Fresh, heathful salad fixings can be only steps away in your own garden patch. A small amount of preparation pays off in bountiful flavor, savings and fun. Story [Times photo: Patty Yablonski]

A clutter-free new year
If stuff is bogging down your life, take a few tips from organizer Michelle Passoff, who is coming to Tampa for workshops and consultations.

Housing issues await new leaders
President-elect George W. Bush already knows where he'll be living when he moves to Washington, D.C., next month. That doesn't mean real estate won't be on his mind or on the legislative agenda in Congress.

Home Depot on decorating
Decorating 1-2-3 is the latest in a series by Home Depot (the others are Home Repair 1-2-3, Kitchens and Baths 1-2-3 and Outdoor Projects 1-2-3). It covers painting, faux finishing, choosing and installing lighting and ceiling fans, window treatments, wallpapering, installing floors, refinishing furniture and remodeling bathrooms.

Awaiting a new year of requests
Whatever holiday you celebrate -- Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, the winter solstice -- or all of the above if you're a born partier, here's hoping that it was every bit as enjoyable as you'd anticipated.

Big shows ahead in 2001
Time to get out those new appointment books and jot down dates of interest in the world of home decor and construction. The 2001 spring calendar is loaded with show houses and Parades of Homes.

Stamps have never been easier to obtain
Did you know that the U.S. Postal Service provides stamps through the Internet, by mail and automatic teller machines and through more than 21,000 private retail outlets? It handles 46 percent of the world's card and letter mail volume. It transports mail by plane, truck, rail, boat and even by mule, to and from the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  

St. Petersburg Times real estate classified ads:

Real estate for rent	Real estate for sale	Commercial & investment property	Manufactured homes

Other recent real estate stories:
Lower your taxes with homestead exemption
A nation of homeowners
How good is your escrow coverage?
Don't ask
To have and to hold a mortgage of their own
A testament to hope (Jan. 23, 1999)
Program can help with down payment, closing costs
From hope to homeowner (Jan. 9, 1999)
Woman's untidiness leads to legal wrangle
Commission add-ons (Jan. 2, 1999)
Children are not to be seen here either

Other real estate links (from Yahoo!):
Cost of Living calculator: compares the cost of living in any two cities. Also includes links to Salary Calculator and Moving Calculator among other tools. From the folks at HomeFair.Com.
Best Places to Live 1997: From Money magazine.
MoveQuest: maps, financing tools, price data, logistical tips.
TenantNet: a resource for residential tenants' rights.
FAQs for Home Buyers and Owners: From the America Society of Home Inspectors.
Home Buyer and Renter Consumer Information: From the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Home Buying Tips: from the U.S. Government General Services Administration.
R-Net: Real Estate and the Net: links and tips for the busy. Of interest to investors, brokers and consumers. Accepts factual ads.
Real Estate Library: collection of informative articles about buying and selling real estate.
Realtor.com: includes info on buying and selling real estate, allows you to browse property ads in the U.S. and locate realtors.

Regional real estate links:

Florida Home Builders - features Florida developers with Web sites.
Florida Living Network - listing of real estate companies and Realtors in Florida.
© Copyright 2000 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.
Looking for some helpful real estate links on the Web? Click here.

Contact real estate writer Teresa Burney via e-mail at burney@sptimes.com.