Call April Hay
http://www.greatmissionviejohomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
We've lived in one of two Mission Viejo homes for 25 years and have raised three wonderful boys here. Mikie is a senior at Mission Viejo High now, so we decided to make a college road trip up the coast of California to tour all the UC campuses where he had been accepted. We invited our oldest son, Steve, who was visiting from D.C., and his wife, Caren; our youngest son, Mark, also came with us. To transport all six of us, we rented a big black Chevy Suburban.
Mission Viejo to Sacramento was the first leg of our long road trip. Up the I-5, we munched on trail mix and apples for about 6 hours until we arrived at a nondescript two-star motel . Bad beds. The next day, we toured the UC Davis Campus and then drove to the charming little town of Davis where we ate fish and chips at a greasy little dive. The homes in the central part of town were not like Mission Viejo homes, they were older, some built in the 1920s with a Queen Anne influence. Other homes were boxy and had large flat roofs. On and off campus, thousands of bicycles were neatly parked by every building, as most students get to classes via bike. Davis was a nice place, despite the fact that a student had been arrested a few weeks earlier for building a pipe bomb in his dorm room. Only freshmen get housing, so he must have been a freshman. Kids do dumb things sometimes.
In the early evening, we continued our trek, finding another two-star in Berkeley. This one looked depressing from the outside--very grayed with freeway dust. However, the motel was doing some experimental remodeling in one of the rooms and offered that room to four of us. At my Mission Viejo home, I recently painted the downstairs light yellow, which I thought was a bit bright and daring. Well, this room really gave us a sample of the avant garde. Our room was bright turquoise with IKEA-like furnishings and imitation brown wood floors and a bright Orange shag rug between the beds. Above the two queen beds were two giant panel photographs that captured an image of the sign at Mel's Diner. The counter in the also-turquoise bathroom was a multi-level slab with an inlaid vinyl print of bright party colors. The bedspreads were turquoise and brown striped. The room had a very nice flat screen TV. Staying in this room was good in that everything was brand new and clean, and the bed was great. The decor was like nothing I've ever seen in Mission Viejo homes before, but it made me laugh, which was good.
Our tour of UC Berkeley was a real treat. The guide was smart and knowledgeable. The campus was phenomenal. I was in awe. This was the only school my son had not received a decision from yet, so I was hesitant to build up his hopes or show how impressed I was with it. I didn't want him to feel like we would be disappointed if he didn't get accepted. So we all kept our excitement under wraps. Mission Viejo homes in our area send the kids to Mission Viejo High School. The outstanding IB program and AP classes there really enabled my son to apply to good colleges. The high school was the main reason we chose the Mission Viejo homes that we did.
That afternoon we drove to San Francisco and did some very quick sightseeing before going to our aunts home in Sunnyvale for a Hungarian Dinner that she cooked for all of us. She is a very smart and very nice Hungarian woman who worked for Intel for many years It was a delicious dinner! We spent the night at a two-and-a-half star in Sunnyvale. The next day, we drove around UC. Santa Cruz. The rustic campus didn't quite suit us, so we skipped the tour and headed for Pismo Beach.
As we were driving up to the very nice Lighthouse Suites hotel in Pismo, Caren tapped me on the shoulder and handed me her I-phone. It had a message that Mikie had been accepted at Berkeley! We all cheered and decided to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant and share a bottle of Champagne. It was a happy evening.
The next day we drove to the beach and rented 4-wheel ATVs to ride on the sand dunes. This is a favorite family activity whenever we go to Pismo. We had a blast and spent a couple of hours zipping up and down the dunes. That night we had dinner at the Cracked Crab, another favorite place. They throw a whole bucket of crab and shrimp on the table and give you all sorts of implements to pry open the crabs. Yum!
The next day we headed back to our Mission Viejo home, a bit tired and sore from the ATVs, but happy nonetheless that we had not only seen some of the UC campuses, but that we had spent several days together with all three of our boys.
If you are interested in finding out more about buying Mission Viejo homes,
please call April Hay today.
http://www.greatmissionviejohomes.com/
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Why We Live in Mission Viejo
Call April Hay
http://www.greatmissionviejohomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
We have chosen Mission Viejo homes for various reasons. Some of us came here to live in one of the safest cities in the United States. Others of us chose to buy Mission Viejo homes because we liked the focus on family life in this area. Some moved to Mission Viejo homes in adult communities, such as Casta del Sol and Palmia, because we wanted the serenity of senior living. Some of us moved here because of the focus on sports, with this city producing many Olympic medalists in a variety of sports. Some moved to Mission Viejo homes to enjoy the luxury of the lake. Many of us continue to live here because the schools are excellent. We enjoy the absence of graffiti and the feeling of acceptance of the various ethnic groups.
If you are considering a move to Mission Viejo, contact me, April Hay. at ERA Pacific Meridian. I have lived in Mission Viejo for 25 years and am very familiar with this part of South Orange County. I can help you find Mission Viejo homes that exactly match your criteria in any of the many desirable areas of this great community.
http://www.greatmissionviejohomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
We have chosen Mission Viejo homes for various reasons. Some of us came here to live in one of the safest cities in the United States. Others of us chose to buy Mission Viejo homes because we liked the focus on family life in this area. Some moved to Mission Viejo homes in adult communities, such as Casta del Sol and Palmia, because we wanted the serenity of senior living. Some of us moved here because of the focus on sports, with this city producing many Olympic medalists in a variety of sports. Some moved to Mission Viejo homes to enjoy the luxury of the lake. Many of us continue to live here because the schools are excellent. We enjoy the absence of graffiti and the feeling of acceptance of the various ethnic groups.
If you are considering a move to Mission Viejo, contact me, April Hay. at ERA Pacific Meridian. I have lived in Mission Viejo for 25 years and am very familiar with this part of South Orange County. I can help you find Mission Viejo homes that exactly match your criteria in any of the many desirable areas of this great community.
Visit GreatMissionViejoHomes.com to begin your initial search. Once you find Mission Viejo homes your are interested in, give me a call and we can set up a time to meet and discuss how your can get pre-qualified for a purchase amount. We can look at homes to find the right one for you.
April Hay, GRI, Realtor, http://www.greatmissionviejohomes.com/
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Shuttering
Contact April Hay to get Your Custom Shutter Referral Coupon!
http://www.greatmissionviejohomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
Many Mission Viejo homes like my own are situated in such a way that sun bakes in through the largest of the windows and sliding doors, creating an oven effect that wastes energy by increasing the need for more air conditioning. Selecting the right window coverings can make a noticeable difference in utility bills. As current gasoline prices skyrocket, utility bills for Mission Viejo homes are sure to follow, so if it is time to replace window coverings, while indoor shutters may not be your first choice in design, it may be time to recall the words of 20th Century archetectural guru Louis Sullivan:
"It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law."
