Atlanta Granite Kitchen and Bath Backsplash Tiles

Incorporating kitchen tiles into the design of your kitchen is a good way to bring out the beauty of your countertops and cabinets. Great granite kitchen backsplash tile is another important addition to kitchen decor. Because kitchen tile comes in all colors, sizes and materials it is possible to mix several colors to produce a certain design element, such as creating a stone or a marble look.





Kitchen backsplash tiles is not only used for floors, but also used on walls, as a backsplash or on countertops using specialty tiles with unique designs. Decorated ceramic tile backsplashes go with granite or carina countertops as well as tile.



Decorative kitchen tile can be used in countless number of ways in a tiled area. Most painted tiles are made of ceramic because of its extensive range of colors and designs. Kitchen tiles works especially well on a vertical surface, providing a durable surface that is resistant to stains and splashes. On vertical surfaces the grout is less subject to stains than on countertops. Kitchen tiles are also water resistant, making them advantageous for any kitchen counter. While kitchen tiles have many advantages you must be concerned about cleaning grout. Grout must be cleaned regularly or it will stain. Kitchen tiles can also chip and crack requiring replacement.



Granite Countertop Atlanta

Granite is next only to diamonds in stiffness. It is only the best work exterior obtainable. Its refined end will not wear off. Unlike marble, synthetic and laminate countertops, granite countertops will not blister, scratch or crack; and they are very stain challenging. Granite countertops can take a hot pot with no the use of a trivet. In addition, its cool elegant surface is perfect for rolling out pastry dough. Granite countertops are a gorgeous, durable and cost spirited solution for kitchens, baths and added residential applications or marketable applications.



All Granite and Marble business is the leader in production and setting up of natural stone countertops. This will provide customers with the highest quality of workmanship and stone while keeping products at reasonable. This granite counter tops offer a wide range of products related to natural stone fabrication. This made up designing floors, walls, indoors and outdoors, delivering the best excellence to your home - your bathroom, shower, tub, Jacuzzi. From kitchen countertops, through vanity tops, Jacuzzi and fireplace setting to full wall and floor paneling - these products forever made-up with the utmost precision and quality. You can install granite counter tops for bathrooms, kitchen, custom counter tops, Stone countertops, Soapstone countertops and more.



You can also find more info on Granite Tile Countertops and Marble Granite Tile. Kitchengranitecountertophelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Kitchen Granite Counter Top.

Granite Countertop Atlanta by G & L Marble delivers the finest in natural stone for granite kitchen counters through out Atlanta and Georgia. With over two-hundred varieties of granites alone in stock, there is a color appealing to any discriminating taste. Showrooms are conveniently located in Midtown Atlanta and Alpharetta.

Visit: Granite Countertop Atlanta to see a complete selection of our Product

info@granitecountertopatlanta.com

Kitchen Remodeling

When considering the different aspects of kitchen remodeling design, you should be open to all the different ideas for planning and remodeling this area. Therefore, it is wise to make a list of the areas and items that you do not like about the existing kitchen while planning a kitchen remodel design.

Here are examples of kitchen remodeling design issues to address:

* Determine a kitchen remodel design budget, and then stick to it.

* What is the size of your family or number of people you plan to accommodate while entertaining?

* What is the number of cooks who will be using the same space?

* Consider the amount of preparation and counter space you need.

* Determine whether you have enough storage space.

* What about the replacement of some or all of your appliances?

* Consider the type of lighting you plan to use for most areas of your kitchen, whether it is natural or artificial.

* Consider the traffic flow and the work triangle, which is the most efficient distance between the oven, sink and refrigerator.

* You might consider adding or designing a kitchen island for storage, cleaning area and cook top or food preparation area.

* A kitchen remodeling design takes time and planning, so consider the type of pantry and cabinets you want and the types of materials used for the floors, countertops and backsplash.

Do you know that there are homeowners who do not cook but have a beautiful kitchen show place? Some families do a great deal of entertaining in this area that is the center of their homes. It may also function as their office, an after school work shop for homework as well as a place to cook and entertain family and friends.

