C O R A L G A B LES
Contents
AUGUST 2014
Should You Be Selling Your Frequent Flyer Miles?
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Do you have thousands of frequent flyer miles or credit card points you’re wondering what to do with? Some people are now selling their miles and points, and it’s making them hundreds to thousands of dollars. But before you cash-in, you need to know about the risks.
Back To School
safety tips Help your kids take on the challenges of a new school year with this helpful tips
From walking to school and heading home alone to facing bullies and riding the bus, there are lots of different safety concerns facing children today. It’s very
beware: Don’t become a victim of a new alarm company scam
important to take the time to talk about
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these concerns with your children, before anything becomes an issue.
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The CBS4 Investigative Unit has uncovered a scam going around South Florida involving alarm company salesmen that are flat out lying to you to get your business.
18 | Health
Section Sponsored by:
• Experts Urge Caution Before Trying ‘Elimination Diet’ • Talking Baby: Flat Spots On Your Baby’s Head • Pollen Vortex Brings Rise In Allergies • “Smart” Phone Tech Now Being Used In Hearing Aids
28 | Eye On CORAL GABLES
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• The Tail of a Rescue • City’s Tree Plan Takes Root • Events Calendar • This Month in History
34 | Real Estate
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• 7 Tips to Get the Best Mortgage • Coral Gables real estate listings
Nelly Gambirazio
• Miami-Dade luxury real estate listings
Realtor® Associate 305.987.3503
• Why Real Estate Deals Fall Apart
46 | Home Improvement
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• Stay Safe With This Home Safety Tips • Refrigerator Efficiency and Maintenance • Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden
62 | Marketplace
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• Complain On Twitter To Get Better Customer Service! • Making The Most Of A Part-Time Work Trend • Never Lose Luggage Again With GPS Bag Tag
68 | Automotive
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• The New 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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“lately it’s become very popular and it’s becoming a big business but there are a lot of risks involved.”
Eliott Rodriguez
Should You Be
SEllinG
Your Frequent Flyer Miles? Do you have thousands of frequent flyer miles or credit card points you’re wondering what to do with? Some people are now selling their miles and points, and it’s making them hundreds to thousands of dollars. But before you cash-in, you need to know about the risks.
C
arlyn racked up thousands of airline miles with no immediate plans to redeem them. Enticed by online ads from mileage brokerage companies, she sold more than 57,000 miles for $460. “I didn’t see a value in holding onto them, hoping that I would find a flight I could use,” she said. Though Carlyn made a nice profit, experts say each time you sell your airline miles or points, you’re taking a gamble. “Lately it’s become very popular and it’s becoming a big business but there are a lot of risks involved,” said Brian Kelly, found of thepointsguy.com. If you check the fine print of many reward programs, selling miles or points is not allowed. And if you’re caught, you could lose all your miles or points, have your account canceled and be banned from the program. “You’re not going to end up in a jail cell but the airlines are pretty clear and they play hardball with people who sell their miles and points,” Kelly said. Also, it’s a new trend – which means there are still a lot of risks involved. “If you sell your miles to a company, they take them all and then don’t pay you, you can’t really go to the airline and say, ‘Hey I sold my miles and this guy didn’t follow through on his payment,’” Kelly said. When people sell miles or points, brokers redeem
them for an airline ticket they sell to someone else. And while in some cases it’s permitted to transfer points or miles to family or friends, experts warn the industry is watching for transfers and tickets that seem unlikely. “Airlines definitely do not want the client to sell their miles to a company like ours,” said Eli Hoffman with FlipMyMiles.com. FlipMyMiles.com, one of many mileage brokerage companies operating online, acknowledges the risk but says over the past several years it’s sold more than three billion miles and points. “Even if something did arise, we still guarantee payment; you would keep the payment even if your account got shut down,” Hoffman said. And while Flip My Miles says they guarantee payment, experts warn that there are some fly by night companies buying and selling miles and points. “I made money selling miles that I’m no longer using and somebody else that needed a last-minute flight was able to save some money,” Carlyn said. FlipMyMiles says the going rate for frequent flyer miles is about one cent per mile. So if you sold 100,000 miles, you’d make about $1,000. And, they say, selling points is more lucrative; they’re worth about 1.3 cents per point. So, cashing in 100,000 points could mean about $1,300.
August 2014 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 9 ]
Before you know it, school will be back in session, which means kids all over the country will be walking to school and facing all sorts of new challenges. School should be about the education, not about learning how to be safe. However it’s a sad fact that safety is still a priority concern of many parents around the country. From walking to school and heading home alone to facing bullies and riding the bus, there are lots of different safety concerns facing children today. it’s very important to take the time to talk about these concerns with your children, before anything becomes an issue. There are plenty of great resources available to parents at schools and online, or visit your local bookstore for additional information. As you face these new challenges, here are a few tips to get you started.
Walking To And From School Always have your kids walk to and from school with a buddy. There is safety in numbers. However, if that is not possible, or if your child will still end up with a few blocks to walk on their own, make sure to go over some important tips with your child. If anyone follows them, tell them turn and go in the other direction. Go back to school, find a teacher and tell them what happened. If someone approaches them, tell them to get away and don’t be afraid to yell or make a scene. Get away while yelling something like, “This person is not my parent!” Creating a scene like that is likely to cause too much attention for any would-be abductor.
Try The Password System It’s crucial that your children are taught never to take a ride from a stranger, no matter what they say or how harmless he or she appears to be. One system that has worked well for years is the password system. Arrange a secret password between you and your kids, something that they can never tell anyone else. Then, if you should get held up at work, or if you ask a friend to pick up your kid, you must tell that person the password. When your friend arrives to pick up your child, if he or she doesn’t have the password ready, then you simply instruct your child not to enter the car.
Don’t Put Their name on Their Backpack Many children like to wear clothing or carry bags or backpacks with their
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names on them, however this can be a very easy way for a stranger to appear more familiar to a child, since it’s so easy for strangers to learn your child’s name. Keep anything with names at home, and never wear them to school. It’s a small, but easy way to help prevent any confusion in the future.
Waiting At The Bus Stop Waiting for the bus is another spot where strangers can easily approach your kids. Just as when walking to or from school, it’s important to educate your children to never talk to strangers and to always stay with the group. If someone should approach the bus stop, instruct kids to get away from that person and make sure your child knows to tell a teacher or trusted adult right away. Even if someone just asks for directions, it’s important to never talk
to them. An adult should be asking another adult for directions, and should never approach a child.
Bullying Prevention Sadly, there are a lot of bullies in school, and it’s something that just about every child faces at one time or another. There are some wonderful resources to start your education about bullying prevention, and it’s worth your time to look into them. Check out SafeChild.org, which has a lot of videos and articles from Dr. Sherryll Kraizer about how to use roleplay techniques to teach your child how to deal with bullies. From preventing bullying to learning how to be inclusive, there are lots of great lessons here that can help make a big difference should your child be faced with a bully.
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Beware
W E N A F O IM T IC V A E DON’T BECOM
Y n a p M o c M alar
The CBS4 investigative Unit has uncovered a scam going around South Florida involving alarm company salesmen that are flat out lying to you to get your business.
B
y the time you realize it, it may be too late. When CBS4 confronted one security company allegedly running the scam they ran the other way. Monday in Doral we caught up with Yassiel Cabre. According to his business card, he’s a salesman who works for Alarm Digital Telecommunication. We found evidence he may work under other names as well. Whatever company he’s working under though he doesn’t work for ADT, yet on his business card, paperwork, even a folder he gave one victim, the ADT logo is prominently shown. Victims told us when he shows up at your door he tells you he’s with ADT. When we caught up with Cabre we asked him if he worked for ADT. As he got in his car, he softly replied, “No sir.” It’s stark contrast to what he was saying a few months ago at the Miami Beach Home Show. Prominently posted over his booth was the ADT logo. One victim told CBS4 Cabre approached him telling him he was with ADT and could save them money. Only one thing—he doesn’t work for ADT. ADT confirmed Cabre worked for an authorized dealer some time ago but no longer does. Another giveaway that he wasn’t who he claimed to be was the contract he gave the victim. It’s with Monitronics, a competitor to ADT. It’s easy to miss the logo with all that fine print locking you into a five year contract. The victim told us he saw the logo. When he questioned Cabre, he said Cabre explained “Monitronics had been purchased by ADT.” According to the victim, Cabre told him Monitronics, not being the ADT name brand, would save them money. He assured them, though, it was still ADT.
