Seattle…Come On. Giveback with Giveback Homes.

Giveback Homes Ambassador for Change, Madison Hildebrand & Audie Chamberlain

There are only 4 real estate professionals who are members of Giveback Homes in Seattle.

What’s up with that? For such a socially conscious city home to organizations such as Gates Foundation, Global Partnerships, and Fred Hutch — I’m disappointed.

I wanted to give huge props to the current members here in the Seattle area:

1. Stephanie Kristen at Windermere Real Estate
2. Phil Greely at Windermere Real Estate
3. Gael Goodwin at Foundry. Living Real Estate
4. Brian Losh at Ewing and Clark

The rest of Seattle (Windermere, Coldwell Banker Bain, John L Scott…) — I urge you to get on the Giveback Homes bandwagon (I’ve loved everything about the movement since I met the team in July of 2014). I believe you’ll find, giving back is good for business.

PS: I also recommend you listen to this podcast with Caroline Pinal and Greg Fischer:

The post Seattle…Come On. Giveback with Giveback Homes. appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

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3 Steps to Installing Pavers

Adding a patio or walkway to your home is a great way to personalize your landscape and extend your living space to the outdoors. Check out these 3 steps below: planning, excavating and installing the pavers!

Image Source: Flickr.com

Planning
A good plan is essential to a successful paver project. Think about where you want your path, driveway, or patio, and then use graph paper to make a scaled drawing of the immediate area. Draw in your paver project. You’ll have to play around with your design a bit, so be sure to use pencil and keep your drawing neat. Your project will need to have adequate drainage if you want it to be safe and durable. You’ll also want to make sure that it slopes away from your house and other structures. To ensure adequate drainage, you should have a slope of at least 1/8″ per linear foot (1/4″ slope per linear foot is often recommended). Source:  wikiHow

Excavating
Keeping in mind the needed slope, now is the time to decide the finished height of the project.
- Use the bottom of a door or any permanent structure that abuts the project as a reference.
- Place stakes at varying intervals along the outline of the project.
- Take a long 2 x 4 and run the board from the abutting structure to a stake. After checking to make sure the board is level, mark the stake at that point, and then make another mark further down the stake based on the determined slope.
- Run strings, tied to the stakes, across the length of the site to indicate the desired finished height.
To lay an adequate amount of crushed aggregate stone base, bedding sand and pavers, excavate the site well below the desired surface height of the project to allow for the base and sand layers. Simply calculate the thickness of the base, sand and paver layers to determine the depth.
After excavating the site, compact the soil with a plate compactor to prepare the surface for the aggregate base. Remove any standing water, rocks or other protrusions. Any bump or depression at this or any level will become visible in the finished project.
If the soil is clay, place a geotextile layer over the exposed soil and up the sides of the excavated area. This will provide additional stability for the base. Source:  Grounds-Mag

Installing the Pavers
Lay the pavers down with the rough surface facing upward. This will give the courtyard more of a natural stone look. Place a straight edge along the length of the pavers just laid. By tapping gently with a rubber mallet, you are able to keep the pavers nice and flat.
- Continue screeding the sand bed one section at a time before laying the next area of pavers. Once laid, the pavers provide an excellent area to work without upsetting the newly screeded sand bed.
- Continue screeding and laying pavers, leaving the area for the fountain open.
- Position four cinderblocks where the fountain base will sit, making sure they are level. These foundation blocks will help distribute the weight of the fountain and prevent uneven sinking or wobbling. Using a hammer and cold chisel, score the pavers along the line. If there are large areas where pavers need to be cut to size, a more modern technique can be used with a diamond blade wet saw.
- Add a small DIY restraining wall along the flowerbeds burring the pavers in an upright position. This is an inexpensive, effective and attractive way to keep dirt and water from spilling over into the courtyard. Source: DIYNetwork

Contact:
Kerrisdale Roofing & Drains
8279 Ross St, Vancouver, BC V5X 4W1
(604) 360-2114

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Facts About Using a Co-Signer on a Mortgage

Do you need a co-signer to buy a home? To help you decide, let's review the reasons you might use a co-signer, the types of co-signers, and the various requirements lenders have for allowing co-signers.

