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Review Brooks & Crowley
December 2017
781-277-7321
www.brooksandcrowley.com
439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026
*Services Throughout Massachusetts
in real time, not just by watching it on TV. We have noticed, for example, many people are refinancing to put additions on their current homes, instead of moving. In this real estate market, people find this to be an economical way to accommodate their need for more living space. In our personal injury practice, Neil was able to resolve many people’s claims with hard work, diligence and by utilizing relationships developed over more than twenty years of experience in the courts. Some of these were large and tricky cases, and some got resolved at the 11th hour. When working with people on important life events, you develop a relationship. Many of our clients have become friends. Neil and I have had many conversations this year about how getting to know our clients and their families has enriched our lives. At the end of the day, it reminds us these big decisions — such as buying or selling a home, having to make an insurance claim, or opening a court case because of a significant injury — are always made around family. Of course, the lawyers help navigate the waters, but family provides the support to make it through until the end. For now, it’s a great time to focus on family. It is the holiday season, after all, and I’ll be in town for Christmas and NewYear’s with my family. But at some point soon, I’ll be heading south to see my dad and brothers in Florida and Texas. There are worse places to go this time of year! Wherever the holidays find you this year, I hope you are similarly surrounded with loved ones, and I hope you are enjoying our final newsletter of 2017.
WHAT DID WE DO THIS YEAR?
In our real estate practice, Andy, Matt, Roberta, and I were able to help a lot of people navigate through their real estate issues. Now that we’ve been at it for over 20 years, we have seen many technological changes that allow us to be more efficient in helping get their deals closed. We have sophisticated software programs that not only manage all of our closings, but also allow us to electronically record documents all over the state from our desktops. We have been able to help people buy homes down the Cape without dragging the buyer and seller across the bridge, when both parties live in the Boston area. We handle dozens of real estate closings every month. We really enjoy seeing “cycle of life” closings, where the sellers are trading their bigger home for a condo in town or a place in Florida, and a young family is moving in to start the cycle all over again. Sellers love to share their memories and give advice to these folks just starting their journey. It can be bittersweet for the sellers as they begin the next chapter of their own journey. But the sellers are heartened by seeing a reflection of their earlier days across the closing table. The one thing everyone agrees on is time goes by very fast when raising a family!
We also make house calls, which we like because it gets us out of the office. We know clients appreciate it because it takes into consideration the busy schedules of borrowers and buyers, where both spouses work outside the home.
When folks are selling their homes, we often attend the closing in their stead, under a power of attorney (POA). Sometimes, the sellers have relocated for work or have moved out of town already. The POA allows them to close without having to travel back or miss a day’s work to sell their house. We also meet folks relocating from out of state and enjoy seeing their fresh perspective on the greater Boston area. Their thought process does not have any of local preconceptions that many have built up over the years by living here. This is always eye opening to us, and we enjoy picking their brains about our area. Talking with and meeting all of our clients gives us a window into the world most people do not get to see. We see trends as they unfold
All the best to you and yours,
–Steve Brooks
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Why the Country’s Gone Crazy for the Keto Diet
It seems like new diet trends start to show up in the news every year, with a horde of diet evangelists following close behind. But almost always, these
liver, where it turns into fatty adipose tissue as the glycogen stores overfill. Basically, the keto diet keeps carbohydrate intake so low that the body is forced to search for another source of energy to keep everything moving. So, the body shifts from metabolizing mostly glucose to metabolizing fats instead. During a process called ketosis, the liver takes fatty acids from the body’s stores and convert them to ketones, which it then “learns” to utilize as its main fuel source. In this way, fat stored in the body is burned away to fuel physical activity. It’s a decidedly extreme diet — to maintain ketosis, strict avoidance of any and all carbs is vital — but there’s plenty of science to back it up. One 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that severely obese participants who kept a strict low-carb diet lost nearly three times as much weight as their low-fat counterparts. individual businesses that rent the space do it. That’s only fair. Because if this isn’t done, and you get hurt, the property owner may be liable for some or all of the resulting damages. The law used to distinguish between natural snowfall and an unnatural accumulation of ice and snow. In