ADT has not purchased Monitronics. David Bleisch is general counsel for ADT. He wasn’t surprised by what we found. “We estimate just on the number of complaints we get, that tens of thousands of people per year are being scammed by people like that,” Bleisch said. At ADT headquarters in Boca Raton, lawyers are getting involved because more and more customers are being duped. Bleisch explained “There are a lot of legitimate companies that knock on doors to sell a system. The problem is when you lie to do it. You know lying and defrauding consumers by claiming to be some company you’re not or claiming that you are doing something or representing something that you’re not. That’s the scam that’s being used and that’s the scam we are trying to push out of business,” Bleisch explained. Home security is a very competitive industry. ADT showed us just how competitive it has gotten. They provided us a training video from a competitor taken on a cell phone. The video is evidence in an ADT lawsuit against Vision Security. In the video, ADT says lead sales manager Brett Harris is instructing a room full of sales people how to get you to switch alarm monitoring companies. He role plays with someone off camera, pretending to be approaching a random door. He pretends to knock on the door and the person pretends to open the door. Harris introduces himself and then points to a security alarm sign in the yard. He says “Just judging by the sign you guys have had five or six years now?” The role player responds, “umm actually we moved in about five and half years ago.” Harris then turns to the sales people in the room and explains, “See I’m trying to find out if she is out
August 2014 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 15 ]
of contract. Right? If she said oh no we just had it put in six months ago, I want to get the heck out of there.” The video is full of loaded questions, but then it takes a questionable turn. Remember he works for Vision Security. Harris turns to the pretend homeowner and explains he is with another company. “We are with GE. We are the makers of all the equipment that you have in the home so we do business with all the security companies, ADT is one of them. The reason we are out here is we are just taking down those old panels, popping up a new one for ya. Nothing that you have to pay for.” He turns to the sales people to explain further. “You gotta say that right off the bat. Nothing that you have to pay for because you don’t want them to say ‘oh no we are good. Because they are thinking oh great he’s going to try to sell me something.” In essence, Harris is claiming to be someone he’s not. Later in the presentation he explains once the new equipment is in, you get the customer to sign a contract with a new monitoring company – either unknowingly - or he tells you the new company will actually save you money. He tells the pretend homeowner “We are just taking down the old panels and popping up a new one for you. Nothing that you
have to pay for.” If this was a real transaction taking place in a home it could be considered fraud. But the video is all pretend so it’s unclear if any laws or anything criminal is taking place. When asked about the video, Bleisch shakes his head. “I was shocked. I mean to see that so blatantly being taught to a room full of people is shocking. Obviously the person who did that training obviously has no conscience. The company that employed him should obviously be responsible for that conduct,” Bleisch said. Vision Security ended up settling with ADT for more than $2 million last year. But since these videos surfaced, ADT is now trying to stop these training’s. They are also offering up to $25,000 for new videos of these trainings or actual scams. So how do you keep from getting duped by someone claiming to be with your alarm company? It’s simple. If someone knocks on your door or approaches you at a home show, do your homework. Before you let them in the door, call your alarm company to confirm the person at your door is who they say they are. And remember the best advice is the old adage, ‘If it sounds too good to be true… It is.’
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HE ALTH
“Experts say it’s important to remember that elimination diets are a treatment, not a cure.”
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www.cbsmiami.com
Experts Urge
Caution Before Trying
‘Elimination Diet’ As the saying goes “You are what you eat.” Now the latest diet craze is taking that to heart. People are cutting entire food groups from their diets to cure a variety of ailments, often without checking with health professionals. “Elimination dieting” is trendy, but is it healthy?
J
essica Lee Anderson said she went on a diet not to look better, but to feel better. “I ate a lot of processed food,” she said. “I ate a lot of fast food. And I had just gotten so tired. I wasn’t feeling very well.” She researched a plan online and decided to go on an elimination diet. Anderson cut out wheat, eggs, nuts and most processed foods. “Eliminating certain things in the diet had helped other individuals, so I figured what the heck,” she said. “Let’s give it a chance.” Medically supervised elimination diets have been around for a long time. But recently, a growing number of dieters have been tackling them on their own. “For someone who has a medical condition that warrants eliminating certain foods or food groups, the quality of life improves dramatically,” said Marjorie Nolan Cohn, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But some experts believe many people go on the diet who don’t actually need to. “Sometimes diet is not a cause of symptoms,”
said Linda A. Lee, clinical director of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Also, cutting out certain food groups without the guidance of a medical professional could leave you at risk for other health problems down the road. Lee suggests that instead of elimination, many people should consider moderation instead. “If you have specific symptoms that you want to address, I would really encourage you to discuss it with your doctor first before you decide that you’re going to embark on an elimination diet,” she said. Anderson said her elimination diet has achieved the results she was looking for, and she’s committed to staying on it for the long haul. “I do miss pizza,” she said. “I miss other types of things. But nothing tastes as good as just feeling awesome.” Experts say it’s important to remember that elimination diets are a treatment, not a cure. If you do find one that eases symptoms, you’ll have to permanently eliminate that food group to keep feeling the benefits.
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H E A LT H
www.cbsmiami.com
Talking Baby:
Flat Spots On Your
Baby’s Head Rhiannon Ally
As if parents don’t have enough to worry about, more and more babies are developing flat spots on the backs of their head. To correct the problem, parents are paying big bucks for special helmets to re-shape the child’s head. CBS4’s Rhiannon Ally spoke with the mother of a special boy who wore those helmets 23 hours a day for 7 months.
B
lake Seits is just like any other 16-month old. His mother, Melissa Seits, said Blake is “a character from the beginning. He is spunky, he is full of personality and life.” His smile lights up her heart, but it was the back of his head that caught her eye when he was just 4-months old. “So he was very flat from the side, then he was very wide up here as compared to the rest of his head,” said Seits. Blake’s pediatrician, Dr. Susan Leitner of Pediatrics Associates, said she’s seen more cases like this in recent years. A big reason is because parents are instructed to lay their children on their backs to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. “We know the incidents of SIDS decrease by 30% when babies were only sleeping on their backs, so that was a great thing. But, as a side effect, because the pressure of the baby’s head is always on that area, now we see flat heads,” said Dr. Leitner. Dr. Leitner referred Melissa and Blake to specialists at Cranial Technologies who did 3-D imaging of his skull and recommended Blake wear a special helmet to re-shape his head. “We did seek a second opinion and we saw a plastic surgeon at Miami Children’s who basically agreed with the opinion, and said listen your best bet
is going to be, the helmet,” said Seits. The helmet protects the soft skull and keeps it from flattening. But, as cute as Blake looked in his helmet, it’s something most parents would like to avoid. Dr. Leitner said if you catch it early enough, simply repositioning the baby and making sure baby spends more time on his tummy should do the trick. Blake’s flat spot was too advanced to bypass the helmet. In fact, he needed two different helmets and wore them 23 hours a day for 7 months. “The big question is how much it would have improved without the helmet? But the risk is finding out what that window is and missing that window of opportunity. But he really did look much better after the helmet. He looks great now,” said Dr. Leitner. Since Blake no longer needs to wear the helmet, he chooses to play with it instead. A big relief to his mother, Melissa. “I think we’ve got a nice result. No one is perfect. I think it looks pretty good,” said Seits. Dr. Leitner said there are typically no long term effects to these flat spots, unless they are really severe. The helmets range in price. Seits paid $3000 for each of Blake’s. Many insurance companies do not cover the cost, because it is usually considered a cosmetic fix.
