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As I sit here on a long layover at LAX - thanks to my Sexy Mexican Travel Agent - I find myself at the usual airport spot, which is any bar with a bloody mary.  However, this turned out to be not just any bar - or just any bloody mary.

You are hearing it here first - well maybe not - but I like to think that I am breaking the news. Airport food is experiencing a renaissance of sort.  And, you, my thirsty traveler are the beneficiary.

Many cities are recruiting popular local establishments to their airports. What a brilliant move. The days of crappy airport food may be over.

In the San Jose airport, you can get great food at Original Joe's airport edition - called San Jose Joe's. In Seattle, there is an Ivar's Fish Bar. Here at LAX, there is a Sea Legs Wine Bar.  Sea Legs has a classic marble topped bar with a few tables scattered around.  They have a pretty good wine selection and offer electrical outlets right at their bar - perfect for a blogger.  And, Sinatra is on the playlist. Heaven.

Of course - I start every vacation with a bloody mary and theirs did not disappoint.  Good and spicy with olives, celery and a perfect strip of bacon.

Proscuitto Bruschetta

Next, I ordered the Proscuitto Bruschetta on the recommendation of my awesome bartender, Jacob. Three chargrilled baguettes topped with salty prosciutto, zesty bruschetta, melted mozzarella and drizzled with basil and paprika oils.  Not bad for breakfast.

This is an excellent place to languish in a long layover.  Great food, good booze, the best music, and terrific bartender.  It was a good day.

eat. love. live well.

Recently my friend and fellow Realtor, Todd Disbrow - posted this pic on the book of faces with the caption - "My thoughts on ironing".

Most of my friends either pay a fortune at the dry cleaners or dress right from the laundry basket.  I know, I have a diverse group of friends.  For those that don't bother to iron - is it that they don't care...or that they don't know how?

Now Todd always looks sharp - so the shower/iron must be working for him.  But, this begs the question...do mothers teach their children to iron anymore?  I know that my Grandmother and Mother taught me and I taught my boys.  I’ve even taught two husbands. Yes - I had a practice run before the Sexy Mexican.

When I was a child, we had an old heavy ironing board and a stainless steel iron.  We sprayed everything with spray starch, as most of our clothes were made of cotton.  Heavy steam and sprayed with water.

I remember learning with handkerchiefs, pillow cases, and cloth napkins.  My husband doesn’t carry a handkerchief, so I no longer iron those.  And, I will confess that I no longer iron pillowcases – but I might.  Writing this blog post is inspiring me and I may decide to return to my roots.






As I prepare for Easter, I took to ironing my white linen napkins for the dinner table.  I am still old fashioned, we don’t use paper napkins for anything.  Even mid-week, we use cloth napkins.  I find it an easy addition that makes supper, special.

The spray starch, the steam, the smell of hot cotton…it made the memories come flooding back... begging to iron because I thought it was fun.  Call me crazy…I was probably 9.
One summer day, I set out to iron my favorite pink short set.  This was at the time that polyester was emerging as THE cool thing.  Well, I missed the instruction on how ironing polyester was different than ironing cotton.  Low and behold – my new short set was now stuck to the bottom of the stainless steel iron.  It was not a good day.  Sad face.

I am grateful that my Grandmother and Mother took the time to teach me how to iron.  A well-dressed woman – must always look sharp and crisp. A dinner table is always better with a crisp cloth napkin, and a bed is always better made with a well-starched pillowcase.  Parent's - teach your children to iron - it will make the world a better place.

I guess I had better think about digging out the pillowcases and getting started.

I find it very interesting how life ebbs and flows and all the while we fall behind trying to catch up. With every change comes growth.  Life pushes us and pulls us as we make our way to finding who we are.  Just as we get comfortable with ourselves - we are thrown again into the sea of change and sometimes clamor for a life vest - gasping for air.

Change is neither good nor bad.  It just is.  But, I believe we control how we see it, embrace it, and use it to turn things into a positive.  Some changes are painful, some are welcome.  Some changes are easy, some are hard.

I have seen many changes in my life.  The divorce of my parents, the death of a parent, the birth of my children, and a divorce, among others.  Each one changed me in a profound way.

Recently, I have been reflecting on the current changes in my life.  While they are all positive, they are not with heart-tugging tears of joy and sadness.

I raised two boys - my youngest was 17 years old when I remarried.  My new husband came with three teenagers. While we never really had a blended household, we do have a blended family and that has come with challenges of its own.

