Gene Allen Sells Hampton Roads Real Estate

Are You Selling A Home With At Least One Major Health Risk in Chesapeake?

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:16:13 -0600

Are you selling a home with at least one major health risk in Chesapeake? To find out read the following information. I found it very insiteful and sensible.

New research from the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), says that the majority of U.S. families (67%) live in a home with at least one major health risk.

Adults 18 and older were recently surveyed by NCHH to gauge their levels of awareness of the common health and safety hazards found in many homes. The results reveal that although most people realize serious health problems may result from the way their homes are built and maintained, they have not taken action to create a healthy and safe home environment for their loved ones.

Because of the responses, NCHH is encouraging families to make healthy housing a priority and promoting the Seven Principles of Healthy Housing as a guideline for parents and caregivers to help them create healthier home environments. The seven principles are: keeping homes dry, clean, ventilated, contaminant-free, pest-free, safe, and maintained.

There are nearly six million U.S. homes in substandard condition putting many families at risk of housing-related disease and injuries. There is a need to raise awareness and empower families to upgrade the health and safety conditions in their own homes but also regulations and greater investment from the private sector to ensure that healthy housing is available to all.

I picked this information directly from the NCHH website.

Principle 1: Dry

Damp homes provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents and molds, all of which are associated with asthma. To keep the home dry, NCHH recommends the following:

    --  Place dehumidifiers in basements and other damp spaces to remove excess
        moisture.
    --  Repair downspouts to drain water away from the foundation and prevent
        moisture intrusion.
    --  Place a water alarm near the sump pump or hot water heater to notify of
        flooding or water leaks.

    --  Work with a drywall professional to repair any water damage to reduce
        mold growth and maintain structural soundness.

Principle 2: Clean

Clean homes help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants. NCHH offers the following tips to help keep the home clean:

    --  Place a mat on the inside and outside of every door that leads to the
        outside.
    --  Purchase and clean with non-toxic cleaning supplies.

    --  Clean up dust to eliminate contaminants such as lead dust, allergens,
        and chemical residues. Pay particular attention to cleaning refrigerator
        drip pans and range hoods.

Principle 3: Ventilated

Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health. To keep the home ventilated:

    --  Install exhaust fans in bathrooms and over the range in the kitchen and
        vent them to the outside.

    --  Vent dryers to the outside to reduce moisture build up.

Principle 4: Contaminant-Free

Chemical exposures include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and environmental tobacco smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles, radon gas, carbon monoxide, and second-hand tobacco smoke are far higher indoors than outside. To keep the home free from contaminants, NCHH suggests:

    --  Avoid smoking inside.
    --  Test for radon in the lowest level of your home to prevent lung cancer
        from radon exposure. Learn more about radon and how to receive a
        discounted radon home test kit by contacting your state radon office at
        www.epa.gov/radon or call 1-800-SOS-Radon.

    --  Hire a professional to test for lead in homes built before 1978. Call
        1-800-424-LEAD to find a professional in your area.

Principle 5: Pest-Free

Exposures to pests in the home, such as mice and cockroaches, have been linked to asthma episodes in children. Since pesticide residue in the home brings risks for neurological damage and cancer, NCHH cautions against using pesticides and instead encourages parents and caregivers to take the following steps:

    --  Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a safer and usually less-costly
        option for effective pest management. It includes
        --  Reducing sources of food, water, and shelter for pests by filling
            cracks and crevices with copper mesh, expanding foam, cement, and
            caulk.
        --  Using trash cans with sealable covers to prevent rodent and pest
            infestation.

    --  Avoid spraying and fogging, which are harmful to your health.

Principle 6: Safe

The majority of injuries among children occur in the home. Falls are the most common cause of residential injuries to children, followed by injuries from objects in the home, burns, and poisonings. To prevent home injuries, NCHH recommends the following actions:

    --  Install nightlights in dark hallways and bathrooms to help prevent
        falls.
    --  Install non-skid pads under carpets to help prevent slips, trips, and
        falls.
    --  Place a smoke detector on each level of the home, including the basement
        to prevent fire-related deaths.
    --  Place a carbon monoxide alarm on each floor of the home to protect
        against carbon monoxide poisonings. Place the alarms outside sleeping
        areas and at least 15 feet from heating or cooking appliances.

