Section: HOM

Home of the Week: CJ and Rob James

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00

For those not familiar with the different stages of cancer, there is no Stage V. The final stage, when the cancer has metastasized to other areas of the body, is known as Stage IV.

Dian Corneliussen-James of Annapolis has Stage IV breast cancer. In other words, well, there are no other words. It's final.

But CJ, as she prefers to be called, began Metavivor Research and Support Inc., along with three others, to ensure those dia...

On the Level: Consider a barrier or fan to prevent moisture

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00

We have a skylight in our master bath that has a slender deep passage to it. We always get moisture around the window (which causes mildew) and moisture dripping down the walls (which causes streaks). We have tried showering with the bathroom door ajar to help alleviate the problem but that doesn't take care of it. We have a fan in the bathroom which seems to work fine but it just can't pull all the moisture out before it goes up that ...

Real Estate: Tax credits and inventory

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00

On Nov. 6, President Obama signed an extension of the $8,000 First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit and further expanded the program to include a $6,500 credit for some people who aren't first-time buyers. The previous tax credit (for first-time buyers only) had been in effect from Jan. 1, 2009, and was set to expire on Nov. 30. This program clearly motivated many buyers to purchase a home, thus inspiring the federal government to continue the pr...

Home of the Week: Dianne and Steven Flury

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00

In order to visit the home of Dianne and Steven Flury in the community of Holly Hill Harbor in Edgewater, we must first go to France. Sort of.

Imagine, if you will, riding bikes through the French countryside.

After a while you begin to look over through the fields of fragrant lavender and start to notice the homes - the grand chateaus and maison after maison of pure French country elegance.

You pay attention to the architecture an...

On the Level: Dryers should be vented to the exterior of the house

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00

I bought a cottage with a stacked washer / dryer in the hallway. The dryer is vented into the crawl space. It seems to work fine. My heat pump unit is located in the crawl space also and when I went into the crawl space to change the air filter I noticed a lot of lint collecting in the area of the dryer vent. Is this OK? Should I get one of those plastic box lint catchers? Someone told me mice can get in dryer vents located near the ground. An...

Real Estate: The anatomy of an eviction

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00

When we go to a closing, the settlement officer explains to the buyer the terms of their mortgage and the buyer's responsibilities regarding their loan. In a nutshell, you often hear those terms described with the phrase, "If you pay you stay, if you don't you won't." For people who get behind on their payments, banks make every attempt to work out some solution. They will explore refinancing, loan modifications or a poss...

Home of the Week: Judi Fike

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00

How could this e-mail not spark interest?

"I'd like to nominate my friend Judi Fike's condo in Regatta Bay for 'Home of the Week,' " wrote Emily Dibos of Annapolis. "Her place is simply sassy. She has a thing for monkeys and they tastefully permeate throughout the condo. It's a must-see."

Judi Fike's Annapolis condominium does indeed have some wow factors going for it, and it's not just the...

On the Level: Instead of winterizing, have a neighbor check-in while you're away

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00

We are leaving the area after Thanksgiving until early spring, and I want to winterize the house while we are away. The house was built in the late 1970s. We have oil baseboard hot water heat and plan to leave the temperature set at around 55 degrees. We are on well water and I would like to know if it is OK to shut the water off by turning power off to the pump, or do we need to leave the water on for the hot water heating system? Given recen...

Real Estate: Don't believe everything you read

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00

When an agent puts a property for sale in the multiple list system, there's an enormous amount of information that becomes part of that listing. Some of it comes from the property's public record, some comes from the homeowner, and some is left to the interpretation of the agent. Agents make every attempt to make sure it's all correct, but for one reason or another, mistakes can be made. At the bottom of every listing there's a...

Home of the Week: Barb and Vinny Perez

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00

The home of Barb and Vinny Perez in Annapolis' Bay Ridge community represents great vision from start to finish, or rather, finishes.

With varying styles of furniture and art mixed together harmoniously, along with absolutely no fear of color and a love for gardening, the Perez home is resplendent in diversity.

"The interior I would certainly say is eclectic," said Barb, who works in the pharmaceutical industry but would li...

On the Level: Knowing what's best for maintaining your deck

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00

I am in the process of getting my house ready to sell. It seems to be a male thing, but I keep getting advice about power-washing my deck and putting down a sealer. I've never done either and will follow your advice about using a pressure washer on wood. I don't like the look of stain for decks, even though my house is cedar and stained. I prefer the "natural" look and don't like to use any more chemicals than necessary. ...

Real Estate: Looking at the comparables

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00

In last week's column, we talked about market indicators and how they're used to evaluate the health of the housing market as a whole. Those indicators are helpful from a macro perspective, but when it comes to determining the market value of an individual property, it's necessary to take a different approach. Overall market conditions play a role; however, the primary consideration in formulating what a home is worth is shaped by ...

Home of the Week: Jesse and Jane Harrahill

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00

Theirs is a love story borne in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isabel.

The electric was still out when the community residents decided a neighborhood cookout would be held to save what perishable items they could.

That's when Jane and Jesse Harrahill met. They both lived in a hidden gem of an Arnold townhouse community called Moorings on the Magothy.

"Jane had lived here for five or six years - I had been living here for ...

On The Level: Improving water pressure might require only a few adjustments

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00

I live in a 3 story home that is 12 years old. Water is drawn from a well. I have no problem with my well but I have always been troubled by the mediocre water pressure throughout the house. It's not that I don't get water but it just seems adequate and nothing more. It is even evident in the summer when I try to run a lawn sprinkler.

Sometimes the pressure is not enough to make the sprinkler pivot and rotate. What can I do to s...

Real Estate: Housing market indicators

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00

As real estate agents, we're constantly asked, "How's the market doing?" During boom times, like in 2005 and 2006, the answer is easy: "It's doing great." For the last couple of years, the answer was equally simple: "It's lousy." But during periods of transition, like we're in now, getting a handle on market conditions is much more complicated. In this column, we thought we'd take you throu...

Home of the Week: Julie and Peter Rich

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00

It was a compelling e-mail that started the chain of events for this "Home of the Week."

"My husband and I recently renovated our kitchen in our waterfront home in the community of Anchorage in Annapolis," Julie Rich wrote. "Every week we enjoy reading your story and seeing the different homes around Annapolis. Our community is a wonderful community that is a small, older community often overlooked, as it is right befo...

On the Level: What causes drywall cracks and how to fix them

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00

I have a vertical crack in the drywall wall from the floor to the window sill in a window in my living room. I walked around the outside of the house but couldn't find any corresponding cracks on the exterior in that location.

The house is covered in siding which may and probably conceals any cracks. Several years ago, we had minor cracks visible on the exterior of the foundation. We had someone check them out (just settlement we were tol...