Carly Dorendorf | San Diego Homeowner | March 2023 Digital Newsletter

Yosemite California

TRAVEL TIME

Small Gardens Big Rewards

With the recent surge in grocery prices we have all contemplated buying an acreage on a hillside somewhere, with an Instagram worthy greenhouse, an a-frame chicken coop and fenced in garden where we can cultivate our own crops. Ok, maybe that is a slight exaggeration but what if I told you the last part isn’t as farfetched as you might think? You don’t need an enormous backyard or a greenhouse to grow your own fruits, vegetables and herbs. It’s even possible to grow them inside your home, in your very own kitchen, without soil or natural sunlight.

Experience the peaceful High Sierra as you take in the wonders of nature amongst the granite, glacial formations, and abundance of wildlife.

Yosemite National Park has been protected since 1864. The park is well known for waterfalls, but, you can also find deep valleys, vast meadows, ancient giant sequoias, an incredible wilderness, and more within over 1,000 square miles of this amazing National Park.

Source: nps.gov/yose/index.htm

If it’s fresh herbs you desire and you don’t have much space to work with or an outdoor area, you may want to consider a garden kit. These are small enough to fit on your typical window sill and most come with their own full-spectrum grow lighting system. There are several reasonably priced kits for herbs available on Amazon, including the IDOO which is only $90.

If you have a little more counter space and you were hoping for some fresh veggie options, there are several indoor gardens specific to your needs.

The Veritable is user friendly with automatic water and lighting options controlled through an app on your phone. This model can grow four plants at a time. It is on the pricier end, available on Amazon at $250 but consider the savings when you are growing your own herbs along with lettuce, squash, cucumber, jalapenos, strawberries and more!

These can all fit easily on your countertop and don’t need to be in direct sunlight in order to thrive. Most of the brands do require the purchase of their own pods or they offer empty pods and you can use your own seeds.

One last model worth mentioning is the MiracleGro Twelve Indoor Growing System. This system is aesthetically pleasing and functions as a modern styled side table. It has the LED lighting system and connects to Bluetooth so you can control everything remotely.

There are so many options for indoor grow systems. Deciding on the best one for your home really depends on the space you have available. From a windowsill to an area the size of a toaster or even an end table in your living room, you could be growing your own herbs, fruits and vegetables in just a few days from an app on your phone, no greenhouse or hillside acreage necessary.

A Brief History of Real Estate

When it’s time to sell or buy a home, most of us call a realtor. But when did the real estate industry take root and how did it grow throughout the years? Turns out, the process of exchanging land and property for goods or currency goes back to our earliest days, as humans evolved from hunting and gathering to more agrarian lifestyles. Throughout human history, conquerors such as Alexander the Great, William the Conqueror, and Napoleon acquired land by force. During the Middle Ages, Europeans began developing land and buildings for personal investment and income. As Europeans migrated to America, the promise of a real estate landfall in the New World created an entirely new industry. Of course, the United States was acquiring its own land, as well, including the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Alaska Purchase in 1867.

It wasn’t until 1855, however, that the first real estate brokerage, Baird and Warner Real Estate in Chicago, was founded. Agents at this point sold properties relatively independently, until 1908 when the group now known as the National Association of Realtors was founded and the term “Realtor” was coined, denoting membership. During the roaring 1920s, the real estate market thrived, only to fall during the Great Depression. After World War II, federal legislation helped establish mortgage stability and development of affordable homes in the suburbs. Familiar government entities such as the Federal Housing Association (FHA); the mortgage association Fannie Mae; and the second loan market Freddie Mac, were all created from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Components of today’s real estate market haven’t changed much since early in the 20th century. The first open house took place in 1910 and became an increasingly popular way to showcase new home advancements, such as electricity and heating. The first staged home appeared in the National Real Estate Journal in 1925, allowing prospective homeowners to imagine how the space could be used. In the 1950s, the model home became a feature of real estate, the first one appearing in Dallas, Texas. Tools of the trade also didn’t change much until the advent of the internet, when the first online property listing appeared around 1994. This challenged the highly coveted Multiple Listing Services, or MLS, which only licensed realtors were able to access. Real estate leaders took action and created their own online listings portal, Realtor.com, in 1995. And lucky for us, searching for a new home has never been easier.

FLAVOR FUL

Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg (40 ounces) STOUFFER’S Macaroni & Cheese, defrosted according to package directions

1 medium tomato, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine macaroni and cheese, tomato and green onions in 2-quart baking dish.

Combine breadcrumbs, cheese and butter in small bowl; sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and cheese is melted. GoodNes.com