How much is that Doggie in the window?

Did you ever think about where those cute little puppies at the pet store come from?

Most of us know that Pet Store Pups come from puppy mills. Puppy Mills are large scale breeding operations where profits are given priority over the health and well being of the breeding dogs or their puppies. Unlike responsible breeders, puppy mills give little if any consideration to the genetic background of the dogs being bred. This leads to generations of dogs with unchecked hereditary problems.

Puppy mill pups are usually sold to the pet stores through a broker or middleman. The pups are put up for sale as young as 8 weeks of age. These dogs do not benefit from play time, treats or any of the conventions used to produce a good healthy pet.

Illness, fearful behavior, disease and lack of socialization are but a few of the common problems that are associated with puppy mill pups. Puppy mill operators generally fail to apply proper husbandry techniques that would remove sick dogs from the breeding pool and that is why puppy mill pups carry congenital diseases such as epilepsy, heart and kidney disease to mention but a few.

Puppy mills house the dogs in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, without adequate care, socialization or medical treatment. No toys or opportunities for exercise are provided. In order to minimize cleanup, dogs are kept in wire bottom cages that often cause injury to paws and legs. These cages are stacked up in rows and many breeder dogs spend their entire lives in the same cage outdoors.

In order to maximize profits, female dogs are bred continuously with little or no time to recover from a prior litter. After a few years, when female dogs can no longer produce, they are often killed. The mom and dad of that cute little puppy in the pet store window most likely will never leave the mill alive.

Puppy mills began to sprout up all over the country after World War II. The United States Department of Agriculture, in response to widespread crop failures, touted purebred puppies as a no-fail cash crop. This of course appealed to farmers facing hard times and chicken coops and rabbit hutches were repurposed for dogs and the retail pet industry. Today, Missouri is known to be the largest puppy mill state in the country. Puppy brokers (middlemen) who deliver the pups from the mill to the pet store provided seminars to teach farmers how to operate a breeding facility. In the 1970's Amish farmers embraced puppy mills as the cash crop of the future. Today, Lancaster Pennsylvania is dubiously known as the Puppy Mill Capital of the East!

What can you do to help fight the puppy mills?

You should refuse to patronize any of the pet stores and web sites that promote these dogs. In fact, do not buy a dog from anywhere that does not allow you to see the entire facility and meet the mother dog. Remember that anyone can build a good looking web site that promotes the highest breeding standards, but the fact is that any responsible breeder will want to meet you to make sure that their prize pups are going to a good home.

Owning a dog can be one of the most beneficial relationships a person can have. A dog becomes a member of the family and gives back more love than it will ever receive. Why start off on the wrong foot by purchasing (at top dollar) a dog that may not have had good breeding and upbringing before he is placed in your care. Do your research and find a good responsible breeder, you will not be sorry that you did.

Halloween Safety - Lets Keep It About Fun!

Remember getting all dressed in your costume to go trick-or-treating? Pure spooky joy. To keep it fun, everyone needs to stay safe. Here are some helpful hints to make sure your kids have a healthy and happy Halloween.

Have adult supervision. Accompany your kids if you don’t think they’re old enough to trick-or-treat on their own.

There is safety in numbers. If they’re old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, tell your kids to stay in a group.

Map out your plan. Designate a route before your kids begin trick-or-treating, and make sure they stick to it.

Take the long way 'round. Have your kids trick-or-treat in areas where there are a lot of people around. They should also avoid taking short-cuts through alleys and parking lots.

Try tick-or-treat-friendly homes. Ensure your kids only visit houses with lights on. And, you might also suggest the houses they visit have some sort of Halloween decoration on the porch.
Stay outside. Make sure your kids don’t go inside someone’s house. They can get their candy from the porch.

Remain visible. Dress your kids in a bright costume so others can see them. If their costume is dark, have your kids wear reflective strips or carry a glow stick or flashlight.

Remember, shorter = safer, goes without saying but just in case you forget, ensure your kids’ costumes aren’t so long that they can trip over them.

Don't cover the face. Instead of masks, have your kids wear make-up so they can see better.

Quality-check treats. Check your kids’ candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with.

Say "no" to strangers. Tell your kids to never accept a ride or go anywhere with a stranger.
Obey the law. Encourage your kids to follow all the regular rules for walking around. That includes looking both ways before crossing, obeying all traffic laws and using cross walks and crossing lights where available.

Have a great time! Make sure your kids have tons of fun and get lots and lots of candy. Please take photos (especially of first timers) and feel free to post them right here on the neighborhood page.

How to Garden and Co-Exist with Deer

As an avid gardener I understand the damage that deer can do to a season of hard work and dedication. Gardening comes in many forms. Most of us spend a great deal of time at this endeavor. Shrubbery can cost a great deal of money and require a certain amount of effort to maintain. So why let the deer come out at night and nourish themselves on your investment. Just one deer can do great damage to your front hedge in just one episode. Not very neighborly is it.

