Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

This will allow the state government to go ahead with necessary spending to tackle the spread of coronavirus for a three-month period up to June 30.

With the Andhra Pradesh government unable to convene the states Budget session in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cabinet on Friday approved an ordinance for a vote on account.

This will allow the state government to go ahead with necessary spending to tackle the spread of coronavirus for a three-month period up to June 30.

Speaking to reporters aftera cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Information & Public Relations (I&PR) Minister Perni Nani said that the cabinet had approved an ordinance to draw money for the expenses of the state for the next three months.

Once the ordinance gets the Governors nod, further details would be revealed, the Minister said.

As it is not possible to convene the budget session in the wake of the pandemic, the government is opting for an ordinance. The Chief Minister held extensive discussions on the medical facilities available and spoke about strengthening the healthcare system, Nani said.

A taskforce with five ministers, 10 senior bureaucrats and four officials from the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) will be constituted to coordinate with district-level teams of ministers and officers, he added.

The state has reported 12 positive cases of COVID-19 so far and around 28,000 foreign returnees are being tracked and under quarantine.

Four hospitals, one each at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Nellore, have now been converted into dedicated super-specialty COVID-19hospitals while 100-bedded and 200-bedded isolation centres are in place at the constituency and district levels respectively, the state government said.

Stating that there were enough supplies of PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment) and masks available for healthcare providers, the state government said that a helpline 104 is available 24x7 to attend to any medical emergencies.

People should take the social curfew seriously and help the government in fighting the invisible enemy. It is very sad to see that students and others from our state are stranded at other places but the helplessness of the situation prompts us to say that they have to stay where they are or cross the border and be quarantined for 14 days, Nani said.

He also assured that essential commodities will be available across the state.

Read:

Quarantine at govt centre must for all inter-state entrants: Andhra DGP

Jagan requests all Andhra residents and natives to refrain from travel

See the original post:
Unable to convene Assembly due to COVID-19, Andhra cabinet passes Budget ordinance - The News Minute

Cycling UK, a membership and lobbying organisation, applauded the decision but urged cyclists not to abuse the move.

Cycling UK urges people to distinguish between essential and non-essential shopping trips. This is not the moment to go out and browse for a nice new bike, said Roger Geffen, policy director.

However its another matter if youre getting that neglected bike out of the shed so you can make essential journeys without relying on public transport or a lift in someone elses car and you therefore need to get a replacement tyre or inner tube, or to get the bike repaired by a professional mechanic.

It is for this reason we think the government is to be applauded for keeping bike shops open.

Cycling is a great way not only to make that one bout of exercise each day, but also to make those essential journeys. Just remember when visiting the bicycle shop to follow public health social distancing and hygiene advice.

Mike Ashleys retail company Frasers, owners of Sports Direct and Evans sought clarification from the government over the move, taking to Twitter to ask if they should open their stores this morning.

To which Cabinet Secretary Micheal Gove responded, speaking on Good Morning Britain to Piers Morgan:

See the original post:
Government thinking questioned over allowing bike shops to remain open - Business MattersBusiness Matters

Somewhere on the other side of the national emergency over COVID-19, new buyers will move into a rambling 1960s custom multilevel in Jeffco that has features plenty of families wish they had now, including an acre of pretty ground with red rocks and views of the foothills.

Colorado is at a strange transition point this weekend, heading into a stay-at-home mandate at a moment when Realtors in areas like south Jefferson County are still reporting deals that involved multiple offers.

Three agents with Red Rocks Team at Your Castle Real Estate, keeping 10 feet between them, showed me 6500 Crestbrook Drive in Willowbrook, a neighborhood of large sites wrapping foothill red rock outcrops at the west end of Belleview Avenue, just as the statewide shutdown was being issued.

In the past week, says agent Jackie Yost, her team saw one nervous buyer pull a $520,000 listing from the market, while another home at $1.2 million went to contract after full-price competing offers. The winning bidder was locked up at their own place out in California, making a remote bid on what had been Willowbrooks only home on the market.

Now this one becomes the sole listing there.

At $999,900, 6500 Crestbrook Drive is a five-bedroom/four-bath plan originally built in 1968, offered by a 20-year owner who works as a contractor and did a asteful remodeling of the kitchen and master suite.

Thats a super price for Willowbrook, says Yost, who with Todd Houghton and Kathleen Hanvey have a virtual tour up via their website and can arrange for you to get a look on-site after the stay-at-home order is lifted.

