Rita's Blog

It is funny how one’s standards of living are lowered on the construction site. The morning was chilly and we were just beginning what was sure to be a long day. 4 layers of wool and I am still cold. Maybe I should eat more donuts. Put on some fat. Assuming that that would be more effective than ...

Nola, my best friend Dawn's 13 month old daughter, is just about the happiest, most darling little thing when left to her own devices. She was in top form yesterday when Dawn came over to help me with the landscaping at Bluff. Problem was that "her own devices" meant crawling around through plast...

Day One. When I first walked onto the porch of the Bluff Avenue house, I almost fell through the dilapidated floorboards. "It's perfect," I shrieked excitedly. And it was. Maybe, disguised by peeling wallpaper and years of neglect, it wasn't obvious to anyone else, but it was obvious to me. Three...

I have always found it amusing that new introductions and "what do you do?"'s in Providence are always met with looks of suspicion no matter what I say. "Attorney," always receives the stereotypical reaction: I am left having to prove that I am not an egotist, swindler, or disparager. I get the w...

One of mine, and most other real estate professionals for that matter, mantras to first time homebuyers is that there are plenty of fish (houses) in the sea (market). If their first attempt at a home purchase goes awry, be it due to a higher bidder, or a terrifying home inspection discovery, ther...

In theory, I have always been a big advocate for serving refreshments at my open houses. A touch of class, an extra incentive to lure in potential buyers. In practice, however, I have found the serving of refreshments at my open houses to be nothing but a calorie-loaded inconvenience. Take this e...

To those of us who consider Providence the best thing to happen since sliced bread, it can come as a bit of a blow to the ego when one's response to "where do you live?" is met with puzzled looks and reactions such as "Huh? Where? Is that near New York or Miami? Rhode Island is a STATE?"  Those a...