Wood Shutters are a functional addition to Mission Viejo homes in that they are able to morph from full window enclosure, to partial covering, to no covering at all, suiting a variety of times of day and occasions. It is a common misperception that other forms of window coverings are less expensive than shutters. This may be true if you don't shop around to find the highest quality for the best price. Being the ultimate bargain hunter that I am, I think I have found the biggest bang for the buck in the realm of plantation shutters for Mission Viejo homes.
Before you order custom shutters, consider what the choices are. Basically, there are three types: solid hardwood, solid-core vinyl, and aluminum-core vinyl. Aluminum-core vinyl have the benefit of being lighter; however, they have little endcaps on the edge of every blade that can come loose and may not give as rich an appearance as a solid-core product. The solid-core vinyl have the advantage of being suitable for installations where there may be a problem with water intrusion because they will not warp if they get soaked. They never need to be painted; however, they have the disadvantage of being heavier than wood and there is not usually a color choice, so your window trim may not match your shutters. Typically, they cost more, too. For my Mission Viejo home, I chose solid wood shutters.
Wood shutters in Mission Viejo homes give them a clean appearance. Drapes and heavy curtains are more likely to hold odors and can be expensive to have dry cleaned. Shutters need to be dusted and occasionally wiped down with a damp cloth to keep them looking fresh. If you have a rather pesky house cat like I do, you won't have to worry about her scratching and clawing them and biting of cords like she does with other window coverings.
Custom wood shutters come in a wide variety of colors. For the shutters in my Mission Viejo home, I have chosen a Dunn-Edwards Swiss Coffee, which is an off white for which I can easily buy matching trim paint. I like "easy," and off-white suits me because, in my Mission Viejo home, it doesn't grab attention the way bright white does. This way, other furnishings in my home can have dominance. Some people may prefer matching the shutters to their wall color. Having the choice of color can be important when buying shutters.
In shopping for shutters, I found a wide range in pricing. It was easy to find shutters for $35 per sq.ft., which is probably why many people think they can't afford them. On the other hand, I found a company that works through direct referrals and they sell high-quality shutters for as low as $13.95 per sq. ft., depending on the quantity ordered. I ordered shutters for two sets of double french doors with side windows (6 ft wide each) and two large (50-inch square) picture windows and two narrow (2-ft wide) windows and was able to get the lowest price. They have a person who comes to your home and measures, assuring the shutters will fit. Everything is done very professionally and the quality is great. You pay 50% upon placing the order, the rest is paid when they come to install them.
If you are interested in being one of my personal referrals to this custom shutter company, contact me , provide your name, address, telephone number and email address, and I will provide you with a referral coupon that you can use for setting up an appointment for a company representative to measure your windows. The company will sell shutters to owners of Mission Viejo homes, and to owners of all Orange County homes. While I cannot personally guarantee you will be satisfied, I can tell you that I have been extremely pleased with the shutters that were installed in my own Mission Viejo home.
http://www.greatmissionviejohomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
Many Mission Viejo homes like my own are situated in such a way that sun bakes in through the largest of the windows and sliding doors, creating an oven effect that wastes energy by increasing the need for more air conditioning. Selecting the right window coverings can make a noticeable difference in utility bills. As current gasoline prices skyrocket, utility bills for Mission Viejo homes are sure to follow, so if it is time to replace window coverings, while indoor shutters may not be your first choice in design, it may be time to recall the words of 20th Century archetectural guru Louis Sullivan:
"It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law."
Wood Shutters are a functional addition to Mission Viejo homes in that they are able to morph from full window enclosure, to partial covering, to no covering at all, suiting a variety of times of day and occasions. It is a common misperception that other forms of window coverings are less expensive than shutters. This may be true if you don't shop around to find the highest quality for the best price. Being the ultimate bargain hunter that I am, I think I have found the biggest bang for the buck in the realm of plantation shutters for Mission Viejo homes.
Before you order custom shutters, consider what the choices are. Basically, there are three types: solid hardwood, solid-core vinyl, and aluminum-core vinyl. Aluminum-core vinyl have the benefit of being lighter; however, they have little endcaps on the edge of every blade that can come loose and may not give as rich an appearance as a solid-core product. The solid-core vinyl have the advantage of being suitable for installations where there may be a problem with water intrusion because they will not warp if they get soaked. They never need to be painted; however, they have the disadvantage of being heavier than wood and there is not usually a color choice, so your window trim may not match your shutters. Typically, they cost more, too. For my Mission Viejo home, I chose solid wood shutters.
Wood shutters in Mission Viejo homes give them a clean appearance. Drapes and heavy curtains are more likely to hold odors and can be expensive to have dry cleaned. Shutters need to be dusted and occasionally wiped down with a damp cloth to keep them looking fresh. If you have a rather pesky house cat like I do, you won't have to worry about her scratching and clawing them and biting of cords like she does with other window coverings.
Custom wood shutters come in a wide variety of colors. For the shutters in my Mission Viejo home, I have chosen a Dunn-Edwards Swiss Coffee, which is an off white for which I can easily buy matching trim paint. I like "easy," and off-white suits me because, in my Mission Viejo home, it doesn't grab attention the way bright white does. This way, other furnishings in my home can have dominance. Some people may prefer matching the shutters to their wall color. Having the choice of color can be important when buying shutters.
In shopping for shutters, I found a wide range in pricing. It was easy to find shutters for $35 per sq.ft., which is probably why many people think they can't afford them. On the other hand, I found a company that works through direct referrals and they sell high-quality shutters for as low as $13.95 per sq. ft., depending on the quantity ordered. I ordered shutters for two sets of double french doors with side windows (6 ft wide each) and two large (50-inch square) picture windows and two narrow (2-ft wide) windows and was able to get the lowest price. They have a person who comes to your home and measures, assuring the shutters will fit. Everything is done very professionally and the quality is great. You pay 50% upon placing the order, the rest is paid when they come to install them.
If you are interested in being one of my personal referrals to this custom shutter company, contact me , provide your name, address, telephone number and email address, and I will provide you with a referral coupon that you can use for setting up an appointment for a company representative to measure your windows. The company will sell shutters to owners of Mission Viejo homes, and to owners of all Orange County homes. While I cannot personally guarantee you will be satisfied, I can tell you that I have been extremely pleased with the shutters that were installed in my own Mission Viejo home.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Mission Viejo Homes with Curb Appeal
YOU'VE SEEN Mission Viejo homes with curb appeal. They look like everything is beautiful and is in its correct place. For some Mission Viejo homes, curb appeal comes naturally because of the way the house is set on the lot. But true curb appeal requires more than just where the house sits.
