I’m a moving pro. Really, I’ve moved so many times the past few years that I’ve got it down to a fine science. And that means that i am always interested in reading about ways to making moving easier. Although, I assure you, I don’t intend to ever move again myself! Most folks in the world aren’t able to make such a statement, though. If you’re one of the unlucky people who will move this year, I want to tell you about a site that has great moving services.  MovingOrbit.com isn’t just about moving trucks, although they provide trucks, too, for do-it-yourselfers.  They’ll provide multiple estimates for both local and interstate moving companies.  Then all you have to do is select the mover that gives you the best price and protection for your belongings.
 

I’m so thankful that it is spring.  Last weekend RT and I went to Lowe’s and bought some plants for our garden and orchard.  We also ordered some plants online.  We don’t HAVE a garden or orchard yet, but we WILL have them both soon.  And the following are some of the items that will be planted.

(1) Winesap apple trees

(2) Golden Delicious apple trees

(3) Peach trees

(4) Blueberry bushes

(5) Blackberry bushes

(6) Grape vines

(7) Muscadine vines

(8) Raspberry plants

(9) Red rose bushes

(10) Yellow rose bushes

(11) Pink rose bushes

(12) Orange rose bushes

(13) Lots and lots of lilies and other flowers

RT and I are considering naming our homeplace “Rocky Ridge.”  The house is built on top of a ridge, and it is very rocky.  T laughed the first time I suggested the name last year.  However, it’s kinda grown on us.  We have also considered naming it “Gnarly Oak Ridge” because beside one of the paths along the ridge there is a huge oak tree that has very gnarly looking roots running around above ground.  We christened it “gnarly oak” a couple years ago.  We’ve considered other names, too, but those are the top two at this point.  I like the idea of giving our place a name.  Any other suggestions?

This afternoon when I got home from school, I spent awhile outside watering the rose bushes, blueberry bushes, blackberry bushes, apple trees and peach trees we bought last weekend.  Then when RT got home, we decided to take a walk.  We walked for about thirty or forty minutes through the woods, up to the top of one of the hills, and then we got our son’s four-wheeler out of the barn.  RT drove, and I climbed on behind him, and we rode to the bottom of the hill around the river - then down to the end of the driveway and back.  It was so much fun!

Few things are more scary than going into your basement and seeing water.  You immediately start wondering where the water is coming from and what can be done to stop it.   The B-Dry System Wet Basement Waterproofing Process will not only take care of waterproofing basement issues, but the company can also do other work that might be needed. For example, they will repair cracks in basement walls, reinforce bulging or bowing walls, and they can remove/repair faulty drains.

The B-Dry System has been tested for over fifty years in over two hundred thousand homes, and it is backed by a full warranty that lasts for the lifetime of your home.  There are over 60 independent licensees and franchises nationwide.

Spring is not only in the air - it’s here!  My favorite season of the year.  The weather so far this weekend has been phenomenal.  RT and I went to Lowe’s on Friday and bought blueberry bushes, blackberry bushes, rose bushes, apple trees, and pear trees.  We also got some gladiola bulbs and some lilies.  I’m really excited about having a small rose garden again.  And I think our little orchard will be wonderful.  The challenge will be keeping the deer from eating everything.

Even before we moved into our new home last October, we religiously kept the local birds well fed.  We set up bird feeders all over the backyard while the house was still in construction.  And now,  we’re still at it.  Each day RT refills the bird feeders, and immediately all the chickadees, gold finches, woodpeckers, cardinals, and other birds descend on the feeders.  They’re beautiful, and we never tire of looking at them.  We have our bird books and our Meade binoculars nearby so we can identify each bird easily.  We have a bird log that we keep saying we will start writing the date and identity of the birds that we see at our feeders.  RT kept a bird log with his grandmother many years ago, and he has fond memories of keeping track of the birds at his home feeders.

