Roy Kelley Sells Maryland Homes

A recent new construction walk through was scheduled intentionally a day before the final walk through with the builder.  My client had said they wanted to do our inspection after the final with the builder!  To that I said , "No, no, no!  You need them to include anything we find on the list of repairs they will sign and give to you."  My client emailed me back a simple, "Good point."  So he asked and they agreed to have us come earlier.

The kitchen vent was one of those powerful commercial types.  It has five speeds and at the highest setting could suck out a small child ... or even a squirrel. 

My client asked me if it vents outdoors.

I said, "These are very powerful and designed to only vent outside."

Then I opened the cabinet.

Wow, was I wrong!

This is the new, very special, In And Out Kitchen Vent!  Silly me...

It vents inside AND outside!

Now there is so much wrong here it is hard to mention it all.  But look:

1.  The vent hole in the wall was obviously an after thought.

2.  They cut through the cabinet, then wall, then exterior sheathing, then the Tyvek wrap.

3.  The exterior vent opening is apparently screwed into the siding.

4.  The insulation is no longer there and no work-o.

The kicker?!  The agent emailed me back after their walk through with the builder to say the gentleman who walked through with them was "surprised" at the number of items I had identified.  And as to this vent?  She wrote, "the guy that did the walk through with us agreed entirely about the need to do something to improve the aesthetics of the area around that vent!!" 

Well, praise, praise!  And just the AESTHETICS??!!  He "agreed??"

My recommendation:  On a final walk through check the inside of all cabinets!  I always do...

 

On Sunday, my husband and I decided to take our chocolate lab, Zeke, to Blue Bend Recreation Park at Monongahela National Forest.  We have been there many times, and I even wrote a post on our first visit at Blue Bend with Zeke.  

We were having a great time, enjoying a picnic and playing with Zeke in the water.  He loves to play "fetch" anyplace, anywhere, anytime.

 

 

After spending about two hours of playing "fetch"  in the river, a forest ranger approached my husband and warned us that dogs are not allowed in the water were people are swimming.  Therefore, Zeke had to either leave the water, and be kept on a leash at all times while in the park, or we would be subject to a fine.

 

 

There were three other couples with their dogs and the officer warned each of them, also. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since Zeke couldn't go in the water, we packed up our gear and came home. 

General rules for pets and animals in National Forests:

• Pets must be restrained or on a leash at all times while in developed recreation areas. Animals (except certified assistance animals) are not allowed in swimming areas or sanitary facilities.

 

The Monongahela National Forest is a beautiful place with breathtaking vistas, peaceful country roads, gently flowing streams, great place for camping, swimming, fishing, canoeing, biking, walking trails, and so much more.

 

We will return to Blue Bend Recreation Park , but unfortunately we'll have to find another place along Anthony's Creek or the Greenbrier River for Zeke to swim.

 

 

 

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If I can assist you in any way with your real estate needs, please feel free to contact me by phone at (304) 520-2133, email, or visit my website. Licensed in West Virginia and Virginia.

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Hurricane Earl and the Crystal Coast

 

As of this afternoon, The track of Hurricane Earl is not going to make landfall in the Carolinas.  While we are hoping against a direct hit, We are warned of Tropical Storm force winds and extremely dangerous surf and Rip Currents.  Town Managers along the Coast of North Carolina are urging residents to remove any debris from your yards, secure your belongings such as lawn & patio furniture and any other item that could be thrown in high winds, and DO NOT go near the water.  It is also very important to monitor the storm closely, as the smallest shift to the West of the current track could mean an evacuation is in order. 

 

I do my best not to panic and to always be prepared.  We have our cat kennels lined up, fresh batteries in the flashlights & the emergency weather radio, enough water and non-perishable foods to last at least one week in case of power outages.  We have our Emergency Kit packed and ready for use. We will track the storm over the next 24 hours, and if it looks like it is shifting towards us....We are outta here.  

 

We have a list of evacuation plans to choose from; Head to Cobb Creek Cabins in Murphy for a weekend of hiking, maybe go to Asheboro and visit the NC Zoo and other museums...hmmm? Of Course, my five kitties have voted on a little road trip to Craig Rutman's Place in Raleigh.  We understand his HOA only permits 4 angry kitties at a time, so "Pugsley" would have to be Tranquilized.  Oh...Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

 

 

Seriously though...Please Stay Safe, Be Prepared and don't ever take any chances.  Pay attention to warnings and evacuation orders and try to always have an emergency plan in place for you, your family and your pets.  For up to the minute updates visit the National Hurricane Center.

Amy Hahn

REALTOR/Broker

Pine Knoll Shores Realty
Mobile: 252-723-7972
Office: 252-727-5000
Toll Free: 800-605-8598
Email: info@pineknollshoresrealty.com
Website: www.pineknollshoresrealty.com

              

 Amy Hahn , Crystal Coast Real Estate - Amy's Crystal Coast Blog

After posting a couple of times about my weight loss and fitness goals here, I am very pleased to report that I met and exceeded my original weight loss goal yesterday. 

Since today is my 40th birthday, this was a terrific gift.

I started out at 248 pounds (my heaviest ever) and today, I weighed in at exactly 208 pounds.  Needless to say, I was truly excited.

I've worked very hard at getting this weight off and the speed with which it happened surprised me, frankly. 

When I wrote about my goals publicly, I promised to update my profile picture when I got to 210 pounds or less.  As you can see, I kept my promise.  :)

For the sake of comparison, here are my "before and after" photos:

 

 

 

Since this is the first time I've seen them side by side, I am astounded at how much healthier I appear to be now.  This is the result of (almost) daily exercise, along with much better eating habits.  I'm pretty sure that I am almost unrecognizable to my friends, unless they've known me since college, since I was this weight as a sophomore in school. 

I plan to continue my fitness journey, mainly to see just how much more I lose, then to gain muscle on top of that.  I feel amazingly good and I have more energy than I can remember having in the past 15 years or more.

THANK YOU to those of you who have encouraged me and sent me emails and messages of support.  If you are interested in knowing all of the details of the applications I used, along with a general idea of my calorie consumption and exercise regimen, let me know.  Basically, I ate less without horribly depriving myself, and moved my body a whole lot more. My exercise included walking (lots), running (less than walking), some biking, calisthenics, and, as of 2.5 weeks ago, the P90X workout system.

I hope this doesn't come across as bragging - I truly managed to surprise myself, too!  Basically, I wanted to share the fact that, even though I was a very sedentary almost-40-year-old man who ate whatever he wanted for many years, I was able to make a change for the better.  If I can do it, you probably can, too.  :)

Thanks for reading!

 

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If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can visit my primary Austin real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com.  If you're interested in social media training, visit 210 Consulting. Thanks!