Yost points out that a real showing is the only possible way to get an idea of the views this home has.

Willowbrook, where all three agents live, is a mile west of C-470 at Belleview, with views and elbow room that belie its good freeway commuter access and nearby shopping.

Youll see a multilevel layout that has over 4,000 feet of finished space including an eye-catching kitchen update with Corian counters and a hardwood island, an attractive master on the upper level with his-and-her vanities and a walk-in closet, a large family room with one of the homes two fireplaces, and a finished lower level that has guest bedrooms and a rec room with a wet bar and a pool table thats included.

Yost notes that Red Rocks Team is the top-selling company here, where Willowbrook residents pay homeowner dues of just $350 a year that gives access to private trails and event sites

When were all back on the road again, take Belleview west under C-470, then west a mile to Colorow Drive.

The news and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had no role in this posts preparation.

Like Loading...

Related

Source Feed

See the original post here:
With red rocks, views and a full acre of ground, five-bedroom in Jeffco has room to shelter in place - Getaka.co.in

Lala Kent and Randall Emmett know a thing or two about renovating a home. How so? There processhas been going on for a very long time! During a recent episode, Lala expressed herfrustration with the remodeling process, saying, Rand and I started our home renovation over a year and a half ago, we basically gutted the entire house. I will never do another renovation again,you could not pay me to do a renovation.

Amid the homes many new upgrades which includes a new, all-white kitchen, the cutest playroom ever for Randalls daughters, and a master bathroom that is seriously glam is a master suite redo.Working withFlipping Out'sMegan Weaveron the design of the renovation, the room was completely demolished and now features a beautiful gray color palette, a super plush wall-to-wall carpet, and some huge windows overlooking the couple's scenic backyard and pool.

Now, however, the rooms focal point is going to be a gorgeous built-in gas fireplace. In a video posted to his Instagram Stories, Randall said, Alright, we got the fireplace going in, there we go, its happening not yet, but close! Flanking a humongous, floor-to-ceiling window and two cozy chairs, the rooms new hearth will also feature a TV hanging above. More to see: The rooms private balcony. Now thats luxury!

Bravos Style & Living is your window to the fabulous lifestyles of Bravolebrities. Be the first to know about all the best fashion and beauty looks, the breathtaking homes Bravo stars live in, everything theyre eating and drinking, and so much more. Sign up to become a Bravo Insider and get exclusive extras.

Read more:
Lala Kent and Randall Emmetts Master Suite Is About to Be Lit - Bravo

30 years after cancer treatment, one survivor returns to the Ronald McDonald House that made a major difference in their cancer journey.

Ryan Hamner is a four-time survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma, a musician and a writer. In 2011, he wrote and recorded, "Where Hope Lives" for the American Cancer Society and the song for survivors, "Survivors Survive" used in 2015 for #WorldCancerDay. Recently, he published his book, This is Remission: A Four-Time Cancer Survivor's Memories of Treatment, Struggle, and Life, available on Amazon.

"I need a smile," the photographer Carolyn said. I was freezing.

"I can't feel my face when I'm with you," I said jokingly, referencing the popular song by The Weeknd.

It was in the forties and overcast. That's not too bad for many, but with the windchill and a little mist, it felt pretty icy to me. Oh yeah, and I've been living in Florida since 2012, so my body isn't exactly used to anything remotely cold.

There I was, after just over 30 years, standing in the driveway of the Houston Mill Ronald McDonald House in Atlanta, Georgia. It was surreal. I was back, but this time under much better circumstances.

That long winding driveway was at one time my cue that "we were there." Most of the time, on the ride to the House, I would just lay all of the way back in the car seat. In and out of sleep, I'd stare up towards the ceiling of the car with a limited view of what I could see outside of the car window. But, when we got to the winding driveway with all of the tall trees I knew we were there. This time though, many of those trees were gone.

Aleea, who worked with the Ronald McDonald House, was also there helping out with the pictures being taken of me for Ronald McDonald House's 40th anniversary. They were trying to snap a few shots of my Bamba Box and me.

"Do you have any jokes?" I would ask her. And she'd reply with a smile, which usually helped me smile for the camera.

In the 80s, after leaving a chemo session at the Emory Pediatric Clinic, I can remember being pushed out to the car in a wheelchair by my mom, although other family members definitely helped out, I was then slowly eased into the passenger's seat little by little. Seriously, one wrong move and things could get worse before we were ready.

