Destination Boston

Some call it “Beantown”—the locals say “Baaastin”—but either way, Boston, Massachusetts, is one of my favorite places. Surprisingly walkable, its unique neighborhoods are filled with colonial-era history, beautiful parks, diverse culture, culinary excellence, world-class museums, and shopping. Here are some wonderful places to stay, eat, and explore when you visit its cobblestone streets.
The stylish Millennium Bostonian Hotel is just across from historic Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, one of the nation’s most colorful food courts, with street performers, restaurants, and bars. Whatever your culinary taste, you’ll find it at Quincy Market, and the Millennium Bostonian is a perfect jumping-off point.
The Haymarket Square open-air vegetable and flower market happens every weekend right outside the hotel and is a fabulous place to people-watch. Walk around the corner to Ye Olde Union Oyster House for dinner. Established in 1826, you’ll find authentic New England fare, from whole steamed lobster to raw oysters on the half shell and fresh Boston “Scrod” (the catch of the day.)
The city’s oldest neighborhood, settled around 1630, is just a short stroll from the Millennium. In the early 1900s, the North End became the center of the Italian community, and today, more than 100 family-owned Italian restaurants operate within a few blocks of one another amid delis, bakeries, and coffee shops, which you’ll explore on one of Michele Topor’s North End Market Tours. For four hours, Topor treats her guests to a cooking class on foot, revealing where to buy the best ingredients and how to use them in authentic recipes. As Topor told me, “Your world—and your dinner—will never be the same.” She was right!
The best view of Boston’s waterfront can be had in an elegantly appointed guest room at the Boston Harbor Hotel, situated between Rowes Wharf and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. The hotel’s lobby extends outdoors to a brick patio and stage, where waterfront concerts are held all summer. Nothing like dinner under the stars while watching a Motown review, swing, or blues concert—and Friday is classic outdoor movie night.

Anyone who’s run the Boston Marathon knows about Copley Square in affluent Back Bay, where the great race finishes. This is one of the city’s most architecturally significant areas. H. H. Richardson’s magnificent Trinity Church, completed in 1877, is called one of the finest buildings in the country by the American Institute of Architects and can be toured with a docent. On the opposite end of the spectrum is I. M. Pei’s sixty-story modernist glass John Hancock Tower, with its all-glass elongated parallelogram footprint. Take the art and architectural tour of the Boston Public Library to fully appreciate its impressive interiors, with amazing art, sculpture, and rare John Singer Sargent murals.
When you’re ready for bed, check into the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel across the street. This seven-story granite building—sister to The Plaza in New York City—is a striking example of beaux arts architecture, with magnificent fully restored interiors. The stately Oak Bar has been voted as the best place in the city to enjoy a martini and live jazz. And be sure to stop by and meet Catie Copley, the grand old hotel’s black Labrador, whose bed is in the lobby—she’s available to accompany guests on walks.
It would take weeks to tour all the fine museums in Boston, but do not miss the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the Fenway district. Mrs. Gardner died in 1924, and her eclectic private collection of art spans four floors of her fifteenth-century Venetian palace-style home, with a breathtaking garden courtyard atrium. Entire rooms are dedicated to tapestries, European furnishings, and paintings by masters including Rembrandt, Matisse, Botticelli, and Raphael.
Nearby, Brasserie JO is a great place to go for an authentic French supper after a day at the museum—a glass of rosé, a scrumptious frisée salad, and roast chicken is a fine way to unwind in this charming bistro located in the lobby of the hip Colonnade Hotel—the only Boston hotel, by the way, that has a rooftop pool. For a sweeping 360 degree view of the city and harbor, just walk across the street and take the elevator to the Top of the Hub, in the Prudential Tower, for a nightcap in its bar.
Boston’s Public Garden is one of the finest examples of horticultural excellence anywhere. A fun thing to do on a nice afternoon is to take a spin around the garden’s lagoon in one of the giant Elizabethan-era Swan Boats. Just steps away from the garden, you’ll enjoy fine service and luxurious accommodations at Four Seasons Hotel Boston. If you want a truly luxurious dining experience in a timelessly chic setting, set aside a night at the hotel’s famed Aujourd’hui. The seven-course tasting menu with spectacular wine pairings is a culinary marvel.
Right around the corner is Newbury Street, lined with chic boutiques and galleries. Especially visit Louis Boston, an ultra-prestigious cutting-edge collection of fine merchandise. For traditional New England handmade wooden furniture, head to Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers. Every piece is heirloom quality and signed by its maker.
You can’t leave Boston without a trip across the river to Cambridge, home of Harvard University. It’s thrilling to walk through the wrought iron gates of the United States’ oldest learning institution into “Haavad Yaad,” where freshmen have been living in stately brick dorms since 1636. Definitely book a walking tour of Harvard Square with Lively Lore. Spend a morning at the University’s Museum of Natural History, home to the amazing Glass Flowers: 3,000 models of more than 840 plants were hand-blown by a German father-and-son team over 49 years, beginning in 1887. You may not believe it, but they absolutely look real!
Among the most talented chefs in Boston and Cambridge is Jody Adams, proprietress of Rialto Restaurant + Bar in the charming Charles Hotel on Harvard Square. Author of the cookbook In the Hands of a Chef, Adams makes everything from scratch daily, and dinner at Rialto ranks among my all-time top dining experiences in the country.
Boston had me at hello. I’m already planning my return; there’s so much more to see and do in this fine American city.
Written By Robyn Roehm Cannon

