Update from Western Kentucky

My brother Chuck works for the Jackson Purchase Energy Co-op in Paducah -- about 4 hours from Lexington. He just sent our family this update as we hadn't heard from him in a few days. I know some of you all may have friends in the area and would appreciate the update. Sounds horrific.

Just wanted to let you guys know the status down here. Angela and Josh are fortunate enough to have power this morning. They are one of the only people in Graves County with power. We are fortunate to live near the hospital and County High School. The high school is a designated shelter and power restoration was a high priority for them and the hospital. They are telling the rest of the county to plan for 30 days without power and more if an individual service is affected. I refer to Josh and Angela as they because other than going home for a couple of hours to check on them I have been here at the office……sleeping for an hour or two on the floor of my office. We lost nearly all our trees but none hit the house. I have probably a week worth of chain sawing to do when things quiet down. Joni and Sara are in the city and if they aren’t on, they should be within the week maybe even in the next day or so.

We are hoping to have a majority of our system on by the end of next week but it will probably be 30 days for some folks. We alone have 150 extra workers from the gulf shore in Alabama to Michigan. Some of the folks we helped out in Louisiana are here to return the favor. We normally run about 30 line workers so this is quite a lot of people to house and feed. Plus many of our regular workers have had trees damage their house…..work comes first so they have been having their spouses and family manage as best as they can. We secured a load of generators for their families so they can get some power to keep some things going without having to worry about closing off their houses where trees have come through.

I just had the President of our bank hand deliver some cash to us……nice to be able to call his cell phone, tell them we need cash to feed people and have them open up the bank and bring the money to us.

No injuries yet with our workers; probably because no power is getting to us. Only a few people that have been found dead in their house from exposure or failure of medical equipment. 911 was down for several days so medical cases weren’t able to summon help and in some cases they couldn’t be reached because of trees blocking roads. Even helicopters were banished the first couple of days because of weather conditions. Some veterans of Gustav and Katrina are saying this is much worse, save the mostly lack of home damage.

The judge executive for one of our neighboring counties, Crittenden, has told people to close their houses and not come back for two months. Hard to believe people’s jobs will be carried that long and the businesses there will be hard pressed to survive.

Chuck Williamson

Chilliness!!!

I'm starting to feel really bad right now about telling people moving to Lexington about our mild winters! It's a little chilly and especially chilly if you haven't any electricity which seems to be a theme around town this week. At least we aren't in Paducah! We're still happy at my house (which we haven't left in days...) and while we've lost several trees our power is still going. Thank goodness for that as we were the last street in Lexington that came back on-line in the ice storm of 2003! Lots of people in Ashland Park and Chevy Chase area are without power and section of Downtown has been out as well.

I was noticing that my least favorite tree appears to be at an odd angle right now and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that if I lose another tree that it's the one to go. I might send the kids out to help it along. If it comes out by the root, I won't have to pay my tree go to grind the stump this way!

So...one thing I always say about living in Kentucky is that we have all four seasons. We've definitely got winter covered this year!

Ice + Snow + Wind = Crack!

That's what Mary Rollins said anyway. Kentucky.com has lots of photos of Ice Storm 2009 but I thought I'd post a few pictures from the Mathews house and Lakeside neighborhood. We're on Day 3 with no school and amazingly having more fun everyday. We may never go back to work. Of course, it's a lot more fun with electricity and heat than it was in 2003 when we had our last ice storm. We were 8 days without power and, frankly, that wasn't nearly as much fun. Today, we're enjoying a Harry Potter movie marathon, a toasty fire and I just lost at Monopoly to Will. I knew I shouldn't have traded Atlantic for those Railroads but I'll do anything for a kiss from Willy! We have left the house but only to take the loop around our neighborhood.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=61458&l=85bda&id=572718665

As you can see in these pictures, we did lose a major tree in the backyard, a big chunk of fence and my most beloved maple tree has suffered some serious damage.

And, word just in...Fayette County schools closed for Thursday!

