Preventing a money disaster-after-a disaster



Do you have a home inventory?
Uh-oh.  A pipe breaks and floods your home.
Bad enough right? What if you can't prove the value of what was destroyed in an accident (or stolen in the case of theft), things could get worse.
Having an inventory of your belongings along with
photographs and receipts is very important.  You will need to provide documentation to your insurance company when you file a claim.  It is best to keep photos and inventory in a bank safe-deposit-box or an online email account.  Financial crisis averted!

This is a list of some of the valuables that you need to keep track of:
     Furniture
     Fine Art
     Collectibles
     Electronics
     China, Silver, Crystal
     Jewelry
     Musical Instruments
     Sports Memorabilia
                                                 Cameras and Photography equipment

For information about insurance 
or questions please contact:

Virginia Trowbridge

 650-FARMERS 

 www.trowbridgeins.com                                                                                  

11 in '11...

who is ready for spring? i for one...am...and have been...for quite some time...even more so...with this cold front we have been experiencing...

thought i would list 11 new spring trends in 2011...an excerpt from my february newsletter...enjoy!


11 in '11...


i don't know about you...but i love all the 'play' that happened early in the year with 1-1-11...so we'll just keep it going with the top 11 spring trends in '11:

1. structural suiting - the menswear suits that gained popularity last fall/winter are still with us...and now with a more fitted silhouette...

2. brights as accents - almost anything can benefit from a pop of color...

3. ladylike handbags - a la jackie o...

kate spade
photo source: nordstrom

4. statement necklaces & scarves - with mixed metals, studs, fringes, feathers - think texture...

5. techno fabrics - again with a metallic edge and texture...

6. belting - a statement belt or layered belts - all shapes and sizes are still 'in'...

7. wide-leg trousers - while your slim-leg trousers are still appropo...now the wide-leg pant is having a resurgence...70's style...

8. longer skirts - but just wearing any old long skirt won't cut it or you'll look frumpy...these skirts need to have lots of styling...


a skirt becomes 'frumpified' when it's not the right length (in this case, too long) or is worn with the wrong shoes...

voila!
photo source: bloomingdales

9. animal print - surprise, surprise! yes...it's still around...and i think we can safely say it's not going anywhere for the forseeable future...i've said it before but it bears repeating...animal prints are a great neutral...they work with almost any color...

10. nude fishnets - what a great way to provide some leg camouflage when you don't want bare legs...

11. color of the year - honeysuckle pink...or whatever pink suits your complexion...if you aren't a 'pink' person...think of adding it as an accent item...

so which trend are you excited about trying? please share...

Home Buying Seminar Saturday Feb 26 in Burlingame

Event Registration Online for Home Buying Seminar San Mateo County: Your Path to Home Ownership powered by Eventbrite

There’s something in the air...

There’s something in the air. Have you noticed it? Downtown is busier, restaurants are crowded and retail sales are up. The same is true in the real estate market. Pending home sales improved in December, marking the fifth gain in the past six months. New home sales are up 17.5 % nationwide according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), credits this upswing to affordability, favorable mortgage rates and an improving economy. Yun predicts, “The positive trend is likely to continue in 2011. Current activity suggests a sustainable, healthy volume of a mid-5 million in total home sales for this year.”

The California Association of Realtors reports that sales in December posted a seven-month sales high. Closed escrow sales of existing single-family homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 520,680. The statewide median price increased 10.2 percent to reach $302,900 for the year.

Our local market is reflecting this upswing. Builders are starting to build in preparation for sales at higher prices in the year to come. Inflation is a concern that drives some to buy now. By the end of February, more homes will come on the market. The spring season of March, April and May are traditionally very active. Now may be the time to evaluate your options and capitalize on the spring market.

I am hosting my first Home Buying Seminar of 2011 on Saturday February 26. Please visit the event website for more details.

Post by
Aimee Klarich
Alain Pinel Realtors Burlingame CA
www.AimeeKlarich.com

Selecting the Right Paint Color

One of the easiest ways to redecorate is to repaint the walls. Are you the type of person who loves to surround yourself with bright colors? Or the type of person who prefers a calming environment of soft neutrals and pastels? Even if you want every wall painted the same color white, you still have to pick which color white you want.

