Winter Garden aGlow
December 26, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Local Events & Happenings
Open Thanksgiving Day – November 29, 2009
December 4 – January 10, 2010
TIMES
Open daily from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Gates do not open until 6 p.m. – Last admissions at 9 p.m.
Garden closes promptly at 9:30 p.m.
We will be open on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.
Visit Santa at the Garden
December 18-23
Prancer is Special –
While we make every attempt to provide an up close encounter with Prancer, he is a real reindeer, who needs to take breaks from the crowd, and he is not allowed to work any overtime according to the North Pole Flying Reindeer Union.
Prancer is scheduled to be here on
December 19 – 23, 6 pm – 9 pm,
however, dates and times are subject to change. He flies in and out of the Garden depending on his work load – so a sighting of the reindeer is very special and cannot be guaranteed!
ADMISSION
Adults: $6.00; Children 4-12: $4.00; Members: $4.00
Join us for the 13th Annual Winter Garden aGlow at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Visit our dazzling display of 250,000 sparkling lights and color artfully displayed throughout the holiday season. Stroll to the top of the Lewis & Clark Native Plant Garden for panoramic views of the Treasure Valley lights. Enjoy a magical evening with family and friends with all the traditional trimmings: hot refreshments, holiday music, and the warmth of roaring bonfires. There will be sightings of Santa and Prancer, so join us for the Garden’s largest fundraiser of the year! Proceeds benefit the Garden’s education and horticulture programs all year long.
Garden membership information available in the covered folly.
Winter Garden aGlow and Santa Pictures
Have your family picture taken in the beautiful setting of the Garden with the gorgeous holiday lights as your backdrop!
Les Bois Photography will be on site in the folly:
6:00 pm – 8:45 pm on
December 11th-12th
December 18th-26th
December 29th-31st
January 1st
Guests are given one CD with the JPEG image on it with no limitations on distribution or printing. Guests do not pay for a portrait until they see it on the computer screen, and are completely satisfied with it.
CD’s cost $20 including tax. Payments of cash can be made directly to Les Bois Photography in the folly. Credit or Debit payments can be made in the Cottage Store.
Santa Photos:
Les Bois Photography will also be on site in Santa’s Greenhouse December 18-23.
Prints are $10 and CD’s cost $20 including tax.
Guests are not required to purchase photos, and are welcome to use their own cameras!
Les Boise Photography will take pictures of every child (or child at heart) with Santa’ unless a parent or adult guardian asks us not to. There is no limit to purchase images and/or prints.
In order to fill these dazzling winter evenings with the complete holiday experience we need more performers. We are interested in carolers, choirs, bands, hand bells, barbershop quartets and more. Call Cindy at 343-8649 or e-mail cindy@idahobotanicalgarden.org for complete details and to register your musical group for a magical evening in the Garden!
Exhaust Issues on Furnace
December 26, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Inspection Discoveries & Findings
Furnace issues and a carbon monoxide leak was noted on this Boise home inspection through the water heater vent. When the furnace was running, carbon monoxide was blowing back out the water heater vent, usually indicating a cracked/damaged heat exchanger, or plugged vent. Also notice the scorching marks on the top of the water heater, this is caused by the blow back of the furnace exhaust.
It’s A Jungle Out There…
May 17, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Inspection Discoveries & Findings
Have you ever had that dream….
It's Jungle In There It's Jungle In There
I was doing an inspection the other day on a home in Nampa Idaho. When I entered the crawl space there was nothing to significant, a few vines laying on the ground.
As I work around the crawl space I noticed the increase in the amount of vines. As i got to the back of the home it was like a jungle in there. There were vines around ducting, behind insulation, pulling on plumbing, literally all over. As I was crawling through this trying to still inspect the actual home, I kept having this thought of that reoccurring dream of them coming alive and grabing me. I kept wondering if I was in the little shop of horror. I was glad to get out of that crawl space.
You never know what you might find when you enter….
Word to the wise, you might not want to plant an Ivy or viny plant right in front of a crawl space vent. You never know where the vines will grow…..
That Inspection Was Priceless!
March 14, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Testimonials & Rave Review
On the advice of our realtor, we hired Davin Strand to inspect our newly built home. We were surprised to find not only major plumbing problems but several other smaller issues we would never have noticed on our own. Thanks to the pre-purchase inspection, all problem areas were addressed BEFORE we moved which saved us, and our builder, valuable time and energy. Davin’s re-inspection made us feel even more confident that our dream home would not become a nightmare, that inspection was priceless!
Eric and Stephanie Mai
Meridian, Idaho
Here’s horrible proof why a home inspection is necessary…
February 22, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Featured Inspection
This new home I inspected in Meridian Idaho is proof why EVERYONE who is considering buying a home needs it inspected. Any idea of what you’re looking at below? Let me tell you…
The last five feet of the main sewer line was found to not be hooked up to the city sewer line. With this section missing, all of the water from your TOILETS, TUBS, SHOWERS AND SINKS would have drained directly into the crawl space of the home.
