KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather SportsLongview show a favorite for the home improvement savvy

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329912387 44 KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather SportsLongview show a favorite for the home improvement savvy

LONGVIEW (KYTX) — Flooring, shutters, garage doors – you name it – it's all on display at the 33rd annual East Texas Home Products Show in Longview. CBS 19's Abby Broyles takes us inside the event and shows us what families can expect to see this weekend.

Almost everything you need for building a home, remodeling and decorating you can find at Longview's Maude Cobb Activity Center. About 80 vendors are set up at the annual East Texas Home Products Show this weekend.

“This is a great place to get some ideas of what kind of trends, where people are headed trend wise as far as designs are concerned,” Chairman Rodney Phillips said.

One of the biggest trends? More energy efficient products on the market.

Bill Akins, president of All Seasons Window and Door, says the high demand for so-called green products the past few years has changed how people buy windows and doors for their homes.

“I would say the biggest impact on the window and door industry is low emissivity glass,” Akins said. 

Low emissivity glass, or e-glass, has a metallic coat – it's both heat reflective and heat absorbent.

“it is a lot more energy efficient than clear glass and it also stops a lot of the ultraviolet light, which reduces fading on your furniture and carpet,” Akins said.

Others are turning to solar energy to power their homes. Dale Beggs, owner of Green Life Technologies, calls this a safe option for people worried about rising prices on their traditional electric bill.

“People who might be on a fixed income, they know what their electric bill is going to be for the next 25 years because they bought their solar energy system,” Beggs said.

But going green or not, organizers say the show is for anyone with a knack for home improvement.

Organizers expect about 2,000 people this weekend.

The home products show is open Sunday afternoon from 1:00 – 4:00 at the Maude Cobb Activity Center. Tickets are $5.

Homeowners should check contractors before hiring for storm cleanup

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329911197 25 Homeowners should check contractors before hiring for storm cleanup

The state Department of Labor & Industries reminded residents to check contractors’ credentials, as residents seek help to clean up from recent winter weather.

Whether the job requires residents to hire a tree-removal service to clean up a downed tree or a general contractor to repair damage to a roof and gutter, the agency said a little homework upfront can protect consumers against fraud, shoddy work or, simply, bad contractors.

In most cases, residents hiring a contractor should plan the project and interview several contractors before making a decision. But, if time is short, and the project is a yard full of limbs or a damaged home, some basic steps can help protect consumers:

  • Check contractors on hiringacontractor.lni.wa.gov to verify if the company is registered. Consumers can also check on the amount of insurance coverage the contractor has and how large a bond the company carries.
  • Beware if contractors ask to be paid in cash, to have a check made out to someone other than the business, want to work only weekends or use high-pressure sales tactics. Such red flags could be signs of a scam.
  • Avoid paying a large deposit to a contractor or the entire cost of the job upfront, and be sure to get the required notice to customer disclosure for any project of more than $1,000.
  • If the contractor uses subcontractors or costly materials from suppliers, get lien releases from the contractor. Before making final payment on the job, make sure a subcontractor is not owed any money. Unpaid subcontractors can hold the consumer responsible for work by putting liens on his or her home.

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Three models nearing completion at Traditions at Grey Oaks

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329908772 92 Three models nearing completion at Traditions at Grey Oaks

Grey Oaks Realty Broker and Vice President Erika Kemp announced three model residences are nearing completion at the Villas of Traditions at Grey Oaks. The collection of single-family residences range from 2,642 to 4,476 square feet under air and are priced from $690,000 to the mid-$800,000s.

Two furnished villa model residences, the Alegria and the Bregante, will be completed this month. Completion of a the Carillo, the third model residence, is anticipated in mid-March. Three different elevations are available for each floor plan.

The interiors of the models are being designed and executed by Kelly Young, Allied Member ASID of Kelly Young Design Associates in Plantation, Fla.

The Villas of Traditions feature Santa Barbara style architecture with Resinkast architectural details, architecturally designed landscaping and mahogany front entry doors.

The 2,642-square-foot under air Alegria villa offers formal living and dining rooms, two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a den, island-style kitchen, family room, outdoor living area and a two-car garage plus a golf cart garage. An optional third bedroom in lieu of a den is available in two different configurations.

