A master bedroom should appeal to both sexes.
Get rid of features that seem too gender-specific.

De-clutter and Do accessorize.
Get rid of clutter to show off size of room, especially if your master bedroom is on the small size. Use accessories that go along with the color scheme of the room to make a small room appear larger.

Spruce up the room with paint.
Paint the walls a neutral color, and choose bedding and accessories to complement the walls. 
 

A comparison (by county)

               LAKE                  PORTER             LAPORTE

Jan. 2010         188                            60                              35
Jan. 2011         220                            91                              59
Jan. 2012         246                            89                              47

1 Package Cream Cheese (8 oz)
1 Can Chili with or without beans
1 Bag Shredded Mexican Cheese

Mix all ingredients in microwave safe bowl and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir after 1 minutes, continue to cook. That's it! Yum!!

Everyone should have an emergency kit for your vehicle. Here are some suggestions;

anti-freeze/coolant
battery powered portable radio and extra batteries
bright colored cloth (preferably red)
can of motor oil
compass
cones, warning triangles or emergency flares
disposable camera (to take pictures of damage)
empty gas can
fire extinguisher
flashlight with extra batteries
fuses
jack for tire
jumper cables
maps
pocketknife
rags
roll of paper towels
sealant for small leaks in tires
shovel
spare tire
tool box with screwdrivers, wrenches and small hammer
tow rope
window scraper
blanket

Boulder Bay Realty Group wants you to drive safe and keep safe this winter!

Grimy bathroom walls are a major red flag to buyers.
Easy way to get rid of surface mold is; with spray bottle mix one part water and one part bleach. Spray it on the wall and watch the mold disappear.

Don't replace a yucky shower door: just scour it.
Clean grimy glass shower doors with a mixture of one part muriatic acid and about 10 parts water. Scrub with steel wool. After wiping it down, reinstall the door.

Avoid dated tile by painting
First coat the tiles with a high-adhesion primer. Next, brush on a special ceramic epoxy covering (available at most home improvement stores), for a fraction of the cost of new tile.

Pedestal sinks are a bit hit with buyers.
They show off the square footage in small bathrooms.

Lake               Porter               LaPorte

Dec. 2010                 239                  130                       71
Dec. 2011                 272                  116                       59

Merry Christmas

10 Christmas Shopping Do's & Don'ts

1. Avoid shopping on weekends
2. Don't limit your gift choices if you can't find one certain gift, have a back up gift in mind
3. Don't lose receipts, always get a gift receipt when available
4. Don't wrap your gift until you've taken all the price tags off, put the gift receipt in the box
5. Don't wait till the last minute to shop, if you find a bargain during the year, buy it!
6. Do buy quality when purchasing gifts for others. Brand matters!
7. Do shop from stores you know when buying online
8. Do make a list so you don't over-spend
9. Do make wrapping special, customize a card and paper
10. Do look for bargains, they're everywhere, so keep an eye out for them!
. . . . and have fun!

To impress a greater number of potential buyers, it's important to bring out the best your home has to offer, and tip the scale away from any drawbacks.

No matter how wonderful a house is, people tend to be drawn to the negative features first. Prospective buyers are always looking to uncover hidden costs so they can protect themselves. A buyer wants to make sure that there are no reasons not to buy your house.

Once buyers get stuck on a negative feature, it's difficult to get them to move past it. If buyers are met with clutter, they'll have the impression that the house is small and not well maintained. They may even look for additional signs of neglect once a negative tone is set. A negative impression lasts a long time, perhaps forever. A buyer often mentally exaggerates the negative in terms of how much time or money will be required to fix it.

As the seller, you must pinpoint potential negatives and counteract them before the property is listed for sale. You have to package your house to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers. By correcting or minimizing any negative features, and by highlighting the strong points of your home, more buyers will form a positive impression.

When you're preparing your house for the market, you must approach every room objectively and ask yourself, 'Does it look new?' If you find yourself saying, 'It's good enough,' or 'It looks okay, I guess,' then it's probably not good enough, and it most likely doesn't look okay. To show your house in the best possible light, you must clear away clutter, clean, make repairs and improvements, and make everything as fresh and neutral as possible.

A positive impression will sell your house quickly and for the best price. If you're not sure what areas need attention, talk to your Realtor. Most decisions to buy a home happen pretty quickly, and your agent can help you zero in on what elements come into play. You'll want to be sure that you've done all you can to facilitate a good impression and a quick sale. The goal is to appeal to as many buyers as possible by positioning your home as the perfect place for the buyers to enjoy the kind of life for which they dream.

From All of us here at Boulder Bay Realty Group we wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving

You, our clients, friends and customers are a big part of our blessings and bounty!

The Boulder Bay Realty Group staff, teams and agents

What can warm up a cold late fall day better than a great bowl of homemade chili? This Chili recipe is not only easy, but it's dinner in one pot! Here's what you'll need;

1 1/2 Lbs Ground Chuck                         3 Tbls Worcestshire Sauce
2 Tbls Lemon Juice                                5 - 6 Tbls Ketchup
1/8 Cup Light Brown Sugar (or to taste)    1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
2 - 3 - 15 oz Cans Tomato Sauce            1 -15 oz can Light Red Kidney Beans
Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Salt, Pepper, Mexican Seasoning (to taste)

Start in large pot by cooking onions just till they become transparent, add ground chuck, brown. Drain off excess fat. Add the Lemon juice, Worcestshire sauce, Ketchup and Brown sugar, stirring till thick consistency. (Depending on individual taste, you may want to add more or less of each of the above ingredients).
Stir in the Tomato Sauce and Kidney beans. Add all the seasonings to taste. Turn to medium low heat and let simmer till cooked through (about 1/2 an hour).
TIPS: For a thinner sauce add one can of water to mixture. For thicker sauce, add a little tomato paste. ALSO, the basic meat sauce makes a great Sloppy Joe, OR add a few different ingredients and you have a great Spaghetti sauce.

