Gaius Maecenas, a rich Roman lord was credited with inventing the first heated swimming pool in the first century BC.  Maecenas, considered one of the first patrons of the arts supported some of the famous poets of his time, including Horace, Virgil and Propertius.  In order to make it possible for them to live and write without fear of poverty, this idea of a heated swimming pool was born.

It was not however until late in the 19^th century that home swimming pools started to profoundly grow in numbers.  In April, 1896, the modern Olympic Games helped bolster their construction in individual homes. The funny thing was that the three official swimming events (100-500-1,200 meter men’s freestyle races) did not even take place in a swimming pool!  Because the Greek government officials who hosted the Olympics did not want to invest in the cost of a stadium where spectators could watch the competition, the athletes were taken out in boats in the Bay of Zea off the Piraeus coast. An estimated 20,000 people witnessed the races inland on the beach off the open sea.   Olympians competing in the long 1,200 meter race, were more concerned about making it back to shore “alive” with the rough surf, never mind competing for a prestigious medal.

After World War II, the Hollywood film industry later played an integral role in the growing popularity of residential swimming pools with many of its movies including them in their sets.  The movie Million Dollar Mermaid starring bathing suit beauty Esther Williams also made a home pool a desirable status symbol.  Since those times, it is almost natural for the landscape of suburban neighborhoods to include a pool in the backyard.  Sizes do vary, with the largest pool according to the Guinness World Records being based in Chile.  That pool measures 3,323 feet long, has a swimming area equivalent to 20 acres, and at its deepest is 115 feet. Even a healthy share of urbanites have customized their rooftops and basements with indoor and exercise pools as well as other functioning spas and hot tubs to get in on the fun.

Another craze becoming increasingly popular is obtaining inexpensive warranty coverage for the piping and water filtration systems of residential pools through one’s homeowner insurance policies.  There are still some people drowning in the aftermath of the costs to repair bursting pipes from their swimming pools. Let us at Assetsync, LLC bail you out with quotes that will make the first splash of the summer a good one.

Wishing you and yours a great summer.

Kindest regards,

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

The actual cause was determined to be a massive forest fire that originated likely out of the Ontario, Canada region with winds bringing its black smoke easterly and overwhelming much of the skies in its path.  The one thing about wildfires in the Northeast region of the US that has not changed with the times, is that risks of future occurrences are still greatest in the months of April and May.  That is when tree and ground vegetation is driest making it highly flammable.  It is also very easy for embers to blow off and cause havoc by starting new fires.  Homeowners cleaning up and burning yard waste from the winter months have also aided in the number of incidents reported.  Since 1985, an estimated 9,000 homes have been lost to wildfires and urban fires in the United States.

A few tips to better prepare should the path of a fierce fury be headed your way include:

• Back your cars into your garage or park them in an open space facing the direction of escape.  Shut vehicle doors and roll up windows.  Keep your keys with you.  Close garage doors;
• Turn on a light in each room to make your home more visible should heavy smoke overtake your immediate area. Close all doors inside your home. Open the dampers of your fireplaces, still keeping the screens closed;
• Turn off all fuel lines including propane tanks;
• Connect garden hoses to your outside facets and fill pools, hot tubs, garbage cans, and other large containers with water and wet down roof and surrounding shrubs;
• Make plans for your pets and lock your home in case you must evacuate;
• Wear protective clothing to include sturdy boots, long pants and a handkerchief to cover your face when breathing, and
• Tell a friend or loved one you are not living with to inform them where you plan to go and check back with them when you have safely arrived.

At AssetSync, LLC, we can also provide recommendations and solutions to make your home safer while keeping your homeowner premiums under control.  Don’t ever be in the dark. Use us as your guiding light in meeting all your personal insurance needs.

Kindest regards,

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

Since 1875, another time-honored tradition of wearing hats was born across the pond here in the United States.  Every 1^st Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky the world’s most famous horse race called the “Kentucky Derby” takes place.  Although there are no official rules on what a good Derby hat on race day should look like, there are some common characteristics that most women attending adhere to:

• The hat must match both the outfit and shoes worn;
• Use of ornamental accessories like flowers and feathers is highly encouraged; and
• A calculated decision to either conform to the year’s color styles wearing the popular color or be a maverick and buck the trend, should be made months before.

