Maid of the Mist No More?
In the past few weeks, news out of Canada says that the Maid of the Mist will no longer operate on that side of the falls– instead, a new, California based company called Hornblower Cruises will take over under-the-falls boat tours. The New York side of the falls, however, still wants to keep Maid of … Read more
Top Ten Ski Homes
This winter brought huge disappointment for Buffalo’s winter folk– sledding, skiing, snowboarding, and snowman-making were a rarity in the region. In anticipation for a much better winter next year, here is a link to the nation’s top ten ski homes. The homes are stunning and rustic, perfectly warm for freezing winter days. They feature all … Read more
America’s Rural Communities Losing Ground
Over the past decade, rural communities across the nation have been losing population. Experts accredit this loss to the recession and a dwindling number of manufacturing jobs in these communities. With fewer factory jobs in rural America, fewer people are moving to places outside of cities– despite the fact that almost 75% of our country’s … Read more
Buffalo to Host Golden Age Games
Recently, we’ve published a few articles in the Buffalo News that have to do with “aging in place:” the idea that seniors are staying in their homes and trying to stay active. It was just announced Tuesday that Buffalo will host the National Veterans Golden Age games, the only Olympic-like games for seniors. The goal … Read more
Some Assembly Required
Imagine if building a house was as easy (or difficult?) as putting together a puzzle. That’s exactly what Pennsylvanian entrepreneur Charlie Kamps is doing by offering buyers “eco-friendly kit homes” which come pre-cut and ready for assembly. These homes allow buyers the opportunity to cut costs associated with building a home in the traditional way: … Read more
Do You Want to Buy the Empire State Building?
Okay, so buying the whole building may be out of the question. But you can certainly own a piece of it! The Malkin family, which owns a number of New York properties, plans to sell shares to the Empire State Building. Selling shares of real estate is a rarity in the US– more than 90 … Read more
The World’s Top Ten Most Romantic Homes
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Top Ten Real Estate Deals (toptenrealestatedeals.com) has released the world’s top ten romantic homes. Topping off the list is the Coco Chanel home in the South of France, a beautiful villa set right on the Mediterranean. Other notables are Katherine Hepburn’s estate, a gorgeous Aspen estate, a San Francisco … Read more
Power Up: Choosing the Right Generator
Buffalo is known nationally for its snow and cold: residents know that at any time, a snow storm can come out of nowhere and hit them hard. The 2006 October storm is proof of that– trees and power lines were knocked down by wind, heavy snow, and ice. Since that time, Buffalonians have found ways … Read more
Homeowners Remodel Early, Looking to Future
A recent remodeling trend shows that homeowners are remodeling their homes earlier in life to make it easier to remain in homes longer and “age in place.” In our column in the Buffalo News Homefinder Extra (article is not yet online), we featured technologies that help seniors “age in place.” A number of home renovations, … Read more
The Woes of Freddie Mac
An investigation by NPR and ProPublica finds that Freddie Mac has been betting against Americans’ ability to pay their mortgage. In 2010 and 2011, the company made huge capital gains by betting that Americans would not be able to pay their mortgage or qualify for refinancing. To make matters worse, the company made it harder … Read more