Light My Fire

Since the 1970s, barbecue has emerged as the national cuisine of the United States, though grilling is certainly an ancient technique and a rustic art. Whether you are grilling outdoors over charcoal or a rotating spit, or indoors using an electric grill or oven, you are engaging in the tradition of grilling. Certain regions have elevated barbecue to an art form and turned this cuisine into a true specialty.
For this menu, we’re featuring mouthwatering ribs, rubs, sauces, and sides from a few of the more prolific barbecue regions, sure to please no matter where you hail from. Pork ribs are a religion in these areas, so it’s befitting that two styles of ribs will take center stage—“dry” Memphis-style baby backs and “wet” Kansas City-style spareribs. I used to prepare only the wet version until I moved to Memphis and discovered the local favorite, dry ribs. Now I have so much trouble deciding that I feel compelled to prepare both.
Most of us do not have smokers in the backyard for preparing ribs like the pros, so my rib recipe was created with the home cook in mind. The secret is “slow and low,” meaning very slow cooking in the oven at a very low temperature. This method will yield the tenderest ribs you have ever tasted.
A friend introduced me to her family recipe for coleslaw, which comes from her “Mamaw” in East Tennessee. It’s a simple, delicious, straightforward recipe—with the exception of the sawed-off soup can she uses to cut the cabbage. Not required, but it certainly is fun. If you’ve never tried collard greens, now is your chance toundertake a truly decadent recipe. They may be greens, but this Southern-style recipe is certainly not low in fat. Top off this meal with some chewy pecan brownies, the perfect match for the flavors of these regional barbecue recipes.

Buyer Protection : Selecting a Qualified Home Inspector

Buying a place where you will live for many years can fill you with anticipation and excitement. Now you've finally found the home that is just right for you.You’ve walked through the place, probably more than once, and everything looks perfect. But this could be the largest investment of your life to date, so you need to be sure.You need a home inspection. Today, it’s required by most lenders before the deal is closed, but who do you choose to do it?
Your real estate agent can provide several names for your perusal. Here are some questions to ask when interviewing them.
Certifications: Check for affiliations such as those from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) or the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO).
Experience in building: The inspector has to be able to look at a wall, for example, and know how it's put together. Many home construction features are hidden from view.
Experience in home inspection: Check how long he or she has been in the business. Experience, training and insight are required for a thorough inspection.
Ask to see their typical inspection plan and checklist. It should have space for written details and advice.
What types of equipment will be used? Cutting-edge inspectors use more than a ladder and flash- light. They may bring electrical circuit analyzers, a carbon monoxide and fuel gas analyzer, a digital moisture meter and a digital camera to document their findings.
The report should contain a detailed picture of the house on the day of the inspection. It should itemize major components and their condition. It should include a listing of items in need of normal maintenance or attention. And the report must list major repair items, any defect that could present a significant expense to repair and estimated repair costs.
When choosing, don’t pick the cheapest inspector. For about $50 more, you could get a more complete picture of the property.

