2009

Spring Has Sprung!  We have all been anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring. Looking around, we begin to see buds on trees, tulips peeking through the mulch, and kids playing ball in the yard. The longer days allow us more time with our family and friends. I long for the sound of the lawn mowers throughout the neighborhood, gardening and eating dinner outside- all wonders of warmer weather!    As...

Passover has always been my favorite holiday, mostly because of all the special foods that we eat only at Passover.  My mom always downplayed what we couldn't eat, and prepared many dishes that she would only serve during this very special week.  I thought it would be fun to share some of our family's favorite recipes.    Passover Mandel...

Spring has sprung, and the peepers are peeping, and that's no joke! No, I'm not talking about little eye spectacles called peepers!  Around ponds and wetlands from March to June, these little frogs toot and breed. On Martha's Vineyard they call these little critters "pinkletinks" and in Canada they're reffered to as "tinkletoes" but to me, hearing the peepers means that spring has sprung. These...

Here is Part 2 in a series of quick posts I’m writing that is designed to give you ideas on how to increase your home’s value (inspired from my own experiences). Please feel free to post your comments below, with your own suggestions! Nowadays more and more people seem to prefer to stay close to home and view their homes as a retreat, a sort of haven… If the place you call home needs a bit of TLC,...

These days, more and more homeowners are looking at their dwellings as a respite from the uncertainty we are facing in the “real world”. As they look to “cozy up” existing space in their homes, many are turning to the “green” products that not only produce beautiful results, but are also environmentally friendly. It can be overwhelming to find “green” products in a sea of mass-marketed...

 Prior to legislation creating Buyer Representation, the adage ‘Buyer Beware’ was in full force. When a Buyer was shown a property by a real estate Agent, the Buyer may have assumed that the Agent was working for him; in fact, the Agent was looking out for the Seller’s interest.    On June 1, 1997 Connecticut Real Estate Agency law changed to address this fundamental inadequacy of the existing...

 Today is the official first day of spring. Although the weather outside doesn’t really feel like it quite yet, we have been seeing signs of spring’s approach for weeks: Warmer days here and there, birds chirping, people taking walks outdoors, longer days – I love being done with my work day while it’s still light out! All these signs of spring seem to be having amazing effects on people’s...

Earlier this month I had a real estate counseling session with a young couple looking to purchase their first home and the term “PITI” came up in our conversation. We’ve all grown accustomed to asking our buyers to speak directly with a lender first to get “pre-qualified” for a mortgage and we’ve gotten away from having to explain this acronym, which stands for principal, interest, taxes and...

New Haven County has BRILLIANT places to ring in St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th! If you are in the Wallingford area, stop by The Old Dublin on Quinnipiac Street. Paul, the owner, will greet you with the warmth & charm for which the Irish are famous. The food is authentic Irish fare, with some delicious vegetarian options for good measure. The beer is always delicious, the lines are always clean...

Although most of us groan with March’s typically cold arrival, there seems to be at least ONE redeeming quality about this “transition” month, and lucky for us, it comes every year! St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th, and even if you’re not of Irish descent, on St. Patrick’s Day, you can pretend you are! As everyone around you dons green clothing, sings “The Wild Rover” & speaks in a fake...