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Bedford Corners NY

How to Wash Your House | Bedford Corners Real Estate

If you want to give your home more curb appeal, one great way to start is by giving the exterior a thorough cleaning. An exterior that sparkles in the sun can make a world of difference. But if you’re about to reach for a pressure washer, stop right there. Not all surfaces can handle the intense spray of a pressure washer; some, like brick, can be damaged by the wrong tools. Here you’ll find out which method is best for your home, along with more know-how you’ll need to get the job done right.

traditional exterior by Vinyl Siding Institute

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When to pressure wash. Vinyl or wood siding, or a hybrid material, is typically strong enough to withstand pressure washing. But before you head to the home improvement store, consider just how dirty your house is. It’s best to start with the lightest, gentlest cleaning method that is effective and work your way up from there.
Don’t reach for the pressure washer unless you have some serious grime to contend with — a light layer of dirt and road dust can be easily cleaned using a plain old garden hose. If your home has sturdy siding and needs more power than a garden hose can muster, a pressure washer can be heaven sent.
rustic exterior by Cathy Schwabe Architecture

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Get prepared to pressure wash. If you own your home and plan to use a pressure washer at least once each year, it could be worth it to buy your own. They are not cheap … but they are not cheap to rent, either. If you cannot reach the upper floors of your home on a ladder, consider hiring a pro to do the job. If you are doing it yourself, follow these steps:

  1. Soap or no soap? Water alone is enough to get most exteriors clean. If you have mold or mildew, use a specialty house cleaner designed to kill mildew in the pressure washer’s detergent compartment.
  2. Choose the right nozzle. Pressure washer nozzles are measured in degrees — those that shoot water in a very narrow area have the strongest spray (zero is the strongest) and should be used very cautiously. For most homes a nozzle with a 40-degree spray should suffice, so start there and work your way down to a 25-degree nozzle if necessary.
  3. Secure windows, doors and pets. Make sure dogs (who could be curious about the spray) and children are inside, and close all the windows and doors before getting started. Also put on a pair of safety goggles to protect your eyes from dirt and debris.
Pressure washing safety. Treat your pressure washer with respect and common sense, the same as you would any other power tool — because it is potentially just as dangerous. The spray that comes out of the tip of the power washer is so concentrated, it can slice through skin, so keep children and pets away while you are working, and never direct the pressure washer at a person.
Also avoid spraying windows, as the spray could break the glass, especially in older homes with single-pane windows.
How to pressure wash your house:

  • Spray at a downward angle. Siding is designed to protect your home from weather … and weather comes from above, not from below. Work with your home’s protective features and direct your sprayer downward. Never spray into seams or cracks in siding where water can become trapped and damage your house.

 

 

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/17268616/

 

13 natural remedies for the ant invasion | Bedford Corners Homes

 