August 2014 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 23 ]
H E A LT H
Pollen Vortex Brings
Rise In Allergies Brian Andrews
South Floridians may have snickered poolside during last winter’s polar vortex—but no one seems to be gloating now. As it turns out, the polar vortex has spawned pollen vortex and, as CBS4’s Brian Andrews explains, even people who have never had allergies are suffering now. It seems there are not enough ‘bless yous’ to keep up with the spike in allergy sufferers this year, many of whom are experiencing allergy symptoms for the very first time.
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www.cbsmiami.com
“N
ever had allergies. Not once growing up, just now recently,” said Adrian Blanco, a first time allergy sufferers. Blanco’s job as a construction project manager means that he is constantly outside—which wasn’t an issue until spring sprung. “I would wake up very congested in the mornings. I was waking up with my eyes puffy and watery and I’d have sneezing attacks which I’d never had before,”
said 35-year-old Blanco. Desperate for answers, Blanco is being skin tested for allergies at the office of Dr. Kathryn EisermannRogers. “It’s going to be a long, hard season for most allergic people,” said allergist Dr. Eisermann-Rogers. What the allergist is referring to is how the winter’s polar vortex whipped and whirled its way into a tidal wave of pent up pollen—also known as the pollen vortex. “It’s crazy. I washed my car the other day and the next day it had a coating of pollen. I mean I’ve never seen it so bad—ever!” said Blanco. Because of the exceptionally harsh winter created by the polar vortex, snow and ice stayed on the ground until April and the onset of spring was delayed. Trees didn’t pollenate gradually, but instead exploded all at once, just as the grass allergy season was beginning. And now, the already brutal-for-some spring allergy season may extend well into summer this year. “I’m seeing little kids that are three, four, five years of age coming in with their eyes burning and
watering and tearing and shutting down and the nose sneezing. We never saw that 10-years-ago,” said Dr. Eisermann-Rogers. Even the allergist’s daughter is not immune from the pollen vortex. “You know I’ll wake up in the morning absolutely miserable. I’ll have itchy, watery eyes, my throat will be itchy, my nose, I start sneezing and to be honest I’m just really lethargic in the morning,” said Natalie Eisermann-Rogers, “Just feeling lousy overall.” Natalie, a college student, had been allergy-free most of her life but after she underwent a skin test, even her mother, the allergist, was slack jawed. “Low and behold this girl now has severe pollen allergies! Never had that before. You name it, grass pollen, oak tree, ragweed—she got it!” said Dr. Eisermann-Rogers. Soon Dr. Eisermann-Rogers will start her daughter on allergy shots. Meanwhile, Adrian Blanco has tested negative for allergies in both his skin test intradermal injection tests and is waiting for a diagnosis. If you are suddenly experiencing allergy symptoms, there are some things allergists say you can do: • first see a doctor and find out what you are allergic to • over-the-counter medications are simply bandaids. • avoid outdoor activities in the morning when the pollen count is high • shower and wash your hair before going to bed to avoid contaminating bed sheets with pollen Blanco, after waiting, received his results and was diagnosed with something called vasomotor rhinitis, which means he is not allergic to anything in particular, but his allergist told him that the increase in the outdoor pollen this summer is contributing to his symptoms. Blanco was prescribed Nasonex which is used to treat seasonal outdoor allergies and was told to flush out his sinuses to minimize the effects from the pollen vortex.
August 2014 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 25 ]
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H E A LT H
www.cbsmiami.com
“Smart” Phone Tech Now Being Used In
Hearing Aids Eliott Rodriguez
Jim Watson will never forget the first time he saw the Rolling Stones in concert nearly thirty years ago. That’s because in addition to the memories, the music has had a lasting effect on his hearing. “Baby boomers getting older and rock ‘n’ roll, that’s a mix for hearing aids,” said Watson. But these days there is a new twist on treating hearing loss.
“Y
ou have heard the term smart phones, well I call them smart hearing aids,” said audiologist Dr. Mont Stong. Stong says wireless technology and faster processors have made hearing aids ‘smart’. “It’s pretty much your own personal hearing system,” said Stong. In the past, hearing aids were virtually one size fits all. Every sound registered at a similar level which, at times, made it difficult for the brain to process what the person was actually hearing. That’s not the case with smart hearing aids. “The phone is figuring out exactly where I am,” said Watson point to his cell phone. A smart hearing aid can work with an iPhone app. Geo-tagging technology can even mark frequently visited spots and automatically adjust the noise level. Since the new hearing aids are Bluetooth enabled, they can even be paired to make a call. The new technology, however, doesn’t come
cheap. Outfitting both ears can cost $7,000 or more; an out-of-pocket cost some insurance companies don’t cover Watson is hoping Silicon Valley innovation, and competition, will drive the prices down. A big advantage of smart hearing aids is that the user can adjust the volume on the cell phones. That comes in handy when they are in loud places, like restaurants, because it doesn’t make it obvious that the person is wearing a hearing aid which relieves the stigma many people feel.
August 2014 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 27 ]
Eye On Coral Gables
The Tail of a Rescue
(From left) Firefighters David Vargas and Brian Shaw with pet owner and his rescued dog.
You could say Coral Gables Firefighters Brian Shaw and David Vargas are pet lovers. Vargas has a dog and two cats he rescued, while Shaw’s stray beagle and mutt are pictured on his cell phone wallpaper and their barks are the ringtone. “They’re kind of innocent, and they’re good to have around,” Vargas said of his pets. When the two responded to a house fire June 6 on
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Alcazar Avenue and learned that there was no one home but there were pets inside, they quickly took action. They entered the smoke-filled house prepared. All the City’s Fire Rescue trucks are equipped with three SurgiVet® oxygen masks that come in three sizes to fit everything from small cats to large dogs. With two trucks responding to every fire, the six masks on hand were plenty in a city where cats and dogs are limited to a total of four per household. After barging through the front door, it didn’t take long for the firefighters to spot the family’s three dogs in their kennels near the kitchen where the fire started. But the cat was nowhere to be found inside the smoke-filled house. “Smoke is the danger,” said Vargas. “More people succumb to smoke than to flames.” The firefighters found the cat upstairs, where the smoke had risen, cowering under a bed. They rushed it outside. The four pets were rescued, but they were suffering from smoke inhalation. “The white dog was perfectly gray from the smoke,” Vargas said. “We were concerned about the older dog. Carbon monoxide can become an issue.” The firefighters listened to their breathing and placed the oxygen masks on the three dogs. “They didn’t seem shocked,” Shaw said. “After breathing the oxygen, they seemed fine.” It was harder to put the mask on the cat – “the cat can be catlike,” Vargas said -- so the firefighters placed it in a kennel, cut a piece of oxygen tubing and put it inside. “It went straight to the fresh air,” Shaw said. All the pets made a full recovery and were handed to their owner, who had rushed to the scene. “We’re blessed here in Coral Gables that we have (the masks for pets) in every vehicle,” Shaw said. “Pets are family,” he added. “They are like kids.”
Content provided by
City of Coral Gables Commission:
City’s Tree Plan Takes Root It is the City’s public trees that help make Coral Gables so special – all 38,800 of them. Old oak trees and massive banyans, colorful poincianas and stately palms line the wide boulevards and narrow, winding streets. Many were chosen by George Merrick’s landscape architect when the City was born. That was 90 years ago, and with many of the trees dying or gone, Coral Gables officials have a Tree Succession Plan in place to begin adding or replacing 3,000 missing, dead or diseased trees. “The City wants to ensure this canopy continues over time,” said Aida Curtis, whose landscape architecture firm Curtis + Rogers was hired to put together the plan. For two years, Curtis and her team have visited every public tree in the 13-square-mile City, using GIS mapping technology to conduct a street-bystreet inventory. They have catalogued the species of each tree, diagnosed its health and determined if it needs to be replaced. They found that 65 trees are in “critical condition” and need to be immediately replaced. Another 120 are dead or stumps and also need replacing. In addition, they found “a lot of holes” where trees once stood. Residents across the City have had a chance to weigh in on the kinds of trees they’d like to see on their streets. Last fall, City staff held five public meetings in every corner of the City to determine street tree themes for those neighborhoods without a clearly defined theme. The City Commission is preparing to hire a contractor that will begin planting the new trees. “We want to make sure that every tree will be able to thrive,” Curtis said.
