Home Improvement - Sunrooms

Four-Season Porches and Sunrooms - Extending Your Living Space Year-Round

Have you ever wished you could sip coffee on a snowy winter morning while soaking up the sun? A four-season room or sunroom might be just the thing your home is missing. These versatile spaces bring the best parts of the great outdoors inside, without the bugs, humidity, and freezing temperatures. Four-season porches and sunrooms are fully insulated, so you can heat and cool your space year-round. Plus, they come with a whole host of benefits.

Extended Living Space

Use your four-season porch or sunroom as a breakfast nook, reading lounge, or space to entertain friends. If you enjoy gardening or tending to houseplants, this setup can also double as a beautiful greenhouse.

Natural Light

Boost your mood and your vitamin D levels by soaking up the sun in your four-season room. It's a fantastic way to maximize daylight during the shorter winter months. Plus, if you install UV-blocking windows, you'll get all the benefits without the sunburn.

Energy Efficiency

With the right materials, you can enjoy your four-season room comfortably all year long without a spike in your utility bills. Opt for insulated walls and low-E glass to keep the temperature just right.

Increased Home Value

Thinking about selling your home in the future? A well-designed sunroom can boost your property's market appeal. Plus, it can increase your home's square footage and resale value.

Before breaking ground on your sunroom addition, we have a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your design. South-facing rooms get the most sun, which is great if you live in a colder climate. In warmer areas, consider east or north-facing designs to reduce summer heat. Install thermally insulated windows and quality roofing to enjoy your sunroom year-round. Integrating HVAC or ductless mini-split systems will also provide you with consistent temperature control. Consult a trusted contractor to evaluate your space and develop a design that elevates your home.

Sources: Modernglazing.com, Houzz.com

Team Lasson is here to assist with all of your home buying needs!  If you’re considering taking the leap into home ownership in the near future, we’re here to help.  Contact us today to explore which loan program aligns best with your financial goals. 

The first step in preparing for your big purchase is to get pre-approved for a mortgage at Lake of the Ozarks.  Visit www.yourlakeloan.com or call us at (573) 216-7258 to get started today!

Michael Lasson

Senior Mortgage Banker

NMLS #:  493712

Flat Branch Home Loans – Team Lasson

2882 Bagnell Dam Blvd

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Cell:  (573) 216-7258

Email:  teamlasson@fbhl.com

Website:  www.yourlakeloan.com

 

**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent Flat Branch Home Loans positions, strategies, or opinions.

Flat Branch Home Loans NMLS 224149. A Division of Flat Branch Mortgage Inc.

What to Watch - 2025 Outlook

Cooling Inflation, Rising Inventories Boost 2025 Outlook  

Cooling inflation, slowing home price growth, an expected rise in home sales, and growing home inventories are key trends to watch in the near future. High prices coupled with frothy borrowing costs have been challenging the sector, but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Inflation, as measured by the Fed's favorite gauge, the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures, just recently fell to a four-year low, due in part to eased supply chain issues, moderated demand from high interest rates, and declining financial services costs. This lower rate also reflects favorable base effects, meaning this year's smaller price increases look even smaller when compared to last year's unusually large spikes. For the consumer, the price of gas at the pump has declined, and while not an inflation problem, egg prices have fallen dramatically from the high prices seen in late January and early February.

Slowing inflation tends to boost bond prices and push home borrowing costs lower.

In its May Home Values and Sales Forecast Report, Zillow reports that home values are projected to fall by 1.4% this year, revised up from the previous expectation of a 1.9% decrease. Home values are declining in specific areas, particularly in the Sun Belt, but national prices are still trending upward, albeit more slowly, a positive for housing.

On the supply front, the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) reports that total housing inventory registered at the end of April was 1.45 million units, up 9.0% from March and 20.8% from one year ago (1.2 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 4.4-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 4.0 months in March and 3.5 months in April 2024. With increased supply, buyers have more options and time to decide, though they have not been as active as they typically are during this time of year.

Bright Outlook for 2025: Existing home sales are expected to climb to 4.12 million units in 2025, marking a promising 1.4% increase from 2024, according to the NAR, even if slightly lower than the prior forecast of 4.2 million. Zillow highlights that a growing housing supply, reduced policy uncertainty, and gradual improvements in affordability are paving the way for a stronger, more vibrant home sales market, offering hope and opportunity for buyers and the housing sector alike.

Source: Mortgage Market Guide

Team Lasson is here to assist with all of your home buying needs!  If you’re considering taking the leap into home ownership in the near future, we’re here to help.  Contact us today to explore which loan program aligns best with your financial goals. 

The first step in preparing for your big purchase is to get pre-approved for a mortgage at Lake of the Ozarks.  Visit www.yourlakeloan.com or call us at (573) 216-7258 to get started today!

Michael Lasson

Senior Mortgage Banker

NMLS #:  493712

Flat Branch Home Loans – Team Lasson

2882 Bagnell Dam Blvd

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Cell:  (573) 216-7258

Email:  teamlasson@fbhl.com

Website:  www.yourlakeloan.com

**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent Flat Branch Home Loans positions, strategies, or opinions.

Flat Branch Home Loans NMLS 224149. A Division of Flat Branch Mortgage Inc.

For more licensing information, visit NMLSConsumerAccess.org

Flat Branch Flex Funds

Flex Funds is a program that functions as a grant to assist first-time homebuyers with closing costs or a down payment.

With Flex Funds, buyers can receive up to $4,000 in assistance toward closing costs or their down payment. Closing costs are the fees associated with a home loan, and the down payment is the initial payment made on the loan.  

In order to use Flex Funds, the home purchase must be a single-family residence, a primary residence purchase, purchaser must be a first-time homebuyer (as defined by Fannie Mae), purchaser’s income must be at or under 80% of the area medium income, purchase must be Fannie Mae Home Ready or Freddie Mac Home Possible eligible, and borrower must meet 3% minimum required contribution.

Flat Branch Home Loans is a dominant mortgage company in the Midwest and is growing throughout the country. Flat Branch Home Loans employees live, work, and play in the communities they serve, and consider every borrower they work with family, not a file.  We believe in making the homebuying process easier. Programs like Flex Funds allow homebuyers to achieve homeownership and build wealth.

Team Lasson is here to assist with all of your home buying needs!  If you’re considering taking the leap into home ownership in the near future, we’re here to help.  Contact us today to explore which loan program aligns best with your financial goals. 

The first step in preparing for your big purchase is to get pre-approved for a mortgage at Lake of the Ozarks.  Visit www.yourlakeloan.com or call us at (573) 216-7258 to get started today!

Michael Lasson

Senior Mortgage Banker

NMLS #:  493712

Flat Branch Home Loans – Team Lasson

2882 Bagnell Dam Blvd

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Cell:  (573) 216-7258

Email:  teamlasson@fbhl.com

Website:  www.yourlakeloan.com

**The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent Flat Branch Home Loans positions, strategies, or opinions.

Flat Branch Home Loans NMLS 224149. A Division of Flat Branch Mortgage Inc.

For more licensing information, visit NMLSConsumerAccess.org