In the last few months, my children have embarked on new exciting journeys of their very own.  My oldest is now married and has a beautiful family.  He recently graduated from college, is working on his Masters and has landed his first "career" job as a business analyst.

My youngest also recently graduated from college and has been hired as a software developer.  He is becoming financially independent for the first time and growing up.

My boys were my world.  I was a stay at home Mom for many years.  The adjustment from hands on Class Mom, Team Mom, Neighborhood Mom to empty nester has not been pretty.  The migration happened 8 years ago for me and it still rattles me from time to time.  Perspective - it is all about perspective.

You close the door on a chapter of your life and move on to new chapter.  One that hasn't been written and you hold the pen.  You are now the boss of you and only you.  It is liberating and terrifying all at once.  Breathe.

Just as you start to come into your own as an empty nester - yes it can take that long.  One of your kids will inevitably screw everything up...LOL...by bringing grand babies into your world.  Change is once again is upon you.

I am now a Gigi to this little bird.  She is the sun, moon, and stars all wrapped together.  My life's role has changed - once again.  Amazing.



I am currently visiting them at their home in Hawaii for Andrew's 29th birthday.  They live very far away from me - but it could be much worse.  My oldest is on the cusp of 30 - Oh how can that be - I am not that old!!  I AM NOT! Change.

As I watch Daniel the Tiger, work on counter offers, blog, and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with my little bird - I know that one thing is true for sure. With each change and each new season comes an opportunity. An opportunity to embrace adventure and to grab a hold of every wondrous thing that life holds for us.  Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Love the change.

eat. love. live well.

Miami is known for its stunning beaches, exquisite dining and nice weather year-round, not to mention no state income tax, so who wouldn’t want to live here? It is no wonder this part of Florida continues to grow, with visitors as well as new residents flocking to its shoreline to reside in new luxury developments and homes. Below are three captivating properties currently on the market.






Unobstructed views of the Downtown Miami skyline and the glimmering blue bay welcome you as you explore what $33M can buy you in Miami Beach. 5050 North Bay Road was the estate to the Wolfson family, which was a compound of two very powerful Miami Beach families who once also owned the Miami Seaquarium, as well as most of the big movie theaters in Miami Beach. Mr. Wolfson at one point was even the mayor of Miami Beach. This home is also iconic because of its rich architectural history. Renowned architect Russell Pancoast traveled all through Europe and when he came back to Miami Beach, brought with him a style known as Mediterranean Revival. This style is clear throughout his work in 5050 North Bay Road. Mr. Pancoast was able to take the style he learned in Europe and adapt it to the Florida elements. This unique brand of Mediterranean Revival called for lots of locally produced products such as coral rock and keystone, which we find throughout all of 5050 North Bay Road, as well as maximizing the use of the waterways with plenty of terraces and gardens in both the front and back of the house to cool off the home in an era when there was no air conditioning.





Sleek, modern and spacious is what you will find at the Setai in a triple apartment with 3,691 square feet to do what you please. The condo is beautifully decorated by the intuitive, New York based firm, David Scott Interiors. Large entertainment spaces, living, media rooms and a gym can be enjoyed while taking in the abundance of light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Sweeping views can be seen from two balconies, one facing east towards the ocean and the other west towards downtown Miami. The condo is complete with three bedrooms and four and a half baths with five star services and first-class finishes, a dream escape for beach enthusiasts, providing tranquility and abundant luxuries.






A contemporary villa located at Aqua Condos with some of the best views on Miami Beach. This one-of-a-kind loft living space is created by one of the world's most important designers and includes two bedrooms, a den and a theater-style kitchen which opens to a large living area with 12.5-foot high ceilings. Charming outdoor gardens can be found on the two huge terraces which are perfect for entertaining guests and throwing parties.

These residences are the perfect way to enjoy warm Miami Beach.

Photos and content courtesy of Luxury Portfolio International Blog

Best.

As we move into the more active Spring selling season, now is a good time to look at the Percent of Sales by price range. Nearly 95 percent of sales since the beginning of 2015 have been in the price ranges under $600,000, with 63% of sales occurring below $300,000 and 32% of sales occurring between $300 and $600,000

Increased values are putting more sellers in a positive equity position This may be you, and if you are ready to move, the time may be right for us to have a conversation.

At Dickson Realty, we have the tools, training and technology to stay on top of the market. That, combined with my experience, can help you buy or sell at the right price.

To learn more about these statistics, or to find out what your home is worth in today's market, please contact me. I hope this information is useful to you in your decision making process for buying or selling a home.

