Homegrown Tales 2024 (on Substack)
Subscribe to this Substack column for $5 per month or $50 per year. For $80 as a founder, get full access to “Black Girl In a Doggone World™,” “Homegrown Tales,” "One Black Woman's Vote" and “Window Shopping” too.
This is a place for (new) homeowners, condominium owners, condo board members and people thinking about home repairs/upgrades.
Also, check out a few episodes from "Homegrown: An Ode to Sugarbowl Sam" podcast.
(Looking for Homegrown Tales 2019-21? Click here. 2022? Click here. 2023? Click here. 2025? Click here.)
This is a place for (new) homeowners, condominium owners, condo board members and people thinking about home repairs/upgrades.
Also, check out a few episodes from "Homegrown: An Ode to Sugarbowl Sam" podcast.
(Looking for Homegrown Tales 2019-21? Click here. 2022? Click here. 2023? Click here. 2025? Click here.)
30. Shamontiel's homeownership clips from Blavity Partners ~ Additional content as an SEO Lead Writer from August 2024 and onward
29. Set up your shopping list for a mudroom ~ Avoid tracking in all the slush, snow and mud from a messy winter season
28. Landlords have the upper hand on tax write-offs for special assessments ~ Why homeowners can't claim HOA and COA fees as tax deductible
27. Air plants, the safe plant to keep around dogs ~ With a laundry list of toxic houseplants and plants in the garden, which ones are pet-safe?
26. 5 often-overlooked fire hazards in your home ~ From laundry lint to light bulbs and towel racks, keep your home safe from avoidable homeowners insurance claims
25. 6 underrated maintenance tasks to do in every laundry room ~ From avoiding fire hazards to dogs overpowering appliances, make sure your washers and dryers can have longevity
24. 24 things you should have in your woman cave ~ Your "me time" supplies should range from snacks to joggers to wine glass holders
23. Avoid Domestic & General for extended warranty services ~ Before purchasing an extended appliance warranty, review Better Business Bureau complaints
22. When you move, don't make an enemy out of your neighbors ~ Condo associations should have a firm move-in and move-out time restriction and know who the moving company is
21. 8 electric and non-electric bidets for your bathroom ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
20. Sweater weather shopping: 9 best ventless gas and electric fireplaces ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
19. Privacy please: 13 of the best blackout blinds ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
18. Laundry day: 7 of the best retractable clotheslines ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
17. 9 of the best kitchen compost bins ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
16. 9 best hand-held bidets for first-timers ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
15. Why are memory foam mats better than the usual knit rag mats? ~ How to wash a memory foam bath mat
14. Top 15 best toilet paper holders ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
13. HOAs and COAs: Avoid the $591 fine by filling out the Beneficial Ownership Information Report ~ Alabama companies and National Small Business Association excluded, LLCs must fill out the BOI form by January 1, 2025 (or earlier)
12. The underrated features in furniture ~ From berber fleece, vegan leather and sintered stone, learn how durable and eco-friendly your furniture will be
11. Is installing a keyless deadbolt lock worth the money? ~ Pros and cons of skipping traditional keys for battery-operated, fingerprint-optional entry
10. Unclogging standing water in sinks: Do sink plungers work? ~ Review: Which is better between the PlumbCraft Mini Home Sink Plunger or LDR Mini Bellows Sink and Drain Plunger for Bathrooms?
