How Home Equity Can Help Fuel Your Retirement

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  How Home Equity Can Help Fuel Your Retirement If retirement is on the horizon, now’s the time to start thinking about your next chapter. And you probably want to make sure you’re set up to feel comfortable financially to live the life you want in retirement. What you may not realize is you likely have a hidden goldmine of cash you’re not thinking about — and that’s your home.  Data  from the  Federal Housing Finance Agency  (FHFA) shows that home values have gone up nearly 60% over the last 5 years alone (see graph below): And that appreciation gave your net worth a big boost. According to  Freddie Mac , over the same five-year period: “ . . .  Boomer overall wealth increased by $19 trillion, or $486,000 per household, half of which is due to house price appreciation.” So if you’ve been in your house ever longer than that, chances are you have even more equity in your home. If you want to have access to more of the wealth you’ve built up throughout t...
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Summer House Backyard Retreat

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1. Add architectural interest to the exterior.
"It's important to take design cues from the main house," says Norman. Keep elements consistent with your home and its surrounding features.
2. Use an unexpected material on the floor.
Marble is used for outdoor fountains and planters, so why not a covered-porch floor? A graphic black-and-white check is striking and sophisticated.
3. Bring the comfort of the indoors outside.
"Outdoor rooms can be just as stylish as indoor rooms," says Craig. Give your covered porch the feel of a true living room with upholstered furniture. Choose woods that hold up to the elements, such as teak and mahogany, and use outdoor-grade batting and foam.
4. Get bold with a signature color.
You can never go wrong with lots of white on a porch, but add punch with accents of a strong color. A coat of marine varnish over brightly painted furniture increases its durability.
5. Pay attention to the details.
Trims such as box-pleated grosgrain, gimp, and fringe upgrade plain outdoor pillows to star status.
Get the Look:
Lantern | Nantucket Lantern (9130 3c), $875; solaria-home.com
Bench | Chippendale Garden Bench in Dark Red (46931), $299; grandinroad.com
Ottoman fabric | Bolton in Putty (W8452); thibautdesign.com
Furniture paint | Mai Tai (RLIB228); ralphlaurenhome.com
Stool | Diamond-Pattern Stool (W5398), $275; wisteria.com
Mirror | Observatory Mirror in White, $299; potterybarn.com
Architect: Norman Askins, Norman Davenport Askins Architect, Atlanta; normanaskins.com or 404/233-6565. Builder: Rex Friedlein, Pupshire Builders, Atlanta; 404/876-1598. Interior designer: Craig Duncan, C.W. Duncan Designs, Atlanta; cwduncan@gmail.com or 404/374-1641. Hanging lantern: Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts Inc., Atlanta; boxwoodsonline.com. Bergère chairs: custom by C.W. Duncan Designs, Atlanta; cwduncan@gmail.com or 404/374-1641. Pillow trims: Lewis & Sheron Textiles; lsfabrics.com. Stool: Drum Garden Stool in White (1254WT) by Emissary (emissaryusa.com), available through decor-decor.com. Side table paint: Hearty Orange (SW 6622); sherwin-williams.com. Table lamps: custom-made from antique ginger jars, available through Lamp Arts, Inc., Atlanta; lampartsinc.com.
Original Article via Southern Living

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