When I think back on it now, I always remember being pushed out of that clinic into a sunny day. For whatever reason, that's my memory of leaving. But, many other memories of those days don't really align with a "sunny day." Things were tough.

I spent many nights at the Houston Mill Ronald McDonald House between the ages of 6 and 12 if I remember correctly. But remembering specifics isn't easy at times.

As Aleea and I walked around to the back of the house - a house now missing some of its paint and in need of some work - it all felt like something out of a movie. To many, it would mean nothing, just an old house. But now, how going back made me feel was hard to describe. There is not a single word that can capture what hit me as I approached that door on the back of the house that we used to go through after chemo treatments.

This was the door that we went through so many times to get into the house and back to my room. It wasn't just a door on a house, though. Going through that door was a marker for me back then a signal.

In the past, going through that door meant that I was just minutes away from becoming violently ill. It was like clockwork back then. Finish chemo, ride to the Ronald McDonald House and just get through it. Oh, and the ice chips, those were always in the mixtoo.

As I peered into the windows of that back door of the Houston Mill Ronald McDonald House, I could see the playroom that I remembered going by so many times. It had changed so much. It was now just an empty room where it appeared that some remodeling had begun but abruptly stopped.

Going back to the house had more of an impact on me than I initially thought it would. It was bittersweet. This was the place that provided me and my family a home in one of the hardest times of my life, and my family's too. We met others there going through similar trials. My hope is that the "sweet" memories of the hard times for all of us outweigh the "bitter" ones and it's more like a "sunny day" now.

Excerpt from:
The Ronald McDonald House: Going Back After 30 Years - Curetoday.com

Q: Will all business offices and stores be required to close?

No.Those deemed Essential Businesses (see below) may keep their facilities open (and are encouraged to keep them open) to continue providing essential services and products to the public. Employees may leave home to go to these jobs.

Non-essential businesses may keep facilities open only to maintain minimum basic operations, such as maintaining the value of an inventory, keeping the site secure, or ensuring that employees are able to work remotely. The Order does not prohibit any employees from working from home.

Q: What are Essential Businesses?

The Order provides the following list of Essential Businesses:

Q: Does this Order require that schools shut down?

This Order requires that all schools stop holding classes at physical locations within the City. However, schools may provide distance learning to their students. Employees of schools may go to work for the purpose of providing distance learning to their students. Schools can also continue to offer students free lunches for takeaway or delivery, which many schools are doing.

Q: I am in the business of manufacturing food that I supply to grocery stores and other food retailers. Am I required to shut down?

No. All suppliers of essential businesses are allowed (and encouraged) to continue operating. This includes businesses that supply food goods and prepared meals to grocery stores and other food retailers.

Q: Does the Order require that businesses stop work that is necessary to our health care system?

No. The Order exempts any business that is performing work related to the delivery of health care.

Q: Can my company continue construction on a health care facility?

Yes, the Order exempts any business that is performing work related to the delivery of health care.

Q: Can my company tend to its labs under this Order?

You and your employees are allowed to perform Minimum Basic Operations on site at your work place, so long as employees maintain a distance of six feet from one another to the greatest extent feasible. If tending to the companys labs is necessary to maintaining the value of inventory, the Order allows for this work to continue. Other than that, your lab may only operate if it performs work exempted in the Order.

Q: My business principally manufactures, supplies, or repairs cell phones. Can it operate?

Yes. If your business is primarily engaged in supply or repair of cell phones or other telecommunications devices, then it is essential and may continue to operate under the Order.

Q: Can landscaping services continue?

Landscaping services may continue only if they are necessary to protect the safety, sanitation, or operation of essential businesses, such as weed abatement and other fire prevention, tree trimming to prevent a dangerous condition, or clearance of irrigation infrastructure. Landscaping for cosmetic purposes may not continue.

Q: Are non-profit organizations allowed to continue operating?

If they provide essential services as described in the Order, then yes they can and should continue providing those services. This would include non-profits operating food pantries, providing housing for homeless residents, and providing other critical services.

Q: What if some of the work my business does at its facility is essential and some is non-essential?

Your business can continue to operate its facility to carry out its essential business functions. You must maximize remote work and comply with social distancing requirements at the facility. The facility cannot continue to carry out non-essential business functions.

Q: I operate a big box store that sells some clothing in addition to groceries, electronics, and hardware. Do I need to shut down the part of my store that sells non-essential supplies?

