveis Mortgage.

“They need to prove they can afford the mortgage without the rent,” she said.

Banks won’t consider potential rental income and they will require the buyer to be able to qualify for the financing without the support of potential rental income, she said.

There is another risk to buying a bigger house with the intention of renting out part of it: You could wind up stuck with an expensive mortgage and a room you can’t rent out.

If renting out part of your home — or the entire property — is optimal for you, do your research on what the current rate is for your type of home. Consult with rental managers who can help draft leases and give you a good estimate on the going rate in your area, said Garcia. 

“There’s a lot of homework to be done to make sure that you’re pricing correctly when you’re posting your unit for rent,” Garcia said. 

Additionally, keep in mind that there is a big chance the house you are considering may be subject to local ordinances on renting or homeowners association regulations.

Read more at CNBC.com

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Is Owning a Home Still the American Dream for Younger Buyers?

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Everyone has their own idea of the American Dream, and it’s different for each person.

But, in a recent survey by Bankrate, people were asked about the achievements they believe represent the American Dream the most. The answers show that owning a home still claims the #1 spot for many Americans today (see graph below):

 
 

In fact, according to the graph, owning a home is more important to people than retiring, having a successful career, or even getting a college degree. But is the dream of homeownership still alive for younger generations?

A recent survey by 1000watt dives into how the two generations many people believed would be the renter generations (Gen Z and millennials) feel about homeownership. Specifically, it asks if they want to buy a home in the future. The resounding answer is yes (see graph below):

 
 

While there are plenty of reasons why someone might prefer homeownership to renting, the same 1000watt survey shows, that for 63% of Gen Z and millennials, it’s that your place doesn’t feel like “home” unless you own it – maybe you feel the same way.

That emotional draw is further emphasized when you look at the reasons why Gen Z and millennials want to become homeowners. For all the financial benefits homeownership provides, in most cases it’s about the lifestyle or emotional benefits (see graph below):

 
 

What Does This Mean for You?

If you’re a part of Gen Z or are a millennial and you’re ready, willing, and able to buy a home, you’ll want a great real estate agent by your side. Their experience and expertise in the local housing market will help you overcome today’s high mortgage rates, low inventory, and rising home prices to find your first home and turn your dream into a reality.

Working with a local real estate agent to find your dream home is the key to unlocking the American Dream.

Bottom Line

Buying a home is a big, important decision that represents the heart of the American Dream. If you want to accomplish your goal, begin by talking to a local real estate expert to start the process today.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

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5 Little Touches to Make Your Kitchen the Best Room in the House

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The kitchen is the heart of a home. It's where families gather, meals are prepared and memories are made.

As such, it's important that your kitchen is not only functional but also looks and feels amazing. In this post, we'll explore five little touches that will transform your kitchen from ordinary to extraordinary.

Fresh Flowers and Greenery
One of the simplest but most effective ways to elevate your kitchen's design is with fresh flowers or greenery. A vase of colorful blooms or a potted herb on a windowsill can add a pop of color and life to your space. Not only do plants and flowers look great, but they can also purify the air and add fragrance to your kitchen.

Consider changing out your flowers or greenery with the seasons to keep your kitchen feeling fresh and updated. In the spring, bring in daffodils or tulips for a burst of color. In the summer, opt for bright sunflowers or fragrant lavender. For autumn, switch to seasonal favorites like mums or pumpkins. And during the winter months, holly or evergreen branches can add a festive touch.

Stylish Dishware
Plain white dishware is classic and timeless, but if you want to make a statement, consider investing in some colorful or patterned plates and bowls. This is an easy way to add some personality to your kitchen and show off your personal style. You can also display your best dishware on open shelving or in glass cabinets.

If you're not sure where to start looking for stylish dishware, consider checking out local thrift stores or antique shops. You may be able to find unique and one-of-a-kind pieces that will make your kitchen stand out. Many online retailers also have a wide selection of handcrafted and trendy dishware options. And don't forget to keep an eye out for sales and clearance items at your favorite home goods stores.

When searching for durable dishware, it's important to look for materials that are strong and long-lasting. Some popular options include porcelain, stoneware and bone china. These materials are known for their durability and can withstand daily use without easily chipping or breaking. Additionally, consider the type of glaze used on the dishware as this can affect its longevity.

Custom Storage Solutions
Keeping your kitchen organized is essential for both function and aesthetics. Having custom storage solutions, such as pull-out drawers and organizers, can make a huge difference in how you use your space. These solutions can be tailored during a quick kitchen remodeling project to your specific needs and can keep everything from spices to utensils within reach.

In addition to custom storage solutions, there are many creative ways to make more storage in your kitchen. Utilize vertical space by installing shelves or hanging racks for pots and pans. Use under-shelf baskets or stackable shelves to maximize cabinet space. Magnetic knife strips can free up counter space while also keeping knives easily accessible.

Consider using the inside of cabinet doors for extra storage, such as for measuring cups or cutting boards. And don't forget to make use of underutilized spaces like the top of your refrigerator or above cabinets for storing items you don't frequently use. With a little creativity, you can find storage solutions that work best for your kitchen and keep it clutter-free.

Statement Lighting
Lighting can make or break a kitchen's design. Instead of a single overhead light, consider adding a statement fixture, like a chandelier or pendant lights over the island. This can create a focal point in your kitchen and add warmth and ambiance to the space. You can also install under-cabinet lighting for added task lighting.

While statement lighting can enhance the look of your kitchen, there are some types of lighting that should be avoided. Avoid using fluorescent lights as they can create harsh and unflattering shadows. Overly bright or mismatched light bulbs can also disrupt the overall aesthetic of your kitchen. Stick to warm and soft lighting for a cozy and inviting atmosphere.

Art and Decorative Objects
Artwork and decorative objects can add a personal touch and tie together your kitchen's design. A framed print or painting can fill an empty wall, while decorative objects like vases, ceramic bowls or sculptures can add dimension and texture to your space. Choose pieces that complement your kitchen's color scheme and style.

When it comes to displaying art and decorative objects in your kitchen, it's important to consider the safety of both the items and those using the space. Avoid placing fragile items near areas with high traffic or where they could easily be knocked over. Instead, opt for shelves or wall-mounted displays that are securely anchored. For larger pieces, make sure they are safely secured to the wall to prevent any accidents. Be sure to be mindful of where you place art and decor near heat sources or areas prone to moisture, as these can damage certain materials.

Making your kitchen amazing doesn't have to be a complicated or expensive task. By incorporating these five little touches, you can transform your kitchen from ordinary to extraordinary. Think about what aspects of your kitchen you want to highlight or improve and start small. Whether it's adding fresh flowers or investing in custom storage solutions, these little touches can make a big impact and create a space you'll love spending time in.

Read more at Rismedia.com

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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