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Year: 2013
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness month AND…

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog

IMG_20121011_170213October has so many perks!  Beautiful colors,  lots of sunny days with cool sleeping-with-the-windows-open evenings, football, crunchy leaves, homemade soups, breast cancer awareness and Taste of Altoona!  What more could a person want?

The Eisenlauer Team will be at Taste of Altoona, Thur. Oct 17 from 5:00-8:00.  We will be doing a pink theme again to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. We will have PINK bags for you to pick up, pink cotton candy and be ready with any real estate needs you might have.

Here’s my rant about “themes of the month”.  Often, we are so inundated with themes and colors and special days that we become immune or de-sensitized. It’s just more “noise” that we have learned to shut out.  I understand that. I have gone for an annual mammogram for the last 10 years, at least. I have been called back for abnormalities. But 4 years ago, I was called back and then scheduled for a biopsy. The biopsy was positive for cancer and I prepared to “fight like a girl”.  We have been told by the press that annual mammograms are not necessary. I wonder if I’d had the same prognosis if my small lump had gone another year?  I say if there’s a female in your life – a mother, a sister, a wife, a neighbor, a co-worker – make this the month you’ll hold them accountable. Make sure they schedule the test. Make it an outing – take them to the appointment, then go to lunch, go shopping, go to a movie – but get it done!

Stop by the Eisenlauer Team booth at the taste of Altoona. Get your pink bag, cotton candy and ask us Real Estate questions. Hope you see you there!

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Rant on Bureaurcracy

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog

What happened to “The Buck Stops Here” ? You can agree or disagree with Harry Truman’s politics, but you have to respect a person that accepts the responsibility for what does or does not get done in his office.

  • Bureaucracy is the death of all sound work. Albert Einstein
Post office – We overnighted a package for signatures through the United State Post Office. Overnight means something to the person paying the cost. Apparently to postal employees, it means if it isn’t delivered overnight, there’s a process you can go through to get your money refunded.
  • Bureaucracy is the art of making the possible, impossible.
We’re listing a house that the assessor has assigned to both Pleasant Hill and Runnells. Now, we know that the property can NOT be in two jurisdictions. Call the assessor, they said it’s the auditor that assigns the address. Call the auditor, they said yes, it’s in Runnells but mailing address is Pleasant Hill. I said no, it’s an error, who do I speak to get it corrected?  Well, maybe Planning and Zoning, you might have to get a corrected warranty deed. I’ll get back to you. Are you joking?  Can’t someone simply correct the mistake?
  • In any bureaucracy, paper work increases as you spend more and more time reporting on the less and less you are doing.
Only at the DOT can you wait in a line for an hour to get a number to wait in line.
  • The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is its inefficiency.
Finally a thought that gives me hope!      
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Not One, But Two Art Festivals!

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog

How fortunate are we here in the central Iowa to have TWO major art festivals to attend. Even if you don’t have original art in your budget, there are so many reasons to attend!

  • Art Demonstrations
  • Live Music
  • Free interactive exhibits for children.
  • Food vendors
  • Film Festival
  • Sculpture Park
  • Unlimited People Watching
  • Downtown Art Festival website has schedule details.
  • Climate controlled shopping
  • An array of local artists, as well as out of state.
  • Hot chocolate chip cookies in a bucket ( a teaser to hold you over to the state fair!)
  • More free children’s activities.
  • Lots of free parking.
  • The Other Art Show ‘s schedule and additional information on their website.
  • Free shuttle bus between the two.

However you feel about the highbrow art, the abundance of out-of-state artists, the high price tags – you have to admit that if gives Des Moines notoriety, showcases our town, and gives us a great opportunity to experience a fun, exciting, affordable weekend. Hope you partake!

And in case you’d like the Eisenlauer Team’s opinion on that work of art before you buy, be sure to give us a call.

