A TOOWOOMBA father is concerned about a letter his 19-year-old daughter received from her bank encouraging her to get in touch with her "sensible side" and get a credit card.

The letter was "personally addressed" to the teen Rebekah.

"Over the years, I've been doing a pretty good job of managing your finances. But my austerity measures have often meant you've had to go without.

"So as your sensible side, I've hunted down this great offer that'll allow you to treat yourself a little," the letter reads.

"I've already given it a once-over and in short a new NAB credit card means you can enjoy some retail therapy - within limits of course.

"The sensible thing to do now is to stop your impulsive side from missing out."

The letter is signed "your sensible side".

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Bank tells teen get sensible, get credit card

TOOWOOMBA has a new one stop shop for residents looking to fight back against cancer.

The Cancer Council Queensland Community Hub at High Street Shopping Centre was officially opened by staff yesterday and is poised to be a focal point in CCQ's work in cancer control locally.

The Community Hub features a SunSmart Shop, community meeting room and office area for CCQ's Toowoomba-based fundraising team.

Cancer Council Queensland spokesperson Katie Clift said the new location provided the community with even greater access to CCQ staff and support.

"The addition of the new facility will allow us to run all cancer support services at Olive McMahon Lodge with the fundraising and retail hub providing one destination for all South West Queenslanders seeking to fight back against cancer," Ms Clift said.

"In South West Queensland, melanoma is the second most common cancer with 275 people diagnosed in the community each year.

"Prevention is critical and through the Toowoomba Community Hub, CCQ will make SunSmart products including hats, sunscreen and clothing readily available to the local community, to give them best protection against skin cancer."

Community Hub

What: Cancer Council Queensland Toowoomba Community Hub

Where: Shop 7, High Street Shopping Centre, 52 High Street, Rangeville.

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Cancer Council opens Toowoomba hub

Home and Garden More Home & Garden On The House By Jim Weiker The Columbus Dispatch Sunday July 27, 2014 5:20 AM 324 Calebs Court, Galena

Price: $450,000 Size: 2,872 square feet

This 2005 ranch features an additional 2,500 square feet of finished space in the lower level, including a bar, home theater, 11/2 baths and a bedroom. The main level includes three bedrooms, 21/2 baths, cathedral ceilings, granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, a sunroom with a fireplace and a three-car garage. Annual taxes on the home, in the Big Walnut school district, are $6,106. The home is listed by Carl and Ranee Brown, with Prudential Platinum Realty.

Price: $449,900 Size: 2,672 square feet

This German Village brick home was built in 1875 as a double cottage but converted into a single home with two bedrooms and two baths. Features include some stained-glass windows, brick accents in the interior, tile flooring and floor-to-ceiling bookcases in one of two family rooms. The home, in the Columbus school district, is listed by Ned Merkle with Ned Merkle & Co. Annual taxes are $6,186.

Price: $449,000 Size: 3,408 square feet

This 1985 two-story home sits on more than 5 acres. The home features three bedrooms and 21/2 baths plus an in-law addition with two bedrooms and 21/2 baths. The kitchen in the main home is being remodeled. In addition, the home includes new wood windows, a new geothermal heating and cooling system and a two-story pole barn. Annual taxes on the home, in the Hilliard school district, are $8,394. The home is listed by Angela Murphy with Revealty.

Price: $449,000 Size: 2,996 square feet

This 1994 Muirfield condominium has two bedrooms and 21/2 baths plus a bedroom, full bath and bar in 600 square feet in the finished lower level. The home has been thoroughly updated, with a new kitchen and master bath. Other features include a floor-to-cathedral-ceiling fireplace and a screened porch. Taxes on the home, in the Dublin school district, are $7,446 a year. Association fees are $330 a month. The home is listed by Alli and Chris Close with Coldwell Banker King Thompson.

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Your Moneys Worth: Homes between $447,000 and $453,000

By Donna Reed

Think "I Love Lucy." Better yet, think "The Three Stooges" minus one. Now you'll have a picture in your mind of our comical yet best-of-intentions recent house projects. Our son had just bought his first home and was away on vacation. My husband and I decided that since it was summer, and we had the time, we would take this opportunity to travel north a few hours and lend a hand at the new house. Our son agreed saying he could use help with two things ... the sprinkler system wasn't working correctly and his plants would need watering before his return. If we could help with those two tasks, he could handle everything else.

Our first night on the job we tried to close the dining room blinds. Those long, lovely vertical blinds had a mind of their own, and the more we pulled cords and twisted individual blinds, the worse it got. With The Project Man, my husband, taking charge, I gave up and went to bed. Some time after midnight my husband woke me ... not to say good night, but to tell me he had no idea what he had done to the blinds, and first thing in the morning he would have to call someone to repair them. I turned over and remembered our son's words, "all I need help with, Mom, is the sprinkler system and watering the plants." So much for day one.

