The Best Lebanese Food

I'm always looking for good eats.  One of my favorites is Nichola's in downtown Gresham.  I'm not sure if it's the flavorful rice, the tender beef or the fact it's extremely affordable but whatever the case I'm just glad it's just down the street from my house.

Dos & Dont's of Garbage Disposals

Down the Drain: Garbage Disposal Dos & Don'ts

If your kitchen has a garbage disposal, you know how easy it makes mealtime clean up. But what you may not realize is that your disposal comes with some pretty important rules. Here are some of the most vital:

Do:

• Insert food slowly. Stuffing it all into your disposal at once can cause clogs and shorten the life of your system.
• Grind hard materials. Many people think food like chicken bones or small fruit pits are a no-no, but they can actually help clean the walls of the disposal.
• Use cold water for at least 20 seconds. This will solidify grease so that it can be ground up. Also, make sure that all food particles are washed completely down the drain.
• Keep it clean. One good way to eliminate drain smells is by grinding citrus fruit peels. You can also add a few drops of dish soap and let the disposal run for a few minutes.

Don't:

• Use hot water. This will make grease liquefy and build up, which can clog the drain.
• Grind fibrous or expandable foods. The former, like celery stalks and onion skins, can tangle up the disposal. The latter, like pasta and rice, can clog it.
• Turn off the motor too quickly. You'll want to make sure all food particles are completely ground. Once done, continue to run the water for at least 15 seconds to flush out particles.
• Wash coffee grounds down the drain. While they won't harm the disposal itself, they can clog pipes and drains.
• Forget to use it. Lack of use can cause rusting and corrosion, which can lead to premature system replacement.

Are You Now in a Floodplain?

Remapping of Floodplains Surprises Some Owners

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been remapping America’s aging floodplains for the last eight years, taking into account changes along waterways brought by development, storm patterns, and natural processes.
While FEMA is only about two-thirds of the way through the project nationwide, some home owners are already finding out that their property’s boundaries are now being designated as flood zones. The redrawn floodplains are leading some home owners to have to buy costly flood insurance, which can equate to hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually.
Home owner Amy Marren says she was surprised when she recently received notice from her lender that she needed flood insurance for her home in Wayne, Pa. She now has to pay a $2,400 annual policy, after an insurance agent told her the house was zoned like it were a “beach house.”
"It's an emotional issue," says David Bollinger, a hazard-mitigation specialist in FEMA's Philadelphia region. "People are upset with us at times."

To find flood maps and other information from FEMA, visit www.fema.gov.

Source: “Remapping of Floodplains Costly for Some Homeowners,” The Philadelphia Inquirer (Feb. 6, 2011)

Home Sales Tied Directly to Who Wins the Super Bowl

Actually, I have no idea if that is true but it sure sounds like it's a possibility.  To my credit, and to make my blog seem credible, I did take two minutes to  research the comparison on Google.  Alas, I could not find any evidence that the Super Bowl winner has any say in US housing trends.

Wouldn't that be something if it did?  What about in Green Bay or in Pittsburgh?  If the Packers win, are fans in such a state of euphoria that they call their favorite Realtor and say, "Wow!  I wasn't going to do this but the football gods have spoken so now it's time for me to buy that green and gold house down the street"?  If the Steelers manage to eek out a win (shudder the thought), will the good folks in Western Pennsylvania start calling their loan officers to get approved for a loan?  Maybe.  Who's to say they won't?

What if you win that office pool?  If you win each quarter and the final score you could find yourself a few hundred bucks richer...enough for a home inspection.  Just sayin'.

At any rate, I will be watching Super Bowl XLV with a high level of interest but only because I'm a huge Green Bay Packers fan.  If one of my real estate clients calls me after the game to tell me they want to buy a new home because prices are fantastic and interest rates are rock-bottom, well then, I guess it just proves my theory.

Enjoy the day with friends and family.  Eat lots of food you really shouldn't.  Relish in the commercials and call me if you have an itch to buy or sell some real estate.  Just make sure to call me after the game.

When Should You Post to Craigslist?

If you are like me, you want to maximize your exposure when it comes to selling items on Craigslist, eBay or any other online clearing house.  Whether you are advertising homes (like me) or want to get rid of that stationary bicycle machine that never seems to get any use, there are certain hours of the day that work better than others.

You have about a 4-6 hour window of opportunity to capture the attention of potential buyers.  Looking at the graph to the left you can see that the most and highest activity is generated beginning at 4:00pm to 5:00pm (when people are close to getting off work) and then again between 8:00pm and 11:00pm (while at home relaxing with a glass of vino).

But what day is best to post?  The graph below shows that, believe it or not, Tuesday along with Friday are the best days to post at the times we discussed above.

I can't give you a scientific reason why Tuesday is on par with Friday.  Maybe because most people are too busy actually working on Monday to spend a lot of time researching Craigslist.  Maybe it's because of the "Hollywood Effect".  New DVD's are released on Tuesdays.  Blockbuster and Hollywood Video bring out the new movies on Tuesday.  RedBox releases new movies on Tuesday.  As for Friday, well everyone knows that that's when theaters put on new first-run movies.  Like I said, this is not scientific.  Heck, it's not even my idea, but it's plausible, right?