On May 1, 2007, Queen Elizabeth escorted by Prince Philip attended the 133^rd running of the Kentucky Derby in elegant attire. On that fine day, the Queen wore a fine wool coat of lime green.  The matching silk dress had a small floral print. The same citrus shade was also present on her derby hat being trimmed with a pinkish-purple fuschia-colored ribbon.  That hat looked really good on her and was the fashion statement of the aristocrats there who also were decked out in their finest garments and boldest of derby hats.

Just like the State of Kentucky loves it horses so does the beloved Queen.  The Royal family has had stables now for over 200 years where they, to this day, still stud and train about 25 equines annually.  The jockeys racing for the Royals also wear head gear. The Queen’s racing colors include riders wearing black velvet caps with a gold fringe.  Their outfit has a purple body with gold braid and scarlet sleeves.

Trying to look your best on Derby Day or another special occasion requires attention to detail and a flare for what is in vogue for that season and venue.  At AssetSync, LLC, we act like the Queen’s fashion designer in tailoring a personal insurance program that best fits your particular needs and evolves with you through the times.  Whatever suits your fancy, let us assist you in insuring it.

Enjoy the big race on Saturday!

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

But will it bring Her Royal Highness Catherine and Prince William, currently second in line to the throne, better luck in their marriage?  The marriage of Royals’ Charles and Diana was infamous (to say the least) lasting only 15 years.  But the Prince of Wales mother Queen Elizabeth II and her monarch husband Prince Philip fared much better!  Married since November 20, 1947 the current English Monarch and her Prince consort have already set the longevity matrimony record while she has been seated on the throne.  On February 6, 2012, they will reach 60 years of wedded bliss from the Queens’ coronation date.  This already passes the previous mark held by King George III and the Queen consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, of 57 years and 70 days between 1761 and 1818.

Queen Elizabeth II is also in line to become the longest reigning British monarch of all-time.  Should her Royal Majesty continue being Queen until at least September 10, 2015 she will become the longest reigning monarch in over 1,300 years of English History.  Only her great, great grandmother Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years and 216 days from 1837-1901 and George III (59 years and 96 days) have reigned longer.

An estimated 2 billion people from around the world are estimated to watch via television the fairy tale wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, April 29, 2011.  Most will cheer the newest Royal couple on for a long and successful marriage.  Security measures will be heightened so that the day’s event will hopefully go off without a hitch.  No detail will be left to chance.  Just like the Crown Jewels exhibited at the Tower of London are protected with a small army of security personnel and state of the art technology, so will the Royals and their precious jewelry.  Although very few others have a collectible portfolio like the Royal family, it should nonetheless be protected no different than if it was worth a King’s Ransom.  We at AssetSync, LLC will treat you like Royalty by recommending personal insurance solutions that best protect you and your family jewels.

Enjoy the wedding,

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

Probably even more amazing was how Egypt’s long winding river would flood almost every spring season. It is said the first farmers chose grounds around the Nile for not only its fertile black sediment but for its life-giving floods.  With much of the nation consisting of dry desert land with little rain falling, city and villages mostly prospered annually alongside its banks. In the rare years when its waters did not crest, it meant famine, starvation and often death for its inhabitants.  The dependency of annual flooding in Egypt was so crucial that its own people believed their rulers were transformed into gods when they became pharaohs and thereafter possessed special powers.  Among their magic was being in charge of the Nile and deciding when its banks should crest.  It is not surprising that Egypt was also referred to in this context as “the gift of the Nile”.

Nowadays, floods still occur annually just like in ancient times.  Prayers may help, but not in the form that some may optimally hope in eliminating the many rivers and lakes from cresting and potentially bringing havoc to their property.  Taking precautionary steps to prepare for the worst is always advisable.  Our own Federal rulers (government officials) in their infinite wisdom have made readily available an affordable flood insurance for homeowners no matter where they reside.  However, this flood insurance is limited to $250,000 for each dwelling and $100,000 for personal contents within each home (no matter how much a particular home actually may have cost to build or re-build). Assetsync, LLC can often get you quotes for broader primary coverage than what is currently offered.  We can also sometimes furnish quotes on excess flood insurance to cover the gap between these $250,000 and $100,000 thresholds and the actual replacement and content values to address your own unique situations.

