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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
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.
Holiday Fire Safety Tips
Thursday, December 9th, 2010By: Pat Curry
Published: November 18, 2009
The holiday season is one of the most dangerous times of the year for household fires, so take note of these tips to reduce your risk.
Christmas trees are a beautiful holiday tradition, but be sure to keep them away from all heating sources.
Residential fires during the holiday season are more frequent, more costly, and more deadly than at any other time of the year. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports more than double the number of open-flame fires on Christmas Day than on an average day, and about twice as many on New Year’s Day. And when those fires occur, they do more damage: Property loss during a holiday fire is 34% greater than in an average fire, and the number of fatalities per thousand fires is nearly 70% higher. When the source of the fire is a highly flammable Christmas tree, the toll in property and lives is even greater.
To keep your household from becoming a holiday fire statistic, here are some safety tips to follow.
Cooking
Cooking is the top cause of holiday fires, according to the USFA. The most common culprit is food that’s left unattended. It’s easy to get distracted; take a pot holder with you when you leave the kitchen as a reminder that you have something on the stove. Make sure to keep a kitchen fire extinguisher that’s rated for all types of fires, and check that smoke detectors are working.
If you’re planning to deep-fry your holiday turkey, do it outside, on a flat, level surface at least 10 feet from the house.
Candles
The incidence of candle fires is four times higher during December than during other months. According to the National Fire Protection Association, four of the five most dangerous days of the year for residential candle fires are Christmas/Christmas Eve and New Year’s/New Year’s Eve. (The fifth is Halloween.)
To reduce the danger, maintain about a foot of space between the candle and anything that can burn. Set candles on sturdy bases or cover with hurricane globes. Never leave flames unattended. Before bed, walk through each room to make sure candles are blown out. For atmosphere without worry, consider flameless LED candles.
Christmas Trees
It takes less than 30 seconds for a dry tree to engulf a room in flames, according to the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Standards and Technology. “They make turpentine out of pine trees,” notes Tom Olshanski, spokesman for the U.S. Fire Administration. “A Christmas tree is almost explosive when it goes.”
To minimize risk, buy a fresh tree with intact needles, get a fresh cut on the trunk, and water it every day. A well-watered tree is almost impossible to ignite. Keep the tree away from heat sources, such as a fireplace or radiator, and out of traffic patterns. If you’re using live garlands and other greenery, keep them at least three feet away from heating sources.
No matter how well the tree is watered, it will start to dry out after about four weeks, Olshanski says, so take it down after the holidays. Artificial trees don’t pose much of a fire hazard; just make sure yours is flame-retardant.
Decorative Lights
Inspect light strings, and throw out any with frayed or cracked wires or broken sockets. When decorating, don’t run more than three strings of lights end to end. “Stacking the plugs is much safer when you’re using a large quantity of lights,” explains Brian L. Vogt, director of education for holiday lighting firm Christmas Décor. Extension cords should be in good condition and UL-rated for indoor or outdoor use. Check outdoor receptacles to make sure the ground fault interrupters don’t trip. If they trip repeatedly, Vogt says, that’s a sign that they need to be replaced.
When hanging lights outside, avoid using nails or staples, which can damage the wiring and increase the risk of a fire. Instead, use UL-rated clips or hangers. And take lights down within 90 days, says John Drengenberg, director of consumer safety for Underwriters Laboratories. “If you leave them up all year round, squirrels chew on them and they get damaged by weather.”
Kids Playing with Matches
The number of blazes—and, tragically, the number of deaths—caused by children playing with fire goes up significantly during the holidays. From January through March, 13% of fire deaths are the result of children playing with fire, the USFA reports; in December, that percentage doubles. So keep matches and lighters out of kids’ reach. “We tend to underestimate the power of these tools,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the nonprofit Home Safety Council. “A match or lighter could be more deadly than a loaded gun in the hands of a small child.”
Fireplaces
Soot can harden on chimney walls as flammable creosote, so before the fireplace season begins, have your chimney inspected to see if it needs cleaning. Screen the fireplace to prevent embers from popping out onto the floor or carpet, and never use flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace. Only burn seasoned wood—no wrapping paper.
When cleaning out the fireplace, put embers in a metal container and set them outside to cool for 24 hours before disposal.
Pat Curry is a former senior editor at BUILDER, the official magazine of the National Association of Home Builders, and a frequent contributor to real estate and home-building publications.
Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/articles/holiday-fire-safety-tips/#ixzz17dnPLkv2
Twelve Reasons to Market Your Home During the Fall, Winter and Holiday Seasons
Thursday, September 30th, 2010- People who look for homes during the holidays are more serious buyers. You may have fewer actual showings, but more qualified and motivated prospects. Most December and early January buyers are very likely facing some sort of deadline.
- Taking photos of the house in the fall can be a big asset. The additional colors and foliage look great on the internet, MLS, and marketing pieces. A photo taken in Jan/Feb/March may not be as attractive as one taken in Oct/Nov/Dec.
- Many people have vacation time around the holidays allowing more time to look for a home.
