Rose Cottage Ltd

This is all Cato and I have to say about the snow in North Carolina:

This is his first real experience with measurable snow. He quickly found that his puppy tennis ball does NOT bounce as expected in snow and that trying to dig it out of the snow has a consequence or two.

Yes, I laughed – which is why he’s giving me this look!!

So my local weather forecast says it will be much colder today. An understatement if ever I’ve heard one.

Yesterday it reached 65 degrees in Central North Carolina. Right now it is 26 – and the high today is to be 27 – with 100% chance of snow today AND tomorrow.

This will seem like a “So what?” moment to people in the northeast and mid-west who have had days at 0 degrees or lower, and snow accumulations sometimes over a foot. My sister, who lives in Florida and another who lives in Houston, don’t want to live in an area where temperatures drop into the teens in winter so for them, NC is “too cold.”

My point is that having drastic weather conditions is not a competition.

I keep seeing comments online, because I do often post weather conditions, that seem to tell me that my weather is nothing because “their’s” is colder. So my response to that is “So what?” I’m not posting the info to brag about how cold it is – even when it is extremely rare for my local environment. It’s just a point of information.

The internet is great for sharing information. I can find out quite quickly that I will probably be glad I don’t live in Minnetonka, Minnesota today where the current temperature is MINUS 23 degrees. I have a feeling that most who DO live there have better and more important things to do than brag about how cold it is.

Not everything that’s read needs a comment. Sometimes you can just absorb the info and move on. I read a post yesterday that somewhere in the US in the past week, a gentleman fell while outside, lived alone, and froze to death before someone found him. He probably wasn’t the only one. And someone probably slammed the poor soul in commentary for even venturing outside – while not knowing his conditions or his purpose.

If it’s super cold where you are be thankful you are sitting inside in warmth, with electricity, typing away on your keyboard. If you made it safely home through a blizzard, be thankful. If you live in a warmer climate, keep in mind that everything is relative. What’s “warm” to me might not be “warm” to you and vice versa.

There are much more important things in the world to worry about and compete over if you really feel the need to do so.

I was watching “Selling New York” this week and as usual, was amazed at the cost of real estate in that area.

++ Stable real estate prices hide big changes in many city neighborhoods

“The median price for a home in the city rose only 2%, to $475,000, based on a Daily News analysis of 2012 and 2013 sales figures from StreetEasy.com.”

It always knocks me off my sofa to realize how many people can be planning to spend over a million dollars on a apartment. There was one apartment for sale – granted with spectacular views of the city and high end appliances, etc., but the price? $1.695 million. The size? 851 square feet.

That makes the square foot price a whopping $1,992.

Another, larger apartment of 2,750 square feet – which must feel like quite a spread in New York, was sold for $2.995 million. Price per square foot? $1,090.

“Location, location, location” – even in New York, boroughs, villages, and neighborhoods have their own distinct flair and their own pricing structures.

This is news to keep in mind for anyone contemplating an investment in real estate.

The prices in your proposed area are probably not as high as in New York, but the price per square foot will probably be nearly as varied. The further out of town you get the more this price difference will have an impact. Buy a .75 acre lot in Raleigh, North Carolina – your lot-alone price will likely be over $300,000. Buy a 5 acre lot within an hours’ drive of Raleigh and you may be looking closer to $9,000 per ACRE.

In New York – one street over from the “preferred path” might drop the square foot average price $400 – $500 per square foot.

It is a bewildering time in the US economy and the sands seem to shift from week to week. But interest rates are still at or near all-time lows. If you have the time to research and the money to invest, there are banks happy to get rid of foreclosure and short-sale properties.

Here are a few links to get you thinking:

++ What is a “short sale?”

++ Auction.com

++ Frontdoor.com

++ Zillow.com – Foreclosures

++ HUD Foreclosures

Stay warm – only 55 days until Spring….

It doesn’t take much to get me off on a tangent and yesterday, quite by accident, I saw one of those online images of the costs of various items in 1971.

Cost of a home? $25,200.

The average cost of a home in the US varies a bit by region, but here are some averages for 2013 according to the National Association of Realtors:

In the Northeast US – $224,900
In the Midwest US – $151,100
In the South – $168,700
In the West – $284,400

Now none of us need a calculator to see that this is a monster jump in just over 40 years. I searched a bit more online and found that going back 40 years from my 1971 $25,200 cost to 1931, the average cost of a house was – are you ready? $6,900.

So, for those just into their first cup of coffee, prices from 1931 to 1971 were 4x as high. Prices from 1971 to 2013 were – nearly 10x higher. As far as real estate “trends” go, this is certainly not good news.

And I don’t see it ever getting any better.

What in the world IS going down in price? Nothing I can think of. Regarding real estate, labor and material costs continue to climb, and land to build on is getting more and more scarce so we can quickly guess what supply and demand principles do to the cost of acquiring that.

Hidden in these housing costs today are fees, permits and inspections, and the extra costs involved with financing. Property taxes, insurance, and their increases are always a factor – and as states get more desperate to increase their dwindling revenues to fund their out-of-control budgets, plan on “them” looking to “us” for a few more dollars on everything we do.

My thoughts are, if you are sitting on the fence about a first real estate purchase, do it now or get less later. Do your homework – no one else can do this for you. And in the meantime, if you are in an age group that will be looking to buy in 2054, don’t even try to guess what the price of a house will be by then. Chances are, you’ll guess low.

Okay, you probably can’t get one of these up and running in time for the Superbowl, but many of us are in areas where we don’t want to be sitting outside in January anyway!

However, hundreds off regular price and free shipping make it “prime time” to look at some of these outdoor TV options for Spring and Summer 2014!