Kitchen remodel designs today are more complex and expensive. The appearance of your kitchen can add to the value of your home or take away from it. However, this does not mean you have to spend $80,000 to create a beautiful and functional kitchen. When you live in an area that does not feature high-tech kitchens with large food preparation areas as well as expensive materials and finishes, it may not be wise to invest so much money on a kitchen remodeling design, since if you do sell your home, you may not get back your investment.

Most homes today feature an open plan design kitchen that provides good natural lighting. This way you, your family and friends can eat, drink, talk, watch television while preparing meals and enjoying the same open space. The most successful kitchen remodeling designs take into account various designing tips.

You do not have to spend an outrageous amount of money for a basic kitchen remodel design. For instance, when your cabinets are in good condition, you may consider staining or repainting them for a fresh appearance. It the cabinet boxes are in good shape, you might want to replace only the doors, the drawer fronts and hardware.

However, if the cabinets need replacing, there are many attractive, reasonably priced materials that can offer the special appearance you wish to create. Keep in mind that it can become very expensive when you remodel large rooms with custom cabinets made of exotic woods.

Your appliances should be energy efficient and of good quality. However, if you do not want to spend a lot of money, you can choose appliances that are all white, black or beige since they are both less expensive and just as attractive as stainless steel. Remember, a purchase of professional or commercial appliances of stainless steel will increase your budget total once you have determined the amount you want to spend per appliance and whether your existing appliances are reusable.

Always being mindful of your budget, you should know that hardwood flooring is more expensive than some tile or vinyl flooring. As long as you do not use such materials as stone, marble, granite, concrete and stainless steel, keep in mind that back splashes and countertops of more common materials will be cheaper. Rather than using imported or hand painted tiles which are expensive, choose the other types of budget friendly synthetic tiles that are both durable and beautiful.

Kitchen islands are wonderful sources for extra storage and preparation areas, with or without a sink, or you may consider installing a cook top. Consider what the available space will be, since a kitchen island does need a certain amount of space to be work efficient. For instance, when working with a small 3′ x 6′ island, you will require at least 130 square feet of floor space for the traffic flow around the island to function well, depending upon the size of the room.

No matter how simple or complex your kitchen remodeling design is, the kitchen can be useful for working on the computer, doing homework or gathering around your family and friends for eating and drinking.

Before beginning to do any work, it is a good idea to learn as much as you can about kitchen remodel design. Since the kitchen is the heart of any home and a special area, you want yours to perform its best for you now and in the future.

Learn more kitchen design ideas online and how to create great kitchens. David Lee Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - visit the website for a variety of articles on creating a better home.

Kitchen and Bathroom Sinks

Kitchen sinks are essentially flat-bottomed and made of stainless steel to ensure durability and longevity. Stainless steel kitchen sinks come in many combinations such as a single bowl, single bowl with drain board on one side or two sides, double bowl, double bowl with drain board on both sides or on one side.


Nowadays kitchen sinks are being used with waste food disposal system as well. The system is basically for disposing the wet garbage. With this system installed into the kitchen sink you can get rid of unwanted waste like fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, bones etc., thereby discouraging foul smell, bacteria and insects in the kitchen. The food waste is flushed directly into the kitchen sink and once the disposal system is switched on, the food waste is crushed and disposed off. This product works on electricity.
Seamless sinks are also available. These sinks have less taper that makes the capacity of the sink bigger. Synthetic resin and quartz sinks are used nowadays as well, in designer kitchens to match the colour of the sink with the colour scheme of the kitchen.



There are a wide range of materials in which bathroom sinks are now available other than ceramic, such as glass, soapstone, concrete, terrazzo, totianota, plastic, enamel over steel, and cast iron. Also there are various options for mounting them, such as on counters, pedestals, and cabinets.
The choice of either kitchen or bathroom sinks depends on your budget, available space and position specific to the particular toilet or kitchen, and the overall décor.

