Archive for February, 2011
Do Your Kids Have Plans this Summer?
Friday, February 25th, 2011Need some ideas on what the kids can do this summer? Goto the Everything Kids expo at Washington Montessori School from 9-2pm tomorrow. BEATLEMANIA takes the stage at 7pm!
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109928489083911&index=1
EVERYTHING Kids Expo
Washington Montessori School
240 Litchfield Tpk, New Preston
SAT – 2/26 – from 9-2pm
Frank is in the House
Thursday, February 24th, 2011Well maybe he’s not Elvis, but his pizza is KING! I was first introduced to the pizza of one Frank Pepe by my husband Darrin, who amazed that I had never eaten a “Tomato Pie”, drove me straight down to New Haven to quench somebody’s craving. Standing in line, outside the restaurant and down the block for an hour, I wasn’t sure this was going to work out. But once inside and securely seated in our booth¸ I could see I was in for something great. My favorite is the Tomato Pie, while Darrin prefers their Clam Pizza. Which is your favorite?
Frank Pepe Pizzeria, 59 Federal Rd, Danbury, CT
Tel: 203-790-7373
www.pepespizzeria.com
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®
Who Makes the BEST Pizza?
Vote by emailing me the name of the restaurant, town, and what’s your favorite pizza there. I will announce the winner on March 31st.
CLICK HERE to enter your favorite pizza place or email me at Alison.Lundie@Raveis.com
Sunset in New Milford Today
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
Susnset over RT-67 in New Milford
Spring break? Rent a Luxury Vacation House
Monday, February 21st, 2011Source: money.cnn.com
By Les Christie, staff writer
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — It’s your vacation. Where would you prefer to return to after a busy day, a cramped hotel room or a real home with a cushy sofa, a patio and a refrigerator to raid?
Increasing numbers of holiday goers are choosing the later. The leading site for renting vacation homes, HomeAway.com, has 10 times the number of rentals than five years ago. That’s more than 500,000, — with 55,000 in France alone.
It’s all about value, and with the economy the way it is, that has accelerated,” said Alexis de Belloy, the company’s vice president.
Experts recommend renting a house if you’ll be somewhere for more than three nights. “In most places, it’s less expensive to rent a vacation home than a hotel, especially for families who need more than one room,” said Christine Karpinski, author of “How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner.”
But there are other reasons, too, to take the risk and rent a home.
- Space: Generally, the more bedrooms you need, the bigger the savings. Vacation houses for three, four even 12 bedrooms are available. Plus, houses have sitting areas, kitchens and, usually, outdoor spaces, which means vacationers can relax in comfort when the day’s activities are done.
- Cooking: Most listings come with full kitchens. Vacationers often say they don’t want to cook on their holidays but even the most diehard restaurant goers may tire of dining out every meal. “They don’t want to get up and get dressed in the morning just to get a cup of coffee,” said Karpinski.
- Location: These rentals are everywhere, she said, often where there are no hotels.
Spring break: 7 gorgeous homes for rent
There are pitfalls as well. Unlike many hotels where the ideal is a consistent level of service and amenities, vacation rentals vary — a lot.
“Even rentals in the same condominium complex are all individually decorated and equipped,” said Karpinski. “That can be good or bad.”
To improve the odds getting what they really want, renters should ask lots of questions, especially about what is most important to them.
Karpinski once rented out one of her own vacation homes in the Smokies of Tennessee. Two sisters were interested in the property and kept asking how private it is.
“I told them, ‘very private; it’s in the woods’ and cautioned them that, as two women, they may not want to stay there,” Karpinski said.
The more she tried to discourage them, the more they wanted to stay. But when they arrived, they found it was more than they bargained for.
“They called the first night saying, ‘We’re so scared,’” said Karpinski. “I don’t blame them. There are raccoons and bears. At night, flying squirrels do somersaults on the roof and make a lot of noise.”
She refunded their money, but renters shouldn’t count on all owners being so generous. It also taught Karpinski a lesson that other owners might want to heed: “Don’t do a hard sell. The place has to be a good fit.”
Renters should ask specifically about heat and air conditioning, the cooking equipment, laundry facilities, whether there are nearby restaurants or markets, and how noisy the location is, for example.
Sometimes the answers to these questions are not highlighted on property websites — especially if it is negative, like noisy streets. Even if the information is there, travelers may not interpret it correctly.
Most foreign sites, for example, give the size of the rental in metrics. How many Americans know a 20 square meter apartment — not uncommon in the center of Paris or Rome — is a very cozy 215 square feet?
Photos may make the place look bigger than that and, once the sofa bed is rolled out, navigating around can be difficult.
That dirt road up to a mountain-top retreat in Colorado mentioned in the listing may be hard to get up in anything less than a four-wheel drive. Find out before you book.
It’s also important to get things in writing, according to Karpinski. “It’s a business transaction,” she said. “I can’t believe that people see something on the Internet and have 100% trust.”
Anyone thinking about home rental should start early, said HomeAway’s de Belloy, because rentals are usually booked at least 90 days in advance.
There can be, however, great last-minute deals that owners offer to fill unused spaces.
Quo Vadis – a unique place to shop
Saturday, February 12th, 2011Quo Vadis is located next to the Hickory Sticky Book Shop in Washington Depot. They offer an assortment of handmade, one-of-a-kind items, including; Jewelry, Accessories, Handbags, Clothing, Body Care Products, and Home Accents from around the world. Quo Vadis is a fantastic place to get a unique and special gift for a friend or even yourself! I did! Stop by or visit their website: www. quovadisaccessories.com
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®
Quo Vadis is about preserving the artistry of centuries old craftsmanship upon which traditions were founded. It is about valuing true workmanship and distinguishing it from mediocrity. We strive to find products for the individual and the non-conformist. In doing so, we support artisans whose work might otherwise disappear. We value our customers as we do our artisans, and take great satisfaction in bringing to them the unique, the handmade, the one of a kind.
Many of our products are sourced in Italy
Quo Vadis also purveys hand-mades from other parts of the world, including France, Israel, the United States, and Indonesia, to name a few. Hand crafted treasures include body care, jewelry, and other accessories, both personal and for the home.
Ice Building Up on Your Roof?
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011This is no laughing matter to most of us in New England this year. Record snowfalls and ice dams have caused damages to roofs, gutters, insulation, ceilings, and interior walls. Removing snow from a roof and de-icing gutters is not an easy task and can require the work of a professional. The following article by Henry’s Housework, gives some insight into what these ice dams are and how to prepare your home for next winter.
The Art Of Ice Dam Removal
Authors Website: Henry’s Housework
http://www.homeimprovementweb.com/information/how-to/ice-dam-removal.htm
The Ice-Melt-Sock
In doing further research on the subject, I came across this post from someone who had commented on this very same article on another website, and I had to share it. I think the Ice-Melt-Sock is ingenious!
“posted Nov 18, 2009 by “Sweetfilter”: If you live in the north you are going to get ice dams. The first thing to do when you have an ice dam is to open a channel in the ice to drain away the water and stop leaks into the house. A refillable snow melt sock or ice melt sock thrown on the roof and pulled into place will open a channel in minutes.”
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®