If the home buyer opted out of getting an home inspection, one can only imagine the expenses, the damages and the living conditions this would have presented. If it were discovered within the “One Year Home Warranty”, this expense would be the responsibility of the builder, if this were not noticed until after the builders warranty was up, YOU, the homeowner would be stuck with the bill.
Which leads to my next point, why it’s important you get the property inspected before buying!
Getting an inspection from a Boise Certified Home Inspector gives you an independent, unbiased review of any problems or potential safety issues in the house so that you’ll have all the facts you need to make a sound, and informed decision… before buying!
Our clients have managed to save and negotiate on thousands of dollars in repairs and costs because they were armed with a detailed inspection report outlining our findings.
The only way to know for sure if you’re buying a dream home or money pit is to hire an experienced, certified Idaho home inspector, and Bent Nail Inspections is the company with the experience and knowledge to provide you with peace of mind. Newcomers, part-timers and cut-rate handymen simply don’t have the ability or expertise to provide the comprehensive inspection you’ll need — or deserve.
DON’T GO INTO YOUR NEW HOME BLIND…
Get the FREE Report…
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Having your new home professionally inspected by Bent Nail Inspections as early as possible in the buying process can save you thousands of dollars. Many of the problems or faults we find during our inspections are hidden to the casual observer and might go unnoticed. However, with our comprehensive inspection and subsequent report, you are completely informed about the quality of the property you are purchasing.
Instead of inheriting these hidden problems with the purchase of the perspective property, with our report, you have the documented proof to inform the current owners or builders of the property and request them to make repairs, changes or upgrades at their cost, NOT YOURS.
Contact Bent Nail Inspections today to schedule your home inspection by calling us at 866-848-7435. Alternatively, you’re free to book your inspection online by clicking here!
We Add Additional Value For Our Home Inspection Clients!
“We know that you are going to need other Services once you move into your new home, so we’ve “Teamed Up” with a couple of other Companies to get you some Great FREE Stuff!
The Dish Network is offering all of our clients a Free Four Room Dish System, Including Free Digital Video Recorders. You also get Free Professional Installation and Three Free Months Of Movies from Starz. Finally, if you order your system by 10 am you will get Next Day Installation (excluding weekends).
Boise Idaho Home Inspections | Home Inspector
Severe Siding Damage [VIDEO]
February 21, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Inspection Discoveries & Findings
You don’t want to be coming out of pocket for this repair. Watch this video to understand the importance of having a knowledgeable Boise Home Inspector on your team.
Call Now to Schedule Your Home Inspection: 866-848-7435
Click Here to Schedule Your Inspection Online
What… No Gutters?
February 21, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Inspection Discoveries & Findings
That’s right… No gutters were installed on the home. Gutters are recommended to prevent water damage and to also move water away from the foundation.
Would you rather know this before purchasing the house so you could either negotiate the sale price of the house down, or negotiate having the owner get it taken care of before moving in?
This my friend is what an home inspection is all about. We are your eyes are ears!
Call Now to Schedule Your Home Inspection: 866-848-7435
Click Here to Schedule Your Inspection Online
Home Fire Safety Tips
February 21, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Maintenance & Home Safety
Do you know that home security means more than protecting your family from burglars? There are many other dangers that your family can face. One of the biggest dangers that your family needs to protect themselves from is fire. You need to learn as much as you can about fire safety so you can do everything you can to protect your family. One of the things you want to do is research and learn as many home fire safety tips and other information that you can.
A good way to learn home fire safety tips is by looking online. There is all kinds of tips and information online about fire safety. You just have to set aside time to learn all you can because if you don’t and the unthinkable should happen to your family, you may lose more than you bargained for, such as your family’s lives. Don’t let this happen to you. Research and learn all you can.
When you get online to research, there are many different news stories that you can read about fire safety to help you learn home fire safety tips. There was one news story done by homesafetycouncil.org about how to keep your family safe at home. Here are some of the different tips that they give.
1. “Make a fire escape plan for your family. Find two exits out of every room. Pick a meeting place outside. Practice makes perfect – hold a family fire drill at least twice each year.”
2. “Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. For the best detection and notification protection, install both ionization – and photoelectric-type smoke alarms. Some models provide dual coverage. Put them inside or near every bedroom. Test them monthly to make sure they work. Put in new batteries once a year.”
These are not all of the home fire safety tips that you need to know but they are some of the most important ones. You have to make sure that everyone in your family knows what to do during a fire. You also need to have a way to be alerted to fire danger if you want to get your family out alive. So, do your homework and work with your family to make sure everyone knows what happens if this danger should occur.
