Free Residential Energy Audits

Last year I paid $3500 to heat my home for the entire year. Due to the fact that my house was built in 1910 and has no real insulation in the walls and 45 original windows, I know that my house doesn’t stand a chance at being energy efficient. You, on the the other hand, may be able to improve the energy efficiency of your home, and here’s a free way to find out… If

Time to Think of Others

I was at my monthly book club meeting last night and we got on the topic of what everyone was doing for Thanksgiving. I have some ambitious friends and a few are hosting up to 20 people for the upcoming holiday. I’m being a mooch and going home to Vermont to see my parents and in-laws for turkey day. I often take for granted the fact that I have a roof over my head and

Nifty New Market Data Tool on Raveis.com

Most importantly today, please go vote. You have until 8:00PM to get to your local polling place. So get a move on if you haven’t already… Now, back to real estate topics. If you saw the lead article in the Hartford Courant today, you might think the sky is starting to fall on the local real estate market. This September was a slow month historically for sales and it’s going to take several months to

A Cheesecake Factory Preview

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a waitstaff training exercise at the new Cheesecake Factory restaurant located in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square shopping area. The restaurant will officially open for dinner on Thursday, November 1 at 5:00pm. I’ve eaten at Cheesecake Factories in the Boston, DC, and Denver areas before (the last time being about a year and a half ago) and the West Hartford establishment carries along the traditional decor and

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire…

The warm weather is SO over. It’s about time to turn the heat on. Some of you may use your fireplace for ambiance, some of you may use it for warmth. Whatever its purpose, please make sure your chimney is inspected on a yearly basis if you plan on using your fireplace. The chimney professional will tell you if it needs to be cleaned or if more extensive corrective work needs to be done. The