Why let a flood have the potential to do both physical and monetary damage to you and your home?  By building a flood preventative insurance plan, you will better protect your most prized possession, your home. Take the plunge and call us for a free consultation today!

Warmest regards,

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

Of course, the war did not end that quick and the Revenue Act of 1862 further extended the tax burden on its citizens. This time Congress said the measure would terminate in the year 1866.  The government also made it a progressive tax with those who exceeded $600 still being taxed at 3%, but people earning $10,000 or more now having to pay at a 5% rate.  In addition, the office of the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service was established.

The year 1864 brought yet more changes, most notably an increase for those earning $5,000 to $10,000 being then required to pony up taxes at a 7.5% rate. Although the Civil War officially ended on April 9, 1865 when Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia at the McLean House in the village of Appomattox Court House, the Tax Act of 1864 did not ultimately expire until almost a full decade later in 1873.  Congress revisited reform of the income tax law in 1893, eventually passing the Wilson-Gorman tariff of 1894.  Incomes taxes have been in effect ever since.

Extraordinary events causing havoc like war often have its own occupants paying the freight.  Condominium and cooperative homeowners are not exempt sometimes being subject to special assessments.  Even for perils they may have no control over, much like an act of war!  For example, did you know that if there is a fire that destroys a common area within an association you reside, by-laws can grant the governing bodies the right to assess all its owners a one-time charge to help fund the rebuild of the damaged property?  To add insult to injury, many condo and coop associations put the financial burden squarely on the shoulders of its owners to figure out how they will foot their share of the total bill.

At AssetSync, LLC, we can offer affordable quotes with reputable carriers that will often pay these types of assessments in full.  Just like you should not procrastinate in filing your income taxes, do not delay in contacting us to make sure your homes are adequately insured too.

Warmest regards,

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

Most golf courses have one signature hole which they market as the most aesthetically pleasing and photogenic. Augusta National might be the rare exception.  Golf media and fans are very much aware of the nomenclature of each of the 9 finishing holes.  When you hear broadcasters say “The Masters tournament does not begin until the back nine on Sunday” the rapid recall of each hole unfolds.  It is rare that fans familiarity with a back side of a course, most have never visited, would seem on the surface to rival that of its competitors and private members.  Very few (if any) Sunday afternoons are reserved by millions to watch golf on television like this one is.  We wait in suspense for what destiny and fate has in store this year.  All the while knowing its annual inhabitants are passing-through, with the only thing being permanent are each holes’ rich history and signature landmarks.

The tenth hole is named after the camellia shrubs positioned to the left side of the fairway and to the rear of the green.  The eleventh offers white dogwoods trees on both sides of its fairway.  My favorite hole on the entire course is the twelfth hole.  It is the shortest (Par 3) yet often the hardest to play because of the swirling winds.  It is usually a medium-or-short-iron shot to a narrow green that is protected by Raes Creek in the front and an assortment of vegetation, including the featured golden bells scrubs, behind its green.  The colorful image of golfers followed closely by their caddies carrying their bags while crossing the waterway to the green via the Hogan footbridge, then walking back over the Nelson bridge to enter the thirteenth tee box is everlasting.

I wonder if the skilful old-master Claude Monet ever played the game of golf?  After all, he painted precisely “eighteen” distinct views of the wooden footbridge over the water-lily pond he once lived.  Each work includes prominent water reflections of the aquatic flowering plants transcending from under a footbridge. This art form resembles the picturesque scenes of the two footbridges and backdrop of this twelfth green.

The thirteenth hole includes yellow azaleas native to Georgia.  The fourteenth has its towering Chinese fir evergreens often as tall as seventy five feet in height.  The fifteenth has fire thorn scrubs with creamy white buds coming down the left side. The sixteenth hole has clusters of redbuds with its small orchid-pink flowers.  The seventeenth and its fernlike nandina scrubs brought here from Japan, also symbolize good luck.  Finally, the last hole is laced with spinney holly leaves that flower all spring in inconspicuous green and white decor.

