When I sold my last house, I had to leave behind my Jacuzzi.  It was given to me as a 30^th birthday present by my now ex-husband.  Oh, it was ten years old, leaky, partly broken and difficult to maintain, but every time I drive by that house I get a longing for the good days when we could sit in the Jacuzzi under the stars.

I was surprised to see that Cal Spas is affiliated with Cal Flame-as in cal flame outdoor kitchens appliances.  They make everything from cal flame bbq islands to sinks.  I guess I can assuage myself with one of those, now that I live in a house where getting another Jacuzzi wouldn’t work out so well, but I still miss it.  It’s one of those things that were sort of an outcome of the divorce.  Even if I did get another one, it would probably just remind me of those days. 

But now I have a new life under the pines in the town of Larkspur, Colorado.  Even though I accept my situation and am happy with the setting of my new home, the house itself is just not as gracious and lovely as that one…and the missing jacuzzi is part of that.

Technorati Tags: cal flame bbq islands, cal flame outdoor kitchens appliances, Larkspur

My parents just got a portable hot tub.  It is ideal for them, as empty nesters in a smaller home now that we all have left their house.  It was one of those 2 person hot tubs that let them both relax at the same time, while enjoying each other’s company.  They had always wanted a hot tub, and when they saw this hot tub for sale, they knew that now was a great time to buy it.  Sometimes when you are faced with a choice like this, it is fate.  If they had not been walking through the store at the time that they were, they would have never seen this particular hot tub, so they jumped on it when they saw it and the price.

Having a hot tub has proved very beneficial to them.  As they have gotten older, it has become necessary to rest their weary muscles and a hot tub reenergizes them.  They like to use it at night, to help them relax before bedtime.  Of course when the grandkids come over, they also get a kick out of Grandma and Grandpa having the hot tub.  They like to get in and use it as their own personal wading pool.

Technorati Tags: 2 person hot tubs, hot tub for sale, portable hot tub, wading pool

My new wife and I recently purchased our first home together and prior to moving in we decided that certain actions needed to take place in order for the house to be livable. Most of the sliding doors in the house (there are 4 sets of them) were probably from the original late 60’s early 70’s construction era. As such, we knew that getting new patio doors was high on our list of priorities.

photo credit: contrapositively

What neither of us realized was that to get a door installed you call a window replacement specialist! Who would have known? I mean, I’m relatively handy around the house, and don’t have to call a plumber for every plugged drain or leaky faucet. But I had never been involved with the process of replacing a door or window, so really had no conceptualization of the process involved.

Once we were talking with the right folks, we began to learn about some of the amazing options available to us as it relates to energy efficiency, style, and customized applications.

It was not long before we had made the choice to replace a couple of the sliding doors with amazingly beautiful french doors. With the proper interior design, those openings would look extremely extravagant and help us to save money on energy costs as well as increasing the value of our home.

Technorati Tags: french doors, patio doors, window replacement

Entertaining at home is wonderful — when you have a home you can be proud of.  And since no one buys a home in a vacuum — no matter how much they claim not to care, almost everyone wants their friends to be impressed with their home — I highly recommend thinking about whether you could or would entertain in a home before buying it.

For instance, if you are looking at Carlsbad California lofts, you are probably something of an urbanite, which means entertaining at home is a definite possibility — not to mention probably a frequent one.  So make sure when shopping for a home that you look for something that will fit your entertaining needs, including impressing the people you want to impress.

Something else to consider: If you work from home, you want to make sure your work area is separate from the rest of the house, or you are going to look like a workaholic work-from-home type, rather than the cool work-from-home type that everyone envies.  Look for live work space in Carlsbad that is well designed, to offer some separation between work and life, for those times when you really don’t want to be sucked into work at an ungodly hour (or at least don’t want your friends to know that this happens).

I know it’s really tempting to pretend we don’t care what our friends think of our home, but the truth is, we do.  So be sure you consider your entertainment needs when you are shopping for a new home, so that you can entertain with pride once you’ve moved in!

Technorati Tags: Carlsbad California lofts, entertaining at home, live work space in Carlsbad

Individuals who wish to sell San Diego real estate will find themselves in for a wondrous ride.  California itself is a gorgeous state and numerous people flock to it annually looking for a place to call home.  This influx of relocaters means that homes are a premium commodity. San Diego real estate is especially hot, especially since many of the properties rest on sprawling beach fronts within posh and high brow neighborhoods.  Even so, it takes a special kind of personality to take on the task of selling real estate.  The number one attribute a real estate agent must have is the ability to connect with people.  In other words, you really have to be a people person who enjoys helping others.  Assisting people in obtaining a new home, even if it is simply a vacation rental, can be a momentous decision. 

Keeping this is mind will help you  locate a home that is just right for the individual house seeker, which in turn will cement your reputation and aid you in becoming a successful real estate representative.  Another quality you need to possess is a working knowledge of the area you serve. How can you sell real estate in Del Mar for example, if you do not understand the numerous benefits that exist within that community?

Before you embark in a career in real estate, examine your motivation.  If you find you have a passion for it, you may find that selling San Diego real estate is the occupation for you!

Technorati Tags: real estate Del Mar, San Diego real estate, sell real estate, Sell San Diego real estate