Wedding Letters: Part One - Nick's Letter to Anne

When Anne & I were married, we had two ceremonies: A catholic one and a Jewish one, to honor both of our religions. For the Jewish ceremony, the Rabbi had both of us write letters to one another (addressed to the Rabbi) which would be read allowed for all to hear. In honor of our two-year anniversary, we thought it would be nice to share those letters with all of you. First up - my letter to Anne.



Dear Rabbi Kolton,
            I feel so incredibly lucky to have found the most caring, supportive, funny, smart, adorable, beautiful, and of course, loving partner in Anne. If you asked me three years ago if I was going to marry this woman, I honestly would have had no idea. Mainly because she played more hard-to-get than any woman I had dated previously. But I was up for the challenge! I must admit, from the very first time I saw Anne, her infectious smile is what caught my eye. The Mazzeo smile will get you every time -- there is no escaping it -- and I fell victim immediately.
            As our relationship grew stronger, there was no doubt in my mind that she was the one for me. I felt like a kid in high school again, with our phone calls that went on for hours, sometimes until 1 or 2 in the morning. It was so exciting for me to finally be with someone who likes to talk as much as I do. It wasn’t before long that I realized I was falling for this woman, and I was falling hard. I started to miss her when she wasn’t around me, and I found myself anticipating her phone calls on a day-to-day basis. I knew that she felt this way too, because soon we were absolutely inseparable, and talks of a future together was a popular topic for us. 
            Over the past three years, I have really begun to see more meaning in my life, with real responsibilities, and this is largely because of the woman I am marrying today. She met me at a time in my life when I was in somewhat of a rut – I now realize I didn’t have much in the way of real responsibilities. If I planned on being with Anne for the rest of my life, I decided I had better put the pedal to the metal, metaphorically speaking. With her support, my first two years of real estate have been such a life-changing career choice for me primarily because she believes in me, and loves me every step of the way.
I love how she would rather make it a Blockbuster night, and curl up on the couch with a nice glass of wine, as opposed to going out on a Saturday night. I love how she crinkles up her nose when she gets frustrated. I love how she always orders $5 lattes and never finishes them. I love how she will order a side of veggies with her grilled cheese and then end up eating my French Fries. I love how she always knows where my keys are when I forget where I put them just 10 minutes earlier. I love how she sets the DVR for “GLEE” because I never remember. I love how she’d rather eat at a diner than have fine dining. I love how she makes the best baked ziti I have ever tasted. I love how she loves to watch Ultimate Fighting – well, just Chuck Liddell. I love how she pouts when she doesn’t get what she wants, and folds her arms like a little kid. I love how she doesn’t care if I listen to Howard Stern when we’re driving, and she’s able to tune it out and read the newest Harry Potter installment. But most of all, I love us, and I love how she loves me. She is love, and she is all I need.
-Nick Baldwin

Baby Toys / Items Clearly Made with Dad in Mind

As many of you already know, Anne and I are expecting our first child in May. We are both very excited! I'm excited for two reasons, though. The first reason, obviously, being the new baby, but the second being the fact that it will be perfectly acceptable for me to play with toys again! I have compiled a list of baby items that clearly were made with the dad in mind. There is no way a child would get as much pleasure out of these things as a grown man in his 30's. Behold, the top five most awesomest toddler toys and items most likely made with the new dad in mind! They are in order of cool to most awesome.


5) The Android Tablet for Kids

4) The Daddy Tool Belt

3) The Toilet Buddy

2) The Billy Bob Teeth Pacifier

And the best one of all...

1) The Roller Buggy Scotter Stroller

Coming May, 2012!

Ladies and Gents, you may have noticed that we haven't been up on our blogging as much as we used to be. My wife especially. Now, we would like to tell you that morning sickness has been one of the main reasons. Yes, that's right...my beautiful wife Anne is officially 12 weeks pregnant, and little Baby Baldwin is due on May 15th, 2012! We couldn't be happier, and we are honored to share our fantastic news with all of you!

                                  So what do you guys think? Is it a boy or a girl? :-)

I'm Dreaming of a White...Halloween?!?!

