That was the headline on the front of the catalog I received today from a garden supply company. And they’re right! If you have a backyard, or even a small area where you can plant your favorite veggies, don’t shove those peelings, stems, or whatever raw, organic matter you don’t use, into the garbage disposer. Save it for your garden. 
I keep a container on my countertop near the sink, for vegetable peels and trimmings, as well as any produce that may have been forgotten about in the fridge’s veggie crisper. Each day or two I take those veggie scraps outside, and simply toss them into a portion of a raised bed (or garden area) that currently isn’t planted.
Use a shovel once in a while to quickly turn those scraps under, or cover them with a little soil. When you water the rest of your garden area, give those garden scraps some water too, and you’ll help those veggie clippings break down faster, making terrific compost for the following planting season. You may begin to see beautiful healthy worms when you turn a shovelful of soil, and the worms also will assist in breaking down your kitchen scraps into nutrient-loaded compost. Happy gardening!
Mr. and Mrs. First-Time Homebuyer have been out looking at homes, and they found one they like in their price range. Okay, let’s write a contract to purchase that home. How exciting! “Honey, where will we put the big screen TV?” Several days go by, and still no word from their Realtor. “She said she would call when she had news for us. How can there be no news?”
“That house was pretty trashed; who would want it besides us? Who has the vision we have for making improvements to that house?” Well, apparently a lot of people are thinking that same way. Much of our current inventory, especially at entry-level price range, is distressed properties. Many have gone through the foreclosure process, and the seller, most likely a lender, realizes that many of these homes have had walls put up or removed, garages may have been converted into living quarters. Sometimes light fixtures, stoves, faucets, even copper piping may have been removed from the property.
That’s part of the reason these homes are now priced so attractively. They may be listed at several hundred thousand dollars less than they sold for three or four years ago. We live in an area where there is great value in the land, therefore it’s not unusual to have even dozens of offers on a bargain property when it comes onto the market. (This is why it may take a while before your agent receives news on your offer back from the seller’s agent.) Many of these homes are being snatched up by investors, paying cash. My advice to you is, keep writing offers. You will win a contract! And when you do you truly will be a winner. Economics is cyclical, prices most certainly will come back–and there is value in that land!
There has always been much demand for real estate in the Bay Area. Lots of people live here, and most of us want a place of our own. That demand for homes pushed prices up. Then, when the economy fell apart, prices came down. Several factors were involved, which resulted in short sales and foreclosures, and then the large amount of foreclosures itself became a factor. For a while buyers just sat and watched, but when they saw others buying homes at greatly discounted prices, they have come back into this area/market, looking for bargains. This is a great time to buy, especially for people who couldn’t afford to buy here before. Not only have prices come down, but interest rates are at historic lows. An unbeatable combination!