Perfect for roommates 3659 Leisure Creek Court

My newest listing is perfect for wanting like-new, affordable and a quick commute downtown or to UK. It's an ideal floor plan for the owner who would like to have a roommate and be able to offer them their own private space and bath. Totally neutral decor and move-in ready, plus there's not even a nail hook in a wall that would need to be patched! The current owner has installed 1.5 blinds throughout the house and all appliances stay! Plus, there's no exterior maintenance to take care of and the development features a clubhouse and pool for residents.

Check out this great find under the featured listings on my website.

RESIDE Magazine

Check out the link to the right for the on-line version of Sotheby's RESIDE Magazine. It's fantastic.

Will said he wishes we had $44 million dollars so we could buy the island in Whitefish, Montana...me too!

More about Sotheby's

Sorry it's been a week since my last posting regarding my brokerage change to Bluegrass Sotheby's International Realty (BGSIR). So many friends have sent so many nice notes (and some really pretty flowers to the office...thanks Kathy & Marc). It's a really exciting opportunity and has generated lots of questions from so many people.

Here's one question that I keep getting and seems really important to answer! Will I still be selling the same kinds of properties and helping the same clients I've been serving the past four years? Absolutely. One of my favorite things about BGSIR is the philosophy is that Sotheby's is "about service not a price range!" While I'm sure not opposed to selling a $44 million dollar island, BGSIR is absolutely about the very nice home at 1321 Dale Drive that's perfect for the first-time home buyer. I believe that every client deserves the highest level of service and care whether they're Bill Gates or the UK med student looking for a $75,000 townhouse!

Sotheby's!

If you are checking in to the blog regularly, here's the news: beginning in January, I will be affiliated with the new Sotheby's brokerage opening in Lexington. I'm so excited to be a part of this new office and joining a fantastic group of professionals who will be affiliated with the new Bluegrass Sotheby's International Realty office. Our new offices are located in Ashland Plaza in the heart of Chevy Chase (right above Starbucks...that could be a problem).

Tomorrow's news

Be sure to check here tomorrow for some news I think is pretty exciting!

Merry Christmas!

It'll be a quiet day in the real estate market but I imagine come the second week in January, we'll be seeing lots of activity. Here's hoping that you have a very Merry Christmas!

Staying warm in the Bluegrass the Russian Way

Congratulations to Frank Marino and friends who were featured in a great article on their new Lexington-produced vodka, Pure Blue, in this morning's Herald-Leader. It's the top story in the Business Section and a great piece about their new Barrel House Distillery. I can't wait to see it on the shelves in 2009 and have another addition to Lexington's blossoming Distillery District on Manchester Street!

Tis the busy season

Maybe not for home sales...let's give it until January...but it certainly is busy finishing up everything that needs to be done before Christmas! It's so frigid this morning in the Bluegrass that I'm thrilled that the kids are out of school and we don't have to leave the house before 10 am.

One of my past clients just asked for a couple of recipes that I thought I'd share here for some great Christmas morning breakfast casseroles. Actually, they're pretty good for a brunch anytime! Bon appetit!

German Baked Eggs (a great choice for egg & cheese eating vegetarians)

12 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack
2 cups cottage cheese
½ cup all-purpose flour
T tsp baking powder
½ cup butter, melted

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a 9x13x2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Top should be lightly browned. Lightly is the key word.

This recipe makes a very large portion and is good if cut in half for a smaller family.

Italian Breakfast Casserole

1 8 oz. can refrigerated crescent rolld
1 lb. mild pork sausage
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian-blend cheese
6 large eggs
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ cup milk

Press crescent dough in the bottom of a greased 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Brown sausage until no longer pink, drain, and spread over dough. Sprinkle cheese over sausage.

Whisk together eggs, oregano and milk. Pour mixture over sausage.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes until eggs set and cheese is lightly browned. Let stand at room temp for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Credit Scores article

This could be a recurring theme in the blog...is it a good time to buy? I just came across this article from RISmedia about changes coming in credit limits coming in the new year that may decrease consumers' credit scores. Looks like the lowering of the credit limits will have a negative effect on the credit score and subsequently a negative effect on the ability to buy. The article also includes some important tips for helping to keep your credit score high.

You can access the article by clicking this link: http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-11-15/what-about-next-years-home-buyers/