When to use a co-signer

A common scenario is young people just starting out in their careers use parents as co-signers while they're ramping up their income. Other lesser-known but still common scenarios include:

• Divorcees use co-signers to help qualify for a home they're taking over from ex-spouses.
• People taking career time off to go back to school use co-signers to help during this transitional phase.
• Self-employed borrowers whose tax returns don't fully reflect their actual income use co-signers to bridge the gap.

Before using a co-signer, make sure all parties are clear on the end game. Will you ever be able to afford the home on your own? Is the co-signer expecting to retain an ownership percentage of the home?

Types of co-signers

There are two main types of co-signers: those that will live in the home, and those that will not. Lenders refer to these as occupant co-borrowers and non-occupant co-borrowers, respectively.

• Non-occupant co-borrowers are the more common category for co-signers, so the lender requirements summarized below are for non-occupant co-borrowers.
• Occupant co-borrowers who are co-signing on a new home can expect lenders to scrutinize the location and cost of their current home, and should also expect post-closing occupancy checks to verify they've actually moved into the new home.

Ownership considerations for co-signers

Lenders require that anyone on the loan must also be on the title to the home, so a co-signer will be considered an owner of the home.

If borrowers take title as joint tenants, the occupant and non-occupant co-borrowers will each have equal ownership shares to the property.

If borrowers take title as tenants in common, the occupant and non-occupant co-borrowers can define their individual ownership shares to the property.

Financial considerations for co-signers

Lenders allow occupant and non-occupant co-borrowers to have different ownership shares in the property because the Note (which is the contract for the loan) makes them both equally liable for the loan.

This means that if an occupant co-borrower is late on the mortgage, this will hurt their credit and the non-occupant co-borrower's (aka the co-signer's) credit.

Another co-signer risk is that the co-signed mortgage will often count against them when qualifying for personal, auto, business, and student loans in the future. But the co-signed mortgage can sometimes be excluded from future mortgage loan qualification calculations if the co-signer can provide documentation to prove two things to their new mortgage lender:

• The occupant co-borrower has been making the full mortgage payments on the co-signed loan for at least 12 months.
• There is no history of late payments on the co-signed loan.

Lender requirements for co-signers

Occupant co-borrowers must have skin in the game when using a co-signer, and lender rules vary based on loan type and down payment. Below are common lender requirements for co-signers. This list isn't all-inclusive, and conditions vary by borrower, so find a local lender to advise on your situation.

• For conforming loans (up to $417,000, and high-balance conforming loans up to $625,500 by county), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will allow for the debt-to-income ratio (DTI) to be calculated by simply combining the incomes of the occupant and non-occupant co-borrower. This is known as a "blended ratio," and is especially helpful when the co-signer has most of the income.
• Conforming loans will require at least a five-percent down payment to allow a co-signer.
• For conforming loans with less than 20 percent down, lenders will require at least five percent of the down payment come from the occupant co-borrower. Flexible programs like Fannie Mae HomeReady loan allow blended ratios for co-signers, and go further by allowing income of people who won't even be on the loan but that will verify in writing that they'll be living in the home with you for at least 12 months.
• Some jumbo loans above $417,000 (or above the conforming high-balance limit by county) will allow blended ratios for qualifying with co-signers. Your lender will advise based on your down payment, reserves left over after the loan closes, loan amount, credit score, and other components of your profile.
• Many jumbo loans allow for the occupant co-borrower's DTI to go as high as 50 percent when using a co-signer, but in most of these cases, at least 10 percent of the down payment must come from the occupant co-borrower.
• Select jumbo loans allow for the occupant co-borrower's DTI to go as high as 75 percent when using a co-signer, but there will be many other requirements, and the rates won't be as competitive.

Related:

• What is a Mortgage?
• How Mortgage Strategy Differs for Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers
• 5 Mortgage Misconceptions Set Straight 

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

The post Facts About Using a Co-Signer on a Mortgage appeared first on Zillow Porchlight.

