This vacant home is for sale. It's my listing...I tried to stage it. But, I know I'm not good at it. So, I hired a professional. You won't have any trouble telling the difference between the two!
Looking now at my attempts to "stage" the house, it's comical! What a great job "my" stager did. Would you like to know who did this staging? Click Here. And in case you're interested in knowing more about this great 2-story Woodmoor neighborhood, Monument, CO, home...click here.
We had to take my son, 35 years old, into the ER last night. He was weak and tired, complaining of headache, stomach pain, shoulder pain, and dehydration from diarrhea, and vomiting. He passed out on us once, and passed out on the doctor while being examined.
The ER staff was wonderful! Caring, respectful, knowledgeable. He was put on liquids to rehydrate, given morphine when tramdol didn't work, and anti-virals when they believed his heart arrhythmia was caused by a virus. In about 45 minutes, he was greatly improved, but they kept him overnight for observation.
This morning, they'd found out that his heart event was caused by being under so much physical stress, and nothing to worry about. And after a CAT scan for blood clots, which was negative, he was sent home. Feeling 150% better!
Thank you to all the staff and folks at our north facility of Penrose St. Francis Hospital!
This photo is of the Colorado River headwaters as it pours out of the Rocky Mountains, just south and west of the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was taken in the summer of 2005. It's a beautiful scene, but if you look closely, you notice the dead trees.
The trees are Lodge Pole pine trees that have been infected with the Pine Bark Beetle. These little pests are destroying all the trees in the Rocky Mountains. And they are moving to destroy what's left. Very large swaths of the trees across the mountains are dead and brown. When the beetles are done with the trees, the very dead, dry branches hang down, as evidenced by the trees on the left in the foreground. They look so sad with the dead drooping branches, like they cried themselves to death.
It's been impossible to stop these bugs. Many people have their trees sprayed with insecticides, but that only slows the beetles down; it doesn't kill them. And the dead trees are, of course, a fire hazzard, and must be taken down.
In this photo, taken a couple of years later, the dead trees appear gray. The brown trees from the previous photo, will turn gray with time.
This is an upclose view of the damage the bettles can cause. The yellow trees are Aspens turning in the fall. And just this week, I heard that the Aspen trees are beginning to die off. They have a 20 year live span and many are just dying.
We, as a state, national, and as a global community, have lost a great deal to these beetles. The trees are a large part of the eco system. They add oxygen to the air, and filter out harmful particles. The face of the Rocky Mountains have changed, and will not be the same in my life time. The loss of the beautiful trees that make the Rockies so remarkable have changed the face of the mountains, permanently.
The positive note to all of this is that the Forestry Services tells us that the die off of all these trees will produce a more diverse vegetation, and help to protect the forest against the beetles next invasion.
Chinese drywall was imported to the US during the peak building years of 2004 and 2007. Over 100,000homes, in 20 states, were built with this product. The drywall contains a sulfurous product, that gives off the odor of a burning match. Over time, it turns copper pipes black, rots wiring, and plumbing, and destroys the air conditioning condenser.
The Issue with Living with Chinese Drywall More importantly, this product is harmful to people living within those walls. Many have reported that the odor is causing headaches, and respiratory problems. Numerous people have move out of their new homes, only to have to pay for another home or apartment to live in.
The Issue with the Mortgage Lenders and Chinese Drywall These displaced folks cannot afford rent on an apartment, and the mortgage on their new home. And, pleas for aid from the mortgage lender are being declined. The cost of replacing all thedrywall in the home can reach $80,000 to $100,000. Is this the beginning of more mortgage lender problems? How many people will just walk away from their homes, leaving the industry in another downfall?
The Issue with the Courts and Chinese Drywall As of right now, there are court cases pending to for home owners hoping to resolve this problem. Many of the new home builders are taking it upon themselves to replace the defective drywall. But many are not, and the courts will start trying those cases in January of 2010.
The Issue with Our Economy and Chinese Drywall This issue has the potential of causing another run of foreclosures and bankruptcies. The state of Louisiana has begun using their $5 million in federal housing money to assist homeowners with replacing the offensive drywall. Senator Bill Nelson (Dem-FL) is introducing a bill to provide the same type of assistance for Florida residents.
Where will this go? How will we deal with this large problem on top of our small recovery of the last year? Are you seeing the effects of Chinese drywall in your market?
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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