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Landscape for higher home value

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Learn how and why landscaping improves your property value....
Learn how and why landscaping improves your property value?

Why consider landscaping?

So we’ve all heard that money doesn’t grow on trees, right? Well, technically, I guess, it doesn’t, but…have you ever considered how much more valuable good landscaping makes your property? Full disclosure: I love to garden. So, yes, I find gardening fulfulling in its own right. Plants can be expensive though, as can maintaining and caring for them. Furthermore, if you do not enjoy or have time to landscape your own property and pay someone else to do it, the cost can be significant. So why do it? Because not only will it (theoretically) increase your enjoyment of your home while you live there, but it will increase the value of your property if you sell it.

Why does landscaping increase property values?

The most obvious advantage to nice landscaping is simply that it is attractive. However, it has additional advantages. If you plant larger shrubs or trees, they provide privacy (very important to many people!) as well as noise reduction. From an environmental perspective, you can’t beat plants! Good for the soil, the air quality and ground water control. Finally, nice landscaping lends an air of “establishment” to a property. It makes the home seem more like it belongs there and is part of the larger landscape.

What does landscaping include?

Annual plantings are often used when a seller who does not have much landscaping puts a houseont he market. Nothing wrong with that! Many realtors encourage this practice, especially in early spring or late fall, when few other plants are in bloom. Early violas and pansies or late mums and cabbages add a welcome splash of color in a pot along a pathway or by the front door. They certainly make a house look more inviting during that sale period.

Of course, perennials (including grasses, shrubs and trees) have much more value than annuals since they grow into mature plants over the years. Don’t forget, though, landscaping also includes “hardscaping”–patios, terraces, paved walkways and the like. Exterior lighting also deserves some thought; it can dramatically change the look of your property and your house. You might even consider garden statuary or large urns, water features, pergolas, arbors or even decorative fencing, all of which, if well-designed and executed, beautify and increase the value of your property.

Candle Making in Philadelphia

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Does making a candle while drinking wine with friends sound like a fun night out? Visit Wax and Wine!
Does making a candle while drinking wine with friends sound like a fun night out? Visit Wax and Wine!

Make your own candles at a shop in Philadelphia

There’s a new place in Philadelphia for a perfect evening out, where you can make your own candle while enjoying wine and comaraderie. Wax + Wine pairs the creative outlet of candle making with an ambiance of a wine bar. This B.Y.O.B. is the first of its kind that I’ve heard of. It’s located at 10th and Pine in center city. (By the way, I have no affiliation with this establishment nor am I receiving any kind of compensation for this post; I just thought it was worth sharing!)

Do-it-yourself crafts options

Over the years, I’ve been to several do-it-yourself craft shops. Painting pottery was in its heyday when my kids were younger and I’ve been to beading parties and places where, under the tutelage of instructors, you can paint your own canvas. The draw of these places is that they have all of the tools and supplies as well as the experience to help you create a more satisfying piece. Wax and Wine is the first place I’ve heard of where you can create your own candle.

Crafting hazards: don’t try this at home

My daughters have, on more than one occasion, decided to make their own candles in my kitchen. Between ordering the supplies (and still needing to run out to the craft store at the last minute for the right size wick or more wax or something else) and taking over the stove, the process has been messy and not always as satisfying as they’d hoped. Why? Because my kitchen (and pots) is not set up for candle-making. And because we didn’t really know what we were doing. We also had plenty of “fails” when the scent that they had ordered turned out to smell more like musty attic than “morning dawn”.

The Wax + Wine Experience

At Wax + Wine, not only are you not in charge of clean up (this is the part where I hear the angels singing), but you don’t have to figure out what materials you need, nor are you required to procure them, spending hours on the internet trying to understand what you should buy. Then there is scent selection. They have 75 scents you can sniff before you select! No more disappointing candles!