- You may receive more money for your home now because you have less competition. As other sellers take their house off the market for the holidays, inventory drops which means less competition for you. With less competition, you can get a better price for your house.
- It is ok to restrict showings of your home during your personal family events throughout the holiday season. Buyers are more understanding during this time of year. Lockboxes may even be removed.
- You can sell now but delay closing or extend occupancy into the early part of next year
- Buyer buying power. Today’s interest rates are at historical lows ranging in the low 5’s to high 4’s. This gives buyers more spending power, and will be even more important when you begin shopping for your next home.
- January is traditionally a month for transferred employees to begin their new job. Since they can’t wait until Spring to buy, your home must be available to them now.
- Buying before the end of the year is beneficial for financial and tax reasons. Investors usually want to close by year-end for tax purposes.
- Houses show better when decorated for the holidays. Why not have potential buyers see it while it looks it’s best? Fireplaces, evergreens, scented candles… All can add to the beauty inside when it’s not so pretty outside.
- Buyers are more emotional during the holidays and often base their decision on the warmth and good feeling they receive when viewing your house.
- The bottom line! If your home isn’t available, you may miss YOUR perfect buyer! If you know that you want to sell, don’t’ wait.
Roxbury Land Trust to Host Sunset Celebration
Friday, September 17th, 2010
Pack a picnic dinner and join me at the Gavel Preserve on Upper County Rd to enjoy a SUNSET CELEBRATION and help the Roxbury Land Trust celebrate it’s 40th Anniversary in a colorful way.
SEPT 19 – SUNDAY – 5-7 PM
Take a look at the Gavel Preserve featured in the video link from the LCT article below, it’s why we do what we do. Hope to see you on Sunday, come and see it for yourself
—-Alison Lunide, Realtor®
Sunset Celebration at Gavel Family Farm Preserve
Sunday, September 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Bring your own picnic. Dessert to be provided by RLT. Unusual instrumental music by Chris Merwin & Paul Mueller, members of Mecca Bodega.
(If it rains, go to Hurlburt Park, Apple Lane).
Roxbury Land Trust Celebrates 40 Years (Video)
by Jack Coraggio
Litchfield County Times, published Monday, June 14, 2010
http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2010/06/14/life/doc4c1029679c999284166447.txt
Kent CT Rated Best Foliage Town in New England by Yankee Magazine
Friday, September 10th, 2010Hands down, Fall is the best time of year in New England! It is also my personal favorite. Growing up and living here in CT I appreciate all the seasons we have, but there is nothing like a fall hike on a trail hearing the crunching leaves beneath your feet, or finding an excuse to take a long drive through back roads to catch the rainbow of colors across the hills and valleys. Always good to have your camera on hand. Yankee Magazine’s Top 25 Foliage Towns showcases many of the best spots across the state check out their website for additional photos and see which one is your favorite.
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®
SLIDE SHOW: The Top 25 Foliage Towns in New England
We chose 14 categories we felt best defined a great fall outing: color, scenery, vistas, water reflections, drives, hikes, culture, farmers market, orchards, parks, covered bridges, being away from crowds, shopping, food and lodging. We then gave a score from 1-5 for each. Using hard data, opinion and lots of travel time we have (for the first time!) gone out on a limb. Here are the best foliage towns in New England. (Note that because of ties there are only 13 final places.) Each town is worth a visit.
For the full story which explains the methodology used in selecting the towns, and what to do when you visit, pick up a copy of Yankee’s September/October issue, on newsstands August 24, 2010, or visit the website at http://www.yankeefoliage.com/ffeatures/top-foliage-towns-ne
William Raveis Breast Cancer Research Fund Annual Golf Tournament – Signup Today!
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
Please Join Our 4 Player Scramble
Thursday, September 30, 2010
11:30am-1:30pm Registration * 1:30pm Shotgun Start
The Golf Club at Oxford Greens
99 Country Club Drive, Oxford, CT 06478
Rain or Shine, Non-Refundable
Tickets are $150 per person
First Come, First Serve, 144 Golfers or 36 Foursomes
18 holes of golf – Sit down buffet dinner
Raffles with Great Prizes!
Closest to the pin, double your money, putting, long drive contests… & more!
100% of the net proceeds will benefit the William Raveis Breast Cancer Research Fund a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
18 and older please
If you would like to register as a single player or as a foursome, or for additional information, please contact us at: WRBCF@raveisre.com or Steven Csejka at csejkas@raveisre.com
Luxury Outdoor Living Spaces
Friday, August 6th, 2010By Jamie Zdru, Executive Director – Exceptional Properties on August 6, 2010 Exceptional Properties, Market Trends, Raveis.com | No Comments »
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Outdoor spaces are a great way to extend the living space of your home. A few simple touches can transform your deck or backyard patio into a fabulous space to dine alfresco! �
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®, lundiea@raveisre.com
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When searching for that perfect luxury home, keep in mind that you shouldn’t have to wait for a vacation to really kick back and enjoy time with your family and friends. You have to find the home that will allow you to feel like you are on vacation every day. Luxury homes should be enjoyable for everyday living as well as entertaining. They should include both family gathering spots as well as plenty of private cozy nooks for everyone and anyone. This applies within the home, but also using the outdoors as an extension of the home with outdoor living/entertaining areas. In the luxury market, these outdoor spaces can be just as captivating as inside living areas.