    --  Set water heater thermostats to 120 °F or below the "medium" setting
        and install anti-scald devices in water faucets and shower heads to
       prevent scalds.

 Principle 7: Maintained

Poorly maintained homes are vulnerable to moisture and pest problems. Deteriorated lead-based paint in older housing is the primary cause of lead poisoning, which affects approximately 240,000 U.S. children. NCHH recommends the following practices to keep the home maintained:

    --  Fix peeling lead-based paint in homes built before 1978. Hire a
        contractor trained in lead safety for renovations and major repairs to
        homes built before 1978.

    --  For maximum filtration, replace furnace filters every four months with a
        minimum energy reporting value (MERV) 11 filter.

http://www.geneallen.com Come and see ALL the Homes for Sale in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, as well as the rest of Hampton Roads. This site is updated daily with new real estate listings, pictures and other information vital to your home search.

Are You Selling A Home With At Least One Major Health Risk?

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:14:12 -0600

Are you selling a home with at least one major health risk? To find out read the following information. I found it very insiteful and sensible.

New research from the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), says that the majority of U.S. families (67%) live in a home with at least one major health risk.

I picked this information directly from the NCHH website.

Principle 1: Dry

Damp homes provide a nurturing environment for mites, roaches, rodents and molds, all of which are associated with asthma. To keep the home dry, NCHH recommends the following:

    --  Place dehumidifiers in basements and other damp spaces to remove excess
        moisture.
    --  Repair downspouts to drain water away from the foundation and prevent
        moisture intrusion.
    --  Place a water alarm near the sump pump or hot water heater to notify of
        flooding or water leaks.

    --  Work with a drywall professional to repair any water damage to reduce
        mold growth and maintain structural soundness.

Principle 2: Clean

Clean homes help reduce pest infestations and exposure to contaminants. NCHH offers the following tips to help keep the home clean:

    --  Place a mat on the inside and outside of every door that leads to the
        outside.
    --  Purchase and clean with non-toxic cleaning supplies.

    --  Clean up dust to eliminate contaminants such as lead dust, allergens,
        and chemical residues. Pay particular attention to cleaning refrigerator
        drip pans and range hoods.

Principle 3: Ventilated

Studies show that increasing the fresh air supply in a home improves respiratory health. To keep the home ventilated:

    --  Install exhaust fans in bathrooms and over the range in the kitchen and
        vent them to the outside.

    --  Vent dryers to the outside to reduce moisture build up.

Principle 4: Contaminant-Free

    --  Avoid smoking inside.
    --  Test for radon in the lowest level of your home to prevent lung cancer
        from radon exposure. Learn more about radon and how to receive a
        discounted radon home test kit by contacting your state radon office at
        www.epa.gov/radon or call 1-800-SOS-Radon.

    --  Hire a professional to test for lead in homes built before 1978. Call
        1-800-424-LEAD to find a professional in your area.

Principle 5: Pest-Free

    --  Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a safer and usually less-costly
        option for effective pest management. It includes
        --  Reducing sources of food, water, and shelter for pests by filling
            cracks and crevices with copper mesh, expanding foam, cement, and
            caulk.
        --  Using trash cans with sealable covers to prevent rodent and pest
            infestation.

    --  Avoid spraying and fogging, which are harmful to your health.

Principle 6: Safe

    --  Install nightlights in dark hallways and bathrooms to help prevent
        falls.
    --  Install non-skid pads under carpets to help prevent slips, trips, and
        falls.
    --  Place a smoke detector on each level of the home, including the basement
        to prevent fire-related deaths.
    --  Place a carbon monoxide alarm on each floor of the home to protect
        against carbon monoxide poisonings. Place the alarms outside sleeping
        areas and at least 15 feet from heating or cooking appliances.

    --  Set water heater thermostats to 120 °F or below the "medium" setting
        and install anti-scald devices in water faucets and shower heads to
       prevent scalds.

