Halloween Safety Tips For Homeowners

Halloween is fun for both children and adults. However, paper decorations, costumes and jack o'lanterns are festive, they also present a real fire risk.

Homeowners are encouraged to follow these Halloween safety tips... 

• Make sure your front yard, steps, and entryway are well-lit. Turn on all outdoor lights and replace any bulbs that may have burned out.
• Consider adding pathway lights or flash lights if your front yard or walkway needs some extra lighting.
• Rake and sweep your front pathway, steps, and porch. Remove any potential tripping hazards.
• Highlight any bulging tree roots or other hazards.
• Never run extension cords through traffic areas.
• Avoid open flames, such as candles and torches. Use battery-operated candles, glow sticks, and flashlights instead.
• Some children have food allergies. Consider adding non-candy treats, such as temporary tattoos, stickers, pencils, and erasers.

Fall Front Porch Decorating Ideas For Homeowners

One of the simplest ways to transform your porch is by arranging hay bales and dried corn stalks.  Fall wreaths instantly change the look of your front door.  Add a few black felt bats and you're instantly ready for Halloween weekend.


Fall faux leaf garland hung over railing or around the front door will make guests feel welcome as they approach the front of your home. It will look like you decorated for hours, but can all be done in less than 10 minutes.

Think beyond the front stoop and line the front walk with pumpkins, mums and stalks of corn.

Go from autumn pumpkins to scary jack o'lanterns in a flash for Halloween. Don't toss your hallowed-out pumpkins just yet, they make the perfect planter for your fall mums.


Depending on the color of your home and porch, a can of spray paint and you quickly have white, grey or stone color pumpkins to incorporate with traditional fall colors.

Can 13 Bring Your Home A Little Luck?

Since October 13th is a Friday this year, we did a little research and here's what we found...

1. Never walk under a ladder.
2. When you move out of a house, leave the broom behind along with the dust and dirt of your old home.
3. Carry bread and salt with you when you first enter a new home (along with your new broom).
4. It’s bad luck to carry a hoe into the house.
5. Hang herbs with yellow flowers and feathery leaves over the door to protect your home from witches.
6. Paint your front porch blue to ward off ghosts.
7. Never put shoes on a dresser or table.
8. A house with windows on the east side, facing the sunrise will bring good luck.
9. Clean your house on the Chinese New Year to rid it of all bad luck.
10. Placing an acorn on a windowsill will protect a house from being struck by lightning... now you know why blind pulls looked like acorns.
11. Never open an umbrella inside.
12. Thursday is said to be the luckiest day to move into a new home.
13. Never pound a nail after sunset, or you’ll wake the tree gods and we wouldn’t want to do that.:)

Team Hoffmann Introduces Michelle Heintz

Michelle has worked in the Real Estate business for the past 8 years. She worked as a Buyer's Agent from 2009-2011 for Team Hoffmann, and then moved to Chicago for 5 years where she continued her career in real estate. In 2016 she returned to Wisconsin and Team Hoffmann.

Michelle has a Bachelor's Degree from UW-Eau Claire in Mass Communication with an Advertising emphasis. She also has an extensive background in marketing, recruting, and consumer relations.

As the Executive Assistant for Team Hoffmann, Michelle's focus is on operations, overseeing administrative, marketing, and accounting responsibilities. She's also involved with the Property Management operations of Hoffmannagement.

Michelle and her husband Patrick reside in Franklin and have a 2 year old son, Nolan, and 1 month old daughter, Lilah.

Team Hoffmann Offers Powerful Real Estate Map Search Tool

If you are a BUYER who knows where you want to live, you can go get preliminary information right down to the street level.

As a SELLER, quickly see what the competition looks like... or maybe in this tight market, you'll discover you are one of a very few sellers in your neighborhood!

Home Owners, this is one of the fastest ways to uncover the real estate landscape in your neighborhood. You will quickly know which properties are for sale, along with the asking price and basic details about the property (i.e. size, beds, baths). Using the filters, you can get very specific information that can help in making decorating, upgrading and remodeling decisions.