Staging Could Speed Sale

What can a home stager do for your place that you couldn’t do for yourself ? Plenty. Industry numbers show you could sell your home in half the time if it is properly staged.
First, stagers heartlessly remove clutter and send extra tables, chairs, lamps and knick-knacks to storage.
Then, with the heart of a decorator, they will rearrange the furniture. They spruce up your home with various items in order to make it more attractive. That could include colored pillows, a plant, bedspread or window treatment.
Personal items, such as trophies, awards, kids’ drawings and most of the extra family photos you have on the walls, will also go to storage. Inexpensive but attractive art could take their places.
Next come the closets and shelves. All the extra clothes you never wear, plus extra salt shakers, serving dishes and small appliances you rarely use, will not be jamming closet doors or clogging the cupboards. All those extra hats will join them in storage.
Hire a stager that is qualified by an organization such as Certified Staging Professionals or the International Association of Home Staging Professionals.

Now Is The Best Time to Buy a Home

As I am sure you know the homebuyer tax credit is gone. But do not fear, now is even a better time to buy a home. Below is part of an article from the Ohio Association of Realtors:
"Missing the tax credit deadline might have seemed like a big mistake to some home buyers, but waiting could have been the smartest thing to do.
Interest rates have fallen so dramatically since April 30th that the typical purchaser of a $350,000 home, financed with a $280,000 mortgage, would have saved a bundle by waiting until May.
At April's average rate of 5.34%, a home buyer would have locked in a 30-year fixed rate loan with a monthly payment of $1,561.82.
The same borrower could have snagged a 30-year fixed rate loan at a rate of 4.625% in May and paid $1,439.59 per month. That's a $1,467 annual savings. Over 30 years, it's a $44,003 savings, dwarfing the tax credit."
What this article does not tell you is that rates are even lower today. You can get a 30 year mortgage with a rate as low as 4.25% or a 15 year mortgage as low as 3.875%. Low Rates are just one reason to buy a home now. The other is the amount of foreclosures that have flooded the housing Market lately. Yahoo.com reported that there will be more then one million foreclosures this year. With there being less home buyers now then before the tax credit deadline, it makes this a true buyers market.
If you are thinking of staying in your home and want to lower your monthly mortgage payment the rates are just as low for refinancing. Call me today if you are thinking of buying or refinancing.

Have Fun in Your Garden This Summer

Home By Design

Anyone who has ever owned a beautiful garden knows that it doesn’t come without a big price—and I’m not talking about a monetary commitment. Of course, there’s certainly that; the plants and everything required to support this wonderful hobby are expensive, and getting more so, it seems.
The commitment I’m referring to has to do with time—or, more to the point, the lack of it—to just sit down, read a book, or put your feet up in the garden because endless chores await the doing. Added to myriad other obligations in our lives, we can easily become prisoners of our own creations. Who knew when you planted all those blowsy English perennials that a future of indentured servitude was in store?
But there’s hope for us all in the form of a new book by Valerie Easton, a Seattle newspaper columnist and author, who has tackled the subject of less work and more play in the garden space. The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden: How to Have a Beautiful, Productive Garden and the Time to Enjoy It (Timber Press, 2009) is based on decades of her own gardening experiences.
“For many years, my enthusiasm for digging, planting, and caring for all I’d created was boundless,” Easton says. “And then one day it wasn’t.” When Easton’s husband of thirty years resigned as her “yard boy,” she knew she had to make some changes in her own high-maintenance landscape or become resigned to caring for “thousands of plants” totally on her own.
“As middle-age crises go, it wasn’t too bad,” she now says. “He simply told me again and again until I heard him that he was going to spend his weekends bike riding and kayaking rather that hauling buckets of mulch up the stairs, mucking out the pond, and carting away excess biomass.”
About the time she was rethinking her own situation, Easton was hearing similar stories from other gardeners. But it wasn’t just the “longtime, plant-besotted gardeners, the ones with the ‘tired backs,’” Easton says. “New generations of gardeners don’t have the time to spend to devoting their weekends to yard work,” she says. While younger gardeners may appreciate a pretty garden or wish to harvest salads or herbs for dinner, social and family obligations require gardening to fit into a more balanced lifestyle.
Great gardens today revolve around the concept of “creating outdoor spaces for dining, play, relaxation, and entertaining,” comments Easton. The time for “garden as a sanctuary—as an antidote to the stresses and strains of the world”—has come.
Accompanied by colorful photographs of beautiful private spaces by Jacqueline M. Koch, Easton’s text examines just how to achieve such a garden that “doesn’t awaken dread at the thought of caring for it.”