The Global Chic style interior of the Alegria model conveys a sense of ordered calm with a subdued color pallet that includes papyrus beige, pewter grays and rice paper ivories. Wall colors include flaxen tan, parchment gray and creamy beige trimmed with painted white wood and distressed maple accent mouldings.

Natural walnut wood floors and adjacent marble floors in royal oyster are found throughout the home. Custom tray ceilings are trimmed with stained wood straight crown details mixed with traditional painted crown.

Antique ethnic pieces balance the use of clean-lined contemporary upholstery. The Barbara Barry Collection of Indochine fabrics focuses on an ancient color pallet of plum, cinnamon, sage, nutmeg and burnished bronze as it forms the patterns and accent color schemes.

Cinnamon cherry shaker-style cabinetry is featured in the kitchen along with light, creamy marble countertops, a Jenn-Aair Professional Series stainless steel appliance package and glass backsplash tiles. White iceberg polished marble floors are included in the master bath and master suite walk-in closets.

The Bregante floor plan features 3,319 square feet under air, formal living and dining rooms, three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a den, a island-style kitchen and family room, an outdoor living area and a two-car garage.

Kelly Young’s European Classic interior design style is inspired by nature. Walls done in soft moss green, ivory and faint gray play against traditional double crown and applied moulding details. Custom tray ceilings are finished with distressed maple, whitewashed and glazed designs. Cream and taupe honed marble floors with brushed and chiseled edges set in an Ashler pattern resemble old-world cobblestone flooring.

Furnishings include collected traditional European pieces that range from neoclassic to provincial styles. Signature touches include taupe weathered woods, hand-stenciled consoles, woven cane chair backs and painted silver details. Heirloom painted furniture pieces in soft pastels with antiqued glazing add to the European charm.

The kitchen’s ivory painted and glazed cabinetry is set against countertops with butcher block tops layered into granite and an onyx tile backsplash. Bronzed tile details and appliance faces add depth. African ebony distressed wood flooring is used in the master bedroom. The Bregante’s master bath features polished crema marfil marble floors and European tile mosaic walls and mirror frames.

The Carillo is a two-story, 4,476-square-foot under air residence offering formal living and dining rooms, four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a den, island kitchen, breakfast area, family room, an outdoor living area and a two-car garage plus a golf cart space. The upstairs includes a loft.

Kelly Young’s French Modern interior has a subtle elegance that is reflected in couture quality upholstery done in pastel velvets, brocades and silk looks. The furniture style is traditional with clean lines and smooth curves. Accents include crystal, marble floors, and antique silver details against dark cappuccino built-ins and a mahogany staircase. The molding features barrel arches with applied mouldings. Polished white marble floors with an accent pattern in a light bamboo marble are found throughout the living area.

The Carillo’s kitchen cabinetry has a hand-painted gray strie portobello hazelnut finish against granite countertops and a Calcutta white polished hexagon mosaic backsplash.

Traditions at Grey Oaks is an enclave of villa and coach home residences. One fully-furnished coach home model and a collection of move-in ready residences are available for viewing and immediate purchase. The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath coach homes are priced beginning in the $500s for a limited time.

Traditions is a joint venture of Halstatt Partnership, the developer of Grey Oaks Country Club, and the Codina-Carr Company.

Grey Oaks Country Club has been named one of the country’s top 35 residential country club communities by the Platinum Club of America and recognized as one of America’s top 100 golf communities by Travel & Leisure Golf. Offering 54 holes of golf on three different courses, Grey Oaks amenities are completed, member-owned and debt free. Resident and non-resident memberships are available.

Grey Oaks Realty is the exclusive sales and marketing representative of Grey Oaks Country Club.

Grey Oaks is on Airport-Pulling Road, north of Golden Gate Parkway. Grey Oaks on the Web at greyoaks.com.

Spanish Institute

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329907592 36 Spanish InstituteHOPKINSHome Remodeling Fair is Sunday

The 20th annual West Metro Home Remodeling Fair is set for 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Hwy. 7 in Hopkins.

The goal of the fair is to inspire property owners to make improvements to homes. It is sponsored by the cities of Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetonka and St. Louis Parks.