Regarding maintenance of the bathroom and kitchen sink, the most important thing is that they must be properly fitted and carefully mounted to begin with. For day-to-day maintenance sinks and basins should not be cleaned with any abrasive material as this can scratch their surface. Also no corrosive liquid should be used for cleaning the bathroom washbasins or stainless steel sinks.
The first and foremost step to having a neat, presentable and organized kitchen is to cut down the visible clutter on the counters. First identify which of the bottles and containers are needed at their existing locations on the counters or can they be put away in storage units — overhead counter units or under counter storage units. Overhead counter units or under counter storage units can be reorganized in a better fashion by retaining the same fronts and reorganizing the insides of the cupboards.
Nowadays a variety of pullout wire baskets, plate racks and shelving systems are available for storing all kinds of jars, bottles, containers, utensils, crockery and cutlery. In case the ready-made baskets, racks and shelving systems don’t fit your budget they can also be fabricated to your requirement by any metal fabricator as per your specifications. These baskets, racks and shelving systems would be installed inside the overhead or under counter storage, thereby reducing the visible clutter on the counters. Cutlery drawers could be custom-designed with simple ply partitions within the drawers if required.


Changes inside the overhead and under counter cabinets in the kitchen would definitely make the kitchen more organized and therefore more neat and presentable.

Accessing bottles and jars in the back rows of the overhead storage units is always a problem. Having wire baskets or ply shelving in the shutter itself, like a refrigerator door, could solve this. It would also be a good idea to get bottles of similar style and shape for certain spices etc. which are to be left out on the counter for a neater appearance. Right angle junctions in under and overhead counter are problematic storage spaces. This storage could be custom-made like a carousel in modular kitchens, i.e. a central pivoted circular/angular revolving shelving system.

Kitchen Bar

Remodeling the kitchen can be an exciting time, especially for those with the available room to add to their space. Making the area in the kitchen flow easier can make everything more convenient and adding a kitchen bar home improvement steps can help create even more space. Large families can realize a significant addition to the space created and by adding a few tall stools, an area for casual relaxation can be created.

When the kitchen and dining room are adjacent, most often people prepare meals and eat in the dining room. However, it may not be conducive to reading the morning paper and enjoying an early morning cup of coffee or tea. Taking the step of a kitchen bar home improvement can supply that occasional need for more space. Especially during holidays when more people are present for a meal or simply gathering, they can be separated between the table and the bar and still remain in the same immediate environment. It may also be considered to make the kitchen bar home improvement part of an island in the center of the kitchen, complete with a sink and stovetop for preparing larger meals. Part of the new countertop can house the appliances while one end serves as a bar for either additional dining space or an area on which food is kept for serving.

There has never been a complaint heard about having too much storage space in the kitchen and cabinets built under a kitchen bar home improvement can supply more area to store small appliances and other needed kitchen items. Although the top of the counter will typically extend up to 12-inches over the top of the cabinet, the additional space is readily accessible for many often-used items. When decorating the kitchen, wallpaper borders are an essential element in setting the atmosphere of the room. The pattern of wallpaper that you use to complete your room will depend on your personal style. Whether your style is cozy, fun, formal, or luxurious, if you are creative about the way you use and install these wallpapers, your room will be a one of a kind creation.

The first thing you can do to make your wallpaper border unique is to combine your wallpaper borders. You can hang two or three coordinating wallpaper borders together. You might even consider using borders that contrast with each other. For example, you can start with realistic wallpaper that depicts items on a shelf or hanging pots and pans. Directly below that you can put a thin wood trim that would cause one to think there is actually a shelf there, and then below that, you can put up sculpted ivy wallpaper that butts against the faux shelf.

To make the kitchen bar home improvement more complementary to the kitchen, the countertop should match other tops in the same room. The wood on the cabinets should also match other trim in the kitchen to continue the same basic theme throughout the room. If possible, having the countertop, the cabinet and floor trim all complement the other colors in the kitchen will bring the room together into a common decorative theme. To pursue this type of kitchen bar home improvement project, it will probably be necessary to bring in help for the plumbing and electrical work. Gas stove tops will also require a plumber licensed for this type of work and while the cost may be seem high, the extra space and increased value of the home will make it worth the money.

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How Landlords Find Tenants In A Soft Market

What has happened to all the renters?
How Landlords Find Tenants In A Soft Market
by: David Schneider
What has happened to all the renters? Well, Let’s examine what has happen in the last few years in the housing markets.
First of all, interest rates have dropped to all time historical lows. This means that many renters have taken advantage of this and went out and bought a house. The second thing that has happened is that most real estate values throughout the country have gone up a lot in a short period of time. Because of this, many more people have decided to start to invest in rental real estate. More landlords, fewer renters equal a soft rental market.