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Registering Your Golf Cart

Slock.it – Rent, sell or share anything – without middlemen

Something to think on this Tuesday morning…Slock.it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Is there a residential real estate sales angle to this technology?

The post Slock.it – Rent, sell or share anything – without middlemen appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

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Zillow Hosts Tech Volunteer Fair

On Thursday May 19, Zillow hosted the first ever #SeaTech4Change tech volunteer fair. I had the idea for this event after observing how so many local nonprofits have such scarce budgets for technology, design and marketing work — coupled with large needs for help in these areas. And, when I get on my frequent soap box about the responsibility and opportunity for the tech community to help drive social good, the obvious question I get asked is: How?

So the idea behind the tech volunteer fair was to make connections between the local nonprofit and tech communities, in order to create skill-based volunteering opportunities where they are needed most.

To say I was moved by the event would be an understatement. While the idea was exciting, nothing could have prepared me for the incredible energy in the room that evening. There was a great turnout of local developers, designers and marketers who genuinely wanted to better their community. Add to that a fantastic representation of nonprofits from across different focus areas, who spend every day making our community better, and who were eager to get help with specific tech projects. I saw many meaningful connections being made, and heard so much enthusiasm from both sides.

The tech volunteer fair was of course just the first step in getting these important projects completed. Now the nonprofits are coordinating with the volunteers they met to kick off the work they plan to do together. I asked everyone to share their progress via the #SeaTechForChange hashtag on Twitter, and am excited to follow along with their accomplishments.

Photos from the event, links to articles and organizations and the opportunity for nonprofits and volunteers to sign up for future events, can all be found at seatech4change.org. I would love to keep the momentum from #SeaTech4Change going, as I feel strongly that the Seattle tech community can make a large and lasting impact on the issues that so many nonprofits are tackling everyday.

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Flea & Tick Control and your Lawn: Does it Work?

As a company that offers pest control services (or exterminators, using older terminology) and lawn care services, we get a lot of requests to spray lawns for fleas.  Many lawn care companies offer Flea & Tick Control treatments which they apply to lawn areas.

The promise of reducing fleas on your property with using this method is not even a half measure. It is simply not the way to get rid of fleas. In most cases, we recommend a different approach to flea prevention and treatment, and ticks are not going to be easily found in lawn areas (click here to learn common places you will find ticks). There are two basic ways some lawn care companies apply insecticide treatments to a lawn; a granular insecticide, and a liquid insecticide.

Granular Flea Control for your Lawn?

When granular insecticide is typically used on the lawn, the active ingredient of that material is moisture activated, and the material dissolves into the soil, which helps to eliminate pests that feed on grass plants. The material gets absorbed by the grass plants, which is why granular applications are effective in killing chinch bugs, grubs, and other plant feeding insects on the grass plant’s root system or grass blades. From a lawn care perspective, the material works systemically and kills the lawn feeding insects as they begin to feed on the grass plants. Unfortunately, granular lawn applications will have little to no impact on active flea populations because these insects do not ingest plant parts or fluids. Granules will settle down within the thatch layer and dissolve from that point down. Fleas may not be located that deeply in the grass.

Spraying Lawns for Fleas?

Another alternative is making a liquid flea control application to your lawn for fleas. This is also largely ineffective for a number of reasons, the first of which is that direct sunlight and moisture break pesticides down very quickly. It’s for this reason that most lawn-damaging insects are typically treated with granular products.

While you could kill fleas at the time of the liquid flea control application, the residual effects of a liquid lawn application are very quickly diminished. Liquid insecticide materials may be absorbed by grass plants, which could help if insects are feeding on the lawn, but again this is not the case with fleas. Spraying lawns for fleas also will not address flea eggs, nor will it reduce continuous reproduction, which is should be your goal in any flea elimination strategy. In addition to sunlight and moisture, liquid applications also disappear when the grass is mowed, so no matter what the conditions, the material is typically gone after one or two mows of the lawn.

The Best Prevention for Fleas

What is the best way to break the flea life cycle? Eliminate the ability of fleas to remain on your pet, and eliminate indoor flea infestations. The more important of these two things is eliminate the ability for your pet to be the host animal and source of flea breeding. This is done by taking corrective action on your pets. If your pet is heavily infested with fleas, you may need to take an aggressive approach in killing the fleas on the animal with a dip treatment at your veterinarian.

