Privacy and security are top priorities for many homeowners. But if your home comes with little to no privacy features, it’s time to resolve this matter. Fortunately, there are temporary and permanent solutions to prevent neighbors and those walking by from seeing into your home. Here are some of the best ways to enhance your home’s privacy.

Fences

Fencing acts as a physical barrier that keeps unwanted eyes out while marking your property’s boundaries. One of the prime reasons to add a new fence is the added layer of security it provides. Vinyl and wooden fences are among the best because they can block total visibility into your front or back yard. Consider the height and design of the fence to ensure it meets your needs while complementing your home’s overall appearance.

Window Dressings

Window dressings like curtains, blinds, and shades offer a versatile way to enhance privacy. You can choose from sheer curtains that provide some level of protection without blocking too much light or blackout shades that offer complete privacy and light control. Layering different types of window dressings can give you the flexibility to adjust privacy levels throughout the day. For instance, you could have your blinds semi-open with curtains drawn during the day and close your dressings at night for security.

Privacy Glass

Privacy glass is another excellent way to keep your indoor activities away from prying eyes. This type of glass blurs or obscures visibility from the outside while still allowing light to filter through. There are several types of glass to choose from, such as tinted and textured varieties. You can also purchase a window film that sticks to the interior side of your windows, which is a renter-friendly solution. They’re a great alternative to traditional window dressings that block natural light from shining through glass windows and doors.

Landscaping

Strategically placing landscaping features like bushes and trees is another method of enhancing your home’s privacy. These plants create natural barriers that can block views into your home as well as beautify your outdoor space. Keep in mind that tall trees and hedges will take some time to grow tall enough to block lines of sight into your home or backyard. But they can work in combination with fences to eliminate visibility and mark your property’s boundaries.

Enhancing your home’s privacy can be both practical and aesthetically pleasing. No matter which privacy feature you implement, you can enjoy peace of mind and a greater sense of seclusion in your personal space.

The post 4 Effective Ways To Enhance Your Home’s Privacy appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

The average residential HVAC system lasts between 10 and 20 years, but it can last even longer with proper upkeep in the rest of your home. Keep your home’s HVAC system in tip-top shape for years to come! Extend the lifespan of your HVAC system and cut down on repair costs with these innovative tips.

Change Air Filters Regularly

You should clean your HVAC unit’s air filters or change them outright every 30 to 90 days. Homeowners can usually change filters themselves without needing to call a repair expert. Proper air filtration reduces wear and tear on other HVAC components and reduces the need for repairs later on.

Air Seal Your Home

Reduce drafts in your home and keep the whole place at an even temperature by air sealing the space. When you air seal your home against leaks and drafts, your HVAC system doesn’t have to over-compensate for lost heat or cool air. The heater or air conditioner will only turn on when it needs to!

Utilize the Auto Setting

When you turn on the heat or air conditioning in your home, do you use the “on” setting? Having your HVAC system running at all times can shorten its lifespan and cause undue wear and tear. The “auto” setting allows it to turn on only when it’s needed, which translates to energy savings for you.

Upgrade Your Thermostat

Are you a busy person who spends most of your day away from home? If your house is empty, there’s no need to keep the heat or AC running, which overworks your HVAC unit. Consider swapping your old thermostat for a programmable smart thermostat! Turn it off when nobody’s home, then on your way back, turn it on via an app to experience your preferred temperature when you arrive.

Maintain Your Ductwork

You should hire professionals to thoroughly clean your air ducts at least every five years to maintain high indoor air quality and keep your HVAC system running smoothly. Dirty or damaged ducts can place excess stress on your HVAC unit and cause it to break down prematurely. When every component of your home’s heating, ventilation, and AC is in fantastic condition, the system will last longer.

The more often you keep your HVAC system running, the more time you shave off its lifespan. Give it a break every so often and ensure its components are in good working order to extend the life of your HVAC system. Enjoy high indoor air quality for years to come by giving the system some TLC!

The post How To Extend the Lifespan of Your HVAC System appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Earlier today, a client emailed my husband Mike about a great deal on a red Mercedes 500 SL convertible available on eBay. It was a 2004 model with only 7000 miles and offered a three-year warranty to boot. Located in Florida, this two-seater beckoned with a red price tag of around $28,000.

Ever the bargain hunter, Mike grabbed the San Diego Union Tribune’s Sunday classified section for cars, expecting to search through at least three pages for comparable sales.

It turned out be to a very short search because there was less than a quarter-page for all used cars in San Diego.

I am not particularly interested in red convertibles, but the slim number of classified ads in San Diego’s daily newspaper DID catch my attention.

We have all heard that the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and other august print publications are on the ropes. The cause could only be financial, and financial resources are provided primarily by (1) Advertisers and (2) Subscribers (the number of which determine what advertisers pay for advertising).

I’ve been following these stories because I have a natural interest (because of background and training) in journalistic business–and also have a keen and active interest in how information (and advertising) is transmitted via the internet.

And it seems the latter may have overtaken the former. E-Bay and Craigslist are trampling traditional media.

