OCTOBER 25, 2017 • Volume 12 • Issue 43
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
O n l i n e a t w w w. A m e s Tr i b . c o m / r e a l e s t a t e w e e k l y
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Pumpkin decor Festive fall pumpkin not just for jack-o’-lanterns By Betty Montgomery More Content Now
P
umpkins are not just for jack-o’-lanterns anymore. A whole new era of uses for pumpkins has come to life. Different shapes, sizes, colors and flavors of pumpkins have taken over the pumpkin world. Today, gardeners hunt for seeds to grow all kinds of pumpkins not only for their different looks but for their taste as well. Like heirloom tomatoes, there are heirloom pumpkins. Some growers are keen to find just the right seeds to grow the most delicious pumpkins for those tasty soups, breads, pumpkin butter, cookies, and pies. The ones that are often used for
carving just do not have the flavor that the others grown for eating have. Most of the carving pumpkins are edible but they are watery, stringy and bland in taste as compared to the ones grown for eating. It used to be that when you went to buy a pumpkin, you only had round or slightly oblong orange pumpkins to purchase. Remember how it was not so long ago that white pumpkins became available from the local vendors? Well I have seen many very creative ways to decorate with pumpkins. I went to a wedding that was beautifully decorated with white pumpkins. I have seen them used at baby showers as well as fall picnics and elegant cocktail parties. There are green-striped pumpkins, some with wide stripes and
galore!
some with just streaks as well as different shades of green. You can find pumpkins that are two-toned and funky or solid and smooth. You can also choose between a pumpkin with a glossy exterior or one with a bumpy surface. The smooth surface pumpkins are ideal for painting a design. The bumpy ones, sometimes-called warty are quite frighteningly cool! There is one called Goblin that has an orange shell and green warts that stay green for several weeks after harvest. You can take a pumpkin, spray gold paint on it, wipe off some of the paint to make an antique look that is elegant, or paint it solid silver to go with silver candelabras. I remember walking into a friend’s home and seeing a
sophisticated arrangement of flowers in a pumpkin used as a vase. It was a clever idea that added a very festive touch to the occasion. Today, with all the creative minds, it does not matter what the end use of your pumpkin will be. Whether it is for a delicious pie, carving a jack-o’-lantern, using it for decorating or just for Halloween inspiration. Pumpkins are a sign of fall and those cool crisp days with pretty fall colors. Fall and pumpkins go hand in hand. Betty Montgomery, a master gardener and author of a “Four-Season Southern Garden,” can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.
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How to pick the perfect pumpkin for carving • Try to buy a pumpkin grown locally or directly from a pumpkin patch, as the longer a pumpkin has been off the vine the more likely it is to get bruised in transport, which can lead to soft spots and rotting. • Choose a pumpkin with blemish-free skin and no soft spots or gouging. • Set the pumpkin on a flat surface to see which side is the most stable; note that it’s not always opposite of the stem end. • After carving your pumpkin, soak it in or spray it with a bleach solution of 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water. Let air dry. • Mist daily with the bleach solution.
DEAR MONTY
10 types of real estate agents
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: We are downsizing and considering different lifestyles once we sell our home. We do not recall the different kinds of real estate agents in the market today. Is it just us, or are there more kinds of agents?
Monty’s answer: There are more real estate agents with a specialized practice today than there were 20 or 30 years ago. Here are the common specialties in residential real estate — there may be more. Generalist: The anti-specialist, they turn away no business. They do not limit themselves in any way. The majority of real estate agents are generalists. Listing agent: Limit their practice to listing property. They do not work with buyers but focus their time and energy on helping sellers. Buyer agent: Advertise as a buyer agent, but will take listings as well. May or may not
utilize a buyer agency contract. Exclusive buyer agent: Limit their practice to buyer agency. They require a buyer agency agreement and will not accept listings. Territorial agent: Limit their activity by boundaries. In large high-density cities, sometimes by streets or individual blocks. Property value agent: Limit clients by price range. Can work in many markets, but most often found in larger cities with populations more than 300,000 people. Property type agent: Many markets develop specialists based on location and type of property. Farm brokerage, vacation property, and apartment specialists abound.
Team agent: Some agents form teams and pool their energies and expertise. From two people to groups of six people or more collectively can list and sell more real estate than an individual. Captive agent: Developers and home builders often will engage real estate agents who work exclusively for the developer, and no one else. Unlicensed agent: Practicing real estate without a license is illegal, but that does not mean imposters do not exist. Send Richard Montgomery questions at DearMonty.com.
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