Tips for Moving Furniture

From TheFamilyHandyman.com

Don't carry or drag—slide

Smooth moving

You can buy furniture slides in many shapes and sizes at home centers and online. It's also easy to make your own sliders from plastic container covers, Frisbees, bedspreads, moving blankets, towels and carpet remnants. Use hard plastic sliders for carpeting, and soft, padded sliders for hard flooring.

Events for Memorial Day Weekend

By Amy Reyes | MiamiHerald.com

Shying away from the party on Miami Beach? Here are some ways to keep yourself entertained on the Memorial Day Weekend.

Miami may be party central this weekend but for those who don't want to hit the clubs there is still plenty going on this weekend.

Play
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway reunite to wrestle with the perils of creativity in the Actors’ Playhouse season closer ‘Scott and Hem in the Garden of Allah.’

8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m Sunday. 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables; 305-444-9293; $15-$48.

Paso Fino
Paso Fino breeders from around the world converge at the Spectrum International Paso Fino Horse Show, an equestrian fair for the whole family with vendors, showcases and music plus plenty of horses showing off their fancy footwork.

9 a.m. Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. Sunday. Tropical Park Equestrian Center, 7900 SW 40th St., Miami; 305-216-6861; $8-$10.

Sneaker Con
Get your hands on some fancy footwear at this convention for sneaker lovers and the vendors who supply them with those hard-to-get, limited edition and custom-made kicks.

Noon to 7p.m. Saturday at the BankUnited Center, 1245 Dauer Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-8686 or www.bankunitedcenter.com; admission $29.75.

Heat
Cheer on the Miami Heat as they take on the Indiana Pacers in Games 3 and 4 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday and Monday. If you missed out on tickets, Hyde AmericanAirlines, the courtside lounge in the arena, will host a watch party with cocktails and music by the official DJ of the Miami Heat, DJ Irie as you watch the game on oversized LED screens.

7 p.m., Tip off at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Monday. 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; www.HydeAArena.com; $75. 
 
Makers Square Fair
The Museum of Discovery and Science hosts a three-day special event where visitors can put their imagination to the test with a variety of interactive activities, including pottery, blacksmithing, and jewelry-making taking place on the plaza.

Noon-4 p.m. Saturday through Monday. 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale; $15-$18, children under 2 are free.

Pool Party
Take a dip at Salvation Sundays, the summer pool party series at the W Fort Lauderdale’s WET pool deck with DJ Mark Gallo spinning plus a bevy of specialty drinks. Cabanas are available.

Noon-sunset, Sunday. 401 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-414-8300 or FLLNightlife.com

Vizcaya
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is participating in Blue Star Museums, a plan that offers free admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel, including National Guard and Reserve, and their families, from Memorial Day (May 26) through Labor Day, (Sept. 1).

9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday. 3251 S. Miami Ave., Miami; Regular admission $6-$18; vizcaya.org.

Pérez Art Museum Miami
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) offers free exhibition tours at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. in honor of the Memorial Day holiday. The tours are led by trained museum guides and last 45 minutes. Visitors who arrive to PAMM by Metromover on May 26 will also receive free museum admission. A PAMM visitors services staff member will be at Museum Park Station with museum passes, good for Monday, May 26, only.   

10 a.m.-6 p.m. 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 8-$ 12, free for Active Military with ID, members, children under 6.

Sunrise approves $1B development project

Brian Bandell

Senior Reporter-South Florida Business Journal

Metropica in Sunrise is planned for 1,250 high-rise residential units,
485,000 square feet of commercial space and 150,000 square feet of office space.

Sunrise city officials approved the $1 billion Metropica mixed-use project, which has been in the works for more than 10 years.

Joseph Kavana’s K Group Holdings wants to build the project on 63 acres it owns just west of the Sawgrass Mills Mall along Panther Parkway/Northwest 136th Avenue. The approval allows for 1,250 high-rise residential units, 485,000 square feet of commercial space and 150,000 square feet of office space.

The first phase of the project will be condominiums, although at least 500 units in future phases will be rentals, Metropica spokeswoman Lauren Marks said. No price points have been announced.

The developer has yet to sign any commercial tenants as its focus has been on obtaining approvals and launching residential construction, she said.

The developer will also fund $5 million in transportation infrastructure, including a shuttle system. A two-acre public park will be included in the site.

Marks said K Group plans to sell an additional 17 acres to The Richmond Group for the development of a 417-unit residential project called Portico.

Ron Howard Lists Longtime Connecticut Lakefront Estate

AUTHOR:EMILY HEFFTER
ZILLOW

Director Ron Howard, whose career spans child-acting roles in “The Andy Griffith Show,” Oscar-winning movies, and the cult-favorite sitcom “Arrested Development,” has listed his lakefront Greenwich, CT estate for $27.5 million.

Howard and his wife, Cheryl, raised their family on this country estate in Conyers Farm, which borders Armonk NY on Converse Lake.

Source: IMDb

The shingle-style home, which has sweeping views of Converse Lake, has 6 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, a two-story library and office, a 14-seat movie theater, an indoor pool, a gym and a yoga  studio. The estate includes a two-bedroom guest cottage, an indoor tennis and basketball complex, an observatory silo, barns, paddocks, a pond and waterfall, greenhouses and formal gardens.

