November 2011 Newsletter

Happy Holidays

2011

Dear Friends,

       Hard to believe but the Holidays are upon us again.   I t was a good year.   I am so thankful for the many blessings the good Lord has give us.     That we have  each other, our familys,  our good health, our home and  the bountiful  harvest of our fruits and vegetables. 

2011 In Review

      The economies of the world are still suffering, as are the economies of folks that we know.   It does not appear like our Government has a handle on budgeting yet.  And that has a lot of folks sitting up and paying attention. 

Have you noticed all the survival food sundries popping up in the stores?  Did you know that there are secret housing communities that we can buy into and go to when the time comes.  Whoops, I guess that isn’t a secret anymore.

Andy Rooney so dreaded the day he had to end his signature "60 Minutes" commentaries about life's large and small absurdities that he kept going until he was 92 years old.  Rooney won one of his four Emmy Awards for a piece on whether there was a real Mrs. Smith who made Mrs. Smith's Pies. As it turned out, there was no Mrs. Smith.

 Last month, the President proposed easing Federal Housing Finance Agency guidelines to allow homeowners who are still current on their mortgages to refinance, no matter how much their home value has dropped below what they still owe.  Right now is when you want to refinance your home @ 3.75%, we did!   If you are underwater with the loan, keep calling your current lender and ask for the lower interest rate.        

Spinach, bacon, and onion Dip

4 slices bacon, thinly sliced crosswise

1 medium yellow onion, diced medium

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Crostini or pita chips, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, cook bacon over medium, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan. Add onion to pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 minutes. Add flour and cook 30 seconds. Add spinach, milk, sour cream, and cream cheese. Cook, stirring, until cream cheese melts, 2 minutes. Stir in bacon and 1/4 cup Parmesan.Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2-quart baking dish and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until bubbling, 14 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top browns, 3 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Serve dip warm with crostini or pita chips.

Dear Friends,  Jim and I  wish you the very best of Holidays! 

I want to say thanks to all my faithful clients.  I am very grateful for all  your referrals.  I am here to help you,  your family and your friends with all their Real Estate needs.  There is still programs available for zero down and zero closing @ 3.75% interest.   Honestly, it is cheaper than renting.

        I hope you have had a chance to follow  my  stories @  http:

BoiseValleyRealtor.Blogspot.com     ” More Jobs in the USA” is an awesome article. We can make a difference! 

          Did anyone read my story about the “Birds and Cherries War”  featuring the Cherry Cowboy (dated July 13^th).  Plus you can find me on Facebook.

Take Care and God Bless,

Beccie McDonell

Realty One Centre

850-3062

Is Your Home Safe?

As your family gathers inside to escape the chilly weather, be mindful of the fire dangers you are at risk for in every room of your home. More than 18,000 people are injured in home fires every year. Here are simple ways to prevent home fires and make your family safer.






Problem: Unattended cooking

Not surprisingly, the number one cause of house fires start in the kitchen, and stovetop cooking is the primary cause. These fires account for 40% of all house fires.



Solution: Watch pots

Sure, everyone has heard the saying "a watched pot never boils," but the leading factor of house fires caused by cooking warrants undivided attention. If you have to leave the room to answer the phone or attend some other matter, turn off the stove, or have someone else take over.



Problem: Clogged concerns

The dryer is a magnificent modern day convenience that makes life easier, but it also can be a huge fire hazard. According to Consumer Reports there are as many as 15,000 home fires caused by dryers every year. That is a startling number, and most of those fires are a result of clogged vents.



Solution: Clean, clean, clean

You know when you forget to clean the lint out of the dryer a few times and how big that lint ball gets? Well just think of how your vents must look if you do not have those cleaned. So you should get your vents cleaned at least once every two years. Not only will this help protect your home, but it will also help with energy costs, and the longevity of your dryer.





Problem: Overloaded circuits

Speaking of appliances, all those cords can really add up to a disaster. In fact, during most years, home electrical issues account for about 28,600 fires and $1.1 billion in property losses. And 53% of residential electrical fires involve electrical wiring. More households don’t just have a TV; they have a TiVo, a DVD player, at least one video gaming system, and often a sound system. All of these require power.



Solution: Get organized

Use a surge protector, and don’t overload it. Skip the extension cords and go for a multi-plug panel. Avoid wires and cords under rugs, over nails or in high-traffic areas of the room. If a piece of electronics starts to sputter, spark or smell, turn it off immediately and replace it.





Problem: Alternate heaters

During the winter months, heating is the most common cause of residential fires. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that portable, electric space heaters cause more than 25,000 house fires each year.



Solution: Shop smart

When using portable heaters, put these hot little units on a level space, away from foot traffic, and give them room. Keep any combustible items—as well as children and pets—at least three feet away. Also, be sure to buy the right-sized heater for your space. Most heaters have a general sizing guide.





Problem: Inadequate protection

Approximately 33% of all homes do not have working smoke detectors. When you have a working smoke alarm your chances of dying in a home fire are 50% less.



Solution: Keep checking

Make sure you have a smoke detector and to check the batteries at least once a month. A smoke detector has a useful life of 10 years and then should be replaced. Another essential item to have in the home is a carbon monoxide detector.

More Jobs Here in the USA

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students  that while one grasshopper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very  much, a billion of them would.   With that thought in mind, read the  following, obviously written by a good American . . .

This probably sounds crazy, but just yesterday I was in Wal Mart looking for a wastebasket. I found some made in China for $6.99. I didn't want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any others. She took me to another department and they had some at $2.50 made in USA. They are just as good.