Anacortes Telescope and Wild Bird is a company that sells all the popular brands of telescopes and binoculars - including Celestron, Meade and Bushnell.   And that reminds me of our next adventure - buying a telescope.  Since we live on top of a hill and out from the city, I think we could probably enjoy some incredible stargazing adventures.  Anacortes Telescope and Wild Bird also sells all kinds of bird feeders and bird foods, clothing, supplies and accessories.   They have books, cameras and videos  related to bird-watching or star-watching.   Click on over and check it out.

RT and I have been looking for a House Cleaning Service to come to our house once a week.  It hasn’t been an easy task.  So far we’ve had two people come in.  We tried the first one for two weeks.  Their price was outrageous, but we were assured that the house would sparkle every single time.  That has been the problem in the past.  The person would do a terrific job the first couple of times, and then the quality would start dropping.   The first week the house looked wonderful.  The second week, they didn’t even empty the trashcans and a step stool was left out in the great room. 

The second person quoted a price that was so ridiculous, we decided that maybe we should get into the house-cleaning business ourselves.

In surfing the internet, I came across MaidPro.com which is a quality cleaning service that offers franchise opportunities.  Hmmmm!  Maybe RT and I should follow through with our idea of going into the business ourselves.

MaidPro.com has a 49-point checklist that they use with every home to ensure that everything is cleaned well and the house is left sparkling clean.  They’re not stuck to the 49-point checklist, though.  They will customize their cleaning to fit your individual needs.

Building our new home this past year was a challenge.  There were so many decisions to be made.  I’m thrilled with the granite countertops that we selected.  We probably spent more time looking at various slabs of granite than any other one item we selected for our home.  I love our granite.  You can see a slab that is similar to ours at American Home Craft Inc.  The name of their granite is “Giallo Veneziano.”  We found that in looking for granite, you go by how it looks rather than by the name since there are so many natural variations in the stone.

One of the things I like about our granite is how it not only has the grey to bring out the gray and black in our stainless appliances, but it also has deep browns to bring out the cherry cabinetry.  And speaking of cabinetry, American Home Craft also offers cabinet refacing which would be an awesome alternative to replacing cabinets.

There is so much to know about mortgages.  Just the word itself can strike fear in people’s hearts simply because mortgages can be so confusing with all the different types of mortgages and all the options that are available.  Fortunately there are sources of information to help you make the best decision for your situation.  One such source is Money Magic.  Money Magic is a UK firm specializing in all types of loans and in providing their clients with not only the lowest loan rates but also the best mortgage advice. Best of all, the mortgage advice, quotes and information are free.  You can simply surf their website, or you can follow three steps to get a free quote:  (1) fill out an online form, (2) receive a phone call during which you will talk to one of their advisors, and (3) then receive a free quote based on your specific circumstances.

I’ve never really understood what title insurance is.  Well sure, it’s insurance for a home’s title, but what does that mean?  Insurance against what? For what?  If you check the Yellow Pages, you’ll find that there are lots of title insurance companies, but what services do a  title insurance company provide for us?

Each time a land title transaction takes place, It is recorded with the local government.  Typically that is with the county government.  The transaction is then indexed by the names of the grantor (transferor) and the grantee( transferee).  In order to determine who owns the title to the property, those indexes must be examined.  Title insurance is simply protection against loss that arises from any problem that might arise connected to the property’s title.

For example, your home and/or the land it stands on might have gone through some ownership changes.  Somewhere along that chain of ownership, there may be a weak link that could potentially cause trouble.  There could be a problem with authenticating signatures or there might be unpaid taxes.  Title insurance covers you for any claims and legal fees that might arise from those issues.

Title insurance is necessary if you need a mortgage.  All mortgage lenders require mortgage insurance equal to the amount of the loan.  The insurance continues until the loan is paid.  The title insurance is paid upfront when you take out your mortgage.  While title insurance protects the lender up to the amount of the mortgage, it doesn’t protect your equity.  For that, you would purchase an owners’ title policy for the full value of your home.