Appraising Wayne Manor, sales tax holidays, and the rise of meadows
If Bruce Wayne decided to sell Wayne Manor, what would it appraise for? According to Movoto via Wired Magazine, a little over $32 million. They base this on the size, land and location (assuming Gotham is really Chicago). Note that this appraisal doesn’t include the Bat Cave and other goodies owned by the Caped Crusader: one would assume that Batman would seal off the Bat Cave in case he decided to ever return. And with the way Hollywood is recycling movies, you know he’ll be back…
“Don’t get sick in July” is a popular refrain in some quarters. The theory goes that July is the month last year’s interns leave and a new batch starts in most hospitals, making it the month with the least-experienced crew on board. But is it true? Time reviews the “July Effect” and comes to the conclusion…maybe. They also give advice on how you can counter any effect, even if there really is none.
Seventeen states will have sales-tax holidays this year — and 12 will fall on the first weekend of August, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. Georgia returns to the list of states offering tax breaks this year after canceling its sales-tax holiday in 2010 because of a budget deficit. See if your state is on the list here.
Green, manicured lawns are old school. Meadows have taken their place, says the Wall Street Journal. Meadows are a backlash against perfect lawns that use fertilizer, chemicals, lots of water and lots of energy. Landscape artists love them, but homeowners associations, not so much. Meadows can be a sore point with suburban homeowners associations, whose lawn codes often frown upon anything remotely weedy-looking. Meadows generally take about three years to be established, with the first year looking straggly and weedy. After more growth, you will need to mow only once a year.
A wrinkle-free approach to traveling. Hint: knits, wrinkle-resistant fabrics, rolling when packing, and wrapping in dry-cleaning bags can all help.
Lifehacker discusses clever ways Amazon can save you time and money. You can share your Prime Membership with four people and save on shipping costs, have valuable items shipped to a locker instead of waiting in the open on your front porch, and upgrade to a ebook after you have purchased a hardcopy book.
America is the land of the free—and that applies to many of the country’s star attractions as well. Make the most of your summer by visiting these famous spots around the United States; you won’t have to pay a penny to do it.
What’s my password? How much is this condo worth? Where are my Thin Mints?!
By far the most frequently asked question asked by members is the ubiquitous ‘What’s my username and password?’ We cringe whenever we see that the answer is ‘password’ or ‘letmein’. Even if you have a little more complicated login, it’s not very hard for today’s powerful computers to worm their way into your system. Take a moment to review your passwords. Are all of them basically the same? If people got your realtor.org password would they have access to your bank account?
Warren Buffett says along with equities, single-family homes are a very attractive investment right now.
As an agent or broker, you know it’s important to ‘know your market’. Be up to speed on deals in the area, what places are selling for, what buyers are looking for, etc. But not only is it important to know all this, it’s important to let clients and potential clients know that you know. The New York Times has an interesting article on an amateur appraiser who turned his passion for pre-war apartments on the Upper West Side into a part time career as an agent. His social media posts, which started out as a hobby, have brought him business.
Would you prefer to live in a community where you had to drive everywhere for everything, or would you prefer to live in a community where you could walk, ride a bicycle, take public transportation, or drive to get to where you want to go? While you may prefer the latter, Congress is only funding the former. The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted on February 2 to eliminate funding for nonmotorized transportation (e.g., bike paths and sidewalks) from the federal transportation bill working its way through Congress.
Is ivy on your house a menace or a protector? According to Oxford University, ivy does not crack bricks and mortar, but does protect the building against airborne pollution, and creates a microclimate that shelters the building from freeze-thaw damage.
For a long stretch of the 20th century, Bell Labs was the most innovative scientific organization in the world. The New York Times has an interesting article highlighting their remarkable achievements. The accompanying timeline graph visually it out.
Companies are always trying to get employees to eat better and exercise. They know that healthy employees are happy employees and more productive employees. But how do you get those holdouts? ‘Gamification‘ – the process of using game thinking and game mechanics to engage audiences and solve problems - is the answer for some.
Are you desperate for a Thin Mint or a Tagalong but haven’t seen any Girl Scouts selling cookies in your neighborhood? Fortunately, the Girl Scouts have created a free Cookie Locator App to quench those cookie cravings and support a worthy organization at the same time. Thank god mine arrived today!