Little tiny ants have been spotted in our new home, and many people are suffering the same fate across the country. As much as I love spring, I don’t like bugs — especially bugs that can infest a house. Last week I asked for some advice in how to deal with ants naturally as I didn’t have time to research it myself since I just moved this weekend. I got such good advice, I had to share it with the readers here at MNN as well.
Some of these measures are deterrents. That is, they deter the ants from coming in your house. This seems to work well for those with a mild problem. Others found that they needed to use a method that kills the whole colony of ants. I’ve compiled the comments and suggestions by category, allowing you to compare the different methods a little more easily.
1. Lemon juice
Teresa: We just spray around the openings with pure lemon juice … and it always works for us … something about the acid messes up their sense of tracking…
2. Cinnamon
Shayla: We use ground cinnamon around where there are coming it. It works really well.
Peggy: We spray cinnamon essential oil all around the doors, windowsills, floors, etc. keeps them from coming in. I put the sugar water and borax OUTSIDE!
Letia: Another vote for ground cinnamon. Easy to clean up afterwards and worked great for us!!!
Jean: Cinnamon and cloves. Makes your house smell nice and the ants just hate it sprinkled right in their path.
Patricia: We also use cinnamon oil. We draw borders around everything with a Q-tip dipped in it. They won’t cross it.
3. Peppermint
Heather: My mother-in-law has success with peppermint essential oil around windows and doors (any entries). Plus her house then smells awesome.
Julie: Dr. Bonner’s liquid soap in the mint aroma. Mix 1 to 1 with water in a spray bottle. Spray on the ant invasion and watch them suffer.
4. Borax, water and sugar
Kristi: We use borax, sugar, water and a touch of peanut butter. It takes a couple of weeks but really works. We used it last year in our old house and are implementing it again this spring in our new house. Pesky ants! Here is the site where I found the recipe:http://naturalantkiller.blogspot.com/
Christy: I second Diana’s comment about borax and sugar. I’ve made a thin paste before with water, sugar and borax, then spread it on little pieces of thin cardboard or stiff cardstock and placed them near where it seems they are coming into the house. They’ll eat it and take it back to their colony (just like the Terro liquid you can buy). The paste will dry up in a couple days, so you’ll have to make more. But I think I only had to do it twice before they were gone.
Chookie: What worked for us was a mixture of borax and sugar in water. Several years ago, we lived in a house where there was an ants nest in the walls. Removing it would have meant virtually demolishing the entire front wall of the house (not practical!), so instead, after a year or two of having flying ants swarm into our bedroom every year we decided to go on an ant killing spree. Conventional ant killers didn’t work. Borax and powdered sugar didn’t work. But adding water to the borax and sugar mix to make a thick sugary borax-y syrup DID work…. the worker ants took it back into the nest and it positioned the queen – result = no more flying ants. OK, so borax does need to be kept away from pets and small children, but it is relatively safe beyond that as it is only toxic if you eat it. my solution was to put it somewhere where the kids and the cats would not reach it but the ants could.
BeverlyC: We live in China and had a HORRIBLE ant problem in our house. Tried cinnamon, black pepper, vinegar, etc. etc. We were concerned about the borax because we have guests in and out regularly and the little children are often, well, naughty and undisciplined. When someone suggested Terro liquid ant bait and we found it was just Borax and sugar, we asked someone to bring us some. We could pick the traps up and put them away when company came and put them back out after they left. They worked wonders!!

RFK’s sex diary: His secret journal of affairs | Bedford Corners Real Estate

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. grappled with what he called his biggest defect — “my lust demons” — while keeping a scorecard of more than two dozen conquests, according to his secret diary.

The thick, red journal was found in their home by his wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, who, distraught over their impending divorce and Kennedy’s serial philandering, committed suicide last year.

A copy of the 398 pages, reviewed by The Post, details RFK Jr.’s daily activities, speeches, political activism and the lives of his six children in the year 2001. But they also record the names of women — with numbers from 1 to 10 next to each entry.

Modal Trigger

RFK’s dirty diary

The codes corresponded to sexual acts, with 10 meaning intercourse, Mary told a confidant. There are 37 women named in the ledger, 16 of whom get 10s, since sexual activities are really popular and that’s why men look for sexual satisfaction in women or even in toys, like the new range of sex robots which are made specifically for this.

On Nov. 13, 2001, RFK Jr. records a triple play. The separate encounters — coded 10, 3 and 2 — occur the same day he attended a black-tie fund-raiser at the Waldorf-Astoria for Christopher Reeve’s charity, where he sat next to the paralyzed “Superman” star, magician David Blaine and comic Richard Belzer.

It was a hectic month for Kennedy, who traveled to ­Toronto, Louisiana and Washington, DC — and listed at least one woman’s name on 22 different dates, including 13 consecutive days.

Most women are identified only by first name in the ledger. They include a lawyer, an environmental activist, a doctor and at least one woman married to a famous actor. He also found out that there are also so many horny contacts online looking for naughty fun.

A Post reporter who questioned Kennedy Friday about the diary was first met with six seconds of stunned silence.

“I don’t think there is any way you could have a diary or journal of mine from 2001,” Kennedy then said. “I don’t have any comment on it. I have no diary from 2001.”