It all began with a light snow fall in...October? For New Jersey, that's a rarity. But it didn't take long until trees were collapsing on to power lines and electricity was going out all over town. My wife has to work every 12th Saturday, so she had to commute into Manhattan. All the trains and buses back to New Jersey got cancelled later on in the day, so I had to go pick her up. It felt as if I was in a car commercial, dodging every tree limb that had fallen into the street due to the heavy snow. It took me 90 minutes to make a trip that should only take me 30.

We were one of the few unlucky ones who lost power and heat, so we packed up the pup and are spending two nights in a hotel. Power is not expected to be fully restored until Wednesday. As you can see below, there's a certain K-9 that doesn't seem to mind one bit. He is so spoiled!

Don't worry. Even though we are spending All Hallows Eve in a hotel, my wife and I were able to dress up last week. It's her all-time favorite holiday (aside for Christmas, or any holiday where she receives presents), so there is NO way we would have missed the opportunity to be...Toddlers & Tiaras and Baby Bieber! Yes, I am wearing a REAL diaper! And no, that is not my real hair. Although, a very long time ago I did have hair like that.

Since the wife and I are not putting on costumes today because we're living out of a suitcase for the time being, Barney decided to throw on an outfit (that's right - he made that decision all by himself). He's going as a DEVIL DOG!

 

                                      Happy Halloween everyone! Stay safe & warm!

The Scariest Horror Movie House Is...

With All Hallows Eve approaching, this is the time of year when every house seems to have a creepy look to it. As a real estate agent myself, I probably notice it more so than others. Whenever I go into a house with a client (vacant ones, especially) and there are doors closed, or lights don't turn on, or basements are dark - it gives me the heebee jeebees. I can't let my clients see that I'm freaked out, though, because I'm supposed to be the calm, cool, and collected Realtor that's not afraid of the dark. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fraidy cat all the time. But, I think the reason I get spooked is because I started watching horror movies at a very young age. The first scary movie I ever saw was "The Exorcist." By today's standards, kids probably won't find it as frightening as I did because horror movies now are all about blood & guts. I do remember being in the Washington, DC area some years ago and seeing the house from "The Exorcist" in person. I walked up the famous tall and steep staircase to the side of the home and when I got to the very top...there is was. Not as ominous as it was portrayed in the film, but still creepy nonetheless. Having seen that house in person and knowing what happened to Linda Blair inside (yes, I know it was only a movie), would have to be the house I pick as the scariest house in a movie - EVER! 

This leads me to my question: What is your opinion as the scariest horror movie house of all time? Is it the "Nightmare on Elm St." house where Freddy Krueger crept into the dreams of teenagers? Maybe it's the one from "Halloween" where Jamie Lee Curtis escaped Michael Myers. Perhaps it's the house where Norman Bates kept his dead mother in a rocking chair, in "Psycho." Whichever scary house makes you sleep with the light on, let me know in a comment.

Big Giveaway Clue # 2!!!

Hey, Nick here, with the second clue leading up to the reveal of our very first (and HUGE) giveaway, worth $1,000. To refresh your memory, here is our first clue post: Clue # 1. 

The next clue has to do with a certain kind of fashion and/or design that was very popular in Europe during the 1920's. Sorry folks, that's all you'll get outta me for now ;-)

Don't forget...as soon as we hit 150 followers we will reveal the BIG PRIZE! Then, once we hit 200 followers we will open up the contest doors. So, help us make this happen by following our lil old blog by clicking "Join This Site" over to the right column. Thanks!

Home Prices Are Falling, But the Realtors Are Staying High!

Hi, Nick here. Everyone loves to peek into the lives of celebrities. Especially celebrity homes. We are OBSESSED with the way famous people live, so when a celebrity puts their home on the market it's the perfect time to snoop. Rose McGowan of "Charmed" fame put her Loz Feliz, California home on the market recently, and it's priced at $1.85 million - the same price she paid for it in 2004. Now, before I get into Rose's "technique" for getting her home sold, let's have a look inside her digs, shall we?