No. You may keep your entire store open if it primarily sells essential goods and supplies like food and telecommunication supplies.

Q: What if I have a cafeteria at my worksite. Can it continue to operate to serve workers who are carrying out work exempted in the Order?

The Cafeteria can operate like other food facilities. It can serve food to the remaining employees, so long as the employees take the food away and do not eat it in the cafeteria. The cafeteria should follow the social distancing requirements in the Order.

Q: Is the local government shutting down?

No, essential government functions will continue, including first responders, emergency management personnel, emergency dispatchers, and law enforcement. Other government functions or offices may be subject to reduced schedules or may be closed as part of the effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Q: I work for the governmentCan I continue to go to work?

Government employees can continue to go to work if they are designated as essential employees by their employer. Each government entity is responsible for determining which of its workers are essential workers.

Q: What do I do if my employer requires me to go to work?

Many businesses are not allowed to operate under this Order. Essential Businesses, as defined in the Order, are allowed (and encouraged) to continue operating. If your work is not an Essential Business, you are not allowed to go to work and your employer is not allowed to require you to attend except to sustain Minimum Basic Operations, as that term is defined in the Order. You may work from home if your work allows.

Q: I work in a hospital or medical clinic, but Im not sure Im essential. Should I continue to work? What if Im over 60?

ALL employees of hospitals, clinics, and other organizations that provide healthcare, provide services to healthcare organizations, provide needed supplies to healthcare organizations, or otherwise maintain healthcare operations of all kinds may continue working.

Both the Citys Order and the Governors recent guidance allows essential workers over 60 to continue working, even though others in that age group are being directed to stay home.

Q: What do I do about my kids? I have to work.

If you work for an Essential Business, as described in the Order, you can and should continue to work. Certain employers and community organizations will be providing childcare for employees of essential businesses. You may also employ a nanny or babysitter to provide home-based care for your kids.

Q: Can bike repair shops continue to operate?

Yes, bike repair shops are treated as an essential business (the same as auto repair shops) because they are necessary to facilitate essential travel.

Q: Can my company continue to provide janitorial services?

Yes, janitorial services are allowed as necessary to health and sanitation.

Q: Can grocery stores, farmers markets, and other food retailers remain open?

Yes. Grocery stores, certified farmers markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food banks, convenience stores, and similar food retail establishments are encouraged to remain open to provide food and pet supplies to the public. When visiting these establishments, please help retailers maintain at least six feet minimum distance between patrons, including by providing ample space while shopping and waiting in line.

Q: If my childs school is providing food or meals, can I leave home to go to the school to pick up the food or meals?

Yes.

Q: I operate a food facility what practices should I follow to keep my patrons safe?

Consult the Howell County Health Departmentfor additional up to date information.

Q: Can warehouses and distribution centers that supply businesses that ship and deliver stay open?

Yes.

Q: I work for an essential infrastructure organizationcan I leave home to go to work?

Yes. You can go to work to maintain and operate essential infrastructure, including public works construction, construction of housing (in particular affordable housing or housing for individuals experiencing homelessness), airport operations, water, sewer, gas, electrical, oil refining, roads and highways, public transportation, solid waste collection and removal, internet, and telecommunications systems (including the provision of essential global, national, and local infrastructure for computing services, business infrastructure, communications, and web-based services).

Q: I run a construction company that builds affordable and market rate housing. Can we continue to build new units?

Yes. Creation of new housing units, including both market rate and affordable housing units, is essential. The Order allows construction projects to proceed and new ones to begin if they contribute new residential housing stock to meet the Citys critical need for additional housing supply.

Q I am midway through a remodel. Can my construction project continue?

Yes. Residential renovation projects of any kind that are currently underway may continue if necessary to a safe, sanitary, and functional home. Likewise, residential remodeling projects that are partly completed may continue if delaying completion would pose a safety, security, or sanitation risk to residents or impact the habitability of the residence.

Q: I have a construction project that will sustain damage if I do not continue work on it. Can I complete the project if it is not related to provision of healthcare, housing, or other essential infrastructure?

The Order allows for minimum basic operations at non-essential construction sites. You may send employees to the construction site to secure the site and to ensure that it does not sustain damage. You mayonlycontinue construction on the project to the extent it is necessary to prevent damage to the project, e.g. completing a roof or ensuring that there is proper drainage after grading has been completed.

