Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

  It’s great to be a Forever Agent. Today in Louisville, Kentucky at the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices annual convention, it was announced that our California Properties brokerage ranks   #2 in our global network. Who are the Berkshire Elite? Brokerages that receive this prestigious title rank among the top tier of all Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices affiliates nationwide and abroad. We are honored to be continually recognized as an elite brokerage, an accomplishment that would not be possible without our agents, managers, support staff, and, most importantly, our clients. Spanning 12 countries and nearly 1,500 offices, the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network consists of more than 50,000 sales professionals. 800+ award-winning agents At convention, we are celebrating our own real estate agents who achieved an award for their efforts in 2021. These 800+ agents and teams rank among the top 18% of our global network. Soon, rankings for Legends and Top 25 Agents and Teams will be ann

  Information is brought to you by Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties How to Choose the Right Kitchen Sink In the wide world of kitchen décor, the sink is rarely a star. Sandwiched between the granite countertops and the kitchen backsplash, it is perhaps the last thing homeowners think about. But considering how often we use it, and the different chores we use it for, the sink deserves a considered choice. Kitchen design consultants at HGTV provide kitchen sink basics to think about: Size and Shape   Classic Farmhouse A large, single-basin sink, this classic design works well if you plan to use it for multiple chores beyond washing dishes, such as cleaning over-sized pots, pans and baking sheets, or bathing dogs or babies. More common is the double farmhouse sink, with two basins of equal size.   Traditional Double Sink With two basins of different size, these allow the user to prep in the smaller size and clean up in the larger one, or separately wash s

Hope Leitner Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 3 Ways to Clean Your Sponges Sponges are a kitchen staple, but a clean sponge can spread grime all over your eating space. How often should you clean your sponge, and how should you do this? Don’t just trash a sponge when it begins looking spotty. Instead, clean them weekly, and toss them out monthly or sooner, depending on frequency of use. Our friends at Good Housekeeping offer the following solutions: Soak ’em.  Mix a third-quarter cup of bleach in one gallon of water. Soak the sponge for five minutes, then rinse. How effective is this? In testing, the bleach solution kills 99.9 percent of the three bacteria strains from the test sponges, which is the benchmark based on the EPA’s requirement for sanitization of non-food-contact surfaces. Brine ’em . Not a fan of bleach? Vinegar is nearly as effective, killing 99.6 percent of bacteria. Simply soak your sponge in full-strength vinegar for five minutes, then rinse with