Home Inspections Help You Avoid Unpleasant Surprises
Home inspectors in the state of Indiana must be licensed to conduct a home inspection. As a result, these capable men and women are trained to inspect and detect existing or potential problems with not only the major mechanicals in a home, but hazardous repair work a home owner may have done. A common mistake made by a potential buyer is not requesting an inspection on new construction. New homes can also be the subject of defects because of oversights during construction or human error. A potential buyer should always request a home inspection.

An Inspection Will Educate You About Your House
Buyers ususally want to know as much as they can about the home they are buying. Part of an inspector's responsibility is to educate the buyer about their home. Most inspections take at least a couple of hours to complete. At the end of the inspection the inspector should sit down with the buyer and go over all the results of the inspection. This is essential, especially for first time home buyers who may not be familiar with home mechanicals, etc. The inspector should point out all issues found, indicating those that are major and those items that may need attention in the future.

Inspection Timing and Results
Homebuyers usually arrange for an inspection after signing a contract or purchase agreement with the seller. If the inspector's findings alert you to some costly repairs or potential hazardous conditions you may be advised not to buy the home unless such problems are remedied.
If major problems are found, you can back out of the deal. If costly repairs are warranted, the seller may be willing to adjust the home's price or the contract's terms. But when only minor repairs are needed, the buyer and seller can usually work out an agreement that won't affect the sale price.

Why Fall Is the Best Time to Seed and Feed  

Think about what fall brings, besides football. You get cooler temperatures. More dew and rain. And plenty of sunshine. The soil is still warm enough to germinate seeds, but the cool air invites grass to grow a strong root system. That's why fall is the best time for seeding and feeding your lawn. It will look great in the spring, and will be better able to resist weeds and summer stresses.       

We have put together a few links for our friends, clients and fellow Americans in order to remember the losses we all suffered that day.

GodBlessAmericans.org

911Memorial.org

091101Memorial.org

911Peace.org

GroundZeroSpirit.org

How lucky we are to live in an area with so much natural beauty! What great opportuities there are to explore the endless miles of lakeshore on wonderful Lake Michigan which spans 4 states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan (and the U.P.).

Indiana offers a wonderful suburban atmosphere while being just minutes away from one of the world's largest tourist attractions, beautiful down Chicago. Take the South Shore Line train out of Dune Park in Chesterton and arrive in downtown Chicago within an hour.

Who wouldn't want to relocate to NWIN that offers great schools, plenty of shopping, beautiful beaches all within minutes of the greatest night life the world has to offer?

See all that NWIN has to offer!

VALPARAISO'S ANNUAL POPCORN FESTIVAL

Fall is a great time for festivals in NWIN and Valparaiso's Annual Popcorn Festival is no exception. Come join the fun! September 10th, 2011 located in downtown Valparaiso.

1 Lb. Tenderloin, cleaned
1 Portobello mushroom cap
3/4 Cup + 2 Tbls. Olive oil
1 Onion, cut into 1/2 in. thick rings
2 Tbls. Balsamic vinegar
6 Cups Baby lettuces
1 Avocado, sliced & tossed with 2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 Cup chopped chives
2 Cup Green beans, blanched
1 Yellow tomato, 8 wedges

Rub beef with 3 Tbls. of oil. Grill until medium-rare, cool and cut into slices. Rub onion with 1 Tbls oil, grill and chill. Rub mushroom with 2 tsp. oil & grill until tender. Cool & cut into thin slices. Whisk the remaining oil & vinegar together and season with salt & pepper. Toss lettuces with 1 Tbls. of the oil mixture and season with salt & pepper. Toss the beef slices with the remaining oil mixture & chives.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

1) Chopping Block Sanitizer - Run a slice of lemon over the surface to disinfect.

2) Carpet deodorizer - Sprinkle baking soda on carpet, wait about 1/2 hour, vacumn

3) Toiler cleaner - Sprinkle baking soda and lemon juice into toilet, wait, return, scrub

4) Window/glass cleaner - Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with one galon water: spray and wipe

5) Rust remover - Mix 2 tablespoons sat with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, appy and rub

Spinach, Tomato & Gruyere Cheese Quiche (Yields 1 Quiche)

5 oz Gruyere cheese
1 Frozen pie shell (9 inch)
1 Cup Spinach (fresh)
1/4 Lb. Cream cheese
1/4 Qt. Heavy cream
1 Tbls. Butter
1 Tbls. Dijon mustard
2 Plum Tomatoes
S & P (to taste)
1 Tsp. Soy sauce
1 Tsp. Tabasco
5 Eggs

Saute' the spinach with butter in a pan. Dice tomatoes and grate cheese. Add the spinach, tomatoes and cheese to the base of the pie shell. Pour in mixture of heavy cream, cream cheese, eggs, dijon mustard, soy sauce and tabasco. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes until liquid sets.

4 12-inch Flour tortillas
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/2 Cup blue cheese
1/2 lb Sliced smoked turkey
4 Cup shredded romaine lettuce
12 Pieces cooked bacon

Blend the blue cheese and mayonnaise together. Spread some of the blue cheese mayonnaise on each tortilla. Lay the turkey on top. Sprinkle the romaine on top of the turkey and lay three slices of bacon in the center. Tightly roll up, folding in the sides as you go. Slice in half on the bias and serve with sweet potato chips.