Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 18, 2014

11HOMES & PROPERTY Mountain Views News Saturday, January 18, 2014 
11HOMES & PROPERTY Mountain Views News Saturday, January 18, 2014 
PET PROPOSALS 
Did you realize that 6 out of 10 U.S. households have pets? That means that those without 
critter companions are in the minority, but if you’re a pet owner selling your home, you 
shouldn't ignore the perceptions of those families that don't include cats or dogs. 

Odors are the biggest issue. This isn't to say that your housekeeping is remiss, but remember 
that some buyers who visit your home may experience allergies or be particularly sensitive to 
pet dander or odors. Just vacuum the floors and furniture frequently and use an air sanitizer.
During the early stages of your listing, you'll likely experience more frequent showings and 
visits by buyers. This is a particularly good time to make arrangements to board your pet, or 
seek out a good "doggie day care" center for quick visits during showings. This may be safer 
and less stressful for your pet than a constant parade of strangers in your home, and may put 
buyers more at ease as well. 

In any case, be sure to pick up toys, bowls, and bedding in advance of a showing, just as you 
would tidy up the children's things and other rooms throughout the house before buyers 
visit. A particularly attractive gesture would be to offer a cleaning allowance, no matter how 
scrupulously you maintain your home. This should quiet any potential objections. 


3 TASKS TO DO BEFORE STARTING A REMODEL 



By Debbie L. Talianko, Allied ASID, Certified Interior 

Designer #6393 

Beginning a remodel on your home is a 
very exciting prospect. However, there 
are some important steps you should 
take before you spend any money. Here 
are 3 tasks to do as you begin to plan. 

1) Speak to a Realtor in your area. Tell them what 
you are planning to do. Give them a budget numberthat you are comfortable spending. Let them know how 
long you plan to live in your home after the remodel.
An established realtor will be familiar with comparable 
properties in your neighborhood and they are experts in 
what types of remodeling will add to the resale value of 

your home. The last thing you want to do is “overbuild the neighborhood.” 

2) Form your team of experts. This list will include an Interior Designer, a GeneralContractor and yourself. If you are planning an extensive project with a good amount of 
structural and exterior work , an Architect and/or a Structural Engineer may be needed onyour team as well. Make sure to hire only qualified, educated and if applicable, licensed 
and insured professionals. You will want to interview at least 2 or 3 of each and make sure 
there is a good “fit” or “mix” of personalities. You need to feel comfortable with these teammembers from the start. It might be wise to ask your Designer for recommendations ofcontractors that they have worked with and with whom they are comfortable working. 

3) Start a Preliminary Budget. Before spending a dime, try to calculate some roundnumbers. Include everything on your wish list and allow about 20% more for the “unknown”.
This way, you will not be disappointed when the project gets underway and something 
unexpected such as faulty wiring or plumbing are discovered. 

For more articles about interior design, please visit our website at www.TaliankoDesignGroup.com/ 
blog and search for a topic that interests you. 


HUBBLE PEEKS THROUGH A GRAVITATIONAL LENS 
THE WORLD AROUND US 
This image of Abell 2744 is the first to come from Hubble’s Frontier Fields observingprogram, which is using the magnifying power of enormous galaxy clusters to peer deep intothe distant Universe. Abell 2744, nicknamed Pandora’s Cluster, is thought to have a very violenthistory, having formed from a cosmic pile-up of multiple galaxy clusters.

 Astronomers previously observed Abell 2744 with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope 
back in 2011, exploring the cluster’s history. They found that at least four galaxy clusters hadcrashed into one another to form Abell 2744, causing some weird and wonderful effects. This 
mix of cosmic phenomena, some of which had never been seen before, led to the nickname ofPandora’s Cluster (http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1111).

 A mix of hazy elliptical galaxies and colorful spirals can be seen clumping together in thecenter of this image. The effects of the cluster’s gravity can be seen in the blue arcs and distortedshapes that are scattered across the frame, including galaxies that seem to be bleeding into thesurrounding space. The arcs are actually the distorted images of galaxies far in the distance.

 Abell 2744 is the first of six targets for an observing program known as Frontier Fields. This 
three-year, 840-orbit program will yield our deepest views of the universe to date, using the 
power of Hubble to explore more distant regions of space than could otherwise be seen, byobserving gravitational lensing effects around six different galaxy clusters.

 Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon caused by an object’s influence on the space-timearound it. All objects that have mass affect the space around them in this way, but huge clumpsof mass like galaxy clusters do so more strongly. This causes light from more distant objectshidden behind this makeshift “lens” to be deflected and bent, leading to a bizarre array of opticaleffects—for example, by creating mirror images of one galaxy, as well as smearing galaxies out 
into arcs, and creating multiple images of individual objects. This effect is one of the predictionsof Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

 Although Orest Chwolson (1924) and Frantisek Klin (1936) are sometimes credited as beingthe first ones to discuss this effect in print, it is more commonly associated with Einstein, whopublished a famous article on the subject in 1936. Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky, who worked 
at Mount Wilson Observatory, followed this up by suggesting in 1937 that the effect could allowgalaxy clusters to act as gravitational lenses. It was not until 1979 that this effect was actuallyconfirmed by observation.

 As well as creating weird shapes, gravitational lensing also magnifies the images so thatastronomers can see more detail. This means that distant objects that otherwise would be too 
distant and faint to be seen become visible—something that the Frontier Fields program aimsto exploit over the coming years.

 Some results from this program are already starting to emerge, with Abell 2744 as thefirst target. In a paper submitted to The Astrophysical Journal last November, a group ofastronomers detected a large number of distant, gravitationally lensed galaxy candidates—allviewed through Abell 2744. These deep surveys using massive galaxy clusters show that lookingthrough cosmic lenses can be an effective and useful way to study the distant Universe.

 For more information on gravitational lensing, see Hubblecast 70: “Peering around cosmic corners”
(http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast70a).

 You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@MtnViewsNews.com. 

This image of Abell 2744 is the first to come from Hubble’s Frontier Fields observing programme, 

which is using the magnifying power of enormous galaxy clusters to peer deep into the distant

Universe. Abell 2744, nicknamed Pandora’s Cluster, is thought to have a very violent history, having 

formed from a cosmic pile-up of multiple galaxy clusters.

Abell 2744 is the first of six targets for an observing programme known as Frontier Fields. Thisthree-year, 840-orbit programme will yield our deepest views of the Universe to date, using the 
power of Hubble to explore more distant regions of space than could otherwise be seen, by observ-
ing gravitational lensing effects around six different galaxy clusters.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Lotz, M. Mountain, A. Koekemoer, and the HFF Team (STScI).