              Same as a kitchen rug I needed. I had to look, but I found  some made in the USA and they were $3.00 cheaper.  We are being brain washed that everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper. Not so. That is also why I don't buy cards at  Hallmark anymore. They are made in China and are expensive. I buy them at Dollar Tree....50 cents each and made in USA.

                                                       Check this out.  I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at  the hose attachments... They were all made in China .
The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it  I checked the hose attachments there.
They were made in USA. Start looking ...
              In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy  or do affects someone else - even their job. So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track..  Let's get behind her!
              My grandson likes Hershey's candy.  I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now.
I do not buy it any more.

              My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico... Now I have  switched to Crest.  You have to read the labels on everything....


      Good idea . . .. One light bulb at a time . . ..

        This past weekend I was at Kroger . .. . I needed 60W light  bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets.
 I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand  I normally buy was an off-brand labeled, " Everyday Value ." I picked up both  types of bulbs and compared the stats they were the same except
For the price  . . . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but  the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and  the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company  in Cleveland , Ohio.
             So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use  every day that are made right here...
              So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets...  Yep, you  guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada... The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer  sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at  almost half the price!

              My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you  shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!
              If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your  address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

              (We should have awakened a decade ago....)
              Let's get with the program and help our fellow Americans keep  their jobs and create more jobs here in the USA .

              I passed this on . .. . Will you???
 




Wayne Jensen
Ogden SAP/MES Analyst
Fresenius Medical Care, NA
475 W. 13th St.
Ogden, Utah 84404

see the bumble bee in the middle of the flower!

Morning Glory

Plus Honey Suckle is covering our back fence.

Fencing does not need to be boring.   Personally I am doing my best to cover ours with living plants.  Here is just one section of our fencing.  In different areas we are planting different things.  The front yard features some square tubing that Jim has bent into archways and we are growing grapes on them.   We just harvested seven gallons off of two plants.   It filled two laundry baskets and we juiced them.   We will enjoy that fence covering all winter!

As you can tell by the second photo, the bumble bees love the morning glory.   How often do you see bumble bees anymore?  Not often unless you plant something they love.

The first fence is from Portland, Ore., artist Jane Hart used playful ingenuity to makes this garden fence practical and beautiful. She embellished and framed weathered slats with stained and treated wood. The short fence inside the garden combines decorative panels made from new cedar with inexpensive wire mesh — "a design element requested by the family dog," Hart says.

For the front fence, she framed weathered, embellished slats with new cedar boards and treated posts.

Do you have any great fence ideas?  I would love to see them.

Today's Rates

Today's current rates are:

 

30 year fixed conventional     4.125%      APR     4.31%

15 year fixed conventional     3.25%       APR     3.6% 

FHA                                    4.0%         APR     6.01% 

VA                                      4.0%         APR     4.21%

Rural                                   3.75%      APR      3.93%

Idaho Housing                     Available programs - Down payment assistance programs;  tax credit option is still

                                          Available through 2011.   Don't forget 203k loans.

  

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it is learning to dance in the rain."

Idaho Attorney General Warns About Mortgage Lawsuit Scams Source: Idaho Statesman Published: 08/24/11

A company called Corvus Law Group is mailing ads to Idaho homeowners inviting them to join scam lawsuits against their mortgage lenders, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden warned Wednesday. The ads look like government forms and claim homeowners can get large principal reductions or other monetary relief if they join the lawsuit.

"The scam is a pretext to collect an unlawful $5,000 upfront fee from homeowners," Wasden said in a press release. "The representations in the solicitations are false and are designed to prey on vulnerable homeowners. My office is currently investigating this company."

State and federal laws prohibit companies from charging upfront fees for foreclosure rescue or mortgage modification services. Beginning Sept. 1, it is unlawful for a person to charge a fee, upfront or otherwise, for these services, unless the person offering the service is licensed with the Idaho Department of Finance or exempt from its licensing requirement.

Wasden encourages homeowners who have lost money to this business or other mortgage rescue companies to file complaints with the state's Consumer Protection Division. Complaint forms are available at www.ag.idaho.gov or by calling (208) 334-2424.

The August Garden

Life here in Kuna is going along nicely. My heart goes out to the folks who are living in Texas, who have had over 100 degrees for over 30 days now. And now the famine in Kenya.

We are harvesting something everyday now. The apricot tree is loaded this year, they are the size of softballs. I have never seen them quite so big. Yesterday was 97 degrees so we did a couple of buckets and put them out to dry on a drying rack. I will be drying zucchini chips next. I like to season them with a balsamic vinigar & salt brine, then dry them. Makes a very tasty chip.

Today it is 72 degrees, so we are canning a couple of buckets. That is the nice thing about them not getting ripe all at once is that if we do a couple buckets a day - either drying or canning, it is not too much work. I like how it cools off here at night in the 60's. Gives us a chance to open the house up and cool it down for the daytime.

I have harvested our elephant garlic, it is my favorite. Yesterday we got our first spaghetti squash. We will be eating that soon with a broccoli spahgetti sauce. Last week we harvested the potatoes and the onions. I am starting to get a bucket of beans a week now. That is not near enough to feed us thru the winter. So we planted more bush beans last week and they are up 6" already this week. Also planted more beet rows, in order to can and pickle enough for winter. Almost ready to replant the peas. We are just starting to get cucumbers. I also planted more carrots. With the empty potato rows I can plant more lettuce, spinach a radish now. Almost tempted to plant more onions and potatoes. Other than we go gleen them out of the local fields. What a fabulous growing year. Hard to believe it is almost over. Summer has been fast this year. Our apple trees and grapes are coming along nicely. They will be the next big harvest projects.

