8 Interior Design Trends To Look Out For In 2022

The current interior design trends are wide-ranging and diverse. There are new colors, textures, and materials, but the most important thing is that there are new moods. The way we desire to spend our lives has changed gradually over the past couple of years. How we want to spend time in our homes has altered, as has the purpose of our homes, and this has influenced every decor decision we make.

PLUMP SEATING

Designers are exhibiting how a more casual seating style may combine comfort and everyday usefulness while yet maintaining a high level of refinement and maximum style-desirability. With this aesthetic, it’s the Italian designers that are leading the way.

SCREEN-FREE ROOMS

After a long day of using your smartphone and computer, it can feel amazing to come home and take a technology break. More and more, homeowners are creating specific screen-free rooms—perhaps a library, craft room, or listening room—where you can escape from technology for a while.

COLORED CONCRETE

Concrete comes into play in today’s bathroom ideas, which are all about adding personality while maintaining a monastic sense of spa-like tranquillity. It’s the ideal material for this room because of the vibrant colors it now offers, as well as the texture and depth it brings.

UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARDS

What if you could feel like you were sleeping in a luxury hotel bed every night? The bedding and mattress are an important part of that experience, but so is the aesthetic and comfort of an upholstered headboard.

EARTH TONES

Natural colors have become increasingly popular, especially deep greens. It’s a great way to bring some of nature’s colors indoors, whether as an accent wall, in blankets and pillows, or for furniture.

BLACK STAINLESS STEEL

If you want a sleek, contemporary kitchen, black stainless steel is even more of a statement than traditional stainless steel.

PATTERNED FABRICS

While solid upholstery will never go out of style, patterns have become trendy of late. It’s an easy way to make a bold, eye-catching statement in your living space.

RED EARTH CERAMICS

Red clay adds a surprising variation to the more usually observed white pottery, thanks to its innate warmth. Often, red or ‘brown’ ceramics are linked with coarser pottery, but this new wave of earthy vases and pieces has a refinement to them, as well as an entirely current artistic edge, that makes them avant-garde.

Be Wary of Timeshare Resale Scams to Avoid Getting Ripped Off

There’s a certain appeal of having guaranteed access to a vacation property in a spot that you enjoy visiting frequently on your holidays, which is precisely what timeshares offer. Simply pick up and go without having to jump through hoops to make sure the place is available when you feel like ditching the concrete jungle in favor of something more serene for a little while.

And even when it comes time to sell, there are typically always a pool of buyers who are willing to pay for these conveniences.

But not all resale timeshare sales transactions are good deals. In fact, many of them are downright scams.

While there are plenty of honest sellers who are trying to unload their timeshares to willing buyers, there are also plenty of scammers out there waiting to rip off unsuspecting people.

In fact, this practice is so rampant that the Federal Trade Commission has actually had to step in and cease hundreds of deceitful resale timeshare scams that have been responsible for stealing millions of dollars. When timeshare owners are anxious to get rid of their vacations properties quickly for whatever reason, scammers are lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce.

Before selling or purchasing a timeshare, it’s critical that you do some research first to find out exactly how they work, and how to decipher between what’s a legitimate deal and what isn’t. Scams in the timeshare resale realm are varied and can take on many faces, so it’s important to be wary of them to avoid getting caught in the current.

“I’ve Got Cash Buyers Ready to Purchase”

Lots of timeshare sellers have heard this line. Scammers offer the promise of having a buyer ready to purchase the timeshare, or promise that they can definitely sell it quickly. All sellers need to do, they’re told, is pay an up-front amount to cover expenses like maintenance fees, closing costs, taxes, and so on. Once that money’s been wired over, sellers never hear a peep from the tricksters again – or their money.

Without a paper trail or any contract signed, there’s little recourse for sellers. All they’re left with is a loss of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

“Been Scammed? We Can Help Recover Your Stolen Money”

Scammers are smart, and they often come up with new and more savvy ways to swindle a buck out of unsuspecting victims. Changing the game up a little helps avoid a trail left behind, so they can continue fattening their bank accounts with little chance of getting caught.