Other things that add to the curb appeal of Mission Viejo homes are: The yard looks meticulously manicured, the curbs are not scuffed with black tire marks, the numbers on the curb are clearly painted, the gutters and sidewalks are swept and clean, there are no cobwebs or dust on the front of the house or the front porch, the windows are sparkling clean and you can see portions of the inside of the house through open curtains. The garage door is down, and no cars are parked on the driveway. The house has been painted within the past few years, and special attention to the front door area has been taken, with new door handles and a new doorbell button. The front door has a fresh coat of semigloss. If the house has shutters, they are freshly painted, too.
Most Mission Viejo homes can have curb appeal. Regular maintenance and gardening are the biggest factors contributing to curb appeal. The biggest turn-offs are: dirty exterior, peeling paint, oil stains and old cars in the driveway, basketball hoops in the street, skateboard ramps in front of the house, garage doors left open, plant overgrowth, dirty walkways with toys strewn along them, too many potted plants on the porch, rusty/tarnished hardware on the front doors, closed drapes at every window, torn window screens. You can see how inexpensive it is to get good curb appeal. Clean, Clean, Clean. Unclutter. Stash the toys and sports gear. Paint a little. Replace a few worn items. And clean some more.
Those who have Mission Viejo homes with curb appeal can get a higher price for their homes. If you would like more information about selling your Mission Viejo home, call April Hay or visit:
In Search of a Functional Family Room
Call April Hay
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
I'm fairly sure most Mission Viejo homes have a family room that could use some decluttering and refurbishing. I just painted mine and the pale yellow walls are already lifting my spirits. Because our family room is the most used room in the house, it is crammed with all the paraphernalia of a modern middle class family.
What used to be my mantle is now the perch for a 5-ft wide flatscreen. So the flat screen really determines the seating arrangement in this Mission Viejo home. We have a very wide leather chair and ottoman on one side of the room, a recliner made for two people on the other side, and a full size leather couch on the side wall. This basically means the room is wall-to-wall seating area. Opposite the ottoman is a full stack of electronic sound equipment doo-dads that operate the surround sound, dvd carousel, tuners, etc. Then there are the two 1.5-square ft. subwoofers and some sort of partially assembled computer and a monitor that also works as a second television. There are two other black contraptions as big as the subwoofers; I have no idea what they do, but I am told they are necessary.
Everyone in the family has a laptop, so we are always on them in the family room via wireless. Sometimes we even email each other while we are sitting together in this 21st Century Mission Viejo family room. There is no coffee table because there's no room for one. There are a couple of end tables crammed here and there. My printer is on a small bookshelf near a window which is where I keep too much stuff. Mission Viejo homes come in all sizes, but mine is medium--about 3000 sq.ft. Our family room is where we do most of our living so we might as well live in a smaller home.
So how do I make any changes in this room? Well, I just moved the couch out and replaced it with the love seat that was in the music room. (Yes, we have a dedicated music room, but I never go in there.) I removed one of the larger end tables and replaced it with a cute little bombe chest I picked up at a consignment store a few years ago and which had been in my upstairs hallway. It is a painted Drexel Heritage piece in yellow and gold--perfect for the new decor. I also had a pale yellow lamp from when my company was at a larger location, and it goes great on the bombe.
My kids are both artists and we have tons of framed oils that they have done. I am thinning out the collection in the family room to de-clutter the walls. Incidentally, the paintings seem to look much better hung on the pale yellow walls. It seems to bring out their colors more. We never use the fireplace, so I am storing some of that computer stuff in there. I got the owner of the gazillion laser disks to put them in the bin for the Goodwill. The player went too, thus lowering the black stack by one. April Hay, you are making progress! In the realm of all Orange County homes, this one is a real challenge. Buy we seem to be gaining.
The book shelves need to go. I am going to pull the encyclopedias from one shelf and move them up to the boys' room. Yes, I have two teens who share one gigantic room. And they don't fight! The rest of the books can go up there too, and the board games stacked on top can go into the upstairs linen closet. We also have a nightstand in the family room, a leftover from our first set of furniture 35 years ago. That's going to the Goodwill. Today I shopped at the Goodwill and found a wonderful, country french ladies desk. The drawers were all stuck, so I brought it home and put beeswax on the drawer slides and voila! the drawers work great on this truly elegant piece of furniture. With the bookcase and the end table gone, I think I can fit my desk along the wall near the big chair and ottoman. If not, then it will need to go in the living room, in front of the bay window--a rather nice place to be.
So, as Mission Viejo homes go, this one may not end up so bad. I haven't spent much money at all, but the difference should be great.
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
I'm fairly sure most Mission Viejo homes have a family room that could use some decluttering and refurbishing. I just painted mine and the pale yellow walls are already lifting my spirits. Because our family room is the most used room in the house, it is crammed with all the paraphernalia of a modern middle class family.
What used to be my mantle is now the perch for a 5-ft wide flatscreen. So the flat screen really determines the seating arrangement in this Mission Viejo home. We have a very wide leather chair and ottoman on one side of the room, a recliner made for two people on the other side, and a full size leather couch on the side wall. This basically means the room is wall-to-wall seating area. Opposite the ottoman is a full stack of electronic sound equipment doo-dads that operate the surround sound, dvd carousel, tuners, etc. Then there are the two 1.5-square ft. subwoofers and some sort of partially assembled computer and a monitor that also works as a second television. There are two other black contraptions as big as the subwoofers; I have no idea what they do, but I am told they are necessary.
Everyone in the family has a laptop, so we are always on them in the family room via wireless. Sometimes we even email each other while we are sitting together in this 21st Century Mission Viejo family room. There is no coffee table because there's no room for one. There are a couple of end tables crammed here and there. My printer is on a small bookshelf near a window which is where I keep too much stuff. Mission Viejo homes come in all sizes, but mine is medium--about 3000 sq.ft. Our family room is where we do most of our living so we might as well live in a smaller home.
So how do I make any changes in this room? Well, I just moved the couch out and replaced it with the love seat that was in the music room. (Yes, we have a dedicated music room, but I never go in there.) I removed one of the larger end tables and replaced it with a cute little bombe chest I picked up at a consignment store a few years ago and which had been in my upstairs hallway. It is a painted Drexel Heritage piece in yellow and gold--perfect for the new decor. I also had a pale yellow lamp from when my company was at a larger location, and it goes great on the bombe.
My kids are both artists and we have tons of framed oils that they have done. I am thinning out the collection in the family room to de-clutter the walls. Incidentally, the paintings seem to look much better hung on the pale yellow walls. It seems to bring out their colors more. We never use the fireplace, so I am storing some of that computer stuff in there. I got the owner of the gazillion laser disks to put them in the bin for the Goodwill. The player went too, thus lowering the black stack by one. April Hay, you are making progress! In the realm of all Orange County homes, this one is a real challenge. Buy we seem to be gaining.