9. Do bulk Internet and cable packages save condo associations money? ~ The condo board fight to cancel Xfinity's bulk package
8. DIY wall repair: Is a fiber tough patch better than self-adhesive aluminum patches? ~ Yearslong procrastinating: From electric baseboard heater to wallpaper to drywall repair
7. Eco-friendly cooking versus no burning: Electric or gas stove? ~ How the Hot & Toxic natural gas commercial made me reevaluate my stove option and cooking techniques
6. How to reserve your reserves ~ Five ways to save money without charging condo unit owners a special assessment
5. For DIYers, the Home Depot Seeds Program is equal to a kid in a candy store ~ The best perk of being a do-it-yourself homeowner is freebies that make you want to do more projects
4. Condo associations are the most slept-on reality show TV idea ~ From rain barrels and broken pipes to overgrown lawns and storage unit mysteries, condo board members go out of their way to be difficult
3. Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Mike Davis of Mike Davis & Associates ~ Step 5 to homeownership: Be willing to admit when you need legal counsel even after closing day and the boxes are unpacked
2. 10 tips to protect your empty, for-sale home ~ One Orlando homeowner came home to a missing driveway and a $10K bill
1. Why are HOAs banning electric cars? ~ Biden proposes stricter automobile pollution limits, encourages two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032
29. Set up your shopping list for a mudroom ~ Avoid tracking in all the slush, snow and mud from a messy winter season
28. Landlords have the upper hand on tax write-offs for special assessments ~ Why homeowners can't claim HOA and COA fees as tax deductible
27. Air plants, the safe plant to keep around dogs ~ With a laundry list of toxic houseplants and plants in the garden, which ones are pet-safe?
26. 5 often-overlooked fire hazards in your home ~ From laundry lint to light bulbs and towel racks, keep your home safe from avoidable homeowners insurance claims
25. 6 underrated maintenance tasks to do in every laundry room ~ From avoiding fire hazards to dogs overpowering appliances, make sure your washers and dryers can have longevity
24. 24 things you should have in your woman cave ~ Your "me time" supplies should range from snacks to joggers to wine glass holders
23. Avoid Domestic & General for extended warranty services ~ Before purchasing an extended appliance warranty, review Better Business Bureau complaints
22. When you move, don't make an enemy out of your neighbors ~ Condo associations should have a firm move-in and move-out time restriction and know who the moving company is
21. 8 electric and non-electric bidets for your bathroom ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
20. Sweater weather shopping: 9 best ventless gas and electric fireplaces ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
19. Privacy please: 13 of the best blackout blinds ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
18. Laundry day: 7 of the best retractable clotheslines ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
17. 9 of the best kitchen compost bins ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
16. 9 best hand-held bidets for first-timers ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
15. Why are memory foam mats better than the usual knit rag mats? ~ How to wash a memory foam bath mat
14. Top 15 best toilet paper holders ~ Homegrown Tales listicles: The home upgrade shopping trip you didn't know you needed to take
13. HOAs and COAs: Avoid the $591 fine by filling out the Beneficial Ownership Information Report ~ Alabama companies and National Small Business Association excluded, LLCs must fill out the BOI form by January 1, 2025 (or earlier)
12. The underrated features in furniture ~ From berber fleece, vegan leather and sintered stone, learn how durable and eco-friendly your furniture will be
11. Is installing a keyless deadbolt lock worth the money? ~ Pros and cons of skipping traditional keys for battery-operated, fingerprint-optional entry
10. Unclogging standing water in sinks: Do sink plungers work? ~ Review: Which is better between the PlumbCraft Mini Home Sink Plunger or LDR Mini Bellows Sink and Drain Plunger for Bathrooms?
9. Do bulk Internet and cable packages save condo associations money? ~ The condo board fight to cancel Xfinity's bulk package
8. DIY wall repair: Is a fiber tough patch better than self-adhesive aluminum patches? ~ Yearslong procrastinating: From electric baseboard heater to wallpaper to drywall repair
7. Eco-friendly cooking versus no burning: Electric or gas stove? ~ How the Hot & Toxic natural gas commercial made me reevaluate my stove option and cooking techniques
6. How to reserve your reserves ~ Five ways to save money without charging condo unit owners a special assessment
5. For DIYers, the Home Depot Seeds Program is equal to a kid in a candy store ~ The best perk of being a do-it-yourself homeowner is freebies that make you want to do more projects
4. Condo associations are the most slept-on reality show TV idea ~ From rain barrels and broken pipes to overgrown lawns and storage unit mysteries, condo board members go out of their way to be difficult
3. Homegrown Tales podcast: Meet Mike Davis of Mike Davis & Associates ~ Step 5 to homeownership: Be willing to admit when you need legal counsel even after closing day and the boxes are unpacked
2. 10 tips to protect your empty, for-sale home ~ One Orlando homeowner came home to a missing driveway and a $10K bill
1. Why are HOAs banning electric cars? ~ Biden proposes stricter automobile pollution limits, encourages two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032