those instances, legally, it was better to not touch snow and ice at all (leave it natural) than it was to shovel (make it unnatural) and leave a dangerous condition. The rationale was that the property owner did not create the hazard (snow and ice) and should not be responsible for injuries caused by it. However, once a property owner disturbed the way Mother Nature created it, liability followed. This was the law for more than 100 years. That all changed in 2010, when our Supreme Judicial Court decided a case involving a plaintiff who had slipped and fallen on a piece of ice that had frozen to the pavement on a retail parking lot. The distinction between a natural and unnatural accumulation of snow and ice proved a “slippery” slope — pun intended — for the court and was abolished. The natural accumulation exception was removed and now land owners have a duty to use
However, it’s far from foolproof. As the start of ketosis, you’re essentially starving the body of its previous main fuel source, resulting in sleepiness and weakness until it acclimates to running on ketones. Afterward, proponents say you’ll start to feel satiated and energetic. But, keto can cause problems for high-intensity exercise and strength training, which depend on stored carbs for fuel. Some experts even argue that the diet is dangerous, causing the body to enter “starvation mode.” It can even cause a host of other problems, including making it even harder to lose weight. Whether you’re a proponent or a detractor, it’s clear the keto diet is here to stay, at least for a while. But before embarking on your fat-burning journey, consult with your physician to learn whether ketosis is a safe option for you. reasonable care under the circumstances to keep visitors safe from hazards, including removing ice and snow. In a nod to the nature of the locals, the court held it “is not reasonable for a property owner to leave snow or ice on a walkway where it is reasonable to expect that a hardy New England visitor would choose to risk crossing the snow or ice, rather than turn back or attempt an equally or more perilous walk around it.’’ There are a few ways to collect on those damages, but the usual path is to make a claim against whatever general liability insurance policy the property owner has. Homeowner’s insurance or commercial property insurance are two common ones. Homeowner’s policies typically range from $500,000 to $1 million. The big commercial policies are often significantly larger than that. Of course, navigating the quagmire of liability is best left to experienced professionals. To obtain the proper recovery, you’ll need a good personal injury attorney. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
arrives. However, there’s one diet you’ve probably heard of with a little more staying power. It’s called the ketogenic diet, or “keto,” for short, and it may be the answer to many fair-weather dieters’ woes. The keto diet involves eating mostly foods with high fat content, such as red meat, bacon, butter, nuts, and healthy oils, while keeping carbohydrate intake to an absolute minimum. Fruit, root vegetables, wheat, and sugar must be almost entirely eliminated. Normally, the body uses glucose derived from carbohydrates as its primary fuel source. Unused glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the As the weather turns and snow starts to fall, a lot of people are going to hit the streets with de-icer, salt, and snow shovels in hand. Unfortunately, other folks won’t. They’ll let the snow and ice buildup on their property, creating an unsafe situation for anybody who sets foot on it. Some of these people might be unscrupulous, others might just not know the law. It doesn’t really matter though, when someone could get hurt. Any property owner has a legal duty to use reasonable care, under the circumstances, to keep visitors safe from hazards. That’s just the law. In most places in Massachusetts, city or local ordinances specifically state what that means for snow and ice removal. The city of Boston mandates clean sidewalks within six hours of a storm. In some places, business owners have as little as three hours to start shoveling after the snowfall. Residents generally get more time, but usually only half a day or so. This duty is almost always on the property owner and can’t be completely transferred. That means an apartment complex can’t make its renters do the shoveling. Similarly, a building owner downtown has to keep the property safe and can’t make the
Who Wants to Shovel?
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Is Your Calendar Chronically Crammed? Try This Must-Do Resolution
Step 1: Assess First, envision the life you want to lead. Next, assess all the items listed on your calendar within a two-month period. Organize each commitment according to categories — social, work-related, doctor’s appointments, etc. Be thorough. Including each commitment, no matter how minor, is the key to this process. Step 2: Joy Test Do these commitments bring you joy? Are they part of your ideal life? When you look at “Lunch date with Margot” from last week, are you reminded of her unfriendly comments about your waiter and her negative attitude toward your renovation ideas? Consider each commitment and its impact on your joy. Of course, not all commitments will live up to the joy standard. You may not love your annual check-up, but it is important for your health. When you encounter non-negotiable items like these, consider the long- term impact they have on your well-being.
