The air continued to be heavy today, but at least it looks like the sun will start burning it off tomorrow. It really has been the craziest of growing seasons this year. Now on the downward slide of summer, I’ve seen some pretty sick looking fields of corn and soybeans. One of my old clients told me today that for the first time in many years, his tomato plants have been in sorry states. The tomatoes he’s been getting, are much smaller than they should be, and the leaves on their vines are already beginning to fall off. At first he thought it a pest problem, but realized that most of it had to do with the excessive rain we’ve received along with wide and vacillating temps. Perhaps that’s the reason I’ve been noticing how the prices of vegetables are going up, and yet this is the time when they should be less due most vegetables being now in season.
One of my first duties of the day was to meet a Realtor at Prairie Place on 1st so to give the grand tour before allowing them to be shown to prospective customers. I bristle every time an agent wants to take a run thru them alone without knowing much of anything about the complex. I always think of it as a situation where the blind are trying to lead the blind. I’ll find out tomorrow how the showing went. Having told the agent to call me if there were any questions, and not receiving one, I’ll have to assume all went well.
Part of my morning was spent showing homes to a customer who’s been looking for that near “perfect fit”. Whenever working with buyers who are a bit all over the map, I try to get them focused on what the most important features they’re looking for, and then encourage them stay within those perimeters, because if they don’t, they’ll find themselves having looked at too many homes which causes all the more indecisiveness and confusion. I’m confident the right one will appear, and then it’ll be under contract.
The listing I spoke about yesterday, is now officially on the market. It’s located at 1619 S. Coolidge Ave. here in Mason City, and priced at $74,500. At first glance, it doesn’t look like much from the outside, but upon entering, one finds a very roomy 3+ bedroom home with a number of recent updates. I’ve always liked the area it’s in because Central Heights is just like a little village on the fringe of our City. This home also has a huge double garage which pulls up its re-sale value, along with it having a very large lot size measuring 100 x 130. That’s a third of an acre!
Just this past month, it was announced that all the streets that are un-paved in Central Heights, will be getting paved, and likely beginning either next year, or the year after. When those streets do get paved, the property values will certainly go up along with all the more people wanting to move out there. The location alone is a plus due to Newman Catholic School being very close, many of the factories in Industrial Park being within walking distance, and the real bonus, is having the bike trail to Clear Lake only two blocks away. In time, I won’t be surprised if they’ll start building new homes on the remaining open lots in that district.
I’ve been hearing of late, some of the brainstorm ideas to keep our residents happy and healthy. What do ya’ll think of creating a state-of-the-art community greenhouse? Did you know that there are cities and towns in Northern Europe which have them? I think it’s a great idea for all those who’re looking for something to do during our long winter months, and in the end have something to show for it. Putzing with flowers and vegetables could turn into a family event. If children were fully exposed to the hands-on process of growing flowers and vegetables, I can assure you there’d be a life-long interest created. We already have community gardens, so why not start a community greenhouse? The Amish and Mennonites have been doing it for years, and have certainly become quite popular in our area with the marketing of their flowers and vegetables.
Tonight’s one-liner is: To judge between good or bad, successful and unsuccessful would take the eye of a God.