That describes the “wax” part. The wine part is pretty self-explanatory; you bring wine, they supply the glasses and the candle-making expands to become an evening activity. It’s a great idea for a birthday or other special occasion or maybe a team-building activity for a small group. If anybody gives it a try, I’d love to hear what you think of the experience!

Minestrone Soup

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It's cold out! This is a great, hearty soup to warm you up.
It’s cold out! This is a great, hearty soup to warm you up.

Jen LeBow’s Minestrone Soup Recipe

 

Let me start by saying that minestrone soup is “loose” in terms of ingredients. It always has beans and seasonal vegetables, but after that, there’s plenty of latitude, so feel free to substitute, add or subtract ingredients as you see fit.

Rinse and soak 8 oz. dried cannellini or Great Northern beans in 2 quarts water and 1 ½ t salt overnight. Reduce heat to VIGOROUS simmer and stir (uncovered) every few minutes for 1 hour.Drain. (If you don’t have time, bring 8 oz. beans to boil in 2 quarts of water, allow to boil about 5 minutes and then remove from heat, cover and let stand for an hour. If you REALLY don’t have time and want to use canned beans, you’ll need to just add them later in the cooking process so they don’t get mushy.)

In heavy pot or Dutch oven on stove top, cook on medium-high 5 minutes:

1 1/2 T EVOO

4 oz pancetta, cut into ¼” cubes

 

Add and cook 8 minutes:

2 ribs celery, cut into ½” pieces (about ¾ cup)

2 small or 1 large carrot cut into ½” pieces (about ¾ cup)

1 extra large Vidalia onion cut into ½” pieces (about 1 ½ cups) (I use a food processor)

1 medium zucchini cut into ½” pieces (about 1 cup)

 

Add and cook 2 minutes:

3 minced cloves garlic

½ small head green cabbage (about 2 cups) (I use the food processor for this, too)

 

Empty contents of pot into bowl and set aside.

 

In same pot, bring to boil:

8 oz. (dry) soaked and drained white beans

7 cups water

3 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

Parmesan cheese rind (about 5” x 2”)

(If you don’t have a block of parmesan, you can add it when you serve)

 

Add and cook 15 minutes:

reserved vegetables

2 cups chopped tomatoes, in ½” pieces

 

Remove from heat.

 

Discard bay leaf, parmesan rind

 

Add:

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

1 t dried thyme

1 ½ salt, to taste

 

What to do in Philadelphia 2019

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Philadelphia Main Line Relocation
Looking for destinations and events to visit in Philadelphia this year? There’s plenty to see and do!

What to do in Philadelphia in 2019

There are tons of things to do in Philadelphia, regardless of time of year or age of visitor. Maybe you’ve just relocated here or are preparing for out of town guests and need a bit of guidance. While we are known for our historical significance (and the Constitution Center and Independence Hall area are a must-do), there are plenty of other destinations as well. You might choose to check out  some of our fabulous museums or the Liberty Bell, or to take a tour of our murals or experience our Italian Market. If you want to see the most popular attractions, click here.

Special events this year

If you’ve seen the “old standbys” and are in search of a special event, we have plenty of those, too! The city also hosts seasonal offerings like ice skating at Dilworth Park next to City Hall and pop-up beer gardens on the banks of the Delaware. Of course, there are plenty of annual events including the Mummer’s Parade, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival or the unparalleled Flower Show. Here’s a list of events for 2019.

Explore outside the city

One of the great things about Philadelphia is that the surrounding area is also rich in entertainment and adventure. For example,  Chadds Ford, is beautiful and is home to wineries, revolutionary war battle sites, the Brandywine River Museum (think Wyeth) and a few places that offer kayaking/canoeing/tubing down the Brandywine. Valley Forge is a lovely state park with all of the history of George Washington and his troops who made it their camp during the war. For more to do in the surrounding suburbs, click here.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973

Philadelphia’s Growing Traffic Problem

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Why have the streets become so crowded and what can we do about it?
Why have the streets become so crowded and what can we do about it?

What’s the problem? 

