Tag Archive for: Jennifer Westmoreland

Greater Athens GA Turkey Cooking Tips

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Are you in charge of cooking the Thanksgiving Turkey this year?

Here are a few reminders for all the chefs out there. (Information and photo via Keller Williams)

Buying the Right Size Bird

It actually depends on how many people you are serving. Smaller turkeys will have less meat and more bone in comparison to their larger counterparts. If you’re cooking a bird that’s less than 12 lbs., you should plan for 2 lbs. per serving. Anything larger, you can plan on 1½ lbs., per person.

Pro Tip: The turkey may be the star of the Thanksgiving meal, but lots of side options can mean your guests may opt for less meat. Take this into account when selecting your bird.

The Great Stuffing vs. Dressing Debate

Different regions of the country are at odds with the correct terminology to use for this delicious dish that essential to every Thanksgiving meal. Outside of the Southern United States, it’s dressing if it’s cooked outside of the turkey, and stuffing if it’s cooked inside.

Regardless of your naming preference, you’ll want to keep one important thing in mind. If you’re cooking your stuffing/dressing inside the turkey, you need to make sure to bring the internal temperature (center of the stuffing) to at least 165°F.

Pro Tip: If you’re committed to cooking the traditional ‘stuffing’ inside the bird, plan on bringing it to full temperature outside of the bird after your meat has reached the right temperature. Waiting until the stuffing reaches the correct temperature can dry out your breast meat, and nobody wants that.

I wish you all the best with your turkey cooking this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

8 Home Care Tips for November

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Help Maintain Your Home in the Greater Athens Area

(Information via Keller Williams)

 

You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year. This month, be sure to:

  1. Service your kitchen disposal by grinding several cups of ice cubes.
  2. Make sure any outdoor furniture is put away or properly covered, including your grill.
  3. Pour 1 gallon of water down unused drains.
  4. Clean debris from gutters and ensure down spouts are free of obstruction.
  5. Check for leaks under sinks and toilets.
  6. Check for cracks in your foundation, brick or stucco.
  7. Review emergency procedures and ensure all the members of your family know what to do in the event of a home fire.
  8. Examine your chimney. Clean flue; repair any cracks in flue or any loose or crumbling mortar.

Thinking about selling your home, or looking to buy a first home, downsize or make room for a growing family? Submit a request for contact, or simply give us a call! We’d be happy to provide you with a custom home sale or purchase plan.

This Month In Real Estate November 2017

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November 2017 Real Estate Market Update

(Information and photos via Keller Williams)

Here’s your national market update for November! Interested in what’s going on here in our greater Athens area, or your specific home? Send us a request for contact, or give us a call today at Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates!

decorative image Monthly VideoAccording to the National Association of REALTORS®, existing home sales inched up slightly this September. While buyer demand remains strong in much of the country, these marginal gains reflect the inventory strain that continues to impact many markets.
Interest Rates decorative image   Monthly VideoAccording to Freddie Mac, 30-year fixed rates rose from 3.83 percent to 3.88 percent. This rate remains well below the historical average of 8.90 percent.
Home Sales decorative image   Home Sales Graph   The National Association of REALTORS® reported home sales at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of approximately 5.4 million homes during the month of September. This was an increase of 0.7 percent from August and a decrease of 1.5 percent from September of last year.
Home Prices decorative image   Home Price Graph   The median home price decreased to $245,100 in September, which was down 3.2 percent from August and up 4.2 percent from September of last year. The median home price has increased by approximately $9,900 in the past year alone.
Inventory decorative image   Inventory Graph   There was a 4.2-month supply of housing inventory in September, which was flat from August. The total number of available homes for sale has decreased by 6.7 percent compared to September of last year.
decorative image   Brought to you by KW Research. For additional graphs and details, please see the This Month in Real Estate PowerPoint Report.The opinions expressed in This Month in Real Estate are intended to supplement opinions on real estate expressed by local and national media, local real estate agents and other expert sources. You should not treat any opinion expressed on This Month in Real Estate as a specific inducement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of opinion. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., does not guarantee and is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information, and provides said information without warranties of any kind. All information presented herein is intended and should be used for educational purposes only. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. All investments involve some degree of risk. Keller Williams Realty, Inc., will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in This Month in Real Estate.

4 Reasons Why Bamboo Is Taking Home Decor by Storm

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Is bamboo a part of your home decor?

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

Homeowners are often looking for home improvement options that strike the right balance between affordability, functionality, aesthetics and eco-friendliness. Bamboo has been marketed as something of a panacea—a kind of wonder wood that checks all the boxes. Designers, contractors and consumers have all taken note, as bamboo has made its way into homes as flooring, walls, window treatments, furniture and more. Here are the properties that are making this popular material a go-to green choice for interior design materials.

Affordability
Bamboo is a readily available wood…except for the fact that bamboo isn’t a wood at all, but a grass! Therein lies the secret to bamboo’s ascendant success as a housing material: It grows like a weed because it essentially is one. At a maximum of three feet per day, it is, in fact, the fastest growing plant on Earth.

Versatility
Just the one word “bamboo” doesn’t do justice to the range of looks the material offers. It can vary greatly in shades and textures, making it a versatile option for decorators and designers.

Durability
Whether natural or manmade, few materials can match bamboo’s physical properties pound for pound. Because bamboo grows in wet, tropical climates, it is well-suited to resisting rain and wind. In fact, this unassuming reed beats out hardwood, brick and concrete alike in terms of compressive strength, while rivaling steel in tensile strength.

Sustainability
As a growing number of homeowners look for eco-friendly materials in their decor, perhaps no single factor has contributed to bamboo’s modern vogue in interior design more than its sustainability. As it is a grass rather than a tree, it can grow to a harvestable size (often over 100 feet) in a matter of months. This is in stark contrast to the years of water, fertilizer and pesticide required by other timber woods.