More than 100 remodeling contractors and others in the construction business will have displays and representatives on hand, and Minnetonka planning department staff members and city building inspectors will answer questions. Property owners are encouraged to bring photos of their properties and sketches of what they would like to accomplish.

Seminars will be held on subjects ranging from kitchen and bathroom remodeling to decks and porches, window replacement, landscaping and other topics.

No advance registration is required and admission is free. For details on events and seminars, go to homeremod elingfair.com or call 952-939-8200.

BLOOMINGTONHome improvement fair at civic plaza

Sixty exhibitors will show their wares and offer tips at a free Home Improvement Fair from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Bloomington Civic Plaza, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Road.

Homeowners can learn how to reduce utility bills through low-cost changes and get ideas for remodeling, additions and upgrades. Bill Bliesath, "The Organizing Guy," will be the featured speaker.

For a list of seminars and a schedule, go to ci .bloomington.mn.us and type in the keywords "Home Fair."

WEST, SOUTH METROPolice warn of daytime burglaries

Police say a burglar has been kicking in front doors in broad daylight, with incidents reported in Bloomington, Edina and Prior Lake.

The break-ins have occurred between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The burglar knocks on the front door to see if anyone’s home. Hearing nothing, he kicks in the door, opens the garage from inside, and parks his vehicle inside. He then ransacks the house, stealing things like flat-screen TV’s, laptop computers, CD players, remote controls, jewelry, game consoles and golf clubs.

The suspect appears to drive a dirty, dark-colored two-door vehicle with only one taillight working, police said.

CHANHASSENChoose the plants that helped make Minnesota great

As part of a new public awareness campaign sponsored by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the arboretum is seeking suggestions about which plants have had the greatest impact in the state’s history and the way we live our lives today. The arboretum hopes to come up with a Top 10 list of its plant life all-stars.

Dubbed "10 Plants that Changed Minnesota: Growing Solutions to How the World Lives Today," the initiative, led by horticulture professor Mary Meyer, former interim director of the arboretum, is intended to "build awareness of the crucial role plants play in nourishing and sustaining life on Earth," the arboretum says.

"In asking for nominations, we hope to start conversations about plants and their role in the historic and economic factors that changed the course of our state," Meyer said. School children are encouraged to participate.

Nominations will be accepted through April 15 at the arboretum’s website at arbor etum.umn.edu/10plants.aspx or at the Oswald Visitor Center.

WEST METROOpportunity Partners ’50s gala is April 27

Opportunity Partners will hold its annual gala April 27 with a "Fabulous ’50s" theme at the Hotel Sofitel, 5601 W. 78th St. in Bloomington.

The Twin Cities nonprofit, which helps people with disabilities live and work more independently, was founded in 1953, and that’s the inspiration for the gala theme.

The event, which will begin at 5:30 p.m., will include silent and live auctions, plus dinner and dancing to the ’50s music of the Rockin’ Hollywoods.

Tickets are $90 and are available at fabulous50s .eventbrite.com. Suggested attire is 1950s styles or formal wear.

For more information, contact or phone 952-930-4286. For more on Opportunity Partners, go to opportunitpartners .org.

EDINARotary Club awards $23,000 in grants

The Rotary Club of Edina has donated nearly $23,000 in recent months to local projects as well as international service efforts.

Local grants went to fund such projects as $1,350 for the West Bank School of Music to buy a digital piano that the nonprofit uses to bring "innovative music education" to the community. Another $3,846 went to Cornerstone Advocacy Services for equipment and materials needed by the emergency shelter for victims of domestic abuse.

International donations ranged from $5,000 for a project in Malawi that provides water to more than 20,000 residents, to $3,500 for the Red Thread Promise’s all-terrain wheelchair program in developing countries.

For more information about community service grants, contact Grant Robinson at grobinson@focusfinancial .com or 952-548-8101.

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Design style hooks local buyers

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329906378 37 Design style hooks local buyers

Architects and artists like to joke that design trends hit San Antonio about a decade late.

So it’s just in time that midcentury modern homes and neighborhoods are starting to catch the eye of local homebuyers.

The look has been popular for more than 10 years in many other places, especially on the West Coast.

But the 1950s are having something of a moment culturally.