Luxury outdoor living areas generally focus around a sparkling in-ground pool. The pools vary in size and shape, but they add so much to the outdoor space. They are usually surrounded by beautiful patio tables, comfortable lounge chairs and plenty of umbrellas to provide shade from the sun. This is also a place for a spa and perhaps a waterfall, spectacular lighting, and plenty of vibrant, grand landscaping. Also common around the pool area are other necessities for entertaining… outdoor kitchens, (for a great piece on the latest trends in outdoor kitchens, check out this article by Rismedia) built-in grills, fireplaces, bars, and surround sound music systems.
Picture this….after a hard week of work, waking up (before the kids, hopefully) on a beautiful summer morning to enjoy your early brew and read while lounging next to your exquisite sunlit pool. Ahhh..Monday seems so far away….
And if it happens to be raining, you don’t have to stay inside. Outdoor entertaining spaces include covered porches, patios, gazebos, and verandas… often with multiple places to relax and multiple sceneries for dining al fresco. Pool houses are very popular and can simply include a changing area and maybe a kitchen or they may include more extreme living spaces with multiple bedrooms and additional entertaining areas. All great ways to enjoy all that the outdoors has to offer in almost any season or weather.
If you are lucky enough to live on the water, then the views and perhaps your own beach might be part of your entertaining space. Many luxury homes on the water have been custom built and specifically designed to capture every single view. This includes a completely seamless indoor-outdoor connection with walls of windows and multiple decks and plenty of entertaining areas overlooking the water and capturing those wonderful water breezes.
For the more sports-minded vacationers (vacation at home that is), we have also seen the luxury homes transform to meet your every desire… from the more popular inclusion of tennis courts and basketball courts to putting greens and baseball fields. Where there is a will and a flexible budget, there is usually a way!! Again, you work hard to play hard, so you definitely deserve it! Your luxury home should be a reflection of you and should include some of what you enjoy most.
Check out a sampling of William Raveis’ luxury homes and exceptional properties here.
HOME BUYER TAX CREDIT CLOSING EXTENDED
Thursday, July 8th, 2010The extension of the home buyer tax credit closing deadline is great news for those already in the process of buying a home, in our area as well as for buyers across the country. This is especially good news for buyers purchasing bank owned properties (REO) and those that are in foreclosure or short sale status, where the transaction times typically take longer to complete. The key to remember is that in order for a buyer to qualify for the tax credit, they must have been under contract to purchase a home by April 30, 2010.
—Alison Lundie, Realtor®
[ REPRINTED FROM REALTOR.ORG ]
Home Buyers Get Tax Credit Closing and Flood Insurance Extensions Without Lapse in Coverage; Bills Now Headed for the President
Washington, July 01, 2010
The National Association of Realtors® today commended Congress for timely passage of two bills to extend the home buyer tax credit closing deadline and reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program. Both bills, strongly supported by NAR, had cleared the House earlier and were passed by the Senate last night. They now head to the president for his signature.
The tax credit closing deadline and the NFIP reauthorization were extended to September 30. NAR worked closely with congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to enact these important pieces of legislation. Extending the tax credit closing and flood insurance deadlines will help provide additional stability to real estate markets across the nation, NAR said.
“What a great way to begin celebrating our nation’s most patriotic holiday by opening the door to the American dream of homeownership to thousands of home buyers who would have been shut out of the homes of their dreams through no fault of their own,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox Real Estate in Tucson, Ariz.
“We know that up to 180,000 home buyers eligible for the tax credit are rejoicing this morning. And we all thank both houses of Congress for their work to ensure passage of both bills,” Golder said. She singled out Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) for their efforts to extend the tax credit closing deadline.
The passage of H.R. 5623, the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act, applies the homebuyer tax credit closing deadline extension only to homebuyers who have ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010, but could not close before June 30. The legislation is designed to create a seamless extension of the new closing deadline for eligible transactions to September 30. There will be no gap between June 30 and the date the president signs the bill into law.
For more information on the extension, visit www.realtor.org/government_affairs.
Senate passage of the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 5569), reauthorizes extension the NFIP until September 30, allowing currently stalled transactions to move forward. The bill is retroactive and covers the lapsed period from June 1, 2010, to the date of enactment of the extension. Any new policy applications or renewals that were signed and submitted during the lapsed period will be effective from the date of application. In the case of waiting periods, the waiting period will start from the date of application.
“We know that thousands of property owners seeking flood insurance policies will now be able to close transactions. NAR appreciates the extraordinary efforts in both houses of Congress to end the lapse in flood insurance,” Golder said. She singled out Senate Majority Leader Reid, Senate Minority Leader McConnell, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Dodd, Senator David Vitter (R-La.), House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) for their efforts on NFIP reauthorization.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the News Media section.
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