32″ HD All-Weather Outdoor LCD TV

This Sunbrite TV is designed for safe operation in a permanent outdoor environment and all electrical cords are rated for outdoor use.

The corrosion resistant powder coated aluminum exterior and watertight enclosure protects internal components from rain, dirt, insects and scratches. The baffled and filtered dual fan airflow system keeps the unit cool and dry in all environments. The innovative watertight cable entry system with pass-through design keeps cables dry and allows for easy hook up. An internal thermostatic heater is activated automatically when internal temperature sensor reads 32 degrees F or lower and protects TV in temperatures as low as 24 degrees F.

A contrast-enhancing, anti-reflective and scratch resistant window protects the LCD screen from rain, dirt and the elements.

Want a larger screen?

How about this 46″ HD All-Weather Outdoor LCD TV?

Compatible with nearly all video sources including off-the-air antenna, cable TV, satellite TV, DVD players and PCs (S-Video and composite video). Resolution 1920×1080, Standard VESA 75/100 mounting hole pattern.

Enjoy TV, movies and video entertainment in the comfort of your own backyard and at other outdoor venues, regardless of the weather!

Click here (or below) to get an additional 10% OFF

Another dreary week of winter weather. Time to start thinking about spring planting and mulching.

Might also be a good time to take a look at your home’s “needs” and “wants” to see if you can add value to your outdoor and indoor space in 2014…

++ Gardening and Outdoor Living

++ Where The Super-Rich Spend On Real Estate

++ Top trends in real estate for 2014

++ America’s real estate professor: Foreign real estate

++ Rustic Meets Industrial Furniture at One Kings Lane

++ Vancouver: Drones To Map Luxury Homes

++ DIY comps: Be your own number cruncher

++ Small but Expensive Homes $1 Million+

++ Home & Garden Fountains

++ What’s hot in the real estate market

Here’s a good place to start!

Hale Indian River Groves is located in Indian River County near Vero Beach and Wabasso, the very heart of the famous Indian River Citrus Belt — a relatively small but premier citrus producing area in Florida.

Hale Groves is fortunate to have a special combination of rich soil, ample water supply, and moderate climate – very rarely reaching a freezing temperature. All this, combined with their modern grove management, are contributing factors that make their oranges and grapefruit the juiciest and best tasting you will find.

Combine USA-grown fruits like these with a little of your own hydroponics, and you’ll be well ahead of most for a healthier 2014.

Hope everyone survived this past cold week without too much pain and hope those in West Virginia who have had their water supply contaminated get relief – soon!

++ Beach Houses UK

++ Luxury Property: McLean, Virginia

++ Most Expensive Home: Northeast Florida

++ Most Expensive Home For Sale: YOUR State

++ Staying Warm: Your Home in Winter

++ Selecting the Right Contractor

++ Real Estate: Don’t Blow the Negotiation

++ Rural Real Estate for Sale

++ Farm and Ranch Property for Sale

And my 3 favorites for research on international property:

      + Viviun
      + Sotheby’s
      + Christie’s

Here are a few luxury real estate properties or in the case of birds – more like vacation “rentals.”

“Lake View” Cottage Bird House

Who could resist this one? The light blue and white trim birdhouse is made from outdoor grade plywood and finished with non-toxic outdoor paint.

Authentic details and turn-of-the-century style – just look at the flower boxes and hanging plants – add oomph while the rich Western red cedar roof completes the cottage look. Mount on a post and you’ve got the perfect home for wrens, chickadees, finches, nuthatches and titmice with a generously sized (1-1/4″) entry hole, removable back wall for end-of-the-season cleaning.

Little Wren House

A cheery wren house!

Here’s the perfect bird house for attracting wrens in style. This adorable “cottage” will provide a cozy nesting spot for a lucky wren couple. Handcrafted of kiln-dried hardwood and cedar shingles. Includes a bottom clean-out and proper ventilation. Light yellow, 1-1/4 inch entry hole, 9 inch hanging chain.

Country Comfort Bird House

Give your birds all the comfort of country living!

Designed to look like a rustic log cabin, this bird house spares no detail. With hewn timbers that make up the frame, green front door and window trim, a chimney and a tiny little decorative bird house, this is a nesting spot that is as visually appealing as it is functional. With a wide entry hole (1-1/4 inches in diameter), cavity-dwelling birds such as nuthatches and finches will find this house irresistible to nest in. The back wall is able to be removed for easy cleaning.

Love the “stone” chimney!

Not sure what is wrong with some people, but once you are not living at home with mommy and daddy, you need to know how to take care of your home, apartment, etc. This is never more important than in times of extreme weather as much of the US is experiencing at the moment.

Water pipes will freeze and then burst unless there is at least a trickle of activity during well-below freezing nights.

Weather warnings for my location for last night predicted a low of 9 degrees. Believe it or not, that puts me in one of the “warmer” zones!! I left a tiny stream of water in two sinks running, and opened up the cabinets located under sinks to allow more warmth from the central heating to get to the pipes. It is 10 degrees right now so the trickle is still “trickling” and the cabinets are still open. This little precaution took me all of 60 seconds to perform before turning in last night.

Anyone who had been through a bit of warm weather and had used an outside water (hose/faucet) hopefully disconnected that as well. Otherwise, on a 10 degree morning you may have some problems. You’ll find out pretty darn quick if you did/do.

Anyone who has moved from a climate such as say Florida, and ended up in Minnesota, etc., during winter will have to do a bit of homework to find out what to do for long, and very cold winter seasons. There are other “maneuvers” that are essential to keep your home and your car operating during extreme weather in these locations.

Knowledge is power and with the week’s worth of warning we’ve had about this “polar vortex” – there is no reason for nasty surprises.