Q: I have a contractor scheduled to begin a remodel next week. Can I go ahead with this project?

You must defer your remodel or renovation project unless it is necessary to restore your home to a safe, sanitary, and habitable space.

Q: Is general commercial construction allowed?

Unless your construction project is a health care facility, it is only allowed if it is necessary to the operation or maintenance of essential infrastructure, as that term is defined in the Order.

Q: What if I want to go to work at a physical location in the City and Im not sick?

Unless your work is exempted in the Order, you cannot go to work at a physical location in the City. You may work from home for any business if your employer allows it.

Q: Can I operate a business that sells things that can be delivered to peoples homes? Can I shift more of my business to a delivery model?

Deliveries can continue to be sent to peoples homes, and you may adjust your business model accordingly while this Order is in place.

Q: My business provides critical services and products for the federal government that we are required to provide on a time-certain basiscan we continue to manufacture these products or perform these services?

Employees and contractors of any governmental entity may continue to provide the services and products if the governmental entity determines that they are necessary to carry out an essential governmental function.

Q: Are daycare facilities allowed to operate?

Daycare facilities may operate, but only if they comply with the mandatory conditions set forth below and only to provide daycare to the children of employees who are exempted under the Order. This includes employees of essential businesses, employees who are providing for minimum basic operations of non-essential businesses, and governmental employees providing essential governmental functions.

Q: Can home-service workers continue to provide their services?

Home service workers may provide services to residences if essential to health, safety, sanitation, or the necessary operation of the residence. Generally, this will mean that plumbing, maintenance (to, for example, fix an interior or exterior water leak), pest control, or similar services necessary to maintain a safe and sanitary household are permissible. Purely cosmetic and other non-essential home services should be deferred to minimize risk of transmission. Home based childcare is also allowed under the Order.

Q: If I operate a non-essential business with a retail storefront, am I allowed to re-configure my business to deliver products to peoples homes?

Yes.

Q: I operate a store that primarily sells non-essential goods, but that also sells a small fraction of essential goods like food, or products that allow people to work from home. Can I continue to sell products to customers at my storefront?

No. Your store may deliver items directly to customers residences. Other than that, you may only maintain minimum basic operations, such as security and safeguarding of your inventory.

Q: I am a nanny. Will I get in trouble if I go to work?

The Order allows nannies and babysitters caring for a child in the childs own home to continue working.

Q: Can notaries public continue to operate?

Yes.

Q: Can title insurance companies continue to operate?

Yes.

Q: Can auto dealerships sell cars online and deliver them to peoples homes?

Yes. The Order allows businesses to deliver products to peoples residences.

Q: My retail shop is not exempt can we deliver existing stock to peoples homes?

Yes. The Order allows businesses to deliver products to peoples residences.

See the article here:
City of West Plains publishes FAQ for businesses, employment and government operations - Ozark Radio News

Malibu | $749,000A manufactured house built in 1962, with one bedroom and one bathroom, on a 0.03-acre lot

Centered around an especially lovely stretch of beach in Malibu, Paradise Cove is a gated neighborhood made up of around 250 manufactured homes. Since the 1960s, it has been a popular home base for beach lovers of all stripes competitive surfers and Academy Award-winners included. The community is tight-knit, and residents regularly hold group cookouts, holiday events and golf-cart parades (the primary mode of transportation in the neighborhood).

Paradise Cove has expanded twice since its inception, and this home is in the original section, about 300 yards from the semiprivate beach that serves as a backyard to those who live here.

The main entrance to Paradise Cove is off the Pacific Coast Highway, the states most prominent scenic byway. The Malibu Country Mart, an outdoor shopping and dining complex, is about 15 minutes away by car, and the restaurants and nightlife of busier Santa Monica are about half an hour to the south.

Size: 620 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,208

Indoors: Built by Flamingo Homes in 1962, this house has new wide-plank wood floors throughout the main living spaces.

A set of glass double doors opens to the open-plan living area. To the left is a seating nook large enough to hold a sectional sofa. The wall on this side of the space is papered with a detailed map of the world.

To the right is a small dining area that extends into an open kitchen, where a gray marble bar offers additional counter space and seating. The kitchen has marble countertops and new stainless steel appliances, plus a mint-green Smeg refrigerator.

Beyond the main space is a bathroom that has a large walk-in shower with a glass door, slate tiles and a pebbled floor. At the rear of the house is a bedroom large enough to hold a queen-size bed. This room also has a wall of built-in shelving.