All flea feeding and breeding takes place on the animal itself, and then the eggs will drop off of the animal onto the floor of the home. If there are huge numbers of fleas on your pet, consult your vet for recommendations about how to correct the problem. Once you have taken corrective action, follow it up with regular use of a topical insecticide to prevent further flea infestation. Again, follow vet recommendations, but remember that these topical insecticides are designed to prevent flea infestation on pets, not eliminate active flea infestations. These treatments are so effective in killing fleas, that the pest control industry saw a dramatic decrease in pest control inquiries for flea extermination, after the product’s introduction into the pet care market a couple decades ago. It’s simply the best first defense against fleas.

Flea Control and your Home

If you end up with a flea infestation in your home, indoor flea control treatments can kill fleas quickly and reduce the chances of eggs hatching in the following weeks. However, this is not a substitute for the prevention needed on your pet. Unlike your lawn, indoor insecticide and growth regulator applications can be very effective in breaking the flea life cycle.

All of the variables mentioned above (direct sunlight, moisture, mowing) do not exist inside your home, so with indoor applications, the materials will work as they are designed to.  It is always best to prevent flea infestations by applying topical insecticides to your pets, following the recommendation of your vet, during the warm weather months. Ultimately, the flea infestation begins and ends on your pets. If you feel you have an indoor infestation of fleas in your home in Lancaster, Lebanon, York, or Dauphin County, PA, please contact us.

Let’s Talk Flea Control or Other Pest Control Needs!

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Is Xander Bogaerts the best hitter in Baseball? At the moment, yes.

Xander Bogaerts said Happy Memorial Day by extending his hitting streak to an MLB best 23 games, adding two more hits. I’ve said for a long time that Bogaerts was a slow-developing star in the making; that he reminded me two years ago of a guy who would have a Derek Jeter career arc.

Today, the Boston Globe had an article after the game that also raised this comparison, and asked if he is the best hitter in the league.

I also stole this hit chart from their article, because it’s fantastic evidence of what a complete hitter that Bogaerts is, spraying the ball all over the damn field this season.

At the moment, it’s hard to really say there’s a better pure hitter in the game. And we are all about at the moment because this changes almost monthly with the way opposing teams decide to attack a guy and how that certain guy makes adjustments. Bogaerts of course hit .320 last season which is no small order in the game in any year, especially in modern day with so few overall .300 hitters to begin with left in baseball.

The Red Sox by far and away have the finest lineup in all of baseball, which really only compounds the threat that is Bogaerts. He is indeed the guy there, but he doesn’t have to carry them in any way. He can just kind of remain quiet and do his damage in the shadows while everyone focuses on Big Papi, or Mookie Betts, or Jackie Bradley, or Hanley Ramirez, or Travis Shaw; and holy Hell they have a lot of firepower.

We really like Bogaerts, and we did this post because he’s earned the recognition and is worth being mentioned as the best hitter in baseball today. He holds the title at the moment, for this moment in time; even if the moment is always changing in this game.

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River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond

Following the success of Intracorp’s One River Park Place, we are pleased to bring you and your clients the newest addition to Richmond’s riverfront Oval Village. RPP II will be Richmond’s brightest new neighbourhood and will feature the most sought-after amenities within minutes, while paving the way with progressive and illuminating technological details.

RPP II will feature 127 vibrant one, two and three bedroom homes. Views of the mountains, the river or the city centre will celebrate both the natural setting to the north, and a bustling epicentre of amenities to the south. Without even leaving your front door, Intracorp’s quality and industry-leading excellence is proven with state-of-the-art recording and practice rooms, a business centre, games and study rooms – all within steps – and all part of the luxury amenities at RPP II. Also enjoy a peaceful yoga room, an innovative gym space, and the ultimate car wash.