The book shelves need to go. I am going to pull the encyclopedias from one shelf and move them up to the boys' room. Yes, I have two teens who share one gigantic room. And they don't fight! The rest of the books can go up there too, and the board games stacked on top can go into the upstairs linen closet. We also have a nightstand in the family room, a leftover from our first set of furniture 35 years ago. That's going to the Goodwill. Today I shopped at the Goodwill and found a wonderful, country french ladies desk. The drawers were all stuck, so I brought it home and put beeswax on the drawer slides and voila! the drawers work great on this truly elegant piece of furniture. With the bookcase and the end table gone, I think I can fit my desk along the wall near the big chair and ottoman. If not, then it will need to go in the living room, in front of the bay window--a rather nice place to be.
So, as Mission Viejo homes go, this one may not end up so bad. I haven't spent much money at all, but the difference should be great.
Paint Clean Up Tip
Call April Hay
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
Have you even stood over the sink, washing out your paint brush, and it seemed like the paint just kept on coming out of the bristles. You rub it and paint gets all over your hands. It's a mess! When I painted my Mission Viejo home recently, I discovered a way to clean brushes fast.
First, wipe as much of the paint as possible on the wall you are painting. Take the brush to the sink and wet it. Pour a large amount of baking soda on the brush and work it through the bristles thoroughly. Rinse the brush and you will see most of the paint come out of the brush. Pour another dose of backing soda onto the bristles and handle and work it into a paste. Let it remain on the brush for a minute and then rinse. The brush is clean and there is no paint remaining on your fingers. Let the brush dry. The next time you paint, the bristles will be soft and ready for the job!
I have owned older Mission Viejo homes for the past 25 years have always dreaded painting. Discovering this technique of brush cleanup really makes the job a lot easier. The manager of the store in Mission Viejo where I purchased the paint had never heard of my technique, so I am assuming it is something new. If not, then maybe it's one you haven't heard about. I like it because you don't need to waste as much water and it's environmentally safe.
When I painted my Mission Viejo home, I found that the cleanup of the paint tray also was made easier using baking soda. I like to use the plastic trays that are a little smaller than the big metal ones. They have hooks that attach to the ladder I use as a paint stand.
As money gets tighter due to increased fuel prices, painting your own home may become more popular. Owners of Orange County homes are really feeling the sting of higher fuel prices, so do-it-yourself projects may become more of a necessity than ever. Make your Mission Viejo home look beautiful with a new coat of paint. Lift your spirits with a lighter, brighter shade. Mission Viejo homes that are freshly painted sell for more.
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
Have you even stood over the sink, washing out your paint brush, and it seemed like the paint just kept on coming out of the bristles. You rub it and paint gets all over your hands. It's a mess! When I painted my Mission Viejo home recently, I discovered a way to clean brushes fast.
First, wipe as much of the paint as possible on the wall you are painting. Take the brush to the sink and wet it. Pour a large amount of baking soda on the brush and work it through the bristles thoroughly. Rinse the brush and you will see most of the paint come out of the brush. Pour another dose of backing soda onto the bristles and handle and work it into a paste. Let it remain on the brush for a minute and then rinse. The brush is clean and there is no paint remaining on your fingers. Let the brush dry. The next time you paint, the bristles will be soft and ready for the job!
I have owned older Mission Viejo homes for the past 25 years have always dreaded painting. Discovering this technique of brush cleanup really makes the job a lot easier. The manager of the store in Mission Viejo where I purchased the paint had never heard of my technique, so I am assuming it is something new. If not, then maybe it's one you haven't heard about. I like it because you don't need to waste as much water and it's environmentally safe.
When I painted my Mission Viejo home, I found that the cleanup of the paint tray also was made easier using baking soda. I like to use the plastic trays that are a little smaller than the big metal ones. They have hooks that attach to the ladder I use as a paint stand.
As money gets tighter due to increased fuel prices, painting your own home may become more popular. Owners of Orange County homes are really feeling the sting of higher fuel prices, so do-it-yourself projects may become more of a necessity than ever. Make your Mission Viejo home look beautiful with a new coat of paint. Lift your spirits with a lighter, brighter shade. Mission Viejo homes that are freshly painted sell for more.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Painting My Mission Viejo Home
THE LAST TIME I painted inside my my Mission Viejo home, I got tons of advice from a family member. This time, I'm doing it my way, and guess what! The results are much better!I think the biggest problem is that I am not a big burly man. While I dislike the term "weaker sex," I have to admit, I am just not physically strong. What I do have is patience and a moderate amount of intelligence, and with that, I can paint!
Looking back on my previous painting experience, I remember that the "right way" to paint this old Mission Viejo home was to use a big wide brush, use an ordinary paint roller, and use a 5 ft. ladder to reach the high areas. Luckily, the older Mission Viejo homes like this one came with 8-foot ceilings, so at my tall height, I don't have too far to reach.
That first time I painted it was a disaster that someone else had to finish. I used all the recommended items to paint, but by the end of the first day, my hand ached from holding that huge heavy paintbrush, my wrist hurt from going back and forth with the roller, and my arches ached from perching on the rungs of the ladder. By the next day, I didn't even want to think about painting, much less do it. I was sore all over, had green paint splatters everywhere in my hair and all over my arms, and my brush and roller were toast because I didn't have any energy left to clean them out properly at the end of the day.
I think I have things figured out better now. For any middle aged woman who is not in tip-top shape, consider these suggestions the next time you get the urge to paint the inside of your home:
1. Use a 2-inch brush. It's lighter, smaller in your hand and it doesn't weigh as much, especially when filled with paint. Its ease of use will make the job much simpler and your hand is less likely to get sore and stiff. It's small enough that you may not need any other brush.
2. Get a roller with a long handle. This will enable you to use both hands when applying the paint, thus giving you greater strength and endurance. You can use the leverage afforded by the handle to apply the paint, plus it will enable you to reach all the high spots.
3. Don't stand on a ladder. Use a sturdy plastic box to stand on. It is much easier to keep your balance, you won't over-strain your arches, and you will be more comfortable. I only use the 4-foot ladder as a place to put my hook-on roller tray so it is within easy reach.
4. Have the ceilings painted white by a professional painter. I do this because the ceilings don't really need to be repainted every time you want to freshen the paint or change the color. White ceilings make the rooms look bigger and save time and money every time you want to repaint. Have the ceilings painted in the same white you paint your trim.
5. If you want to paint the ceilings yourself, use a sturdy, covered coffee table to stand on with the ladder nearby for the roller tray and to grab in case you lose your balance. The long handled roller will give you that leverage to apply the paint with more strength.
6. If your doctor says it's okay, take a dose of your favorite analgesic at the very first sign of an ache, not after it's too late. Another dose before bed may help if you will be finishing the job the next day.
7. If you do need to paint the next day, don't clean your brush and roller. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and they should be good for the next day.