She admits that the words “low maintenance” don’t exactly conjure up the “lush, sensual, productive gardens most of us long for.” But these gardens are not simply thrown together, nor are they filled with beauty bark or excessive use of pesticides. “The hours of toil and tasks may be left out of the recipe, and the exhaustion is taken out—but not the fulfillment,” she assures readers.
Easton has many lessons to share. She divides chapters into discussions of how to design and efficiently work in your garden, take advantage of the seasons, create an edible garden and carefree containers, and edit your plant palette.
Here are a few key messages for how to make your own garden low maintenance:
• Good design comes first. Plants are the embellishment, not the structure, of the garden. Use the best, longest-lasting materials available for hardscape.
• Keep your garden space compact.
• Edit plant choices by a color scheme you love. Easton chose her favorite four: butter yellow, chartreuse, plum, and orange.
• Play out those same colors in the hardscape. Easton had an artist create stepping stones in that palette.
• Water is a lovely addition, but choose a fountain rather than a pond.
• Improve every inch of soil with compost so plants thrive with less care.
• Take advantage of vertical space and plant up; screens create beautiful architecture and privacy.
• Get rid of your lawn and use succulents liberally for their low-water tapestry effect.
• Keep it simple; don’t clutter your garden with too many small ornaments. Make it a lesson in restraint.
• Put plants where they want to grow.
• Choose double-duty plants. Artichokes add height and structure, while violas and calendulas brighten the landscape, the vase, and the salad bowl.
There’s more great advice and inspiration for new and experienced gardeners here in Easton’s book. I think I’ll start by going into the garden and reading!

Written by Robyn Roehm Cannon

MAY- Housing Newsletter

http://cathymanuel.housingtrendsenewsletter.com/?Newsletter_ID=248&Period_ID=185

Seriously Staying Positive

"Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all."
- Norman Vincent Peale


"I'm told that even as a ship or airplane moves from one port to another that it is off target over 50% of the time and continually has to make adjustments if it's going to arrive. The main thing is to make sure that you have an idea of where you want to go and get started and continually correct course until you get there.

~ Gordon Fox

Cinco Ranch named #1 in the Nation

Cinco Ranch is the #1 top selling community in the nation. IF you have ever been in the area, just from the looks of it, you can tell why. This is an area that is continuously growing and well kept. This area is what I like to call… BOOMING. I find my self advocating this area a lot to my buyers. They are developing state of the art hospitals along side I10. The school systems are top of line, which is much of a priority for young families. Cinco Ranch and Seven Lakes are two exemplary high schools. The community is growing so quickly that they have proposed to build a NEW high school with a stadium because of the areas popular demand. This new high school is just a few short miles from Cinco Ranch and Seven Lakes high school. The new and old construction of the Cinco Ranch neighborhoods are very appealing and enjoyable to drive through on your route home. The landscaping and trails make this suburban area perfect for family bike rides or walks. Not to mention the investment in this area just seems to keep growing in the right direction, despite the down economy. Who wouldn’t want to live here? They have also developed a beautiful “town center” with great shopping and restaurants. A favorite of mine is Kenzo Sushi. My daughter and I love getting the seared beef sashimi…yumm. Here is the link… http://www.kenzosushi.com/

Great Real Estate Deals That Won't Last

"Federal subsidies, low interest rates, falling home prices--find out how to get on board before these benefits run out.


Purchasing a home is one of the biggest decisions a person makes. Because of the serious financial commitment involved, most buyers are interested in securing the best deal possible when purchasing a home. As the economy continues to wreak havoc on our jobs and plans for retirement, many people are wondering when will be the best time to purchase a house.

Much like timing a move in the stock market, potential homebuyers are waiting for the time when they can maximize their investment. Lower home prices, low interest rates and federal subsidies have all led to better deals in real estate, but these perks may not last much longer.


Lower Home Prices
Since the real estate bubble burst, many real estate markets have seen a dramatic price drop in median home value. While this can be devastating to home sellers or homeowners who are underwater with a mortgage that is worth more than their home, it can be a great opportunity for the home buyer.