Start by looking around and noticing what color other people have painted their walls. Look at magazines, books, or websites dedicated to interior design. Illustrations are a great help in imagining the effect of a color scheme.

Bring home sample paint chips and hold them up to the other colors in your house. Unless you're planning to replace the drapery, carpets, and upholstery you'll want the new wall color to harmonize.

If you're painting more than just one room, consider hiring a color consultant to get ideas. A color consultant or decorator can help you achieve a specific effect, or suggest a historic color palette appropriate to the age and style of your house.

Consider these tips:

1. colors on an inside wall look darker than the sample chip. To minimize this effect, get the biggest chip possible. Consider buying a sample size can of paint and painting a swatch on the wall. If you're not planning to paint right away, paint your sample on a piece of white poster board or thin wood instead of directly on the wall.
2. colors on an outside wall look lighter than the sample chip. Take your color ships and hold them up to a building that is already painted the color you like. You'll be surprised that so many of those "white" buildings are actually grey or beige. Definitely paint a large sample swatch of color on an exterior wall, and look at it in different kinds of light. If possible look at it on a sunny day and on a cloudy day.
3. remember the color of your trim. White trim will contrast sharply with dark painted walls. Dark wood trim will contrast sharply with white or pastel walls. If you're painting a whole house, consider painting the trim a color that will coordinate with all the other colors you choose. If you're painting just one room you probably don't want to change the trim color.
4. if you want a room to look bigger, use a light wall color. Light colors and neutral colors both tend to recede, making the room look bigger. This is one of the reasons we paint ceilings white.
5. if you want a room to look more intimate, use a darker color. Darker colors can make a room feel more cozy or intimate. Consider painting one wall in the room a dark accent color and the other three a coordinating lighter color if you don't want the whole room dark
6. make sure you have enough contrast in outside color palettes - sunlight tends to minimize contrast and make the whole building face look flatter. Sunlight also fades dark colors over time. Look around at exterior color schemes that other people have painted to get ideas, and hold your color chips to the existing paint.
7. light red is pink. If you want a red wall it will have to be a fairly dark or intense red, otherwise it will look pink. The minute you start toning it down it becomes pink. The same is true of any color with a large amount of red in it, such as red-brown, brick red, or magenta. Many beige colors have a strong undertone of pink as well.

And a last piece of advice - don't be afraid to try something new! Especially in small rooms or on accent walls. You can always repaint in a few years if you get tired of the color. Color is fun!

It is not a luxury. It is maintenance.

It is not a luxury. It is maintenance.

There is no dispute that French women are famous for their beautiful skin. To understand their practical and pristine relationship with their skin rituals one must look beyond their vanity covered with jars and bottles. Their practical beauty steps are inherited from their mothers, instructed to tend to their skin with great care and regularity. Paris is home to the world’s most prestigious beauty products, the most pristine and exclusive Institut’s de beauté where you will find every French woman enjoying regular ‘soin’ (facials) without reservation, enjoying the physical and emotional value of her beauty rituals.

The value of a professional skincare product is in the results

Guinot skincare products are the premier skincare line that the glamorous women of Paris prefer. In part because they contain the highest quality active ingredients, and have balanced formulas, natural ingredients and a substantial amount of research that goes into creating these finest of French skincare products and therapies.

Professional ingredients have a higher percentage of active ingredients rather than fillers or harmful chemicals (abundant in over the counter and drugstore brands). A little goes along way when applying professional skincare products; I suggest to my clients that they warm their favorite Guinot skincare product in their hands, and then gently press (hug) it into their skin, this allows the active ingredients to penetrate and deliver dependable results.

During the day when your skin is subject to stress and harsh environmental factors, Guinot daytime moisturizers strengthen the tissue structures to protect and firm your skin. At night, when your micro-circulation and cellular activity increases, Guinot focus on nourishing and regenerating your skin. The result is a healthy, glowing, youthful complexion all day long.

Guinot is THE face of professional skincare, with Institut’s de beauté easily accessed all over Paris, France and 70 countries. Established as a world leader in cosmetics with a strong focus on scientific advances coupled with natural compounds, Guinot - Paris provide exceptional, and dependable results for your skin, leaving it healthy and radiant.

Have you discovered pristine French skincare for yourself?