 Principle 7: Maintained

    --  Fix peeling lead-based paint in homes built before 1978. Hire a
        contractor trained in lead safety for renovations and major repairs to
        homes built before 1978.

    --  For maximum filtration, replace furnace filters every four months with a
        minimum energy reporting value (MERV) 11 filter.

Orange You Glad You Stopped By Glenwood in Virginia Beach

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:37:32 -0600

I was out walking in Glenwood with my camera the other day and saw this orange tree. Didn't know you could grow them here. I go by this tree everyday and never noticed it until then. It must have had oranges on it for a while and in past years. How funny that you can miss something like that.

Orange You Glad You Stopped By In Virginia Beach

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:34:36 -0600

I was out with my camera the other day in Virginia Beach and saw this tree. I go by this tree everyday and never noticed it until then. It must have had oranges on it for a while and in past years. How funny that you can miss something like that.

Dollar Tree Online and In Bulk

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:44:55 -0600

Are you having a Xmas party or New Years and don't want to break out the good glasses or need 48 red felt Santa hats? Go to Dollar Tree . They are online now but you have to buy in bulk. Most of the items can be had for a $1 or less. Check out Dollar Tree now and don't forget the 24 candy filled mugs.

Dollar Tree Online in Norfolk

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:38:19 -0600

Want to spend just a buck on Xmas this year and do it online while sitting at home in Norfolk? You can. Dollar Tree has gone online to sell but you have to buy in bulk. Want a Santa hat, have to buy 48. A candy filled Xmas mug, only by the case of 24 but hey each item is a buck or less. Check out Dollar Tree now.

Dollar Tree Online in Suffolk

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:35:31 -0600

Want to spend just a buck on Xmas this year and do it online while sitting at home in Suffolk? You can. Dollar Tree has gone online to sell but you have to buy in bulk. Want a Santa hat, have to buy 48. A candy filled Xmas mug, only by the case of 24 but hey each item is a buck or less. Check out Dollar Tree now.

Dollar Tree Online in Portsmouth

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:33:49 -0600

Want to spend just a buck on Xmas this year and do it online while sitting at home in Portsmouth? You can. Dollar Tree has gone online to sell but you have to buy in bulk. Want a Santa hat, have to buy 48. A candy filled Xmas mug, only by the case of 24 but hey each item is a buck or less. Check out Dollar Tree now.

Texting From Santa

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:15:22 -0600

I have heard of everything now. The santa at the Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake will text your kids for you Xmas eve. For $5,49 you can order a package of three texts to arrive before Xmas. You can do that on the website at www.greenbriermaill.com For just .99 more, you can customize the text. I can hardly wait for that.

Reflections in Glenwood

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:11:12 -0600

Reflections in Glenwood. Sometimes I wonder what is real and what is just a reflection of what I think is real. Does it matter if it is real or just a reflection if the beauty is the same? The first picture is a reflection of the early morning sun in Virginia Beach. The reflection was from a pool of water on the parking lot of a defunct drug store. The second picture of couse is the pool of water.

Reflections

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:07:11 -0600

Sometimes I wonder what is real and what is just a reflection of what I think is real. Does it matter if it is real or just a reflection if the beauty is the same? The first picture is a reflection of the early morning sun in Virginia Beach. The reflection was from a pool of water on the parking lot of a defunct drug store. The second picture of couse is the pool of water.

Handheld Panarama For Glenwood

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:03:45 -0600

I took this handheld panarama near Glenwood while I was walking on Thanksgiving mornint. This is in reality a field soon to be filled with condos and business's in Virginia Beach. If you look at the corner of Independence and Princess Anne towards the Home Depot you will recognize it. It looks so serene from here. The reason I put it here was to show you that a handheld panarama is possible. I did the actual work in a software called ARC. What I had to do in photoshop was fill in the bottom left part of the picture. It was mostly mission so I used the clone tool.

If you do handheld panaramas, look for the feature in your menu, some have it and use grids to help you keep your verticals which is what happened to me. The camera also plays with your exposure and several other features. Otherwise, lock your exposure and sweep from left to right. Enjoy.

