Latest Articles by djones

Zen My Office

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Whether it's a style of lamp or soap, you can buy all kinds of Zen products. But what does it really mean and why is it resonating with so many people? Zen stems from Zen Buddhism and the idea of being fully present in the moment. Closely tied to meditation, it's about mindfulness and a state of conscious awareness. Today the term is associated with a kind of simplicity, a minimalist aesthetic that seems to resound with people living in a busy world. Zen design is a natural fit for your home office, where you want to be at your conscious, centered best.

So how do you achieve Zen-ness in your office? Start with simplicity, and work with light, open space and balance. Zen style often incorporates natural materials. Install simple flooring - a wood, neutral carpet or a simple tile. Choose an earth tone or cool paint color. You might choose to paint one accent wall with a bolder color choice - just keep it clean and uncomplicated.

Your furniture should also be simple, with clean lines and basic colors. Nothing too loud, bright or distracting.

Choose simple window coverings like unbleached cotton or bamboo blinds. The walls should be fairly bare with just one or two pieces of art.

Even if you're not ready for an all out redesign there are a number of steps you can take to achieve a more Zen-like office space. Embracing the idea of simplicity, the first thing you need to do is get rid of all the clutter. Your office should inspire calmness, not craziness or anxiety. Your desk should not be a resting spot for every knick-knack and family photo you own. Choose one or two of the best and put the rest away. Put things into your desk drawers, use organizers and containers to clean up your desktop.

Get a filing cabinet and establish a filing system - don't leave your bills and receipts on your desk. Get an inbox and an action box - everything that needs action goes into the latter. The inbox is for everything else. On a regular basis (weekly at the very least), act on the items in the action box and file, shred or recycle everything in the inbox. And be firm with yourself - edit on a regular basis. Once a year, go through your filing cabinet and recycle or shred everything you don't need.

Find a simple, comfortable chair that you can work in and away you go - with an uncluttered space and an uncluttered mind you will reach your full mindful potential.

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Doug is continually working towards being the best Realtor in the San Diego real estate field, and has won multiple Top Salesperson Awards. Let Doug be your starting point in your search for a San Diego Realtor and visit him at AllJonesHomes.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Common Sense is Your Best Anti-Theft Device

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Just like other crimes, a burglary can be a totally random event. However, when it's planned, there are certain things a burglar will look for when staking out a possible break-in, and there are steps the homeowner can take to minimize this risk.

This is a good checklist before leaving your home empty or for beefing up your protection against theft:

Study your house from the street, and look for any valuables that may be visible from the street. Don't give thieves a reason to show up.

Before leaving for any length of time, ensure that all windows and doors are locked, including the door to your garage. Many home invasion robberies come through garage doors and inner doors to the houses. Doors should have deadbolt locks with a one-inch throw and reinforced strike plate.

Place a piece of wood or metal in the track of any sliding doors to prevent opening.

Don't leave your house in darkness when you're away, create a sense of activity by using timers on lights, radios and televisions.

Install low-voltage lighting outdoors to keep your surrounding yard well lit. Install motion detectors in dark areas along the sides and back of house to alert you of any intruders.

Suspend your newspaper delivery while you're away and ask your neighbor to collect your mail. You may even ask them to park in your driveway while you're away.

Never leave a message on your answering machine that says you're on vacation.

Keep any shrubbery near your walkway or entrance trimmed; removing any possible hiding places. Think about planting cactus or rosebushes under windows that may be especially vulnerable.

Advise your neighborhood watch that you'll be away.

Ensure your security system is activated when you leave.

Etch your name on all electronic equipment to serve as a deterrent as well as assisting police in the recovery your property. It's more difficult to sell stolen property that has the owners name on it. Make a video tape of your possessions and record the serial numbers.

Get a safe, not just for your jewels, but for important paperwork as well. Identity theft is a crime that's on the rise and you want to minimize any availability to your personal records.

The more you can do to deter an intruder, the better your chances are that your home will not be chosen as a target. Studies have shown that if it takes a burglar more than four or five minutes to break into a home, they'll move on. If you increase their vulnerability by adding a well-lit area or a barking dog, that minimizes your risk again.