We are truly thankful that the good Lord has blessed us with our gardens and the food they provide us. We are truly blessed.

Invest in a Home Remodel

Why a home remodel may be
better than a savings account

(ARA) - Are you keeping your home longer than you expected, due to the sluggish and uncertain home-resale market? If you are, you've got company. Only 43 percent of homeowners believe they would get their asking price if they sold today, according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker.

That lack of confidence, coupled with interest rates on personal savings accounts that are at or near record lows, has a lot of homeowners investing in their homes instead of depositing money in their banks.

In fact, nearly two-thirds of homeowners will be remodeling in 2011, says American Express. Improving your home can be a smart strategy over the long run. In the meantime, it can make your home more comfortable and convenient while you're living there.

Now is the time to ask yourself if putting your hard-earned savings into your house is right for you. You won't see the return on your investment in the near-term, but when you factor in a quicker sale or higher sale price, you could end up with more profit than savings account interest rates can provide.

Improvements that pay

Experts recommend that you stick to improvements likely to increase your home's resale appeal and value. There's no such thing as a guaranteed return on investment, but some home improvements have a better value track record than others. A basement remodel will recoup 70 percent of its cost at resale, according to the 2010-2011 Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report. Adding a bathroom returns more than 53 percent of your investment, while modernizing a kitchen can bring back 72.8 percent.

• Build a bath: If you plan to install a bathroom, laundry or wet bar in an area that lacks below-floor plumbing drainage, you can dramatically reduce your installation costs with macerating technology. Installing drainage in a basement, attic or garage can be messy, time-consuming and expensive. But with macerating, or up-flush, technology, you can have plumbing virtually anywhere in your home, without breaking through floors or jackhammering concrete.
  
  Unlike conventional gravity plumbing, up-flush systems pump waste and water from toilets, showers, sinks, wet bars and washing machines upward. Small-diameter piping carries the waste into the sewer or septic tank. For more information on this cost-effective plumbing option, visit www.saniflo.com.
  
  Want to make your new bath seem larger? Let the light in! If a skylight isn't in the budget, use recessed ceiling lights and large mirrors. Also, choose a warm semi-gloss paint and install 12-inch by 12-inch or larger floor tiles to minimize grout lines.
  
  A walk-in shower is a smart and cost-effective space-saver. If you don't need storage space, a pedestal sink is another good alternative. Two surefire ways to give the illusion of space are a recessed medicine cabinet and a pocket door instead of a traditional hinged door.
  
• Rebuild a kitchen: An average rebuild of a kitchen takes nine months to plan and three months to build, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. You can improve the overall look and feel of a kitchen with a lot less work and money simply by refurbishing what you have. Some refurbishing options include refaced cabinets instead of new, resurfaced countertops or an added backsplash, updated flooring and under-cabinet task lighting.

Regardless of the project you plan to undertake, there are a few things you can do to ensure you get the most for your money. Here are some general tips from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI):

• Establish a budget:
• Hire a qualified remodeler who is familiar with local building codes.
• Compare products and prices before you begin.
• Work with a contract.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Our firm does not endorse any vendor and disclaims responsibility for any product, promotion or content mentioned in this article.

The Birds and Cherries War

Do you remember the story about the Birds eating all my cherries? I did receive some calls and emails with suggestions. Some suggested pie tins others suggested the CD disks hung with string. I decided to call Anonymus Cowboy, Inc. They sent out a Cowboy with a big white hat and a sharp shooter on his hip. He was one of those tall broad in the shoulder and narrow in the hip Cowboys. Doesn't speak much. Just "Yes Miss, where's the tree?" And yup he came with his dog to round up all those bad birdies. That doggy circled and circled and got all the birdies up into the tree. As I watched Cowboy Jim, he circled that tree and circled that tree. He squinted his left eye and then he squinted his right eye. He curled up his left top lip, kinda looked like the Elvis curl. He pulled his hat low to shade his eyes. He pulled up his britches, actually man boxer shorts. He got his six shooter settled just right on his hips. He took the wide cowboy stance. And then he drew his six shooter faster than lightening. Immediately scaring all the birds who flew away. He nary got a shot fired. But the happy ending to the story is that we did get twenty gallons of cherries picked and canned. And there was more than enough left for Mr. Robin to eat. And they all lived happily Ever After. ps. There were no animals killed in this War

Our Cowboy Up Vacation

Our Cowboy Up vacation was a long 2200 miles of rough and interesting cowboy trails. Our first stop was in Salt Lake to see my niece Bobbi Jo and her family (Mother- Renee with the puppies, Husband - James and the Princess is Jameson; who is adorable just like her Mommy). They have become vegetarians and shared some yummy new recipes with us. We then hit the trail again and spent the night just inside the Wyoming border. The next day we made it thru Wyoming and did see a lot of open country with lots of antelope. We stopped in Casper to see family, but they were gone (must have heard we were coming) and went on over into Hot Springs, SD. I had no idea SD was such a beautiful State. High altitude with lots of red mountains and timber. The next day we moseyed up into Crazy Horse and saw that incrediable project. 50 years and his face is finally done. I enjoyed seeing all the American Indian artifacts and museum. Then up to Mount Rushmore, small compared to Crazy Horse. I did notice that if the Indians won a battle it was called a massacre. If the white man won - it was called a Battle. Hmmmm..... And we wondered up into Deadwood. It was a pretty valley in a tight canyon. Made famous by Bill Coty and Calamedy Jane, and Gold. We came back down to the southern end of the state for the Murray Cowboy Up Reunion. See these two purty gals, yup, they are my cousins, I have loads of them. Cousin Tom with lots of help built the out door privy, with a his and a her side. He also built an outdoor kitchen out of a garage type structure where all the cooking was done. It was awsome! Everything was done outside. Cooken, eaten, playen and even poopen. And did you see that tall good looken Singing Cowboy? Yup, that's my guy. There were flocks of chickens to herd around. After two great days of reunion we hit the trail again and headed up to Yellowstone. Couldn't go anywhere without running into the buffalo and bear. We headed out at west gate and headed home via Idaho and American Falls. We finally made it home, bottom sore but happy to be back home on our little spread. No place like home. Happy trails to you until we meet again :)