In the case of the first type of scam, many thieves continue on with the act by contacting the victims and promising to help get the stolen funds back. But of course, this service comes with a fee. And once the victim is convinced of the legitimacy of this service, more money is wired to the con artists, after which the initial funds are never recovered.

“We Help Connect Buyers in Mexico With Sellers in the US”

It seems there’s nothing a crook won’t do to get their hands on illegitimate funds. A scam that’s recently become pretty popular involves scammers claiming to be the go-between for buyers in Latin America who want to get a visa by purchasing property in the US. By putting their name on title – so the scam goes – these agents acting on behalf of the buyers claim to help them obtain the green card they’ve been longing for. All that needs to happen to get the ball rolling in this purchase is for the seller to send over a transaction fee.

The story ends like the others . . . with the sellers left with a lot less in their pockets.

Many Scammers Are Engaging in Identity Theft to Appear Legit

While there are a lot of people out there who are easily fooled, fraudsters don’t rely on their naiveté to make sure they get away with their nefarious plans. As such, many of them go so far as to steal the identity of trustworthy and reputable names in order to appear legitimate in the eyes of their prey.

Many timeshare scammers hide behind the names of established companies or even government officials in order to extort money from sellers. They even have fake websites, professional-sounding titles, and phony addresses to keep up the facade. Many are putting themselves out there as real estate licensees and use an actual broker’s name and license number in order to make it appear as if the sales transaction is real.

What Can You Do To Protect Yourself?

It can be pretty scary to think about the lengths that scammers will go to in order to rip off timeshare sellers, especially when identity theft is involved. Being vigilant is inevitably the best thing in order to protect yourself. It’s better to be highly skeptical with a legitimate service than be gullible with a fraudulent one.

First and foremost, be very suspicious of people who ask for money up front. If the deal is authentic, any fees owed will usually be payable after the transaction is done. And once the fees are due, money should NEVER be wired, nor should they be paid in cash. Instead, funds should only be transferred through a legitimate attorney where a valid and easily-tracked paper trail is left. The former two methods will only make it impossible for law enforcement to recover the lost money.

Speaking of attorneys, you should always have one carefully review any documents involved with sales transactions to make sure you don’t sign anything illicit. Everything should be in writing and reviewed in detail before any sales transaction is finalized.

Even if the reseller seems legitimate with a company name or title that sounds genuine, check into them in more detail to find out if they truly are who they say they are. And if the timeshare being sold is in a resort, call and ask if the resort has a resale program of their own, or if they’ve ever dealt with this particular reseller who’s been in touch with you.

By being cautious and aware of the potential scams floating around out there, you can make sure that the people you’re paying for a resale timeshare are the real deal.

JUST LISTED IN THE HILLS OF WESTSIDE DUBLIN!

11352 Marwick Dr, Dublin, CA 94568

$1,699,000 | 3 Beds | 2 Baths | 1,598 SqFt

Amazing location at the top of the hills in the westside of Dublin! Serene setting for this single-story home w/pool backing to the beautiful rolling hills of westside. Updated 3 bed/2 bath home w/open kitchen/family room concept floorplan. Separate Office/Den (could be used as a 4th bedroom currently w/built-in Murphy bed) w/vaulted ceiling & slider out to side yard patio. Detached studio ADU w/full bathroom. Great floorplan. This home checks a lot of boxes!

FULL LISTING

San Ramon Valley Real Estate Market Update – 5/1/2022 – Are We Seeing a Market Shift?

Watch video for info on the current market in San Ramon, Dublin, Danville, Blackhawk & Alamo 🏡

This week’s stats by city:

San Ramon: 

– 76 ‘For Sale’ 

– 78 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 19 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 115%

Dublin: 

– 60 ‘For Sale’ 

– 94 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 22 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 115%

Danville: 

– 65 ‘For Sale’ 

– 71 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 20 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 115%

Blackhawk: 

– 13 ‘For Sale’ 

– 10 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 1 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 110%

Alamo: 

– 25 ‘For Sale’ 

– 20 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 4 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 108%

For more info anytime:

📱(925) 899-0825

📧 Jason@JasonCaskie.com

🌐 https://lnkd.in/gVmTMYey

🌐 JasonCaskie.com

How to Sell Your Home to Family Without Making it Complicated

If you’re planning on selling your home, you might have a relative who might be showing interest in buying it off of you.