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This article was written on behalf of Doug Jones, an award winning San Diego REALTOR ®. Let Doug help you find your dream property in the San Diego real estate market by visiting him at www.AllJonesHomes.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Concrete Homes - Your Fortress in a Natural Disaster

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

If the area you lived in was subject to earthquakes, insect infestation and wildfires, and you could live in a type of housing that could withstand all those perils, why wouldn't you? Concrete homes have an amazing resistance to all of the above and are commonly used in Florida and other hurricane ridden locations, but their popularity hasn't spread to the west coast.

Due to their unique construction, a number of homes have survived the wildfires in California. Pat Callahan owns a concrete house outside Escondido that only suffered smoke damage during the October Witch Creek fire. Although the vinyl windows were melted, the house remained standing.

Another success story was that of Lorraine Aledort and her 5,500 square-foot concrete house near Ramona. The upgrades in her home included:

Concrete roof tiles, glued-down to resist high winds.

Interior fire sprinklers (now a local building requirement).

Oversized wood beams to withstand exposure to heat longer than their smaller counterparts.

An emergency power generator.

A 10,000-gallon water tank to be used in a fire emergency.

Commercial grade aluminum windows with extra thick tempered glass.

Exterior walls were one foot in thickness including reinforcing steel placed in the concrete forms for protection against earthquake damage.

After spending 3 1/2 years building their home, Lorraine and her husband had only lived there a few weeks when the wildfires struck. The landscape was blackened, but the house withstood only minor smoke damage. The cost of building compared to a comparable wood home was about twenty percent higher; Lorraine considers this money well spent

Structural engineer, George Easton describes concrete construction similar to assembling Lego blocks. "The “blocks” are polystyrene forms, called insulated concrete forms, into which the concrete is poured. The forms then are left in place to serve as insulation and the backing for stucco on the exterior or drywall on the interior."

The walls can provide up to an R-50 energy rating and require approximately 44 percent less energy to heat and 32 percent less energy to cool compared to a traditional wood home.

If concrete houses are so effective against natural disasters, why aren't they widely used? Part of the problem is the lack of knowledge in the building industry regarding concrete construction. Even though concrete construction has national code approval, there are many inspectors with little knowledge of how to inspect the structures.

Many builders feel that the future of widespread concrete housing requires a dominant player in the building industry to come forward and say "we can do this", and others will follow suit.

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Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Avoid Buying into Bats: A Thorough House Inspection Includes Checking for Sign of Bats

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Twice now, I have spotted a bat in our home. My husband and I recently purchased this house. As careful, first-time buyers we made sure to dot all of our i's and cross all our t's. We hired a reputable building inspector and he spent hours checking into all possible or potential problems with our to-be home. The house was built in 65' and as expected, the inspection brought up a few concerns. What did come up seemed minor and do-able: until the bats flew in.

Now, I dont know for sure if we have a bat colony roosting in the house. But watching my husband flailing around the house, swatting at these moth-like flying mammals, all the while experiencing my first lock-myself-in-the-bathroom screaming session, was enough to kick-start a thorough investigation. I called the bat police. If we have bats in the house, their removal will be a potentially costly service. Likewise, there are specific health concerns that set off significant alarm bells. So, let's talk bats, in hopes that as you look into the purchase of your next home, you make sure to check for the tell-tale signs.

First off, just to get you thinking seriously about this concern, consider the fact that bats are not pests. In most states, as in most places in the world, these unique critters are both endangered and protected. Indeed, when I first googled my problem, I was expecting a sea full of comforting headlines: BAT EXTERMINATORS AT YOUR SERVICE. GET YOUR EFFECTIVE BAT POISON HERE. This was not the case. Most of my research sang to the tune of bats being the least understood and most persecuted animals in the world. I was ignorant to the fact that people, our environment and our legislation, love bats. Okay, I get it now. Without bats we could be swarming in a swamp fullof blood hungry mosquitoes. Bats are serious insectivores and their populations are on the decline. For this reason alone, they need our protection. But beware, homeowners who unwittingly house them, may end up paying for this unconditional love. It is best to avoid this problem completely, by not buying into a house with bats.

If you are interested in purchasing a home that is on the old to older side, it won't hurt to look for signs of bats. Chat with your building inspector before an official house inspection and see that he/she is savvy to these indicators. The following signs may be evidence of bats roosting in your to-be home:

Staining:

Look for unusual brown or grey stains in areas where bats might potentially enter the home. These entry points may be attic vents, cracks and holes under rotted eaves, where a chimney meets the house and openings where the pipes and wiring enter the house. The main characteristic of these stains is that they are oil based and difficult to remove.