                                                               The Massive Front Door

                                                     The Impressive Foyer Entry Way
                                                              

                                       The Spacious Living Room w/ Exposed Beams


A real estate agent myself, I have done many open houses. A good way to attract other real estate agents to visit your listing is to offer food. Realtors LOVE free food. Sandwiches, pizza, sweets, you name it, we are a sucker for it. Rose thought the same thing, so she gave her Realtor some brownies to leave out for the agents to munch on. It seems the brownies had a "special" ingredient in them that impairs ones mental state. Rose was quoted as saying in a recent interview,

"There were eight Realtors and inspectors coming to the house...and you have to get out of your house...and I notice there's a big, huge plate of brownies that said 'Enjoy!' on the surround-wrap...and I just left, I didn't think about it. At 4:30 that afternoon, I get a call from my Realtor saying, 'I'm at my parent teacher conference; was there anything in those brownies?'"

Oh, Rose, what are we going to do with you? Unfortunately, any offers that are written up while someone is under the influence are considered void. But hey, it was worth a shot, right?


(photos & references courtesy of www.outrageousestates.com & www.sfgate.com)

 

Macho Macho Man (I Am Not)!

If you were to ask my wife to chose some words or phrases to describe me, she would probably say that macho, tough guy, burly, Mr. Fix It, handy, strapping, courageous, valiant, daring and jock are definitely not what she would use. But that's okay with me. It's so okay, that while Derek Jeter was driving home his 3,000th hit this weekend (the fact that I know that is astonishing) I was catching up on episodes of "The Bachelorette" with Anne. That's right, I'm in touch with my feminine side and I'm proud of it! I will probably catch a lot of flack from this post, but I've been catching flack for years when it comes to this. I guess I never understood how watching a bunch of muscle-bound men in tight uniforms chasing after a ball and jumping on one another is manly.

Dictionary.com defines "Manly" as having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength or bravery.


That definition definitely does not define me. The beginning and end of my sports career was one season of tee ball when I was seven, and then I promptly opted for performing in the school musicals. My idea of fixing something means calling a contractor. To me, getting dirty is having to pick up Barney's poop. I just don't have the usual "guy" gene that is attributed to being...well...a guy. I have never been interested in the stuff that makes up ones manhood. Sports, eh. Video games, pfft. Chugging a 12 pack of Natty Ice by myself in under an hour, no interest. I know, it's strange, right? I mean, my wife has more masculine interests than I do. 

  Tools Anne used once to open a wine bottle when she couldn't find a cork screw.

My wife taking our bed apart in preparation to move to our new apartment...as I stood idly by.


Anne gets mad at me when I take the car for an oil change because she likes to change it herself. Her father is always telling her to let me do things around the house so I can learn to be more handy, but she would rather just git-er-dun. Fine by me! But you know what? I honestly think our non-traditional roll reversal of a marriage is what makes it so great. She gets a kick out of how uncoordinated I am with things you'd expect a man to be good at, and I think it's hysterical when we get a flat and she actually wants to change the tire. When we moved into our new apartment she painted the entire place herself. I wanted to help. Really, I did. But, it's for the best if I don't. I would've just ended up painting smiley faces on the wall. 


In all honesty, what we have works. So why try and fix something that's just not broken. I actually enjoy watching episodes of "The Bachelorette" if it means that I get to spend time with her. The end!

Just Married Real Estate on News 12 New Jersey!

Hey, Nick here!

Late last year, Marci Rubin from News 12 New Jersey came across a write-up on me from Baristanet.com and thought Just Married would make for a great feel-good piece in the midst of all the negative housing news we're used to seeing these days. A few weeks later we shot this spot with a lovely newlywed couple named Sandy & Danny (no, it wasn't Olivia Newton John & John Travolta), and it aired 15 times that weekend.

*Disclaimer: News 12 did not give me a copy of the tape, so I had to film it from the TV using my Flip Cam, hence the shakiness. Hope you enjoy nonetheless :-)

Real Weddings: Our Wedding Day

Today I finally got around to picking photos for our wedding album (yes, 19 months later...) and it took me back to that wonderful, amazing, fall day a year and a half ago. It then dawned on me that while we talk about being newlyweds on this blog, we haven't actually talked about the day we got married! So here is the short long version...

We got married on November 28, 2009 in Clarkston, MI (my home town). Because I am Catholic and Nick is Jewish, we actually had two ceremonies. We were legally married in the Catholic church, a decision we decided from day one was best for us, and then we had a symbolic Jewish ceremony later in the evening at the reception hall.