The diary is laced with Kennedy’s Catholic guilt over his infidelities, which follow the same pattern of affairs pursued by his uncles, John F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, as well as his own father.

On days without a woman’s name, Kennedy would often write “victory.” This meant he’d triumphantly resisted sexual temptation, according to a source close to Richardson. But for those days when he couldn’t resist such temptation, he would do everything to quench that. If you’re like him who thirsts for earthly desires and if you want some real fun, you need to find a Kinky Bitch as they are the ones that will do literally anything!

“Despite the terrible things happening in the world, my life is . . . great,” he wrote on Nov. 5, 2001. “So I’ve been looking for ways to screw it up. I’m like Adam and live in Eden, and I can have everything but the fruit. But the fruit is all I want.”

The 59-year-old son of the assassinated US senator was so tortured by his desire that spending a month in jail in Puerto Rico was a welcome respite.

“I’m so content here,” he writes during his July 2001 incarceration for taking part in protests of the US Navy’s bombing exercises in Vieques. “I have to say it. There’s no women. I’m happy! Everybody here seems happy. It’s not ­misogyny. It’s the opposite! I love them too much.”

Yet Kennedy adds, “I love my wife and I tell it to her every day, and I never tire of it and write her tender letters.”

Nine years later, Kennedy and his wife separated when he filed for divorce. And on May 16, 2012, Richardson, 52, committed suicide by hanging herself in an outbuilding on the couple’s Bedford ­estate.

Kennedy’s cheating had become a huge issue in the marriage.

Richardson told a friend that her husband noted the names of his romantic conquests on pages in the back of his journal under the preprinted heading “cash accounts.”

The journal begins with word that Richardson is pregnant with the couple’s fourth child.

The couple had known each other since Richardson was 14 and a boarding-school roommate of Kennedy’s younger sister, Kerry. They married in 1994, weeks after Kennedy divorced his first wife, Emily Black, with whom he had two children.

Richardson was pregnant with their first child, Conor, when they married. They moved into the 1920 clapboard house in Westchester County.

Modal TriggerKennedy, an environmental lawyer and board president of the nonprofit Waterkeeper Alliance, spent much of his time traveling to give speeches, according to his diary.

He had recently been weighing a possible Senate run for New York, before Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped into the race. Richardson stayed home with the children.

The beautiful brunette struggled with depression and alcoholism. Her husband described her at her funeral as “fighting demons.”

The couple was not yet divorced when she died and were bitterly arguing over issues involving custody and finances. Kennedy had temporary custody of the four children and was dating actress Cheryl Hines.

A sealed document in which Kennedy portrayed his wife as an abusive alcoholic who beat him up and threatened suicide in front of the children was leaked to the press.

Kennedy said in the affidavit that by 2001 he had “lost hope” in his marriage and was “committing numerous infidelities to keep my sanity,” according to a published report.

RFK’s sex diary: His secret journal of affairs | New York Post.

U.S. homeowners underwater on mortgages falls in Q2 -CoreLogic | Bedford Corners Homes

Rising home prices drove down the number of U.S. homeowners struggling with underwater mortgages in the second quarter, leaving 14.5 percent of residential properties with a mortgage in negative equity, a report from CoreLogic showed on Tuesday.

The rate was down from 19.7 percent in the first quarter, 22.3 percent a year ago and 26 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, which was the most since CoreLogic began keeping statistics earlier that year.

Negative equity, another term for underwater mortgage, refers to properties whose value is less than what is owed on the mortgage.

Negative equity rates spiked in the aftermath of the housing crisis, which began in earnest five years ago and set off a multi-year free-fall in prices. But recovery in the sector over the past year has helped improve some homeowners’ standings.

There were 7.1 million underwater homes in the second quarter compared with a downwardly revised 9.6 million in the first three months of 2013, CoreLogic said.

According to the S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas, prices were up 12.1 percent in the 12 months to June.

“Price appreciation obviously had a positive impact on home equity over the first half of 2013, especially in the second quarter,” CoreLogic Chief Executive Anand Nallathambi said in a statement.

