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Sales of existing homes in the Denver metro area fell 13 percent in September compared with the same month last year, according to statistics released Thursday. The median sale price of a single-family home declined 2.2 percent, to $243,500, during the same period. "However you slice this, the market is slowing down," said Larry McGee, managing broker of the Berkshire Group. Of 31,450 houses on the market, McGee estimates up to 7,000 are foreclosure properties and another 3,000 are at some level of distress. "That means we're going to have a market adjustment," he said. McGee said the weak market for existing homes is taking its toll on homebuilders, who are increasing the commissions they offer Realtors from 3 percent to as much as 4.5 percent. "The higher the co-op commission goes, the more they're saying, 'Gee, we're a little desperate,' " McGee said.
On the theory that it's never too early to learn how to renovate a fixer-upper, The Disney Channel has created "Handy Manny," a new cable cartoon with a do-it-yourself theme for 3- to 5-year-olds. Wilmer Valderrama, of "That '70s Show" fame, is the voice of the main character, Manny Garcia, who owns a repair shop in the town of Sheetrock Hills and has a box of talking tools that help Manny fix doorbells, repair treehouses and spruce up cribs. Of all the characters, we particularly like Kelly, the hardware-store employee who can find the most arcane washers and screws in mere seconds, much to the amazement of the tools. There are lots of life lessons and problem-solving themes — and a sprinkle of Spanish in the dialogue — to educate those preschoolers glued to the tube.
VISUALLY-impaired Greenock chess wizard Stephen Hilton will represent Inverclyde when he jets off to India for the World Championships tomorrow.
The 44-year-old Morton fan, who damaged his sight during an accident as a child, will battle it out at the world event against around 150 other blind or visually-impaired chess players from approximately 40 countries.
The event will be held in Goa, India, and will run from Sunday to 19 October over nine rounds.
He said: "A world Championship is the pinnacle for anyone in any sport and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.
"I have prepared for the event with the help of International master Richard Palliser and International Master of Correspondence Chess Kenny Harman. These players have helped me in my opening preparation for this event.
The death of a landscape contractor in Bermuda struck by a large branch that fell from a tree he was helping to lop has brought renewed calls for stricter controls on the training and certification of workers involved in potentially dangerous jobs. The owners of two of the largest landscaping companies in Bermuda, along with a qualified tree care professional and trainer, say there needs to be proper regulation of the industry as happens in many other countries. The circumstances surrounding the death of the 34-year-old Portuguese man, believed to be a father-of-one with another child on the way, are still being investigated. He was killed while working on a casuarina tree in a garden. The tree was the last in a row that was being cut back by a team from Island Construction and Landscaping Services.
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