Butternut Squash

I just read that google searches for butternut squash are up 279%. People are trying to figure out how to cook the darn things for Thanksgiving. Personally, I was just on Epicurious.com, looking for some interesting hors d'oeuvre recipes for Thanksgiving. They won't include butternut squash though. I found an interesting polenta tart recipe and some other thing with caramelized onions... The point of this, however, is not really to talk about squash or Thanksgiving menus, but to wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Here is a little laugh for the holiday. Either click on the link above or copy/paste in your browser. Turn up the volume......enjoy.....and Happy Thanksgiving. Dmitry, Maureen & Katya

Habitat Helps Take DOWN Houses too!

My childhood home will only exist for a few more days. Next year a glorious home will be built on the site where my parents lived for more than 35 years. We were the only family to ever live in that home. My mom found a spec home while still being built, they bought it, and she watched as the builders finished. Two years ago my parents sold the home to another builder, who saw great potential in their lot on Quarton Lake in Birmingham. There's lots of tearing down and renovation that goes on in our afflluent communities like Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills. There is also a place that wants to take fixtures, doors, appliances and other things out of the house before the wrecking ball arrives. We told my mom about Habitat for Humanity's Restore, and she asked the builder to donate the windows that had only been in the house for a few years. Today we saw that Habitat was going to need a bigger truck to haul away the bounty they salvaged from Lakeside. Everyone benefits from this wonderful program. The builder pays less for the amount of refuse he sends to a landfill, and he gets a nice write-off. He didn't even have to do the work; Habitat came, uninstalled, and hauled away the items they could use. The ReStore gets great building materials that it re-sells at prices significantly below retail. Then Habitat has more money to put into its projects around Detroit. And my mom, she just feels good knowing that her windows are helping someone else.

Looking for a high return on Investment? Consider Landscaping.

Found this in an email from a friend. Landscaping: --return on investment of 100-200% if done well, the highest of any type of home improvement --enhances sales appeal, increasing the actual speed of the sale --homes with excellent landscaping can expect a sales price about 6 to 7 percent higher than equivalent houses with "good" landscaping --a mature tree can have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000 --landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home's value --poor landscape design can decrease property values by up to 10% Here more from this article. Shrubbery planted too close to a house can reduce the appraisal value. The most common mistakes made by do-it-yourself landscapers were planting trees and shrubbery too close to each other and too close to houses, fences and other structures.

Clean out Your Linen Closet and Help out the Women of the Detroit Rescue Mission.

We just got this letter from a friend. In order to make donating easier for you, you can drop off any towels and bed linens at SKBK at 348 E. Maple, Birmingham, 48009. Ask for Erin, Dmitry or Maureen and we will make sure your towels are put to good use. I have recently learned of a situation that touched my heart. I want to help. I learned that the Detroit Rescue Mission is in need of many items. They feed thousands daily and house around 800 women each night. (I didn't get the stats on how many men per night). But my plight is for the women who stay nightly in the DRMM. I found out that they are so low on towels (and funds) that they have been cutting their towels into quarters so each woman has a piece of towel to dry with after their showers. This was a VERY short term solution they found out because each time they go through the wash cycles, the towels are fraying. Thus, less than they had. Speaking with a DRMM employee, we talked about a TOWEL AND BEDDING DRIVE. Please go through your linen closet... all of the towels that you don't use, no longer match your bathroom or whatever.. please stick them into a bag and get them to me. I will be collecting the towels through the entire month of November and plan on taking the towels December 10th up to the Mission. The towels don't have to be new, they will wash and use them! They can be ANY color, ANY size. The women need them, and will be thankful for them. I'd like the women of the DRMM to be able to each have their own towel.. that's 800!!! HUGE GOAL! Thank you for your kindness and generousity during this holiday season... to the women of DRMM who are in need. Below is more about the Mission and a link to their website if you are interested in learning more. The Detroit Rescue Mission http://www.drmm.org/)

Vote November 8th.

Tuesday is election day in Berkley, Birmingham, Royal Oak and other Oakland County cities. Your vote matters!

Guess Who Drives This Car?

Wireless Internet Coming to 7 Oakland County Cities in 2005!

Troy, Birmingham, Royal Oak, Madison Heights, Pontiac, Oak Park and Wixom won out among 31 communities that applied to be the pilot cities for the county's Wireless Oakland Project. By the end of the year, visitors and residents in portions of those seven will be able to connect to the Internet without being hooked to a land line. The Free Press outlines the pilot program and the roll out for the rest of Oakland County.