In a news release about the listing, Howard was quoted reminiscing about the property: “Whether we’re watching films in our theater, walking the trails throughout our property, star gazing in our observatory, or just relaxing with friends and loved ones by the lake, Cheryl and I feel we’ve accomplished the goals we set when we began work on this place.

“Our children are grown, so it’s time to move on, but the memories of this very special place will never leave us.”

To sell the family compound, Howard has enlisted two brokerages: Sotheby’s International Realty – Greenwich Brokerage, led by Lyn Stevens, and Tamar Lurie, of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Connecticut and Westchester, NY.

The home is an hour’s drive from New York City.

Interested in Ron Howard’s home, or other homes for sale in Greenwich, CT? Mortgage calculationsshow that a monthly mortgage payment for Howard’s home, based on 20 percent down ($5,500,000) and a 30-year fixed rate comes to $133,794 a month.

Interior House Painting Tips & Painting Techniques for the Perfect Paint Job

From TheFamilyHandyman.com

Clean dirty surfaces so the paint can form a strong bond

If you paint over dirty, oily surfaces, the paint will easily chip or peel off. So before painting, clean grimy areas with a deglosser or heavy-duty cleaner intended for prepaint cleaning. They work well to clean painted, varnished or enameled surfaces to improve the adhesion of the new paint. They’re ideal for cleaning greasy or oily areas like kitchen and bathroom walls and removing hand marks around light switches and doorknobs.

Wipe on the cleaner in a circular motion using a lint-free cloth or abrasive pad. Start at the bottom and work up. After the surface is clean, fill in any nicks and holes, then sand them smooth before painting. The cleaners are available at paint stores and home centers. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and eye protection.

Clean dirty areas before painting

Borrowing from Sub prime Lenders

From the Superpages.com

Subprime lenders are lending organizations that make mortgage loans to borrowers whose credit rating prevents them from obtaining a traditional loan from conventional lenders. Those with credit ratings that fall below 620 (on a scale that ranges from 300 – 850) have a higher default rate than those with ratings above 720. Because of the risks associated with lending to those with poor credit, subprime lenders assess higher interest rates and fees.

Credit problems

A borrower may have developed a poor credit rating due to any number of factors. Among the most common issues are:

• Payment delinquencies (two or more payments past thirty days due, or one past ninety days)
• Charge-off (a statement by a creditor that a debt is unlikely to be collected)
• Bankruptcy
• Judgments (foreclosure, repossession, loan default)
• Errors on credit reports
• Debt-to-income ratio

Types of subprime mortgages

Because of the risk factors involved with lending to those with bad credit, several subprime mortgage options are available with terms that mitigate the risk.

1. Interest only mortgages – For a period of time, usually five to ten years, the borrower pays only the interest. During that time, the principal remains unchanged. At the end of the period, the loan is resets either according to the terms of the mortgage contract, or a new mortgage is taken out.
2. Pay out option mortgages – With this loan, the borrower selects the type of payment – full payment, interest only, or a minimum payment (which may or may not be low enough to reduce the loan balance). These loans are usually Adjustable Rate Mortgages.
3. Hybrid mortgages – This is the most common type of subprime mortgage. With this loan, the interest rate is fixed for a specific period (usually two or three years). At the end of that time, the interest rate becomes adjustable for the remaining time. A 2/28 mortgage is the usual type: the interest is fixed for the first two years, then adjusts annually (usually to a higher level) for the remaining twenty-eight years.

Why Assume a Subprime Loan

If the borrower is dealing with a reputable subprime lending institution, there are some advantages. With a subprime mortgage, a borrower can:

• Buy a home
• Rebuild credit – especially with hybrid mortgages or interest only loans. The early fixed-rate allows the borrower to make monthly payments that will slowly work to restore his or her credit rating to a better level. When the fixed-rate period expires, an improved credit score may qualify the borrower for a conventional loan.

Be Careful

Many reputable, subprime lenders are ethical in their practices. However, subprime lending has been subject to predatory lending practices. If considering a subprime loan, research the history of the lenders. Consulting with HUD, not only about the lending institution, but about your eligibility for a subprime mortgage as well, is the safest route to take.

Meryl Streep Lists Her New Los Angeles Mid-Century

AUTHOR:EMILY HEFFTER
ZILLOW

Source: IMDb

 Academy Award winner Meryl Streep has listed the sleek Los Angeles home she bought last February for $2.25 million more than she paid. The home above the Sunset Strip is at 1514 Rising Glen Rd.

The actress is banking on the hot Southern California real estate market to turn a quick profit. She paid $4.5 million for the 4-bedroom, 4-bath, 3,500-square-foot mid-century modern. Now she has listed it for $6.75 million.

According to the listing, held by Ian Brooks of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the home comes furnished with the same contemporary pieces it had when Streep bought the property 14 months ago. The 1954 estate has clean modern lines, walls of glass and a large patio with a pool and spa. Its most distinctive feature is the rough-hewn floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

If you want to get a look at that house, you’ll have to settle for the photos. The listing is adamant: “No open houses. No exceptions.”