A new paint job can really brighten up a home. Even my older Mission Viejo home now sparkles in its new sunny yellow tint. If you are planning to sell your home, fresh paint is one of your best investments. It doesn't cost a lot, especially if you do it yourself. You will reap the benefit of a higher sales price. Avoid dark shades as lighter colors tend to make the home look larger. If you really want one of those deep designer colors, try it on just one wall to get the effect without darkening the whole room.
Call April Hay
Free MLS Property searches for your Mission Viejo Homes. Contact April Hay http://www.aprilhay.com/
Photo credit
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
http://www.eragenerations.com/
http://www.usethemls.com/
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Twilight Savings
I didn't grow up during the Depression, but my parents did. It definitely affected their behavior with regard to saving, spending, and a need for financial security. I can see that the effects of this somehow rubbed off on me. I'm a Mission Viejo bargain hunter. I love finding a good deal!
When my mother passed away a few years ago, I got a chance to see the unbelievable cache of a true bargain hunter who honed her skills during the Depression era. My Mission Viejo home seems like it's loaded to the gills with "good deals." Now I realize that I am a mere rookie at bargain hunting.
As my sister and I cleaned out Mom's stuff from her Mission Viejo home, our eyes were opened to what the Depression did to many women. Evidently during that time, and to some extent reinforced during the years of WWII, most of what people really wanted was not available. If you ever found a good buy on something rare and desirable, the next step was to quietly scoop it all up, buy it, and hide it in a safe place. The inelegant word for this would be horde.
My parents both told me that during the Depression, they had very little when they were children. Even food and the necessities were in short supply. If they happened to get something that wasn't immediately consumed, they put it away to hold for a time when they really needed it. The fear of being totally without guided this pack rat tendency.
Even long after the Depression was over, my mother held onto that fear of one day "running out." Whenever she found some inexpensive treasure at Pic'n'Save (which is now BigLots) she would buy up a dozen and carefully hide them in her Mission Viejo home, in her storage room, under her bed, in the backs of cabinets, under the sink, in the attic. We found hundreds of pairs of shoes, most we had never seen her wear. Many of them appeared to be quite old.
One of my Mom's favorite things to stash away was fabric. She was a fabulous seamstress, but no one could sew as much fabric as she acquired during the 70 years since the Depression. There were flats of mint green boucle polyester and polyester prints of every kind. My mom really liked polyester, I guess because it was certain to last into eternity. There were hundreds of spools of thread, dated best by the colors that coincided with the fashion trends of the various decades since the Depression. Most of the cottons had rotted, but those neon pink polyester threads of the '70s had really hung in there.
Being a good sewer, my Mom made a lot of clothes, especially pants. Being tall, she always had a problem finding pants long enough. We must have found 150 pairs of handmade polyester pants in her stuff, most never worn, just put away for a time when she ran out, I suppose. U doubt if you could find another Mission Viejo home that had as many pairs of pants in it.
Cleaning out my Mom's horded valuables took a lot of hard work and many calls to the Goodwill. Being a good bargain hunter myself, it was very difficult to see all this stuff she cared about enough that she horded it being hauled awa6. Actually, I felt compelled to transfer a lot of her stuff to my own collection of things I'll never use. It makes no sense, but somehow I thought it would have pleased her.
When I got the stuff to my own Mission Viejo house, I discovered I really didn't have enough room to keep everything, so out of respect for her inability to throw anything of any value away, I ended up getting rid of some of my cache to make room for her stuff. It's crazy, but it seemed like the honorable thing to do. I put her need to horde over my own. Isn't that what a good daughter should do in this circumstance?
To tell you the truth, my fondest memories of my Mom were the times we spent looking for bargains. We both got the same kind of thrill out of finding a fabulous deal. Even when we weren't shopping together, we would call each other and talk about our latest "find." I really miss those days. I loved my mother so much. She taught me so many things. I wish she were still alive to teach me more. I may be a pack rat, but one thing is for certain, I learned from the best.
Call April Hay
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
http://www.eragenerations.com/
Photo credit
When my mother passed away a few years ago, I got a chance to see the unbelievable cache of a true bargain hunter who honed her skills during the Depression era. My Mission Viejo home seems like it's loaded to the gills with "good deals." Now I realize that I am a mere rookie at bargain hunting.
As my sister and I cleaned out Mom's stuff from her Mission Viejo home, our eyes were opened to what the Depression did to many women. Evidently during that time, and to some extent reinforced during the years of WWII, most of what people really wanted was not available. If you ever found a good buy on something rare and desirable, the next step was to quietly scoop it all up, buy it, and hide it in a safe place. The inelegant word for this would be horde.
My parents both told me that during the Depression, they had very little when they were children. Even food and the necessities were in short supply. If they happened to get something that wasn't immediately consumed, they put it away to hold for a time when they really needed it. The fear of being totally without guided this pack rat tendency.
Even long after the Depression was over, my mother held onto that fear of one day "running out." Whenever she found some inexpensive treasure at Pic'n'Save (which is now BigLots) she would buy up a dozen and carefully hide them in her Mission Viejo home, in her storage room, under her bed, in the backs of cabinets, under the sink, in the attic. We found hundreds of pairs of shoes, most we had never seen her wear. Many of them appeared to be quite old.
One of my Mom's favorite things to stash away was fabric. She was a fabulous seamstress, but no one could sew as much fabric as she acquired during the 70 years since the Depression. There were flats of mint green boucle polyester and polyester prints of every kind. My mom really liked polyester, I guess because it was certain to last into eternity. There were hundreds of spools of thread, dated best by the colors that coincided with the fashion trends of the various decades since the Depression. Most of the cottons had rotted, but those neon pink polyester threads of the '70s had really hung in there.
Being a good sewer, my Mom made a lot of clothes, especially pants. Being tall, she always had a problem finding pants long enough. We must have found 150 pairs of handmade polyester pants in her stuff, most never worn, just put away for a time when she ran out, I suppose. U doubt if you could find another Mission Viejo home that had as many pairs of pants in it.
Cleaning out my Mom's horded valuables took a lot of hard work and many calls to the Goodwill. Being a good bargain hunter myself, it was very difficult to see all this stuff she cared about enough that she horded it being hauled awa6. Actually, I felt compelled to transfer a lot of her stuff to my own collection of things I'll never use. It makes no sense, but somehow I thought it would have pleased her.
When I got the stuff to my own Mission Viejo house, I discovered I really didn't have enough room to keep everything, so out of respect for her inability to throw anything of any value away, I ended up getting rid of some of my cache to make room for her stuff. It's crazy, but it seemed like the honorable thing to do. I put her need to horde over my own. Isn't that what a good daughter should do in this circumstance?
To tell you the truth, my fondest memories of my Mom were the times we spent looking for bargains. We both got the same kind of thrill out of finding a fabulous deal. Even when we weren't shopping together, we would call each other and talk about our latest "find." I really miss those days. I loved my mother so much. She taught me so many things. I wish she were still alive to teach me more. I may be a pack rat, but one thing is for certain, I learned from the best.