The entire week before the wedding I was a mess, the events leading up to the wedding were almost comical at this point and I was ready to just say “screw it” and elope in Las Vegas! I was already very stressed out due to breaking 3 of my toes and having 5" heels to wear on my wedding day, a family friend died the week of the wedding, my mom, sister, and nephew all got sick with the swine flu and my dad had come down with some sort of sickness that kept him in bed until about 30 minutes before the ceremony (little did I know that he would end up in the ER at midnight, but more on that later...).. Somehow, the morning of the wedding, we woke up to clear blue skies and 50 degree weather- at least I had this going for me!! My friend Elisa came over did my hair, and some of the girls in the wedding party, and then I went to get my makeup done. My photographer met us at the salon where I was getting my hair done and that's when it really started to feel real!

After my make up was set we headed home, packed the cars and headed to the church. I got dressed at the church, took some pictures with my girls, and then it was time to go!

The minute my dad walked me to the beginning of the aisle all of my stress melted away. My dad, who you would never know had a 104 degree fever, kept whispering things in my ear like ''let's skip'' and ''don't fall'', and it took everything for me not to crack up.

The ceremony was beautiful and really touching. The priest talked a lot on how to combine our two faiths into one and using that to teach us to listen and learn from one another. We didn't have a full mass as we felt it would be long and awkward being that about 60% of our guests were Jewish, but the ceremony still lasted about 40 minutes.

After the ceremony we headed to our little downtown area and took some photos of the wedding party. 

Cocktail hour started at 6pm at our reception hall, Indianwood Country Club, and at 6:45 our Jewish Ceremony started. It was so amazing to be able to have this ceremony. It was much more personalized than the Catholic ceremony as we got to write our own vows and letters to each other that were then read aloud. I was so happy to be able to incorporate all of Nick's traditions and customs into our wedding day. During this ceremony I had actually changed to wear my mom's wedding dress from 1979. Only my mom knew I was doing this- the look on my dad's face when he realized what I was wearing was priceless. 

 After the Jewish ceremony, the real party started. We danced until midnight and everyone had a great time. Even with all of the stress of our day and worrying about my family, I would still not change a thing about our wedding day. Looking back now, we laugh at everything that went on, but it was such an amazing day filled with love that I would never take back!

***After the reception, my dad got rushed to the ER by my two brother-in-laws and he was there for a week. Turns out he had some sort of infection. The whole night I was so worried about him, but I didn't know just how bad sick he actually was. It really makes me love my dad even more that although all night I told him to leave the reception and go to the Dr's, and that his health was more important than my wedding day, he not only stayed, you would have never, ever known just how sick he was.

What Happened to The American Dream?

Think back to the 1950's. Okay, well, if you're like me you weren't born yet, so at least try and imagine what is was like when our parents parents were purchasing their first home. The thought of selling it in 10, 20, or even 50 years, and then making a profit didn't even enter their minds. No, they were buying this new home to start a family, make memories, and to grow old in. Today, the idea of home-buying has changed drastically. The definition of "The American Dream" is not what it once was. But in today's housing market where prices keep falling and buyers are afraid that their home purchase will lose value the way a new car does when you drive it off the lot, has changed the way Americans view their homes.

The reason I decided to write this blog entry is because recently my wife, Anne, and I went to visit my grandmother, Tanya, in Rochester, NY. She has lived in the the same house for over 50 years. She and my grandfather Hyam Plutzik who is no longer with us, were newlyweds when they purchased the 3BR/2 bathroom, California style Ranch home for $17,300. Back then, it was a hefty amount. The California Ranch was the cutting edge of homes in the 1950's. It was new construction, and my grandmother is still, to this day, the very first owner.

                                                            My Grandmothers House

My mother and her brothers and sisters grew up in that house, and the memories are abundant. The memories almost seem to run right in front of your face like in a movie when someone is telling a story of the past and you can see the characters, almost as if they are ghosts. My grandmother tells wonderful stories of my mother playing baseball in the yard with the other children on the street (the yards all intersected with one another, which made it perfect for nine innings of our Country's past time). Or, when the family dog gave birth to 14 puppies and my uncle Jonathan (who was a boy at the time) would come home from school and walk the pups around the basement like a marching band. Or, when my grandfather would wake up at 4am on Saturday to take my mother fishing (my mom was a bit of a tomboy), but she cherished that time with her father.