There’s the popularity of TV shows such as “Mad Men.” And last summer, the McNay Art Museum held a popular exhibit on George Nelson, the midcentury architect and designer whose work such as the ball clock and the marshmallow sofa became iconic for the era. The exhibit was promoted at “Modernist Design from the Mad Men Era.”

There’s also a new Central Texas chapter of Docomomo, the international group that advocates for the “documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement” in San Antonio and Austin.

Real estate agents say that buyers of midcentury homes come in two categories: people in their 20s or 30s who are often drawn to the low-slung ranch style of the homes, or those who once lived in a neighborhood and want to find a home there again.

“I think it’s the younger buyers, the ones who are watching ‘Mad Men,’” said Liz Chiego, a real estate agent with the Phyllis Browning Co. “Some people come back because they used to live in the neighborhood, but the younger people are excited about the architecture.”

Ann Benson McGlone, an architectural consultant and the former historic preservation officer for the city of San Antonio, said that because the look is just starting to gain popularity in San Antonio, homebuyers can find homes in a variety of neighborhoods for good prices.

Prices generally start in the low $100,000s and go up from there depending on the neighborhood and the home’s condition.

“You can still find them here,” McGlone said. “The exact same houses would sell for unbelievable amounts in Dallas.”

James “Rick” Lewis, senior lecturer at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the midcentury modern look in San Antonio represents some of the first true regional design.

New post-World War II materials included steel sash windows, aluminum windows and large plates of glass that could be used for wall-sized windows and sliding glass doors.

Homes became more open, with large family rooms open to the kitchen for the first time. And the use of glass and the sleek look of rooflines shows the influence of the automobile on popular culture, he said.

“The auto is influencing everything,” Lewis said. “We have for the first time drive-throughs for cleaners and pharmacies. Fast-food places are born and they become icons of the roadside.”

In San Antonio, the architect most widely known for his regional modernist designs was O’Neil Ford. He was the designer of much of the distinctive Trinity University campus and landscape, but he also designed many homes in San Antonio.

Allison Chambers, an associate with Ford, Powell & Carson Architects and Planners, said people often call the firm when a Ford house comes on the market. “People are always calling us and saying they bought an O’Neil Ford house, or they call to get information or drawings if we have them,” she said. “Sometimes they want to get advice on remodeling.”

Lewis said that led by Ford, the midcentury modern homes in San Antonio tend to have a softer look than they do in other parts of the country.

“What you find here in this regional bent,” Lewis said. “It allows for certain traditional hangovers.”

Features such as Saltillo tile floors, handmade brick and kitchen backsplashes of colorful tile offer a gesture to the city’s Hispanic heritage. There’s also a lot of texture, including warm woods. “You wouldn’t find that going on in Massachusetts or California at the same time,” Lewis said.

Midcentury modern homes and buildings are scattered throughout the city. But many large neighborhoods are clustered around the arc of Loop 410. They include Forest Oaks near the San Antonio International Airport; Castle Hills, an incorporated city that straddles the loop; and Oak Hills, located near the Oak Hills Country Club just north of Loop 410 and west of Interstate 10.

Oak Hills residents have been working with the city’s historic preservation office and could become the first midcentury neighborhood to seek historic district status.

Neighborhoods such as Northwood Estates and Bel Meade, both near Alamo Heights; and Terrell Hills have some of the largest clusters of architect-designed midcentury modern homes.

McGlone said one of her favorite neighborhoods for midcentury design is Shearer Hills, north of the Olmos Basin and south of North Star Mall. “There is some great stuff in there,” she said. “You can get a big house on a big lot. For your money, it’s a great deal.”

There are also midcentury modern homes in neighborhoods better known for their older architecture, such as Monticello Park and Monte Vista.

Real estate agent Ellen McDonough of the Phyllis Browning Co. said one challenge for buyers of midcentury homes can be the need for updates and remodeling. “Most people want instant gratification,” she said. “But these homes are tucked away all over town and in all price points, which is nice.”

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ESCONDIDO: Family struggles after truck plows into home

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329901578 76 ESCONDIDO: Family struggles after truck plows into home

Lisa Vidaurri’s voice was still hoarse Tuesday, raw from so muchscreaming four days earlier when she watched the back wall of herhome explode.

