Second Homeowner’s Preventative Maintenance ...

If you are fortunate enough to own a second home, here are some tips for upkeep and improving your investment: It’s one thing to examine your property with an eye toward pleasing your guests, but smart second homeowners realize the value of regular preventive maintenance as well. Even if your guests don’t notice, say, a leaky roof, it’s likely to cause bigger, more expensive problems down the road. After you’ve done...

Destination: Boston...

Boston is a great place to visit, with much to do and see. This U.S. city has a lot to offer its visitors. Some call it “Beantown”—the locals say “Baaastin”—but either way, Boston, Massachusetts, is one of my favorite places. Surprisingly walkable, its unique neighborhoods are filled with colonial-era history, beautiful parks, diverse culture, culinary excellence, world-class museums, and shopping. Here are some...

Ingredients for an Updated Modern Kitchen...

The kitchen remains one of the most popular rooms in the house. If it’s well laid out and equipped, it becomes a magnet for family members. “It’s the place where they begin and end their days and also interact with friends,” says designer Cheryl Kees Clendenon, founder of In Detail, Kitchens, Baths, Interiors, a design firm in Pensacola, Fla. But it can do more. “A home that’s in move-in condition (or better)...

Quintessentially French, but with a Twist...

   Known as “The Belvédère of the Dordogne,” the château and gardens of Marqueyssac are perched on top of a chalk bluff about 500 feet above the valley, giving visitors a spectacular panoramic view of the Dordogne River and the Périgord Noir area of France.    The château is a late 18th-century luxury residence, built on the eve of the French Revolution, but it is the garden that draws...

Great Tips for Buying New Construction...

More than half of new construction home buyers check out new homes without a realtor present. Make sure you have proper representation in making your new home purchase to get the best deal. Tips for Buying New Construction Buying a brand new a shiny, un-lived in home has a certain amount of appeal. There is no previous homeowner who has affected the home or who has emotional ties to the home that will factor into the...

A Sampling of Regional Barbecue Dishes for a Late ...

  Enjoy a delicious late summer barbecue! The following article and link provide recipes for Memphis-Style Dry Barbecue Baby Back Ribs, Memphis Dry Rub, Carolina Table Sauce, Kansas City-Style Barbecue Spareribs, Kansas City Barbecue Sauce, Mamaw Wallace’s Can-Cut Coleslaw, Southern-Style Collard Greens with Bacon, and Pecan Brownies.   Since the 1970s, barbecue has emerged as the national cuisine of...