Well, I finally have time to start "blogging" again.

My work days (although selling and renting extremely quickly), have been relatively slow lately which is not a bad thing as I am finally able to do some catch up work. The housing inventory is quite low for both homes for sale and for rent and many people with little income are finding it very difficult to find housing as price increase. The stress of not being able to find a place to live has resulted in many tearful meetings as I break the news that I have nothing available in their price range. Whether you're a buyer or a tenant, you are competing with many others seeking to find housing so it is necessary for you to put your best foot forward. 

An interesting twist on this season's market is the effect of the flooding we are currently experiencing. I expect that it will kill the river front property sales and maybe even some lake front sales. Viewing a home with sandbags, road closures, water in the house, destroyed yards, lost docks and more, does not give buyers that warm and fuzzy feeling of a romantic evening sitting on the deck and gazing across the river. Currently, it is more a panic feeling of how much is this damage going to cost!

This too shall pass and when it does, we will quickly forget, break out our kayaks, fishing poles and flip flops and enjoy this beautiful county we live in. What????? Is that a bar-b-que I smell? Keep a positive outlook, we will survive!

I have purchased new boots from Sears that have a sole pattern that is similar to snow cleats.  They have lots of small wedges that point towards the heal so they grip the snow or ice and they must be working because I have rarely slipped while wearing them.  If you're not in the market for new boots, the strap on snow chains or ice cleats work well,  just be sure to take them off when you go inside.  I see lots of people wear them into businesses and not think that they are damaging the floors. 

Winter will soon be upon us, so it is very important to be pro-active in getting your home ready for cold weather.  Simple things you can do to keep your water pipes from freezing are detaching your garden hoses from the outside faucets, install foam faucet covers, cover open foundation vents and check for other foundation openings.  Some simple ways to insulate foundation vents are to custom cut foam sheets to tightly fit into the vent openings.  Or, loosely fill plastic bags with insulation (or leaves) and place the bag into the vent opening.  Be sure there are no gaps.  I hope these simple steps keep your under house pipes running freely and fozen free.