The post River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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A Look Around the May Garden

Post by Growing The Home Garden - Vegetables, Herbs, and Plant Propagation for Home Gardens

May is always a great time for the garden. Plants and flowers generally look great this time of year. The weather is beginning to warm but the oncoming heat of summer hasn’t bleached out the…

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4 Things to Consider When Estimating Bathroom Renovation Cost

Projecting the cost of your bathroom remodeling often depends on how many items you are replacing and who’s doing the work. This article will cover some important things to consider for estimating your bathroom remodeling cost, including: cost of new tile flooring, cost of labor, cost of plumbing and electrical and cost of fixtures and appliances.

Below are 4 things to consider for estimating bathroom renovation cost:

1. Cost of New Tile Flooring

One of the most common parts of a bathroom remodel is removing the old flooring and installing new tiles. The biggest factor in the cost of this project will be the flooring itself, which can vary wildly in price. The most expensive materials are typically natural stone tiles and upscale porcelain tiles. The cheapest options might be laminate, vinyl or budget ceramic tiles.

2. Cost of Labour

As a general rule, most people expect that the labor for a remodel will cost roughly twice as much as the materials did. This is not a hard and fast rule, but the numbers generally support the claim. On average, a bathroom remodeling job will cost you around twice as much as the materials cost you.

3. Cost of Plumbing and Electrical

You can make moderate adjustments to the plumbing, like moving the faucets or shower, but the toilet will likely stay in the relative same spot. Making a major adjustment, moving the toilet for example, would be a substantial change (and cost), as the toilet drainage is the major artery of the bathroom. Moving a toilet would mean having to change the shower/tub drain and faucet locations.

You can make up for the stock materials by putting more focus on the accessories. Splurge on a nice light fixture or cabinet hardware.

4. Cost of Fixtures and Appliances

If you replace any of your current fixtures and appliances in the bathroom– countertops, bathtub, toilet, sink, etc.– this will increase the cost because the professionals will need to remove the originals and install the new ones. You can save on this cost by refinishing some of the appliances or by doing some of the demolition yourself.

Remember: you don’t have to include all items in your bathroom remodel, unless you’re building a whole new bathroom from scratch. You always have the option to add some pieces–sink, toilet and lighting fixtures–after you’ve done the bigger projects to spread out costs.

 

Thinking about a bathroom renovation? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us  today for a quote!

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Intensive Coloring and Saturated Gradients are a Fresh Trend

There is no denying that Flat Style and Material design rule the roost this year, channeling projects in one direction.

They encourage developers to build a harmonious alliance of neat, tidy and polished UI and great and well-thought-out UX. While we speculate about their principles and recommendations, there was one factor which wasn't appreciated previously.

This dark horse has finally exceeded our expectations and has a power to show its paces. Today we are going to talk about the upcoming trend of intensive coloring and saturated gradients that have already made their presence felt in the Web.

To be honest, the tendency did not come as a bolt from the blue, as it may seem at first. Take a look at the majority of mobile interfaces that are crafted according to the Material design doctrine or recent iOS design standards: all of them boast of gorgeous palettes, combos of deep hues and smooth transitions between shades. They feature a professionally curbed riot of color that substantially benefits the design aesthetics, making it breathe with freshness and sophistication.

It was just matter of time before the approach hit the ground running and won over the website design industry. So that today we can show you 20 magnificent examples of website design with gorgeous saturated gradients and intensive coloring.

Intensive Coloring and Saturated Gradients in Web Design

Year in Music by Spotify

The homepage is bursting with energy and a musical vibe that is inherent to the platform. The team utilizes several outstanding gradients from cold purple to hot orange. The logotype, white lettering, ghost buttons and hamburger menu icon play nicely with such a backdrop.

Dinng

Dinng depicts a spectacular natural gradient that is skillfully intensified by several filters. The picture is simply mesmerizing; it gives the overall aesthetics a cutting edge and produces an overwhelming first impression.

Le Dernier Gaulois

Unlike the previous two examples, Le Dernier Gaulois utilizes a subtle, elegant and polished gradient with a golden tint and marvelous purple tone. Such choice laconically strengthens the illustration on the backdrop as well as contributes to the theme.