Vidaurri saw glass showered over her teenage daughter, who satdoing homework at the dinner table about 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Shesaw her husband pinned underneath the pickup that had plowedthrough the sliding glass door, and she listened to the pickupdriver revving the engine in a futile effort to drive away.

Police identified the driver as Brandon David Morris —- aTemecula man on probation for a previous drunken-driving conviction—- and arrested him at the scene on suspicion of drunken driving,violating the terms of his probation, and driving on a suspendedlicense. He remained jailed Tuesday in lieu of $403,000 bail. Itwas not immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Morris —- who turned 23 the day before the crash —- was tobe arraigned Wednesday.

Vidaurri, 42, said she plans to be in the courtroom, but herhusband will still be in a hospital bed. Having been laid off froma good job last year and recently working as a handyman, he iswithout medical insurance.

She said her life and that of her family have been turned upsidedown since Morris’ truck crashed into their home on EveningsideGlen. Their backyard sits on Country Club Lane, at the bottom of adownhill curve.

Area residents, some of whom want the city to install stop signsalong Country Club Lane, have long cursed the stretch of road wherethe crash happened as dangerous. In 2003, a father and his14-year-old daughter died in a crash on July Fourth in 2003 just ablock or so west of site of Thursday’s crash.

On Tuesday, even after the overnight rain, tire tracks fromMorris’ truck remained visible in the mud and grass from the streetto the spot where a wooden fence once surrounded Vidaurri’s backpatio. The crash also took out power to the neighborhood thatnight.

Lisa Vidaurri said she was in the kitchen making dinner —-rice, carne asada and even sirloin steaks as a treat —- when thelights suddenly went out.

She turned to look out the window, she said, and saw what shebelieves were the tail lights of Morris’ truck as it shot past andonto the back patio where her husband was standing with thefamily’s two dogs, Coach and Juliette.

And then the truck plowed through the wall.

“It sounded like a bomb went off,” Lisa Vidaurri said. “I juststarted screaming. I was hysterical. My daughter was hysterical.But there was nothing I could do. I saw my husband face down in apool of his own blood.”

Neighbors poured from their homes to help. Viduarri said sheremembers one neighbor leaning down to talk to her husband, tryingto keep him calm while he remained pinned under the truck.

Daughter Laurel was showered in glass from the sliding glassdoor and suffered related injuries, but she was for the most partOK —-  the truck missing her by mere inches, Vidaurri said.

Son Blake, 18, was in the back of the home and uninjured.

Husband Tony Vidaurri, 44, remained at Palomar Medical Center onTuesday, undergoing facial reconstruction surgery, includingputting plates in his face. It was his second operation in fourdays.

Lisa Vidaurri said the crash “degloved” her husband’s skin,tearing it from nearly the entire left side of his face. He wasalso left with a lacerated spleen and many broken bones, includinghis ribs, she said. And he nearly lost a leg, she said, explainingthat a surgeon told her it was snapped nearly in two and filledwith mud.

Escondido police said Vidaurri was rushed to the hospitalThursday night in critical condition. He has since improved.

Palomar spokesman Leonel Sanchez said Tony Vidaurri was listedin good condition Tuesday.

Four days after the terrifying crash, the rain had washed awayher husband’s blood from the back patio. But debris —- snappedand splintered wood, the bumper and headlight from the truck amongthe mess —- was still scattered in the mud. Glass was stillspread throughout the living room where it had landed.

No one can live in the home until it is repaired, Vidaurri said.Wood covers the largest hole from the truck, but other holes in thewall remain. Debris covered the dining and living room floor,including pieces of a desk that exploded when the truck slammedinto it.

Vidaurri said that her children have moved in with their father,her ex-husband, for the time being. And she spends much of her timewith her husband. 

She worries that her husband, who is a maintenance mechanic and”a blue-collar guy,” will be left permanently disabled.

The family is trying to set up a post office box for supportersto send donations. Supporters of the Viduarris set up a Facebookpage, which includes a PayPal account, for donations to help thefamily. To find it, search Facebook for “EscondidoDUI victim.”

Call staff writer Teri Figueroa at 760-740-5442.