In many markets across the U.S., it is truly a buyer's market as prices continue to be well below levels from just several years ago. With many homes now going into foreclosure or short sales (where the lender agrees to sell the property at a moderate loss in order to avoid foreclosure), opportunities abound for the qualified buyer; that is, one who can still secure a loan.

While some experts believe that home prices should start to increase by summer, others think that it's likely the prices will simply stabilize. Either way, for buyers this means it may be a good time to purchase a home. With the large number of homes currently on the market, there is a relative balance between supply and demand. As more people become willing to purchase homes, prices may reach a turning point.


Low Interest Rates
Over the past year, the Fed has been buying billions of dollars' worth of mortgages every month, boosting the market. The mortgage-backed securities (MBS) market is similar to the stock market. When there is a high demand for a stock, the price rises; when there is a high demand for mortgage coupons, those prices rise.

Mortgage securities prices and interest rates are inversely correlated: as prices go up, mortgage rates fall; and when prices drop, mortgage rates increase. The Fed has purchased large quantities of mortgage-securities, keeping prices artificially high and mortgage rates low. Analysts believe that once the Fed ends its purchase program at the end of March, prices will fall, resulting in increased interest rates.The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) expects the rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage to increase to 6.1% by the end of the year. This is up from an average of 4.91% for the week ending March 19, 2010.

To put this into perspective, a $180,000 30-year mortgage (excluding taxes and private mortgage insurance) at 6.1% will require a monthly payment of $1,091, with total interest paid equal to $212, 685. The same loan at a lower 4.91% rate will create a $956 monthly payment (saving $135 per month) with total interest equal to $164,305 (a substantial savings of $48,380 over the course of the loan). Rate changes as little as 0.5% can have a significant impact on the overall cost of a home.


Federal Tax Credits
The federal home buyer tax credits will cease at the end of April. Created by The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, these credits include the $8,000 first-time buyer credit and the $6,500 credit for current home-owners purchasing a new principal residence (repeat home buyers). The credits apply to sales occurring by April 30, 2010--or June 30 if there is a binding sales contract in place by the April 30 deadline.While the program has provided financial incentive and relief for many home buyers, there is no indication that it will be extended beyond April 30. Buyers who want to take advantage of the credit will have to act quickly."

Information provide by Forbes.com- Jean Folger, 04.02.10, 11:14 AM EDT

MARCH Newsletter is out!

Are you curious what your home is worth now? Follow the link below.


http://cathymanuel.housingtrendsenewsletter.com/dispContent.cfm?loadid=2&loadtype=0

Farmer's Market in La Centerra

From Sunday, February 08 2009To Friday, December 31 2010Saturday, - week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 every month

Get FRESH with The Farmers Market at LaCenterra each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Join us for a year-round market offering fresh produce and handmade products from vendors in and around the greater Katy area. Market items include: organic skin care, honey, fresh breads, olive oil, free range eggs, natural pet foods, seasonal produce, local honey and more. Local crafters and artisans join the market on the third Saturday of each month.

The market is held in Heritage Square, the central courtyard.* Vendor applications are currently being accepted. For more information, please visit www.farmersmarketatlacenterra.com or email our market manager.

Katy Events

January 30 – 31
Katy Home & Garden Show
Merrell Center 6301 South Stadium Ln.Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Held on the only weekend in January with no football, this show is filled with over 250 home and garden exhibits in two buildings on two floors. Call 281-392-2177. Please mention you found this on http://www.katymagazine.com/.

February 6
Puddle for the Duck
Sun & Ski Sports – Katy Mills Mall7:00 a.m.Katy Mills is pleased to host the 3rd annual PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS, on Sat., Feb. 6, at 7 a.m. with the start and finish in front of Sun & Ski Sports. All of the event’s proceeds will benefit Ducks Unlimited, the world’s leader in wetlands conservation. Participants can choose from a 25, 37, 45 or 70 mile bike route. The registration fee is from $30 until January 31st, $35 thereafter. Following the ride, registered riders will be offered a light lunch and the opportunity to win a bike. PUDDLE FOR THE DUCKS is sponsored in part by Sun & Ski Sports at Katy Mills and Sellers Bros Grocery. For more information or to register for the bike ride, visit www.puddlefortheducks.org or call (713) 669-9810. Please mention you found this on www.KatyMagazine.com.