BBFAW

The gradient is used to overlay numerous images on the homepage. It serves two roles. Firstly, it provides foreground elements with a stark contrast and solid foundation; and secondly, with its bluish coloring it reinforces the general feeling on the project and sets up a serious tone more effectively.

Prevention R3 Summit

Prevention R3 Summit employs a charming saturated gradient that is suitable for the female audience. It nicely interacts with a solid block on the right as well as laconically supports the elegant ultra-narrow typeface and ornamental logotype on the left.

Axiom Retail Energy

The website is defined by two fresh trends: dynamic abstract background and intensive coloring that all together make the UI break away from the others and look hip and modern. Green-based gradient perfectly matches the mood of the project, unobtrusively instilling such traits as purity, naturalness, and energy.

Impossible Bureau

Impossible Bureau shows how to revive gradients that were considered to be dead and old-fashioned. From dark slate blue to violet red - I thought we left them in the past; no such luck. Nevertheless, in this particular case, it looks fresh, visually appealing and eye pleasing.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year by EVS goes for a beautiful linear gradient with a left-to-right direction. It plays the role of a charming yet firm foundation that makes the lettering in a quirky typeface stand out. It naturally focuses users’ attention on the message, slightly overshadowing the visuals.

 

  whets your appetite for creativity. The homepage owes its beauty to two main factors: a polygonal background that adds a subtle geometric feel, and an almost hot intensive gradient that creates the whole buzz. It is another example in our collection that features a revamped gradient from the good old days.

Fiber Sensing

Here the gradient creates an impressive depth and perfectly complements the abstract backdrop that is set in motion. Thanks to a smooth transition from violet to blue, the homepage evokes positive feelings as well as impacts on the user's a sense of trust, integrity and reliability.

Zample Me

Zample Me is seemingly brightened by the energy that comes from the splendid gradients used throughout the site. It creates a powerful contrast that sets the graphics and text apart from the others. Flat style and white used for the content fit quite well with such a vibrant and elegant choice.

Hadar’s Portfolio

The artist leverages a number of fantastic gradients. They are used as backdrops for portfolio pieces. These trendy little islands of smooth and polished transitions between two matching colors add to the traditional layout piquancy.

Sustain Asia

Sustain Asia greets online visitors with a splendid and dramatic video. The frozen stream exhibits an incredible natural gradient that is difficult to resist. It strengthens the overall effect.

Moutakusanda Magazine

Although the project does not feature a common digital gradient, instead the team employs a real-life scene to produce the same effect; however, this trick makes the homepage excel over the others.

Coline Game

The old-timey linear gradient that shifts from orange to green is what gives the site a unique look and elegant appeal. It naturally directs users' attention towards the product. Flat device mockups, bold, soft logotype, and white lettering ideally blend in.

Bloomberg Politics

It's kind of surprising to see in our collection such a content-intensive and serious news portal as Bloomberg. Nevertheless, it is on here for some reason. The website is a representative example of how to follow trends and at the same time remain faithful to traditions. While it leverages the classic modular system to line up the content, each area is enriched with a beautiful subtle and fancy gradient that adds a particular zest to each post.

3 Minute Inc

3 Minute Inc employs energetic, warm and a slightly outdated gradient in tandem with a video background thereby resulting in an outstanding effect. Together they tell a story and set the stage for the rest of the content.

Merry Christmas

The team opts for classic colors (blue and white) to establish a proper atmosphere in the website and make the aesthetics capture the spirit of the holidays. The gradient is soft, subtle and just refined. As befits, everything is carefully planned: white lettering, CTAs, and sharp typeface contribute to the idea.

Fliplab

The gradient maintains the user's focus on the tagline. It serves as a supporting device that hides from the online visitors the beauty of the image backdrop and at the same time keeps the intrigue. It also helps to create a spacious feeling without sacrificing the content and visual impact.

Green Pig

The artist utilizes a bright and vivid gradient to make the header section with the logotype look visually weighty and attention-grabbing. It goes well with the rest of the layout, giving off a little charm and expressing the charismatic personality of the man behind the scene.

Conclusion

Although gradients seem to be trivial, they have the potential to get back on a horse and tune up with new colors. As the above listed examples show, the solution radiates freshness, originality as well as adds a visual interest. What's more, it works particularly well with modern flat style, subtle line style graphics and oversimplified typefaces.