Philly has a growing traffic problem. There is not a single cause; a Philadelphia Inquirer experiment in which several staffers to travel across the city and note which factors were the biggest traffic hazards and what suggestions they had to remedy them. We are an old city, with narrow streets that are easily clogged. Whether it’s buses stopping on almost every corner, pedestrians who don’t adhere to the lights (or are pushed into the streets due to construction), road repair, bikes that don’t have bike lanes, ride share cars stopping to pick up or drop off passengers or some other obstacle, it’s a headache getting around center city.

How are other cities handling it?

Similar cities around the globe have struggled with this issue with a variety of solutions. For example, London charges people to travel within the city limits at the busiest time of day, and some cities have made changes to how the pedestrians cross streets. More bike lanes would help, but, due to our weather and the unchangeable width of our streets, it’s certainly not enough. In my opinion, the major issue is delivery trucks.

Deliveries are the biggest offender

While everyone knows that retail store fronts have been continuing to suffer since Amazon’s rise, it doesn’t mean that Americans are buying less. Instead, it means they are having more things delivered. And that means more trucks on the roads and clogging the streets. In certain locales, these delivery trucks are just something to drive around–no big deal. But in Philadelphia and similar older cities with narrow streets, it has become a huge traffic problem.

What can be done?

Philadelphia is considering designating more loading zones, and, while drones are definitely coming, it doesn’t seem like tight city streets are the place for them. I think the idea with the most promise is following Paris’s lead in requiring large delivery trucks to offload into warehouses that then send smaller vehicles into town with deliveries. Although smaller cars/vans would still have to stop to deliver packages, they would be easier for other motorists to drive around. Additionally, due to having fewer packages to sort through, the stop would theoretically take less time. An extreme, but perhaps viable part of this solution would be UPS tricycle van delivery.

I certainly don’t know the answer to this complex problem, other than figuring out teleportation for people and things (as in “Beam me up, Scotty”). Yeah, I know; it’s a good thing I’m not in charge of tackling the traffic issue. Fortunately, it it does seem that the city recognizes it and is actively working on ways to improve it. Between looking at what other cities have done and conducting local research, I am cautiously optimistic that we will see some positive change.

 

 

 

 

Trend: Working from Home

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Philadelphia Main Line Relocation
Working from home is a growing trend.

Technology allows us to work from home

We have seen a continual increase in the number of people working from home over the last several years. Communication technology has advanced to the point that people can share screens, video conference and have complete access to all of the software and files they would have in an on-site office. Scanners and even cell phones allow for easy transmission of images as well. Of course, depending on the tasks associated with the job, clearly, not all positions translate well to working remotely. Nevertheless, the trend is only growing.

Why work from home?

There are several reasons some people prefer working from home:  they don’t have to move if they can telecommute with a non-local employer, they can often work on their own schedule, they can cobble together more than one job, and they save time and money in commuting and, often, child care. While it’s not for everyone–those people who thrive on “office interaction” and who need to get out of the house are poor candidates for work-at-home jobs.

Why do employers support home-based workers?

While much of the increase in this sector can be traced to preferences on the part of the employee, there is more to the picture. For example, employers save money on desk space, office supplies, coffee (really!) and sometimes perks like parking or transportation benefits. So there are plenty of positions that are being offered specifically to home-based workers that are designed that way for the employer’s advantage. Additionally, the emphasis on inclusion of all employees (like ones who might be confined to a wheelchair) supports work-at-home jobs.

Job market changes

Other factors driving an increase in the number of people who are working from home are changes in the job market. Many “feet on the floor” jobs, like those in manufacturing, for example, have diminished due to both outsourcing overseas and technology implementing automated systems. As a matter of fact, a recent article suggests that robots will replace humans at work at an alarming rate in the next 10 years.

While predicting unemployment rates is tricky at best, there is no shortage of opinions about the future of work in our country. While some are fatalistic, there are others who encourage us to see opportunity with change. Consider Etsy, an online collection of individual entrepreneurs making all kinds of handmade items from all over the world. Fivver, offering services like graphic design and video editing provides similar possibilities as well.