Outdoor space: A side door leads from the living area to a patio paved with concrete. This space is large enough for a barbecue and dining set, plus additional play equipment and surfboard storage. Parking for two cars plus a golf cart is included with this home. Residents also have access to various facilities, including tennis courts, basketball courts, a playground and the semiprivate beach.

Taxes: $2,562 annual land-lease fee (includes water, garbage removal and general maintenance), plus a yearly registration fee (akin to car registration)

A small community in the northern part of San Diego County, Fallbrook is known for its quaint Main Street and bountiful avocado trees. Each spring, the area holds an avocado festival, with nearly 70,000 people coming to watch events like the Best Decorated Avocado and Largest Avocado contests.

This house is about five minutes from the center of the community, and about 10 minutes from the base of the Santa Margarita River Trail, a five-mile loop popular with hikers and horseback riders. Camp Pendleton, the largest military base in California, is 20 minutes away by car. Downtown San Diego and San Diego International Airport are about an hours drive to the south.

Size: 2,680 square feet

Price per square foot: $280

Indoors: A winding driveway leads to the front door, which opens to a foyer and part of the main living area.

Laid out in a semi-open style, the living room is centered around a double-sided fireplace in floor-to-ceiling white-painted brick. On the left side of the fireplace is room for a small seating area and a dining table. Windows overlook the front yard, and the space is brightened by a wrought-iron pendant light. Exposed wood beams extend across the space, as do distressed wood floors.

On the other side of the fireplace, a second seating area is open to the kitchen, which has a marble-topped island with storage. A 2017 remodel included the installation of Fisher Paykel appliances and a brick-and-tile backsplash.

To the right of the kitchen, a hallway leads to two guest rooms large enough to hold queen-size beds and a guest bathroom with painted tile and a combination tub and shower.

At the end of the hallway is the master bedroom, which has its own patio, as well as wooden barn-style doors along one wall that open to the closet. The en suite bathroom has a double vanity with copper sinks and Spanish-tile floors.

An office, with its own half bathroom, is attached to the main house and accessible through a separate entrance.

Outdoor space: Sliding-glass doors lead from the living area to a California room with a ceiling fan and a Spanish-tile floor. This space flows into a partially covered patio.

A lawn extends from the front of the house to the side yard, which has a decorative stone fountain. The grounds are planted with fruit-bearing trees, including lemon and avocado. The attached garage holds two cars.

Taxes: $7,874 (estimated)

Contact: Greg Goodell, Redfin Corporation, 760-576-1700; redfin.com

Situated near the shores of Lake Tahoe and several popular ski resorts, Truckee is an ideal base for year-round activity in this part of the state. It has been a popular resort destination since the early 20th century, where tourists and year-round residents take advantage of the skiing, boating and hiking spots within 20 minutes of downtown.

This house is in a neighborhood at Northstar California Resort, about 15 minutes from the center of town. A shuttle carries passengers from homes in the area to the resorts ski lifts in about five minutes, and to the Village at Northstar for casual dining and coffee options.

Kings Beach, a community with family-friendly restaurants and locally owned boutiques on the banks of Lake Tahoe, is about 15 minutes away by car; Reno, Nev., is about 35 minutes away.

Size: 1,832 square feet

Price per square foot: $409

Indoors: A long driveway leads from the street to this house, on the twelfth fairway of the Northstar resorts golf course.

A set of steps leads to the front door, which opens to an entry hall that ends with a bench built over furnace vents to warm ski boots. Turning left leads to a small landing area that connects to a set of stairs and another hallway.

The hallway leads to three guest rooms, one large enough to hold a queen-size bed and the other two equipped with built-in bunk beds. These bedrooms share a bathroom with a combination tub and shower.

Up the short flight of stairs is the main living area, laid out in open-plan style. This space gets plenty of natural sunlight thanks to wide windows facing the golf course. In the sitting area, built-in bookcases flank a fireplace, which has a new rock mantel installed by the owners. Exposed wood ceilings continue into the dining area, which has a wooden wall adjacent to sliding-glass doors that open to a patio.

A wooden breakfast bar separates the dining area from the kitchen, which has stainless steel appliances, wood cabinets and granite countertops. A yellow door opens to a spacious walk-in pantry illuminated by colorful pendant lights.

From the living room, stairs lead up to a full-floor master suite with walls lined in the same wood that appears throughout the house and sliding-glass doors that open to a private Juliet balcony. The master bathroom has a walk-in shower with a new frosted-glass door.

