Remember the house we were updating? Reminder here, here, here and here.  Well, things have been slow moving over the last year and we were finally getting momentum again right before stay-at-home orders. Which left us with a room that we were turning into a butler’s pantry with holes in the drywall and counter height electrical socket but no counters. That room now is my husband’s new home office so it all worked out as it should.

However, we are trying to tackle what we can while we are home and something tell me we are not the only people taking on home projects during this time. First project up: change out the ugly chandelier over the dining table. Seems like an easy task, however, it proved to be a little more difficult this time around without the ability to go to the stores.

Size of the Chandelier. 

There are two ways to determine the width of the chandelier. One way takes into consideration the size of the room and the other takes into consideration the size of the table.

• Using the size of the room: Measure the room length and width. For us it was 10.5 ft. X 13.5 ft. Then add the length and width together to get the width (which is 24 inches in our case). This measurement is best if you have a formal dining room that is a separate room.
• However, if you have a dining room that opens to the kitchen/living space, determining the width of the chandelier is best by measuring the length and width of the table it will go over. Our table is 5 ft. X 3 ft. When using the measurement of the table, width of the chandelier should be one-half to two-thirds the width of the table. Therefore, the width for our table should be roughly 12 inches to 24 inches.

Bet you didn’t know there was a science to finding the right sized chandelier!

The Look.

Now onto the fun part: the style. I use a lot of mixed metals in this home and I fully believe in not having things all match. However, I was there was a lot of steel and a little bit of gold already in the room so I wanted a black fixture. There is always an argument in our home on traditional vs. modern so I knew I needed something that would be a great mixture of both traditional and modern. Also, we needed a chandelier with a chain as that was what we currently had and would make it easier to switch out without patching the ceiling.

The Budget. 

Always the least fun of every project. Any project we do around the home, I always want to keep it as inexpensive as possible however I do need to be realistic. Whenever considering the budget, I always outweigh what the home will be. Is it a rental? Is it a primary home, if so, for how long. We are not yet in our forever home so I like to be practical. The chandeliers I have found are between $100 – $200.

Here are a few that would fit the look and the budget:

Sources: one / two / three / four

You will notice that two of these are bigger than the suggested 24 inches. I am comfortable pushing the size of the chandelier a little bit since we have 10 ft. ceilings.

Tell me, which one is your favorite? I am leaning more towards number one. However, it is currently out of stock so now I have to decide if it is worth the way. What projects have you crossed off the list during this time?

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

This year I set a daunting goal to read 50 books this year. Little did I know that the coronavirus would slow everything down and provide a great reason (and time) to read.  In quarter one, I was able to finish a total of 16 books and before going into details about the book, I wanted to chat about some of the tricks I employed to read this many books.

1. Book clubs: In the last year I joined two book clubs (one virtual and one face-to-face) but these book clubs have kept me accountable AND push me to read a different type of book. Also, they are fun!
2. I read multiple books at a time. I never used to do this but I find doing this makes me a little more efficient reader. I don’t know about you but sometimes I just need to switch it up based on my mood.
3. If I don’t get into a book within the first 50-75 pages, I discard it. I never used to do this and would force myself to finish the book. Life is TOO short to read boring books.
4. Goodreads. I joined the social network for book nerds! This also keeps me accountable to my 2020 Reading Challenge and I am able to see what my friends read, which has led me to reading some of my favorite books so far. Follow me!

Anywho, if you are looking for a good book, here is what I have read so far broken into category.

Fiction.

Circe. A Greek mythology, Circe, daughter of Hellios is born with powers that allow her to turn rivals into monsters and her actions get her banished to a deserted island.  This book chronicles her life as a woman who stands alone. There are a lot of key players (as every Greek mythology) so it took a little extra thought to keep characters straight.

Nine Perfect Strangers. Nine strangers visit a remote Health Spa with hopes to remedy some of their life’s problems. They find themselves in a much bigger situation and challenge as events at the Health Spa get stranger and stranger. I had high hopes for this novel as it was the same author of Big Little Lies. This book took about 100 pages to get into and some of the events in the book were so outrageous that it was hard to believe.

Daisy Jones & The Six. Based in the sixties, this is about a iconic rock band and their beautiful, lead singer. This is a very easy read and in a narrative form which keeps the story moving and interesting. Would have loved just a little more drama and rock and roll though.

When Never Comes. This story weaves between past and present for Christy-Lynn. Her husband is found dead, along with his mistress. Christy-Lynn is stunned to find out about the mistress and with more research, she finds a These turn of events provoke Christy-Lynn to look into her past of growing up with an alcoholic mother and then being an orphan and re-evaluate her current life and her deceased husband’s child who now finds herself an orphan. I have been a member of Kindle Unlimited for some time (I pay $10 a month to essentially borrow certain kindle books on Amazon), although, I never use it. This what one of the first books I decided to read on Kindle Unlimited and was quite impressed.

When We Believed in Mermaids. This is a tale of two sisters and the search for truth. Kit believes her sister Jozie died years ago during a train fire. However, one night, Kit sees Jozie on the nightly news as a bystander to a club fire. This leads Kit across the world on a search to find her sister and, ultimately, come to terms with her chaotic upbringing and family life. I am a sucker for a family saga (especially between sisters) and this was one of my favorite fictions books I read first quarter.

The Great Alone. This book came highly recommended and the writer wrote one of my favorite books, The Nightingale.  However, this book did not hold my attention. The story chronicles a family who moves to Alaska to get away from it all. They find themselves fitting for survival and in a how new way of life.