The next morning I woke early, and after staring at the closed and twisted blinds for a while, I began to investigate other rooms in this new house. I thought having my coffee in the sunroom would be a pleasant way to start the day, so I pulled a sliding door that opens into the sunroom with no results. (Little did I know that it was just a stubborn, old, in-need-of-some-oil sliding door.) "It must be locked," I thought, and I turned the locking device to open the room. Now, it really was locked, and we had no keys to any of the interior doors, since "all we needed to do was check on the sprinkling system and water the plants."

After the blinds incident and the locked sunroom, one would think we had learned our lesson, but just as Lucy and Ethel ventured deeper into their comedies of error, so did Project Man and his sidekick. We tore down paneling in the basement to expose water leaking in through a window, and the next few hours were spent with a squeegee and paper towels trying to contain the wet mess.

Outside the house was fair game as well. Without a pole-saw for cutting dead limbs out of a backyard oak tree, Project Man borrowed our faithful dog's 20 foot stake-out lead, climbed up on the flat roof, lassoed branches (Will Rogers would have been proud) and pulled them down.

When that method was no longer useful, he used a 2-by-4 like a javelin, and, leaning forward on the roof, like the winged Mercury, he hurled the 2-by-4 toward higher unruly limbs, bringing them down with a crash as well. No broken bones or windows; we were so lucky! Although neither the dog lead nor the 2-by-4 were in my hands, I knew that I was just as guilty since I was the accomplice in these little fiascos. I could see it now ... a judge would issue a restraining order stating that we had to stay away from our son's home when he was not present! From behind his lofty bench, the judge would shake his gavel and say, "Why didn't you just look at the sprinkler system and water the plants?"

Like a chocoholic who craves the sweet treat or a Lay's potato chip fan (bet you can't eat just one) it was too late to reverse our path, and our need to complete "just one more task" was out of control. We pulled weeds, dug out contrary vines, cleaned gutters, interviewed lawn mowing companies, got a bid from a contractor on a basement remodel, planted flowers, pruned rose bushes, hung pictures, bought new door mats and bathroom rugs, raked the yard and tarred a leak in the roof.

We left for home the third day. I was afraid we might start to build on a new addition if we stayed any longer. The sprinkler system? It's still not working. The plants? They could probably use another good watering about now, but I think we will leave that to the new homeowner.

Donna Reed is a freelance writer from Champaign.

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Voices: With the best of intentions

Shae Marie and Dale Eickhoffs Jefferson City home at 1214 Elmerine St. has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Emma Kessinger/News Tribune

When Shae Marie Eickhoff walked into 1214 Elmerine St. 11 years ago for the first time, she knew she had found her home.

As she and her husband, Dale, have entertained friends, family and theater parties there, repeatedly guests likewise praise the welcoming atmosphere.

Named a city Landmark this year, the Eickhoff home joins several in the nostalgic neighborhood on the list. And it also was included in the Moreau Drive Historic District, recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.

We love that its an older home; thats what adds character, Shae Marie said.

The foursquare-style home with craftsman influences was built in 1915. It is one of the oldest of the stone and brick homes along the street.

The frame of the exterior has not changed in the homes century, including the central gable atop two and one-half stories. However, the porchs brick piers have been enclosed.

Inside, herringbone hardwood floors in the foyer and other rooms are original, as well as two original, delicate light fixtures.

When the Eickhoffs replaced the front room carpeting, they discovered a Nov. 29, 1930, Kansas City Star underneath the old layer. So, they followed tradition and placed a present-day News Tribune underneath the new.

Fortuitously, the homes floor plan is almost identical to the Indiana home where Shae Marie grew up. So their children, Natalie and Alex, grew up in a similar home.

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Foursquare-style home named city Landmark

3364 English Oaks Drive (1)
For more details: http://www.visualtour.com/showvt.asp?t=3397574 3364 English Oaks Drive Kennesaw, GA 30144 $185000, 3 bed, 2.0 bath, SF, MLS# 5315939 Just ...

By: Ursula Dahle

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3364 English Oaks Drive (1) - Video

3364 English Oaks Drive (2)
For more details: http://www.visualtour.com/showvt.asp?t=3397581 3364 English Oaks Drive Kennesaw, GA 30144 $185000, 3 bed, 2.0 bath, SF, MLS# 7301143 Just ...

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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (PRWEB) July 22, 2014

A property for sale in Turks and Caicos was just announced on the RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks & Caicos Islands website. The three bedroom townhouse is located in the upscale and exclusive Yacht Club near Grace Bay Beach in the Turtle Cove area of Providenciales. The townhouse was built in 2004, offers 2,300 square feet and is listed at USD$899,000.

The townhouse features three balconies overlooking the Turtle Cove Marina and private guest rooms on a separate level. The master suite is private and occupies the entire third level. The townhouse is fully furnished and also includes an additional 250 square foot sunroom. In addition, the property includes a boat slip that is just steps away from the townhouse.