That could potentially make things a lot easier for you, considering the fact that there’s no need to market your property, and you can close the deal quickly.

Or, it could turn into an ugly mess that can leave you both on awkward terms with one another.

You want to make sure you get what your home is worth in the current market, but you also don’t want to compromise the relationship with the relative you’re selling to. When it comes to money, anything can happen.

Keep the following tips in mind when selling your house to a relative or close friend so you can keep the relationship intact while getting the most out of the sale.

Be Up Front About Your Relationship

If you or your relative don’t want to land in any hot water with the government, you’d be well-advised to disclose the nature of the relationship between the two of you with your lender. Anyone who fills out an application for mortgage insurance with the Federal Housing Authority will typically be asked to submit an Identity of Interest Certification form if there’s a relationship between the buyer and seller.

It’s not exactly common to have a mortgage denied as a result of family ties, but failure to reveal this information can point to mortgage fraud, which will lead to a denied loan application.

Make Sure Both Sides Are Getting a Good Deal

Your relative might confront you about taking your home off your hands with the intention of getting a hefty discount. And perhaps you might want to help them out in that way.

On the other hand, you might want to get the most out of the deal as possible. But if your relative can get a much better deal on the house down the block, there’s no sense in wheeling and dealing with you.

Either way, dealing with price points on a real estate sale between two parties who are close to each other can lead to major tension.

The best solution to this potentially sticky situation is to have a mutually agreed-upon appraiser come in and evaluate the home for both of you and provide an unbiased opinion of what the home is presently worth under today’s market conditions. That way no one is low-balling anybody, and only the fair price is being worked with.

If you do decide to offer a discount, make sure you’ve got an experienced real estate agent in your corner to help ensure that both parties benefit from the transaction.

Make Sure They Can Afford the House

Even after you and your relative agree on a price for the home, you still have to make sure they’ve got the finances to back up the purchase. It would be pretty awkward if you both go so far as to have a legal contract drafted up to complete the real estate transaction, only to find out shortly after that they can’t get approved for a mortgage.

Never assume that they’ll be able to find a lender who is willing to loan out the funds needed to finance a big purchase like this. Regardless of whether they’re buying off of someone they know, or a complete stranger, they’ll need to get approved for a mortgage.

If you fail to inquire about whether or not your relative is good for the cash before agreeing to sell to them, you could wind up back in square one if they fail to qualify for a loan.

Act as if you’re selling to any other buyer, and not just a relative, and ask for a pre-approval letter from their lender before you start negotiating on a price.

Get a Home Inspection

Even if the person buying from you has spent a ton of time in your home, that doesn’t necessarily mean they know all the nitty gritty about it, including any potential problems that may be lurking.

Maybe you aren’t even aware of some of the possible issues that might be hiding in your home. If any problems pop up after they’ve bought and moved into the home, it can cause some tension in the relationship.

To prevent that from happening, make sure you have your home inspected by a professional home inspector that you both agree to hire. That way any issues will be uncovered and laid out before the buyer. Not only will this help them make a more informed decision, it’ll also keep things kosher between the two of you.

Deal With Special Tax Issues

If you decide to arrange a seller take-back mortgage with the buyer, make sure you dot your “i’s” and cross your “t’s” with the IRS. That’s because they’ll calculate “imputed interest” when seller-backed mortgages for relatives are involved.

Even if no interest was charged on the mortgage, the IRS will consider interest to have been paid for tax reasons. They calculate imputed interest as a means of collecting tax revenues on mortgages that aren’t attached to any interest, or if the interest rate is extremely low.

Simply put, you could be subject to mortgage interest revenue if you carry a no-interest mortgage for your relatives, and they in turn could owe money in the form of capital gains taxes if the house is flipped for a quick profit.

While plans to sell to a family member have worked for many Americans, they’ve also turned out to be relationship killers for others. To make sure you’re part of the former group, make sure you seek the advice of a real estate agent and mortgage broker to protect both you and the buyer to avoid any problems in the near future.