Handheld Panarama

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:00:06 -0600

I took this handheld panarama while I was walking. This is in reality a field soon to be filled with condos and business's in Virginia Beach. It looks so serene from here. The reason I put it here was to show you that a handheld panarama is possible. I did the actual work in a software called ARC. What I had to do in photoshop was fill in the bottom left part of the picture. It was mostly missng so I used the clone tool to fill in the grassy area.

If you do handheld panaramas, look for the feature in your cameras menu, some have it and if they do, will provide grigs to help you keep your verticals which is what happened to me. My verticals were off. The camera also plays with your exposure and several other features. Otherwise, lock your exposure and sweep from left to right. Enjoy.

Honey Bee Golf Course in Glenwood on Thanksgiving Morning

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:27:08 -0600

The Honey Bee Golf course in Glenwood on Thanksgiving morning was simply beautiful no matter if you looked east or west.

Big Beautiful Camera

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:22:39 -0600

I posted this in other groups but wanted to put it here also. The best tools and equipment don't always mean the best pictures or outcome. I had stopped on my bike ride on Thanksgiving morning on a bridge over looking a canal on our local golf course called Honey Bee. I had my Panasonic DMC FZ 18 with me which is a bridge camera. Meanwhile a lady stops and gets out with a big DSLR camera and a big bag of lens'. She looked around a bit, huffed and puffed her way back to the car and left. I am not sure what she saw but this is what I saw. These were taken at the same time. One bridge faces south and the other north. Sometimes your best tools and equipment are what you see that others don't.

Power Lines

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:12:15 -0600

I took this great picture the other day and it had power lines in it. I use the clone stamp PS Elements 5 to take them out but still have problems with the different brushes and how they are all interact. Does anybody have any good places to go to learn how they work? Thanks.

I Saw What She Didn't See

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:59:42 -0600

It was a foggy Thanksgiving morning. I love foggy days for picture taking. Anyways I stopped at my favorite bridge by the Honey Bee Golf Course in Virginia Beach to see if there was anything to take a picture of. As I did another lady stopped her car and got out with this big old hulking DSLR and I thought she was going to take some pictures also. I was sure her pictures would be much better then mine. I felt a little envious with me just having my bridge camera but it turned out I would be wrong. She looked around for several minutes and then left like there was nothing to take a picture of. I looked around and took this picture. I saw what she didn't see. It isn't always the equipment that makes a picture but seeing what others don't see.

How Lucrative Are Foreclosures?

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:44:25 -0600

We all know that there is money to be made off foreclosures. Commissions, title insurer's, closing agents, people that tend the properties and so on. What I didn't know is that there is a battle being waged for for the right to do the legal advertising for them. A typical foreclosure is worth about $700 net to a newspaper. Do the math on how many are in the paper at a given time.

Our local paper, The Virginian-Pilot, is in a battle with the Wall Street Journal for the right to advertise the foreclosures. The foreclosures are part of what are called legal ads. In order for a paper to advertise them they must:

Have a general circulation in the area

Be printed in English

Published at least once a week

Have a bona-fide list of paying subscribers

Have a second class mailing permit

A local court official (normally the commissioner of accounts) decides which papers can publish legal ads. Right now the Wall Street Journal is not on the list but wants in on the action. You would think that the Virginian-Pilot has a bigger circulation then the Wall Street Journal and you would be right so there shouldn't be a problem for excluding the Wall Street Journal. But there is another paper in the area, Inside Business, which prints legal ads in Norfolk. The Wall Street Journal is on par with them for circulation and therefore thinks it should be on the list. Out of that there is a court battle brewing. So far a Norfolk Circuit Judge has said that he does not have jurisdiction but a Virginia Beach Circuit Judge says she does. More court appearances to come I am sure.

Maybe it is about time the legislatures revisits the law about "notice by publication" in light of the variety of mass communication available.

1/3 Of New Laptops Fail In Three Years

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:32:58 -0600

1/3 of new laptops fail within the first three years. There are several reasons why and planning ahead as well as making good choices along the way can swing the odds in your favor.