Call April Hay
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
http://www.eragenerations.com/
Photo credit
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Why Do We Have to Move?
http://www.aprilhay.com/"Why do we have to move?" Kids always seem to ask this question whenever there is a move from one home to another. We may fumble around with an answer that will make the most sense to them, but the reality is, there usually is no answer that will truly comfort and satisfy a child who is leaving the home, the school, the neighborhood and the friends that he or she has come to love. When the move is due to foreclosure of your Mission Viejo, Orange County home, the situation becomes even more difficult, especially if the child is an adolescent or teen.
So, what do we tell the young teen when we realize we can no longer afford to pay the mortgage and loss of the Mission Viejo home is inevitable? Chances are the tension over finances has already been the object of many discussions before the final news is delivered. Still, the fact that what was home will soon be something quite different is very hard for a kid to accept.
Older children can learn from life's difficult situations. I think it's good to be honest and open with them and let them know how difficult losing a home is to us as parents. Using it as a life lesson is more valuable to them than trying to protect them from the truth. Eventually, friends and neighbors will know when the foreclosure sign goes up in front of your Mission Viejo home. Having a serious discussion with the children beforehand will help them know we trust them and understand how they will be affected.
In my recent experience working with leases, I have seen that landlords know short sales and foreclosures are happening much more frequently. When looking at applications and credit reports, they are not necessarily going to deny the lease because you have gone through a foreclosure. What can help is to have a credit report that reflects you never stopped paying all your other bills on time. If the delinquent house payments are isolated occurrences from the rest of your bill payments, it shows the landlord and his agent that you have maintained a level of financial responsibility in every area except the mortgage. It shows you care about paying your bills. Sometimes a homeowner heading toward foreclosure will delay paying utility and credit card payments in order to get the mortgage payment paid. This is not always the best plan because once the short sale or foreclosure happens, not only are there nicks on the credit report for the mortgage, but also on all the other accounts. This can make everything more difficult.
If your goal is to get the kids through the school year, research the steps of foreclosure to determine how you can delay the process so you won't need to leave until summer. Kids rarely relish moving, but by explaining the reasons and causes, they may be more supportive of the need to move.
Autism in Teenagers
For those who have a young child diagnosed with autism, the future seems uncertain and a bit scary and the challenges seem insurmountable. There are a bounty of opinions as to the cause, and it is easy to get wrapped up in finding someone or something to blame rather than dealing with the hand that has been dealt.
I remember when I first got my son's diagnosis 14 years ago. I really didn't have a clue what autism was. I did what the neurologist said, and went to the library and looked at a few books and immediately decided not to accept what the books said. Why? Because they offered no hope. I was not in denial about the diagnosis--the characteristics of autism of my son were undeniable--I refused to accept that there was nothing that could be done but prepare for my child become a fairly useless member of society. I loved my son and saw such good in him, I refused to accept anything but a successful outcome in helping him to realize a "normal" life. Whatever was to happen, I wanted him to be happy and proud of himself for whatever he could accomplish.
At age 2, his first year of early intervention through the county school system began, but it was a waste of time. There was no solid plan to deal with his specific problems. Various therapies were tried and educational plans were hit or miss, but none were specifically tailored to deal with the problems of autism. I knew something more global and intense was needed for him to progress. Luckily, at about that time, a new pilot program for autistic preschoolers was being developed in the county school system. It offered more intensity and the program was based on a Lovaas model that was specific to autism. I had to fight for one of the 6 openings, but was able to get my child into the program.
I then started reading up on what the Lovaas model entailed and found that the program only worked with about 35 hours of intense applied behavioral modification per week, and only if a competent home program was establish and adhered to. The county program provided 16 hours, but I would have to provide the other 18-20 hours for it to have a chance of being successful.
This type of program was new at the time. UCLA was very involved in coming up with training for people to develop and implement the applied behavioral analysis required to make the program work; however, program managers were in short supply. I could not find anyone to hire to manage my son's home program. I knew it was an essential part of the program, so I had no choice but to study and become my child's own program developer/manager. I was lucky in that my degree was in Communication Arts, and much of what I had learned would give me a basis for developing the program and understanding the nature of basic communication.
I gathered as much information on the methods of applied behavioral analysis as I could, created documentation, tools for implementation, record keeping systems, and designed discrete trials that would complement what was being done at the school. I interviewed, hired and trained people to assist in working with my son. All the time I felt blessed that my husband had a good paying job that would allow me to spend my full time devoted to the task of working with my son and still being the mom to my two other sons.
When the whole program started, my son was almost 3 years old. He could not say any words, he couldn't look at anyone in the eyes,he was in diapers and he was very out of touch with the world around him. I worked out of fear that he would be this way for the rest of his life. It propelled me into dedicating my life to helping him out of this void.
The next 2 years are somewhat of a blurr. I worked every day, creating and shopping for materials to use in the program. At that time, not much existed in the way of materials. Every noun he was to learn had to have a clear and distinct photograph or picture. Then the verbs, then the adjectives, then the adverbs. Emotions, cause and effect, consequence, social interaction and everything in life had to have a picture in order to teach my son. I pored through magazines, scouring for pictures that captured what we needed, clipped and laminated and categorized the pictures and created binders of data collection pages that I and the other workers could document the results of each trial so we could record and retest each success and failure. In the back of my mind, I kept Gippetto's goal of having a "real boy" through creating a child able to communicate and enjoy life.
We started seeing success quickly. At first the words he could say didn't seem to have a lot of meaning to him, and to an outsider it may have looked like a dog being trained to bark for a treat, but we continued in the pursuit of language. Once enough nouns were attained and he could recall them from the cards through the use of a reward, we worked on some basic verbs. Then we connected the two in to two-word sentences. Then a few adjectives to describe the attained verbs. It was all baby steps toward what is called the "Theory of Mind."
After three years of this, my son had very basic communication skills. I had taught him to read phonetically, which was the only way he could begin reading. Phonetics has a system and I knew autistics thrive on rules and systems, so my home program employed phonetics. Despite my argument that phonetics was the best approach, the school insisted on using sight reading. In the end, phonetics was shown to work best with my son, as admitted by the instructor.
Despite his growing ability to have basic communication, we would often find gaping holes in his understanding, because these particular things had not been specifically taught to him. When this happened, it made me realize just how much he had missed by not being able to speak as a young child and how much he had never learned through the normal activities of growing up, through having typical conversations, by understanding what was being said on television, out of everything that a normal child hears and says in their toddler and preschool years. It was very easy for someone communicating with my son to assume he knew or could infer each word they were saying. I would have to interrupt and say, "Do you know what ___ means?" and then explain that word. In a conversation, if there were too many unknown words, he would "zone off" and be unresponsive.
