A new version of the Houzz mobile app is now available in the Apple App Store℠. Update today to get all the latest features.
Karen Swanson’s historic Manchester, Massachusetts, home was built in 1850 by a prosperous local sea captain named John Carter, and although most of the house has the architectural detail of that period, the kitchen was a relic of the 1950s (or thereabouts). Swanson, owner of New England Design Works and an award-winning kitchen designer whose personal tastes are more modern, made a kitchen that straddles the line between traditional and contemporary, with a small nod to the home’s original owner.
Kitchen at a Glance Location: Manchester, Massachusetts Size: 280 square feet (26 square meters) Photography by Evan White
↑ We might as well end the Brooklyn Townhouse Roundup, because this completely unreal brownstone in Brooklyn Heights makes the rest of this week’s entries look like a bunch of crackhouses. Located right above the Promenade, 192 Columbia Heights—a designated landmark built in 1859—is 25′-wide with 14′ ceilings, two terraces, a landscaped backyard, and some pretty spectacular views of New York Harbor. It has three working fireplaces with period mantels, floor-to-ceiling bay windows, a walnut-and-cherry staircase, original oak parquet flooring, and walnut wainscoting. Oh, and according to The New York Times, Norman Mailer once had a “private writing aerie” on the fifth floor. It’s asking a whopping $16 million, which would set a record for single-family homes in Brooklyn Heights. Yikes yikes yikes.
A very old and famous saying, “to err is human and to forgive is divine“, is absolutely true. We all make mistakes, because none of us is perfect. Whether it’s real life or WordPress, mistakes happen everywhere. To commit a mistake is not a crime, however, not learning from it and not trying to repeat it again definitely is. Everyone learn from their mistakes, but it’s much better to learn from the others’ mistakes.
In the case of WordPress, the primary focus of a novice is to set everything up and get things running as soon as possible. In this hurry, there are quite a few things that are ignored which may lead to numerous security vulnerabilities and affect your blog/site in the long run. In this article, we’ve outlined 15 of the most common WordPress mistakes that almost every one of us makes in the beginning.
Hopefully, everyone will use this guide to avoid the same blunders and make their WordPress site better, faster and more secure and of course a success.
Free WordPress.com or self hosted WordPress.org? Most of the WordPress beginners often get confused between these two, and it’s one of the most common mistakes, which is seen among beginners. While you’re going to start out as a beginner, it’s extremely crucial to know what’s the difference between them and which one can be the right choice for your new WordPress blog.
As both of them have their own pros and cons, it’s a big challenge for you to decide which option is perfect for you. WordPress.com (run by the folks at Automattic) is most suitable for bloggers, photographers, and artists – almost everyone. On the other hand, WordPress.org is made for those who like to have total control over their websites. Whatever option you choose, be careful.
When you install WordPress, it automatically creates the username “admin” with administrator privileges. It’s the username that is obviously predictable to hackers. Using the “admin” username, they can easily perform a brute force attack to crack your login and take control over your site.
As WordPress gives you the option to change the username during installation, it doesn’t make sense to stick with the default one. Therefore, while installing WordPress, make sure to change your default WordPress admin username to a different username. Also, use a combination of numbers, letters and special characters in your username and password.
Choosing the perfect theme is a crucial thing that decides the future your WordPress blog. You wouldn’t believe that the structure of your design plays a vital role in search engine rankling. There are three things you should keep in mind while picking a theme – the ease of use for you, a reasonable price, and a reputed company.
If you’re looking for a free WordPress theme, then there is no better option than WordPress Themes Directory. But if you’re interested in purchasing a commercial theme, we recommend you to give a try to any one of these trusted theme providers: Elegant Themes, StudioPress, Headway Themes, Themify, or ithemes.
Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/04/14/the-15-most-common-wordpress-mistakes-to-avoid/#H1OBorvdkX7JVA8o.99
As you probably know, your income taxes are due on April 15. However, this is not really the final date to file your 2013 return. You can get a six-month extension to file, meaning that your return won’t be due until Oct. 15, 2014. Filing for an extension couldn’t be easier.
All you have to do is file Form 4868, Application For Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Tax Return. You can do this electronically or by postal mail. For filing details, see my article “Need more time for taxes? File an extension.
”You might be thinking: “This sounds too easy. What’s the catch?”There is one catch. Extending your time to file your return does not extend your time to pay your income and self-employment taxes. These taxes remain due in full on April 15.
So, if you do owe the IRS money, you’ll need to estimate out how much and pay the amount before April 15. If you pay late, you’ll be charged a late payment penalty on the outstanding balance of 0.5 percent per month and interest at a rate of 3 percent per year.
Although filing an extension doesn’t increase the time you have to pay your taxes, it does give you — and your tax pro, if you hire one — ample extra time to ensure that you file a complete and accurate tax return.
– See more at: http://www.inman.com/2014/04/14/irs-will-let-quite-a-bit-slide-past-april-15/?utm_source=20140414&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.qXXn7Lzx.dpuf
It’s not always easy to build loyalty with your clients in the real estate business — or any business for that matter. Building loyalty takes time and there are a number of essential things that you should be doing. Here are six practical tips you can use to foster client loyalty.
1. Plan loyalty-building events Events such as client appreciation days and seminars can be fantastic loyalty-builders.
Both of these events are not only great for strengthening relationships with your clients, they’ll also help you get introduced to more people (potential real estate leads) if you encourage your clients to bring friends and family members along.
A client appreciation event can be anything from bowling to a barbecue to a fireworks show. And remember that seminars are perfect for positioning yourself as a “home expert” because the purpose of the seminar will be to educate your clients on any number of topics relating to homeownership. You can conduct the seminar yourself or invite an expert in to speak. It could be an interior designer, hardwood flooring specialist or any other professional who can offer valuable advice your sphere would be interested in.
2. Send a real estate newsletter In addition to a real estate newsletter or e-newsletter being a great keep-in-touch tool, it’s a powerful instrument for establishing trust, credibility and expertise. It’s important for the e-newsletter to include helpful and interesting information such as how to assess the value of one’s home, advice for boosting curb appeal, and more. A good real estate customer relationship management (CRM) platform will come with a professionally designed and written monthly e-newsletter so you don’t have to spend the money, or take the time, to create one each month.
3. Offer a homeowner’s checkup It is a good idea to meet with clients occasionally to do a homeowner’s checkup. You can provide current information and available services such as a local market update, a simple inspection of their home, a review of their current mortgage, and more. These checkups are also good opportunities to have a discussion about the client’s home goals. As this type of meeting can be time-consuming, I recommend you offer this to only your best clients (your “A list”).
4. Make quarterly check-in calls Again, this is something you’d do for only your top clients, but after meeting with them face to face, phone calls are the next best thing from a relationship-building standpoint. Schedule quarterly “keep-in-touch calls” and after the call, record in your real estate CRM what you spoke about. This is important because next time you talk with that client, you can ask how Jimmy’s baseball tournament or Mary’s surgery went. During these calls, you can also offer recommendations on reputable home professionals, which is a win-win-win situation.
Showing genuine interest in your clients’ lives is instrumental to relationship-building, and of course developing a referrals-based business. 5. Send a real estate thank-you card to clients who referred you These days, a handwritten card is rare, which is why you should send them out to express your appreciation each time you get a referral.
In the card, thank the referrer, mention that you rely on referrals to build your business, and promise to take good care of the person he referred. You’ll also want to keep the referrer in the loop and let him know the outcome of the person he referred.
– See more at: http://www.inman.com/next/6-tips-for-fostering-client-loyalty-its-about-providing-wow-experiences/?utm_source=20140414&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailyheadlinesam#sthash.BEwHCiLI.dpuf
