"No Trespassing" By Mark Phoenix posted June 30, 2022 “No Trespassing” I must admit that I have only heard about this topic in passing.  It’s often referred to as the “purple paint law” that is in effect in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, but, not in New York State . In the states of the... [read more]

The "Peg Board Revolution" By Mark Phoenix posted January 26, 2022 I was scanning some articles on DIY home projects when I came upon this article which features home innovations from the 1950's. It's interesting to read and think about how far we've come when it comes to conveniences we expect and enjoy in our homes today. I had to laugh because the first home "innovation" article I read talks about is "peg board". I just installed peg board... [read more]

  “When One Goes Out…They ALL Go Out!” By Mark Phoenix posted November 29, 2021 Do you remember plugging in a string of Christmas lights to see if they worked?  With newer strings of Christmas lights, if there are any lights that burned out while they were stored away, you can simply replace the burned-out bulbs and the full string of lights would shine brightly.  Yet, it wasn’t always that easy... With older strings of Christmas... [read more]

  "The House that America Has Been Waiting For" By Mark Phoenix posted June 4, 2021 I am wondering if you have heard of a “Lustron” house that once was considered to be a “futuristic” housing design.  I suspect many have not.  These homes were invented by a man named Carl Strandlund and were advertised as “…The House that America Has Been Waiting For”.  Lustron houses are prefabricated houses with... [read more]

  Is it a Bungalow or a Ranch? By Mark Phoenix posted May 14, 2021 Is it a Bungalow or a Ranch? That is always a popular question for new real estate agents.  How do you tell the difference between these two housing styles since they are both typically one-story houses?  Well, the truth is, both Ranch style houses and Bungalow style houses can be either one story or 1 ½ stories.  Yet, that is probably more information than you might want to know and,... [read more]