Best Places for Retiring in Arkansas

SmartMoney.com released a report unveiling the four places in Arkansas that offer retirees "low living costs, high returns."


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House to House: Tips help homeowners stay cool, safe during hot weather

The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association.   To read more House to House columns from the statewide association, visit http://www.ArkansasRealtors.com/category/house-to-house.  

Good grief. As a write this, the temperatures in Arkansas are soaring higher and higher. Little Rock just hit 114 degrees thus becoming the hottest day ever on record in Little Rock — and records date back to 1877.

According to a news release I just received from MXenergy (they don’t serve Arkansas), the sweltering heat enveloping much of the country has caused heat-related deaths, broken at least 1,400 high-temperature records across the U.S. in July alone, and has many homeowners wondering if relief will ever come.


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Mom to Mom: Tips for Safely Enjoying Fourth of July Fireworks

As brilliant colors blanket the sky and the sound of fireworks echo in neighborhoods this fourth -of-July, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) offers fireworks safety tips to help prevent injuries during this traditional holiday.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 21,692 people were treated for injuries related to fireworks in 2011.

"Many people view these mini explosives as harmless, when in fact they can be very dangerous to people of all ages," said orthopaedic surgeon and AAOS spokesperson William Obremskey, MD. "Take it from one who picked up a "dud" as a kid and suffered minor burns. You can also lose a finger, damage your eyes or worse. To avoid injury, people should not use fireworks at home, but instead find a park or outdoor location that showcases fireworks."

There are plenty of ways for you to enjoy fireworks this summer without putting yourself or your family at risk. In an effort to reduce the number and severity of firework-related injuries, the Academy offers some safety guidelines for adults who do choose to use fireworks:

• Check with your local police department to determine if fireworks can be discharged legally in your area.  If so, determine which types are legal.
• Never buy or use illegal fireworks.  Their quality cannot be assured. 
• Only adults should light fireworks.
• Never hold lighted fireworks with your hand or place them near the body.
• Always have water handy in case of a fire. For example, a hose hooked to a faucet or a bucket of water. 
• Read the caution label on packaging before igniting.
• Wear safety eyewear when using fireworks.
• Soak used fireworks in water before discarding.
• Never try to relight a firework.
• If you are injured using fireworks, seek immediate medical attention.
• Never allow young children to play with or go near fireworks, including sparklers. They
  seem harmless but sparklers can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees.
• Never handle fireworks if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.   

House to House: Trees help reduce homes’ power usage, preserve natural beauty

The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette  and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association. 

I am all for progress, but have been sad to see hundreds of trees in more than one area of my frequently traveled routes cut down in the name of commercial development. Don’t get me wrong, I love having a White House Black Market and Walgreens within walking distance of my home. I just wish we didn’t have to lose trees in the process.

So it was a relief to my heart to recently receive a news release from Entergy Arkansas and the Arbor Day Foundation announcing that the two organizations were giving free trees to Entergy customers in Arkansas through the Energy-Saving Trees program. I ordered a red maple.

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House to House: Cockroaches produce allergens, create health risk in homes

The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette  and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association. 


For 23 million Americans — including me — spring showers (and those Bradford pear trees) bring more than rejuvenation. They bring sniffles, sneezes and wheezing that could only mean allergy season is here. But before you and I run for cover indoors this spring, we apparently need to take heed: One of the most dangerous allergens (please say it isn’t so!) may be crawling inside our homes.


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House to House: Home Resolutions Can Save Money, Grief

The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette  and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association. 


While you are busy making the typical New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, lose weight or quit smoking, why not make a few New Year’s resolutions for your home? Doing so might not just help you increase the value of your home and/or help you sell it, those resolutions might just save you a few frustrating moments in 2012.


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House to House: HouseLogic offers tips to avoid common holiday mishaps

The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette  and numerous papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association. 

This week’s column is co-written by Emma Gillaspy, an eighth grader at Bob Courtway Middle School in Conway.

At the holidays I am always reminded of how blessed I am with family. When I say “blessed,” I mean Thanksgiving with 40 to 60 of my closest relatives — cousins, aunts, new babies and lots of great stories about days gone by and our ancestors. Then there are the food “must haves” like the requisite hot sausage tradition started by my great-grandfather, and my grandmother Maxine’s chocolate cake, without which my wing of the family would probably not make it through the door.

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House to House: CDC tips help protect residents, rescue crews after disaster

The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and papers throughout Arkansas is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association. 

Knock on wood, I’ve never really had to deal with flooding or damage from tornadoes.

However, I keep in my thoughts the countless Americans who are still dealing with the wind damage and flooding that resulted from Hurricane Irene and the spring 2011 tornadoes. Lately, if you’ve seen me on any given weekend I am most likely wearing my “Willdabeast” shirt. The shirt memorializes the Joplin, Mo., teenager, Will Norton, who died in the May 22 tornado on his way home from his high school graduation. All proceeds from the T-shirt sales go to Joplin disaster relief.

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House to House: Apologies to Pepe le Pew — DIY deterrents may repel skunks from property

The following article printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the sole product and property of the Arkansas Realtors Association. 

Dear Pepe le Pew: Your kind has returned to my neck of the woods and, as much as I enjoyed watching you on cartoons as a child, the thrill is gone.

Actually, in all fairness Pepe, it’s not you — it’s the reality show version of you. Unlike the song you once crooned to me, I am not in the mood for love. The cold hard truth is that you and your Arkansas cousins stink, and your cousins’ stink lingers far too long after they’ve left. Eau de Skunk is not a scent I enjoy. Not early in the morning as I sit on my deck or late in the evenings as I sit on my porch. Nor do I enjoy the anxiety of having my dogs smelling of skunk upon re-entering my home.

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