About 3.5 million homeowners regained positive equity in the first half of the year, the report said.

Nevada had the highest percentage of properties in negative equity in the second quarter at 36.4 percent. Rounding out the top five were Florida, Arizona, Michigan and Georgia.

 

 

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/09/10/usa-housing-corelogic-idINL2N0H513I20130910

How the truly smart home could finally become a reality | Bedford Corners Homes

The promise of the internet of things (IoT) is currently one of the most-hyped trends in technology circles. Back in 2010, Hans Vestberg, CEO of telecom giant Ericsson, boldly predicted that by 2020, 50 billion devices would be connected to the internet. The growing proliferation of connected consumer electronics, the falling costs of cellular-embedded modules and airtime, shrinking chip prices, and the emergence of wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, and Z-Wave drove this optimism.

The IoT is regularly associated with home automation; however, the market for home energy management systems and smart appliances, which many expected to track the rollout of smart meters and to give rise to truly connected homes, have both failed to take off. Today, many of these products are still involved in small pilot programs. The arrival of a number of glitzy cloud-enabled gadgets like Belkin’s WeMo line and the Nest Learning Thermostat could accelerate things rapidly. These devices, however, aren’t truly IoT; they are connected to the internet but remain isolated from one another.

For the smart home to ignite the IoT, home automation software platform vendors must provide open APIs. SmartThings and future open-API platforms could be the disruptive players that encourage a tidal wave of interconnected things.

Key findings from our analysis include:

  • Do-it-yourself (DIY) kits and high-end luxury installations are creating competition across previously separated home automation sectors. This, coupled with cloud-based services and general-purpose controllers built on apps, is driving much growth. Meanwhile, service providers like telecommunications companies (telcos) and utilities are raising category awareness with low-cost offerings.

  • Extensible software platforms from the likes of Alarm.com, iControl, and AlertMe mean that service providers can introduce new services to end customers over time. A home security-focused solution, like Comcast’s XFINITY Home package, easily can be extended to incorporate home energy management or home health capabilities. Open-API platforms would accelerate this extensibility and enable even more competition.

  • Currently the largest segment, custom-designed smart home systems will grow at only a 7-percent rate, compounded annually, to $2.2 billion in 2017. DIY kits will grow much faster but still only reach $200 million in annual sales by then. In contrast, connected home systems will explode from a $300-million base to $1.5 billion in 2017.

 

 

How the truly smart home could finally become a reality — GigaOM Pro.

The Dakota’s Crushed Velvet Paradise Sells for $1.75 Million | Bedford Corners Real Estate

High up in the attic, the first Mrs. Rochester of the Dakota, is a small apartment full of butterscotch-colored crushed velvet, stripes, and palm trees. The unit hit the market in September 2012 asking what seemed a high price: $2 million. (And for one of the building’s former servant’s quarters, no less!) But the apartment entered contract quickly, and a tipster points us to the closing documents for the deal. The Dakota’s unit 80A sold for $1.75 million. The buyer is already the owner of another unit in the building, so perhaps he plans to use 80A as a guest suite, an office, or a place to sit in shorts and pretend it’s summer in December.

dakota80Afloorplan.jpg

· Crushed Velvet and a Palm Tree at the Dakota for $2 million [Curbed]

 

 

The Dakota’s Crushed Velvet Paradise Sells for $1.75 Million – Sold Stuff – Curbed NY.

NY Mercury Pollution Affects Many Places | Bedford Corners Real Estate

When you think of mercury contamination, you probably think of fish. But scientists have now learned that mercury pollution affects many places and species on land—and even the air we breathe. Saab Bio Power can guide you to control pollution.

Here’s what you need to know about this important issue.

How does mercury get in the air?

Much of the mercury in New York comes from coal-burning plants located in the Midwest. As smokestack emissions from these plants drift eastward, the airborne mercury settles in lakes and streams and transforms into methyl mercury, which is toxic and makes the mercury available for uptake into the food web. As a result, national health organizations advise people to restrict consumption of certain kinds of fish.  For example, if you eat one 18” walleye caught in Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondack Park in New York, as far as mercury goes it is like eating one compact fluorescent light bulb.

