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Should You Buy the "Less Than Perfect" Home?

When you’re shopping for a new home, you want to find a property that has all the features and characteristics you want. A large deck surrounded by picturesque landscaping ... a beautiful kitchen with gleaming marble countertops... a cozy finished basement with fireplace....
You should look for the ideal home. You deserve it! But some home buyers make the mistake of becoming fixated on finding the "perfect" property, and passing too quickly on those homes that don't quite measure up.
Why is that a mistake? Because some of those less-than-perfect properties have the potential of becoming your next dream home.
First of all, a home that is lacking some desirable features, such as a finished basement, will probably cost less. Those savings may be more than enough to cover any needed upgrade or renovation.
Secondly, if you look at a home in terms of its potential, rather than the features it happens to have now, there will be more properties available on the market for you to consider.
If you're determined to have a large wrap-around deck for entertaining, for example, don't cross homes that don't have this feature off your list. At least not yet. Instead, view these properties with an eye on potential. Is the backyard big enough to accommodate a large deck? How would a deck like that look if added to this particular property? How much would such a renovation cost?
There's no doubt about it. You want to find a home that has all the features and characteristics you want. If you work with a good REALTOR®, there is a good chance you'll find a property that has most of them.
But keep an open mind. Sometimes a "diamond in the rough" can – with an upgrade or renovation – become a home you'll treasure for years.

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The 5 Advantages of Buying a Home During Winter

It's a cool time to buy a Brampton home, as there are a number of advantages to buying a home during winter. 

Despite the common misconception that spring and summer are the ideal times to buy a home in Canada there are 5 tangible and strategic advantages to buying a home during the winter season:

 

1. Historical Savings
   According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), home prices, historically, are at their lowest in winter months. “Typically, winter is not a popular time to sell or buy homes, but it could be a smart decision,” says Romana King of Canadian financial magazine MoneySense. “Historically, homes sell for less in December/January than at any other time of the year.”

   In fact during the winter months in Canada home prices are generally 1% to 6% lower than in the summer months, which translates into a savings of between $3,500 to $20,000 for the average Canadian homebuyer spending $350,000 on a home.
   

2. Decreased Competition
   It is an all-too-common misconception that spring and summer are the best times to buy homes in Canada—use this in your favour. Less people shop for homes in winter, which translates into more motivated sellers and fewer competitive-bidding situations.

   Competitive-bidding situations drive prices higher than even the summer-selling season can. Use the lack of competition in the winter to avoid expensive competitive situations.
   

3. Realtor Face-to-Face Time
   As demonstrated above the real estate business is at its slowest in winter, and this means you have a larger percentage of your realtors time. You'll have more face-to-face time, and you'll have more of their time and expertise dedicated and working towards leveraging the time of year into a great home at an affordable price.

   An attentive agent creates a happy buyer.
   

4. Determine Energy Efficiency
   Winter provides a unique opportunity to determine the energy efficiency in potential homes. Check the roof for uneven snow, which can be a sign of insufficient insulation or air leaks. Ask for the latest electric and gas bills and you will be able to easily determine the energy efficiency of a home. During cold Canadian winters and humid summers this will save you thousands of dollars in future energy bills and expensive renovation repairs like new windows/doors and improved insulation.

 

If you're wondering whether this winter is the opportune time to buy a Brampton home—Call me today at 905.456.1000 ext. 3426. 

 

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Brampton Farmers' Market

Fresh is always better and the Brampton Farmers' Market offers the best! Those yummy seasonal recipes wouldn't taste the same without Ontario's local produce. There is also amazing hand-made crafts and delicious baked goods! The farmers market is located downtown Brampton on Main street and runs every Saturday morning from 7am to 1pm. I suggest checking it out if you haven't yet this summer. It runs, rain or shine, until October 6th.

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Painting Kitchen Cabinets

It is amazing what a little paint can do for a kitchen. If your thinking about selling your home or just want to freshen up your kitchen, painting outdated cabinets can do wonders! If you can paint a wall, you can paint a cabinet...there are just a few more details that are important and must be followed. Sherry explains just what these details are and the steps to follow when painting your cabinets on her website "Young House Love".