My grandmother told me that if she sold her house today she would most likely get $150,000 for it if she was lucky. But the thing is, she doesn't care. She cannot put a price tag on the love she has for this home. She is 92 years old (or young, I should say), and refuses to leave until she has to. She could sell it for what she paid for it 50 years back and it would be perfectly alright with her. She has lived in it, and it served more than its purpose. That's what a house is for.

Today, it's a very different mind set. The average newlyweds starting a family will live in a home for seven years. They will fix it up in hopes of a big profit when they go to sell. In today's market, that may not be possible. My mother, Roberta Baldwin, who is now one of the most successful real estate agents in Northern New Jersey with 16 years in the biz, said something very interesting when she was featured on ABC's "Nightline" the other night. She said that...

"We have to go back to the old idea of why you owned a home, for the pleasure and the love of that experience and all of the memories you are going to create, and the friends your going to make, and the happiness your family will have ."

That was what the American dream was to people at that time, like my grandmother & grandfather. While we don't want home buyers to lose money on their homes, the sentimental aspect might have to come back into play...just until things get better. And hey, maybe it will cause us to make memories for a little longer than average seven years we'll be living in the house.

To Grandmother's House We Go- Our Memorial Day Weekend.

Memorial Day weekend was spent in an extremely special place this year. We drove 5 hours  upstate to Rochester, NY to visit Nick's Grandma Tanya. We left early Saturday morning (and by we left, I mean Nick drove, and by early, I mean at the crack of dawn) and we returned home late Monday evening. It was so nice to spend time with Tanya since we don't see her that often during the year. We spent the long weekend by taking in a regional performance of "The Music Man" at Rochester's Geva Center, spent a day in Niagara Falls and spent a lot of time talking about Tanya's life growing up, as well as hearing stories about Nick as a little kid. Being Memorial Day weekend, Tanya also shared stories of her late husband and his time spent in England during WW2. The stories were especially nice for Nick to hear because he never had the chance to meet his grandfather. This trip was so relaxing and just what we needed. 

Nick and his Grandma Tanya

Niagara Falls, NY

Nick at the Falls

Me at the Falls

So beautiful!

**Thank you to all past and present service men and women who  risk their lives every day, so that we have the privilege of being free**

Real Weddings: Elisa and Justin

Hey, it's Anne! 

This past weekend we traveled back to my hometown of Clarkston, MI for one of my closest friends weddings. The sun was shining, the ceremony was filled with love, and the reception was amazing. Not to mention, Elisa looked STUNNING! They are a couple that really are meant to be together. When you are with them you really see the special bond and love that their share. It warms my heart that my friend met someone who makes her happier than I've ever seen her. He's a great guy and I couldn't be happier for them.

 

 Nick and me on the way to the wedding.

While being able to celebrate the marriage of friends is lots of fun, it's also a great time for Nick and me to remember our wedding vows and to sort of relive those promises we made to each other 18 months ago. 

 The beautiful bride and handsome groom!

Friends forever!

  

Congratulations Elisa and Justin, enjoy your newlywed bliss!

Maybe I Can Afford Katy Perry's House...in My (Teenage) Dreams!

Hi, Nick here.

Newbies, Russel Brand & Katy Perry, have put their 4BR/5 bathroom, 4,700 sq. ft., Mediterranean-style home on the housing block. Guess these honeymooners want to move on to a bigger & better love nest.

Built in 1922 and located in Los Feliz, California, the house can be yours for the everyday low price of $3.395 million. Perry reportedly added some of her own personal touches to the home. Like, she turned the 3-car garage into every woman's fantasy - a giant closet for her massive wardrobe. Why? Because she's Katy Perry and she can! From the pictures below the house looks modest, in my opinion. But in a good way, so don't get me wrong. Her style is subtle and classy. Not too rock star flashy.

Perry may lose money from the sale, being that she purchased the home in 2009 for $3.25 million, and it's listed now for $3.395 million. If her commission pay out is 6%, she may have to bring as much as $60,000 to the closing table (if she sells the house for the asking price, that is). Chart topping songs aren't the only hits Katy has these days. It seems even our favorite celebs are feeling the declining real estate market as well.

Pictures courtesy of Realtor.com.