Tag Archives: house

Hidden Germs

I try to keep my house clean, but I will admit that I worry about germs.  We have pets, we wear our shoes in the house – I just worry that things aren’t as clean as they should be. And, I should.  There are places in the house where you might not think to look for germs. Where are some of the places you should look?  One place I forget about is under the rug.  I try to be diligent about vacuuming the rug, but I often think that is enough.  Remember to pull the rug up and vacuum the … Continue reading →

Less Mess, Less Stress

Let’s face it, the less mess you have, the less stress you have. Well, perhaps that isn’t true for everyone. My children have friends whose families don’t seem to care too much about the state of their home. But I think for the most part, we are much more relaxed and happy when the house is in order. Sometimes I can walk into a room and instantly feel stressed. There is a pile of dishes in the sink, the floor is sticky, the counters haven’t been wiped off, the George Forman was left out and no one bothered to clean … Continue reading →

A Fun House for Little Girls… and Big Ones

If you have a Barbie fan in your home, then you might consider booking a flight to California before the end of the month. That’s when the curtains will be drawn on a real-life Barbie Malibu Dream House. But until then, you can try to snag a tour of an actual Malibu mansion that has been transformed into the popular doll’s dream home. Toy maker Mattel recently hired interior decorator Jonathan Adler to replicate Barbie’s pimped out pad in a real-life 3,500-square-foot beach house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The home is being decorated to honor the doll on her 50th … Continue reading →

How Long Should Your Appliances Last?

When you have to repair or replace a fancy refrigerator only two years after you purchased the unit, it can be frustrating. Yet, the 1960s dryer that you inherited from your parents is still going strong. Are modern appliances not built as well? Do refrigerators die out faster than do dryers? There are a few different factors that may determine the life of your appliance. Electronic components such as sensors and computerized displays tend to be difficult to repair or replace and can also be the most likely parts of an appliance to fail. The simpler the better here. More … Continue reading →

Star Updates: Trump NOT Buying McMahon’s House

If you thought that Donald Trump’s recent bid to buy TV star Ed McMahon’s Beverly Hills mansion was part of a massive publicity stunt… you might be right. A couple of weeks ago the real estate mogul turned TV host offered to lend a hand to McMahon as he fought off the threat of foreclosure on his $5.75 million six-bedroom home. The Donald’s move, which at the time seemed benevolent, made headlines around the country. Many expressed admiration for the Trumpster and his goodwill gesture of buying McMahon’s property and leasing it back to the 85-year-old celeb. But, now word … Continue reading →

Will Your Home Sell in a Recession: Carrying Costs

Even in a bad housing market, a good home will sell and sell well. If you want to evaluate whether or not your home will give you a good return, you can review all of the factors that the real estate experts use when determining the likelihood of a good outcome. So far, we’ve covered location, durability, trends and even whether or not your town has sidewalks. All of these aspects of a home can influence its sale. If you missed any of those earlier articles, you can still read them through links at the end of this one. Now, … Continue reading →

Things to Do in April

The blue skies have arrived with hopefully very little showers. Outdoors is the place to be as we welcome warmer temperatures and the blessings of spring. Spruce up your home and your outdoor environment this month with some fun projects. Here are things to do in April. Earth Day falls on April 22nd. Take this opportunity to chair your air filters to help your air filtration system run efficiently. Also, promote recycling in your home with labeled recycling bins that are in within easy access to the members of your family. You’ll soon be spending a lot of time outdoors. … Continue reading →

Will Your Home Sell in a Recession? Sidewalks and Septic

Despite the doom and gloom of the housing market, it is possible for your home to sell during a recession. There are factors about your home that you may not realize are assets or hinderances. If you are evaluating the pros and cons of selling your home now, take a look at the articles in this series. I’ll cover some of the items that make it more likely for your home to sell in a down-turned economy. If you missed the first article in this series: Will Your Home Sell in a Recession? Location Matters, you can review it through … Continue reading →

Will Your Home Sell in a Recession? Location Matters

If you are contemplating selling your home during a recession, you may be wondering if this is the rights time. Although there is a lot of competition out there and fewer people are buying, the fact is that some homes are still selling quickly. Some of these homes are even selling for more than their list price? How is this possible when everyone is saying that this is the wrong time to try to sell a home? The homes that sell have certain things in common. Take a look at this list to see if your home will sell in … Continue reading →

Vacation House or Vacation Condo? (Continued)

Now is a great time to buy a vacation home, as prices for second homes are very attractive to buyers. Also, vacation home can be used as an investment and/or to generate income. But is it wisest to buy a house or a condo for your vacation home? Here are five questions to help you make the right decision. In the previous article, we discussed three of the five questions that you can ask yourself when choosing between a house or condo as your vacation home. If you missed that article, you can read it by clicking here: Vacation House … Continue reading →