Top 10 steps to find your ideal home

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329900379 15 Top 10 steps to find your ideal home

Due to the fact that the current property market offers buyers a wide selection of homes to choose from, the selection process can sometimes be tough. Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, says that while most buyers probably have a good idea of what they are looking for in a home, there are a few steps they should follow to help with their final selection:

1.   Make a wish list

Goslett advises buyers to write down everything they need and want in a property. The first aspect buyers should consider when making their list includes the type of property they prefer.

“Buyers need to decide if they are looking for a freestanding home, a cluster or a unit in a sectional-title complex or secure estate. Then they need to decide if they would like a home they can renovate or one they could just move right into without changing a thing. A property in need of attention should have a lower asking price than one that’s fully renovated and a place that’s two or three years old will be cheaper than one that’s brand new,” says Goslett.

He says that buyers should also determine the details in terms of the number of bedrooms they require, the entertainment and garden space they would need, etc.

2.   Differentiate between wants and needs

Once a wish list has been drawn up, Goslett recommends that buyers separate out items that fall into the wants category, which are the nice to haves but not essentials, from those that fall into the needs category, which are specifications that the buyer cannot compromise on. “Buyers need to determine whether or not they really need that swimming pool and a large stand, or if they could compromise by buying a smaller stand in an estate that has communal facilities, instead, for example.”

3.   Work out affordability

“Determining a price range,” says Goslett, “is one of the most crucial steps in the selection process.” Buyers need to figure out how much they would be able to afford on monthly costs, including bond repayments, maintenance, levies and rates, etc. “Since this exercise will undoubtedly impact on the type and size of a property that a buyer can actually afford, many buyers may choose to revisit their wants and needs list after adding up the cost and change some items that impact most on the price.”

4.   Pre-qualify for a bond

Buyers will just end up wasting everyone’s time by looking at homes that they cannot afford to purchase. “By getting a pre-qualification on a bond, buyers will be able to determine whether or not they qualify for the necessary finance and will get an idea of the estimated amount that the financial institution would be willing to lend,” says Goslett. “This, along with the step above, will determine the price range in which buyers can begin searching for properties.”

5.   Location

The emphasis on the importance of location remains as strong as ever. When looking at areas in which to purchase property, Goslett says that buyers should consider what locations they need to reach regularly, how they plan to travel there and how long the journey will take. Schools and other amenities will also play a large role in this step of the selection process for many buyers. “Buyer should make a list of their favourite or ideal neighbourhoods and then make sure that their budget matches what the homes cost in these areas, which will help to narrow the list down,” he says.

6.   Start the search

The internet is the ideal starting place to begin a house hunt. There are numerous specialised websites that have easily-searchable property listings. “But,” says Goslett, “because property websites don’t always cover everything that’s for sale in every area, local newspapers are also a good research tool for buyers. Buyers should also visit their local estate agents to ask what’s coming onto the market, or drive around their favourite areas to spot any for sale boards going up. Most estate agents will also take note of a buyer’s specific requirements and will cross reference this with properties the company has on their books,” he says.

7.   Choose a good estate agent

It is essential for a buyer to find an expert to work with, according to Goslett. “Ask for referrals and interview various candidates in order to ensure you select an agent that is professional, experienced and ethical. It is also best to select an agent that has good knowledge of the areas in which you are thinking of buying a property.”

8.   Learn the real estate market

The more knowledge a buyer has about the property market in which they are thinking of buying, says Goslett, the more equipped they will be to make an informed decision. He suggests that buyers ask their agent to send them a list of homes that have recently sold in the area within their price range as well as a comparative market analysis of the area to help determine where the best value lies.

9.   Find out what is for sale

Aside from making a shortlist of the properties found on the internet, through the local newspaper, from driving around or from an agent, buyers need to match the list with all of their criteria including their accommodation requirements, price range and location. The next step is to set up appointments to view the properties on the shortlist and begin comparing them.

10.  Practice your patience

Goslett warns that for some buyers, depending on their requirements, it may take time to find the ideal home. “Buyers may look at everything for sale and not fall in love with anything. In cases like this, buyers should ask their estate agent to add them to their email list to receive notification of suitable listings as they come on the market. Patience here is key,” Goslett concludes.

* This report was prepared by RE/MAX

Ask Officer Mark: Pre-approved credit cards

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329899189 57 Ask Officer Mark: Pre approved credit cards

Q: I receive approved credit card applications in the mail all the time. Officer Samson, how can a credit card company approve my credit for their card that I never applied for?