Garden Update with a Lavender Recipe

It is a beautiful 87 degrees here today. The garden is working hard and giving us lots of produce. Every day I have to shell a basket of peas, they are over 4 feet tall. Today I picked a bucket of beets and have pickled them, plus we were able to share a bowl of beets with cottage cheese. So sweet and full of iron. Yesterday lunch I made us a beet soup with the greens and the root with a brown rice. Earlier this week I made us a pea, carrot, onion, potato, brocolli, kale creamy bean soup. The house garden is giving us loads of produce. The squash garden in finally starting to kick in with this warmer weather. In another week we should have zuccinni. The lavender above is blooming. I like to take two stocks of the flower and steep it in one cup of boiling water, just like making tea. After that has cooled I add that to either my sun tea or you can add it to your lemonade. Adds a wonderful lavender flavor. My iris are done blooming, they were glorious this year. The peonies also had their show this year and were not disappointing. My roses are starting to bloom and the daisies are getting ready for their show.

It's War - Our Cherries vs. The Birds

We have two cherry trees that are loaded with cherries this year. Last year the Bing Cherry tree was loaded and ready to pick. Jim said that we should wait until the weekend and go get Kelsea, a granddaughter. Then we would pick and make a cherry pie. Great idea! On that Saturday we went and picked up Kelsea, got our buckets and Jim went to get the ladder. Kelsea and I went out to the Cherry tree and I looked and I looked. There was not one cherry to be found. Just stems with the cherry pits hanging on the tree! The birds ate every last cherry.

So here we are 2011 and I am watching our cherry trees like a hawk. The cherries are turning color, but not quite ready to pick. Two days ago I saw the birds starting to go in. Small black birds, like the starlings. Big fat robin birds who like to eat a lot. They peck at the cherries, just checking to see if they are ripe and ready to eat yet. No, not yet, but they keep checking. Jim covers tiny bathroom paper cups with alluminum foil and then strings them on a string and puts them into the trees. They are shiny and move a little with the wind. The birds could care less, they are still coming into the trees and checking out the ripeness of the cherries. Ahhhhh! So new plan. Jim puts the scare crows on long pieces of rebar, as you can see one in the picture. It moves and it has fluttering legs and arms. Success, no more starlings, they are scared of the evil scare crows with fluttering legs and arms. But not Mr. Robin, he's such a pig. So we go and buy the twirling pinwheels on a stick which are shiny and move with a bit of wind. Yes, I have not seen Mr. Robin in a day. Perhaps three more days and the Cherries will be ready for harvest! Until then it is war with the birds.

Skunk Smell Remover

Removal of Skunk Odor

About the only effective thing a skunk can do to defend themselves is to spray a liquid that stinks to the high heavens. This spray contains a sulfuric based chemical that comes from their anal glands. So if you see a skunk and he turns his back on you - start running.

Being "skunked" is not a pleasant experience for animals or people. You must have already run into a Skunk because you are at this page, so all I can say is sorry.

So lets get right into it, The faster you clean it up, the faster you get rid of the odor.

Here is a recipe that is safe for pets or humans to use. This will help to remove the skunk odor - not just mask it.

Recipe for Skunk Odor Remover:

All of the ingredients below should be mixed in equal parts.

• Baking Soda
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Dawn dish soap or other grease cutting dish soap

Put the baking soda in a bowl then add the hydrogen peroxide and mix these two together. You want the baking soda to have a chance to dissolve before adding the soap.

Once the baking soda has dissolved, add the dish soap to the mix and stir together.

If a skunk got you, you can use this liquid to wash with, you can also use this to wash your dog, and your cloths.

Laundering Clothes:

Because the skunk spray will permeate the fibers of your clothes and might be a bit tougher to remove, another method for laundering clothes that have been skunked is below. You may need to repeat the process until the smell is completely gone.

