Vote today – Last chance

I voted sticker
I voted sticker

Please vote if you haven’t voted already. Find your polling place.

If you are eligible to vote in Minnesota and are not registered to vote you can register at your polling place. Here is some information about registering on election day.

I voted a couple of weeks ago. If you voted early in Minnesota and would like to track your ballot you can.

If you have an absentee ballot you must take it to the election office in your county. They have drop boxes. You can also bring it to your polling place and exchange it for a new ballot and vote.

Today is my birthday and today is the 3rd time I have had a birthday on a presidential election day.

I hope we all have something to celebrate this week.

 

October 2024 Home Sales by Neighborhood

Real estate is local. Here is a quick look at what is going on in your neighborhood.

Table with home sale data
October 2024 home sales – St. Paul, MN

The overall median home sale price in St. Paul was slightly lower than the asking price which means that home prices are not going up as quickly as in past months. Prices continue to go down in downtown St. Paul. Bargain hunters should pay attention to monthly HOA dues which are up. The number of home sales and new listings are up slightly in October as is the Median home sale price.

The data used to make the table was extracted from the NorthstarMLS which is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

 

The longest weekend of the year

Fallen leaf

It is Friday and Fridays are for fun. This weekend is the longest weekend of the year. We gain an extra hour by setting our clocks back one hour on Sunday.

I always have big plans for that extra hour. This year I plan on getting the snow blower ready for winter and I’ll put the Halloween decorations away. I could put the lights out on the porch for the holidays.

I’ll compost the plants I have outside in various planters and store the planters for winter. The car windshield needs cleaning on the inside and I should put the garden tools away.

I have a new recipe I want to try and I really should finish the sewing project I started a few weeks ago. The kitchen floor could use a good mopping and I have been meaning to sand and paint the window sills in the kitchen. I bought the paint and sandpaper last June.

Enjoy the weekend and use your hour wisely.

Happy Halloween 2024

I love Halloween! I always have. My husband bought the plastic pumpkin in the picture in the 1990s at a Kmart store for $19.99. It still has a price sticker on it. I thought it was the ugliest thing I had ever seen. Over the years I have come to appreciate it and I put it out every year. It is a bit sun-faded but in pretty good shape for a 30-year-old pumpkin.

Enjoy the day!

plastic pumpkin
the great plastic pumpkin

Loans and credit cards are not just for men

coinsThis week we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Prior to the ECOA women had to have a male cosigner on loans and credit card applications. Usually a father or husband co-signed.

My mother worked full time for many years before she was eligible for her own credit card. My dad had to co-sign and women could not get home loans without a co-signer.

This is something to think about this election season. I don’t think the ECOA will be reversed because banks make too much money off of women but we know that women can lose rights and the ERA (Equal Rights Act –  a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It would guarantee that all citizens have equal rights under the law, regardless of their sex.It would guarantee that all citizens have equal rights under the law, regardless of their sex.) still hasn’t passed.

Fifty years isn’t all that long ago. No we won’t go back.

 

Is your house ready for aging in place?

Orange and red maple leaves

Just some numbers on aging and housing to think about:

The 85 and older population is projected to increase from 6.7 million in 2020 to 14.4 million by 2040 [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]

92% of older adults prefer to age in their current home [Importance of Home Survey American Authors Group]

Only 10% of American homes are “aging ready”. [US Census Bureau 2023}

The house I live in has a main floor space that could be a bedroom but I use it as a home office. When my husband got sick last winter we turned part of the living room into a bedroom. Sometimes a little creativity can make things work. Eventually, I’ll move my office upstairs or down.

When my parents were in their mid 80’s we added grab bars in their bathroom. One of the biggest challenges was making more space so that a person with a walker could navigate through the house. Some of the furniture had to go as did the throw rugs.

Falling down is one of the greatest threats to seniors. Here is more information about avoiding falls.