And they are:

Step 1: Figure out what you want. Bring home paint swatches and select the perfect palette, and if you’re planning to replace your hardware, purchase some before you move on to the next step. Because most old hardware is a different size than newer hardware (the holes are further apart or closer together), it’s important to know if your new door and drawer bling is spaced differently than your current hardware before you begin. Then it’s nice to wash everything down with a little soap and water to cut the grease and the spills that have built up on the doors and drawers over the years. Nothin’ like a little sponge bath to get you in the mood to makeover your kitchen…

Step 2: Take it off, baby. Now it’s time to remove all of your hardware and your hinges (regardless of whether you’ll be reusing it or replacing it- and it helps to store everything in a big ziplock bag so you’re never short a screw). Of course by removing the hinges you’ll be removing all the doors, so finding a place that you can lay out a big fabric or plastic drop cloth (which are about $2 from Home Depot or Lowe’s) is a good idea. Once you have your drop cloth in place, lay out all your cabinet doors and drawers so you can paint them all together in one convenient spot (and have full access to the frames of the cabinets in the kitchen).

Step 3: Fill ‘er up. Then if you’re replacing your hardware with something that won’t fit the existing holes in your doors and drawers, you’ll want to pick up some wood filler (it’s around $6 a tube, which is all ya need) and fill those existing hardware holes in all of the doors and drawers. There are many different colors of wood fill, but since you’re painting your cabinets, matching the tone isn’t really a big deal (although it can’t hurt to grab the one that most closely resembles the color of your current cabinets).

Step 4: Get sandy. The sanding process isn’t always necessary (for example, our cabinets weren’t glossy so we skipped it and went straight to priming) but for some people with super shiny cabinets (aka: lots of polyurethane) it can’t hurt to run an electric sander over everything- or take a bit more time to hand sand things- with fine grit paper to rough everything up for maximum paint stickage. Not sure if yours need to be sanded? If they feel matte like a cutting board (a little absorbent) then they shouldn’t need it, but if they feel shiny like a laminated piece of paper or a glossy credit card then sanding is your best bet. Note: lead paint is a serious health risk when sanding, so if you have an older home with already-painted cabinets that look decades old it’s worth testing for lead with a $6 lead test kit from Home Depot. Safety first!

Step 5: It’s prime time. Due to all the grease and even just the wood stain that often coats kitchen cabinets, it’s über important to get down and dirty with oil-based primer (even if the water-based equivalent claims that it works just as well on cabinet surfaces, we’ve seen stains seep right through that stuff, so oil-based is the better-safe-than-sorry alternative). One coat of primer applied with a decent quality roller should do the trick (then just use a brush to get into those tigher spaces and the grooves in the doors). We prefer wool or polyester rollers (Purdy’s a great brand) over foam ones as we’ve found that they rile up the paint and cause bubbles. Oh and it doesn’t matter if you can still see the wood tone underneath after one coat, the primer’s main job is to make your cabinets sticky and the paint will do the rest. You’ll probably want to snag an extra brush just for priming since they’re usually pretty messed up afterwords (it’s best to toss it or save it for other priming projects and use a pristine new one for painting). And ditto with the roller. We usually don’t even try washing the oil-based paint out of it- and prefer to replace it with a fresh new one before painting for a seamless result (reused rollers and brushes can often compromise the smooth finish that you’re going for when it comes to your cabinets).

Step 6: Get your paint on. You’re in the home stretch, so just two coats of latex paint (in a semi gloss finish for easy wipe-ability) are next on the agenda. You’ll definitely want to wait a few hours after applying primer, but I actually primed and painted my cabinets (two coats!) all in the same day. When it comes to applying the paint, a high quality wool or polyester roller makes for the sleekest application. A mini foam roller can also help since it’s smaller and easy to control. You’ll also probably need to use a brush sparingly, just to get into those little cracks and crevices that your roller can’t reach. Do yourself a favor by buying an angle-tipped brush as opposed to a flat-tipped one- they make staying in the lines a lot easier.

Note: We didn’t prime or paint the inside of the doors, but our approach would be to prime/paint them first and then wait five days and turn them over and prime/paint the outside (that way if anything got a bit imperfect after being flipped face down, it would be on the inside- an therefore less noticeable).

Step 7: Wait for it. After two coats of latex paint you now have to practice patience. Most experts advise waiting at least three days to rehang or begin using your doors and drawers (especially since the rehanging process involves lots of holding and pressing and drilling which can muck up anything that’s not 100% dry). We actually advise waiting five days if ya can (it beats doing the whole thing all over again and guarantees a totally seamless finish even in high humidity).