Step 3: Discard Put an end to commitments that are not bringing you joy. This might mean having tough conversations with clients or friends. No one said the KonMari Method is easy. Decluttering entails getting rid of items that do not pass the joy test. Step 4: Apply! Follow through. Cancel commitments and long- standing obligations that are not benefiting your life. Have the difficult conversation. Apply the joy test as new commitments come up. By considering each commitment and its impact on your life, you will make room for those that bring you joy. To read more about the KonMari Method, check out Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and its companion book, “Spark Joy.”
In her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Marie Kondo gave us a transformative method for decluttering our homes. Based on feng shui principles and Kondo’s own study of organization, the KonMari Method has led thousands of devotees to new heights of tidiness. Kondo instructs participants to assess each of their possessions, item by item, category by category, and then dispose of those that do not provide joy. It’s touted as a simple, though not easy, guide to long-term organization. What would happen if this approach were applied to your calendar? Entrepreneur Christina Wallace calls her 10-month experiment in doing so an “unqualified success.” Most of us could benefit from trimming our jampacked schedules. Those various calendars synced to our phone, each emitting noisy reminders about the upcoming hour’s plans, aren’t exactly harbingers of harmony. Get a jump-start on your organization resolution by applying the KonMari Method to your calendar.
Laugh Out Loud
Paleo Happy Hour’s Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
• • •
2 (8-ounce) cans of whole water chestnuts
• •
¼ cup coconut sugar
Coconut aminos (or tamari)
Avocado oil in an oil mister (if you bake in a glass dish)
1 pound bacon, each piece cut into fourths
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. Drain the water chestnuts and leave them in the can. Cover with the coconut aminos and let soak for 15 minutes. 3. Drain water chestnuts and then roll them in the coconut sugar. Wrap with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
4. Spray a glass baking dish with the avocado oil then lay pieces inside, or place the pieces on a wire rack over a baking sheet. 5. Bake at 400 F for 30–35 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. 6. Let cool, then enjoy!
Recipe inspired by fedandfit.com
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439 Washington Street Dedham, MA 02026
Inside This Issue
1
What Made 2017 Great?
The Keto Diet: Does It Work?
2
The Importance of Keeping Sidewalks Safe in the Snow
3
Go KonMari on Your Calendar
Paleo Happy Hour’s Bacon- Wrapped Water Chestnuts
4
When Christmas Was Illegal
The Town that Stole Christmas
One look at Boston this month, and anybody would think it’s a perfect winter wonderland — old brownstones, new architecture, and everything lit up with holiday lights and blanketed in soft white snow. And there certainly isn’t any shortage of festive things to do this time of year. From Faneuil Market to the Christmas Festival, Bostonians celebrate the holidays in style. But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, once upon a time, the residents of Boston banned Christmas altogether! Back in the days of the Puritans, the residents of the Massachusetts Bay Colony had no love for Christmas. They associated the holiday with several negative things. First, Christmas was celebrated by the monarchy, and persecution by the monarchy was one of the reasons the Puritans left England in the first place. Second, the Puritans argued that Christmas celebrations weren’t mentioned in the Bible and were rooted in pagan traditions surrounding the winter solstice. Finally, the Puritans didn’t like the caroling, celebrating, drinking, and other activities that mark Christmas celebrations.
So, in 1659, they banned it altogether, with a five- shilling fine for anybody caught celebrating the holiday. As you can imagine, this didn’t really stop anybody from celebrating in private. Five shillings wasn’t that much money. Furthermore, the record books never showed anyone being prosecuted or fined for breaking the “no Christmas” law. If anything, the law was just there to register the Colony’s distaste for the excesses of the monarchy and to set themselves apart. But the law stayed on the books for over 40 years, and was only repealed when England threatened to repeal the colony’s charter if they didn’t lighten up their Puritan ways a bit. Even after
Christmas was legalized once again, the Puritans still didn’t celebrate the holiday, keeping their stores and schools open
on Dec. 25. It was just one facet of the anti-England attitudes that eventually led to the American Revolution, even if Christmas got caught in the crossfire.
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