Located near Grace Bay Beach and Smiths Reef, the Yacht Club has 52 units and offers a laid-back residential resort feel. Five-star restaurants are within walking distance and additional property amenities are available to buyers including full access to the more than two acres of lush, mature landscaping.

This property is an incredible investment and offers buyers a range of amenities and benefits, said Blair MacPherson, broker and co-owner of RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks & Caicos. The large bank windows let in lots of natural light and offer stunning views of the Caribbean sunsets. It is close to one of the worlds best beaches, Grace Bay Beach, and Smiths Reef which is home to a vibrant coral reef and exotic fish, so theres no limit on activities.

About RE/MAX REAL ESTATE GROUP TURK & CAICOS: The RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks & Caicos offers unique, luxury real estate opportunities on the islands that are home to Grace Bay Beach, which has been named one of the world's best beaches numerous times. With breathtaking views, world-class spas and resorts, fine dining, local culture, and the awe-inspiring coral reefs, the Turks and Caicos Islands offer unique investment opportunities in that they are located in a tax-free jurisdiction. For more information about this resort development opportunity and RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks and Caicos, please visit http://www.remax-realestategroup-tci.com/property/yacht-club-townhouse/.

Contact: Blair MacPherson Owner/Broker RE/MAX REAL ESTATE GROUP Turks and Caicos Islands, BWI Cell 649.432.5677 Vonage 239.344.9319 Toll Free 1.800.941.0465 Email blair(at)blairmacpherson(dot)com

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RE/MAX Real Estate Group Turks & Caicos Introduces Property for Sale in the Yacht Club overlooking Turtle Cove Marina

ALTON The president of an Alton preservationist group is concerned, but hoping someone may buy a 154-year-old brick house at auction next month, which needs extensive renovations.

Its been vacant for four years, and its been in foreclosure limbo, said Terry Sharp, president of Alton Area Landmarks Association regarding the once stately, Wise-Olin House at 1128 State St. in Alton.

It is a great big house, its in jeopardy, Sharp said.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., trustee for Fremont Home Loan Trust, is putting the property up for auction at 11 a.m. Aug. 18 at the Madison County Courthouse, 155 N. Main St., Edwardsville.

The best-case scenario is someone on the 18th (August) makes a bid for a good price and fixes it up, Sharp said. My fear is they will get a minimum bid, which the bank would reject.

It would remain in bankruptcy if that happened, he said. Condition, then, of the Victorian Italianate house would continue deteriorating. If it goes like this much longer without help, it will be in jeopardy. The bank views it as a liability.

While Sharp has talked from time to time with Alton code inspector George Carter and city Corporation Counselor Jim Schrempf about the property, he said he has not been able to reach bank officials about the house.

People have asked me about contacts regarding the house, but it wasnt listed with a real estate company and previous owner Ronald Montgomery has left the area, so he could not help them, Sharp said.

The three-story brick house, with a newer sunroom addition on the north side, is mostly hidden from view along busy State Street with its overgrown bushes. Sharp said the house is just inside historic Christian Hill Historic District and offers seasonal views of the Mississippi River, namely when leaves have fallen from the overgrown trees and shrubs in its back yard.

According to Alton Township Assessors Office records, it was constructed in 1860.

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Historic Alton home facing uncertain future -

By Laura Barnhardt Cech July 18 at 7:40 AM

The location, floor plan and design spurred Tanika and Harlan Taliaferro to take a look at Wilsons Grove, a new single-family development in Gambrills, Md. But the details including wide-plank floors, pane-less windows and a second-floor laundry room sealed the deal.

True, the couple frequents that highly addictive home design Web site Houzz. (Obsessed, says Tanika Taliaferro, mother of two, laughing.) But they have also done considerable research about the local housing market while renting for the past year nearby.

The location, in Anne Arundel County near Waugh Chapel Towne Center, was also appealing. Their children, ages 10 and 7, wont change schools. Shopping is convenient. And her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, has a straight-forward commute to Calvert County.

In November, the family hopes to move into one of a dozen homes currently under construction.

We liked all the options offered at Wilsons Grove, Tanika Taliaferro says. Even the garage door is just a little bit nicer.

Large lots near woodlands: In all, 182 single-family houses are planned by Fairfax-based builder Brookfield Residential. The first model opened in June and the second should be complete in the next several weeks.

The Reidel Road neighborhood is heavily wooded, and many of the quarter-acre lots will back up to a dense forest.

The location equidistant from the District and Baltimore, and close to Fort Meade and Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport is attractive to many defense-contract and government workers, says Gregg A. Hughes, vice president of sales and marketing for Brookfield Residential. Many of the buyers already live nearby but are looking for newer, larger homes, he says.

Optional first-floor bedroom: Nine models from two collections are available. And each of those have two or more exterior styles.

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Close to D.C. and Baltimore, Brookfield Residential homes have wooded lots