Jim Cason Mayor
William Kerdyk. Jr. Vice Mayor
Patricia Keon Commissioner
Vince Lago Commissioner
Frank C. Quesada Commissioner
www.CoralGables.com
August 2014 CBS4 News Magazine Coral Gables [ 31 ]
Eye On Coral Gables
Events Calendar City of Coral Gables / August 2014 The Whale Through August 17 GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Avenue On the outskirts of Mormon Country, Idaho, a 600-pound recluse hides in his apartment eating himself to death. Bighearted and fiercely funny, the play is the story of a man's last chance at redemption and finding beauty in the most unexpected places. For more information, visit www.gablestage.org.
MID-LIFE 2! (The Crisis Continues)
China’s Last Empire: The Art and Culture of the Qing Dynasty
Through August 17 Actors' Playhouse at Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile
Through October 19: Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Drive
Brand new and just as hilarious as its predecessor MID-LIFE! The Crisis Musical, which performed to critical acclaim at Actors' Playhouse in the summer of 2008. MID-LIFE 2! (The Crisis Continues) takes a look at the ever-growing legion of Mid-Lifers. Sketch comedy and musical comedy combine in this witty new musical guaranteed to serve up reflections of all our lives. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.actorsplayhouse.org.
The Qing Dynasty, the second foreign dynasty to rule all China, served as patrons of Chinese culture employing Chinese scholar-officials in high government positions. The exhibition, China’s Last Empire: The Art and Culture of the Qing Dynasty, will examine this last Imperial period in China’s history, which lasted nearly three centuries until 1911. For more information or admission prices, visit www.miami.edu/lowe.
Livingston Taylor, Summer Concert Series August 14: 8 p.m. Coral Gables United Church of Christ, 3010 De Soto Boulevard Livingston Taylor closes the 2014 Summer Concert Series with an intimate evening performance. The guitarist, singer-songwriter also packs classes on stage performance at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he has been a professor for decades. Cost: advanced tickets $30 - $50. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 305-448-7421, ext.153.
E-News: Get connected, and we’ll keep you current! Coral Gables E-News is a fast and easy way to stay in the know about the important news and events that affect you and your city. Be among the first to know what’s going on. Receive information bi-weekly on City services, programs for you or your family, and free tickets to sporting, cultural and other events. It’s simple, join now: Visit www.coralgables.com and click on E-News.
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Content provided by The City Of Coral Gables
This Month in History Gables Bike Tours: Coral Rocks! August 17: 11 a.m. Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue Tour the earliest homes of Coral Gables, all built of local coral rock. Each craft-style, historic building tells a story. Kid-friendly (this tour is suitable for children of all ages on two wheels or attached to an adult bicycle.) Bike rentals and helmets (required for children 16 and under) are available at No Boundaries (305-444-3206), across the street from the Museum. Cost: $10; $5 for Museum members and children under 12. RSVP to 305-603-8067.
Volunteer Information Days at Fairchild August 23: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road Learn how to become a volunteer at Fairchild Garden. Volunteering requires a regular commitment of 3 to 4 hours per week for a minimum of 3 months. Meet at the Visitor Center Ballroom. For more information or to make reservations for this information session, call 305-667-1651, ext. 3360.
Waterway Canoe Tour August 24: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; starting at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue Enjoy a leisure canoeing experience for the whole family (ages 6+ welcome). Miami-Dade County EcoAdventures and Coral Gables Museum staff lead the tour that features unique natural vistas and historic landmarks. Glimpse manatee, iguana and tropical birds in the water and on the shore. Bring plenty of water, at least 2-quarts per person. Closed-toe shoes required. Tickets cost $40 per person, rain or shine. To RSVP, call 305-603-8067.
Reading Ready Baby Story Time August 29: 11 – 11:30 am; Coral Gables Library, 3443 Segovia Street Join the Coral Gables Library for summer-themed stories, songs and activities for babies and their caregivers. The program is for babies up to 18 months old. For more information please call 305-442-8706.
Photo courtesy of the City of Coral Gables Historical Resources Department
It is August 1943 and the Great War is raging in Europe and dominating the headlines – both international and local. In Coral Gables, an “incendiary bomb” has hit an army warehouse, killing two workers and seriously injuring five. It is a test raid to insure the City Beautiful is ready for an Axis attack. At the Biltmore Hotel, which has been transformed into the Army Air Forces Regional Station Hospital, two patients announce that, when discharged, they will make their home in “the best place to live under the sun” – Coral Gables. One of them, Private John Swanson, who crawled 26 miles through the jungle with a broken back when his plane was forced down, has landed a job with Pan American Airlines. A display ad urges residents to set aside at least 10% of their salary for war bonds to buy “the weapons that insure a future of freedom, peace and plenty.” At the Gables Theater, audiences can choose from three war films – “Bataan,” Bombardier” and “Assignment in Brittany.”
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Real Estate Sponsored By
Listings in this section are based on properties sold in previous months and retrieved from www.zillow.com. Not all properties sold are listed. Not responsible for typographical errors and/or omissions. Photographs are for illustration purposes only.
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7 Tips to Get the
Best Mortgage As the real estate market begins to perk up, many people find themselves in a good position to start looking for a home. Even though interest rates continue to hover at the lower end of the spectrum, shopping for a mortgage is still a tricky process, especially if you’re doing it for the first time. But don’t fret. These seven steps will help you navigate the treacherous waters of mortgage shopping, and they’ll save you time and money in the process. 1. Have your credit report ready Lenders use your credit score as one of the major factors in determining if you will get approved for a loan, as well as what kind of interest rates you qualify for. That is why it’s important to review your report at least once a year to make sure everything is in order. If there are any errors that affect your credit score, you could be missing out on a few points here and there that will make a huge difference when you walk into a loan office. Interest rates could skyrocket, or you could even be denied a loan if your score is lacking. If you can, try to get a credit report at least six months prior to applying for a loan. You will have time to review it and get in touch with a credit agency if you find any errors. You also can use this time to start sprucing your score up a bit by avoiding big purchases that put your finances in jeopardy and not opening up any more lines of credit.
2. Work on improving your debt-toincome ratio
Your debt-to-income ratio is the amount of money you make versus how much you owe. Lenders also take this into consideration when you apply for a loan, so it might be a good idea to try to reduce your debt or increase your income. Make bigger payments on credit card debt to boost your ratio, or pay off any outstanding loans you may have. You will be a more desirable candidate, and you might save some money in the long run.
3. Plan for a big down payment A big down payment saves you lot of money. Save up for the biggest down payment you can afford so you can take advantage of bigger loans, smaller interest rates, and more attractive closing fees. It also helps lenders determine your property’s loan-to-value ratio. Most loan programs usually require a down payment that falls somewhere between 5 percent to 20 percent. In some cases, if you can’t afford a 20 percent down payment, your lender might require you to pay for mortgage insurance because they’re increasing their loss risk by loaning you more money.
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R E A L ESTAT E
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4. Decide between a fixed or hybrid mortgage If you think you’ll only be in your new home for a few years, you might consider a hybrid loan. Many home buyers think the traditional fixed rate for a 30-year plan is the best choice for them, but that isn’t always the case. According to experts, if you know you are only keeping your house for a few years, a hybrid loan nets you a lower interest rate for the fixed period than a typical 30-year mortgage. For example, a homeowner who’s planning to sell their house after three or four years could opt for a 5/1 hybrid mortgage and pay about 1% less in interest. Of course, plans sometimes change. Since we can’t predict the future, there’s risk involved with the hybrid mortgage. If you end up staying longer than you planned, then interest rates could spike, or the housing market could be in a different place by the time you’re ready to sell. If you aren’t comfortable with that possibility, a more traditional 15- or 30-year mortgage might be a better option for you.
documentation needed to quickly and accurately process your application. The form itself is fairly simple to fill out, and your lender will be able to do most of it. You’ll hand over the right papers, though, so gather all documents like tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, and real estate contracts.
