This is so important! As independently owned businesses around us are closing one by one we need to do something to help. Please go out and frequent our small business owners and do what you can to help!
The idea is to commit $50 each month to locally owned businesses. Maybe that means rethinking where you currently invest your money, opting to pick up that birthday card or pair of jeans in a locally owned business instead of the big box you’ve been going to. Or maybe it means eating out once a month because you realize slamming the brakes on all spending stalls economic recovery. And it means not shopping online, 99.99999% of online sales generate nothing for the community you live in. It’s just that simple.
Best Regards,
Michael Caruso, Broker ABR ABRM CRB CRS GRI GREEN
2007 President, Orange County Association of Realtors
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
Most homes in Minneapolis and Saint Paul are old houses with masonry chimneys. When these masonry chimneys go bad (and they all go bad) the repair can be very expensive. If you call up a chimney contractor to see what can be done about it, they'll tell you the chimney needs repair, just like an orthodontist will tell you your kid needs braces. Repair is just one option. The other option is removal.
When chimneys are badly deteriorated, sometimes it just makes more sense to tear the chimney down below the roof line instead of repairing the section that sticks up above the roof. The benefits of doing this are lower repair costs, less exterior maintenance, and less chance for leakage at the roof. Chimneys are notorious for leaks, both through the top and at the roof flashing.
If you're thinking about tearing a chimney down below the roof line, the chimney must be located in the middle of the house. If the chimney is located on an outside wall, the fix wouldn't simply involve removing the chimney below the roof line - it would require complete removal of the chimney, which might be cost prohibitive. I counted houses around my neighborhood in Minneapolis (Bryn Mawr), and about three out of four houses has a chimney in the middle of the house.
To remove the chimney below the roof line, the chimney must also be abandoned, or only be used to vent gas appliances that are connected to a metal flue liner. If the chimney is completely abandoned, it's a no-brainer; it's not doing anything, just get rid of it.
If the chimney is being used to vent gas appliances such as a furnace / water heater / boiler, that vent will still need to penetrate the roof to carry the exhaust gases to the exterior. Just make sure that all of the gas appliances are properly connected to the vent!
It used to be common practice to connect the furnace to a metal vent that ran inside the chimney, while the water heater would be connected only to the chimney, where it would use the annular space around the furnace vent to carry exhaust gases to the exterior. If you see the water heater vent connector entering the chimney separately from the furnace or boiler, this is probably what is happening. That's what you're seeing in the photo below - the smaller vent connector that I outlined in red comes from the water heater.
The diagram below shows the same thing - click for a bigger version.
If you have an installation that looks like this, you should have it fixed, whether you plan on tearing down your chimney below the roof line or not. Allowing the water heater to vent in to the annular space in the chimney will allow the corrosive exhaust gases to damage the chimney walls, and water heaters usually don't draft properly when they're installed this way... but I digress. More on this topic another day. Back to the chimney.
If the chimney is removed down below the roof line, be sure to seal up what's left of the chimney inside the attic space, to prevent the chimney from doing what it does best - bringing warm air up! If the chimney ends below the roof line, it will act like a huge attic bypass, allowing heat to escape in to the attic. If the chimney is abandoned, seal off the top completely. If the chimney is still used as the chaseway for a gas vent, seal off the area between the chimney and the vent with sheet metal, and use high-temperature caulking to make it airtight.
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
You have just had the perfect evening with friends over and happy conversations by glowing candlelight. Your guests have departed and you are cleaning up before retiring. The dishes - into the kitchen, the candles -ooops a wax spill on your lovely new carpet. What to do , what to do????
Take a brown paper bag - either a lunch bag or a piece of a grocery bag that's big enough to cover the wax. Place the paper bag over the melted wax and use a hot iron (steam off) to rub over the paper bag. The wax will come off automatically and be absorbed into the bag. This method is A LOT easier than the ice cube way.
My company Re$ale Design & Home Staging also does event planning and we have had many spills by nervous wedding participants on church carpets. The brown bags and iron are packed and ready. We use an old iron for this and a separate one for clothing touch-ups.
If you ever burn candles this tip may come in handy - spills happen.
photo by FABIOLA MEDEIROS'
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
This is actually a funny story. I was using my husband's car the day I took these pictures. He was off from work, his car was blocking mine etc...So off I go to work in his car. At one point I realized his gas light was on and I was no where near a gas station. So in a panic I head off to the nearest gas station and as I am driving up this road I see what looks like beams coming down from breaks in the clouds up ahead. The perfect blog pictures. So I pull to the side and now the dilemma-I can't turn the car off because it is already extremely low on gas-should I even be taking the time to take my camera out of the case, get out of the car and try and take pictures? So needless to say this was done in a frenzy. Initially I didn't even know if I got the right picture. I just snapped two as quick as I could, jumped back in the car and raced to the gas station-praying all the way that I would make it as I was already below E when I stopped to take my camera out of the case. The pictures show just how fall it is around here as there is not a leaf to be seen and everything is so brown. They don't do justice though of how interesting the sky looked that day. Luckily I made it to the gas station in the nick of time!
