May 2010 CFR Market News

By Lynda | May 4, 2010 |

CFR Market News

Volume 2 Issue 9 May 2010

Bring May Flowers

But do April showers really bring May flowers?

No more so than showers in May or September. Exactly which rainy period has the biggest effect on growth depends on whether you’re looking at perennials or annuals. Perennials, which are plants whose roots stay alive even after the part above ground dies, usually pop up as the first proud trumpeters of spring. If you’re in Maine or England, that’s likely to be in May; farther south, it makes more sense to call them late-March and early-April flowers. (Some perennials like the Cyclamen coum have the audacity to show up and thrive as early as January.)

Regardless of when the perennials bloom, the rainfall of the previous month isn’t that relevant. Plants such as tulips and daffodils, two common perennials, sprout from bulbs that have been in the ground since at least the previous autumn, which is when their buds were forming and roots were growing. So if there had been a severe drought in September, the tulips and daffodils may suffer months later. Once the foliage starts peeking through the soil in early spring, rainfall again becomes important. If there’s a drought, the perennials won’t grow as high, and they wither faster. But in most years, there’s enough moisture in the soil from the winter’s snow to sustain the spring flowers.

Whatever effect April’s showers do have on May flowers tends to be negative. Too much rain while the plants are blossoming makes them more susceptible to diseases like Botrytis blight, which causes buds to shrivel before they open.

For annuals, which are the flowers that must be replanted every year, lifespan and growth are influenced by the rainfall in the months immediately after they’re planted, not the month before. Summer annuals like petunias, marigolds, geraniums, tomatoes, and cucumbers go into the ground after the frost-free date, which varies by region but hovers around late April. Once planted, they must receive enough water during the next few months to stay healthy. (The exact amount depends on heat and wind, but a good rule of thumb is that if you stick a finger into the soil and feel some moisture, you’re good.) Too much heavy rain can beat them down or, if the soil isn’t draining properly, drown their roots and kill them. But April showers would have no effect on annuals planted in May.

The one place where April showers would truly bring May flowers is the desert. In arid regions like the Mojave, plants sit under the sand, sometimes for years, just waiting for enough water to send up shoots and leaves. A few weeks-or sometimes even days-after a heavy rainfall, the desert will explode with color.

EPA rules on lead paint in home renovations took effect Earth Day!

According to Deborah K. Dietsch Special to The Washington Post article dated April 17, 2010, hiring someone to renovate your older home is about to become more complicated and expensive. Earth Day, April 22, contractors working on almost all homes built before 1978 must prove they have the Environmental Protection Agency’s stamp of approval to do the work — or face fines of up to $37,500 a day.

A new federal rule aimed at reducing exposure to toxic lead-paint chips and dust requires renovators to be trained and certified in EPA-approved methods of containing and cleaning up work areas.

The EPA estimates that its new rule will add $8 to $167 to the cost of the average interior remodeling job, but contractors say the expense to homeowners will be much greater. “The EPA has grossly underestimated the costs to comply on any job. I can see my labor costs go up by thousands of dollars,” said Vince Butler, who runs Butler Brothers Corp. in Clifton and is president of the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association.

Butler estimates that the extra time and effort required for protecting, cleaning and testing construction areas in pre-1978 homes will add 5 percent to 30 percent in fees on small renovation jobs.

“Expect to add another $500 to $1,000 for remodeling a kitchen, painting a couple rooms or replacing several windows,” Landis said. “That is the minimal additional cost to perform lead-safe work practices and associated documentation.”

Do-it-yourselfers still have an out: The EPA rule applies only to renovations performed by businesses for compensation. Still, the agency recommends that homeowners follow the procedures in its “Renovate Right” pamphlet, available at http://epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf. Nine out of 10 homes built before 1940 still contain lead paint, according to the EPA. The soft metal was frequently used as a primary ingredient in oil-based house paint until the 1950s and 1960s, when it was replaced with titanium dioxide and latex paints became more available.

Connestee Falls Realty
Box Score

(From Multiple Listing Service records)

Homes sold as of 4-25: 2010 2009 2008 2007
in Connestee Falls 07 09 10 22

Homes sold as of 4-25: 2010 2009 2008 2007
in Transylvania County 64 49 76 133

Residences for Sale in Connestee Falls as of 4-25-10 – 122

Residences for Sale in Transylvania County as of 4-25-10 – 772

Prices of Residences sold:                  (Price)            (Price)
Range                           Median         Average
2010    $ 17,000 – $1,035,000       $185,000            $257,990

Connestee Falls
Prices of Residences sold: (Price) (Price)
Range Median Average

2010        $ 87,500 – $405,000        $323,000            $272,643
2009        $205,000 – $560,000       $300,000            $336,000
2008        $220,000 – $440,000       $327,500            $335,000
2007        $184,600 – $525,000       $390,000            $371,256

In This Issue

April Showers -…Bring May Flowers

EPA rules on lead paint

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