Which example do you find the most impressive?

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Using both pockets

Paulo Coelho A disciple remarked to Rabbi Bounam from Pssiskhe: “The material world seems to suffocate the spiritual world.” “Your pants have two pockets,” said Bounam. “Jot down this sentence and put it in the right pocket: ‘The world was created only for me.’ Now write in the left pocket: ‘I am nothing but dust […]

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3 Security Tips to Consider When Moving

Moving between homes can be a very exciting time. However, you are more likely to be burgled before and after your move. Here are some security tips to consider when moving, including: replacing the current locks, bolstering sliding doors and establishing a safe haven.

Continue reading to learn more about these 3 security tips to consider when moving:

Replacing the Current Locks
The first thing you should do when you move into a new house is to replace the current locks to your home using a vetted, inspected and qualified locksmith.
Ideally replace locks with a patented or a restricted locking system, do make sure you pick the correct lock though. Patented keys carry legal protection, preventing copies being made without providing proof of ownership, while restricted keys are unlikely to be copied due to their unusual design and unique mechanical features. This means that extra keys can’t be made without your knowledge and previous owners or tenants do not still have access to your home.
In addition, when patented keys are stolen or go missing, the existing key can be deleted from a locksmith’s key code database, the lock re-configured and new keys issued, ensuring that lost or stolen keys no longer work. Source: Locksmiths

Bolstering Sliding Doors
Balcony doors are great for sunshine and views, but they can pose a hazard if they are not properly secured. An unsecured sliding door can provide an intruder with a relatively untraceable and quiet entrance to your place. While it’s important to always lock your balcony door when it’s not in use, many sliding doors have inadequate locks and come off their tracks with just a nudge. For optimal security, make sure to arm your sliding door with an inside bar lock or a pole on the track. You can also install a secondary locking mechanism with a metal pin inserted through the doorframe and into the sliding door. Source: SafeWise

Establishing a Safe haven
Follow three basic steps in setting up a safe-haven in your home:

• Designate an internal room;
• Install a two-way communications system or telephone; and
• Furnish the safe haven with an emergency kit.

It is highly unlikely you would spend more than a few hours in a safe haven; however, the supplies listed below are suggested for your maximum safety. Your security officer can tell you more about how to select and secure your safe haven. Source: State

The post 3 Security Tips to Consider When Moving appeared first on Mr Locksmith Calgary.

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Carlos Correa blasts a three-run homer off Mike Morin, Astros win in Extras

Baseball is so weird sometimes. All the time.

Carlos Correa has really been scuffling; so he was given the day off by Astros Manager A.J. Hinch. But then the game of baseball just kind of choose Correa today and said you’re going into the game. The game ran on 13 innings, and nearly ended on a Kole Calhoun walk-off homer that went off the top of the wall in right field. Instead, the Astros got out of a bases-loaded jam, and with two outs in the top of the 13th inning, Correa was called upon to pinch hit.

It’s a pop fly that just keeps going. That’s impressive power, because Correa didn’t know he got all of it but had a pretty good idea he got some of it. The end result is a pinch-hit three run home run, his eighth of the season. The Astros won the game 8-6 and have now won five of six without anyone in the world noticing.

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Bryce Harper takes Adam Wainwright yard

Usually when Bryce Harper homers, the Nationals win. Except they did not win this game on Saturday night, with the Cardinals getting the best of them by a score of 9-4 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

On Adam Wainwright’s 77th pitch of the night, Bryce Harper clubbed a towering home run off that lawn in center in Washington for his 13th home run of the season. It just looked like your casual 90 MPH fastball close to down the heart of the plate:

Now the victory for the Nationals is that teams are slowly forgetting to pitch around Bryce Harper. He wasn’t walked last night, and wasn’t walked today. And what is going to follow is he’s going to go on another tear; and teams will start walking him like it’s going out of style again. This will probably happen his entire career in these patterns.

That, or the Cardinals are just going to subscribe to doing things differently then every other team in Major League Baseball.

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