During the winter doldrums, and into spring, many of us are thinking about how we can spiff up our homes and get some fresh zing into our décor. A splash of red may be just the right touch of excitement we’re looking to add. Red represents luck, good fortune, excitement, warmth, energy, romance, and yes, zing! Here’s some things to think about before painting your room (or town) red:

1. Get inspired. There are lots of sites that offer inspiration for red décor. For starters, try CountryLiving.com‘s ideas on decorating with red. Then RealSimple.com offers advice on the best red for each room. And Valspar lets you try the colors out on virtual rooms, or even upload a photo of your own room and try their colors out online!
2. Look into the light. Look at paint chips of the reds you like in bright sun, regular sun, nighttime and daytime, natural and artificial light. Most colors, but especially reds, change in different light. You’ll be looking at this red for years, be sure you like all it’s shades.
3. Sample it. Most stores offer small samples of paint colors, so paint a swatch of the wall or furniture piece, and see what you think. Paint chips are great, but it’s nice to see what a larger patch of the color will look like.
4. Make like a Scout: Be prepared! Clean walls, mask woodwork, protect floors, ceilings and adjoining walls, and have the right tools on hand. Not sure what that means? The DIY Network has a site with all the answers to your painting questions.
5. Mix it up. Bold colors have more pigment and are prone to streaking. Mixing your paint thoroughly before you begin applying it makes a big difference. And if you use more than one can, mix the cans together in a container first, so you’ll have even color all around the room.
6. Step back to view the forest AND the trees. Most of us don’t live in a one-room loft, so make sure your new décor compliments rooms with a view of your new spicy red room. A red throw pillow and afghan, a red picture frame, red candles and napkins, all of these are little and inexpensive touches of red you can add to adjoining rooms.
7. Save an ounce of paint to cure future headaches. Using an old baby food or small canning jar, save a few ounces of paint for later touch-ups. When you move that end table and chip the wall, you’ll have an exact paint match ready to dab on the spot.
8. Reduce, reuse, and recycle…really! Once the red paint dries, we may realize our old things don’t all match the new color. Relax. Chances are, you already have accents elsewhere in your home that go great with red. Instead of buying new, consider treasure-hunting through your home and repurpose some forgotten finds. It might be time to bring out the gold christmas candles, the valentine bowl, or swap the bedroom and living room chairs. Painted furniture can be repainted a complimentary color if it clashes.
9. Thrifty, nifty, and wise. If you have enough leftover red at the end of your paint job, consider creating your own works of art. Bearing in mind the feel of the room, you can create the crowning touch. For country kitchens, stamp a border of hearts, chili peppers, or cherries on a valance or dishtowels. In a sleek modern living room, a clear vase with a swirl of red and black or white paint inside is the perfect vessel for twigs or as a stand alone piece. Matchy-matchy wooden candlesticks add interest to a dining room, and a plain white canvas with a sweeping hand painted heart or modernistic swatch of red can compliment a romantic bedroom.
10. Take a chance! After all, it’s paint, if you change your mind after you’ve lived with it awhile, you can always paint over it. But it’s worth the try. Color affects mood, appetite, sex drive, and concentration. So give that paint a swirl and create a regal parlor, delicious dining room, cheery kitchen, or red-hot romantic bedroom!

 
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Step Two: Select the right Realtor for your needs. A Realtor costs you nothing, and does most of the actual searching and selecting of homes for you, based on the list you determined. A Realtor can help you negotiate a good price, too.

Step Three: Get pre-approved for financing. It’s a simple step that makes you a very desirable buyer. Sellers know you are ready and able to buy, and that gives you a stronger negotiating position. It’s a buyer’s market these days, but great homes at good prices often attract multiple buyers. It pays to be ready to offer!

Step Four: Decide if you need a real estate lawyer. A lawyer can review all the documents, and can help write contracts and contingencies. Although not every buyer uses one, it may be the right option for you. The fees are very affordable, often in the $300-$500 range.

Step Five: View selected homes. Narrow your choices, and prepare to make an offer. Now is the time to think of possible contingencies, and to use your Realtor’s experience and Comparative Market Analysis of homes similar to your favorite.

Step Six: Sign the purchase contract and write a check for any earnest money deposit. If the seller counters your offer, be prepared to negotiate. Have an idea in mind of what your “bottom line” will be, but remain somewhat flexible. Also, don’t forget that with each counter offer or rejected offer, that previous offer is now null and void.

Step Seven: Come to an agreement, and sign the contract.

Step Eight: Have your lender complete the loan application process, and this should be a snap if you’re already pre-approved.

Step Nine: Determine the closing date.

Step Ten: Arrange inspections of your dream home. A whole home inspection, termites, radon, lead, well and gas line inspection are standard, but inspections for mold and other issues are also possible. If there are negative findings, be prepared to negotiate with the seller for remediation or compensation for the issues. Double check with your own insurance about insuring the new home, it’s another great way to be forewarned of possible issues with the home.

Step Eleven: Make final arrangements for all financing prior to the closing.