In the real estate industry, we’ve been talking about low levels of inventory for many months now. But what does that mean? The National Association of REALTORS considers 5 to 6 months of inventory a healthy market, where neither buyers nor sellers have a distinct advantage. We have studied our Reno/Sparks housing market by price range, and see a strong seller’s market in homes priced below $600,000. For homes priced below $300,000 there is less than one month of inventory at just 23 DAYS! For homes in the range of $300,001-$600,000, inventory is just 56 days, or just under two months. These price ranges make up 95% of the sales in our region.

However, in the price ranges above $600,000 we have a greater inventory of available homes, and with that, we see a shift to more of a buyer’s market. The months of inventory for properties in the $600,001 to $900,000 range sits right at 5.0 months. In the price range $900,000 to $1,500,000, the trend continues to 9.6 months. And, for homes priced over $1,500,000, we have a 28 month supply.

If you’re in the market to purchase a home in the under $600,000 price ranges, you will want to work closely with your agent and your lender to give you the best chance of having your purchase offer accepted by a seller.

If you are selling in these price ranges, I can help you price your home correctly and help negotiate the best deal on the sale of your home.

                                                                                                 photo courtesy of minimalistbaker.com

Cauliflower often gets a bad rap alongside its culinary cousin the broccoli.  But - I say NO!  NO more turning your nose up at the versatile cauliflower.  That's right I said it - v e r s a t i l e.  Roasted, pureed, mashed, riced.  Yes - rice - Cauliflower rice.  Awhile back I shared the miracle of mashed cauliflower HERE  Today I will confirm your love of all things cauliflower with several recipes for cauliflower rice.  Cauliflower lovers unite - and - enjoy!

courtesy of minimalistbaker.com

This is a great basic recipe for plain cauliflower rice.  Whether you use a box grater or an s-blade in your food processor, this rice will store well in the refrigerator.  Pull some out midweek for rice pilaf and then again for an awesome stir fry.  Find the full recipe  HERE - courtesy of minimalistbaker.com

courtesy of foodnetwork.com

Here is a perfectly simple recipe for cauliflower rice.  The clean and bright flavors are a nice accompaniment to any main dish.  Find the full recipe HERE - courtesy of foodnetwork.com 




THIS. IS. HEAVEN.  This rice is full of goodness and yumminess and awesomeness.  Ok, overused words for sure - but not caring!!  This recipe would be great with shrimp or chicken as the main. Or just a big bowl of heaven...on the sofa...with a Netflix binge.  Find the full recipe HERE - courtesy of thektchn.com

So jump right in and join the cauliflower bandwagon.  A great substitute for you Paleo geeks.

eat. love. live well.

The average Days on Market seemed to temporarily level out, marking 105 days on market for January 2016 compared to 104 days on market for December 2015.  Outside an average days on market value of 97 in November, the market has hovered above 100 dating back to October 2015. It is typical for Days on Market to increase this time of year, but with the continued low housing inventory and high demand, we expect the average to go down as soon as we get into the early spring buying months.




Why should this information matter to you? For any sellers who have equity as a result of the increase in property values, the low inventory and high demand make this a great time to talk to a Dickson agent about how to sell now and for the best price in many years.

Recent turbulence in the stock markets and the unsettled global climate is helping to keep mortgage rates at historic lows. This will help buyers who are looking to move up or enter the housing market for the first time. If you are in the market to purchase, you can be one of the first to know about new listings by visiting DicksonRealty.com. Or, download our free mobile app to your Apple or Android phone. We update listing information every 30 minutes, so you will have the latest information in the palm of your hand.

As a Dickson Realty agent, I have the experience, the tools and the technology to stay on top of the market. That will help you buy or sell at the right price.

I hope this information is useful to you in your decision making process for buying or selling a home. Please contact me for more market statistics or market information.

I have been helping families buy and sell homes in the Reno/Sparks area for over 18 years.  It is vital that you have a solid, well respected, and seasoned Realtor on your team when you are looking to buy or sell a home.  Please call me today and let's have a conversation about the market and how you can take advantage of our increasing values and low interest rates.


Contact me for all of your Real Estate needs at 775-762-7653 or move2reno@gmail.com.

Best,

By January 31st, the median price for the Reno-Sparks region was $277,000, which is a slight decrease compared to the upward trend seen throughout 2015. Despite the decrease, the Reno/Sparks area is still looking at record highs for median price dating back to 2011.  November 2015 was a record $292,000, so the market is still opportune for sellers.