Yesterday morning, I had a call from a Nevada broker asking if we had an agent fluent in Chinese who could help some Chinese investors seeking property in La Jolla.  Hmmm….we have agents who speak Spanish, Polish, Russian and Farsi, but none who were fluent in Chinese.

The solution was simple.

I clicked to Craigslist, immediately placed and paid for an ad for a Chinese-fluent real estate agent–and serendipity took over. Within hours, we had a perfect response.

This morning Shumei Tao, a very bright and talented real estate agent, joined our company, San Diego Previews Real Estate.  She is fluent in not only Mandarin, but Taiwanese, Cantonese–and the Internet. She too thought it serendipitous to find an internet ad that addressed her specific qualifications.

And it was only this evening as I looked at the sparse classified ads in the newspaper that I realized yesterday morning’s  instinctive reaction to a need: Head over to Craigslist and have the ad online within minutes. And then today, a Florida client sends not a classified ad, but an eBay listing for an automobile.

And then I stop to wonder: When was the last time I scanned the newspaper classified ads for…anything?

The post A Crash in Classified Ads? appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

It of course answers endless questions and sends curious clients my way, but also handles my email, documents, maps, spreadsheets, instant chat, and more. And when I want to check traffic conditions, I can do it with another Google real time mapping application on the Blackberry.

Just when I have to count both fingers and toes to list all the very cool Google applications, they surprise us with another:

GOOGLE REAL TIME STOCK QUOTES

Now, we can all get real time stock quotes and financial news about our favorite stocks. No more delayed quotes from Yahoo or other financial sites. If Google had any shortcoming, it has been in the financial arena. For stock quotes and financial news, son and sometimes-trader Scott has always championed Yahoo Financial News for quick quotes and relevant company news.

No more. When life moves quickly (and it does), consider the importance of twenty minutes–and all the things that can happen in that short time frame.

Yahoo! to Google (and a thousand balloons) for transporting real time stock quotes from the traders to the people. This is major financial news–and one I’ll also be able to put on my Blackberry.

The post Yahoo! to Google: Real Time Stock Quotes appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

I attended the Inman Connect event in San Francisco last year and met lots of people I knew only from the real estate blogging world–and others who would become good friends.

Could I resist missing this event, where we can peer over the bloody edge of the envelope and see what’s in store not only for the real estate market, but in the technologies that serve and propel this economic sector?

Not a chance!

I am already calling real estate blogging buddies around the country to see if we can connect at the Connect this summer. The event will be held at the Palace Hotel–where we will be able to peer over the bloody edge of the real estate technology envelope, go to beer blogging events, and take lots of photos.
This may have little to do with Luxury Real Estate, but I hope you enjoy this rare hippie footage with Scott McKenzie singing that classic “If You Come to San Francisco.”

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The post Meet This San Diego Real Estate Blogger in San Francisco! appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Deepest apologies to those of you who were unable to access Luxury Home Digest this past week.

It seems we were the victim of a malevolent hacking attack last Sunday night, whereby all of our content was deleted–on not only Luxury Home Digest, but San Diego Previews as well. Thanks to the tireless work of blogging gurus at the Real Estate Tomato, we have been able to restore most of our material.

And thanks to those who brought this site and our San Diego real estate blogsite down, I am now musing about the consequences for such actions.

Is attacking a website and deleting its content a crime? And if more than one attacker, a conspiracy?

Could such activity constitute a “restraint of trade” as defined by the Federal Trade Commission? Google definitions, as usual, provide some clues:

1. Descriptive of unreasonable acts or contracts which prevent a person from carrying on, or engaging in, their profession.
www.aapa.org/manual/judicial/glossary.html

2. Combinations, contracts, or other oral or written arrangements designed to establish a monopoly position, impede competition, fix prices, or prevent entry by potential rivals. …
www.itcdonline.com/introduction/glossary2_q-z.html

3. Monopolies, combinations, and contracts that impede free competition.
www.crfonline.org/orc/glossary/r.html

4. Any act that tends to prevent free competition in business
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

5. Restraint of trade is a restriction on a person’s freedom to conduct business in a specified or unspecified location for a specified or unspecified length of time. Such restrictions are normally enacted by contracts. …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restraint of trade

Yes, our San Diego real estate business was impeded, and we were prevented from carrying on in our profession in a normal manner. Clients were unable to search for San Diego properties on our sites and we were blocked from our online business for several days. Searchers for luxury home news were certainly forced to go elsewhere when we were offline.

And if restraint of trade is “any act that tends to prevent free competition in business,” or places “a restriction on a person’s freedom to conduct business in a specified or unspecified location for a specified or unspecified length of time,” then restraint of trade is what I will politely and publicly call last Sunday night’s massacre.

Under my breath, though, other expletives words and descriptions are uttered.…

The post Is Hacking a Restraint of Trade–or a Vicious Crime? appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Many of the ealy elationships, though, have not only survived–but thrived.

by Roberta Murphy

Its fun to peer into the crystal ball and try to divine what fortunes lie ahead. It also helps when you have a visionary providing some tips and guidance.

