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/
Showing posts with label Mission Viejo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mission Viejo. Show all posts
Sunday, March 30, 2008
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)