Step 8: Hang in there. Then all you have to do is rehang your doors (either using your existing hinges or new ones), slip in your drawers, and add your hardware. If the hardware is new, take time to measure twice before you drill to avoid any annoying mistakes that will make you want to putty and repaint, which never looks as good as the flawless finish that you get the first time around. John actually took his sweet time drilling all of our holes for the new hardware (to the tune of about two hours) but it was well worth the assurance that everything was perfectly centered and right where it should be. In this case slow and steady wins the race.

http://www.younghouselove.com/2008/11/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets/

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Basement Apartments

Visit the link below to find out more information about the laws and requirements regarding basement apartments in the City of Brampton.

http://www.brampton.ca/en/residents/By-Law-Enforcement/Pages/Basement-Apartme...

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Outdoor Decorating

Don’t forget that you can use the exterior of your home to hang things like mirrors, lighting and fun pieces of decorations too. Simple and unique ideas bring that little bit extra to your outside atmosphere, and will have friends asking for your decorators number when they come over! Have fun and be creative!

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LET'S CLEAN: windows

The best way to clean windows, or any large stretch of glass, is with a squeegee. It does a quicker and more efficient job.
What you will need:
A good quality squeegee
window wand
If you'll be cleaning high windows, you also will need an extension pole.

The basic process is simple - apply the cleaning solution with the window wand and pull the dirt and water off with the squeegee.

In detail
1. Mix a capful of ammonia or five drops of liquid dish detergent in two gallons of water.
Too much detergent causes streaking.

2. Dip your window scrubbing wand or a sponge 3/4 of an inch into the solution.
picking up just enough water to wet the window without flooding it.
-Wet the entire window then go back over it once to loosen any stubborn soil.
-Run the scrubber against the frame on all sides of the window to pick up any dirt you've pushed against the frame.

3. Moisten the squeegee blade before you start and wipe it with a damp cloth between strokes.
A dry blade will skip and jump on the window instead of gliding efficiently.

4. Tilt the squeegee at an angle so that only about an inch of the rubber blade presses lightly against the top of the window glass.
-Pull the squeegee across the window horizontally.
This will leave a 1-inch dry strip across the top of the window. By squeegeeing across the top first, you eliminate drips running down.

5. -Place the squeegee close to the frame in the dry area near the top and pull down to about three inches from the bottom of the glass.
-Continue this way across the window, overlapping into the clean, dry area with each stroke, and wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each stroke.

6. Finish with a horizontal stroke across the bottom and wipe any water off the sill with a damp cloth.

On some windows, it's easier to cut the water off the frame side as well as the top, and then squeegee the entire pane using horizontal strokes. Large windows should be wet and squeegeed half at a time, the top half first.
Finally, if you're cleaning both the inside and outside of the window, squeegee horizontally on one side and vertically on the other, so you can tell whether any streaks are inside or out.

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LET'S CLEAN: fireplace

Cleaning the face of a fireplace is a project that demands patience. Fireplace stone and brick may be hard, but they're also spongy. This means it has plenty of tiny holes for soil to build up in.

1. Make sure the floor around the fireplace is well covered.

2. Mix a solution of high-alkaline cleaner and one ounce of chlorine bleach per gallon of warm water.

3. Wet the surface of the fireplace well with the solution
Do not use so much that it runs. Dirty water running down the face may cause hard-to-remove streaks

4. Scrub the solution in with a brush.

You should see the suds getting dark and dirty as the buildup comes off.

5. Rinse well.
If the surface is shadowy, a light cleaning with a phosphoric acid cleaner may be enough to brighten it the rest of the way.

Don't use any acids stronger than phosphoric, as it will damage the brick or stone.

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LETS CLEAN: kitchen cabinets

Most kitchen cabinets are well finished and even wood cabinets have enough polish on them so that you can use a regular cleaning solution. The oil that builds up on cabinets, particularly around the handles is a combination of kitchen grease, food smears, oils and hand oils. All-purpose cleaners will take care of this job.

If your cabinets are laminate, metal, painted metal or glass, you can wash them all over with a heavy-duty cleaner.

Let the solution sit a minute or two, then take a sponge and scrub wherever needed.

Remove the grimy suds from the sponge by squeezing it into the sink, never back into your cleaning solution.

Rinse with a damp “ dry to remove any last traces of scum and leave the cupboards clean and glowing.

Never use acids or powdered cleansers on cabinets. A thorough washing once a year should be enough. Keep a spray bottle of all-purpose cleaner handy the rest of the time and spot-clean after kitchen use.

On wooden cabinets, take a more mild approach:

To get off persistent dirt, wash around all handles and any other grease zones first with hand dishwashing detergent.