Square Footage, a Cute Story

Square footage: An empty real estate statistic?Measuring tape may not tell a house's whole story
By Alisha Alway BraatzInman News™
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My No. 1 pet peeve in real estate is the square-footage demand of the house hunter. Unless he appraises houses for a living, it's near impossible for Home Consumer Carl to accurately gauge how big a room is -- let alone a whole house -- without a tape measure.
And many times, their demand for a certain square footage is unrelated to their desired use of that space. Hallways, closets, covered patios and pantries are all areas typically forgotten by buyers on a quest to purchase a 3,250-square-foot house with a movie theater and in-ground pool.
Take the house in which I live, for example. It's a really nice three-bedroom, three-bath home that measures just over 3,000 square feet.
That sounds like a nice little estate on paper, but I know that the back hallway that connects all the rooms of our 1955 California Ranch accounts for about 1,000 square feet of the aforementioned total space -- it could circle half of the Daytona Raceway.
Toddlers have pulled a hamstring trying to make it back to the living room. Our dog needs a water bowl at the halfway point. It's really long.
When we had the house on the market for a short time two years ago, almost every buyer said, "Wow, what a great hallway! Love the use of space! It's so wide and long -- like a track!" Just kidding. No, they didn't say that. Consumer Carl doesn't count hallways when he evaluates space.
I think square footage should be one of those "average" numbers in a listing. So instead of beating up the builder, the county clerk and the current homeowner for the exact measurements of the hall closet, we could just mark a house down as "about 2,700 (square feet), give or take a few" and call it good. Because ultimately, the space either works for you or it doesn't.
Imagine the pain and agony of Mukesh Ambani's (chairman of Reliance Industries) REALTOR® when he said (I'm guessing), "Listen, I want a nice house for entertaining. I need a yoga studio, a swimming pool, a ballroom -- and I want about 400,000 square feet." Yowzers! Thank goodness there was a 27-story skyscraper available in his price range. (Phew!)
More often, however, it is the use of space that trumps the square footage. A family needs four bedrooms. One of the buyers may seek a dedicated office space; another may demand an entire wing of the house.
Satisfying these requests should be the order of the day, instead of coming up with short lists of houses that meet ridiculous measurement constraints and little else.
For example, do you really think Michael Dell (of Dell Computers) would build a $22.5 million home with (reportedly) 21 bathrooms, if he didn't think he needed 21 bathrooms? (Especially when the home has only eight bedrooms.)
I do not personally know why 21 bathrooms was the magic number, but I'm sure he had a really good reason. Maybe he invites the Dallas Mavericks over for afternoon scrimmages, and doesn't like guys waiting in the hallways for an open restroom.
I don't know. But I do know that he didn't tell his architect, "Architect, build me a 22,156-square-foot house. That's it! OK, go!" Unless, of course, that oversight explains why there are 21 bathrooms ... hmmm …
When Consumer Carl and his wife, Purchaser Peggy (I love naming these people!), come to see me, we sit down and talk about what kind of house they want to live in.
Unsurprisingly, many cannot agree on anything beyond the square footage and the price because we have so drilled it into their heads that this is the way you look for a home. I'm not discounting these restraints, but merely reordering them in the priority list.
1. How many bathrooms will you need? OK. Bedrooms? Ballrooms?2. Price?3. Square footage?
Then, armed with this information, I get to work. Happy house hunting!
Alisha Alway Braatz is a buyer's broker for Coldwell Banker Advantage One Properties in Eugene, Ore., and a real estate humorist.

A Softer Side

We took down the closet doors and use curtains instead. I love how much easier the closet access is. So much easier in and out than always fighting a door.

A Softer Side
A wide linen panel covers the 8-foot-long closet, taking up less room than the bifold doors it replaced. The drapery's khaki-gray color nearly matches the walls neutral hue, creating a cohesive look.

Is This Really a Buyer's Market?

With falling home prices and higher inventories, most of the public views real estate as a “buyer’s market,” in which buyers hold more of the control and sellers will more eagerly accept lower offers just to sell. Not so fast, say buyers and sellers. More buyers are finding the sellers in the driver’s seat. Buyer Young Hammack gave up looking for homes for a while after being outbid on three properties in California. "It's a false buyer's market," Hammack says. "If you think prices are cheap, wait until you start putting offers in."Many sellers may be unable or unwilling to lower their home prices — mostly because they may be underwater on their mortgage — so buyers are increasingly finding lower offers than list price denied. Buyers, on the other hand, may be reluctant to agree to a deal if they don’t feel like they are getting it at a deep discount, industry insiders say. Traditional buyers also are finding even buying a foreclosure can be difficult as they’re increasingly outbid by investors who are willing to pay cash. "There's a shortage of attractive inventory," says Glenn Kelman, chief executive of Redfin Corp. "Customers just keep getting outbid on the houses that they want." Real estate professional Steve Capen with Keller Williams Realty in St. Petersburg, Fla., says that the homes most in demand among buyers often don’t require much repair work and are located in good school districts and choice neighborhoods near transit hubs."What's selling is the cream of the crop, and they sell fast," Capen says. "If it's not cream of the crop, it's getting hammered."Source: “Buyers' Market? Stressed Sellers Say Not So Fast,” The Wall Street Journal online (April 25, 2011)

