And when it comes to trends, consider some of these interesting thoughts to ponder:

One hundred years ago, (1903) the average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47.

Only 14% of the homes in the US had a bathtub and only 8% had a telephone.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11.

There were only 8,000 cars in the US and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The average wage in the US was $0.22/hour. The average US worker made between $200-$400/year.

Sugar cost $0.04/pound. Eggs were $0.14/dozen. Coffee cost $0.15/pound.

Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death in the US were 1. Pneumonia &influenza; 2. Tuberculosis3. Diarrhea; 4. Heart disease; 5. Stroke

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was 30 and one in ten US adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.

A survey published by the National Association of Home Builders suggests that ours is a nation enamored with remodeling. Homeowners are making alterations that reflect a changing residential lifestyle. What popular features are showing up in home remodel plans across the country?

Great rooms are replacing the conventional living room/dining room floor plan. “Open up the space!” is the cry that brings down walls, as kitchens merge with living and dining spaces into multi-purpose living areas where food preparation, family interaction and entertaining occur in a comfortable blending of function.

Master bedrooms and bathrooms are becoming larger and more luxurious, incorporating breakfast alcoves, linen closets and Jacuzzi tubs. Walk-in pantries and island work areas are being added to the kitchen.

One word of caution: be careful not to over-improve your property in comparison with other homes in the neighborhood, or you might not recover your investment when you decide to sell the home.

Be sure to consult with a real estate agent to determine whether the remodeling project you have in mind will add value to your property.

A research study conducted by Unique Homes magazine surveyed the tastes of homeowners who own at least one property valued at $2.5 million or more (70 percent owned two or more million dollar homes). These homeowners are buying, selling, designing and remodeling homes loaded with amenities that support their lifestyle. What are the latest amenities of choice?

The top item on everyone’s list is high-speed Internet access at home, required by 95% of the homeowners surveyed. As you might expect with these statistics, 84% of these luxury homeowners choose to invest money on home electronics above other luxury products, and most want a home office. It’s important for a principal luxury residence to be technology-enabled, because eight out of ten of these householders are corporate executives, business owners or self-employed professionals.

More of the households have more than four bedrooms and bathrooms, and the preferred design in master suites includes larger sitting areas, coffee and juice bars, walk-in closets, dressing rooms and dual master baths with spa features. More than half own swimming pools and well-equipped home gyms.

Indoor and outdoor professional quality kitchens are an up-and-coming trend, as luxury buyers choose to pursue gourmet restaurant dining in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Home entertainment has undergone a major transformation during the last two decades. “Home movies” means something entirely different from Dad setting up the projector and portable screen in the family room. Built-in theaters now combine the privacy and comforts of home with the sound and picture quality of a Cineplex.

Companies that design and install home theaters report that most homeowners order seating for eight to twelve viewers in a room of 500 to 800 square feet. Screens often measure 5 by 11 feet or 4 by 8 feet, but multiple screens are not uncommon. Must-have audiovisual components include a high-definition television (HDTV) receiver, projection equipment, a surround-sound system with at least five speakers and combination amplifier/receiver, VCR and DVD players.

Other features that make home movie viewing a delightfully luxurious experience are custom-made plush theater-style reclining seats and touch-control temperature – never again will you have to sit in rigid chairs bolted to the floor, shivering in polar-strength air conditioning or suffocating in an overheated theater. In between features, refreshments are available at your own wet bar or soda fountain.

A basic home theater can be installed for about $50,000, but more extravagant fixtures such as customized carpet and fine wood finishing can push the cost into the hundreds of thousands.

The top 10 most expensive markets in the country are:

1. LaJolla, Calif., 2. Beverly Hills, Calif., 3. Santa Barbara, Calif., 4. Palo Alto, Calif., 5. Greenwich, Conn., 6. Newport Beach, Calif., 7. San Mateo, Calif., 8. San Francisco, Calif., 9. Wellesley, Mass., and 10. Kailua Kona, Hawaii.

The top 10 most affordable markets in the country are:

1. Minot, N.D., 2. Great Falls, Mont., 3. Arlington, Texas, 4. Billings, Mont., 5. Killeen, Texas, 6. Tulsa, Okla., 7. Topeka/Shawnee County, Kan., 8. Parkersburg, W.V., 9. Cadillac, Mich., and 10. Knoxville, TN.