Outdoor space: Off the dining room is a large patio overlooking the golf course, with room for a full dining set and barbecue. A one-car garage is attached to the house. A short shuttle ride from the house are community amenities, including a clubhouse with its own arcade, a fitness center and a swimming pool.

Taxes: $8,925 (estimated), plus a $100 monthly homeowner association fee

Contact: Christy Mond, Carr Long Real Estate, 530-562-1100; carrlong.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

Read the rest here:
$750,000 Homes in California - The New York Times

For the first time since 1978, family-owned business Stover Hearth and Patio on Baltimore National Pike closed its doors and did not re-open them the next day.

Christie Stover, co-owner, couldnt bring herself to shut down the store last Monday, after Gov. Larry Hogan ordered all non-essential businesses to close by 5 p.m. Instead, she asked an employee to lock up the building.

And it was very strange to come down around 5:30 and see the showroom completely empty and shuttered, Stover said.

Stover and her husband have been running the business as its second generation since 2013, when Stovers father-in-law fell sick. In the past, the store, which specializes in furniture, has only been closed for a day at a time to account for blizzards. But now, it looks like the store will be closed indefinitely.

Thats what bothers Stover the most: the uncertainty of it all.

We cant plan for anything because of this massive cloud of uncertainty that hangs over not just us but the whole country, and all small businesses, Stover said. We dont want them to lift the mandatory closure order before its absolutely safe.

In the meantime, the owners are trying to cut costs in any way they can. Theyve turned the heat, air conditioning and electricity off and have stopped paying themselves. They havent laid off any of their seven employees, although they have volunteered to cut their own hours to keep the business afloat.

Stover said that the businesss revenue has already fallen by 83 percent since the closure.

Katie Stover, Christies daughter, said that the store has been a constant her entire life. Its where she and her brother would go after school to wait for their parents to get out of work, where she would work on the weekends growing up and occasionally full-time.

While she works at a marketing agency now, and she said that her parents have never made her feel like she is expected or obligated to take over the family business, Katie always figured it was a matter of when, not if.

Its always been there in the future at some point, Katie said.

Now, its starting to feel like an if.

The business is currently operating in the only way it really can: virtually. Christie and the employees have created tours of the showroom to post online and are taking orders over the phone. They can offer contactless curbside pickup or delivery, which Christies husband does himself.

After the Stovers had to close their doors, they received a Facebook message from a customer saying that she knows they can get through this time and is supporting them.

It was at that moment that I realized, were closed physically but were united virtually, Christie Stover said. It made us all feel better.

Christie came up with the hashtag #ClosedPhysicallyUnitedVirtually to share on social media to promote the idea that businesses might be forced to close their doors, but will still remain connected to their communities.

I dont think most people realize that small businesses are like the thread that runs through the fabric that binds all of us in the community together, Christie said. You know, its not just us, its all the small businesses.

The Stovers applied for a $10,000 small business grant, but were later told by the State of Maryland that they are still processing the thousands of applications and have no idea when the money will actually come in.

Its wonderful to talk about all this aid and all this help thats out there in the news media, but the reality on the ground for us is there is no help, there is no aid financially, for the most part, Christie Stover said.

But the Stovers feel supported by their customers and the community around them, and hope to support other Frederick businesses as well.

We know all the small business owners, and its were all in this together, and we cant go see one another so were reaching out virtually and trying to reassure each other anyway we can, Christie Stover said.

Katie thinks about the small businesses as her neighbors, and where someone might go to get a sponsor for their high school football team or a host for a fundraiser.

Thats all coming from small businesses and your neighbors and the people who are there for you and make it a fun place to be and a fun place to live, Katie Stover said. I think right now were really at risk of losing a lot of what makes a community right now.

Follow Erika Riley on Twitter: @ej_riley

See the rest here:
Family-owned small business sees closure for the first time in years - Frederick News Post

The views at the top were certainly beautiful the blue of Lake Michigan stretching out forever. However, nothing compared to what was at the bottom of the hill, which took my breath away. Windows shattered, paint peeling, roof caving in, doors flung open to rooms with mattresses torn apart and water dripping. I was looking at what used to be the most popular ski destination in the Midwest Sugarloaf Mountain. When the resort was at its prime it attracted up to4,000 skiers a day. This past Wednesday, 20 years after its closure, I was the only one there.