Bill  770-2455   Bob 979-2883

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What to do in Des Moines – 3 day weekend

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog
Here’s some suggestions for activities in Des Moines area.
  • Bring on Summer – Altoona, from 6:00-11:00. Live band and food at the Center Place back lot (behind Royal Flooring)
  • Car Races at the Iowa State Fairgrounds- Friday night.
  • BB King at Prairie Meadows tonight at 8:00PM
  • Nitefall on the River begins Sat. night – Hairball is playing – gates open at 7pm, show at 8.
  • Smokin’ in the Junction – BarBQue and live music Sat- Sun in Valley Junction.
  • Chichaqua Free Skinners – North of Bondurant, find out what life was like in the 1800’s. Sat-Sun.
  • Kid’s activities and fun at Bass Pro in Altoona – Sat- Sun
  • Memorial Day program at Iowa Events Center
  • Camp Dodge Open house on Monday, tour the museum, have breakfast, shop at the PX
Enjoy the weekend. Honor those who have died in the service of our country. Thank a Soldier.
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What’s cooking in Kitchen Design?

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog
We’re doing some updating in our home kitchen, so I’ve been looking at the current kitchen trends. The National Kitchen and Bath Association does a survey every year and publishes their findings. They calculate the rise and fall of  trends in components of kitchens and baths. When making changes,  you should consider doing what’s coming up, not what has been. Here’s some of the findings of the NKBA.
  • White-painted cabinets have been very popular. Cherry is the number one wood choice,  maple is second.
  • The clean simple lines of the shaker style cabinets are still the #1 choice. Contemporary is #2. Designing cabinets to resemble furniture is also very trendy.
  • Satin Nickel has been the top choice for fixtures since 2011. Oil-rubbed bronze is gaining in popularity.
  • Granite is still the #1 choice for counter tops, quartz is coming in second and gaining popularity. It is not cheaper, but better for color control and consistency.
  • Glass is becoming very popular for back-splashes.
  • Gray color schemes, in both kitchen and bath, have seen a marked increase in the last 3 years.
The good news is, remodels are increasing. Home sales are rebounding. Interest rates are low. Whether you’re making improvements to sell your house or to update, pay attention to what’s trending in the market now. And if you have questions about what the market is doing in your neighborhood, give the Eisenlauer Team a call. We’re Easy to Work With…Hard to Beat!

Bill  770-2455   Bob  979-2883

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Local Real Estate Buzz

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog
Facebook plans to build in Altoona. North of I-80 and Bass Pro will be the new home of Facebook’s Tech Center.  There is some controversy about how much of an economic impact this will have on our local economy.  They will be building a “data center” – whatever that is.  It probably will not be built by local contractors. It will employ fewer than 30 people.  They are not elite tech positions – salaries expected to be $50,000/yr. They’ve received $18 million of incentives to locate in Altoona.  It looks like, at least on paper, Hubbell Realty is making a profit. Hubbell purchased the 197 acres in 2005 for $2.5 million with the intent to develop for residential construction. They sold to Facebook for $4.8 Million. Mortgage rates dropped again this week, according to CNN money.  You can get a 15 yr. fixed rate loan for a record low of 2.56%. The most popular term for a mortgage is 30-yr, that was at 3.35%. Greater Des Moines foreclosure rates decreased in February over the same period last year, according to real estate analytics firm CoreLogic Inc. The rate of foreclosures among outstanding mortgages was 2.3 percent, down from 2.65 percent in February 2012. The national foreclosure rate was 2.85 percent in February. The delinquency rate also dropped in Greater Des Moines, to 4.23 percent from 4.7 percent a year ago. Feed Energy’s parent company – Riley Resource Group has begun remodeling work on the former Lakeside Fitness Center building in Pleasant Hill.  30 of the 100 employees will be located in the newly remodeled building. The north side of the this building is predominately glass. Wouldn’t that be a great work view? Home ownership statistics for the 30-35 yr old age group still needs a boost. This is the age group that is typically  looked at, as an indicator of the housing market. If you’re in this age group and don’t yet own a house – give us a call and we’ll help you define the advantages of buying a home in today’s market. Eisenlauer Team, Easy to Work With…Hard to Beat!

Bill 770-2455  Bob 979-2883

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What to do with your Lawn??

