Articles About Home Ownership,
Decor, Maintenance, Buying and Selling
by Bill Primavera
The Home Guru
(As published in The Examiner, Northern Westchester Examiner,
The White Plains Examiner and The Putnam Examiner)
Appliances and Equipment
The Toilet, Perhaps Indelicate, but Definitely Cool
Buying and Selling Homes
Would a Financial Consultant Say, "Whaddaya, Nuts?"
Home Warranties Are More Important in Tough Times
Home Appraisals in More Stressful Times
Top Reasons Sellers Sell, Sometimes with Remorse
It Takes a Village to Sell or Buy a Home
A Realtor Lists His Own Home at the Bottom
The Closing Is Much Like a Stage Play
The Dizzying Dance of Pricing a Home
Is Your Property Properly Insured?
An Insider’s View on How To Pick a Realtor
Best Home Improvements for Re-sale Value
When “Has Anyone Died in this House?” Is the Question
Man’s Best Friend Can Be a Drawback When Selling a Home
NY Times Asks, Agent or No Agent?
Vacant Land for New Construction: How Much Is Left?
Rx Architectural Service for Starters and Fixer-Uppers
Accepting the Short Sale as a Fact of Life Today
Communities
Top 10 Reasons To Not "Love thy Neighbor"
How Local Government Impacts the Enjoyment of Our Homes
Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You, but Listen Here!
How Litter Affects Our Neighbors: Is the Problem Improving?
Celebrating the Natural and Cultural Resources of Westchester and Putnam
Our Towns Have “Personalities” Too!
Design and Decor
Decorate To Please Yourself, Not a Future Buyer
Decorating Trends Today, from the Ground Up
A Special Place at Home To Meditate
New Life for Splits that Sizzled then Fizzled
Decorating for Romance in the Bedroom
Want to Escape the Recession Blues? Think Pink!
Venetian Blinds, Practical, Now Beautiful
How Not To Get Snookered in Home Improvement
The Raised Ranch: Love It, Leave It or Change It
Are More Bedrooms Needed for Couples Sleeping Apart?
The Bathroom Designed as a Private Retreat
The Use of Light Defines Your Environment...and You
Is Our Color Palate Changing Because of the Recession?
Color Choices Depend on Whether You’re Moving or Staying
You Can Decorate with Collections, But When Selling, No
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Expand My Space
Staging Makes a World of Difference in Selling Your Home
The Front Door As Key to a Home’s Personality
The Bed: An Element of Staging for Our Homes and Our Lives
The Ceiling Can Be Your Fifth Wall for Decorating
Planning a Home Office Is Important Now, But Do It Right
Conquering Home Jobs as a Weekend Warrior
Homekeeping
What To Do with All the Stuff We Save
Resolution: More Home Maintenance!
All Wet and Wondering Whether To Buy Flood Insurance
French Drains and Other Remedies for a Wet Basement
Tips on Cleaning Windows, the Eyes of the Home
Spring Maintenance Tips and, Sometimes, the Unexpected
Consider the House as a Whole for Insulation
If My House is Dusty, Am I a Bad Person?
Should Every Home Have Its Own Standby Generator?
How To Guard Against Burst Water Pipes in Winter
Planning for Kids' Safety, Fun and Education
Stripping Wallpaper, Painting Walls and Letting Go
Security at Home Is More about Peace of Mind
Insulated Windows: The "Wow" Factor
Options for Cleaning Your Home
Closets Come Out of the Closet with Organization
About Those Handymen Who Make Things Better and Beautiful
How To Take Care of Beautiful Hardwood Floors
Mold: A Dark, Dank, but Important Issue
Want to Organize Your Home? Make Lists!
Think About Electrical Safety in the Home
A (Good) Roof Over Your Head Requires Maintenance
You Can Upgrade with a 203k Loan
Noise at Home: What You Can and Can't Do About It
Outside and In the Garden
Winter Gardening with a Pile of Wood Chips
Confessions of a Weeding Addict
Is You Beautiful Lawn Dangerous to Your Health?
Gardening, from Hobby to Obsession
Goodbye To an Old (Green) Friend
Water View, Please, Even if It's from Sing Sing
Spring Garden Chores Checklist
Garden Clubs and Beautification of Our Communities
A Lazy Gardener’s Best Friends
Fall Chores in the Garden, Yawning, Ready for Sleep
The Artistic Joy of Using Natural Stone in the Landscape
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, But Not Always
Tree Conservation and Those Who Would Oppose It on Their Own Property
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, But Be Prepared
Trends and Observations
She's Freezing. He's Boiling. What To Do?
Fire Safety in the Home for Kids (and Us)
Living in a Home without Power
Housing Issues for the Elderly
Just Turn the Spigot and Poof, the Magic of Water
Why the Front Porch Disappeared
The Mudroom: Unglamorous Name, Spectacular Function
How Equality in Marriage Impacts Real Estate
When Parents Are the Kiss of Death in the Purchase of a Home
Put the Blame on Mame (the Realtor), Boys
Dangers of Hoarding in the Home
Is Stick-Built Really the Best?
Remodeling on the Rise, But Which Project Is Best?
If You Were a House, Are You a Ranch or Colonial?
Cocooning and the Home Design It Inspires
St. Joseph Reigns Again in a Depressed Market
Our Times Forecast New Design for Upscale Homes
So You Think You Want To Be a Real Estate Agent?
How Women and Men Differ in Buying a Home
How to Enjoy a Perfect Home in an Imperfect House
Snapshots in Time – Market News & Conditions
Never Before or Again Such a Perfect Storm for Buying, Published July 4, 2011
Behind the Headlines of Real Estate Reporting. Published April 24, 2011
Real Estate Getting Better or Worse? Published March 2, 2011
Forecasting the Start of the Turnaround in 2011. Yeah! January 18, 2011
Gaze into My Crystal Ball for Real Estate in 2011, December 21, 2010
Q: How's the Housing Market? A: Well, That Depends
After the Tax Credit, June 29, 2010
Getting a Mortgage Today Is a Whole New Landscape, February, 2010
Hard Facts for 2009; Crystal Ball for 2010, January 19, 2010
Real Estate News Update, November, 2009
Third Quarterly Report, October, 2009
Analysis of the Second Quarterly Report, July 2009
Listed vs. Sale Prices Report, July 2009
Energy Efficient Tax Credits, June, 2009
How Long Will A Turnaround Take? May, 2009
The $8,000 Tax Credit, April 17, 2009
First Quarter Report, April 12, 2009
Is It A Good Time to Buy or Sell? March, 2009
To read more from The Examiner, go to: www.TheExaminerNews.com