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
The Snaefell is a completely hand crafted vehicle, the frame, the wiring harness and, of course, the amazing body, which itself used 63 molds for the parts made of polyester or carbon fiber. Some parts were sourced from Renault, Citroen, BMW, VW and Audi. The entire 10,000 hour project comes in around 15,000 Euros, which, at today's rates, is about $21,000.
Read the rest of the article by Paul Crowe in Motorcyle Builders and see the amazing pictures here:
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
Here is a holiday gift for the two of you that can help you detect any drafts that may be stealing your heat! The thermal leak detector by black and decker will help you identify problem areas by lighting up when it detects a draft around drafty windows, doors or anywhere else in your house that it detects a leak. Sealing up these heat stealing leaks can save you up to 20% on your yearly energy bills for heating and cooling costs. Now is the time when the cold winds are blowing outside to stop them from blowing into the house!
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
I
was coming from an appointment last week and drove over an area they
call the "Hawk's Nest" and after seeing the beautiful colors had to
pull over on a little overlook and snap some pictures. This
overlook looks down on the Delaware River. One side is New
York, the other Pennsylvania. In the summer this river is so
full of rafts, rafting down the river some days that you can hardly see
the water. It is a beautiful site no matter what time of year
you happen upon it. It is a big attraction for motorcycle
riders as well. The wind has been blowing the last few days
so I think most of the leaves are down now so a lot of this color is
probably already gone.
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
Today
is truly a day of thanks. I am thankful my husband and I both
have jobs. I am thankful my daughter is able to attend
college and one of her choice. I am thankful we have a roof
over our heads. I am thankful we all have our health.
It may not be the best but it can always be worse.
I am so thankful for the people who call me their friend. I
am extremely thankful for my family and that I will get to be with them
today. For all those with family in Iraq, Afghanistan or
anywhere where they can't be with you today you are in my daily
prayers. I am thankful that my clients bring me repeat
business and I can also call them my friends. Life is
precious and it can change in an instant-will everything still be the
same tomorrow? We don't know and no one can predict.
So for today to everyone who shares my life through family,
friends and business I wish a glorious Thanksgiving. May it
be the best it can be!
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
While there are sometimes bargains to be found in the purchase of foreclosures, there are also serious pitfalls. Foreclosures are not for the inexperienced. Use the following to help guide you through the process.
1. Don’t buy a foreclosure in the wrong area. Even if the home is a great deal, if you are planning to live there, you’ll probably regret your decision. Price is never the only factor. And even if you are an investor, if the home isn’t in the area you wanted, it may be better to look for another.
2. Don’t assume that a foreclosure is a great buy. Do your homework. Recruit a Realtor® to guide you.
3. Don’t get caught up in the excitement of a bidding war. Whether at auction or through negotiation, bidding wars frequently result in someone paying too much. Have a pre-determined maximum price and don’t go beyond it. If the bidding remains below your maximum, however, use the tactics in Winning a Bidding War.
4. Don’t buy a home without an inspection. Even if a lender is selling the home “as-is,” your offer to purchase should include an inspection clause with a time limit for your acceptance. With an inspection clause, you’ll be protected and not bound to close if you discover serious problems. Your clause should include an inspection for structure, pests, radon, mold, drainage, and anything else that may be appropriate for the home you’re considering.
5. Don’t buy a property without a title search and without purchasing “owners’ title.” Foreclosures may have problems that failed to be uncovered during the foreclosure process. Protect your investment by purchasing coverage.
6. Don’t expect any type of warranty. You’re buying the home “as is” and will be responsible for making repairs.
7. Don’t expect the bank to make allowances for your personal situation. Banks have been overwhelmed with foreclosures and have neither the time nor the inclination to make exceptions.
8. Don’t try to close a deal without an attorney. While you may be using a Realtor® and “trust” the seller, you need an attorney’s guidance to avoid the potential for certain risks and “super liens” that may survive the foreclosure.
9. Don’t attend a foreclosure auction unless you are totally prepared to buy. That means you must be ready to meet the financing requirements of the auction (usually cash or a letter of credit), that you have full knowledge of the property and the costs of making repairs, and that you are fully ready to purchase. Auctions are attended by professionals (often referred to as vultures”) who both know the true value of the property and the cost of repairs. But they are sometimes attended by cash-rich novices who bid up the price far beyond a home’s reasonable value.
10. Don’t consider a foreclosure until you check out the limitations and requirements in your particular state or area. There are considerable differences between states, and just because you’ve heard of great opportunities in one doesn’t mean the same exists in another.
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
In 3-quart saucepan heat milk, water and butter to boiling.
Stir in ranch dressing mix and sour cream; beat until
smooth.
Stir in 3 slices of bacon and both pouches of potatoes just
until moistened.
Let stand one minute.
Stir with fork until smooth.
Spoon into serving dish. Top with remaining bacon
and onions.
ENJOY!!
(Recipe is from Betty
Crocker)
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the Sullivan or Orange County, NY area we would be happy to assist you! Please contact me or visit our website for more information.
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.
Here is a holiday gift for the two of you that can help you detect any drafts that may be stealing your heat! The 
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