Wash the entire cabinet, including the handle areas, with an oil soap solution.

Wipe lightly with the solution and dry right away with a cloth.

If your cabinets are dull from wear or age, spray furniture polish very lightly once a year or so to fill in the pores and bring back that original shine.

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Replacing the Roof on Your Home

Watch this video, courtesy of  Danny Lipford and learn how to re-do the roof on your home all on your own!

http://www.dannylipford.com/video/replacing-the-roof-on-your-home/

 

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Looking For Some Inspiration?

Looking to see some art in the city? Or maybe get some inspiration for a certain room in the house? Head to Toronto and check out any of these six art galleries and get inspired!

Art Galery of Ontario
http://www.ago.net/

Gallery One
http://www.galleryone.ca/

Harbour Gallery

http://www.harbourgallery.com/

 

McMicheal Art Gallery

http://www.mcmichael.com/

 

The Powerplant
http://www.thepowerplant.org/

University of Toronto Art Center

http://www.utac.utoronto.ca/

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Painting Techniques

Spruce up your walls with some of these classy and fun techniques that give a room that little extra.

The Sponge Technique

In this painting technique, first a solid base paint color is applied. When this paint dries off, a wash or glaze is applied using a roller. Before this dries off a damp sponge is used for exposing the base coat. This dampened sponge gives a clouded look to the wall. Once this new layer of glaze or wash dries you can also opt to apply another layer. Make sure each layer dries well before applying the next one. You can opt for two different colors for base and top coat or different shades of same color. Usually darker colors are used for the base and lighter for the top coats.

The Pressing Technique

In this technique, first a base coat is applied. Then a second coat is applied after the base coat dries off. You have to cover the wall, while this coat is wet, using a long sheet of plastic. The one used for food wrap is preferable. Now press it over the wall using a hand broom. Once you have finished pressing entire colored wall, peel off the plastic wrap. Do not drag it. You should not cover long patches. Use medium sized wraps all over to have the best look and ease of peeling.

The Ragging Technique

This is done using paper towels or rags. A base coat is first applied over the entire wall using small strokes. You can paint in different directions as well. Let this dry off. You must take a glaze or other shade and apply it using a roll. Now using rags or paper towels rag off the color in different directions. Change the pressure while ragging to have a variety in the texture. Even small variations will give it a more classy look. You can also use a variety of fabrics to get different effects.

 

 

 

 

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Organize Your Garage

Step 1: Put together a team
For most people, organizing the job is a massive undertaking. Involve several members of the family, if you can. Many hands make light work. Or, at least, lighter work.

Step 2: Organization day
Be ready. Have a tarp available to stack things on. You'll need large plastic tote boxes (or some type of containers), garbage bags, markers for labeling, and gloves to protect your hands. You might consider colour coding your tote boxes — one colour for items for the car, another for garden tools, etc.

 

Decide how you want to sort your clutter. For example: garbage, recycle, give away and keep. Garbage can be disposed of immediately. Contact your local landfill to find out how to properly dispose of old batteries and hazardous materials.

Recycling items (bottles, metal, etc.) are also readily disposed of and provide the incentive of a little extra cash.

 

It's sometimes easier to part with the treasures in your garage if you know someone else can get use from them. Give away — or hold a garage sale — for those items that you can no longer use, but that someone else might have use for.

 

The most difficult pile to sort will be the "keep" pile. Do you really need the items in that pile? Be tough.

Years of clutter won't disappear in a day. A garage can take four days to clear and sort. Gauge your own garage realistically and allow yourself enough time to complete it.

 

Step 3: Organizing what's left
Now that you've disposed of everything you can, it's time to find a nice orderly arrangement for the remains of the day.

You have three potential areas of storage: floor, ceiling, and walls. Utilize them according to your own specific needs. Wall shelving for garages is relatively inexpensive; garage cabinetry can dress up your garage. Bikes can be suspended from the ceiling or racked against the wall to free up more floor space. Clear containers — labeled — take care of the odds and ends neatly.

 

Step 4: Clean up
This is the time to sweep up and hose down your garage. Leaving it neat will encourage you to keep it organized and tidy and eliminate another organizing marathon.

 

Before:

After:

 

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Simple Design Idea

Make a bold statement with empty, colorful picture frames!

 

 

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Dream Big

Wouldn’t it be amazing to own your very own private island anywhere in the world? For many this may be wishful thinking but there’s no harm in taking a look at this website and imagining the possibilities. There are hundreds of beautiful islands that differ drastically in price. Check some out by clicking on the link below.