A: First, the credit card companies are sending these applications out in bulk mailings in hope of getting some back filled out by an applicant. Before filling them out look at the annual percentage rate (APR) at which you will be repaying the money you borrow from them. If you are comfortable with that APR then send in the application. Normally the companies that are soliciting your business have received your information from another company you may have done business with. There are many ways for companies to get you personal information; purchasing a home, remodeling a home, the obituaries in local newspapers list family members, random calls from a phone directory. Contest entry forms, magazine subscriptions and the list can go on and on.

I suggest you contact your banking institutes and credit card companies, that under the privacy law you do not want any of your personal information given to other agencies or businesses without your permission.

I would also get a credit report at least once a year to prevent identity theft. A credit report contains your personal information and your personal information in the hands of an “Identity Thief” could mean years of work on your part to correct what that person has done.

You should review your credit report periodically by ordering a copy from one or more of the major credit bureaus that compile credit information. By doing so, you can be certain that the information on the report is current and accurate. There could be a small fee involved getting credit report, but knowing your credit information is not being used by someone maybe well worth it.

The national consumer credit reporting agencies are: Equifax. PO Box 74241 Atlanta, Ga. 30374, 1-800-685-1111, equifax.com, Experian (National Consumer Assistance Center) PO Box 2002 Allen, Texas 75013, 1-888-397-3742, experian.com , Trans Union (Consumer Disclosure Center) PO Box 1000 Chester, PA 19022, 1-800-888-4213, tuc.com.

Write to Officer Mark at: -augustine.fl.us.

Daughter injecting new ideas, recipes into family-owned bakery in St. Charles

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

1329897978 54 Daughter injecting new ideas, recipes into family owned bakery in St. Charles

When Kendele Noto was 12, her dad would pick her up after schooland bring her to the family business, a bakery in St. Charles.

“I told her, ‘We’re going to pay you a wage, but you’re goinghave to do the work,’ ” Jasper Noto said.

Kendele and her older sister, Courtney, started off with jobslike folding pastry boxes or filling up the cookie pans. Kendelealways wanted to do more, her father said.

“I would ice the cake so that all I had left to do was theborder, and I let her pipe it on,” he said. “Pretty soon she wantedto learn how to do the writing.”

Kendele, now 23, is still behind the counter at J. Noto’s FineItalian Confections, only she’s the one running the kitchen thesedays. She’s the third generation of the Noto family to work in thebakery at 336 South Main Street.

Back when Jasper Noto started the business in 1973, the St.Louis area had dozens of family owned bakeries, but now there areonly about a dozen. So another generation taking over in thebusiness is becoming a rare thing.

Pete Rosciglione, whose family bakery is one of the oldest inthe area — it’s been around since the 1890s — said that the bakerybusiness is not for everybody.

“This is strictly physical, hands-on labor every day, at least12 hours a day,” he said.

Kendele Noto said even she didn’t want to go into the familybusiness at first. After graduating from Duchesne High School, sheattended culinary school at Forest Park Community College andlearned about soups and sauces and butchering.

She got a job at Racquet Club Ladue, where she prepared saladsand worked on the grill. But she was drawn back to the familybusiness.

“I saw what else was out there, and I decided we have a lot ofpotential here,” she said.

Noto said she’s worked hard to balance tradition with a moremodern take on the business. So while she’s preserved the Italiancookie recipes of her great-grandparents from Sicily, she’s starteda website, a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

She’s also kept up with the trends in baking, like cupcakes, andmini-desserts like cake pops. She’s learned to make chocolate andis developing seasonal specialties like a blackberry crumbcheesecake she hopes to debut this spring.

“I take existing recipes that my dad has and change them to gowith more modern styles or what’s new for the season,” she said.”We never have a set menu because we’re constantly changing it andcreating new things.”

She’s also trained with some of the top pastry chefs in thecountry, like Colette Peters of New York.

In December, one of Noto’s designs won top honors at agingerbread house competition at Plaza Frontenac. But her favoritedessert is more traditional — a chocolate covered cannoli withricotta cheese filling.

The popularity of shows on the Food Network and TLC, like “CakeBoss,” are slowly changing the bakery business, she said.