Guano:

Guano is a pretty, Spanish name for bat poo. The droppings will be found around the roost site. Guano droppings are pellet-like and give off a particular scent. This ammonia or musky smell may be present near the roosting bats, notably in the summer. In the winter months, the scent lessens as the bats have either migrated or are hibernating. Guano presents the most dangerous concern in housing bats. Inhaling dust that contains fungal spores found in guano can cause a serious lung infection. Histoplasmosis is the name of this fungal lung disease associated with bat droppings.

Chirping:

If your inspector thinks they hear the sweet chirpings of baby birds, have them double check that this cute social chatter is not emerging from a bat colony. Bats audible chatter is very similar to that of birds.

The reason for all the ominous forewarnings, is not that bats flat-out creep me out. Yes, I was terrified when I first saw one flying about our house. Now, after having done some research, I have gained a vast respect and curiosity for these amazing mammals of the night. Still, who wants to live with bats? The reason to consider checking for signs of roosting bats, is that they can be very tricky to remove. You can't poison them. It is illegal and otherwise ineffective. Proper bat removal usually involves an intervention by a bat removal company. The company will use exclusion methods to remove the bats and seal up any potential re-entry points in your home. Depending on the size of the bat colony and how long they have roosted, the damages, guano clean-up, re-insulation and repair can be costly and time consuming. So buyers beware of bats. Yes, they are vital ecosystem managers and need to be protected. Let them be protected by our laws and not by our roofs.

THE BIG BAT FACTS:

- Bats are the only mammals in the world capable of natural flight.

- Bats can consume 500-1000 insects per hour.

- Bats are protected in the United States and should never be harmed or killed.

- Bats make up nearly one quarter of all known mammal species.

- Bats use echolocation, a kind of natural sonar, to navigate and locate food.

- Bats are gentle, passive creatures that will only bite in self defense if they are picked up and handled.

- Never touch a bat with your bare hands! Although rare, sick bats may carry rabies.

- Bats can crawl through openings as small as 1cm in diameter.

- Over the past 20 years nearly 80 percent of the country's bat population has been lost.

- To help conserve the bat population, build a bat house. It may attract bats to roost near, but not in your home!

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For more information on San Diego real estate contact Doug Jones. Doug is a longtime REALTOR®, specializing in Alpine California real estate.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Make Your Home Work for You.

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

There are several ways of adding to your income through your house.

Many people nowadays are using one room as an office, there is also the idea of renting out a small, self-contained suite, but have you ever thought of a bed and breakfast business? It can be a fun way to earn some extra cash.

Having a bed and breakfast business would mean you could meet people from all over the world and it may enable you to buy a home that is a little more up market. You need to be aware of certain pointers, the first being that when you start, no-one will know that this new business is in operation. For this reason, and the fact that it may only be seasonal income, the profits should not be included in your regular budget.

It takes a while for the advertising of a new business to be put into place - and then to take effect. The local tourist information may not have your details for the first few months, so unless you live on a busy highway and can post a sign, your business will be slow at first.

The more aggressively you market it, the more business you will likely get. The following year you may get return visitors and your advertising will be in place, so this is the year when things may pick up. However, bear in mind B & B is dependent upon many things, i.e. the weather, what's on in your area, maybe even the strength of the dollar!

There are several different ways to run a B & B, you can make it a 24 hour job, or you can set it up to be almost self-serving. If you want to offer a full cooked breakfast you will need a dining room that is set up for guests.

To help you at your busiest time which will be the morning, you can type up menus. These will be filled in by the guest before they retire, and will include their expected breakfast time, and typed menu choices so that the guests can tick off what they want. This way you can get prepared ahead of time.

Then there is the easier way - via the continental breakfast! Set up coffee and tea making facilities in the guest rooms, with some cookies, hot chocolate sachets and individual creamers. In the morning, leave a basket of freshly warmed croissants and/or brown buns/ muffins etc (from your freezer), with a pot of butter, individual jams and cheeses. Line the basket with a fresh linen napkin and before you cover the contents with another napkin, add knives. Leave this basket outside their door at a pre-arranged time.

If you phone you other B & Bs in the area to enquire their prices, you will know what to charge - (slightly less!) Another little trick is to phone a really successful B & B, and ask they if they would like to keep a note of your number for their 'overflow'. Often they would rather not turn away potential guests away with no alternative place to stay.