At Home Simple Tips to Downsize your lifestyle

RISMEDIA, December 7, 2010—(MCT)—David, Christy and Noah Swindlehurst are practicing new math at their Eden Prairie, Minn., town home—minimal addition, maximum subtraction.
While the tradition for most young American families is to acquire more, the Swindlehursts are determined to get rid of as much stuff as they can spare.
“We just worked our way through four dressers, and now we’re down to two,” Christy said, as David reluctantly parted with some T-shirts that held sentimental value.
The Swindlehursts are part of a growing national movement of personal downsizers, people who are simplifying their lives—and spending habits—by paring down their possessions and resisting the urge to buy more.
A natural spinoff of the trend toward living green, replacing the desire to acquire with an urge to purge is catching on everywhere from the blogosphere to progressive-minded neighborhoods.
One subset, “The 100 Things Challenge,” was Christy Swindlehurst’s initial inspiration. By daring people to keep only 100 things, the challenge gives would-be downsizers a solid, if rather drastic, number to shoot for.
Launched by a San Diegoan named Dave Bruno three years ago, the grass-roots effort has picked up a Facebook fan following and a book deal—and yes, there’s a discussion on Bruno’s website about the validity of a guy who advocates shedding everything now producing thousands of books.
“Our consumer culture makes stuff very easy to acquire, but hard to get rid of,” said Bruno, who isn’t a hard-liner on the exact number of things others decide to keep. “Changing your behavior is not going to happen after one weekend of intense purging. The goal is to eventually free yourself from the demands of consumerism, from being stuck on stuff.”
In the Twin Cities, for example, a recent indicator that paring-back fever is growing was the turnout—despite the season’s first sloppy snowstorm—of 250 people at a “Transition Town” event hosted by the Minneapolis nonprofit Alliance for Sustainability earlier this month. A term that originated in Britain five years ago, “transition towns” are a way of bringing together people interested in cutting back on stuff and living greener.
Downsizing has benefits beyond the environmental, from practical, like making housecleaning easier, to psychological—being literally less anchored to material goods is freeing to the spirit as well. The motivation to downsize is usually a combination of reducing carbon footprints, saving money, feeling more organized and passing on these values to future generations.
For Dr. Sheryl Grassie of southwest Minneapolis, the idea is to take up less space in the world. With the three kids she raised now out of her 3,000-square-foot home, she plans to move to a space less than one-third that size. Not unusual for middle-aged empty nesters, but Grassie is taking things much further.
She has sold or given away the majority of her furniture and household goods, including former keepsakes like the good dishes she only used a couple of times a year. She’s gotten rid of three-fourths of her clothes, and no longer needs her huge walk-in closet. “We’ve been so conditioned to buy more, to go bigger,” she said. “I’m not feeling that call anymore.”
Life coach Nicole Lynskey of Minneapolis, who teaches a downsizing seminar called “Overstuffed,” downscaled her possessions primarily for environmental reasons. She says the stress-reducing effect can be equally uplifting.
The same holds true for Christy Swindlehurst, a nurse, who wants to use her family’s downsizing as a lesson for her son. “The clutter stresses me out, and I want to stop making those quick runs to the store that turn into $200 worth of impulse buys,” she said “But I also want my son to learn that you can’t just buy something because you want it. I don’t want him getting into financial trouble down the road.”
While downsizers are nowhere near approaching a majority—retail sales did climb in October, after all—their goals are catching on. Many young adults who grew up sandwiched between two economic downturns are showing signs of feeling very different about what defines success than their parents and grandparents did.
Generation Y is more into making friends than amassing objects, according to a 2010 Study of the American Dream by MetLife.
Nearly 40% of millennials (people born in the 1980s and early ’90s) say they already have what they need, up from 26% in 2008. And the number of them who feel growing pressure to buy more and better material goods has dropped almost 20 percentage points since 2006, from 66% to 47%.
But young adults aren’t the only ones changing priorities. The same study found that 77% of all ages surveyed now see improving quality of life as being less about money than about improving personal relationships. In addition, 58% say they define the American dream as family and children, up from 42% in 2006. That’s a good thing, some advocates say, because future generations may not have a choice in the matter.
“Everybody will be simplifying their lifestyles over the next 20 years, whether we like it or not, so we might as well get ready for it,” said Alliance for Sustainability’s program director Sean Gosiewski. “Our overconsumption has been based on the easy availability of petroleum,” which is not an indefinite given, he said.
Meanwhile, the pioneer downsizers of America continue slogging through their piles of stuff, telling themselves, no pain, no lack of gain. But the art of de-acquisition is not without its challenges.
Downsizing tips
From Dave Bruno, the “100 Things Challenge” guy:
-Start with your closet. Everyone has too many clothes. The process of downsizing your wardrobe is cathartic and empowers you to tackle other areas of the house.
-It’s going to be hard to make a prolonged commitment to refuse to get more stuff. It will take a while to reduce your belongings and it’s going to take a few months of refusing to get new things before you change your habits.
-Most people around you will not be doing this and may react negatively or defensively. Be gracious to them. Set a good example. Whatever you do, stick to it.
From Nicole Lynskey, “Overstuffed” workshop:
-Assess the impact your clutter or your consumption has on you. Think of the size of your home, how much you spend on new stuff, the energy put into acquiring, maintaining and storing your stuff, the time you spend searching for things.
-Get in touch with what you really long for in life. Do you really want to work part-time? Would changing your purchase habits or moving into a smaller space make these things possible for you?
-Start with small areas. The more you declutter, the more momentum you will get and the more you will notice things you don’t really need.
(c) 2010, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Homes are Safer with a cleaner kitchen 10 new tips

RISMEDIA, April 14, 2011—(MCT)—The first day of spring has come and gone. To get the cleaning season started right, we looked for the best advice on cleaning the busiest—and maybe dirtiest—room in the house: the kitchen.

For a list of what we should clean, how and when, we asked a bunch of germ experts.

The biggest surprise? People with pets are six times more likely to get salmonella-based infections. The culprit is pet bowls, particularly the water bowl. We often dump it in the sink before we start handling food.

Want to sanitize?
Professional kitchens use a sanitizing solution made with one teaspoon household bleach in four cups of water. It’s sprayed on counters and cutting boards. Experts disagree on the need to use it at home, but if you do, do it correctly: Let sprayed surfaces air-dry—drying with dish towels may recontaminate the surface. Always clean before you sanitize. If chlorine comes in contact with dirt or soil, it can no longer sanitize. Don’t use more than one teaspoon chlorine—stronger isn’t better. And change it about every five days. Chlorine dissipates quickly.

1. Microwave
Fill a bowl with two cups water and a whole lemon, cut into slices. Place it inside and microwave for two minutes, then wipe it out with paper towels. The hot water softens food spills and the lemon cuts grease and keeps the microwave smelling fresh

2. Stove and oven
Spray stove spills with an all-purpose cleaner and let stand 10 minutes for easier cleaning. Oven spills aren’t a food hazard if you regularly heat the oven to 400. Cover a fresh spill with salt until you have time to clean it.