In early kindergarten, he was put into a Severely Handicapped Class at the district level with pull out sessions for discreet trials. I could see this was not effective. He needed to be with typical kids to learn to be typical himself. The next year, I had him mainstreamed and have never gone back to a special ed classroom setting, except for a one-hour socialization class for a couple of years.
So now, here I have a 16 year old who is a freshman in high school. He is on an IEP, fully mainstreamed. He is taking French 2, Cultural Geography, Biology, Geometry, E-Core English, Advanced Art, and PE. Is he an honor student? No. Does he have an aide? Yes. Is he getting good grades? He is getting Bs and Cs. Do I care what grades he gets? I am not concerned as long as he can cope and he passes. Will I always feel that way? Maybe not. What am I most concerned about? I worry that he does not have a best friend. I worry because he wants to have a girlfriend and go on a date. I worry because I know he wants more out of his life, but the things he wants I can't give him. He is now to a point where he is going to find them on his own and it is not going to be easy. But one thing I must say is that I have confidence in him that he is going to get where he wants to be. It may take a little longer than it does for most kids, but I think he is going to make it, and when he does, it will be all his own doing and he can feel proud of himself for arriving.
My son is popular among many kids at the school. He has a great sense of humor, he is handsome and smart and extremely talented at art. The kids who have known him through the years seem to really like him. They know there is more to him than his little autistic idiosyncrasies. On the other hand, I think these idiosyncrasies are what prevents these teenagers--who by definition are insecure about who they are--from including him in their social life. But I think one day they will mature, and perhaps then my son will have some friends to "hang out with."
Being the parent of an autistic child is filled with challenges, with feelings of success, with fears of failure, and with the feeling that you should have done more or known more. I have had to ease those fears and feelings by telling myself I have done the best I could. I feel the key to helping an autistic child is never to let the diagnosis become more important than the child.
It is so important for the autistic child to know they are unconditionally loved, understood, and accepted for who they really are at home. Home needs to be the true refuge from the critical outside world, because his world is much more critical than a typical kid's world. He will hear the comments, get the stares, see the snickering. Home needs to be a place where emotions can be experimented with, a voice can be raised, a tear shed, all the while knowing there will be understanding and no severe consequence merely for the awkwardness of expressing those emotions. When there is awkwardness and inappropriateness, it needs to be looked at by the parent as an incredibly valuable opportunity to work through those problems in a safe environment, rather than have these problems occur somewhere else where they will be misunderstood by others.
For the autistic teenager, home is a place to learn the difference between right and wrong and to talk about those things openly without fear. Home is a place for the autistic child to allow his thoughts to be heard, no matter how scattered or unformed, and for someone there to care enough to help him clarify his thoughts, look for their basis, and to help the child understand himself better.
For the parent of an autistic teenager, if you have managed to arrive at the teenage years with a happy child and your home life intact, you can consider yourself one of the very lucky ones. You certainly have needed to gain a different perspective on life. You have most likely developed a personal sense of humor that gives you the ability to cope with the things your autistic child has done and continues to do. All of this has been good. Having an autistic child has been a humbling experience, in the best sense of the word. You are able to accept and weigh just about anything. You don't make snap judgments based on a person's initial behavior. You analyze situations for what they really mean. You pick up on body language quickly. You listen better. You are able to read between the lines quickly. You continue to have hope because you see you have a happy teenager who is starting to go through the things all kids go through.
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
http://www.411short.com/
I remember when I first got my son's diagnosis 14 years ago. I really didn't have a clue what autism was. I did what the neurologist said, and went to the library and looked at a few books and immediately decided not to accept what the books said. Why? Because they offered no hope. I was not in denial about the diagnosis--the characteristics of autism of my son were undeniable--I refused to accept that there was nothing that could be done but prepare for my child become a fairly useless member of society. I loved my son and saw such good in him, I refused to accept anything but a successful outcome in helping him to realize a "normal" life. Whatever was to happen, I wanted him to be happy and proud of himself for whatever he could accomplish.
At age 2, his first year of early intervention through the county school system began, but it was a waste of time. There was no solid plan to deal with his specific problems. Various therapies were tried and educational plans were hit or miss, but none were specifically tailored to deal with the problems of autism. I knew something more global and intense was needed for him to progress. Luckily, at about that time, a new pilot program for autistic preschoolers was being developed in the county school system. It offered more intensity and the program was based on a Lovaas model that was specific to autism. I had to fight for one of the 6 openings, but was able to get my child into the program.
I then started reading up on what the Lovaas model entailed and found that the program only worked with about 35 hours of intense applied behavioral modification per week, and only if a competent home program was establish and adhered to. The county program provided 16 hours, but I would have to provide the other 18-20 hours for it to have a chance of being successful.
This type of program was new at the time. UCLA was very involved in coming up with training for people to develop and implement the applied behavioral analysis required to make the program work; however, program managers were in short supply. I could not find anyone to hire to manage my son's home program. I knew it was an essential part of the program, so I had no choice but to study and become my child's own program developer/manager. I was lucky in that my degree was in Communication Arts, and much of what I had learned would give me a basis for developing the program and understanding the nature of basic communication.
I gathered as much information on the methods of applied behavioral analysis as I could, created documentation, tools for implementation, record keeping systems, and designed discrete trials that would complement what was being done at the school. I interviewed, hired and trained people to assist in working with my son. All the time I felt blessed that my husband had a good paying job that would allow me to spend my full time devoted to the task of working with my son and still being the mom to my two other sons.
When the whole program started, my son was almost 3 years old. He could not say any words, he couldn't look at anyone in the eyes,he was in diapers and he was very out of touch with the world around him. I worked out of fear that he would be this way for the rest of his life. It propelled me into dedicating my life to helping him out of this void.
The next 2 years are somewhat of a blurr. I worked every day, creating and shopping for materials to use in the program. At that time, not much existed in the way of materials. Every noun he was to learn had to have a clear and distinct photograph or picture. Then the verbs, then the adjectives, then the adverbs. Emotions, cause and effect, consequence, social interaction and everything in life had to have a picture in order to teach my son. I pored through magazines, scouring for pictures that captured what we needed, clipped and laminated and categorized the pictures and created binders of data collection pages that I and the other workers could document the results of each trial so we could record and retest each success and failure. In the back of my mind, I kept Gippetto's goal of having a "real boy" through creating a child able to communicate and enjoy life.
We started seeing success quickly. At first the words he could say didn't seem to have a lot of meaning to him, and to an outsider it may have looked like a dog being trained to bark for a treat, but we continued in the pursuit of language. Once enough nouns were attained and he could recall them from the cards through the use of a reward, we worked on some basic verbs. Then we connected the two in to two-word sentences. Then a few adjectives to describe the attained verbs. It was all baby steps toward what is called the "Theory of Mind."