Step Twelve: Prepare for your change of address. Forward mail, notify billers, friends and family, and arrange for the transfer of utilities.

Closing: Attend the closing, sign the forms, pay the fees, and receive the keys to your new home. Congratulations!

This stunning new build has been on the market for well over a year. The price has bounced around a bit, and is currently listed at $56,000,000. Rumor suggests Richard Kurtz, turned down a 36 million dollar offer sometime ago. This 30,000 square foot home is located in Alpine, New Jersey, one of America’s most expensive zip codes. With 42 rooms, 12 bedrooms, 19 bathrooms, 11 car garage, indoor basketball court, conservatory and 65 foot swimming pool, the estate is located near New York City in an area that is or has been home to such celebrities as Chris Rock, Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs, Britney Spears and Wesley Snipes.

Designed by architect James Paragano.

The following is a 3D video, so if you have glasses, grab them and take a peek!

Can’t see the video? Click here.

For those of us without glasses, this video, created by the custom door company will give you some limited views.

Lester Kravitz at Kravitz REALTORS Ltd recently took over this listing and is now referring to it as the “former” Frick Estate.

I’ve passed this Charlottesville, Virginia neighborhood on a couple of trips but this time I finally took the time to stop and photograph it.

The picture was taken from Garth (Barracks) Rd and Ingleside Farm Drive and looks down upon the Rustling Oaks subdivision. I couldn’t find an average value online as there aren’t any recent sales or currently listed properties. Behind the lens there is a home listed on Ingleside Lane at $895,000. It has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 5063 square feet of living space on approximately 5.5 acres. Another home located northwest, just out of the camera’s view, is listed at $2,750,000, has 6 bedrooms, 4 full & 2 half baths, 7239 square feet of living space on approximately 9.5 acres.

This is a beautiful area of rolling hills and horse farms set against the background of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

1. Luxury Firepit

   
   
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   Enjoy gallery worthy art while roasting marshmallows and having a nightcap with this nature inspired installation by Elena Columbo. Price tag? $40,000.

2. A Remote Controlled Toilet

    
   
    

   The Kohler Numi puts a whole new twist on elimination with it’s heated seat, heated feet, well-lit, built-in bidet, musical toilet. You can feel great about the $6390 list price because, according to Kohler, the water efficiency is unrivaled. Watch the video.

3. Colorful Art

   
   

Here’s your conversation piece… Herb Williams’ First Fruit Pear Sculpture… made from green crayons. This unique piece is made specifically for you at an investment of $6400. May I suggest keeping it away from the kids?

4. Out of Sight Office

   
   
   

The Richards’ Secretary Trunk is the perfect solution for those of us who have a hard time walking away from the home office. Just close it up when you’re done for the day. Available at Restoration Hardwarefor the sale price of $3145.

5. Sunny Side Shag

   
   
   

    

   If you miss shag carpet and love whimsy, then this rug will crack you up. It’s the perfect home accessory for breakfast lovers everywhere. Contact Word of Mouth Bali directly, prices were not posted.

1. It’s the perfect conditions for listing. Decorate your home early, so that it’s warm and inviting, showing off all the best features…and your competition is limited, as other sellers take their homes off the market for a couple of months during the holidays.
2. January is a time for new beginnings; new jobs, moving to a larger or smaller home, fresh resolutions about living well, etc.  That can include buying a new home. Your home needs to be on the market now for the motivated buyers that are planning to move in the New Year.
3. Because the tax year ends December 31, buyers may buy now, rather than waiting until January.  These are very motivated buyers!
4. This is the perfect time for sellers!  Buyers are sorting themselves out to your advantage.  The casual buyers are busy with holiday parties and plans, only serious buyers are looking now. And these buyers know that motivated sellers are listing their homes now. It’s a great combination for you!
5. Smart sellers know they can list now without impacting their holiday plans.  Decorate with care and early for great showings, and let your Realtor know if you plan to travel so they can check on your home and show it often while you’re gone.  Plus, if you sell now, you can arrange for a more convenient closing in the New Year!
6. Your home looks great for the holidays, smells terrific, too, but you’re concerned that you should wait for “good weather” to show your home off to it’s best advantage? There is a solution!  Display framed photos of your home in spring and summer along with other info about the home.  Buyers will respond to your smart marketing, and have visual proof of how fabulous your home is in the warmer months!

Reduce your trash and your carbon footprint. Choose reusable rather than disposable products, and repair rather than replace. Reducing trash can be simple things like using metal water bottles instead of bottled water, and repairing your old lamp with some advice in the hardware store instead of buying a new one. Composting is a fun and easy way to reduce your waste AND improve your garden. Really done with an item, but it still works? Consider giving it away on www.freecycle.org. Turn off the water and electronics when they aren’t in use. Buy energy star appliances and weather-proof your home. Buying recycled products supports the recycling process, and saves resources of all kinds. All of these ideas save resources, energy, or landfill space, sometimes all three! (Have hazardous household waste? Most communities offer hazardous waste collection days or centers, check local websites.

