Radioactive Granite, Formaldehyde in the Cabinets - Are We Sacrificing Our Health for Our Vanity?

What’s Lurking in Your Countertop? - NYTimes.com

The granite, it turned out, contained high levels of uranium, which is not only radioactive but releases radon gas as it decays.

But with increasing regularity in recent months, the Environmental Protection Agency has been receiving calls from radon inspectors as well as from concerned homeowners about granite countertops with radiation measurements several times above background levels. “We’ve been hearing from people all over the country concerned about high readings,” said Lou Witt, a program analyst with the agency’s Indoor Environments Division.

Today I was chatting with a friend. Her kids bought a new home two years ago and have been in and out of the hospital ever since. After months of medical testing they finally tested the house. Turns out the cabinets were emitting fairly high levels of formaldehyde. They are in the process of ripping them out.

We tend to think that "natural" means healthy. As my step-father likes to say, "cyanide occurs naturally in plants, that doesn't mean I want to eat it".

The good news is, all of these toxins are relatively easy to test for. But, should I? I know I don't like throwing my money away on a test that's probably going to show that there is not an issue.

My best guess is that these "new" concerns will NOT be widespread. That's the argument, few folks are affected and it will not have a major impact on the consumer. Unless you, or your loved one, happens to be the consumer that gets sick.

16 Groups of People Kept Me Busy at My Campbell Open House

It's been a long time since I was busy at an open house.

The last open house I did, I watched "the last lecture" on YouTube on my laptop! [Great inspirational stuff, and a great speaker! Watch Randy here, but not the reason to hold an open house!]

Yesterday I was busy the whole time! It was so great! I made chocolate chip cookies - which is always fun and loosens people up so I am not the hawk at the front door - and wore my fuzzy purple socks to keep my feet warm and to slide around the hardwood floors.

Some of my groups were entire families out looking together, most groups were 2-3 people. Not once did I hear "the market is uncertain" or "we're waiting to see what happens". Most of what I heard was "We need a bigger house", "I moved here for work", "I want to be close to downtown Campbell".

There are currently 7,059 properties on the market in Santa Clara County, 324 in Campbell. For the month 1184 have sold in the county and 46 in Campbell. Which is about on pace for August.

I think the big adjustment is over. There may be some little movement; 3-4% during the holidays but, I am worried that that dip will be negated by any rise in interest rates.

What have you seen in your neighborhood?

Why use an Agent? I'm pretty smart and I can find stuff on the internet.

I love this question because it's an opportunity to teach folks that they don't even know what they don't know.

Here's a great example that came up for me this week; I am also a writer and I was reading a fellow writer's blog. She just got a movie deal for one of her books and she was so excited. Here's what she wrote:


So we gave them two months. About a month later, I get a call from my lit-agent saying, really, more squeeing, that we're expecting an offer from The Weinstein Company! This was huge news because, beyond the obvious, Meryl was once Harvey Weinstein's right-hand gal, and the fact that they were reteaming on something meant they really wanted to get this done.

So I squeeed and squeeed and waited by my email for more details...and waited....and waited....and finally, like a week and a half later or something, we got the offer. I jumped up and down and squeeed some more and would have immediately accepted (because I am a writer, not an agent) but my agent is savvier than I am and prepared a counter-offer. (See, this is why agents are good things. Very good things. Because I would have squeeed forever and happily cashed whatever sum of money they shoved at me and called it a day.)

When you find the right property, you, my client, get so excited - dreaming about where you're going to put your cute little armoire - that the details of the deal become secondary - at least that's my experience in the last 20 years of helping people.

I am the same way! I remember when I had an accident on an outside terrace. The table we were sitting at blew over and my left hand was crushed. I required emergency surgery and had pins in my fingers then physical therapy. When I went to get re-imbursement, I had no idea what to ask for. So, I hired an attorney who charges 30% of the settlement. I thought, I am smart, I negotiate all day long, maybe I can save myself 30% of something. I thought about it overnight and hired him the next day. I had thought maybe I could get my expenses plus $20K ish for the hassle. My attorney negotiated a settlement of expenses plus $75K. After all was said and done - I more than doubled my money by hiring the attorney.

Now, I am not saying I'll make you double what your property is worth when I sell it but, I know that the value I bring to the table - in all areas of the deal, not just the money - far outweighs the fee I receive.