When the market is soft, you have to be better at finding renters
It’s the mission of all business to get and keep customers. Well, the business of owning and managing investment real estate isn’t any different. You must have a system and plan in place to find new tenants and keep you old tenants.
Typically owners of small rental property only do one or two things to find tenants. They may run an advertisement in their local newspaper or they may put a sign on the property that says “FOR RENT”. This is fine in a good rental market, but if you want avoid vacancy you have to do more.
Here are five simple ideas to help keep those vacancies filled:
1. Put together a property feature sheet explaining the features and benefits of your property and distribute it to local real estate offices.
2. Offer bonuses and incentives to your other residents if the refer anyone to you that rents. As an example: gift certificates for dinner out, tank of gas, microwave, etc.
3. Use the apartment rental services in your area. They can be found in your phone book and will list your property in their “properties for rent list” that they give to residents.
4. Make up some cards that say “Properties For Rent – Houses, Duplexes and Apartments. Call Me” and leave them all over. Put them in the envelope when you pay your bills, leave them at restaurants or post them on bulletin boards at stores. Leave them anywhere, be creative and get the word out.
5. Create a waiting list. Keep a list of all callers on any rental that you ever had available. When a new unit comes up for rent, notify the people on your list and see if they might have an interest. If you ever get calls from someone looking for a rental and you don’t have any available now, put them on you waiting list.
Even though the above list is short, it should give you the idea that you need to have many ways to find renters. I’m sure that if you sat down and thought about it you could create a list of 50 –100 ideas. Once you have your list created, you should now test the ideas and see which ones gave you the best results. By doing this process you will fill your vacancies fast and have a constant stream of new tenants wanting to rent from you.
Copyright 2006 David Schneider
About The Author
Dave Schneider has been investing in real estate for over 25 years and is devoting to helping landlords make more money!. For free audio seminars, tools and information on real estate investing and being a landlord, visit this site now: http://landlordtools.com.

Advertising Your Rental Home

Simply filling the unit is not enough; savvy landlords view the marketing effort as the first step in screening tenants.

Getting you rental filled is of primary concern when you are turning over rental units. Landlords understand that a vacant unit is translated to profit loss. This is why having a sound marketing strategy is so very important. Simply filling the unit is not enough; savvy landlords view the marketing effort as the first step in screening tenants. An efficient and proper marketing campaign is the best method for landlords to reduce the risk in choosing the best person to rent the unit. They want to be sure that the person they contract with can pay rent on time and fulfill the obligations of the lease. Having to choose a marginal tenant because of lack of options can prove to be costly. The cost evictions, turnover and repairs can be devastating.

• The easiest and best way to market you rental home is the time tested “For Rent” sign. Simple as it may be, this method capitalizes on the idea that renters will drive around desired communities in search of future housing.

To enhance visibility, it is recommended that more than one sign be placed on the property. Many landlords place a small box on one of the signs to place flyers with rental details. This will allow for the landlord to disqualify prospects by revealing price, policy and expectations. Qualifying prospects will save much time by cutting unnecessary phone calls and showings.

Signs must be reveal contact information clearly and in large print. Many landlords lose rental opportunities by making the writing too small or unreadable. To make the signs stand out more, tie two or three balloons. Adding simple balloons to the "For Rent" sign in front of your rental can increase the effectiveness of the sign by 150%. Add helium for increased effect.

• The second most effective marketing effort is to distribute the rental details flyer to all the free community bulleting boards in the vicinity. These boards are located at grocery stores, churches, community centers and government offices.

Prepare and place announcements or flyers about the availability of your rental property on bulletin boards in local shops, businesses, churches and community centers. This method is especially effective if you are marketing to Hispanics and other immigrants.

• The third most effective way to market your rental is by offering other tenants, friends and associated a referral commission if they refer a new tenant. Customary referral rewards range from $50-$200. This allows landlords the ability to shorten vacancy time.
• The fourth most effective way to market your rental is “classified ads on newspapers”. They can be more expensive if you go to the larger newspapers in most cities. However, if you go to smaller publications that distribute the in rental’s neighborhood, municipality or city district, the price will be much more reasonable. Ads in big newspapers are generally very short because word usage is limited. Smaller publications allow more details in the ad.