“People are going to spend more money on birthday cakes becausethey want that Cake Boss or Food Network design, and we are open tocreating the new fondant and topsy-turvy cakes that look like theyare falling over,” she said.

The business is still run entirely by family members. Kendele’sgrandmother, Florence Noto, helps in the kitchen, and Courtney Notowaits on customers behind the counter.

“Sometimes we fight with each other, but our family is sotight-knit, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she said.

Jasper Noto, 60, has turned over the cake baking duties to hisdaughter, and he joked that he’s the one who needs lessons now. Buthe still gets involved with the construction of the cakes and helpshis daughter figure out how to stabilize some of the more unusualdesigns.

“It makes me proud to see what she can do,” he said.

Smoke Signals: Grill to the rescue!

Posted by on February 22, 2012 No comments

Smoke Signals: Grill to the rescue!Stacy Dean learned that a grill can be your best friend during a kitchen remodel. (Owen McKearn) The next time you complain about it being too cold to grill, think about Stacy Dean.

Back in November, she, her husband and their three elementary-aged children assumed starring roles in that horror movie known as “a kitchen remodel.” A week after Thanksgiving, the walls came tumbling down in their upper Northwest kitchen. Literally.

Walls. Cabinets. Appliances. All of it, obliterated. To create a new, improved and expanded kitchen, the whole thing was gutted.

What does that mean? It means, of course, they no longer had a stove or oven for cooking meals.

“We bought a used refrigerator and a microwave, and we set up some shelves in the dining room to put our food and food prep items on,” Dean says. “So we prepare the food and eat it on the same surface.”

The microwave comes in handy for cooking quick, easy items. But Dean found that the survival tool she used most was the family’s 10-year-old Weber gas grill with a side burner.

“We use the burner to make pasta and popcorn — we make popcorn all the time — and use the grill for everything else,” says Dean, vice-president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based think tank. “Pineapple. Potatoes in olive oil and spices. We do bacon on the grill. Pizza. Lots of pizza. We buy the dough, grill it on both sides, bring it inside and put the toppings on, then put it back on the grill. It’s delicious.”

Dean even cooks frozen chicken nuggets on the grill for the kids. “Just put them in foil to heat them through, then [remove from foil] and brown them on the grill till they’re crunchy.”

Dean’s contractor says a grill is a family’s best friend during a renovation.

“The grill is a key part of our plan for a kitchen remodel,” says David Merrick, who owns Merrick Design and Build, Inc. “I mean, we put people through hell. We always tell them, ‘Where is the grill going to be? Because that’s where the cooking is going to be.’

“My tip is to get a cast iron skillet,” he continues. “It works great on the grill. When I did my own kitchen remodel, I use…”

Wait, you did a kitchen remodel? At your own home?

“Every contractor should put themselves through what their customers will go through,” he says. “We were out of a kitchen for 8 weeks or 10 weeks. We grill anyway, but we had to do a little thinking on our feet.”

Merrick has a gas grill and a 55-gallon drum barrel that he converted into a charcoal-and-wood fired smoker. He found himself using them for a variety of foods he hadn’t cooked outdoors before, like breakfast. “Next thing I know, I’m out there at the grill cooking pancakes,” he says.

Dean, too, has expanded her repertoire. She grills more fruit and vegetables now. She says she may never have tried grilling bacon.

“It forces you to be inventive,” she says.

She misses having an oven for “precision cooking,” and she especially misses having a kitchen sink. “We have to do the dishes in the basement sink,” she says. “Sometimes I take them to my neighbor’s and use their dishwasher if they’ve just gotten too disgusting for me to do them.”

But, overall, she hasn’t minded the experience and may even appreciate it.

“We were steak and hot dog people before,” she says, her voice conveying the pride of someone who has moved beyond limitations she didn’t know existed.

Sure, her wintertime grilling is an invention born of necessity. Still, she’s out there, sometimes in a heavy coat and winter boots, but out there, in the cold, blazing grilling trails with frozen chicken nuggets. And that should be an inspiration to us all.

Do you grill or smoke outdoors in the winter? Tell Smoke Signals about it in the comments below.

Send tips, opinions and news to . Follow me on Twitter @jimshahin.

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