Maria Gatea
Maria Gatea is a Senior Editor & Research Writer for Yardi with a background in Journalism and Communication. After covering business and finance-related topics as a freelance writer for 15 years, she is now focusing on researching and writing about the real estate industry. You may contact Maria via email.

Top 10 Cheapest Self Storage Zip Codes In Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs has many cards up its sleeve – it provides all the opportunities and the amenities of the urban lifestyle, while also granting access to a relaxed lifestyle and to the great outdoors. The city scores points on various chapters, ranking high among the best places to live in the US.

The American Backyard In The Last 100 Years: Lot Sizes In San Diego Get Bigger While Seattle Loses Yard Space

The demand for larger homes, combined with rising building costs and shrinking lot sizes, has forced a compromise that often leaves homeowners with limited outdoor space, as developers try to balance buyer preferences with the need for more housing.

Moving From California To Utah – Key Considerations Before Taking The Route

The California to Utah route is getting quite crowded with people on the move – almost 18,000 Californians headed to the Beehive State in 2019 alone, according to the latest US Census data. But what’s behind this particular migration trend, and what do you need to know if you’re a Californian planning to relocate to Utah?

How To Make Your Kitchen Smarter: From Smart Appliances To Smart Organizing Tips

Smart technologies became an integral part of all aspects of our lives, helping us with everything, from working and entertainment to the more mundane tasks of cleaning and cooking. Smart kitchen appliances save us a lot of time and effort – your food cooks itself while you’re working, relaxing or even away from home, and your fridge makes shopping lists and places orders online.

Top 10 Local Resources For Interior Design In Jacksonville

With its year-round perfect weather, the over 20 miles of beaches, solid job market,  a flourishing music and arts scene and access plenty of family-oriented activities, Jacksonville, Florida, is definitely a great place to live. If you’re one of the city’s lucky residents – or if you’re planning to move to the area – you might need help to remodel and decorate your dream home here.

How To Find A Fixer Upper In Austin And Make The Most Of It

Austin’s real estate market is on an upward trend, fueled by economic growth and low interest rates. Big corporations like Google, Tesla and Oracle are moving operations to the city, creating a steady influx of high paying jobs. This, in return, leads to numerous corporate relocations, on one hand, and to an increased inbound migration from professionals looking for better job. Mortgage interest rates are also at historic lows: the 30-year fixed rate is around 3%, while the 15-year rate is slightly above 2%. Thus, it’s not surprising that home sales are booming in Austin: the median sales price rose almost 42% year-over-year this April, to an all-time high of $460.000.

Where Can You Buy The Best Storage Locks In Chicago?

Self storage comes in handy in a variety of circumstances: moving, downsizing, remodeling, or simply not having enough space at home for all your belongings. Self storage is even more important in a big city like Chicago, where apartment living is widespread, and there’s also a high influx of newcomers. The street rate for a 10X10 self storage unit in Chicago stands at around $110 per month. A 10×10 unit is quite roomy, allowing you to store a variety of items, including extra furniture, out of season clothing, tools, sports equipment and so on.

Seattle’s Lot Sizes Shrinking: Big-Yard Homes Increasingly Far From The Urban Core

Home prices are now at historic highs. The median price of an existing home reached $341,600, with all major regions in the US posting double-digit increases. Rising demand for housing combined with the high cost of land and building materials has pushed lot sizes to new lows across the country. The median size of a lot for a new home was 7,900 square feet in 2020, down 11% compared to 2000. Meanwhile, homes are getting bigger – the median size of a single family home built in 2020 was 2,260 square feet, up 12% from two decades before.

Bedroom Décor Ideas: How To Add The Wow Factor Without Hurting Coziness

The bedroom is the space in your home where you spend most of your time–granted, a lot of that time is spent sleeping, but also relaxing, reading, and preparing for your day. Your bedroom needs to be airy and uncluttered, well organized, but also cozy, to facilitate all these different needs: relaxation, a good night’s sleep and getting ready in the morning.

Multi-purpose Homes: How To Create A Living Space That Serves As An Office, Playground, Gym and More

The way we use our homes and the roles that a house must fulfill change over time, as society itself changes. Those changes are usually subtle, and it takes plenty of time until new trends become generalized. For example, we now live in much larger houses than in the past, but this shift in housing size happened over decades – in 2019, the median size of a newly built home was over 2,300 square feet, according to the US Census, almost 1,000 square feet more than the median home in 1973.

Setting Up A Kids Playroom At Home (Plus Some Great Toy Storage Ideas)

Children are often at the center of attention when organizing space at home, and many parents think about setting up a playroom. Kids generally need a fun and versatile space where they can play, keep their toys, be active, develop their skills and imagination, and also have a cozy spot to relax. Naturally, school-aged children also need a dedicated space for reading and doing homework. Fitting all this into a home or apartment is challenging, but with careful planning, effective storage solutions, and a bit of inspiration, you can create the perfect playroom to nurture your child’s creativity and well-being.

10 Of The Best Home Organizing Shows To Watch In 2021

Having a well-organized, neat and tidy home is a goal for most of us. However, getting started (and following through with that commitment) can be quite challenging. Fortunately, there are now many home organizing shows and social media channels that can nudge us in the right direction and provide the information and support that we need to reach our goal.