This week there was a lot that caught my attention — from the rock/porn star formerly known as Hannah Montana, to creative breakfasts, the cost of raising a child and Max, the autistic child who was a victim of hate (read my last blog post if you missed the story).

1. I couldn’t get that letter out of my head. It is still so difficult to accept that another human being, let alone another mother, is capable of such hate and ignorance. This response, written by Max’s mom (who incidentally, has multiple sclerosis) made me feel better. I hope it does the same for you. The support of community can make such a difference — this fundraising initiative is a perfect example.

2. I wonder what Max’s mom would have to say about the report released a week ago from the Fraser Institute claiming that it’s possible to raise a child in Canada for $3,000 to $4,500 a year. An article in the Globe and Mail outlining this highly controversial topic refers to other studies that estimate the number is closer to $10,000 to $15,000 a year. I hate to admit that math has never been my strength (neither has budgeting) so I’ve never sat down to figure out the cost of raising my kids. Have you? Does measuring input require metrics on output? That could get dangerous.

3. What about sweat equity? Surely time spent with your kids is as valuable as the financial commitment — but how is that measured? I am reminded of comedian Louis C.K.’s words of encouragement to dads on spending more time with your kids: Be a dad. Don’t be ‘mom’s assistant.’ That’s depressing, just waiting for her to write you a list, walk around a store staring at it, calling her from the cereal aisle to make sure you got the right thing. Be a man. Make your own list. Fathers have skills that they never use at home. You run a landscaping business and you can’t dress and feed a four-year-old? Take it on. Spend time with your kids and have your own ideas about what they need. It won’t take away your manhood; it will give it to you. I did that. I spent more time with my kids. And I found out that I’m a pretty bad father. I make a lot of mistakes and I don’t know what I’m doing. But my kids love me. Go figure.

4. Speaking of good dads, one way to feel like a great parent is to make an awesome breakfast to start your kids’ days off right. We have some inspiring recipes in our breakfast gallery, but this one did not make the list. This sweet little rice sculpture of a teddy bear wrapped in a warm omelette with a thin slice of cheese for the pillow is weird but amazing at the same time. I can’t for the life of me imagine the return on your investment with this breakfast.

5. Maybe Hannah Montana was served this as a child when she worked for Disney? Just add Mickey ears and you’re good to go. And that is all I have to say about that young lady. I won’t even write her real name because I am tired of the discussion that has populated the Internet for the last three days, and refuse to give it any more air time. Surely we have other things to talk about.

Have a good week!

If you have ever bought or sold a home, you are probably well aware that curb appeal ­— that wow factor that makes your heart beat faster when you espy a home — is vital. But did you know that beyond creating desire, excellent front landscaping actually increases your home’s value? Yup, those blooming hydrangeas, the spiffy front door and the snazzy stone walkway you invest in can produce a solid return on your money. Carson Arthur, landscape designer and TV show maven, is the source of this wisdom, and he has solid advice about where and how to make money when you
update your home’s outdoor living space.

According to Mr. Arthur, there are three main ways to improve your outdoor experience and in doing so, add value to your home: curb appeal, decking and hardscaping. You’ll notice there is no mention of creating large perennial gardens, adding a pool or creating a water feature. There are reasons.

For one thing, and this might be shocking to many, he says that enjoyable outdoor living does not include gardening. While some of us love weeding, deadheading and watering, most want no part of that, so to them, a large perennial garden is considered an issue not an asset. That said, flowers, trees and shrubs do increase property value if they make your home more appealing, so choose a landscape design that is impressive, attractive and, very important, easy to maintain.

Curb appeal is the No. 1 place to invest, according to Mr. Arthur, as excellent landscaping will up the house’s value by 7%, or $42,000 on a $600,000 house. Some money-making ideas include a stone walkway to your front door, with a matching stone driveway, and attractive plantings (but they shouldn’t be too full as they may seem high-maintenance to a non-gardener). Also, install a gorgeous front door. An appropriately placed bench in your front yard will earn you $1,000, as will a tree. Pass GO by putting the bench under the tree!

Pools, as you’ve probably heard, do not add value to a home, but they don’t detract either. If you spend $60,000 on a pool, you will likely recover 20% to 50% of that money if you sell before the pool ages (according to Mr. Arthur, pools have a 10-year life span). Again, low maintenance is key, so don’t surround your pool with a garden that will make potential buyers think they’ll be spending time with a trowel instead of a towel.