There is a company called SquareTrade and they provide aftermarket warranty coverage for laptops. They analized over 30,000 laptops and fully a third will fail in the first three years. Yeah, maybe you got a lemon, but no matter which brand you bought, you truly are not alone in this situation. That's actually better than I would have expected based on the comments I see on the internet in the various groups I belong to.

SquareTrade has more detailed information (the full PDF of the company's study is available here) on the research on its website. But here are some highlights about how, why, and which laptops fail:

> 20.4 percent of failures are due to hardware malfunctions. 10.6 percent are due to drops, spills, or other accidental damage.

> Netbooks have a roughly 20 percent higher failure rate due to hardware malfunctions than standard laptops. The more you pay for your laptop, the less likely it is to fail in general (maybe because you're more careful with it?).

> The most reliable companies? A shocker: Toshiba and Asus, both with below a 16 percent failure rate due to hardware malfunction.

> The least reliable brands? Acer, Gateway, and HP. HP's hardware malfunction rate, the worst in SquareTrade's analysis, is a whopping 25.6 percent.

The best advice, don't drop you new computer, keep it dry, by a Toshiba or Asus and pay a bit more for it. Don't go cheap.

MACRO VIDEO WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:13:02 -0600

Macro Video, why didn't I think of that. The following link is to a video made on a Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ 38 CAMERA. This is an upgrade to the camera that I have. With video being added to cameras you can utilize almost all the features available to the camera to the video. In this case it is to the Macro capability of the camera. This one has also a close up filter attached to it. Now the video is not all that impressive on the small screen but imagine watching it with your five year son on a 50 inch plasma tv. That would be awesome. It is also something they could participate in making.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCoJH0PU03U&feature=related

Mayflower Marathon Food Drive in Newport News and Virginia Beach

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:44:56 -0600

Mayflower Marathon Food Drive in Virginia Beach & Newport News (edit/delete)

The Mayflower Marathon food drive continues today and tomorrow all day at the Sams Club in Newport News and the Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach. The drive is sponsored by FM-99 and FM-106.9 The Fox is the biggest food drive on the east coast thanks to people like you.

The Volunteers will be collecting canned and frozen food for Thanksgiving meals to benefit two regional food banks, the Food bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Food bank of the Virginia Peninsula. So head on out and make a contribution of food and of course money is always welcome.

Mayflower Marathon Food Drive in Virginia Beach & Newport News

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:42:44 -0600

The Mayflower Marathon food drive continues today and tomorrow all day at the Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach and the Sams Club in Newport News. The drive is sponsored by FM-99 and FM-106.9 The Fox is the biggest food drive on the east coast thanks to people like you.

Farmers in Hampton Roads Take A Big Hit From Nor'easter

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:29:49 -0600

Farmers in Hampton Roads have taken a big hit from the latest Nor'easter. It came much too soon for them. Not only did the rain flood the fields keeping the farmers from finishing the harvest but it also washed away the winter wheat crop for the area. About the only plant that was done harvesting was the peanut. Cotton and soybeans took a big hit. The cotton falls out of the balls making the color decline and the wind beats the soy beans into the ground so they just rot. The farmers are praying for a lot of sunshine in the next few weeks to help them out.

Tidewater Community College in Suffolk

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:07:33 -0600

Tidewater Community College in Suffolk is sitting on some primo land. It seems they own that big open area of land you see when you first come out of the Moniter Merrimac tunnel from Hampton. I am talking not only to the right of the bridge but to the left as well. There is about 389 acres. When this is sold to developers it will be a huge financial boon to the college. Interstate access and waterfront property. Where else in the area is there anything like this left? There is a small superfund cleanup site on the land but that will all be done by 2014.

Flash Diffuser for Point and Shoot Cameras

Gene Allen Realtor Hampton Roads Real Estate (Resh Realty Group) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:06:28 -0600

I ran across this the other day and thought I would share it with you. It is a flash diffuser (it is about 3/4 of the page down) for a point and shoot camera. I don't own a point and shoot camera but when I need to use a flash I use a flash diffuser because I think they tone the harsh flash down. Wonder when the camera makers will have an AH HA moment and fix the harsh flash to begin with.