3. Counters
Clean regularly with an all-purpose cleaner. Spray with a weak bleach solution and air-dry if needed.

4. Dishes and dishwashers
If you hand-wash dishes, be sure to air-dry them in a rack as dirty or wet dish towels can recontaminate clean dishes. To reduce soap buildup in a dishwasher, occasionally fill the soap dispenser with baking soda or place a small cup of vinegar on the top shelf, then run the dishwater empty.

5. Sink, drain and faucet handle
Clean regularly with household cleanser, especially after washing or rinsing raw meat. Don’t forget to clean the faucet handle.

6. Refrigerator
Every day, wipe down the handles, including the underside. Every week, throw out anything that’s past its date or shows age. Every three to six months, empty shelves and clean the inside with 1/4 cup baking soda in one quart warm water, then spray with a bleach solution and air-dry. Remove drawers and clean under them. Before you return the food, wipe jars to remove drips. Clean the rubber gasket inside the door to ensure a tight seal. Vacuum the coils in the back and empty and clean the drip pan if necessary.

7. Pet bowls
Find a place besides the kitchen to clean turtle or frog habitats and empty pet bowls, or clean and sanitize the sink before you start washing fresh food.

8. Cutting boards
Most scientists believe wooden cutting boards are safest, as long as they are kept clean, sanitized and dry. Studies have shown wood hampers bacteria growth, while bacteria thrive in scars on plastic. Either way, keep them clean by running them through the dishwasher, or sanitize by spritzing with a weak bleach solution. Always change boards or clean with soapy water after preparing raw food—even vegetables. They grow in dirt, after all.

9. Sponges and dish towels
Change dish towels daily, or more often if they’re wet or dirty. You can microwave a wet sponge for two minutes, but the time varies depending on the power of the microwave (and if the sponge is dry, it could catch fire). Instead, put sponges on the top rack of the dishwasher at the end of every day.

10. Cross-contamination
You know you’re not supposed to put cooked food on the same surface you used for raw food. But it’s not just a problem with cutting boards. You touch all kinds of things while you’re handling raw food: Salt and pepper shakers, cabinet handles, etc. Pay attention to what you touch so you can wipe things down. Tip: It’s not necessary to rinse raw meat and chicken—it just spreads bacteria.

Thanks to our sources: Benjamin Chapman, the extension food-safety specialist for N.C. State; David Sweat, foodborne-disease epidemiologist with the North Carolina Division of Public Health; Douglas Powell, professor of food safety at Kansas State University; and Dean Cliver and Linda Harris with the University of California-Davis.

(c) 2011, The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.).

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

HUD Approves 13.1 Million Emergency Home Loan

HUD Approves 13.1 Million Emergency Home Loan

Idaho Housing & Finance Association is ready to take applications immeditely

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today approved the State of Idaho's bid to administer HUD's Emergency Homeowner Loan Program (EHLP), a bridge loan program designed to help unemployed families pay their mortgages. HUD determined Idaho's Housing and Finance Association's mortgage bridge loan program is "substantially similar" to HUD's program, thereby allowing the State to begin implementing the program itself.

HUD's Emergency Home Loan Program will work through a variety of state and non-profit entities and will offer a declining balance, deferred payment "bridge loan" (zero percent interest, non-recourse, subordinate loan) for up to $50,000 to assist eligible borrowers with payments on their mortgage principal, interest, mortgage insurance, taxes and hazard insurance for up to 24 months.

Under the program, eligible borrowers must:

1.Be at least three months delinquent in their payments and have a reasonable likelihood of being able to resume repayment of their mortgage payments and related housing expenses within two years;
2.Have a mortgage property that is the principal residence of the borrower; and
3.Demonstrate a good payment record prior to the event that produced the reduction of income.

The Contractor Agreement: 7 Steps to an Iron-Clad Contract

By: Barbara Eisner Bayer
Published: February 24, 2011
Follow these seven tips to make sure your contractor agreement works in your favor—not your builder’s.
Step 1: Hire a lawyer
Contractors use their own forms, which are drafted for their benefit, not yours. You’ll benefit from hiring an attorney to review your contractor agreement or draft one that’s you-friendly. Even though this may cost around $250 to $500, it can save thousands of dollars later if there’s a dispute.
Step 2: Take the home court advantage
Add a “choice of law” or “forum selection” provision, which says that disputes will be litigated on your turf. This provides protection against out-of-town contractors or suppliers—you don’t want to have to drag yourself across multiple state lines for a lawsuit.
Step 3: Create an incentive to finish
Define when the contactor will deliver on his promises, and when he’ll get his money. Within the contractor agreement, create a payment schedule in your favor by holding money back until the work is fully completed and you’ve verified the final payments to subcontractors. Maintain control by holding the purse strings.
Step 4: Reeling in a runaway contractor
The most common problem you’ll encounter is a general contractor who gets paid, but doesn’t pay his subcontractors and suppliers—possibly leaving you on the hook, according to Craig Robelen, a home builder in Boca Raton, Fla.Robelen advises protecting yourself upfront by requesting the names of all professionals your builder will work with. Verify that your contractor has paid his subcontractors by requesting conditional partial lien releases during the construction term, and a final lien release at completion. (Have the general contractor collect them and present them to you.) These are essentially formal acknowledgments from subcontractors that they are being paid for work done.Also, see if your contractor has a “payment bond” that guarantees subcontractors will be paid.
Step 5: Corral unauthorized costs
Your contract should state that any changes that will affect the price of construction should be in writing and countersigned by both you and your contractor. This protects you from unauthorized charges.
Step 6: Avoid kickbacks
Protect yourself from kickbacks—where contractors gets bonuses from their subs for referring business—by requesting that builders sign affidavits that they’re not getting any “fees” from subcontractors as a prerequisite for doing business with them. Keep costs well-defined by asking for a “bid summary,” which should show a minimum of three quotes in every cost category of your budget.
Step 7: Binding words
If you’d like to avoid going to court in case of a dispute, add a clause in the contractor agreement for binding arbitration. If there’s a problem, you and your contractor will plead your case in front of a non-biased arbitrator, whose decision will be final.If your contractor balks on any contract point you feel strongly about, do some more research. Maybe what you’re asking isn’t typical for that kind of job. Talk with neighbors who have had similar work done and sound out other contractors regarding their policies on the disputed issue before you sign anything. This helps you determine what’s customary for your particular area. Barbara Eisner Bayer has written about personal finance for the past 17 years. She recently completed a home renovation on time, on budget, with the aid of a cold compress on her forehead.