Changes Under Consideration to Mortgage Interest Deduction

President Bush's Advisory Panel on Tax Reform is considering severly reducing the mortgage interest income tax deduction in an effort find funds to balance the budget and pay off the rising deficit. This has the potential to significantly increase federal income taxes for most tax payers. Take a look at Blanche Evans article in RealtyTimes.

Royal Oak Michigan Real Estate Market Statistics for October, 2005

There are currently 543 homes on the market in Royal Oak. For the 543 listings: Avg List Price $240,371.00 The Median Price $204,900.00 The Highest Price $1,489,000.00 The Lowest Price $104,900.00 The Average Market Time 80 There are currently 79 single family homes pending sale in Royal Oak. For the 79 listings: Avg List Price $210,149.00 The Median Price $183,000.00 The Highest Price $499,900.00 The Lowest Price $93,900.00 The Average Market Time 73 Since January 1, 2005, 793 single family homes have sold in Royal Oak. For the 793 listings: Avg List Price $203,475.00 The Median Price $187,000.00 The Highest Price $1,250,000.00 The Lowest Price $1.00 The Average Market Time 53

Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township Real Estate Market Statistics for October, 2005

There are currently 625 single family homes on the market in Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township. For the 625 listings: Avg List Price $1,074,940.00 The Median Price $695,000.00 The Highest Price $14,750,000.00 The Lowest Price $13,500.00 The Average Market Time 118 There are currently 55 single family homes pending sale in Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township. For the 55 listings: Avg List Price $748,976.00 The Median Price $545,900.00 The Highest Price $2,695,000.00 The Lowest Price $119,900.00 The Average Market Time 103 430 homes have sold in Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township since January 1, 2005. For the 430 listings: Avg List Price $359,578.00 The Median Price $315,000.00 The Highest Price $2,500,000.00 The Lowest Price $1.00 The Average Market Time 75 Statistics for sold homes are artificially low because many transactions are not recorded at their actual selling price, but at $1.00.

Troy Michigan Real Estate Market Statistics for October, 2005

There are currently 558 single family homes on the market in Troy, Michigan. For the 558 listings: Avg List Price $348,393.00 The Median Price $299,900.00 The Highest Price $1,199,000.00 The Lowest Price $104,900.00 The Average Market Time 89 71 homes are pending sale in Troy. For the 71 listings: Avg List Price $344,753.00 The Median Price $299,900.00 The Highest Price $1,150,000.00 The Lowest Price $145,900.00 The Average Market Time 80 Since January 1, 2005, 584 homes have sold in Troy. For the 584 listings: Avg List Price $288,576.00 The Median Price $268,500.00 The Highest Price $878,000.00 The Lowest Price $1.00 The Average Market Time 58 Statistics for sold homes are artificially low because many transactions are not recorded at their actual selling price, but at $1.00.

Beverly Hills Michigan Real Estate Market Statistics for October, 2005

There are currently 121 single family homes on the market in Beverly Hills. For the 121 listings: Avg List Price $390,963.00 The Median Price $328,000.00 The Highest Price $1,175,900.00 The Lowest Price $168,500.00 The Average Market Time 88 There are currently 11 homes pending sale in Beverly Hills. For the 11 listings: Avg List Price $422,555.00 The Median Price $337,500.00 The Highest Price $699,000.00 The Lowest Price $259,900.00 The Average Market Time 68 130 single family homes have sold in Beverly Hills since January 1, 2005. For the 130 listings: Avg List Price $256,771.00 The Median Price $279,500.00 The Highest Price $715,000.00 The Lowest Price $1.00 Statistics for sold homes are artificially low because many transactions are not recorded at their actual selling price, but at $1.00.

Birmingham Michigan Real Estate Market Statistics October, 2005

There are currently 391 single family homes on the market in Birmingham For the 391 listings: Avg List Price $912,299.00 The Median Price $679,000.00 The Highest Price $8,499,000.00 The Lowest Price $155,000.00 The Average Market Time 119 27 single family homes are pending sale For the 27 listings: Avg List Price $511,871.00 The Median Price $475,000.00 The Highest Price $1,295,000.00 The Lowest Price $249,900.00 The Average Market Time 113 Since January 1, 2005, 350 single family homes have sold in Birmingham. For the 350 listings: Avg List Price $261,073.00 The Median Price $209,500.00 The Highest Price $2,400,000.00 The Lowest Price $1.00 Statistics for sold homes are artificially low because many transactions are not recorded at their actual selling price, but at $1.00. The average home sale in Birmingham is in excess of $450,000.