Reuse items and resources. Choose a reusable product over a disposable one. Buy a refillable razor and buy fresh blades instead of throwing the whole razor away each time. Buy durable plastic plates in bulk just ONCE for events; they can last for a lifetime of picnics and parties! Consider going back to cloth napkins and tablecloths. Finish a jar of spaghetti sauce? Wash it and use it as storage, or a vase. Normally disposable items such as zip-top plastic bags can usually be washed and reused. With the new spray paints that stick to plastic, even an old bucket can gain a new life: Give a new look with a fun color and you’ve got a trash can or storage bin. Many small things you think of as trash can be used in crafty art projects. Even dirty fishbowl water can be dumped into the garden or houseplants…the fish waste is a fertilizer!

Recycle everything you can. The majority of larger cities and towns have either curbside recycling or drop-off centers or bins. Check your community websites for how and where. Use curbside recycling of all recyclables and yard waste whenever available. Make dropping off the recyclables a habit, just like any other weekly task. Make sure you are recycling properly: containers should be empty and clean, with no food or liquid remaining and boxes should be flattened. Check items such as caps, lids, and wrappers to make sure they are recyclable in your community. When you’re out of the house and thinking of tossing a can or bottle, look around: So many of our parks, museums, and sporting events now offer recycling bins. When you clean up after a family outing, or clean out your car, consider separating the debris for trash and recyclables. If you have old steel, cast iron, copper or aluminum, or electronics, local scrap metal companies may pay for them. Go on vacation where there is a deposit law? Save those bottles and cans and collect those deposits. Stop and choose before you toss!

The USEPA lists benefits of recycling on their website: Reducing landfills, preventing pollution, saving energy, and reducing carbon emissions. Stuff we all know, but kind of distant to our day-to-day lives. They also list two benefits that are much closer to home: Conserving our natural resources, and encouraging our economy and creating jobs. Economy and jobs? Yes! When we recycle, the items are locally collected and processed, and then used here in the US in manufacturing! So when you recycle, and when you buy the recycled stuff, you are contributing to our local and national economy and creating and maintaining state-of-the-art manufacturing and recycling jobs right here at home.

Recycling is getting easier for everyone, with many ways and places in most communities. From curbside, to the bins next to the grocery store or firehouse, it’s readily available to almost all of us. And for the bigger or more unusual items, there are scrap metal dealers and electronic recycling firms who will PAY YOU to recycle. So on this America Recycles Day, November 15th, think about beginning a new habit, or intensifying your efforts at your old habit of reducing, reusing, and recycling.. It’s simple, it sometimes pays, and it really benefits our communities and economies directly. It’s the right thing to do!

If you are looking for creative and elegant centerpieces, Martha Stewart has ten different but truly lovely ideas to offer. Equally beautiful, with classic autumn themes, Better Homes & Gardens has a selection perfect for both Thanksgiving and any autumn dinner party. Looking for general instructions on how to create a classic Fall floral centerpiece? Paula Deen has just the thing, a guide to creating an exciting floral design that’s all yours. And both Country Living Magazine and HGTV.com have a wide range of suggestions for not just centerpieces and holiday table, but whole-house decorating ideas to celebrate that Thanksgiving spirit throughout your whole home.

Photo Credit

November 11th has been a day to honor and celebrate those brave and patriotic men and women who serve to protect our nation’s borders and interests in the Armed Forces. For over 200 years, young men and women have given selfless service risking life and limb to protect and defend our people. They’ve left their families, and learned to use wit, weapon, and teamwork to wage and end wars and conflicts around the globe so that we at home can be safe and secure. Our veterans have put their lives, their health, and their very humanity between us and violence. They have died so that we may live. They’ve been injured so that we may be safe. They have survived war, violence, and hardship, so that we may have peace. They have put aside their own politics and beliefs to follow orders to preserve our rights and freedoms, and paid for those freedoms with the blood, sweat, and tears of our military men and women.

November 11th is the national celebration of our Veterans. We as a people, as citizens, should take a moment not just once a year, but every time we see a man or woman in uniform to say “Thank you.” Because of their service, and hundreds of years of service from men and women just like them, whether we are American or Canadian, we are free: A gift given to us each and every day by those very same men and women in the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the Marines, and the Coast Guard.

Melissa Brodsky, wife, mother, blogger, humorist, will soon be removing “homeowner” from her list of achievements. Like so many Americans who are trying to save their homes, she describes her personal situation matter of factly, and yet hearing the pain between her words, brings tears to my eyes. This story, and others like it, was part of the reason I stopped selling real estate. Dealing with the banks was frustrating. Finding legitimate buyers for short sales, only to have the bank choose to foreclose and ultimately sell at a lesser price is maddening. But NOTHING compares to the heart wrenching sadness when a family has done everything right, worked hard their whole lives, jumped through all the modification or short sale hoops, only to lose their homes due to circumstances beyond their control… after being strung along by a bank.

This is the American Story of our Generation. We need to rewrite the ending.

Read Melissa’s petition on Change.org.