 

http://www.privateislandsonline.com/

 

 

 

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Spring Time, Sangria Time

Yield: 1 Punch Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 1/3 cup Apple Vodka
• 1/3 cup orange liqueur
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup fresh apple slices
• 1 cups fresh pear slices
• 1 cup fresh star fruit slices
• 1/2 cup lemon slices
• 2 Table spoons superfine sugar

 

Preparation:

1. Combine Apple Vodka, orange liqueur, white wine and pineapple juice in a large pitcher.
2. Mix in sugar thoroughly until dissolved.
3. Add in all fresh fruit.
4. Store in refrigerator until ready to pour.
5. Serve over ice.
   

 

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Zodiac Signs

CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR ZODIAC SIGN: Do they match your personality?

AQUARIUS Jan 20- Feb 19

POSITIVES:
Friendly and humanitarian
Honest and loyal
Original and inventive
Independent and intellectual

NEGATIVES:
Intractable and contrary
Perverse and unpredictable
Unemotional and detached 

 
PISCES: Feb 19- March 20
POSITIVES:
Imaginative and sensitive
Compassionate and kind
Selfless and unworldly
Intuitive and sympathetic

NEGATIVES:

Escapist and idealistic
Secretive and vague
Weak-willed and easily led

ARIES: March 21 - April 20

POSITIVES:
Adventurous and energetic
Pioneering and courageous
Enthusiastic and confident
Dynamic and quick-witted

NEGATIVES:
Selfish and quick-tempered
Impulsive and impatient
Foolhardy and daredevil

TAURUS: April 21 - May 20
POSITIVES:
Patient and reliable
Warmhearted and loving
Persistent and determined
Placid and security loving

NEGATIVES:
Jealous and possessive
Resentful and inflexible
Self-indulgent and greedy  

GEMINI: May 21 - June 20
POSITIVES:
Adaptable and versatile
Communicative and witty
Intellectual and eloquent
Youthful and lively

NEGATIVES:
Nervous and tense
Superficial and inconsistent
Cunning and inquisitive

CANCER: June 21 - July 21
POSITIVES:
Emotional and loving
Intuitive and imaginative
Shrewd and cautious
Protective and sympathetic

NEGATIVES:
Changeable and moody
Overemotional and touchy
Clinging and unable to let go

LEO: July 22 - August 22

POSITIVES:
Generous and warmhearted
Creative and enthusiastic
Broad-minded and expansive
Faithful and loving

NEGATIVES:
Pompous and patronizing
Bossy and interfering
Dogmatic and intolerant

VIRGO: August 23- September 22
POSITIVES:
Modest and shy
Meticulous and reliable
Practical and diligent
Intelligent and analytical

NEGATIVES:
Fussy and a worrier
Overcritical and harsh
Perfectionist and conservative

LIBRA : September 23- October 23
POSITIVE:
Diplomatic and urbane
Romantic and charming
Easygoing and sociable
Idealistic and peaceable

NEGATIVE:
Indecisive and changeable
Gullible and easily influenced
Flirtatious and self-indulgent.

SCORPIO: October 23 -November 21
POSITIVES:
Determined and forceful
Emotional and intuitive
Powerful and passionate
Exciting and magnetic

NEGATIVES:
Jealous and resentful
Compulsive and obsessive
Secretive and obstinate

SAGITTARIUS:  November 22 -December 21
POSITIVES:
Optimistic and freedom-loving
Jovial and good-humored
Honest and straightforward
Intellectual and philosophical

NEGATIVES:
Blindly optimistic and careless
Irresponsible and superficial
Tactless and restless

CAPRICORN: December 22 -January 19

POSITIVES:
Practical and prudent
Ambitious and disciplined
Patient and careful
Humorous and reserved

NEGATIVES:
Pessimistic and fatalistic
Miserly and grudging
Over conventional and rigid

 

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How to Decorate Easter Eggs

Happy Easter!

Here is a short video with beautiful and unique ideas to decorate your eggs and make a beautiful piece of art. These eggs will make a perfect edible centerpiece for your turkey dinner with friends and family.

Enjoy and have fun!