Halloween 2017 at Team JWA

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Happy Halloween from Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates!

We take your home buying and selling needs seriously, and can have fun too! If you value a local real estate team with years of experience, this is it! Before you look at the answer, see if you can guess the theme of each ofthese photos!

Sit. Stay. Sell. The Power Of Pets In Real Estate

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Every pet deserves a home!

Did you know that, at Jennifer Westmoreland & Associates, we are happy to support our local Athens Area Humane Society with each closing? We were happy to donate a percentage of 2017 closings to the AAHS in support of their mission, and look forward to continuing the tradition! Do you have pets in your household? Below is an excerpt from a Keller Williams blog post. Visit their blog page for more information on helpful ways to help show a home with pets. (Information and photo via KW)

“There was a time when selling a home with a pet was a major issue for sellers and real estate agents. Great efforts went into masking odors, eliminating stains, putting up food/water bowls, closing doggy doors, removing litter pans, putting toys away and even finding a place for the pet to be during showings. Needless to say, it required a lot of extra work on top of the other tasks needed to get the home ready for showing.

In today’s market, most of this has changed, and pet-friendly homes are now considered by many to be a benefit.

Best_Friends_-_Dogs_and_People.png

With 65 percent of households currently owning a pet, having a pet is no longer a “downside” when it comes to buyers and sellers. However, even though 79 million households have at least one pet, home owners still need to present a clean, pet-stain and odor-free home when listing it for sale.

More than just having pets, an estimated 83 percent of people actually consider the pet a member of the family. This is causing home owners and agents to see pet-friendly homes in a different light.

Agents understand that people are passionate about their pets. But more than understanding that passion is delivering service that meets the client’s specific needs…” (Continued at KW blog post).

3 Small Steps To Prepare Your Home For Rain

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(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

Complete these home maintenance steps before spring rains begin:

  1. Inspect the foundation for low areas and fill with compacted soil to help prevent foundation damage.
  2. Check the wood trim around windows, doors and railings and make repairs before wood rot occurs.
  3. Inspect the deck for discolorations and reseal before warping occurs.

Small tips can add value to your home. A few maintenance steps can help prevent long-term damage.

Thinking about buying or selling a home? Let us be your resource for local real estate information. Give us a call today, or submit a request for contact!

October 2017 Home Care in the Greater Athens Area

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You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year.

Home Care Tips October

(Information and photo via Keller Williams)

You can keep your home in top shape with simple tasks throughout the year. This month, be sure to:

  1. Replace or clean your furnace filter.
  2. Clean filters for kitchen exhaust fans.
  3. Drain outside faucets and winterize your sprinkler system.
  4. Check your driveway for cracks. Fill cracks and reseal as needed.
  5. Cover your air conditioner and/or remove any window units.
  6. Reverse your ceiling fans to help blow warm air down from the ceiling throughout the room.
  7. Drain approximately 2 gallons from water heater to eliminate sediment.
  8. Pass a lit candle around doors and windows to check for drafts. Weather strip as necessary.
Call today or submit a request for contact to find out what’s happening in our greater Athens area and how we can help!

Copyright 2017 Keller Williams® Realty, Inc. If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. Each office is independently owned and operated.

5 Community Events on Friday the 13th and October

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5 Special Events for Friday the 13th and October in the Greater Athens area

(Image via Keller Williams)

It’s Friday the 13th, plus Halloween is coming up soon! Do you have any plans for today, or the rest of the month? Or are you looking for something to do? Our community is always fun of special events and things to do! There are lots of local seasonal events coming up in the greater Athens area. Here are 5 ideas. Visit our JWA page to share your favorite Fall events as well!

  1. Washington Farms in Watkinsville – Have you navigated the corn maze? Visit their page to learn all there is to do at Washington Farms this Fall.
  2. Zombie Farms of Athens – This “farm” is a haunted trail, opening tonight. Are you a fan of haunted houses?
  3. Oconee County Fall Festival in Watkinsville – with an expected 20,000 people attending, there will be lots to see and do. The Oconee Fall Festival is Saturday, October 21st.
  4. Watkinsville Trick or Treat – Bring the kids to downtown Watkinsville on October 31st for trick or treating and family fun!
  5. Boo-le-Bark Boulevard in Athens – A Halloween dog costume parade? Yes! Parade takes place Sunday, October 15th.

 

Sample Over 20 Athens Area Restarants at OCAF Stein and Stem

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What is your favorite Athens area restaurant?

The Oconee County Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF)is hosting their annual Stein and Stem fundraiser event this Sunday, October 15th at OCAF on School Street in Watkinsville! This year the event will showcase local culinary talent, wineries, breweries, bottle shops, live music by the Original Screw Tops, an exciting silent auction and artist demonstrations. If you’re looking to sample food from a local area restaurant, this is the place to be on Sunday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food will be available from:

A Taste of India

Bone Island Grillhouse

Chops ‘n Hops

Copperwood Pizza

Craft Public House

DePalma’s Italian Café

Dicky’s BBQ

Edible Arrangements

Five Bar

Fox’s Pizza Den

Freddy’s

Fully Loaded Pizza

Mirko Pasta

Olive Basket

Opa Robby’s Market

Sweetie Pie by Savie

Takorea

 The Pine

The Traveling Hobo Cafe

Trumps Catering

Winghouse Grill

Zombie Donuts

Proceeds benefit the local art scene. Learn more about this event and OCAF at their website. The Greater Athens area is full of special events and entertainment. What are some of your favorites? An area with growing entertainment and restaurant options can often signal a hot real estate market. Submit a request for contact, or give us a call today to learn more!