Follow the Bermuda Bible over the winter and for the rest of your life. Google it, download it, and memorize it. Where do you live? When did the builder put the lawn in? How high/low do you mow it and how often? What is your watering schedule (frequency and duration)? What is the preemergent you used, and how much is too much? I can't think of a reason why the preem would cause it to become brown. Do not try to level a bermuda lawn in the spring. Either do it in the dead of winter or in the hottest heat of summer.

What color is your dust? Yellow Dust: You're closer to a dusty road than you think. I was 1/4 mile off of one, but the prevailing winds brought in the dust -- close the windows on that side. Never dust with a dry dust cloth.... rinse out a washrag size cloth with water, wring dry, then dust. Rinse the rag frequently. No sense just pushing the dust around with a dry rag or dustcloth. (Swiffer Duster doesn't work beyond simple surface light dust. Grey dust: Just dirt dust. If you've got a neighbor like mine that has a dog, close the windows nearest the mutt. Black dust: Are you within 25 miles of an airport and like to watch the planes land??? They dump fuel - that's the black dust areas. Had that in two places. Wipe windowsills every three days and see --- If your cloth is black, nothing you can do about it except close your windows, run your A/C or heat, or dust every 2 days. Hope any of this helps.

Saphire- It wasn't the same neighborhood, but it was the same town, within 3 miles distance. Actually, my house was in a better physical location. The house that sold for 725k was the smallest on that other street, which was off an older neighborhood with smaller homes. Mine was one of the larger five homes on my street. Nothing better than mine sold on my street, except for the 2 worst homes on my street, so the comps weren't great for me. The people who purchased the similar to mine, but more expensive home (725k)never looked at my home because they qualified between 700-800k. My house was for sale for 569k. Realtors usually don't bother showing homes for much less if you are qualified for that much. That's what a realtor told me. Ironically, we (in the NE)got caught in a bad market bewteen Sept & Dec 2006. Only the homes under 450k and over 650k to a lesser extent were selling. The in between were not being looked at, or sold. Where I live, we have a few neighborhoods. Most of the newer construction (last 15 years)consists of one or two streets in between older streets. In our town we don't have much land left. Lots are at a premium, that's if you can find one. My point was that "comps" can work for you or against you. It's not good if the first house on your street has to sell quickly & the owners need to bail & give it away. That sets the standard for your neighborhood. I think comps should be done with a fine tooth comb, not just a colonial is a colonial. I can tell you stories from meeting with a few of the realtors, how they would start comparing 2 houses never being inside of them! I don't believe that you should pay 175k more for the same sqft on another street, just because some of the surrounding homes may be valued at 700-800k. I can see the neighborhood carrying a house an extra 25-50k but not almost 200k. I definitely think that the other party got taken. I've been in that other house & it was not worth 725k. The realtors must have worked hard to get price. To the OP- sometimes it works for the seller to list high. After all, realtors will show their house to a party that will be qualified in their price range, however skewed it may be. The savvy buyers won't fall for it. But there is a $.... born every minute & they listen to what the realtors say ;)

Hi, I am still working like a fool. Too many hours right now still trying to straighten things out at the City. I did it for the cemetery several years ago I can do it for the city. I think I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Dang well better be. Heheheheh Last night as I was walking home from work at the cafe at almost 11PM ,alone, I saw a neighbor riding his four wheeler over to the market,his market, to fuel up the wood stove for the night. At the cafe I had just left one of the gals was still there baking rolls for the Christmas banquet they were putting on for the telephone company today and her two aunts had just arrived to visit with her while she cooked. Another neighbor was still out hanging Christmas lights. Of course all the wild kitties were waiting for me on the front porch. LOL I am not really sure what I am getting at here only it was such a comfortable feeling to see so much activity in town and know what was going on and all so relaxed. Guess it is just the beauty of living in a small town. That is all. Just waving hi and I really will be back soon. My house still needs lots of organizing work. I am actually looking forward to it. Oh and it was 19 degrees here this morning. Chris