As a realtor, I stress the importance of curb appeal and visual balance. Buyers will sometimes walk away from a home if they don't like what they see. Forget about the fact that if a front hedge is unkept or eaten, I have had to do the old drive by and not even stop. Why? A well planned landscape design can cost more than $10,000 to purchase and install. That includes landscaping. Buyers generally avoid obvious costs going in. So how do we protect this integral part of our home investment?

I moved to Somers, NY in 1996 and I was going to do my own landscaping, lawn mowing and gardening. After 14 yeqars I have no regrets about it. But it did not take long to figure out that I lived in the middle of an established deer trail. That meant that my landscaping from time to time was fed upon. Now some people surround the shrubs with chicken wire fencing. This is just my opinion, but it looks terrible and does nothing for the curb appeal of a home. Electrified fences are good, but I can not opine to that way of thinking, especially that I only have an acre to protect. So I spent much time researching and have found that there are shrubs and plants that deer will not eat. This has been a particularly bad season for deer so I am getting serious now.

One thing to know is that deer dietary likes and dislikes run from neighborhood to neighborhood. Rhubarb is poisonous, but deer will eat it. Adding to the myth that deer (like sharks) will eat anything. So are there plants that they will not eat? Yes! Below is a list of plants that seem not to appeal to our friends. Remember, nothing is foolproof and deer if pressed will eat anything.

Annuals:

Oriental Poppy, Bee Balm, Peony, Jacobs Ladder, Lungwort, Sword Fern, Lavender, Gayflower, Lambsear, Russian Sage, Rose Campoin, Candytuft, Sweet Cicely, Marjoram, Spearmint, Maiden Grass, Obedient Grass, Trillium, Tansy, Speedwell, Yucca, Windflower, Columbine, Sea Pink, Goats Beard, Butterfly Weed, False Rockcress and Blackberry Lillies.

Shrubs:

Lilac, Tamarix, Spirea, Sumac, Eastern Red Cedar, Sweet Pepperbush, Barberry, Black Chokeberry, Butterfly Bush, Forsynthia, Mugho Pine, Smoke Tree, Cinquefoil, Bearberryand Serviceberry.

Keep in mind that there are many other species that are also available. Do your research and plan your landscaping and the rewards are far more than the effort. There is nothing that says more about your home than the love and work that you put into it. Another tip for avoiding deer is - DON'T FEED THEM! They will become accustomed to that and come back time and time again.

Happy Gardening!

Feng Shui & Real Estate

Chinese Feng Shui has been practiced for over 5000 years. It has emerged in its present form through Grand Master Lin Yun. Modern technology, lifestyles, ecology, psychology, spirituality and western customs have been taken into account.

Feng Shui is now used by architects, real estate developers, designers and corporate executives, who have seen the benefits. Through proper siting of your building or site corrections, placement of walls, windows, furnishings, plants and other items or minor adjustments to existing problem areas, stresses can be relieved, human relations improved, productivity increased and customers attracted to your business. Your home can become a place of serene, soul nourishing sanctuary.

Everything is interconnected. Energy or Chi (life force) runs through your dwelling and workspace the same way it runs through your body. External environments affect internal states of being. Issues such as poor health, limited finances or relationship difficulties can be traced to corresponding structural and energy imbalances in your surroundings.

Feng Shui has become an integral part of the real estate market and is used in staging properties, homes and businesses. I have been working to bring balance to my back yard pool setting and am feeling pretty good about it. The area is more aesthetically pleasing and relaxation is more easily achieved.

Somers AYSO Soccer Teams Compete at the Nationals in Florida

Three Soccer Teams from our little town were invited to compete in the AYSO Soccer National Tournament in Florida last week. Aside from being an honor to be selected, it must be noted that it takes a tremendous effort to bring these young athletes to the event.

Parents and coaches coordinated numerous fundraising events leading up the day of departure, enabling the team including coaches to travel and provided room and board for them as well. These folks that have given their time and resources need to be recognized and given THANKS.

The opening ceremony took place at Palm Beach Central High School on July 6, 2010. The games were played at the International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida.

Our U-16 Boys Team named the Blazers competed and were coached by Ed Heller and Harold Aryee. Lou Chiraboga handled the training. The U-16 Boys played 3 teams from California out of Glendale, Valencia and Chino Hills and also a team from Phoenix Arizona. The Blazers goal Keeper Harold Aryee, Jr. was named Blazer Team MVP.

The Somers U-14 Boys team, Somers United played teams from Trinidad & Tobago, South Los Angeles, CA, Clearwater, Florida, Kansas and Flushing Michigan. Coaches for the Somers United are Said Reda and Bill Bennett.