The initial outlay for this business is very low, so it is virtually risk-free. The two points to overcome are first advertising and second, do not rely on the income for your regular budget as it is spasmodic.

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This article was written on behalf of Doug Jones. Doug is continually striving to be the best REALTOR® in the San Diego real estate field and has won multiple Top Salesperson Awards. He is ready now to help you browse the San Diego Real Estate Listings.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Preparing Your Home For A Quick Sale In San Diego

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Home sellers in San Diego are fortunate to have the ability to showcase their homes in the beautiful California Sun. Beautiful sunny days make for great home shows that feature both the interior and exterior of a home. To make the preparation process simpler, let's break the work into two categories: interior and exterior.

Interior - In preparing the home's interior there are several considerations that need to be made. If the integrity of the home and it's major systems are all in good working order, then the main focus of the improvements will be to enhance the home's visual appeal. If not then the first step should be bringing those systems up to par. The concerned systems here are the home's plumbing and electrical systems as wll as the home's foundation and insulation. Barring any major problems with those, the best way to build value in the home is replace anything that may be considered old or "out of date." This applies to old appliances, worn carpeting, scratched or faded floors, 70's era wallpaper, chipped or faded paint, leaky fixtures and clutter. That may seem like a fairly involved list but in reality it does not take long to correct any of these particular flaws.

Exterior - The exterior of a home is a vital element in any home sale. The home's front is the first thing that buyers will see and it will likely be the major photo in your home's MLS listing. If the front of the home is not impressive it will be more difficult to drum up interested buyers. Landscaping plays an important role in the looks of a home and thoughtful attention to the yard and garden will only help to increase interest in the home. Start by weeding the gardens and then, if necessary; plant some new flowers. Try to coordinate their color to accentuate the home. A good way to keep weeds from returning is the use of mulch, it also looks great as it does not lose its color like topsoil. Keep lawns trimmed and clear of junk or mess. The last thing you need at this point is someone showing up to look at the home and losing interest before they even get through the front door.

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Doug Jones is a longtime realtor specializing in San Diego real estate. Doug's experience and commitment to customer service have distinguished him as a top San Diego realtor and a wise choice when looking for homes in Southern California. Contact Doug today for more info or visit online at www.alljoneshomes.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Finding The Perfect Home In CA

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Purchasing a house is usually the largest purchase that a person will make in their lifetime. Without a doubt it should also be the most strategically planned and detailed purchase as well. Rushing into a home purchase can lead to bad choices and ending up with a home that does not suit your long term needs. In your planning for a new home purchase here are some good things to remember that will make the process of finding that perfect home easier.

Sit down and think about your perfect home. Make a list of the things that are essential. These will be the basic guidelines that you will use in the shopping phase of the process. In this stage it's important to distinguish between your needs and your wants in a home, . For instance, if you have 3 kids, there is no point in getting a home with only 3 bedrooms. If you have pets, a fenced yard is an absolute necessity. Being aware of these needs ahead of time will only take stress away during the buying process. After this list is complete, make another of the the things that would be nice to have, but aren't essential. Things like a level entry, finished basement, workshop, specific neighborhood, proximity to certain schools and proximity to your place of work are good examples of preferences.

Now, consider the neighborhood that you will be moving into. After finding some homes that suit your needs, do some homework regarding the neighborhoods that they are in. Find out about local crime rates, are they rising? How close are the schools, and what kind of commute to work are you going to have to deal with? finding out if there are traffic problems between the home and your work can be a big deciding factor in the purchase of a home. Also take into account the direction that the neighborhood is heading in. Is it a newer area that under construction, or maybe the area is older and in decline. When making such an investment, you should definitely consider these things.

With this vital information on your side it is now time to make your decision. Be for the possibility that you may not get the first home that you bid on. Real Estate is an extremely competitive business and homes can disappear off the market in a very short time. Work with a Realtor who is dedicated, and responds to your calls and reacts quickly to any queries regarding your home purchase. Now go ahead and make your offer!

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Doug Jones is a longtime realtor specializing in San Diego real estate. Doug's experience and commitment to customer service have distinguished him as a top San Diego realtor and a wise choice when looking for homes in Southern California. Contact Doug today for more info or visit online at www.alljoneshomes.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com