Posts from December 2018

If you're a terrible enough human being to ruin Santa for a little kid (like "he who shall remain unnamed"), then chances are - you deservedly got a lump of coal in your stocking this year! There are lots of misconceptions or "myths" we tend to hang onto throughout our lives. Some of us still believe there is good in all people. I will work hard at maintaining that one for as long as I live. Others still hang on to the notion that if you swim within 30 minutes of eating, you'll sink to the bottom of the lake! Honestly, I've never tested that one. I'm not sure it's worth the risk!

In real estate, there are also myths that folks tend to hang onto regardless of facts to the contrary or the sage advice of a real estate professional. Today I'd like to explore (expose!?) a couple of those so tha...

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Regardless of where you stand on the global warming issue you'd really have to be living under a rock to not accept the reality of what we humans are doing to harm this planet. (You know. The only planet we have on which to exist!) But even if global warming and the horrific issue we are creating with all of our waste doesn't motivate you to "act locally", we can all agree that saving money is a good thing, right?

This week a friend of the newspaper from Randolph wrote in with some great information about solar panels. It prompted me to do a little digging of my own and explore this technology a bit further. I've now lived in two homes that have had solar in place. The first used the panels, situated just behind the house, to heat the water for the home. This handled the "forced hot wa...

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I'm visiting my parents down in Florida this week. They have been here for about fifteen years now and I still don't think my dad misses shoveling snow one bit! Personally, I'm looking forward to getting back to the white stuff. One thing I remember distinctly about when they first moved down here was the process of having their house built. The model homes and model "rooms" they walked through were simply amazing. Virtually every combination of color, materials, finishes, appliances and fixtures were available to see, touch and experience. We're not going to encourage that variety today, but we are going to talk about showing off your home's best features through staging. Let's get started.

I know we talk about this every couple of months but if you are new to the column this is vita...

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While visiting a friend of mine last week, I was sitting in the living room waiting for him to get home from work when the doorbell rang. As I was chatting with the woman on the front steps a voice chimed in. "Hi Carol. This is my friend, Jason. Come on in and get started. I'll be home soon".  It was my buddy. He was talking to both of us (and watching us) through the doorbell. Later in the week (again, waiting for him to get home) my friend turned on the air conditioning at the house (it was 35 degrees outside!) just to mess with me. Both of these trinkets controlled by his phone. We have arrived at an age of technology that most of us never even dreamed possible.

I mention the thermostat because it is just one of the many upgrades you can make to your home with a very re...

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Perhaps it was my childhood that instilled an appreciation of moving a lot, but I still enjoy the process to this day. I'm not crazy enough to enjoy the actual "moving" of all my stuff. That's no fun for anyone. But I do love the excitement of a new place, new sights, new smells, new restaurants and of course, new craft beers. What's not to love?

For some people, most likely those with excess baggage (also known as kids), moving is a much larger hassle. The last time I moved, I was able to fit everything I own into the back of my Tacoma. Of course I had to jettison a few items in order to make it all fit. But in the end the cat and I were comfortable and I only missed a few things.

Moving for whatever reason can certainly be stressful and full of anxiety (and hard work). Today I'd like to e...

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