 

 

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7 Simple Steps to a Healthy Lifestyle

 

1. Eat a balanced nutritious diet - Variety is the key to a healthy diet. Including lots of different whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your meals and snacks will go a long way toward better health. If you're a meat and potatoes lover, make sure you choose leaner cuts of meat or even fish or chicken. Cook with less oil and add smaller amounts of butter or margarine as you prepare your meals. Lastly, cut back on sugary foods that make no real nutritional contribution to your diet.

2. Exercise regularly - You don't have to go for an all-out training program to begin to get more exercise. Just get moving. Examine your day and walk whenever you can. Take to the stairs. Add a brisk walk at lunch or after work. Get the bike out, dust it off and go have some fun. If a regimented program is more to your liking, go for it.

3. Get plenty of rest - It is generally recommended that at least seven and a half hours of sound sleep are needed each night. In the 2003 paper, "Proposal for a National Australia Sleep Health Agenda," The Boston Consulting Group notes, "Almost 90 per cent of Australians suffer from a sleep disorder at some time or times in their lives, with 30 per cent suffering a severe sleep disorder." Some factors that may affect healthy sleep habits are irregular bedtimes, lack of daily exercise and eating or drinking just before going to bed.

4. Eliminate unhealthy habits - Smoking, excess alcohol and recreational drug use—all have significant negative impacts on your health and well-being. Getting rid of these unhealthy lifestyle choices will be a big step in your quest for a healthier you.

5. Take time for yourself - Outside of your new exercise regime and taking better care of yourself through a healthy diet and getting more sleep, you have to set aside time just for yourself. This doesn’t mean for you and the kids or for you and your husband, this is strictly alone time. This will help relieve stress and take care of your emotional well-being. Just relax and watch a movie, keep a journal, draw or paint. Anything you can think of that you will enjoy and is relaxing, means you’ve got the right idea. Even small changes to diet, exercise and sleep habits and the elimination of unhealthy bad habits can return big benefits to your health, how you feel when you wake up each morning to face the world, and when you go to fill out your life insurance application.

 

6. Don't Yo-yo diet! - Do not yo-yo diet. Yo-yo dieting is bad for you and even if they sound healthy, once you stop that diet you can pile on the weight in just a couple of days! Stay away from slimfast, soup diets and diets which you have to eat or drink contents from a packet.

 

7. Drink Water!

 

 

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What Makes a Good Neighbour?

You may have to live next to them for quite a while, so why not build a friendship with your neighbors? Here are 10 simple things you can do to be a good neighbor:

 

1.     Care for their property.  This makes the neighborhood a pleasant place to come home to, while helping maintain or improve property values.  The house next door does not have to be a palace, but it sure is nice when it’s reasonably neat and clean.  Good neighbors don’t allow their yard to grow into an eyesore or safety hazard, with junk lying about or garbage that attracts rats.   

2.     Are Friendly.  They smile and wave when they see you.   They welcome new neighbors, maybe with a plate of cookies or a recommendation on a good place to grocery shop.  They offer kids candy on Halloween.  Maybe they host a block party. 

3.     Respect the privacy of others and don’t trespass.  They extend friendship, while recognizing that some may accept it, and some may not.  The fact is that some folks like to keep to themselves, and that is their right. Unless there is mutual agreement, they don’t go over on their neighbor’s property without an invitation.  They don’t engage in “light trespass” either, by leaving a bright light on all night outside your bedroom window.

4.     Are Helpful.  If someone has a new baby or a death in the family, or a vehicle is stuck in the mud, they lend a helping hand.  They are also willing to lend a cup of sugar or a tool you need for a special project.  (Of course it’s also important for the recipient to promptly return all loaned items in good repair.)

5.     Watch out for each other.  They are aware, without spying.  If they notice suspicious activity or something amiss, they call or check it out.

6.     Keep the peace.  Noise can be incredibly irritating.  Common complaints include loud music, blaring TVs, revving up a chainsaw or motorcycle early on a Sunday morning, driving an ATV in circles for hours on end, and dogs that bark incessantly.  

7.     Give you a heads up if they are going to make an unavoidable racket (e.g. during construction), and try to limit the impact.  If they are planning to make a change that could affect you (like planting trees that could obscure your view) they talk with you about it first, offering the possibility of agreeing to a compromise.

8.     Don’t drive too fast, endangering the lives of children and pets. 

9.     Manage themselves, and their own children and pets.  They don’t engage in wild parties that extend into the wee hours, or screaming fights.  Their children are well behaved.  Their animals stay in their own yard. 

10.  Volunteer when they can.  This can range from periodically picking up litter to getting involved in local organizations that help improve the quality of life in the community.

 

 

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