Pat Kitano and Kevin Boer are two visionaries worth following, and they are convinced that 2008 will be the Year of the (Authoritative) Blog Network. Kitanos article is a great read that provides good information and understanding of what blogging networks are and how they can benefit both the consumer and the blogger.

An authoritative real estate blog is what the California Chapter of the Womens Council of Realtors plans to launch at the end of January. They are tapping their membership seeking capable and knowledgeable real estate bloggers whose personal real estate blogs will feed into the California WCR Blog Network.

All of the members contributed blogs will be indexed and offered as an encyclopedic resource for home buyers and sellers. As with most blogs, consumers will be able to enter into casual and anonymous, if they choose conversation with the blogging authors. Consumers and agents will be able to ask questions ranging from open houses, to market insights, to home selling strategies. The goal, says Kitano, is to promote the free exchange of real estate knowledge without any sales pitch.

Kitano and Boer, with Domus Consulting Group, are working feverishly to have the California WCR Blogs online by the end of this month. The site will feature mapping tools so viewers can check not only houses for sale, but can also find participating and local WCR bloggers to learn more about neighborhoods, market trends, home features and other real estate related topics.

The WCR Blog Network is revolutionary, says Kitano and will provide solid benefits for both the real estate consumer and the blog authors. œThe WCR Blog Network home page in effect acts as the ˜main newspaper to aggregate and distribute the published content of their agent œeditors. As a content repository, the blog network is positioned as a search engine magnet, and the resulting traffic flows through directly to the participating agents blogs. Each blog, he says, is a separate website that reflects the personality and special expertise of its author.

The WCR Blog will be non-denominational, in that the blog authors will represent many different real estate companies, and their blogs may come from any number of frameworks including WordPress, TypePad or other available sources.

As a member of the Womens Council of Realtors, I am tickled to share that I will be a representative blogger for North County San Diego when the WCR Blog debuts. For additional information, email roberta@sandiegopreviews.com

The post WCR to Unveil California Blog Network appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Want to know what keeps me terrorized at night?

Database management. I am in an urgent race against time–and my nightmare is one that haunts major corporations throughout the world– from retailers to brokerage firms to telecoms to the U.S. Government itself.

In our San Diego real estate practice, I have until December 30 to migrate several hundred clients and their specific and detailed property requests over to another improved database program that will continue to email the same meaningful information they are now receiving. You see, most of us are hobbling along with databases that are not compatible (because they are on different platforms with different vendors) and refuse to speak or communicate with each other. It is also next to impossible to migrate the detailed information from one vendor to another because of proprietary programming. The unpleasant alternative is to do it by hand. In our situation, we have accumulated client information from one source (that was started eight years ago), that is quite separate from real estate client information that has accumulated for the past five years on another vendor’s platform. The problem has now grown to nine distinct databases with detailed information that cannot be migrated from one to another because each database collects different types of volunteered information from web and blogsite visitors–and stores that data on proprietary systems.

Our goal is to condense this information onto a meaningful program that is retrievable and migratable from one system to another.

If our real estate practice operated at the big-time enterprise level, I would be calling ANTs Software today. ANTs now offers the solution for database consolidation, with their ANTs Compatibility Server (ACS). It is a plug-in which would allow Oracle databases to migrate IBM’s DB2, or for Sybase to migrate to Microsoft, or for Oracle to migrate to Sybase–or whatever combinations are possible therein.

Compatiblity between databases has become an enormous issue in computing of all sorts because just like me and on a much larger scale, governments and corporations usually have old legacy database programs that cannot be migrated to other systems without enormous effort and expense. That is why the ANTs Compatibiity Server is such whiz-bang technology. It is hoped that solutions such as what ACS has to offer the big guys, may eventually filter down to smaller users such as myself.

It’s only a dream, but how great would it be if ANTs’ database miracle–or something like it–could be installed on my computer before December 30? The clock is painfully ticking….

The post Database Consolidation: Nightmares Undressed appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Rumors and gossip are are swirling around a possible Google and GoDaddy marriage.

It seems about two years ago, Google became accredited as a domain name registrar. Meanwhile, GoDaddy, the worlds largest domain registrar, has been busy filing patent applications for search, VOIP and other technologies that would make it an attractive buy to acquisition-hungry Google.

A few of GoDaddys recent patents would help propel one of Web 3.0s suggested features: Online reputation. Popular eweek says that GoDaddys search results could be filtered and sorted according to the œreputation score of a domain name or that domain name owners reputation.

That should be of interest and concern to all website owners or business bloggers and a relief to those seeking meaningful search results.

When asked about a buyout, GoDaddys CEO Bob Parsons is coy, saying hed like to comment, but couldnt. He also acknowledged to eweek that Google makes a lot of money from parked domains that serve as billboards for paid advertising links. Google, on the other hand, is more circumspect, but acknowledges that GoDaddy is not only a valued partner, but has features that blend nicely with Google Apps features that allow domain registrars to get their online business up and running right away.

On a final note, I have to smile and chuckle just a bit when I think about the now-noticeable percentage of my work week that is spent feeding the Google Monster. It was never an intention, but is something that crept into my life and has somehow became a daily utility.

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