5. Shop for lenders The right lender can completely transform your mortgage-buying experience. Shop around online, by phone, or in person for a straightforward lender who’s willing to work closely with you. Real estate agencies often suggest an affiliated lending bank, but it isn’t a good idea to make a decision based solely on a recommendation from an agency. While it’s entirely possible that the agency’s lender has competitive rates, you will want to cover your bases to make sure you can negotiate the best deal possible. An easy way to quickly gather lender information is requesting online quotes from local lenders. Provide each lender with the exact same information and compare the rates they send back to you. When you narrow it down, call the lenders or meet with them to see who you feel most comfortable with.
6. Submit a thorough application Provide your lender with all the necessary
7. Lock in your interest rate It’s finally time to make a commitment, and this means locking in your interest rate. You can choose between a couple of different options at this point. When your application is finished, you can opt to lock in your rate immediately if it looks attractive enough and be done with it. Or, you could choose to float your rate. In this case, your rate moves with the market until you are ready to close. You could end up paying less if the market is where you want it by the time you close, but you also risk paying more if the market rate increases. Buying a home is often one of the most important things a person does during his or her lifetime. While that implies a certain degree of heaviness, this process doesn’t have to be so scary. Enter into it well-prepared and confident, and you should have no problem.
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Real Estate
Recently Sold Properties in Coral Gables
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1208 San Miguel Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
500 Sevilla Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
2 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,551 sq. ft. | 5,000 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1959 Sold: 6/30/2014 | $450,000
3 Beds / 2.5 Bath | 1,713 sq. ft. | n/a Lot | Built in: 1941 Sold: 6/25/2014 | $580,000
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1290 Mariola Ct, Coral Gables, FL 33134
402 Vittorio Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146
4 Beds / 4 Bath | 2,331 sq. ft. | 0.39 acre Lot | Built in: 1950 Sold: 6/25/2014 | $608,000
3 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,601 sq. ft. | 8,500 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1948 Sold: 6/24/2014 | $615,000
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936 Castile Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
510 Madeira Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
4 Beds / 2 Bath | 2,631 sq. ft. | 0.26 acre Lot | Built in: 1931 Sold: 6/23/2014 | $710,000
3 Beds / 2 Bath | 2,604 sq. ft. | 6,800 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1989 Sold: 6/23/2014 | $765,000
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515 Perugia Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146
1535 Dorado Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146
3 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 2,724 sq. ft. | 5,500 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1989 Sold: 7/17/2014 | $850,000
5 Beds / 4 Bath | 3,771 sq. ft. | 0.25 acre Lot | Built in: 1984 Sold: 6/26/2014 | $1,025,000
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912 Valencia Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33134
5845 SW 117th St, Coral Gables, FL 33156
5 Beds / 4 Bath | 3,445 sq. ft. | 0.29 acre Lot | Built in: 1924 Sold: 6/25/2014 | $1,250,000
5 Beds / 4 Bath | 5,951 sq. ft. | 0.53 acre Lot | Built in: 1968 Sold: 6/23/2014 | $1,275,000
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2710 N Greenway Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33134
524 Hardee Rd, Coral Gables, FL 33146
4 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 3,652 sq. ft. | 8,751 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1939 Sold: 6/24/2014 | $1,300,000
5 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 3,602 sq. ft. | 9,747 sq ft Lot | Built in: 1926 Sold: 6/23/2014 | $1,600,000
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Real Estate
Recently Sold Luxury Properties in Miami Dade
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3690 Chase Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140
451 E Dilido Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
7 Beds / 8 Bath | 4,404 sq. ft. | 0.3 acre Lot | Built in: 1951 Sold: 6/30/2014 | $4,750,000
5 Beds / 5 Bath | 3,000 sq. ft. | 10,000 sq ft Lot | Built in: 2013 Sold: 6/24/2014 | $4,375,000
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400 Alton Rd, #2103, Miami Beach, FL 33139
11015 Lakeside Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33156
3 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 3,058 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2003 Sold: 6/26/2014 | $3,300,000
6 Beds / 4.5 Bath | 5,330 sq. ft. | 1.1 acre Lot | Built in: 1956 Sold: 7/11/2014 | $3,100,000
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6235 SW 135th St, Miami, FL 33156
2015 Fisher Island Dr, #2015, Miami Beach, FL 33109
7 Beds / 8 Bath | 7,620 sq. ft. | 0.89 acre Lot | Built in: 2006 Sold: 6/23/2014 | $2,915,000
3 Beds / 2.5 Bath | 1,912 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 1988 Sold: 6/26/2014 | $2,300,000
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20001 NE 21st Ct, North Miami Beach, FL 33179
3849 Leafy Way, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
6 Beds / 4.5 Bath | 6,914 sq. ft. | 0.81 acre Lot | Built in: 1966 Sold: 6/26/2014 | $2,150,000
4 Beds / 4 Bath | 3,553 sq. ft. | 0.65 acre Lot | Built in: 1925 Sold: 6/26/2014 | $2,150,000
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7435 SW 54th Ave, Miami, FL 33143
3551 Saint Gaudens Rd, Miami, FL 33133
6 Beds / 6.5 Bath | 6,500 sq. ft. | 0.29 acre Lot | Built in: 2005 Sold: 6/27/2014 | $2,000,000
5 Beds / 6 Bath | 5,456 sq. ft. | 0.42 acre Lot | Built in: 1940 Sold: 7/10/2014 | $1,900,000
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3000 Natoma St, Miami, FL 33133
18101 Collins Ave, #5202, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160
4 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 3,850 sq. ft. | 0.45 acre Lot | Built in: 1932 Sold: 6/30/2014 | $1,775,000
2 Beds / 2.5 Bath | 1,600 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2006 Sold: 6/24/2014 | $1,540,000
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R E A L ESTAT E
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Why Real Estate Deals Fall Apart Real estate deals are never done until the deed is recorded. Until that time, a real estate transaction can be a topsy-turvy ride filled with red flags, bumps in the road and unexpected issues that need to be addressed, both on the side of the buyer and the seller. Here are some of the biggest places where deals can get hung up — and how to avoid them.
Appraisal issues Homes not appraising at the contract value have been a problem since the housing crisis and will likely continue to plague the industry for years to come. Particularly in strong markets, where multiple buyers compete for the same property, the price sometimes creates a new comp for the area. Even if multiple buyers have offered to pay a price, a third-party appraiser, who isn’t part of the deal, sometimes won’t agree on the seller’s price. The best way to avoid appraisal issues is for banks and buyers to work closely once a deal is in contract. If you have a hot property that hit a number that the comps may not support, start speaking to the mortgage professional. Understand the appraisal process and make sure the listing agent is present at the time of the appraisal to tell the story to the appraiser. Seeing a contract price and address on paper is one thing. But to know there were 100 people through the home in three days and six offers received provides color and context.
Inspection problems It’s the call no buyer’s agent, seller or seller’s agent wants to get: The inspector found some major problems with the home. When that happens, the deal can easily fall apart. Unexpected inspection issues, particularly large ones, can cause scared buyers to walk away. For buyers who still want to move forward with the home, it means renegotiating the purchase price or asking the seller for credits back. Another round of negotiations means the deal can go south quickly if both parties can’t work together. When this happens, it’s helpful for all parties to put emotions aside and work together. If the buyer wants to buy, and the seller wants to sell, it means compromising, particularly for the seller. If this buyer
walks, the next buyer could have the same problem. The best way to avoid deals going south due to inspections is to have the property inspected before going on the market. Iron out any issues that may arise and then price the property accordingly. Every seller should do a pre-sales property inspection in this next generation of real estate.
