Ruthie's Corner

The median list price in November 2018 for single family homes in the CC-V District is $257,350. The list prices increased by 7.2% from the previous month.   The price per square foot for listings in this area is $263.  The median sales price in November for single family homes in the CC-V District is $150,000. The sales prices decreased by 21% from the previous month. The Average Days on Market in this area is 63. The median list price in November 2018 for land in the CC-V District is $21,500 . The list prices increased by 57% from the previous month.   The price per square foot for listings in this area is $1.    The median sales price in November for land in the CC-V District is $13,000. The list prices decreased by 80% from the previous month. The Average Days on Market in this area is 233.

Christmas Cheer What’s more Christmasy than songs. If you’re like me, an old Christmas song brings back sooo many memories…. some make me cry, others get me totally in the holiday spirit and others I just can’t help but sing along to. So here are the top 10 all-time favorite Christmas songs according to a recent poll done by Ranker Community. Which is YOUR fav? 1) White Christmas 2) Silent Night 3) Santa Claus is Coming to Town 4) Winter Wonderland 5) Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 6) O Holy Night 7) Joy to the World 8) Little Drummer Boy 9) Jingle Bell Rock  10) Frosty the Snowman May you be filled with Christmas cheer all season-long!

Snow Day Fun With winter upon us, thinking about snow day fun seems a natural thought. Here are a few ideas for you & your kids to do on your next ‘snow day’! Boy/Girl Magic! Have boys? Set up a WII competition Girls? Why not bake up something yummy & eat picnic style in the family room! Fort anyone?   Get everyone involved and make furniture cushion forts like you did when you were little. Grab blankets, throws and pillows too… & watch the fun happen Game it! Stuff socks into balls and set up baskets or paper bags on your living room floor. Whoever gets the most socks in wins. Treasure Hunt Time. Hide things throughout your home, then post clues for your kids to find them. These are just few ideas you can try on your next ‘snow day’. Tell us what you like to do on a snow day. I’d love to hear your ideas!

Winter Dates Winter Dates (for you ….. & the kids too, if you’d like) It’s easy to come up with things to do during the warmer months, isn’t it? Or is it just me? I feel like the colder months make things harder… lol. Anyway, I wanted to take a moment to offer up some suggestions of fun things you can do with your partner, friend or even as a family! Check them out below: Ice skating Victor has an amazing Ice Rink at Bryan's Park!  Fire up a bonfire & toast marshmallows  Go sledding Build a snowman Go for a drive looking at Christmas lights  Check out the local events & go do something you haven’t yet done before See! Coming up with fun winter dates isn’t so bad. Just use some imagination and don’t overthink it. Many of the above ideas can easily be adapted to family activities as well. During this busy season, we need to remember to stop and enjoy… so I hope these winter date ideas inspires you to set some time aside and do something t...

Fun Family Pumpkin Memories Family is very important to me. It’s one of the reasons I became a real estate agent. Thinking of the impact I have on family’s lives either helping them get their dream home OR getting their home sold so they can move on is astounding and a privilege I take very seriously. Nothing says family quite like the fall season, wouldn’t you agree? There’s something about a pumpkin & hayride that brings out the kid in all of us. Perhaps due to the memories we had as children seeing unique candle-lit pumpkins on porches as you drive by, thoughts of halloweens past & the recollection of the fun (& messy times) using our creativity designing the face of our pumpkin. We certainly all know the conventional method for carving a pumpkin with a sharp serated knife, then a scooper to empty the pumpkin of its “insides”, then dropping in a candle. How exciting to see your pumpkin emit light, right?! But did you know there’s another way to ‘carve’ a pumpkin...

 Old-Fashioned Potato Soup I don’t know about you, but I look forward to enjoying delicious homemade soup every fall! And when I think of one of my all-time favorite soups from my childhood, it’s definitely my Mom’s old fashioned potato soup! So I thought I’d share the goodness with you. And if you’re like many these days that try to stay away from carbs/potatoes, you can replace the potatoes with cauliflower… mmmmm, it’s absolutely delicious!! Happy Souping  Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter 1 large chopped onion 8 diced & peeled potatoes 4 carrots, chopped 4 cups of water 2T chicken bouillon powder 3T flour 4 cups milk  Parsley & pepper to taste Preparation: 20 minutes Directions: Place potatoes, carrots, water & chicken bouillon powder in pot and bring to a boil. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 7-9 minutes. Season to taste with pepper & parsley. Melt butter in saucepan in separate pot and stir in the onion and cook for about 4-5 minutes...

FUN Fall Family Ideas After a busy, enjoyable summer, isn’t it nice to be back in routine with kids back to school, the sun setting earlier (making kids bedtime easier), etc? It sure is. And that doesn’t mean the fun times have to end– no way! Here’s a list of family fun things you can plan this month. 1) Decorate. – Wreath for the front door – Inside for fall – The porch with pumpkins and other fall decor 2) Bake. – Pumpkin pie – Pumpkin bread – Homemade apple cider 3) Enjoy the Outdoors. -Make raking the leaves a family event. -Go to the local pumpkin patch & hop on a hayride. -Grab the ingredients for s'mores. Prepare indoors, then go outside after dinner to roast & enjoy.  -Plan a walk in the woods to see what you can see & end this special time with hot chocolate when you get back home. What fun Fall family things does YOUR family do? Do tell, I can’t wait to hear your ideas! Ruth Grainger-Starr Realtor® Grainger Realty LLC  Office:7...