Happy Halloween!

Salem Ma is the busiest this time of year, go to: HauntedHappenings.org for happenings in spooky Salem.                        

Home For Sale

Love this Historic Chelsea Waterfront home~Exclusively offered $295,000~

Karen Ferro ~781-479-4000~ www.karenferro.com

Soy vs Almond Milk- which is better for you

Great Article on Soy Milk vs Almond Milk which is better for you?

I've been drinking soy milk for many years. It comes in all flavors; Vanilla and Chocolate are my staples. Almond milk is new on the scene and tastes great too but my favorite is Soy. Soy milk has more protein and since I don't have many sources of foods high in protein in my diet I choose to drink a lot of soy. I've heard it's getting a bad rap and thought I'd look into it, here is an article I read that talks all about the benefits and what you should watch out for.  Remember when cow's milk was all the rage, every ad and commercial told you to drink milk - it's good for you. Then all of a sudden, it wasn't so good for you anymore.  Well, I say, think for your self and determine what's right for you. Maybe moderation is the key...What do you think? Soy, Almond, Cow, Goat?

Many Devices, Many Files And Four Ways to Share Them

By WALTER S. MOSSBERG

                   - My Drop Box (I use drop box - karen) -

 Now that many millions of people have multiple computing devices—laptops, tablets, smartphones—it can be a real pain to make sure you have the document or file you need on the device you're using at any one time. And if you're trying to share those documents to collaborate on a project, emailing can quickly become confusing, especially if they are frequently edited or annotated. A number of services are battling it out to act as trusted online repositories for important documents that can be accessed on all your computers and devices, and shared with others. Some even go beyond file storage to include built-in editing and collaboration tools that live on remote servers instead of on devices. In Silicon Valley, this is considered one form of the big trend called cloud computing. This week, I took a look at some of the leading online file storage and sharing services. I didn't try to pick a winner, since they all worked fine for me. And I didn't do an in-depth review of them. Instead, my aim here is just to explain the category and highlight some of the key competitors. I compared their main features and costs. Overall, this type of service is useful for anyone with many computers and devices, either for personal or group use. I chose to look at four of the best-known services aimed primarily at consumers: Dropbox, SugarSync, SkyDrive and Google Drive. : Click For Review:

Salem Free Summer Concerts / Peabody St Park

Love this idea for a cost effective asphalt driveway!

Want to add Style & Pizazz

Crown Moulding Ideas

How To: from Stevie Donald - "How to Install Drywall over a Popcorn Ceiling" -

Tip: Using flat ceiling paint will greatly minimize the appearance of surface imperfections.

Old Popcorn Textured Ceilings make a room look dated. Not only that, if they were applied prior to 1978, they may contain asbestos and be tricky to remove safely. 


INSTRUCTIONS:


1.Use a stud finder to find the ceiling joists and make pencil marks on the wall. This will guide you in lining up the sheetrock and attaching it to the ceiling.


2.Buy 3/8" or 1/2" sheetrock, enough for the job. Sheetrock comes in several thicknesses. The thinner pieces are most suitable for going over existing drywall and won't add too much weight to the ceiling. 


3.You will need help installing the sheetrock on the ceiling. If you can't find anyone to help you, rent a drywall jack at any rental yard or home store. This is a simple hydraulic lift that maneuvers and holds the sheetrock into place while you install it. When hanging the sheets, stagger the seams and avoid having four corners butting together, as this creates a weak joint that will crack later. 


4.Use drywall screws instead of nails....Read the rest of instructions: How to Install Drywall over a Popcorn Textured Ceiling | eHow.com 


Note: I have popcorn ceilings throughout my town home, never liked them but now I am use to them...I don't look up much :). A few years ago I had a leak from my washing machine causing damage to the unit below me. I hired a handy man to fix it and  while repairing the damage he painted over the existing popcorn making their whole bathroom ceiling smooth.

Gas Buddy shows us the best gas prices around...

Gas Prices are climbing. Here's a link to check out whom has the lowest prices.

Tax Credits

Energy-efficient improvements to your home, such as adding insulation, can make you eligible for a $1,500 tax credit. Image: Gary Ombler/Getty Images

Read Whole Article

6 Home Deduction traps to Avoid

If you bought or sold a home in the middle of 2011, figuring out what to put on line 6 of your Schedule A Form is tricky.

Don’t simply enter the number from your property tax bill on line 6 as you would if you owned the house the whole year. If you bought or sold a house in midyear, you should instead use the property tax amount listed on your HUD-1 closing statement, says Phil Marti, a retired IRS official.

Here’s why: Generally, depending on the local tax cycle, either the seller gives the buyer money to pay the taxes when they come due or, if the seller has already paid taxes, the buyer reimburses the seller at closing. Those taxes are deductible that year, but won’t be reflected on your property tax bill.
Read more tips:

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST KISS?

 WHAT MADE IT MEMORABLE?

WHO WAS IT WITH?