Buyer’s remorse Buyer’s remorse happens all the time in real estate. The buyer gets excited about a property and makes an offer, only to second-guess it once buyer and seller have come to terms. It happens in situations where there are multiple offers and bidding wars. A buyer gets caught up in the excitement and wants to compete, only to find themselves scared and feeling remorseful once the dust has settled. Before you make an offer, or before the final round of counteroffers, ask yourself: Do I really love this home? The price may be up to 10 percent more than the original offer, which means the deal has potentially changed, so ask yourself again: Does the price make sense? Do I love this home for this price? It’s better to walk away before you get too emotionally involved in the process. For sellers, it’s best to vet your buyer before signing on the dotted line. If they don’t seem to be fully committed, haven’t seen the home enough or don’t appear to have their ducks in a row, it might be better to wait for another buyer than to tie up the listing and have to go “back on the market.” There are rare issues that come up that are completely unexpected. A neighbor makes a random disclosure, or the inspector finds something nobody else knew about or that a previous inspector missed. Maybe there’s an odd lien on the title report or something happens to the buyer, unexpectedly. In these cases, keep an open mind and go to plan B. A good listing agent will never change the status of the listing to “pending” unless the deal is truly done.
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HOME IMPROVEMENT
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Content provided by www.habify.com
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H O M E I M P R OV E M E N T
Stay Safe With This
Home Safety Tips
Your home is your haven. So there’s nothing better than knowing you’re protected and out of harm’s way. These home safety tips will help keep your home safe from fire and other common household hazards. Catch Fires Early - Smoke Detectors Early fire detection is the key to making sure everyone gets out of the house safely. Relying solely on your sense of smell to alert you to a fire can compromise your family’s timely exit from the house. Smoke detectors can detect smoke before you can, giving you and your family the extra time to escape from a fire. Place smoke detectors in or near every sleeping area, near the kitchen and in other living spaces.
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There should be at least one on every floor of the house, including the basement. Install them according to manufacturer’s instructions, usually on the ceiling or on a wall 6-12 inches below the ceiling. Be careful to avoid vents, registers and areas of dead air or heavy airflow. Keep the smoke detector units clean and free of dust, test the batteries monthly, and put in new batteries twice a year. Make battery replacement easy to remember by doing it on the days you adjust the
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clock for Daylight Saving Time. You can test some models with a flashlight, so you don’t have to use a step-stool to reach the test button. Other models include a silence button to cut off false alarms easily. When shopping for a smoke detector, look for a unit that senses both smoldering and flaming fires. A built-in escape light will help you find your way out of the house. A strobe light that flashes when the alarm sounds will alert the hearing-impaired. To make sure your detector is always ready, choose a model that is hard-wired into your house’s electrical system. You can connect them so an alarm at one detector will make all of the alarms in the house activate. Make sure hard-wired detectors have back-up batteries in case the power in your house goes out. Some models feature long-life power cells that last up to 10 years without a battery change. For maximum safety, look for a smoke detector/ carbon monoxide detector combination unit.
Put Out Small Fires Fire Extinguishers A fire extinguisher should be on every floor of your home. It’s a must for your home’s kitchen, the place where so many house fires start. There are different extinguishers for different types of fires. You will notice labels on the units marked A, B and C. These letters refer to which types of fires the extinguishers address: Class A extinguishers handle fires involving paper, wood, textiles and plastics. The material inside smothers the fire, putting it out by cutting off the oxygen that feeds it. Class B extinguishers tackle fires involving flammable liquids, such as grease, oil, gasoline and paint. Two kinds of material deploy: one to smother the fire and one to create a chemical reaction that puts it out. Class C extinguishers use non-conductive materials to fight fires in live electrical equipment. Each extinguisher also has a rating number indicating what size fire it can handle. Some units rate for all three types of fires, but they have a larger size rating for one type than for another. Choose a fire extinguisher that is right for the types of fire that might break out in a particular area.
Plan Your Escape Fire Escape Ladders Map out your escape route and identify a family meeting place in case of fire. If you have more than one floor in your home, consider investing in a fire escape ladder. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), you should have an alternate exit out of every room. Also, make sure that all windows and doors can be opened and shut. Fix any windows that have been painted or nailed shut, doors that are stubborn or “stuck,” and locks that are difficult to operate. Security bars or grates over windows or doors should have quick-release devices that allow you to open them in an emergency. The NFPA also recommends that you hold a fire drill twice a year.
Breathe Easy Carbon Monoxide Detectors Carbon monoxide is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that can kill, produced by common household sources, including wood or gas fireplaces, gas or oil furnaces, wood stoves, gas appliances, a clogged chimney or improper venting in a garage. Today’s energy-efficient, airtight homes contribute to the problem by decreasing the exchange of inside and outside air. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning mimic those of the flu so you might not realize you
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are being poisoned until damage is done. A carbon monoxide detector in your home will alert you when the level of the gas in the air has become dangerous. Look for a carbon monoxide detector with sensors that record the levels of the gas in the air. That information can help determine the source of the problem. Like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors can be battery-operated or hard-wired, and they come with test buttons, silence buttons, visual indicators of the alarm and features to let you know when the battery needs replacing. Install carbon monoxide detectors near the ceiling or near the floor, as carbon monoxide is a similar consistency to air. Many states only require one carbon monoxide detector in a single-family home. However, additional units may offer added peace of mind. Radon Radon is a naturally occurring, odorless, colorless and tasteless radioactive gas proven to cause cancer. So, it is important for you to test your home for its presence. Radon test kits are easy-to-use and inexpensive, providing complete instructions for where to send your sample for analysis.
Prevent Slips and Falls Falls in the home lead to thousands of injuries every year. While the elderly are the most susceptible, all ages are at risk if a house isn’t properly arranged for safety. There are some easy things you can do to prevent these kinds of accidents in your home. Make sure that transitions from one flooring material to the other, such as from a carpeted
hallway to a tiled bathroom, are smooth and free of obstructions that might cause someone to trip. Use non-slip pads under rugs so they don’t slide out from under someone’s feet. Place nightlights and lighted switches anywhere someone might need to walk in the dark. Pay special attention to guest rooms, because the people sleeping there might not be familiar with the layout of your house. Make sure major pathways through the house are free of floor clutter. Clean up any spills immediately.
Light the Way In the event of a power outage, make sure that your home has plenty of flashlights so that you aren’t stuck in the dark. Keep flashlights with fresh batteries in convenient places throughout the house. Flashlights are safer than emergency candles, which can start fires.
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H O M E I M P R OV E M E N T
Refrigerator Efficiency and Maintenance Trying to save money and electricity? Improving your refrigerator’s efficiency is a great place to start. If your refrigerator is older than 2001, you’ll want to consider buying a new machine before implementing these tips. By simply upgrading you can increase energy savings by up to 40%. 6 Ideas for Improving Refrigerator Efficiency: 1. Shield your refrigerator from heat sources. By keeping your refrigerator away from heat vents, the stove, the dishwasher and direct sunlight from a window you’re reducing compressor
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usage to account for external temperature extremes. 2. Mind your leftovers. Let items cool to room temperature and wrap or cover tightly before storing in the refrigerator. This reduces heat inside of the appliance, meaning the compressor runs less. 3. Use in-door water and ice. Sounds simple, right? By opening the refrigerator or freezer door less often, you automatically improve your refrigerator’s
Content Provided by www.lowes.com efficiency. 4. Warm things up. Sound counterintuitive? By adjusting your refrigerator’s temperature between 36 and 38 degrees F and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F, you will improve efficiency. This is usually the mid-point setting on the temperature dial. 5. Organize, organize, organize. Put those organizer ideas to good use and create a tidy refrigerator. When items are easily accessible, you reduce open-door time, which translates to energy savings. 6.Clear clutter. Keep the top of your refrigerator free of cereal boxes, bread, serving dishes and other “stuff.” These things trap heat inside of the appliance, causing your compressor to work overtime.
Reminder It can take up to 24-hours for temperature changes to take effect inside the refrigerator and freezer.
