Here is a BIZ idea, the upside for the downside...

[GordonJ]

Just an idea. I'm taking a break from strenuous thinking so I'll post while my brain cools down. Curb appeal and added space.

Curb APPEAL. It's not only a neat TV show on the Home and Garden Network, but many of the homes FOR SALE in my area need some of it.

Since the RE market is sort of slow, or tanking in S. FL, rising in Central FL and about to BOOM in the FL panhandle, what is the UPSIDE?

People are spending money on upgrades, home improvements and increasing the space they have.

I'm AMAZED at how sad some homes look from the street, especially ones for sale.

Here's an idea for someone ambitious. Take a pic of a house that needs help and digitize it and give it some curb appeal.

Small things, of course LANDSCAPING, but it doesn't have to be plants and such...a little wrought iron, a small deck, a new door, bird bath...and there are a million little things that can be done.

I think for 1500 bux a person could give any home some great looking eye appeal.

MORE space. Biz is booming for some home improvement co's...my brother is a cad designer for one of the largest patio type businesses in the country.

Patios, sun rooms, decks, insulated and waterproofed basements, dormers and additions are hot because people aren't buying new or for them a new home, so they seem to be fixing up and sprucing up the one they've got...now here's something unique.

The Teen Cottage. Yep. Get them buggers out of your house and put em in the back yard in their own little "cottage", bed room.

I'll look for a link with some pics but here is one story...

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06...s/source/1.htm

and you don't have to get carried away with it like in the article.

Other stories:

http://www.cottageliving.com/cottage...175435,00.html

And of course you could stick the obnoxious teen in an RV where he and his band buddies could rock out...oh, my nephew plays in a band, Upper Class Trash,

Well, the point is that with some imagination, you could be offering a couple of "home improvement" offerings...the CURB APPEAL biz, and the backyard "retreat'...and you may not even need a buiding permit for one of those prefab things...but CHECK first, of course.

My neighbor just had one of these put up on a concrete slab and had it landscaped:

http://www.fascias.com/media/aStyliq...s/Balmoral.JPG

Looks big enough for a teenager. Just need to add one of these:

http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/outhouse.jpg

HA!

Gordon

PS. Find ways and tools to help realtors and home sellers SELL the glut of listings, and you'll help yourself too.