Non-Fiction

The Moment of Lift. This book chronicles the work she and Bill Gates do throughout the world, especially with women. You will read stories of child marriages, sex workers and gender inequality. This book was pretty interesting, I find the Gates fascinating and quite innovative.

Stress Less, Accomplish More. Ah, meditation, a practice I struggle to maintain. This book goes into the benefits of meditation (there are many) and the author’s method of meditation called Zika mediation.

Bringing Up Bebe. Have you ever considered how other countries raise their children? The Parisian way seems to be elusive with well behaved children and less stress. An American family moves to France with their toddler and immediately notice the differences as they navigate the French culture.

French Kids Eat Everything. They truly do! Similar to Bringing up Bebe, this book is a story about an American family who moves to France. They immediately notice that French children eat like adults and its no wonder since the French culture greatly values good food and all meals. This book serves as a rule book of French eating.

The Magic of Motherhood.  Looking for a book of short stories about the joys of motherhood? This is it and would make a great Mother’s Day book!

Undone. A book about family, faith and resiliency. This proved to be a very easy read written by an author local to Colorado.

Boys Adrift. We are expecting our first son in June and this is the first boy in 28 years on my side. This book came recommended as one of the best on how to raise boys to be successful. The author lists five factors on why boys are unmotivated today. He then gives parents to tools on how to help boys become successful and flourish. Quite an interesting read!

Business.

The Book on Managing Rental Properties. My husband has urged me to read this for our two rentals and I finally got to it at the start of the stay-at-home orders. It proved to be a great comprehensive overview of the rental process and systems that make your life easier as a landlord. Additionally, there are a TON of resources (and documents) that come along with this book.

Talking to Strangers. I love anything Malcolm Gladwell write and his latest book did not disappoint. Gladwell investigates how we talk to strangers and how and why it often goes wrong. Throughout the book are examples of this miscommunication in its true form.

Your Money or Your Life. I read this BEFORE Covid, however, I think it would be quite relevant now too. This poignant book is about staying back your life and achieving financial freedom. This book offers tips and tools on how to get out of debt, build good money habits, declutter and live with less, invest and start to build wealth.

Whew! That’s all the books I read in quarter one and I hope you are able to find out that piques your interest. Tell me, what good books have you read?

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

 

Well, here we are.

I have struggled with what to write over these last few weeks as we all regain footing in this new environment. Nothing has seemed all that relevant.

As real estate agents we have been told we are not essential, then we are essential and the latest information is that we are essential but only for transactions currently under contract. Showings, open houses, etc. are not considered essential through this time. Showings are to be “virtual” with photos and videos of the home provided by the listing agent.  But let’s be honest, we are not the only ones who have had to pivot, the whole country has had to.

Through the last few weeks, I have had a lot of thoughts on this situation:

Real estate agents can play a huge role slowing down the curve. In the past, it was normal to have 35 people through an open house and to be one of three groups looking at a home at a time. Just by abstaining from those activities, we can do our part in slowing down this virus. It is both a necessity and responsibility we should take seriously.

There is a lot of misinformation and opinions. 
This seemed to start when the Fed dropped the rate to 0%. I saw a lot of professionals pushing people to buy a home because interests rates dropped. The Fed rate is the rate in which banks lend to one another, it has no impact on mortgage rates. The ten-year treasury is best to follow regarding where mortgage rates are. As time has progressed, it has escalated to professionals telling others what will happen after this is all over. Their speculation and advice ranges from financial markets, real estate markets or even what will happen socially. Here is the thing: no one knows what will happen when this is over. We have not been here before – this is not the dot.com bubble, 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis. We were in a great economy prior to this and there are so many factors that will impact the future: how long this lasts, the QE that the government provides and so much more. However, what is helping me get through the uncertainty is that we are the United States of America and I will always bank on the fact that we can get through hard times and rebuild, if put into the position.

This is hard for everyone.
COVID-19 has impacted everyone and has created stress, unknowns and fear. No one is exempt from some sort of stressor ranging from worry about their health or a loved one’s health, financial constraints, business owners trying to pay employees or handling a household of kids while working from home.

As we navigate this time together, I’d like to keep you updated of the real estate market and information that may help make this time easier. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer.

Stay safe and healthy!

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.

The world is slowing down and staying home in response to the recent corona virus. However, real estate is an industry that is on the is open 24/7, 365 days a year and if you find yourself buying and/or selling a home currently we will be taking certain precautions to help keep you and the public healthy and safe.

Firstly, we are following the precautions that the CDC recommends and are asking clients to do the same:

• Stay home if you have a fever, cough, shortness of breath or any other cold or flu-like symptom.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into your sleeve.

Due to the quick moving nature of the Denver real estate market, we are taking addition measures:

• Open Houses: For homes that are currently listed, we are advising not doing an open house. We are also recommending buyers do not attend open houses but rather set up a private showing with Liz.
• As always, our listings have both professional photos and virtual tours for buyers that do not feel comfortable viewing a home currently.
• Booties and disinfectant wipes are being provided to buyers viewing our listings and our buyers looking at homes.
• Buyers are being advised to wash hands as they enter and exit a home.
• Showings. One party in a home at a time for viewings. Our listings will no longer allow for overlapping appointments. If our buyers are viewing a listing that allows for overlapping appointments, we will wait outside until the showing before us ends.

As always, we want to keep our clients and the public as safe and healthy as possible. We are continually watching for the latest news on this virus and adjusting, as appropriate. The Denver real estate market does not appear to be slowing down much due to the virus and while this is good for the market, it means stricter protocols need to be in place to keep everyone safe.

Please contact Liz for any questions or concerns. Stay healthy!!

Liz is  broker and owner of Liz Daigle Realty.