1. Protect the plastic. Avoid using scratchcausing abrasives when cleaning drawers, shelves and handles. Simply wipe clean with a soft cloth, a mild detergent and a little baking soda. 2. Give your food some elbowroom. A full refrigerator and freezer operate more efficiently, but not when it’s crammed. Make sure there is enough space for air to circulate. 3. Keep your cool. By cleaning the refrigerator door seals regularly with soap and water, you eliminate dirt and grime that prevent proper sealing. To test your seals, slice a piece of paper in the closed refrigerator door. If it falls out, it’s time to replace the seals. 4. Banish mold and mildew. Wipe the inside of our refrigerator with pure white vinegar to prevent bacteria growth. After applying the vinegar, wipe surfaces clean and dry thoroughly. 5. Clean your coils. Unplug the refrigerator and gently remove dust from the condenser coils. To find your condenser coils, check your owner’s manual.
5 Tips to Increase Your Refrigerator’s Life Span:
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H O M E I M P R OV E M E N T
Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden Attract birds, butterflies and other beauties to your garden by offering them all the comforts of home. Food
Water
Native species of plants, shrubs and trees lure wildlife in your area. Butterflies, such as tiger swallowtails (above), and hummingbirds sip nectar. Bees dine on pollen. And birds eat seeds and berries. In addition to planting varieties that produce food for wildlife, you also can supplement bird feeding by adding seed, fruit and suet feeders. (Use suet in the winter to feed insect-eating birds.)
Every living thing needs water to drink, and birds, bees and butterflies are no exceptions. If you have a natural water source on your property (such as a pond, stream or marsh), you already know that it’s a lively place, offering nurseries for toads and frogs, as well as habitat for water fowl, lizards and reptiles. Birds also like water sources to bathe in—so a birdbath is a good addition to a wildlife-friendly garden. The Audubon Society recommends that
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birdbaths have sides that incline gently and that the baths are no more than 2 to 3 inches deep. They also should offer slightly rough surfaces for adequate footing. Add fresh water every couple of days. Make sure the bottom of the bath is free from algae. Give it a good scrubbing every few weeks. Birds flock to the sound of trickling water, so adding a fountain will lure more species. Position a birdbath about 15 feet from trees and shrubs so predators, such as hawks and cats, can’t sneak up on bathing birds. To attract butterflies with water, set out a shallow dish filled with wet sand.
Cover/Housing For nesting and safety plant a variety of species—from small to tall. All wildlife needs protective cover in which to safely hide from predators and get out of bad weather. Shrubs, hedges
and piles of brush (including dead trees) offer respites for birds, rabbits and other species. The more cover and housing opportunities you offer, the more species will call your yard home. Choose native shrubs and trees to provide natural nesting areas and materials. For example, different bird species have nesting styles that range from a hole in a tree to a nest that sits in the crotch of a tree branch. Add a mix of deciduous trees (that lose their leaves in autumn) and coniferous trees (evergreens) to create the most diverse habitat. You can increase the number of bird species in your area by erecting manmade nesting boxes or houses. Purple martins, bluebirds, wrens and titmice will nest in these structures. Other readymade wildlife structures include bat houses and
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H O M E I M P R OV E M E N T
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mason bee boxes.
Chemical-Free Residence If you want to attract wildlife, take care when using chemicals in your yard. Herbicides and pesticides can create a dangerous environment for many wildlife species.
Make Your Garden a Wildlife Refuge Create a backyard habitat for wildlife by adding food, cover, water and nesting materials to your landscape. Once you do this you can certify your yard as a wildlife-friendly zone by applying to be part of the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program. To learn more about wildlife-enabled gardening, go to the National Wildlife Federation’s website at nwf.org.
Best Wildlife-Attracting Plants Add a wide variety of food-producing plants, shrubs and trees to your landscape and you’ll enjoy the most wildlife species in your yard.
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Nuts: Oak, hickory, buckeye, chestnut, walnut Seeds: Pine, spruce, fir, maple, sunflower, coneflower, aster, goldenrod, grass, thistle Berries: Holly, dogwood, serviceberry, cherry, elderberry, mulberry, bayberry, raspberry, blueberry, high-bush cranberry (in photo), pokeberry, Virginia creeper, grape Nectar: Columbine, lobelia, penstemon, azalea, fuchsia, trumpet vine, monarda, honeysuckle, joe-pye weed
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Complain On Twitter, And You Could Get Better Customer Service! Brian Andrews
Anyone who’s had a customer complaint fall on deaf ears knows how frustrating it can be. But there’s a new way to complain that could get you better results and it’s as simple as sending a tweet.
W
hen Alicia Peiffer experiences poor customer service, she doesn’t send a letter, an email or even call the company. “I don’t have time to be calling on the phone and sitting for an hour and I just tweet,” she said. Like one complaint she tweeted to Comcast Cable that said “Internet is down for the third time.” Another one she tweeted to State Farm Insurance regarding a claim dispute got an immediate tweet back. “They ended up being like ‘what’s the problem? Send me the information’,” she said. Jennifer Evers said she tweeted Sears out of frustration while she was in the store shopping. “Within an hour they sent me a response back that said ‘we’re so sorry to hear that you have had a problem in our store,’” Evers said. Tweeting a company with a complaint may be the fastest way to get a company to pay attention. “Social media opens up a lot of vulnerability for companies and brands,” said Elly Deutch, social media manager for Garrett Brands. Deutch said one too many negative tweets can seriously tarnish a brand’s image. “If we’re not there to help control and guide it, then it’s just, you know, the fire hose is open and everybody’s posting whatever they want,” Deutch
said. Aalap Shah gets paid to scour the Internet, looking for complaints on behalf of corporate clients. He said companies are more responsive to Twitter complaints because they don’t want them going viral. But there are correct and incorrect ways to get a company’s attention by Twitter. First, Shah said always put the brand name in a hashtag. And make your message concise, direct, and polite. “Threatening, insulting, demeaning are things that will never work,” Shah said. And if you can tweet a picture, “a visual image goes a long way,” said Evers. Experts say companies are also quicker to respond to complaints posted on other social media sites like Facebook. Last year, Sears engaged in nearly 2 million conversations with customers through eight social media sites. Best Buy responded to 62-thousand customer issues on Twitter and another 30-thousand on Facebook. Its average response time was 15-minutes. A recent survey by a social media research firm found nearly 50 percent of social media users said they actually use Twitter, Facebook and other sites to try to resolve customer service issues.
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M A R K E T PL AC E
Making The Most Of A Part-Time Work Trend They’ve worked hard for four years, donned the cap and gown and gotten that diploma, but now many college grads with plans to get started in the “real” world with a full-time job complete with benefits are finding only parttime work. For recent college graduate Brandis Johnson, getting ready for work each day isn’t exactly what she expected. could be good resume builders. “They have to get as much experience as possible. This means do freelance work that’s relative to their strengths and what their skill set is. That means networking as much as possible. This means developing your digital profile, creating a strong LinkedIn profile, starting a blog, getting active on
“I
’ve tried everything. I’ve been on the Internet. I’ve been on multiple interviews and it’s just, nothing has happened,” said Johnson. So, while she searches each day for her dream job, she earns an income at a part-time gig. “I didn’t want part-time. Honestly, I didn’t. But in order for me to get my foot in the door, I felt like I have to start somewhere,” added Johnson. She’s far from the only recent college graduate struggling to find a full-time job. One study found a whopping 27% of 2012 and 2013 graduates are working part-time, up from 16% the year before. “The nature of the jobs and the types of jobs that are available is changing. And I think that there, in many cases, is a big disconnect between what students go to school and think they are going to do and what’s actually available when they come out of school,” said Dan Ryan, Society for Human Resource Management. Millennial researcher Dan Schawbel says new grads have to come to grips with their new reality, and they shouldn’t pass up part-time proposals that
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Twitter, networking directly with hiring managers that can hire you or refer you to another position,” said Schawbel with Millennial Branding. Schawbel says it’s important to be proactive if you’re in a part-time position. “You never want to be in a situation where you’re just waiting for a full-time gig to happen. What you need to do is position yourself for success, meaning that you want to do a full-time amount of work in a part-time job, so it’s much easier to justify you getting paid full-time,” Schawbel added. Human resources consultant Dan Ryan points out more and more companies now prefer part-time arrangements since they are a chance to test-drive an employee. He predicts this type of work after earning a degree will become even more common. “Over the next ten to twenty years, employees in the work force will not only have multiple jobs, they may have multiple careers,” explained Ryan. That’s not the news Brandis wants to hear, but she feels with her part-time gig her career is moving in the right direction
“With this job I feel like it’s giving me that experience I’m looking for, especially in customer service and sales,” said Brandis. Ryan adds college students should actually start thinking about employment in their first year of college. He says they should apply for internships and even co-ops throughout their college years to make sure they stand out among their peers when it comes to hiring time.