If mercury contaminates fish, where do songbirds come in?

Mercury contamination in wildlife has been known for many years, but only recently have we begun to learn that it affects birds that do not live on water and never eat fish. In a study commissioned by the Conservancy in 2006, we found that some songbirds that eat primarily insects are at high risk of mercury poisoning.  Mercury levels were high enough that it could affect the birds’ reproductive cycle, and may help explain declining populations of some species like the wood thrush. These results supported other research illustrating that mercury from air pollution that gets into soil can ultimately find its way into the human food chain.

What is The Nature Conservancy doing?

The Nature Conservancy recently is conducting research to monitor mercury levels in songbirds. Working in partnership with the Biodiversity Research Institute, global leaders in mercury research, this current study began in June 2013 and will continue each summer until 2017. The data compiled will ultimately provide more scientific evidence of the links between ecological health and human health.

You can support our work to study the mercury levels in songbirds when you make a secure, online donation.

What are some solutions to the problem of mercury pollution?
  • Greater investment in a mercury monitoring network. This would allow us to better assess the extent of this problem, and if current efforts to reduce mercury like the recent Mercury Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule that requires coal-fired power plants to update their mercury pollution control technologies, are enough to result in improving the areas that are damaged.
  • Continued research to learn more about this issue. This includes altering some management practices to reduce mercury emissions, such as some forestry practices and the management of water levels in our reservoirs.
  • More support for local, regional, and global efforts to reduce mercury. There is no question that mercury is coming from multiple sources, and therefore efforts to reduce a single source, while helpful, are likely not to be enough.  Let your legislators know that mercury is a problem you care about, and want to fix.

read more…

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newyork/explore/songbirds-and-mercury.xml

August 21, 2013

Whole-House Remodel $250,000 to $500,000: Desert Embrace | Bedford Corners Homes

Priorities

• Improve the connection between interior rooms • Provide a better visual connection from the house to the lush landscape

  • Opening up walls created a better interior flow.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp258F%2Etmp_tcm17-1999556.jpg

    Opening up walls created a better interior flow.

  • The original layout did not allow for good traffic flow.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2000%2Etmp_tcm17-1999554.jpg

    The original layout did not allow for good traffic flow.

  • The fireplace in the existing living room.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp1C36%2Etmp_tcm17-1999551.jpg

    The fireplace in the existing living room.

  • The new living room is open to the kitchen and dining rooms.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp16A7%2Etmp_tcm17-1999548.jpg

    The new living room is open to the kitchen and dining rooms.

  • The original kitchen was cut off from the living areas.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp11A5%2Etmp_tcm17-1999545.jpg

    The original kitchen was cut off from the living areas.

  • The custom cabinetsa re made from Douglas fir.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpB2D%2Etmp_tcm17-1999542.jpg

    The custom cabinets are made from Douglas fir.

  • The original interior walls were sheetrock made to resemble adobe.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp530%2Etmp_tcm17-1999539.jpg

    The original interior walls were sheetrock made to resemble adobe.

  • The kitchen countertops are Caesarstone and concrete.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp137%2Etmp_tcm17-1999535.jpg

    The kitchen countertops are Caesarstone and concrete.

  • The original side porch was enclosed to create a theater room.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpFD3E%2Etmp_tcm17-1999532.jpg

    The original side porch was enclosed to create a theater room.

  • Architect Rob Paulus incorporated the original fireplace in to the theater room wall. The large projection screen takes up one wall.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF753%2Etmp_tcm17-1999530.jpg

    Architect Rob Paulus incorporated the original fireplace in to the theater room wall. The large projection screen takes up one wall.

  • The original bathroom.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpF378%2Etmp_tcm17-1999529.jpg

    The original bathroom.

