November 12, 2021 | Issue 3, Volume 1 |
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Hello from our Campsite! Expect Typos! |
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Hello from the sunny shores of Hunting Island State Park in Beaufort, South Carolina! Fellow campers, if you have not made it to this gorgeous barrier island, be sure to put in on your bucket list. While this is our third visit here, we have continued to find it amazing and even intriguing. The “boneyard” where trees and ocean have collided is a striking array of fallen, sun-bleached tree skeletons at the south end of the island; it is both lovely and sad, but decidedly breathtaking. On the north end of the island, low tide reveals wide swaths of pristine sand where huge flocks of birds feast on sea things (I don’t know what they are eating!) and sharp-eyed beachcombers search for and find a variety of treasures.
While we’ve had a great time camping, we are looking forward to getting back to Virginia and getting ready for our pie event! If you haven’t picked a pie or RSVP’d but would like to stop by, no problem! We have ordered extras and would love to see you. Please feel free to stop by on Sunday, November 21 5:00-7:00 at 10019 Latimer Court.
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Prost! (That's German for "Cheers!") |
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- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 ounce Kirsch
- 1 dash brandy
- 1 small glass cold coffee
- (cream or Bailey’s Irish Cream)
Fill glass with fine shaved ice. Frappe. Strain into chilled wine glass and serve.
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Evenings spent sitting, singing, talking, and laughing by the campfire are some of our favorite camping pastimes BUT as we get a bit older, it gets a bit harder to stay awake to make them happen. Allow me to introduce you to Coffee-Cocktail Hour; that hour during dinner prep during which we share a coffee based cocktail to ensure we have staying (awake) power for the rest of the evening.
Cafe Kirsch then was the perfect cocktail to make the first night of camp during Coffee-Cocktail Hour. From page 22 of “a guide to pink elephants,” this boozy combination of coffee, brandy, and Kirsch gives just the right punch without keeping us awake the whole night. We added a little Bailey’s to the basic recipes and it was perfect! Cheers!
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Curious about the home prep process from start to finish? You’ve seen tons of our “afters” but now we are going to take you through the evolution of a house from tenant occupied investment and absolute disaster to market-ready and totally dynamite!
Our sellers were shocked at the decline in condition of their investment property and so were we! In fact, we’ve had the home professionally photographed but only a handful of pictures were suitable for sharing as the tenants had scribbled graphic obscenities on the walls—really and truly shocking! The first steps for this house transformation—emptying the house of trash and getting estimates for renovations—are currently underway and we anticipate construction starting in a matter of weeks. Agent Jackie Steventon and Project Manager Diane O’Neill are taking lead on this one and we are excited to see and share their progress while they work toward top dollar for our sellers!
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LOSE Junk and GAIN Pie! Win-win! |
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KPWCA Dumpster Day!
Saturday, November 13, 8-11am
If you live in Kings Park West, make sure your KPWCA membership is up to date because you are going to want to take advantage of this great event and it's members only!
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Thanksgiving Pie Giveaway
Sunday, November 21, 5-7pm
10019 Latimer Court
If you reserved a pie, pick up is at Cathy's house on the 21st. Drive up and grab your pie, and socialize a bit around the fire pits. Safe and fun!
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Q: Hi y’all! I wondered if I could pick your brain about a renovation to the Duchess model. We have the original master bathroom, which I’d like to renovate to be wider and have a bathtub. Based on your insights into this model, how much of the renovation costs would we recoup when selling? Only looking for a rough idea, if that’s helpful. Thank you! ~Helen
A: Hi Helen! It really depends on the level of investment and how long you hold the property BUT you should definitely expand and improve that bathroom. Bathroom renovation costs vary widely based on finishes selected, contractor prices, and the overall scope of work so giving an estimate of return on investment can be tricky. What we typically anticipate though is a return of investment of $2 for every $1 spent when renovating for sale.
That being said, now more than ever before, I enthusiastically say go for it and make those investments in your Kings Park West and/or Northern Virginia homes. Dramatic improvements to both quality of life now and to sales prices later make investing and modernizing our 1970s homes a worthy and rewarding investment.
Helen, I’ve included three photos of Duchess bathrooms above. The first you’ll likely recognize as your very own bathroom with its original footprint, the second shows a Duchess bathroom with the small closet incorporated into the bathroom allowing for double sinks, and the third picture, from the M&C Team archives, shows the bathroom both wider and deeper to allow for a bathtub. Good luck with your project and please share pictures when you are done!
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"Dogs come into our lives and teach us about love, they depart and teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog. It merely expands the heart." ~Unknown
Welcome, Delta! Our hearts are just bursting and we can’t wait to see your adventures with the DeYoung family!
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Diane O'Neill, our Project Manager, is one proud mama this week. Her daughter, McKenna Huff, a varsity baseball player for Robinson, was selected to participate in the elite MLB Breakthrough Series in Arlington, TX.
Says Diane: "Congrats to my girl on being selected as one of 30 girls in the nation to go to MLB Breakthrough Baseball series this weekend AND being selected to Robinson varsity basketball. She's a pretty cool kid, too."
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She continues, "Former MLB players and current National Team players are training and coaching these talented high school athletes. They’re having expert sessions on recruitment, the mental game, and setting goals. MLB and USA baseball is investing in girls and the future of baseball - and it’s amazing! Best of all, they’re having a blast. Day one and McKenna had three innings on the bump - killing it in a big league stadium. It’s not Fenway, but it’ll do. So grateful for this opportunity!" |
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The Mary & Cathy Team is so proud of this talented young woman.
Go get 'em, McKenna!
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