Renovation That Preserves the Decay

Thanks to Facebook, I saw a link to an article from the Home & Garden section of the NY Times about someone who's renovated an old building (in the town where I grew up) so that it still looks old! And he lives in it! Just fascinating! Check out the pictures here.

Sometimes it's the Small Things

Recently, I hosted a birthday party for myself (no gifts allowed!), the biggest shindig I've ever pulled off. We had about 25 people in our apartment throughout the evening, and it was so satisfying to have a number of firends and family members over for supper and good conversation! Our apartment's a little small for so many people (though normally it's plenty big for us, with three bedrooms and two baths), but everyone made it work! I wouldn't change a thing, but the experience made me look forward to the day when we have a home big enough for that many people, maybe more, to be really comfortable!

This past Sunday, a week after the party, my mom and two nieces came over and helped me hang pictures! Better late than never, right?! Amazing the difference it makes to have pictures on the walls! I wish it hadn't taken me so long!

Historic Preservation Alive and (Eating) Well in Durham

I was happy to see the following article from the Durham Herald-Sun on Preservation North Carolina's Facebook page about one of the awards that Preservation Durham has given out recently! King's Lunch Stand sounds very cute, and now I want to go check it out! In addition to preserving the architecture, a number of "old" menu items have returned, but (according to the article) they've added a zucchini, summer squash, and onion sandwich. Now that sounds yummy to me!

Check out the article below.

The Herald-Sun - PYNE PRESERVATION AWARD KING S LUNCH STAND

Local Old House Getting TLC

One of the houses that caught my eye on "For Sale"  section of the Preservation Durham was the Clap-Ferguson home on Oakwood St. It's a Victorian home with a lot of potential, needing a lot of TLC. Well, I googled the name of the house, and found a blog about the house's restoration! Yay! I'll enjoy following this blog, and hopefully will get some ideas! Check out the blog here.



Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.

Do Bank Relationships Matter?

One thing I've been wondering about is personal banking relationships, and if they matter when shopping for a mortgage. I have this picture in my head of dealing with the hometown banker, and shaking hands over a mortgage at the bank where you and the family have all the accounts and the safe deposit box. That image is definitely outdated, with nationwide banks with branches all over the place, and online banks with higher savings rates. I definitely don't have all my money eggs in one basket, which helps get me higher yields and gives me a little piece of mind with the financial market in flux. But what can I do, banking wise, to improve my chances of getting a better interest rate and good service on a mortgage? Work on my credit rating, yes. Build a good sized downpayment, yes. But what IS a good banking relationship these days? What else gets you brownie points with lenders?

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

Preservation North Carolina noticed my blog post about North Carolina preservation efforts on Twitter, and posted a response to let me know about a group of before and after pictures of renovated historic properties. It's a great collection, so I decided to share it here too! Enjoy!

Saving for a Downpayment

I've been increasing aware of how challenging it can be to save for a downpayment for my first house, especially with competing interests in the Savings Department! I just ran across an article called "10 Things You Should Know About Saving" on Yahoo Finance, and I thought it was good enough to share here.

Meanwhile, I've considered moonlighting, and while it's always a possibility, it's not the best option for an already full plate. I have decided to proceed with graduate school, and while that will a cost initially, here's hoping it will pay me back down the road with increased earning power.

I'm also looking into other ways to save. I've already lowered my cell phone bill, and George and I are working on lowering our electric bill, a good team effort there. My coupon clipping efforts come in and out like the tides, but maybe I can get better with that.

What are your favorite ways to save?

Here's One Way to Accommodate a Home Library

One of my Facebook friends, a fellow librarian, posted the link to an interesting article about a couple who bought the house next door, and renovated it to become their personal library! I love the before and after pictures, and am pretty intrigued by this idea. As a book lover with a budding interest in home renovation, the story put a smile on my face! Read the article here.

North Carolina Preservation Efforts

I just discovered the website for Preservation North Carolina, and have already had fun clicking on several links and dreaming about possibilities! The thought of owning and restoring an old home just makes me smile! Easy for me to say, right?! :) I'm sure there are plenty of heachaches, but still, it's fun to be in the dreaming stages. I'm not even sure if my first home will be an old home that needs renovating, but right now, this is definitely on my bucket list.

This Old House

Since writing my last post, Local Historic Preservation Efforts, I've become more and more intrigued at the thought of buying and restoring an old home. I've come across several more websites on historic preservation, enough that I've created a new category of links on this blog, "Historic Preservation." Take a look at them, and let me know if you have any suggested links to add!

Local Historic Preservation Efforts

This morning, I came across a website for the Historic Preservation Society of Durham (NC), and have really enjoyed glancing at it. There's even a link for local homes for sale that qualify for historic preservation tax credits. Boy, that would be quite a project, and I'm still a long way from considering it, but it makes me smile to think about this. It really does!

It's fun to dream, isn't it?! :) Can I make it a reality?









Photo (not in Durham) from www.flickr.com/photos/greenberryhouse/2393323964/