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M A R K E T PL AC E
Never Lose Luggage Again With GPS Bag Tag Brian Andrews
There’s GPS for your car, your kids and even your dog. Now new GPS technology can help you keep track of your luggage, even if it gets lost at the airport.
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“I
n a few years, we’re not going to see paper bag tags that date from the 1930s,” said travel expert George Hobica. “We’re going to see everyone have their own reprogrammable bag tag.” Anyone whose luggage has been lost by an airline knows how frustrating it can be. “They said they’ll ship it to us when they find it,” one man said. “They would have a recording that would say, you know, ‘We’re still searching for your luggage,’” said another unlucky traveler. “It’s either in Columbus or the flight from Philly,” another woman added. A reprogrammable, digital luggage tag, however,
allows travelers to keep track of the exact location of their bags at all times. Travelers link the tags with their smartphones, then program it with their flight information. “It allows you to program your own bag, so that there’s no mistake by the checking agent,” Hobica said. It’s a growing market, but there are already a handful of different digital bags travelers can choose from. Experts say it won’t be long before the tags are standard with many airlines. “It’s definitely going to be the future,” Hobica said. “Air France and KLM are some of the early adopters.” While GPS luggage tags will save the airlines money, they’ll cost consumers about $100 right now. The hope is the savings will eventually be passed along.
Who’s got your back– and your back pocket? C Martinez Ins Agcy Inc Carlos Martinez, Agent 878 South Dixie Highway www.carmartinez.com Bus: 305-663-4921
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*Discounts may vary state to state. Based on a 2008 internal State Farm claims department national study. 1103158.1 State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL
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AUTOMOTIVE
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The New 2014 Jeep
Grand Cherokee
The Most Awarded SUV Ever Gets Even Better For 2014 The new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee completely redefines the premium SUV, delivering consumers an unprecedented combination of best-in-class fuel economy and driving range, available clean-diesel technology, a choice of leading powertrain options, legendary benchmark capability, world-class craftsmanship, premium on-road driving dynamics, and a host of advanced user-friendly technology and safety features.
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“With the new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, we have taken the industry’s most highly acclaimed SUV and elevated it to an even higher level,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO — Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “Jeep has proudly separated Grand Cherokee even further from its competitors by enhancing its unique elegance, efficiency, capability and technological features. Consumers will clearly find the new Jeep Grand Cherokee to be even more of a pleasure to drive – on any and all roads, on the most demanding trails, and in all weather conditions.” For 2014, Jeep Grand Cherokee delivers an anticipated best-in-class 30 miles per gallon (mpg) highway courtesy of a new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine for North America and a new eight-speed transmission. The new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 boasts an unmatched driving range of more than 730 miles. A new eight-speed transmission drives the new EcoDiesel, as well as Grand Cherokee’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine – now expected to achieve up to 25 mpg highway and more than 600-miles driving range – and its 5.7-liter V-8, now achieving up to an estimated 22 mpg highway. Legendary Jeep capability comes courtesy of three available 4x4 systems, Jeep’s Quadra-Lift air suspension system and class-leading Selec-Terrain traction management system. Grand Cherokee boasts best-in-class towing of 7,400 pounds, and an improved crawl ratio of 44.1:1 for 2014. A new, refined exterior design – complete with available new bi-xenon headlamps with signature LED daytime running lamps (DRL) – provides an even more premium appearance. Interior luxury is achieved with premium amenities including Natura leather, exotic open-pore wood trim and new color offerings. The new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee includes even more safety and security features – more than 60, including Front Park Assist, Forward Collision Warning with Crash Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Selec-Speed Control – as well as an array of advanced user-friendly technology features for North America such as Uconnect 8.4inch touchscreen radio with integrated climate and infotainment controls, a 7-inch customer configurable multiview display cluster, Uconnect Access Via Mobile and cloud-based voice texting.
North American off-road enthusiasts have been clamoring for a diesel-powered Grand Cherokee. Jeep has delivered, and consumers will benefit greatly – on the trail, and especially in everyday driving. Producing a class-leading 240 horsepower and a massive 420 lb.-ft. of torque, Jeep’s 24-valve dualoverhead cam 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 delivers cleandiesel technology with low CO2 emissions. Capable of towing a best-in-class 7,400 pounds, the EcoDiesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee is expected to deliver 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway in 4x2 models, resulting in a best-in-class driving range of more than 730 miles. In addition to enhancing fuel economy, the new, robust and durable eight-speed transmission delivers quicker acceleration and precise, smooth shifting, enhancing ride quality to luxury car levels. An additional benefit is a lower crawl ratio of 44.1:1 to aid in climbing over – or through – tough obstacles, when equipped with a two-speed transfer case. Another contributor to Grand Cherokee’s improved fuel economy is a new Eco Mode for 2014.
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Eco Mode optimizes the transmission’s shift schedule and, in V-8 models, Fuel Saver cylinder deactivation. In addition, the Eco Mode activates Grand Cherokee’s air suspension system, lowering it to “Aero Ride Height” when the vehicle speed remains between 52 mph and 56 mph, or exceeds 56 mph. Eco Mode is automatically engaged upon vehicle startup. A button on the center stack allows driver’s to disengage Eco Mode if more spirited performance is desired. When Jeep introduced the 2011 Grand Cherokee, it quickly impressed consumers with its cohesive, upscale design that was still able to convey the rugged capability one expects in a Jeep vehicle. For 2014, Jeep Grand Cherokee builds on this success, conveying an even higher level of opulence and strength. All trim levels of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee have been given an even more premium look, while simultaneously making each trim level readily identifiable at a glance. On all models, the upper grille is shorter in height and the headlamps are slimmer. The lower front fascia has been slightly elevated, and fog lights have been raised and are more pronounced within the fascia design. Together, these changes give the front of the Grand Cherokee a more substantial appearance while still preserving the vehicle’s ground clearance at its lower edge. Of course, Grand Cherokee retains Jeep’s classic seven-slot grille and trapezoidal wheel arches. The award-winning interior of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is clearly one of the most technically advanced, well-crafted interiors in the industry. Immediately noticeable is the revised center stack featuring new Uconnect 5-inch or 8.4-inch touchscreens. Controls for radio and climate are found below the screen and have easily identifiable knobs and buttons. Following the center stack down onto the center console reveals a new leatherwrapped E-shifter for the eight-speed transmission.
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Another recognizable change is a new threespoke steering wheel. Wrapped in leather, it features sections of wood on Overland and Summit models. All Grand Cherokee models include standard paddle shifters mounted on the back of the new steering wheel – which perfectly frames the new curvilinear gauge cluster that features the 7-inch customerconfigurable multiview display. Each Grand Cherokee model has its own unique style of luxury and ambiance based on materials and color patterns. Laredo and Limited models feature dark wood trim on the dash and doors. Door handle and dash vent bezels, as well as the trim on the center console, feature a slight gold hue to their brush aluminum look. Limited models also have bright insert door sill scuff plates and bright metal accents that run along the bottom of the wood trim and that adorn the cargo bay. Premium cloth seating is standard on Laredo while Capri leather seating is standard in Limited. These details and a lot more features, make the 2014 Jeep Cherokee one of the best SUV’s in the market. Jeep is Chrysler Group’s truly global brand, representing three-quarters of all Company sales outside of North America. Built on more than 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with classleading capability and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. Jeep Grand Cherokee is the Company’s top-selling model and was introduced internationally in 1992. Since that year, the Jeep brand has sold nearly 5 million Grand Cherokee vehicles – more than 600,000 from markets outside North America.
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