San Ramon Valley Real Estate Market Update – 5/1/2022 – Are We Seeing a Market Shift?

Watch video for info on the current market in San Ramon, Dublin, Danville, Blackhawk & Alamo 🏡

This week’s stats by city:

San Ramon: 

– 76 ‘For Sale’ 

– 78 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 19 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 115%

Dublin: 

– 60 ‘For Sale’ 

– 94 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 22 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 115%

Danville: 

– 65 ‘For Sale’ 

– 71 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 20 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 115%

Blackhawk: 

– 13 ‘For Sale’ 

– 10 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 1 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 110%

Alamo: 

– 25 ‘For Sale’ 

– 20 ‘Sale Pending’ 

– 4 ‘Sold’ 

– Average Sale vs List Price 108%

For more info anytime:

📱(925) 899-0825

📧 Jason@JasonCaskie.com

🌐 https://lnkd.in/gVmTMYey

🌐 JasonCaskie.com

Coming Soon to Westside Dublin

COMING THIS WEEK! Amazing location at the top of the hills in the westside of Dublin! Serene setting for this single-story home w/pool backing to the beautiful rolling hills of westside. Updated 3 bed/2 bath home w/open kitchen/family room concept floorplan. Separate Office/Den (could be used as a 4th bedroom currently w/built-in Murphy bed) w/vaulted ceiling & slider out to side yard patio. Detached studio ADU w/full bathroom. Great floorplan. This home checks a lot of boxes! Open House 5/13 10:30-1:00pm : 5/14 1-4pm : 5/15 1-4pm

Boost the Value of Your Property With These 10 Simple Home Improvement Tips

Want to boost the overall value of your home? It’s a lot easier than you might imagine. In fact, a few key updates and changes can really hike up your home’s value with minimal work and investment up front. Consider the following tasks to help increase the value of your property and build instant equity.

1. Clean Up the Landscaping

Talk to any real estate agent or home stager and they’ll tell you the same thing: curb appeal speaks volumes. And the first thing home buyers will see when they pull up to your home is its landscaping. A yard full of weeds, overgrown grass, and unkempt bushes aren’t going to cut it in the property value department.

Homeowners tend to focus more on their interiors when trying to make a good impression, whether or not they plan on selling. But what about the exterior? Landscaping is one of the top three investments that boost the highest returns. Even $500 spent in outside yard work can rake in $2,000 in property value when everything is said and done, so it’s worth the upfront cost.

2. Change Your Front Door

After homebuyers have made it past your landscaping, they’ll be greeted by your front door before they step foot across the threshold. But how exactly will they be greeted? Never underestimate the power of a front door when it comes to impressions and property value.

Within the first six seconds of entering a home, people will already have formed an impression. And the front door has a lot to do with it. A door that has peeling paint or rusted hinges can make the overall home look dingy. But the opposite is also true: a new, well-maintained, freshly painted door can make the home seem more inviting, and thereby add a little extra in its value.

3. Create More Space

Back in the day, it was customary to have a bunch of different, smaller rooms. But these days, sophisticated homebuyers – especially within the millennial age group – are looking for more space to use. That doesn’t necessarily mean they need more square footage; instead, what they’re essentially seeking is an open concept and optimal flow and functionality.

If your home is cornered off by a myriad of walls, consider knocking some of them down. Even if they’re load-bearing, you can still remove them and leave a decorative column post to retain support. Right now buyers want a wide open space, and kicking down a couple of walls can be an easy and affordable way to create it, and thereby add more value to your home.

4. Enhance the Lighting

Looking for a cheap and easy way to boost your ROI? Consider updating your home’s lighting, which will noticeably elevate your property’s appeal.

Anything from dimmer switches, to pot lights, to pendant lamps can make a massive difference in the look and feel of a home’s interior. Lighting of various types creates a sense of space and air, and also allows you to create a specific mood.

5. Make Minor Repairs

You’d be surprised at how much of a difference a few minor issues can make in the look and feel of a home. From leaky faucets, to chipped floor tiles, to scuff marks on the walls, these little flaws can make an otherwise nice home look tired. Before you even start thinking about more major upgrades like a kitchen renovation, address the more basic things first.