Within the resort, the atmosphere only became more apocalyptic. It felt like an ideal setting for a horror movie. There was one picture hanging on the wall that hadnt been broken. The date on the bottom of the frame read 1972. The picture was of what looked like an aprs-ski party the outdoor patio crowded with people in multicolored retro snowsuits, laughing and holding drinks. I then looked out at what was left of the back patio, all of the chairs broken and the wood deck rotting. It felt surreal to see the photo of how vibrant this place used to be and compare that to the lifeless scene in front of me.

The eeriness of this abandoned resort gave me the same chills I felt scrolling throughphotos by The New York Times of deserted places around the world during this pandemic. The photos included the Eiffel Tower, Times Square, the streets of Rome and the Sydney Opera House emptiness spreading globally like the virus. This is a virus that does not recognize borders. Across the world, the most popular destinations are completely abandoned. There are public spaces, places built for humans, but no humans.

The desolation is evident on campus. On March 10, I was weaving around other students, trying to make it on time to my morning lecture. Two weeks later, the only signs of life on the Diag are the squirrels fighting over nuts, a sight all too reminiscent of the shoppers I witnessed at Meijer bickering over the last rolls of toilet paper. Our lives changed abruptly with no indication of when things will get better.

COVID-19 has rightfully been the only thing in the news recently. Ive heard stay six feet apart and wash your hands hundreds of times. We are reshaping our lives around this virus. It feels as though this is only the beginning of a timeless, emotional, medical pandemic and financial recession.

We are currently a part of something that will be known as an infamous historical event. Twenty years from now, previously lively spaces like Sugarloaf in the 1970s, could look very different. As a result of the coronavirus, jobs will be lost, businesses will close, buildings will be boarded up and places will be abandoned.

The eeriness of abandonment is already evident in airports, national parks, subways, wedding venues, concert halls, schools, churches, travel destinations, stadiums, etc. What is the cost of these places being closed? The source of income that previously circulated through these places is all of a sudden inaccessible, cooped up in their homes under shelter in place orders.

Realistically, if businesses cannot innovate and reinvent themselves virtually many may not survive. Wuhan, China, where the virus first emerged, has been in lockdown for almosttwo months. Many businesses in the United States could have to endure two months without income. It is hard to believe that the economy is going to all bounce back and its going to bounce back very big, as PresidentDonald Trump claims, when so many people are risking unemployment.

Within this pandemic we can still find hope. The emptiness around the world does not instill eeriness alone. There are hints of aspiration and realization. Aspirations for things we often took for granted, like social connection. When you are restricted to FaceTime, the value of in-person conversation becomes evident. There is also a realization that places are only worth the people in them. Many of the currently abandoned spaces around the world have beauty in themselves, but the actual beauty is the presence of others within these spaces.

For right now we can empathize, accept and look ahead. Empathize with those most vulnerable during this pandemic, accept that things are not going to be normal and look ahead to when places will be full of people, instead of abandoned.

Emily Ulrich can be reached at emulrich@umich.edu.

See more here:
Emily Ulrich: Abandoning life as we know it - The Michigan Daily

The property sits in mature landscaped gardens of up to nearly an acre with extensive views over the countryside

There's something quite charming about a thatched roof cottage which makes you feel like you've stepped back in time.

This unique period farmhouse on Mill Lane, in Legbourne, near Louth offers a truly idyllic escape to countryside.

Entering the grounds via wrought iron gates and the sweeping gravel driveway, the main solid timber door has beautiful stained glass windows to each side.

Once inside, there are timber beams to the ceiling and a truly stunning ornate Elizabethan staircase and balustrade to the galleried landing.

Timber is the dominant feature of this delightful cottage, with latch doors and beamed ceilings in many of the sizeable rooms.

The reception room offers the best space, perfect for entertaining all year round; with French doors opening out onto patio seating areas.

Each of the decent-sized five bedrooms has a part sloping ceiling with some having decorative leaded windows.

The property sits in mature landscaped gardens of up to nearly an acre, with extensive views over the countryside and has a wealth of space both inside and outside.

Finally there's a triple brick garage with two electric remote controlled doors and one manual.

To find out more about this Louth property, on the market for 730,000 - contact Hunters Turner Evans Stevens Estate Agents, or why not view our dedicated property channel on GrimsbyLive for further inspiration.

Go here to see the original:
This thatched-roof cottage has a stunning Elizabethan staircase - Grimsby Live