After three years of this, my son had very basic communication skills. I had taught him to read phonetically, which was the only way he could begin reading. Phonetics has a system and I knew autistics thrive on rules and systems, so my home program employed phonetics. Despite my argument that phonetics was the best approach, the school insisted on using sight reading. In the end, phonetics was shown to work best with my son, as admitted by the instructor.
Despite his growing ability to have basic communication, we would often find gaping holes in his understanding, because these particular things had not been specifically taught to him. When this happened, it made me realize just how much he had missed by not being able to speak as a young child and how much he had never learned through the normal activities of growing up, through having typical conversations, by understanding what was being said on television, out of everything that a normal child hears and says in their toddler and preschool years. It was very easy for someone communicating with my son to assume he knew or could infer each word they were saying. I would have to interrupt and say, "Do you know what ___ means?" and then explain that word. In a conversation, if there were too many unknown words, he would "zone off" and be unresponsive.
In early kindergarten, he was put into a Severely Handicapped Class at the district level with pull out sessions for discreet trials. I could see this was not effective. He needed to be with typical kids to learn to be typical himself. The next year, I had him mainstreamed and have never gone back to a special ed classroom setting, except for a one-hour socialization class for a couple of years.
So now, here I have a 16 year old who is a freshman in high school. He is on an IEP, fully mainstreamed. He is taking French 2, Cultural Geography, Biology, Geometry, E-Core English, Advanced Art, and PE. Is he an honor student? No. Does he have an aide? Yes. Is he getting good grades? He is getting Bs and Cs. Do I care what grades he gets? I am not concerned as long as he can cope and he passes. Will I always feel that way? Maybe not. What am I most concerned about? I worry that he does not have a best friend. I worry because he wants to have a girlfriend and go on a date. I worry because I know he wants more out of his life, but the things he wants I can't give him. He is now to a point where he is going to find them on his own and it is not going to be easy. But one thing I must say is that I have confidence in him that he is going to get where he wants to be. It may take a little longer than it does for most kids, but I think he is going to make it, and when he does, it will be all his own doing and he can feel proud of himself for arriving.
My son is popular among many kids at the school. He has a great sense of humor, he is handsome and smart and extremely talented at art. The kids who have known him through the years seem to really like him. They know there is more to him than his little autistic idiosyncrasies. On the other hand, I think these idiosyncrasies are what prevents these teenagers--who by definition are insecure about who they are--from including him in their social life. But I think one day they will mature, and perhaps then my son will have some friends to "hang out with."
Being the parent of an autistic child is filled with challenges, with feelings of success, with fears of failure, and with the feeling that you should have done more or known more. I have had to ease those fears and feelings by telling myself I have done the best I could. I feel the key to helping an autistic child is never to let the diagnosis become more important than the child.
It is so important for the autistic child to know they are unconditionally loved, understood, and accepted for who they really are at home. Home needs to be the true refuge from the critical outside world, because his world is much more critical than a typical kid's world. He will hear the comments, get the stares, see the snickering. Home needs to be a place where emotions can be experimented with, a voice can be raised, a tear shed, all the while knowing there will be understanding and no severe consequence merely for the awkwardness of expressing those emotions. When there is awkwardness and inappropriateness, it needs to be looked at by the parent as an incredibly valuable opportunity to work through those problems in a safe environment, rather than have these problems occur somewhere else where they will be misunderstood by others.
For the autistic teenager, home is a place to learn the difference between right and wrong and to talk about those things openly without fear. Home is a place for the autistic child to allow his thoughts to be heard, no matter how scattered or unformed, and for someone there to care enough to help him clarify his thoughts, look for their basis, and to help the child understand himself better.
For the parent of an autistic teenager, if you have managed to arrive at the teenage years with a happy child and your home life intact, you can consider yourself one of the very lucky ones. You certainly have needed to gain a different perspective on life. You have most likely developed a personal sense of humor that gives you the ability to cope with the things your autistic child has done and continues to do. All of this has been good. Having an autistic child has been a humbling experience, in the best sense of the word. You are able to accept and weigh just about anything. You don't make snap judgments based on a person's initial behavior. You analyze situations for what they really mean. You pick up on body language quickly. You listen better. You are able to read between the lines quickly. You continue to have hope because you see you have a happy teenager who is starting to go through the things all kids go through.
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/
http://www.411short.com/
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Help Your Child Own a Home
A few years ago, I often heard parents of young adults wondering how their kids would ever be able to afford to buy a home in Orange County. The prices of homes had skyrocketed so that even older one-bedroom condos were selling for $500,000 or more.
Now that the buying frenzy is over and home prices are lower, you may want to consider assisting your older child in becoming an Orange County homeowner! With this plan, you make the down payment and are the guarantor on home loan. Your child pays as much, or all, of the monthly payments instead of rent. After a few years, when real estate prices go back up, you can sell the home for a profit, get your down payment back, give your child his or her share of the equity, and he or she can use this money to make a downpayment on a another home. Or, if your child wants to stay in the home, you can get it refinanced, get paid back your investment, and feel good knowing you have helped your child to buy a home in Orange County.
If your child does not keep up with his or her part of the agreement, then they would need to move out so you can rent out the property until you decide to sell.
It is important to set the ground rules before entering into this sort of arrangement. Of course, not every older child is suited to this type of deal. The older child must fully accept that this is a financial investment on your part and that it will always be handled that way. Make a written agreement in clear language and have the older child sign it prior to the purchase to prevent any misunderstandings.
April Hay, GRI, Realtor Call Me!
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/ ,
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/ ,
http://www.411short.com/ ,
http://www.eragenerations.com/ ,
Now that the buying frenzy is over and home prices are lower, you may want to consider assisting your older child in becoming an Orange County homeowner! With this plan, you make the down payment and are the guarantor on home loan. Your child pays as much, or all, of the monthly payments instead of rent. After a few years, when real estate prices go back up, you can sell the home for a profit, get your down payment back, give your child his or her share of the equity, and he or she can use this money to make a downpayment on a another home. Or, if your child wants to stay in the home, you can get it refinanced, get paid back your investment, and feel good knowing you have helped your child to buy a home in Orange County.
If your child does not keep up with his or her part of the agreement, then they would need to move out so you can rent out the property until you decide to sell.
It is important to set the ground rules before entering into this sort of arrangement. Of course, not every older child is suited to this type of deal. The older child must fully accept that this is a financial investment on your part and that it will always be handled that way. Make a written agreement in clear language and have the older child sign it prior to the purchase to prevent any misunderstandings.
April Hay, GRI, Realtor Call Me!
http://www.GreatMissionViejoHomes.com/ ,
http://www.socdreamhomes.com/ ,
http://www.411short.com/ ,
http://www.eragenerations.com/ ,
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