Add a water feature if you love a gurgle and splash, but don’t expect it to make money for you. Ponds, waterfalls and streams do not provide a return on investment, unless you count personal satisfaction. Where they come closer is if the sound of water helps to mask traffic noise.

Hardscaping is the use of natural stone or concrete stones or similar to define spaces and pathways, usually patios for living and dining. Patios enjoy a return of 12% and last 35 years or more. Larger is better, he says, now that we are fully furnishing our patios as outdoor living and/or dining rooms.

Decks are also a great investment as low-to-no-maintenance options look great for 20 to 25 years and see a return of 10% to 15%, depending on the design and materials chosen. Again, go large to accommodate that sectional sofa you are eyeing. For backyard shade, consider an awning, pergola or tree — they add $2,000 to $3,000 each.

Front yards, decks and patios are all excellent investments. The caveat is that they need to be well designed

Front yards, decks and patios are all excellent investments. The caveat is that they need to be well designed, well executed and, like gardens, low maintenance. That is why a professional such as a landscape architect or landscape designer should be called in.

When it comes to design, there are many considerations. Property usage is the big one, as you need to determine how you want to enjoy your outdoor space, and how much you are willing to invest. A professional will design according to environmental factors such as light, shade and wind, and plan such structures as a pergola, garage, garden shed, deck, patio, gazebo, fence and retaining wall, as well as gardens, trees, ponds and pools. He or she can dispense advice about low maintenance decking composites; insect-repelling, natural or other wood products; concrete or natural stone; trees for shade and privacy; and appropriate flower and shrub choices. For our summers, a drainage plan is as vital as a watering scheme. Some landscape architecture firms offer turn-key services from design through installation, so you don’t even have to get your hands dirty.

Using a landscape architect (find one via oala.ca) is wise, even if you are not doing a total makeover but want to add a deck or patio, as they know bylaws and can advise about safety, standards and stability so that you invest wisely. That way, your deck has the support it needs, your retaining wall retains and your driveway of pavers does not sink under your tires over the winter. And the city is happy because your fence has a permit and is the right height. Beyond that, your property will look terrific and give you the outdoor living space you crave — and the ROI you expect.

Fall is an excellent time for landscaping, as soil is at its warmest to welcome new plants. And there is also the investment lure as professional landscaping adds more value than a kitchen or bathroom renovation and provides a recovery rate of 100% to 200%. Quick, grab a shovel and make a few bucks before the snow flies.

A largely empty parking lot is an obvious sign of the troubles at Regency Square Mall, once Jacksonville’s premier shopping center. The mall was put up for sale earlier this month.

John Burr
Editor-in-Chief- Jacksonville Business Journal

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Before the Jacksonville Jaguars came to town, and before The Avenues mall and later the St. Johns Town Center were built, Regency Square Mall was the place to shop in Northeast Florida. Now the mall is hanging on by threads, and has been put up for sale by its owners.

Where many see a 1.4 million-square-foot white elephant with bookend Sears and J.C. Penney anchor stores, we see opportunity.

The death of suburban malls has occurred across the country, for many of the same reasons that have choked off Regency: a change in the surrounding neighborhoods and stiff retail competition from newer malls in locations closer to faster-growing parts of town. There is even a website devoted to the subject, Deadmall.com, where you can read dead mall stories from around the country.

Once a mall dies, what can be done? The ideas on what to do with dying malls has varied, from splitting them into smaller retail centers, to relocating community colleges, or job training centers, or even tearing them down and planting grass and trees for a park, soccer fields and baseball diamonds.

One thing the property has going for it is location, at the intersection of Atlantic and Southside Boulevards and the Arlington Expressway. The Mathews Bridge is just down the road, and the Dames Point Bridge just a couple of miles to the north, with the Port of Jacksonville just across the river. The parcel up for sale is 110 acres, big enough for many types of uses. Logistics industry, are you paying attention here?

And speaking of location, it’s been over a year since we raised the question of what the city of Jacksonville intends to do with the site of the former Duval County Courthouse, which sits vacant except for a thriving population of rats and other vermin on the north bank of the St. Johns River, smack in the middle of Downtown. One year later and still silence from City Hall. If we wait five or six more years, we’ll have another rotting husk like the Laura Street Trio gracing our Downtown. Won’t that be fun?

Here’s an idea that won’t tax our strained city budget too badly and still allow for future development opportunities on the site: Tear down the building, spread some topsoil around, throw in a little landscaping, plant some grass and call it a park. Who knows? People might like it well enough to keep it around for a while.