July 2, 2009
The Cider House Defford, Worcestershire.
The Cider House at Woodmancote is one of only four traditional cider houses left in the country. This thatched cottage has no bar to speak of.Instead, barrels of cider are stashed behind a stable door and served in jugs through an opening in the outside wall in china mugs.
Signature fare
In days of yore, cider was squeezed from the nearby orchard. Nowadays, the cider comes from Westons, the most popular being the Woodmancote Dry (2) . There”s also a medium cider and a perry on offer . With only nuts and crisps on the menu, locals in the know bring their own food, so remember to fill up your picnic hamper .
We love the landlords because
Graham and Gill Collins have run the cider house for 35 years, and the pub has been in her family for centuries.
Meet the locals
Anyone who loves cider and good chat.more
Speakers:Commercial real estate far from recovering.
‘Commercial real estate has not begun to feel the pain,’ said Panelist Bob O”Rourke, managing director of real estate for the Guardian Life Insurance Company.
Speaking to the 100-plus real estate and banking professionals in attendance, O”Rourke said as long as unemployment continues to rise, the demand for commercial space will continue to fall.
The event was hosted by the Urban Land Institute of Richmond and held at the Jefferson Hotel.
O”Rourke said as a landlord, leasing activity has been extremely slow.
‘It”s taking us six months to cut a deal, it was six days a year ago,’ he said.
With the present economy, tenants are struggling to make rent, and O”Rourke said his company has been extremely proactive in negotiating terms and making extensions.more
Grand opening and ice cream social at Cream City Real Estate”s new.
The Cream City Real Estate Company will host an ice cream social June 18, as part of the grand opening of its new Bay View office, 3474 S. Pennsylvania Ave., on the corner of Morgan and Kinnickinnic avenues.
There will also be an open house and display of historic Bay View-related memorabilia and photographs.
The community is invited to attend the free event, which will run from 4 to 8 pm.
.more
June 30, 2009
Home sellers say new appraisal rules make deals harder.
Real estate agents, mortgage brokers and buyers, as well as homeowners who want to refinance their loans, are feeling the effects of rules designed to prevent inflationary appraisals that helped fuel the housing boom.
‘The intentions were good, but the execution was very poor,’ said Louis Spagnuolo, vice president of mortgage banking for WCS Lending in Boca Raton.
Since May 1, home appraisals must be ordered at arm”s length, often through a national management company. Gone are the days when a mortgage broker or lender could hire a familiar appraiser to close a deal. Now, communication between the appraiser and real estate agents is discouraged.
South Florida real estate professionals and their clients say the rules contribute to low appraisals, which jeopardize home sales and refinancing applications.more
White House garden envy.
White House chef Sam Kass, who has become something of a rock star since the garden was planted in April, said he and members of the White House staff do one big weeding every week to keep the garden in shape.
No signs of insect damage or disease, but Kass said no pesticides or chemical fertilzers are used.
‘It isn”t certified organic, but it”s organic,’ he said.
Once the turf was lifted by Michelle Obama and her grade-school helpers, the soil was amended with crab meal, green sand, compost and powdered lime before the seeds and seedlings were planted.
The rainy spring is the reason the garden is so bountiful, Kass said. ‘Kale, collard greens and chard have been non-stop. The snap peas are going crazy.’
Some of the lettuces were planted with seeds handed down from Thomas Jefferson”s gardens and have been allowed to bolt and go to seed this spring.more
June 29, 2009
Real Estate Notes.
Coldwell Banker Real Estate is handling sales.
? Hearings scheduled Thursday by the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment include a request by 31st Street Business Park LLC to use 3,200 square feet on the first floor of 200 Railroad St., Strip District, for a restaurant called Babylon. Law & Finance LP wants to place a 630-square-foot business sign for Central Blood Bank on the 21-story building at 429 Fourth Ave., Downtown.
? A ‘Meet the Builder’ event at Lake MacLeod, a custom new home development in Pine, concludes today. Five model homes are being viewed and 31 one-acre-plus lots are at the 152-acre site. Construction packages start at $950,000 and only 75 homes will be built, said Kevin Mihm of Coldwell Banker, who is marketing the homes. The site offers hiking trails and walking paths, five fitness stations, parks, picnic areas, boathouse, and separate fishing and swimming piers.more
June 28, 2009
Real estate company purchases former Ray Brandt Kia showroom in Harvey.
While the closing of car dealerships can produce devastating economic ripples, from job loss to real estate vacancy, it can also create opportunity for businesses that might otherwise have trouble breaking into saturated commercial strips like the West Bank Expressway.
A real estate company on Tuesday purchased the former Ray Brandt Kia showroom in Harvey and plans to lease it to a local franchise of J.D. Byrider, an Indiana company that sells used cars and provides financing to buyers with tarnished credit. Robert Boyce Jr., general manager of the local J.D. Byrider franchise, said he expected business to thrive at a time when the tightening of credit has made it difficult for many buyers to purchase a car at a traditional dealership. He said his franchise would include a showroom as well as a service department.more
June 27, 2009
Residents of scorched apartment building waiting on University support.
Barr Real Estate, Inc., the owner of the property at 51-53 E. John St., had provided the residents of the building with rooms at the Holiday Inn until tomorrow.
Lamark Ferguson, one of the residents of the building, estimated that about 12 to 13 people were now staying in the Holiday Inn. Ferguson said that he will be going back to Chicago this week, but many others will have no place to live after tomorrow.
Sang Xu, a doctorate student at the University, is staying in one of the rooms with his wife, and is unsure what he is supposed to do after he is told to leave the hotel tomorrow.
‘I”m very concerned about receiving support from the University,’ Xu said. ‘I know there are several international students like me who had borrowed many books from the University, and they were all destroyed.more
June 26, 2009
Brenda B. Redding to be Profiled in Exclusive Registry.
Since joining Platinum Real Estate Solutions Inc. in 2008, Brenda B. Redding has become an indispensible member of the company”s professional team. Currently, she is tasked with overseeing Platinum Real Estate Solutions Inc”s comprehensive management services and coordinating its property maintenance services. Ms. Redding is recognized by her peers for her exemplary ability to market properties to prospects, screen and acquire tenants, and sell owner and client properties. Her friendly nature and contract and lease negotiation skills are icing on the cake. She attributes her success to her detail-oriented nature, her ability to address and resolve daily challenges, and a never give up attitude. She previously worked in the human resource field for 20 years functioning as a liaison between management and employees, and felt that real estate would provide the same opportunities while allowing her to be closer to home.more
Dubai Property Society hosts panel discussion on “Consumer Real.
Dubai Property Society (DPS), an association of professionals engaged in the real estate sector in Dubai, hosted a one-day forum that prompted an analytical dialogue between industry experts and stakeholders on the emirate”s real estate consumer finance landscape. .more