DECEMBER 11, 2019 • Volume 14 • Issue 50
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
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Winter color Indoor-blooming amaryllis can perk up your home By Carole McCray More Content Now
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erk up your living spaces with magnificent amaryllis blooms. The easy-to-grow amaryllis adds drama and color to the indoors during the winter. It also makes a lovely holiday gift. Potted amaryllises demand no attention at all. Once you plant the bulbs, they will grow slowly, eventually growing tall. The plant unfurls with beautiful flowers, dense and velvety with luminous sheen. With blossoms measuring
about 6 inches in diameter, “awesome” is an adjective not overstated to best describe an amaryllis. It is hard to say which shades of amaryllis are the most beautiful. The choices of flower colors are red, deep rose, blush pink, bright orange, apricot, salmon, white, mauve, green and bi-colors. Growing one bulb to a pot provides huge satisfaction, but try planting three bulbs to a pot for a fabulous indoor display. The result of several bulbs to a pot provides you with cut flowers. Top-quality bulbs sized 32 to 34 centimeters in circumference produce two to three stems per bulb. Normally atop each stalk, the flowers are united in a group of four, flowering crosswise, two by two. Emerging one after the other, the bulbs create a showstopping midwinter display of long lasting and surprising duration. “Three amaryllises easily provide weeks of bloom for indoor winter gardening fun as you watch them grow, and plus with so many stems, there is no guilt in cutting a few from the pot to put in a vase,” says Christian Curless, horticulturist for Colorblends, a Connecticut-based flower bulb wholesaler that sells to consumers as well. He suggests prolonging the bloom time by staggering your start-up times, and you will have the pleasure of blooms from January through March. Located on a bright windowsill or any sunny spot indoors, amaryllises are ideal as houseplants. The softball-sized bulbs are easily found at garden centers and nurseries. They can be planted any time through early winter.
The vibrant amaryllis “Royal Velvet” adds a dramatic touch to holiday decor. [Colorblends.com photos]
Amaryllis bulbs have long, fleshy roots. Care should be taken not to injure the roots when planting the bulbs. Amaryllises lend a dramatic touch to your houseplant greenery. The long, narrow, strap-like curved leaves contrast beautifully with the thick and rigid stalks. Unlike many forced bulbs, an amaryllis can be brought back to blooms for years. Try this method for a return of blooms each year. • After flowering, trim the stems to about 3 inches above the bulb. The
leaves will continue to grow. • Water as needed, and feed with houseplant food monthly. • In September, stop watering and remove foliage. Give the bulb a rest for eight to 10 weeks, and do not water or give the plant any light. • In late fall, move the plant back into the light. Resume watering to begin the next bloom season. Teamed with amaryllis, houseplants do not need to go it alone. Together they make a stunning mix in the same room.
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DEAR MONTY
Reasons to interview real estate agents when buying a home they are not easy to identify. A large percentage of agents are unqualified; they may be dishonest, lack drive and empathy or be poorly trained. However, these agents dress the same, use the same real estate lingo, drive the same cars and mimic successful agents.
11 reasons RICHARD MONTGOMERY
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any home buyers pick an agent because they are relatives; co-workers; referred by a friend; or connected through sports, hobbies or community service. While they are likely all nice people, none of these connections by themselves is a good reason to pick a real estate agent. There are good real estate agents, but
Your job here is to transform each reason into a question or two. Listen carefully to each candidate’s responses. Give them little assignments along the way. 1. Individual agents may have addedvalue features that their company or other agents do not offer. 2. Large numbers of agents skip the extra mile in educating themselves to add value to their service. 3. Not all companies support their
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agents to the same extent. Many agents do not have a solid back-up support plan in place if they are not available when you need them. 4. Companies do not offer the same services. Some companies that agents work for may have programs to help you that other agents you interview cannot provide. 5. Not all agents are capable or will give you their opinion of value when you find a home you like. 6. Many agents are not skilled in evaluating homes. 7. Not all agents or companies will offer you a cancellation and mutual release of any financial obligation if you are not happy with their service. 8. Not all agents or their companies are proficient with the technologies that can provide you with the real-time data
you need to make decisions based on facts as opposed to gut opinions. 9. Not all agents communicate with clients in the same way. Text/IM? Email? Telephone? Snail mail? 10. Agents have a variety of tactics to manage their active clients: the lone ranger, the personal assistant, the team approach and more. 11. Agents may or may not have personal business strategies that affect how they physically work with you. Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money - An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When You Buy or Sell a Home.” He is a real estate industry veteran who advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estate advice. Find him at DearMonty.com.
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HOME HELP TIP OF THE WEEK
HOME RENOVATION
HOME BUYING
MAKE RAKING AN EASIER CHORE
STOP HEAT LOSS BY PROPERLY INSULATING WINDOWS
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY
A lot of heat can be lost through your windows. Here are a few recommendations from Home Depot on how to insulate them:
If you are shopping for an investment property, Millionacres breaks down what buyers should be looking for with these tips.
• Caulking. Use a knife to scrape any old caulk or peeling paint off exterior or interior window edges. Clean off any debris. Fill a caulking gun with silicone caulking. Apply the caulk between the window frame and siding. Allow it to dry and cure overnight. Repeat as needed on more windows.
Buying an investment property involves considering the finances and the property’s potential more than anything else. Take note of the property’s condition, what repairs or upgrades are needed, and how much these will cost. Since the neighborhood can affect home values, find out if the neighborhood is in demand and what amenities it offers. Consider the potential profit given the property’s list price. What are nearby homes selling for? Likewise, factor in market conditions, the strength of the retail market, whether it’s a seller’s market and what the average rent is like.
Invest in a good-quality rake. There are rakes made for gravel and mulch, but be sure to get a leaf rake with a long handle and wide spread of metal, plastic or bamboo tines. Using a wide spread of tines lets you maximize efficiency and minimize effort. Wait until the leaves are done falling. Further minimize unnecessary effort by waiting until the last leaf has fallen before raking. Leaves are also much harder to move when wet, so BobVila. com recommends not raking the morning after a rainstorm. Rake leaves onto a tarp. Rather than trying to wrangle all those leaves into the opening of a trash bag, position a tarp or sheet flat on the ground and rake them onto it. Tie the corners together and bring the full tarp out to the curb.
• Weather stripping. Cut the strips according to your window dimensions. Peel the adhesive off the strip and align the rubber down your window frame to cover any gaps. Repeat as needed on more windows.
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