A Tiggeriffic Halloween Pic--With a Bit of Disney Magic!

Okay so the software I used to trick out the picture isn't from Disney but Vampire Tigger looks a bit more awesome but not a bit frightening with his new look.

Have a Magically Fun Filled Halloween!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Disney Quiz--Is YOUR Family Totally Disney-fied?

Our family was “Disney-fied” from the get-go. When my husband and I were dating, one of my first gifts to him was the video of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too! Back in the 80's it was an odd gift for a male college student...but perfect for my Tigger-loving guy. We watched the tape over and over with my nieces and could pretty much quote the entire show. We also used our nieces as reasons to go to Disney movies as pre-Pixar, it didn’t seem too cool for 20-somethings to go alone.

Naturally, when we got married, we honeymooned at Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, it was before destination weddings were a big thing so being a Disney bride wasn’t an option. However, we did meet and have our picture taken with Mickey Mouse after standing in line with a couple dozen kids to commemorate the occasion.

As Disney-fied parents, we let Mickey help teach our boys to read using our collection of Disney’s Sing-A-Long Song videos as well as reading from our library of Disney Classics. Dumbo was a favorite of my oldest son and from 9 months old he would sit on my lap as I read about Casey Junior, Dumbo and Timothy the Mouse.

So is YOUR family Disney-fied?

Wondering how Disney-fied your family is? Take this quick quiz

1. Do all your holiday decorations have a Disney theme?
2. Do Disney Movie Quotes Pop into your head constantly?
3. Can you name the Seven Dwarfs? Have you met them?
4. Is Disneyworld the only place your family wants to vacation?
5. Do you point out hidden Mickeys wherever you go?
6. When you say goodbye to someone, do you wish them a Magical Day?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, your family has also been immersed in the culture and magic of Disney. You are as Disney-fied as we are!

Copyright 2011 Magical Mouse Tales

Which of Winnie the Pooh's Pals has the Perfect Home in the Hundred Acre Wood?

Imagine you were going to buy a home in the Hundred Acre Wood. Let's pretend that for a minute that Pooh and all his friends have their homes up for sale. Whose home would you choose?

• Eeyore's? Not a chance. An A-Frame built of sticks without a proper foundation that a butterfly could knock down in a second isn't worth consideration.
  
• Gopher's? Though Gopher's actual home is never shown, it would appear to be underground. Underground, earth berm homes lack the curb appeal necessary for most buyers.
  
• Owl's? The tree Owl's house is built in doesn't seem to support the weight of the home. On a very blustery day, the whole thing could be blown down.
  
• Pooh's? Now at first glance, Pooh's place looks sturdy but I'd question the upkeep of a home maintained by a bear of very little brain. When a homeowner cannot even take down the name plaque of the previous owner, Mr. Saunders, it is doubtful that he would have the ability to do the upkeep on the interior. Besides when the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down, much of it was inside Pooh's house.
  
• Rabbit's? Now this is a character that cares for his property! Rabbit always seems to have a rake or broom in his hand. His garden is fenced and laid out perfectly, but he does seem to have a egress problem with his door. If a guest cannot have dinner, or several pots of honey, without getting stuck on the way out, there is a problem.
  
• Tigger's? It seems that Tigger may be the homeless resident of the Hundred Acre Wood as he is always bouncing up to his neighbor's homes but never appears to be at his own.
  
• Christopher Robin's? Though probably the best choice of a home as it is currently being occupied by humans, Christopher Robin's home is not located in the Hundred Acre Woods and so it does not meet your buyer criteria.
  
• Kanga's? Given this specific buying criteria, I would choose Kanga's home. She seems to have a lovely, well maintained rambler with a covered front porch. We know it is a two bedroom because Roo has his own bedroom. All other homes appear to be one room efficiency dwellings. To me, Kanga's two bedroom gem appears to be a perfect little cabin in the woods.

The question above is whimsical and not unlike what an actual buyer might go through when considering homes for sale currently listed in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

I have shown a few foreclosures this past year that were not much better than Eeyore's pile of sticks. This is especially true of a few unmaintained decks. Several are so rickety, clients and I avoid being on at the same time if at all.

There have also been homes with narrow hallways and doorways. Though, I only recall one home where a full grown person could have gotten stuck in the floor opening of a spiral stairway, there were several others where I had to recommend that buyers consider how furniture would get in and out due to tight corners and narrow spaces.

And maintenance, or lack there of, by people whose heads seem to be a little "stuffed with fluff" is a common occurrence. I have seen homes where repairs were quite literally made with duct tape rather than a proper replacement.

Most home buyers strive to find the well maintained gem similar to Kanga's house. Buyer's dream homes usually are properties where all repairs and replacements have been made to code with proper materials. It is a house that is usable and accessible to everyone in the family without ducking their heads or turning sideways to squeeze through a doorway. Sometimes a buyer will even choose to look outside their original location parameters and consider a home on the edge of the preferred community to buy the exceptional home of their dreams.

Finding and buying the perfect home takes time but the process is made much easier when working with a knowledgeable REALTOR® that can tell an Eeyore pile of sticks from a comfortable cabin like Kanga's.

*Note All Character Photos were shots of Disney® Pins in a personal collection.

Are you searching for a perfect little Minnesota home and need help from a professional REALTOR ® to tell Kanga's Gem from Eeyore's A-frame? Give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2011 Teri Eckholm http://www.terieckholm.com/