FEMA Maps Ignore Climate Change

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FEMA flood maps don't take climate change into consideration--why does it matter?
FEMA flood maps don’t take climate change into consideration–why does it matter?

Climate Change and FEMA Maps

The US has experienced several severely damaging storms and hurricanes in recent years. Property owners dealing with the financial (not to mention emotional) aftermath of these storms have, in many cases, call FEMA’s flood maps into question. One article tells the story of Mexico Beach, FL and how the exclusion of the location as a flood zone risk (on FEMA maps) has cost millions of dollars. While FEMA officials are quick to point out that a single storm shouldn’t serve as a predictor of flood risk, they do not address the fact that their maps ignore climate change data. FEMA does not use current predictions of rising sea levels and temperatures to inform their decisions about flood plain boundaries. They look exclusively at historical data. This incomplete picture, critics say, prevents the maps from being more accurate.

How FEMA Maps Work

The National Flood Insurance Program branch of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Program) is responsible for issuing and updating the maps. They are designed to indicate “100 year flood plains”. From a risk standpoint,, properties that fall within flood plains have a 1% risk of flooding. The reason that FEMA maps are so important is that lenders rely on them when they agree to provide mortgages. One of the features they consider is whether the property in question is in a FEMA-designated flood plain. If it is, they will require the buyer to carry flood insurance to protect their asset.

Flood Insurance

Until recently, a property’s flood insurance cost did not take into account just how likely flooding was. However, lots of buyers complained about being required to have flood insurance ( “just because of a small creek down the hill that couldn’t possibly flood the basement?”). FEMA responded with elevation certificates. These are used to determine the insurance premium that is directly related to the flood risk.

Several property owners who have sustained costly flood damage believe that FEMA should have designated their properties as within a flood zone. They argue that, if FEMA used current data to assess both the present and near future likelihood of flooding, the maps would change. Being outside of a FEMA-designated flood zone means that, in the event of a flood, home owner’s insurance will not cover the damage. That damage can be extremely costly.

Any changes in FEMA flood maps will only be useful in covering flood damages if the federal government support their efforts. If climate change is not perceived as a “real thing”, it is unlikely that significant changes to the maps will be made. Of course, the second step is to make funds available to a potentially larger group of insured home owners. Allocation of federal funds, of course, creates an enormous additional discussion.

 

 

Coziest Restaurants in Philadelphia

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Philadelphia Main Line Relocation
Do you enjoy spending a cold evening in a cozy restaurant near the fireplace? Here is a list of great venues.

The Cozy Restaurant

Philadelphia Magazine recently published an article about the 37 coziest restaurants in Philadelphia. I’m not sure what that description conjures up in your mind, but it’s right up my alley. Personally, I am a huge of this category: cozy vs. “best”. While, obviously, good food is a must-have for any positive eating experience, the ambiance and environment dramatically affect the overall experience. You can find plenty of great restaurants in the Philadelphia area, if you’re judging by food critics’ reviews. In the chilly weather, though, there’s an additional draw if the atmosphere is warm and cozy.

Winter Destinations

In the winter, if I’m going to get dressed, leave the cold, park downtown and walk to a restaurant, I want to feel warm and fuzzy while I’m there (and, I hope, enjoy an afterglow, too). Eating a leisurely meal while watching a roaring fire sounds like heaven to me! You can do that at all 37 places on the list! So whether you’re looking for more of a coffee shop feel (try the Library Bar at the Rittenhouse Hotel, full of books and art on the walls) or a full course meal, (like you’ll find at Continental or at McGillins Olde Ale House) there is something for everyone.In the mood for tomato pie (a Philadelphia phenomenon) and a very casual afternoon or evening? Try Stogie Joe’s. If a great drink is what’s on your mind, try Tavern on the Hill or head out to beautiful Chester County to The Whip Tavern.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973

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