These little fixes can really go a long way towards property value. Even spending a few hundred bucks fixing small things around the house can increase the value of your property by a few thousand dollars.

6. Upgrade Your Flooring

One of the first things people see when they walk into a home is the flooring. What are they stepping on? Creaking hardwood? Uneven tiles? Dated carpeting? About 94% of professional real estate agents recommend investing a little money on floors when it comes to boosting property value. And you don’t have to blow the budget, either.

Depending on what you install, you can recoup twice as much in value compared to what you spend. If you are planning on installing a completely new floor, consider hardwood. It’s what the majority of homebuyers want, and have even come to expect when they’re on the prowl for a new home.

7. Up the Energy-Efficiency Factor

If the HVAC system in your home is aging terribly, and your utility bills are through the roof, it’s about high time you swap that system for an energy-efficient one. Sure, it might cost you a pretty penny up front, but the amount of money that it can save you in heating and cooling bills will all be worth it.

In fact, you can save as much as 40%. Recent studies have shown that energy savings add 20 times the yearly savings to the overall value of your home. Energy-saving systems and appliances make your home more desirable.

8. Tune Up the Bathroom

Just about every real estate broker says that sprucing up the bathroom is a sure-fire way to add some value to your property. But you need to be careful in how you upgrade it. Spending way too much money on unnecessary finishes and features could land you more in the hole than before you started.

Focus on the kinds of upgrades that the neighborhood calls for. Stick to the upgrades that are economical, easy, and fast. Simple things like adding a glass shower door or replacing an old pedestal sink for a more decorative vanity can go a long way in spiffing up the bathroom, and the overall impression of your home. Do it right, and you can expect a 62% ROI on a bathroom update.

9. Give Your Kitchen a Facelift

In much the same way as a buffed up bathroom can add value to a home, so too can the kitchen. In fact, this central space is probably the most important room in the home, so it only makes sense to give it the attention it deserves. Done properly, you can recoup anywhere from 75% up to as much as 100% on a kitchen remodel.

Just like with a bathroom remodel job, it’s important to keep your expenditures in check when it comes to the kitchen. For example, if the average home value in your neighborhood is $300,000 and you put in $70,000 into your kitchen remodel job, you’re essentially out-pricing your home. If your kitchen doesn’t warrant a total gut job, focus on smaller things that bring the most ROI, such as new countertops, appliances, cabinet doors, light fixtures, and handed and knobs.

10. Paint

Talk about maxing out your return on investment. The number one way to add value to your home with the least amount of money required is though a simple paint job. In fact, you can get back as much as 168% ROI with a simple paint job. Before you even think of listing your home for sale, look around and make a judgment call about whether or not the place could use a fresh coat of paint.

Any peeling, scuff marks or discoloration will warrant a new coat of paint. And if your walls are painted fuchsia pink or lime green, you might want to change it to something more neutral to attract more buyers, and thereby increase the value of your home.

Even if you have no intentions of moving any time in the near future, updating your home in various ways can do wonders to the value of your property. But before you take the hammer to nail, make sure you get some sound advice from a real estate agent or appraiser to find out exactly what features your neighborhood calls for, and the recommended amount that should be spent on each project to maximize the amount you can get back.

Sell Your Home Faster & For More Money! No up front fees or interest!

You want to sell your home but you know you can sell it faster and for more money if it was just, well, in better condition 😁👍 

With our RealVitalize program at Coldwell Banker that is exactly what you get! 🏡 

No up front fees or interest! Pay us back when your home sells. 

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Interested in learning more, reach out anytime: (925) 899-0825 mobile 

Jason@JasonCaskie.com

Jason Caskie, REALTOR @ Coldwell Banker Serving the San Francisco Bay Area 

Sell your home smarter!

Experience. Integrity. Communication. Marketing. Cal DRE# 01347068

The Danger of Over-Leveraging in Real Estate Investments

Leveraging is one of the biggest advantages that real estate investors have at their disposal.

In fact, real estate investing is designed with leveraging in mind. It helps first-time investors get started in real estate investing when there’s little money from the get-go, and is a keen way to multiply initial investment capital to help build long-term wealth.