  • The bathroom has the same clean, contemporary lines as the main living area.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpE8B9%2Etmp_tcm17-1999525.jpg

    The bathroom has the same clean, contemporary lines as the main living area.

  • The original wood porch.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpE416%2Etmp_tcm17-1999519.jpg

    The original wood porch.

  • The roof canopy is not attached to the existing building. Architect Paulus says this design makes it look like it's levitating and makes it clear that is separate from the original structure.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpDF22%2Etmp_tcm17-1999518.jpg

    The roof canopy is not attached to the existing building. Architect Paulus says this design makes it look like it’s levitating and makes it clear that is separate from the original structure.

  • The canopy structure is made of steel and rough-hewn Douglas fir. It ties in to the new masonry and landscaping.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpDA10%2Etmp_tcm17-1999517.jpg

    The canopy structure is made of steel and rough-hewn Douglas fir. It ties in to the new masonry and landscaping.

  • A before view of the house from poolside.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpD676%2Etmp_tcm17-1999516.jpg

    A before view of the house from poolside.

  • The canopy connects the home with the pool and backyard.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpD164%2Etmp_tcm17-1999515.jpg

    The canopy connects the home with the pool and backyard.

  • The architect's original sketch of the canopy included a round opening, but it was more cost-effective to follow the lines of the structure and make it rectangular.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpCB87%2Etmp_tcm17-1999514.jpg

    The architect’s original sketch of the canopy included a round opening, but it was more cost-effective to follow the lines of the structure and make it rectangular.

  • A during photo of the project shows the construction of the steel canopy frame.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpC4CF%2Etmp_tcm17-1999513.jpg

    A during photo of the project shows the construction of the steel canopy frame.

  • The steel and Douglas fir pieces fit together seamlessly.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpC134%2Etmp_tcm17-1999512.jpg

    The steel and Douglas fir pieces fit together seamlessly.

  • The original master bedroom (right) didn't have a great connection to the outdoors.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpBD6A%2Etmp_tcm17-1999511.jpg

    The original master bedroom (right) didn’t have a great connection to the outdoors.

  • A small, side porch off the master bedroom  provides a more private outdoor setting for the owner.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpB9C2%2Etmp_tcm17-1999510.jpg

    A small, side porch off the master bedroom  provides a more private outdoor setting for the owner.

  • The steel pieces of the canopy and the steel shade boxes for the theater room were lifted into place with a crane.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpB3B4%2Etmp_tcm17-1999509.jpg

    The steel pieces of the canopy and the steel shade boxes for the theater room were lifted into place with a crane.

  • Two steel boxes frame the windows and provide shade to the theater room.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpAED1%2Etmp_tcm17-1999508.jpg

    Two steel boxes frame the windows and provide shade to the theater room.

  • Architect Rob Paulus designed these steel frames to be more delicate to contrast with the strong structure of the canopy. Vines are now growing on the canopy, which connects the structure to the outdoor landscaping.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpAB07%2Etmp_tcm17-1999507.jpg

    Architect Rob Paulus designed these steel frames to be more delicate to contrast with the strong structure of the canopy. Vines are now growing on the canopy, which connects the structure to the outdoor landscaping.

  • The home is set in the foothills of Tucson.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpA569%2Etmp_tcm17-1999506.jpg

    The home is set in the foothills of Tucson.

  • The original floorplan.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmpA1AF%2Etmp_tcm17-1999505.jpg

    The original floorplan.

  • The new floorplan shows the home's connection to the outdoors. The small structure on the other side of the pool is a guest house.

    http://www.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp9CEB%2Etmp_tcm17-1999504.jpg

    The new floorplan shows the home’s connection to the outdoors. The small structure on the other side of the pool is a guest house.

Solutions

Not only was this house poorly laid out, but architect Rob Paulus describes the Spanish style as “Santa fake.” “A lot of what we did was more subtractive—taking things away and bringing it back to a simple box. From there, we opened up as much as we could,” Paulus says, by removing walls to create a better flow. Some of the sheet rock was made to resemble adobe walls, so he simplified those for a cleaner, more modern look.