Living (Briefly) without Electricity

Maria Rodale Mar 6, 2011 6:01 am

It’s not a real winter in these parts without one good ice storm—the kind that covers all the trees with a clear-crystal-candy coating, stops all the traffic, and invariably, knocks out the power for a while. Which is an important reminder of just how close to primitive chaos we would be without a steady supply of that electric juice. In fact, I wrote this blog post on a paper tablet (gasp!) using a pen (shocking!).

When the electricity goes out there are essential things that become impossible to do. I can’t use my coffeemaker; I can’t use my oven (the stovetop is gas, and the fridge and freezer are on a backup generator, thankfully). I can’t compulsively check my email or play music on iTunes. Obviously, I can’t turn on any lights or check accuweather.com or huffingtonpost.com to see if the world has ended or not. Even my phone will only work for a while (and doesn’t work very well where I live anyway) without being recharged.

Here is what I worry about: Will the electricity come back on in time for my next coffee fix? (If not, I do have a backup system that requires more work.) Will we be able to watch American Idol? (I don’t worry about having enough food, since I tend to stock up a lot and could last at least a few weeks if we had to.)

And here is what I am thankful for: Candles. Real books. Needlepoint and other crafts. A gas stovetop. A fireplace. Real paper. Real pens and pencils. Maybe a deck of cards or a puzzle, if we are feeling ambitious.

But here is what I noticed most after an hour or two of only natural light and no distractions. The universe shrinks measurably. Who I can communicate with is reduced from infinite to a few. I become oblivious to cyclones on the other side of the planet and revolts thousands of miles away. It’s both a relief and a frightening prospect—that we are vulnerable, so dependent on such a fragile system. A thing we take for granted every day.

Fight loneliness by figuring out what you enjoy doing most, and then seeking to meet others with similar interests to create meaningful relationships.

Sometimes, I think about what the world might be like a thousand years from now. If there is some catastrophe that eliminates the power supply or the knowledge that enables digital reality, think of all the things that will be lost—all our online photos, our Word documents, our ebooks, and our email. It will be worse than the alleged burning of the library in Alexandria. This is why, every once in a while, it’s good to print things out. Write real letters. Make real photo albums, not just virtual ones. Keep a diary on paper. You never know what will be unearthed from protected pockets beneath the rubble of our current existence.

And in the meantime, the electricity comes back on and there will be an American Idol viewing this evening, thank goodness!

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/living-briefly-without-electricity.html#ixzz1G2F3Lb5O

Is your home-renovation project really worth doing?

ARA) - Maybe you've watched one too many home improvement shows. Perhaps you're still stinging from that holiday guest's comment about how your kitchen countertop has seen better days. Or maybe you're just really tired of the same old, same old every day.

Whatever the reason the remodeling itch has settled into your brain, before you bring in a contractor - or pick up a hammer - you should consider two important questions: How will you fund your project? And will it be worth it in the end?

A little research and credit self-assessment can answer both questions. In addition to pulling your credit report to see how likely you are to qualify for good loan terms, you should consider the potential resale value of the improvement, how it will improve your life and if it will enhance your enjoyment of your home.

Fortunately, it's not difficult to evaluate the potential resale value. Kitchen and bathroom remodels, adding a deck, or finishing a basement or attic are all popular renovations because they upgrade the most-used rooms in the house or add living space.

In terms of resale value, here are some popular projects with high paybacks, according to Remodeling Magazine's 2009-2010 Cost versus Value Report:

• Adding an attic bedroom - 83.1 percent
• Adding a wooden deck - 80.6 percent
• Minor kitchen remodel - 78.3 percent
• Major kitchen remodel - 72.1 percent
• Basement remodel - 75.4 percent
• Bathroom remodel - 71 percent

Keep in mind that smaller remodels, while costing less than major jobs, can still have a major impact on how your home looks and feels. For example, simply replacing that old front door with a steel version can cost around $1,000 but offers a return on investment of nearly 129 percent, according to the report.

Another factor to consider when weighing the value of any remodeling project is how it will affect your quality of life in terms of financial security. It's important to be sure the cost of the project won't be a financial burden that detracts from your enjoyment of the results.

To help understand your current credit status and how it might affect your remodeling loan terms, obtain a copy of your credit report. Websites like CreditReport.com can provide you with a credit report with your paid monitoring membership. Obtaining your credit report and monitoring your credit can help you identify any inaccuracies or errors that might lead to higher interest rates, and also catch and resolve potential fraud quickly. You'll also find tips on the website for understanding your credit, and tools such as a credit score tracker to help you anticipate how certain financial decisions - like financing a remodel - might affect your credit.

Remodeling projects will likely remain popular as homeowners continue to stay put in a still-sluggish real estate market, experts agree. With some careful planning, budgeting, research and credit insight, you can ensure you reap the most financial and personal value for whatever renovation you decide to undertake.

Courtesy of ARAcontent