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog

I think it’s finally spring here in Polk County. I visited the Iowa State Extension website to see what tips I could pass onto homeowners concerning spring lawn care. Here’s what I found from my research:

  • Clean Up. Clear away branches that have fallen, sticks, litter that accumulates in snow drifts. Rake it all up, so the fresh grass comes in strong.
  • Aerate.  You can rent an aerator or hire someone with equipment to do the job. This breaks up the thatch and decompacts the soil.
  • If winter has killed some areas of grass – it’s  a good time to re-seed those areas.
  • The best time to fertilize is in the fall, but if that didn’t happen, do it now. 
  • When you start  mowing, remember to set your mower at about 3″.
  • After your lawn has been mowed a few times, spread broad- leaf herbicide. Liquid is most effective. If you use granular, wait till the lawn is wet so it will stick to the leaves.
A clean, green, neatly manicured lawn is always enticing to a new buyer. So, if you’re thinking about putting your house on the market, don’t neglect the first impression your lawn makes. And when you’re ready to list – call the Eisenlauer Team.

Bill – 770-2455   Bob 979-2883

 
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The Happiest Job in the USA – Realtors!

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog
Forbes magazine did an article on the 10 Happiest and 10 Un-Happiest jobs in America. The survey was done by CareerBliss. ( I can’t imagine that employees of Career Bliss wouldn’t be the Happiest employees!) They asked employees to evaluate 10 factors such as work environment, compensation, growth opportunities, daily tasks. Wouldn’t you guess Disney employees or kindergarten teachers?  The No. One Happiest Job is Real Estate Agent!  Some of the factors sited are, setting ones own schedule, having control over amount of money one can earn,  historically low interest rates, low inventory – all adds up to Happy Agents. Some of the things that surprised me in this survey.
  • Jobs I’d never heard of, such as – Senior Quality Assurance Engineer! What is that? 
  • Logistics Manager are No. 6 in the list of Happiest. I don’t know any Logistics managers, do you?
  • No. 2 Unhappiest Job: Customer Service Associate, that one is not a surprise.
  • No 4 Unhappiest is Registered Nurse – I thought they would be happier, there’s no shortage of jobs available.
  • No. 5 Unhappiest is Teachers. I thought they would be on the happy list.
The Eisenlauer Team has two Happy Realtors who are ready and willing to help you buy your dream home, sell your current house, find some land to move to the country – whatever your real estate needs are.

Bill 770-2455  Bob 979-2883

     
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Sales and Scents

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog
Any obscure topic you can think of – there’s a been a  study done on it, probably at our expense!  The Washington Post reports on a study done by the business college at Washington State University.  The students compiled data on the effects of aromas on sales. Of particular interest to me, and hopefully to you – is the scent that is most likely to entice a buyer to purchase your house. We’ve always been instructed and therefore instructed our sellers to fill the house with the aroma of baked goods when a showing or open house is scheduled. A frozen pie, cookies or bread – have been our favorite suggestions. Now the “experts” are telling us that complex scents, even though pleasant, are a distraction to a potential buyer.  At open houses, “they are not there to process the smells. They are there to process whether this is a place they want to live,” Prof. Spangenberg Washington U. says. The study concludes that a simple scent, such as lemon, basil or pine, is easier to process, less distracting; therefore more conducive to spending. One real estate agent simply brings in fresh cut pine branches, lavender or mint. Look for a scent that is congruent with the lifestyle you’re trying to sell. And if you’re puzzled what aroma in congruent with your house – call the Eisenlauer Team. We’ll give you our professional opnion!

Bill 770-2455  Bob 979-2883

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2013 Pantone Color of the Year – Emerald Green

Author:myrna
Categories:Blog
Are you aware that, every year,  Pantone chooses a Color of the Year?  The color gurus pay attention to what’s being used globally – in fashion, graffiti, landscapes, cityscapes etc – and elect an honored color every year. According to Pantone, Emerald Green promotes balance and harmony.  The perception of emerald is sophistication. It’s the color of money. It indicates new growth, and a fresh start. It is lively and radiant – Look to nature for inspiration – pair it with yellow and oranges for an energizing jolt. Emerald is lush – a jewel tone. Think of other jewel tones to pair it with – purples, blues, reds, black and golds. Balance and harmony – Let the emerald be the pop of rich color against neutral backdrop of grays, whites, muted yellow or blues. Now that you’re aware  of the color for 2013 – take notice if you see it in your world. In clothes, jewelry, designer fabrics, printed materials, furniture, exterior color of business, front door of a home.

And if you want color design advice – call the Eisenlauer Team. We can steer you to the people who “know”

Bill 770-2455   Bob 979-2883

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