With Covid-19 still being an issue in many areas, the fun and joy of hay rides to the pumpkin patch, laughing with strangers seeking the same perfect pumpkin and warming up with hot apple cider has been cancelled. But the season has not and the enjoyment of ringing in autumn is still in our hearts so here are a few ideas to help you create your own “waiting for the great pumpkin” event.

• If you have a few friends or neighbors who are in your ‘safe’ group, plan for the adults to each bring a few to several pumpkins (depending on the number of children) to your home (or one of the other’s homes). For extra fun, have all the kids wear their halloween costumes.
• Decorate your yard with scarecrows, gourds and scary spiders/skeletons/black cats. Set up a couple of decorated tables or picnic tables with bundles of markers or paints as a pumpkin decorating area.
• Create a few different piles of pumpkins around the yard and let the kids go on a pumpkin hunt….littlest children getting first dibs.
• Once all the pumpkins have been chosen, let the kids enjoy hot apple cider or hot chocolate (you can certainly enhance your own cider or chocolate with a bit of libations) while decorating their pumpkins. If there are older children let them go ahead and have their own carving station and provide safe pumpkin carving tools. They can even take on the role of helping to carve the little kids’ pumpkins if they want them to do so.
• If you feel so inclined you can also enjoy a fun version of dunking for apples by having a bucket full of apples in water and letting them “fish” for their apple. Then let them dunk them in melted caramel and walnut pieces to make perfect taffy apples.
• As the evening draws near and the darkness of dusk falls, light up the jack o lanterns so all the kids can see their fun creations together then they can take them home to create their own home pumpkin show.

No matter what is going on, it’s important to still create wonderful memories for ourselves and our children. This can be done with as big a group as you feel comfortable with having together. Kids and grownups alike will have a special memory to enjoy and remember! Happy Autumn!!

As we watch summer, in some places, move quickly out of the way and with a new chill in the air, welcome in the Fall season, it’s good to think about what you can do to refresh your listing with bright new curb appeal if you’re selling or increase the beauty you’ll enjoy yourself as fall flowers fill the air with crisp colors and aromas.

If you’re selling, by taking photos with fresh new autumn landscapes, your listing looks fresh and new instead of old and stale from sitting still all summer.

One of the best choices, beauty wise and for your pocketbook, are Mums! They come in many different colors, shades and sizes so you really can use these rich toned Autumn beauties for all home types including enhancing your condo balcony! You can plant them to fill your ground spaces or use potted mums just as effectively to add wonderful pops of the new season around your home. A key when you’re selling is to not just think about the views of the front of your home but to wrap your yard with color and the life that flowers provide.  If your home is a very neutral tone, an assortment of mums adds the perfect pop of color to make your home stand out in the crowd! As trees begin to change colors, your landscapes will blend beautifully to create a picturesque and inviting home experience for buyers or you!

Have you been wondering if you should build your dream home? Based on current interest rates and recent national stats, the answer to that question may be a huge YES! Of course, you can’t make the total decision based on market but if you have your credit in order and the funds to make it happen, you might want to explore all your options. Mortgage rates are at an all time low so that may also help you in your decision making process. Remember, waiting and waiting for the exact right time may cause you to miss out on the exact right time!    

Factors to Consider:

1)  Are you in a financial position to build?  Keep in mind that costs typically go well beyond the initial estimate from a builder as you add your personal choices re: floors, tiles, carpets, lighting, etc.

2) Are you prepared for the process…emotional and financial of building a home? You might want to talk with people you know who have gone thru the building process to gauge your own ability to do so without “going crazy”. An architect I knew once said, “Building a home will either draw you closer or tear you apart”. Seems extreme but often true.

3) Have you done your own homework on the kind of home you want…can afford….the location you want to build in and the cost of living there? If not, this is a very important FIRST step to building.

4) It’s important to research your architect and/or builder. Don’t just contact referrals they give you to talk with…of course those will be their ‘happy’ customers. Search out homes that were built by them and get honest and thorough feedback. Also check with the city you’re building in to see how many if any complaints or compliments they’ve had re: builders in town.

The point is, just because the interest rates are low does not mean it’s the right time for you to build but it could be. Be diligent. Be thorough. Be honest with yourself about your goals and finances. Then decide with confidence so you can move forward with joy about what’s to come. That joy will override all the challenges!

With the Coronavirus pandemic came an almost dead stop to the real estate industry caused by fear of the future regarding jobs, health, the drop in consumer confidence and the stock market. BUT just as suddenly as things turned to chaos, the housing market, enhanced by historically low mortgage interest rates, has actually become a welcome high point among many still uncertain lows.

After an almost stagnant spring, home sales rebounded in May and June. New construction rose to 16.6% in May and then continued to rise to over 17% in June. Pending home sales showed the highest one month gain since the NAR (National Association of Realtors) started tracking numbers almost 20 years ago rising an amazing 44.3% in May.

Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, this is good…no great news!!