The problem with classifieds in general is that they are limited in that they cannot put many details in the ad. Having many details in the ad is very important because they allow the landlord to prescreen prospects. Having unqualified prospects robs the landlord of valuable time. It can never be overstated that the time spent on unnecessary showings and phone calls can be better spent on real prospects.

Classified ads also run into the problem that they expire when the next newspaper is published. People seldom go to previous issues to look at classifieds.

· The fifth most effective way to market your rental is “online ads”. Online ads can be effective when people relocate from outside the area of the rental. People considering a move generally go to the internet for housing information.

Online ads allow for the landlord to post much more information to better pre-qualify prospects. This information is available to prospects anytime prospects connect to the internet.

The internet has many rental sites that vary in price. A good starting point is to start with an inexpensive ad (www.usrentallisting.com) in order to test the ad without risking too much. If it proves to generate rentals, then the testing ends.

Generally these websites are promoted through pay for click and organic search strategies along with print ads.

If a landlord manages many properties they may consider getting their own site with individual pages devoted ( www.homepartners.com) to every aspect of every rental. These sites are used as property management tool in addition to the obvious marketing uses.

It is never too late for landlords to develop a sound marketing strategy for their rental. Landlords cannot afford to limit their number of qualified prospects to their rental.

Manuel Enrique Lopez- “QuiQue” mlopez@l2l2l.com

Hispanic Renter Information

Statistics of Hispanic Renters
Based on U.S. Census figures, the Hispanic community in the United
States is the fastest growing demographic group in the country.
Between 1990 and 2003, the Hispanic population grew 61 percent from 21.9 million to 35.3 million.
According to the US Census Bureau, by the year 2050 the Hispanic population of the US will nearly triple: “The Hispanic population will jump from 35.6 to 102.6 million, or from 12.6 percent to 24.4 percent of the (American) population. Latino purchasing power has increased from $223 billion in 1990 to $490.7 billion in 2002 and is projected to grow to $1.1 Trillion by 2009” - Selig Center for Economic Growth, University of GA
The gross domestic product of U.S. Hispanics will be the ninth-largest economy in the world by 2010. Did you know that 54 percent are renters?
The following are interesting rental statistics:

"Latinos make up nearly 13% of the total US population."

· The purchasing power of Hispanics has increased by 118 % in the last 10 years
· In 2002, 2.9 million banking customers were Hispanics
· Over 2 Million LA Hispanics use credit cards – up from 1.7 Million four years ago.
· 67% - the percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a married couple.
· 44% - the percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a married couple with children under 18.
· 65% - the percentage of Hispanic children that live with both parents.
· 11% - the percentage of Hispanic population underage 5, as of July 1, 2004. Hispanics had a higher concentration of preschoolers among their population than any other race or ethnic group.
· 2.53- the average household size of renter-occupied units
· More than half of Hispanic households have two or more earners

Screening of Hispanics

One of the benefits of doing proper credit checks and criminal background investigations of potential Hispanic tenants is that it documents a landlord’s diligence in applying consistent, nondiscriminatory criteria in their rental decisions. Without such documentation, a landlord faces possible litigation under the Fair Housing Act, which is also known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. The act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents of legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). More on the Fair Housing Act. Landlords should screen applicants on the order that they received the applications and base their decisions on criteria that demonstrate a tenant’s ability to pay rent and a tenant’s criminal background is not a threat to the property or the community. When filing out their rental application, many Hispanics may not be able to supply a social security number. This should not dissuade a landlord from following through with the screening process. Many Hispanics use a federal tax ID to build credit information. If a Federal Tax ID is not available, the landlord should ask for the number that the applicant is using to build their credit. It is highly recommended to do a criminal search in addition to the credit check to complete the screening. NOTE L2L MEMBERS: The Landlord2Landlord National Database allows members to perform Social Security searches as well as last name, maiden name and alias searches at no additional cost. This enables landlords to have the flexibility to perform name only searches to catch the rent skipper that changes their Social Security number (even if its one digit) in order to escape detection. This system also allows landlords to enter their Hispanic renter’s (who have no Social Security number) information and conduct searches to track and record renter history. Our Report Cards enable our members to track by name only