Read this forum every day or two for a a couple more years and you'll be amazed at what you didn't know. One thing to be on the lookout for is info to guide you in deciding what trees to add to the yard

I collect baskets, particularly very tiny baskets: doll-house size. A few years ago I decided to rinse them quickly to remove dust. Some had carefully fitted tops and tiny latches which I had never tried to open...but I wanted them to dry quickly, so I removed the tops. One small red basket had a tiny roll of paper with handlettered writing ...maybe Spanish...just a few words, and what appeared to be an address. Sadly, the dye used to color the basket had ruined the paper so that the complete text was indecipherable. Like you, I wondered...in my case I thought of perhaps a young girl wanting to say "I made this"...and dreaming about where it might someday wind up. I'd have loved writing to say I'd treasured the tiny handwoven basket for over 20 years before finding her note, and that I'd bought it from an elderly lady who had been a missionary .....might she have bought it years before direct from the basketweaver? josh

Tamora http://www.chambleeroses.com/order/David-Austin%AE-Roses/Tamora-%28Austamora%29/175 Carding Mill http://www.chambleeroses.com/order/David-Austin%AE-Roses/Carding-Mill/481

We've sold three houses and bought four. Overall, buying and selling can be extremely stressful. Prepare for the unexpected. Buying the fourth house (the one we currently live in) was a pleasure because we had a fantastic realtor (Louisville). We finally closed on the Tucson house (10/30) after 2 failed contracts, and the whole process was really frustrating as our first set of realtors didn't do the job. I learned that if you are unhappy with your representation (as either a buyer or a seller), move on! Make sure in your listing agreement that you have an "out" clause that allows you to get out of the listing if you are unhappy with your realtor. Do your homework! And sometimes even this doesn't always mean success. We thought our first set of realtors would be terrific. They were recommended by neighbors who had used them to sell their homes, they had lots of awards, they had been in the business for more than 20 years and when we first contacted them about listing our house they were very responsive. The minute we signed the 6 month listing agreemnt, they seemed to disappear. It was like pulling teeth to get them to answer our e-mails and phone calls. And in Tucson, the market has never been as bad as it has been over the last year or so. In an up market, realty companies hand out awards like candy so the list of awards doesn't really mean anything. So interview several realtors, get recommendations from people who have used them, make sure to have an "out" clause in your listing agreement with them, ask them their average DOM for their listings, ask how many open houses they plan on having, ask them about their marketing strategy and make sure you get several comps (sold houses not currently listed houses). Roselvr has a good thread on here somewhere about questions to ask your potential realtor. The biggest lesson is patience. And I agree with johnmari on counting your chickens. Even if you have a contract, don't assume anything until it closes and the money is in the bank. If you can, don't buy before you sell. And check these boards. Aside from the rare Grinch, there are some really fantastic people here who can help you! I wish I had found this board before we listed. These folks could've saved me a lot of frustration. As it is, they helped me stay sane for the latter part of our selling odyssey.