The U-10 Girls Team, the Somers Tuskers also competed in the tournament. Unfortunately, our teams did not advance to the finals, but had a great sports experience and will be back in 2012 to compete again when the AYSO Nationals take place in Knoxville Tennesee.

Once again, THANKS to the coaches and parents who work very hard to make this all happen for these kids. Without their efforts it would be hard to see this all come together.

Home Improvements - Value & Cost

Home Remodeling:

Cost & Value

In today’s real estate market, whether you are a Buyer, Seller or Holder, the most valuable tool is information. And YES, you are one of those three or thinking about becoming one. In either case, the “Home Remodeling” question comes into play - Do I or Don’t I remodel this house and flip it for profit? Do I want to buy this house and put the work in myself, then live there? Do I want to build a new home? Do I want to remodel my existing home? We can go on and on about the questions alone.

Realtors deal with these vexing scenarios daily. Today’s economy has proved to be a challenge for the real estate market in a number of ways. Yes believe it or not, the prices of real estate have fallen significantly. If you are not aware of that, you are now. Each client possesses a unique scenario that applies to the sale or purchase of a property.

In this post we will be dealing with – Do I want to remodel my existing home?

Proper remodeling of an existing home in effect turns back the clock. My son Matthew has often said to me, “Dad don’t worry, 50 is the new 40”. Well, that didn’t really make me feel better, but I can equate that to remodeling an existing home. Updating a kitchen or bathroom can take years off a homes perceived value. In other words, homes with updated kitchens and bathrooms do garner a better market value than homes that have original fixtures in place. Naturally we are talking about homes that have some age on them. My home was built in 1967 and needs bathroom updating. In 1967 my brother Mitch had this really cool GTO (pictured above with me in July 1967). I bet that car was maintained and restored by someone, somewhere. I think Mitch sold that car in the early 80's. You see where I'm going with this. Right! Homes are the same way. Good maintenance and solid improvements add value to your home. First in the form of comfort and security while you live there and then in the form of $$$ when you decide to sell. How much $$$ is what we are exploring here.

The fact is that home remodeling is a huge part of the real estate industry and there are rankings given to each type of remodeling based on Cost vs. Value returned. I will attempt to give some examples keeping to our region, the Mid-Atlantic, and comparing to national averages. Our figures will come from an article by G.M. Filisko written for Realtor Magazine.

The three categories are Additions, Remodelings and Replacements. Our Region averages are used for job cost, resale value and value recouped upon sale. Our region is the Mid-Atlantic. Highlighted values represent highest value recouped in category.

Additions

Each lines shows the Job Cost, Resale Value & Recouped Value upon sale

Attic Bedroom $53,780, $39,292, 73.1%
Back-Up Gen. $15,290, $8,206, 53.7%
Bathroom $42,441, $22,272, 52.5%
Deck Comp. $15,890, $10,404, 65.5%
Deck Wooden $11,260, $7,917, 70.3%
Family Rm $88,704, $51,991, 58.6%
Garage $62,431, $34,847, 55.8%
Master Suite $111,857, $67,612, 60.4%
Sunroom $76,580, $38,661, 50.5%
2nd Story $165,708, $107,770, 65.0%


Remodeling

Each line shows Job Cost, Resale Value & Recouped value upon sale.

Basement $67,455, $41,127, 61.0%
Bathroom $17,383, $11,817, 68.0%
Home Office $29,525, $13,841, 46.9%
Major Kitchen $59,505, $39,860, 66.5%
Minor Kitchen $22,130, $15,973, 72.2%


Replacements

Each line shows Job Cost, Resale Value & Recouped value upon sale.

Entry Door $1,248, $1,217, 97.5%
Roofing $22,292, $14,508, 65.1%
Siding Vinyl $10,980, $8,920, 81.2%
Window Vinyl $11,408, $8,766, 76.8%
Window Wooden $12,410, $9,248, 74.5%


There are Up-scale values for some of the types of remodeling shown above. For instance, an upscale Bathroom addition can cost $81,266 and resale for $42,240 rendering a 52.0% recouped value. Whereas, an up-scale bathroom remodeling may cost $55,766 and resale for $31,862 and a recouped value of 57.1%.

These figures are regional averages and costs may differ in your particular area. Always get more than one quote for a job that you want done. Comparing price and job quality are important factors in any home remodeling. Check for references whenever you have work done on your home.

Get Outdoors - Westchester County Parks Provide Something For Everyone

With winter coming to an end, many people want or need to get outdoors. Westchester County has a wide variety of choices to suit just about anyone. Boating, horseback riding, bike riding, fishing, camping and so much more are easily accessible. Check this link to get a jump start on this years outdoor activities.
http://www.fcwc.org/directory/wcoppnc.htm