The owner purchased the house because of its mature landscape and setting. He wanted the interior spaces to have a better connection to the backyard. Paulus increased the glazing on the rear wall to capture views.

The owner, a film enthusiast, also wanted a media room with a large 14-foot projection screen. The living room didn’t have enough wall space to accommodate a screen that large, so Paulus enclosed an outdoor porch and incorporated the existing outdoor fireplace.

The second phase of the project involved improving the outdoor spaces. A 20-foot by 40-foot contemporary steel and Douglas fir porch trellis shades an outdoor living space with an outdoor kitchen. It has direct access from the home theater, great room, and master bedroom.

The interior kitchen cabinets are made of Douglas fir, but a more polished and smooth version that fulfills the owner’s request for a natural element. It also provides a contrast to the rough-hewn fir used for the trellis ceiling.

 

 

read more…

 

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/awards/2013-rda-grand-desert-embrace.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_content=jump&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RDU_081613&day=2013-08-16

 

Facebook Contests, How to Get Your Fans Excited | Bedford Corners Realtor

Have you ever run a Facebook contest?

Are you wondering if you should use them for your business?

To learn about Facebook contests, I interview Andrea Vahl for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast.

More About This Show

Social Media Marketing Podcast w/ Michael Stelzner

 

The Social Media Marketing podcast is a show from Social Media Examiner.

It’s designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works with social media marketing.

The show format is on-demand talk radio (also known as podcasting).

In this episode, I interview Andrea Vahl, co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies.She regularly writes about Facebook for Social Media Examiner (in fact she was our community manager for 2 years), and has an alter-ego known online as Grandma Mary.

Andrea shares how a Facebook contest can work for your page and your business.

You’ll learn about the different contests available and what contest apps to use.

Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below!

Listen Now

You can also subscribe via iTunesRSSStitcher or Blackberry.

 Here are some of the things you’ll discover in this show:

Facebook Contests

Why should businesses run contests on Facebook?

When it comes to what contests can do for your Facebook page and your business, Andrea is a contest fan girl.

There are many benefits of running a contest and Andrea’s top three follow. You’ll hear the benefits of each and the best types of prizes to give away.

  1. Help grow the likes on your page and your Facebook presence
  2. Grow your email list
  3. Help promote a product you’re selling

Listen to the show to find out how we did a photo contest called Help Me Launch.

Examples of successful contests

Andrea shares a few success stories with Facebook contests and what range of prizes can develop good success.

Andrea helped set up a contest for a client on Facebook called Chocolate for Breakfast. It was a contest where the giveaway was a small box of premium chocolate truffles.

The contest was run for one week. From this, the client got 700 new fans and 400 email addresses. At the time, the page was at the early stages with around 1200 fans. So for the cost of the premium box of chocolates, the client got a huge response.

chocolate for breakfast truffles

The Chocolates for Breakfast prize was very well branded with the page.

The contest was on the client’s Facebook tab (like you’re supposed to do), and it required people to like the page to enter.

Discover how a contest on a tab works and what information people need to enter to participate.

It was a sweepstakes contest where you didn’t have to enter any photos, essay or video. It was a random-draw winner with anyone eligible to win.

You’ll hear how it was promoted and the frequency of the posts.

Another client of Andrea’s, Camp Bow Wow, did a contest called Bad to the Bone. They’re a doggy daycare facility and also have home buddies dog training courses that they give away.

 

 

Facebook Contests, How to Get Your Fans Excited | Social Media Examiner.

Home Depot piggybacks off housing recovery | Bedford Corners Real Estate

According to CNBC, Home Depot (HD) experienced a booming second quarter, with its net earnings surging to $1.8 billion, or $1.24 a share, in the second quarter, from $1.53 billion, or $1.01 a share, a year earlier.

“I know there’s been a debate lately about the strength of the housing market,” Brian Nagel, senior equity research analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., told CNBC’s Squawk Box. “I think the housing market is recovering quite well here. And I think Home Depot is capitalizing quite well.”

                    Source: CNBC