It is a good idea also to research different fire safety products such as, smoke alarms, that will alert you of the danger. One that is popular with many people is the DXS-73 – Supervised Photoelectric Smoke Detector Transmitter. This smoke alarm has a built-in transmitter that is designed for use with Linear’s DXS and DX format receivers. When smoke is detected, the alarm sounds a loud local alarm. Twenty seconds after the local alarm sounds, the built in transmitter sends a digitally coded wireless signal to its companion receiver. The wireless signal will be repeated every 20 seconds as long as smoke is still present.
Another one that you want to research is the FSA-410BST – DSC 4 Wire Smoke Detector W/Heat and sounder. Automatic drift compensation, High/Low sensitivity trouble, easy maintenance replaceable chamber, magnet activated test, unique, non-contact sensitivity reading with hand-held FSD-100 test meter, Built-in, fixed temperature heat sensor option with an alarm threshold of 135 degrees F. Both of these can be researched at homesecuritystore.us.
You want to remember that your family can face many different dangers. So, do everything you can to protect them against all of them, including fire. Fire safety is something that every family needs to know. There are many home fire safety tips that you can learn to help you keep your family safe.
Ralph Winn has over 35 years of education and experience in the security industry. Are you one of the many Americans who have begun to look into improving their home security? This is an important matter and the Home Security Store offers the best protection against burglary and vandalism.
Stay up to speed with breaking security news and technology.
Stage Your Home to Sell
February 21, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Maintenance & Home Safety
Staging your home in the current real estate market is one of the most important things you can do to get it sold. “Staging” is presenting your home to a home-buyer in the best of light that will mesh with most home-buyers wants, needs, and living style. As a listing agent, people always ask me “what is my home worth?”. The answer is always, “Well it depends on how we can stage it.”
If you really look at it, staging is not that hard or expensive, many but I do see homeowners that have a hard time being objective with their own home since they have lived there for years. If you get in this mode, you can be pulling thousand out of your own bank account at closing, and with the real estate market the way it is, you are going to need to pull out all the stops.
If you take a look at homes that are “model” homes for Boise area builders, you will see how much better it feels inside the home and how their staging effects the feel of the home. They obviously think that the benefits outweighs the cost, because it does almost every time.
Basic Home Staging Rules
#1 – Clean. In the real estate market, your home has got to be clean and sparkling! The is your first staging step. The best way to do this is to hire a good cleaning crew. Even if the crew comes in every week or two, it is probably a good way to go. Make sure your windows are clean too.
#2 – Fix. Do you have leak or cracked tile? These problems will give the buyer a bad impression of your house right off the bat. Make sure to get these things fixed. Have you thought about getting a pre-listing inspection from a licensed real estate inspector?
#3 – Get rid of Clutter. When staging, Live by the “50% Rule” which requires that you get rid of clutter by at least half. This can be tough! Even though some of our clutter brings back memories and gives comfort, it does not sell homes! In the Boise market, clutter makes homes seem much smaller and unorganized and it can cost you thousands too.
#4 – Neutral, Neutral. Neutral colors help you sell and I see this everyday in my Boise market. If you are in New York city, it might be a bit different or more liberal, but it is a fact that you need to appeal to the most buyers you can. Neutral colors and decor make it more likely that someone will pay more for your Boise home.
#5 – Get rid of the “personal”. When staging, get rid of things that most real estate buyers don’t relate to. For example, religious and political items may turn off entire groups of potential buyers. I have seen someone walk away from their perfect home because it had an elk head mounted in the family room. They must have been a vegetarian.:)
A good comparison tool for your house is to visit some model homes and try to match their styles, configurations, colors, and feel. Most of them will be a great tool for you to copy. Don’t reinvent the wheel, look at what real estate buyers are purchasing and duplicate it. Use the MLS as a guide and a resource.
Make your house worth thousands and thousands more just by spending a bit of time and money upfront. You could even get a pre-offer inspection. We can save that topic for another time. Happy staging, and happy home selling!
Ben Janke is a Idaho real estate broker that has written free real estate guides that you can access by clicking the following link Boise Real Estate
Business Planning Workshop
February 21, 2009 by Davin Strand
Filed under Local Events & Happenings
The four-week course Business Planning:
Plan It, Start It, Grow It runs Feb. 21-March 14 and includes topics such as success planning, market planning, cash flow planning, and operations planning. The course is for those wanting to start or expand their businesses and immigrants, women, minorities, former military and green entrepreneurs are encouraged to enroll.
Register by e-mail at meta@mtnstatesgroup.org or 208-336-5533, Ext. 230. Sat., Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $199. MicroEnterprise Training and Assistance, 1607 W. Jefferson St., Boise, 208-… ext. 230, rberning@mtnstatesgroup.org