When leverage works the way it should, it can significantly boost returns, and help you gain equity a lot faster so that you can turn around and continue investing in other properties. It can afford you with appreciation on 100% of the property’s value while others pay it off so you can accumulate wealth much faster.

But over-leveraging is dangerous, and can put your entire financial profile at risk.

While debt can significantly multiply your reward, it can also just as easily multiply your risk.

Owing too much in a specific property compared to what it’s actually worth and the income it’s generating can put you in a negative leverage and equity position.

Negative leverage occurs when the return portion of the investment property is less than the interest rate on the loan.

Of course, it’s expected that real estate values will fluctuate over time. But if you’re teetering on the edge of profit versus loss based on the amount of leverage you’re holding, it could spell disaster. Any significant change in the value of your property at any given time can have a major impact on your investment.

When values drop or when interest rates increase on your debt, your equity will inevitably decline. Depending on how much you owe versus what you own, you could wind up with no equity – or negative equity.

If you invest in commercial real estate, your loan will generally last between 3 to 5 years. That means you haven’t got much time to play with when it comes to paying down the principal portion unless any returns are put back into the loan. With limited equity on the property, lenders will likely refinance the loan at a higher interest rate, making it even more expensive to hold the investment property.

And let’s not forget about all the other expenses that could pop up unexpectedly, including vacancies, repairs, and other factors that could affect your profits.

Over-leveraging to invest in a property that has no immediate returns or exit is quite frankly a bad idea. If the property is not yet rented, or there’s no immediate buyer lined up, over-leveraging is simply like walking the plank, especially if you’ve got no reserves to cover you.

Let’s say you’ve purchased a property for $500,000 with a $25,000 downpayment. If the value of the property declines by 30%, it’s now worth just $350,000, but you’re still stuck paying interest and principal on the full $475,000 loan. And if the amount that you collect in rent drops too, you could be at great risk of defaulting on the property.

If you were using the cash flow from that investment property to pay off your loan on other investment properties, you could wind up with a whole investment portfolio in foreclosure just because of one bad, over-leveraged loan and a lack of reserve capital to back you up.

How Much Leverage Should You Use?

Before you agree to a loan to make a purchase on an investment property, you’ll need to decide what would be a safe area to stay in when it comes to using leverage to boost returns and avoid being upside down on your loan. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind.

Don’t bet on steep rises in appreciation. Lots of real estate investors have lost a ton of capital because they assumed that recent history would repeat itself. Even if property values in the area have been appreciating at a 15% rate over the past few years, for example, it doesn’t mean this trend will continue into the near future. Betting on this is risky business, and can lead you to buy at higher prices and borrow more than what the property may realistically bring in for you.

Put in a hefty downpayment. The higher the down payment you put forth, the less your outstanding principal will be. Sure, you can put as little as 3% down on a real estate loan, but this leveraging will likely run you into trouble if the income that your investment property generates is close to the interest rate you’re paying on your loan. If the market happens to soften at some point, or you experience a higher vacancy rate than you anticipated, you could find it impossible to carry the loan for the property.

Meticulously – and realistically – calculate your cash flow. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to real estate investing is overestimating your cash flow and being naive about the financial fallbacks that could realistically creep up and affect your returns. Make sure you’ve accounted for every dollar and every possibility when calculating your cash flow. If the margin between rental income and mortgage costs and expenses is slim, you’re putting yourself at risk.

Keep your long-term investment goals clear. Understanding where you’d like to be in 5, 10 or even 20 years will help you decide how much you should leverage to buy a property. Not only should you be looking at the real returns of a property, you should also think about whether you’ll be using those returns to put back in the property to pay down the principal, or turn around and purchase another property.

The Bottom Line

Levering is obviously a necessity when it comes to investing in real estate and reaping the most rewards for the initial dollars invested. In fact, it’s leveraging that allows massive profits from real estate investments to be made.

But using it prudently and avoiding huge loan ratios that your current financial situation cannot support is critical. While leverage is a tool that can help you realize significant returns, it’s got to be used with a good dose of skill and expertise in order for you to avoid losing your shirt.