Another of the famous masters, Vincent Van Gogh, once wrote “I’m in a fever of works since the trees are in blossom and I want to do a Provencal orchard full of enormous brightness.”  Imagine what a field trip he would have one spring if he could have seen Augusta National and have as his subjects these wonderful holes and its many diverse trees and plants?

Are you seeing the forest in the trees?  Whatever masterpieces you have to insure in or outside of your home, Assetsync, LLC can be onsite to take it all in and recommend solutions for a wide assortment of personal items including your most prized trees and exterior plants.

Enjoy it all this weekend!

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

Barrack Obama also threw out the first pitch in Washington in 2010.  This year (2011) he is not scheduled to attend, perhaps thinking twice if it was a mistake to wear his own hometown’s Chicago White Sox cap, while on an “enemies” pitching mound.

President Hoover once said “Next to religion, baseball has furnished a greater impact on American life than any other institutions.” It is hard to imagine our great country without its baseball.  Like most things we love, testimonials of games or players we watched continue fondly into perpetuity.  Wearing our favorite team’s caps and uniforms (number and player names intact on back) demonstrates our allegiance to our teams and its past and current heroes.  There is also not a greater thrill to be one of the fortunate few to actually catch a foul ball while attending a game, especially if we have a child or grandchild seated next to us.

A big part of the fun is to collect and hold on to cherished keepsakes (balls, tickets, programs and autographs).   We at AssetSync, LLC can coach you in safeguarding and insuring your most precious sports memorabilia too.

The beauty of opening day is that whatever happened to your team last year, we start anew each spring.  With every team starting the season with the exact same record, we can all dream that this will be the year our team wins it all.

Enjoy the season!

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

However, the harsh winter, particularly in the North-Central regions of the United States, has many of us potentially exposed to massive flooding.  The National Weather Service has ranked the accumulated snow pack this past season among the worse over a span of the past sixty years.   Several concerning factors have also converged.  First, heavy autumn precipitation left many areas with their local streams running higher than normal before the winter freeze.  Then the winter heavy snowfall, added to the equation with the frozen and saturated ground inhibiting infiltration of water.  Flash flooding has already occurred for some.  Should heavy spring rainfall occur as anticipated, the higher volume of water in the river systems could overflow and put many more in harm’s way too.

The best course of action for homeowners is to proactively take on extra preventative measures now.  Check to see if your outdoor drains are in good working order and clear of leaves and debris.  Sump pumps and power generators should be tested.  Have a battery back-up plan implemented in the event of a power failure if you do not have one.  Consider replacement of items that are getting older too.  Did you know that the normal life expectancy of a sump pump is generally not more than 10 years?

There is also a common misperception that should someone experience water troubles in their own residence, that their homeowner’s insurance policy will automatically respond and cover the claim, less the deductible.  Policies will “explicitly” state if you have the applicable coverage for such situations.  Have you read your policy to see if you are in fact covered? Let us at AssetSync, LLC, “test the waters”.  We can review your policies and help determine if you have an adequate amount of coverage to keep you afloat should a sewer back up and sump pump overflow incident occur.

Readying yourself for whatever April showers bring your way, will make the splendor of flowers blossoming in May that much more wonderful.

Warmest regards,

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net

It probably will not surprise you that the preferred mode of transportation for many Irish wedding entourages (even of today’s generation) is still the horse-drawn carriage.  But did you know that brides and grooms each try to arrive beforehand via different roads to the church?  They do leave on the same road, symbolic of their two separate lives coming together as one.

The Irish Draught is beloved throughout the motherland as the national horse of Ireland.  The word “draught” (pronounced “draft”) was used by the English to describe farm horses, but it also was applied to these Irish horses even though have very distinct physical characteristics from a typical work animal.  When one thinks of the word “draught” it conjures up the image of a mug of Irish beer, particularly this time of year.  It also refers to a horse with a huge body and feet the size of dinner plates, suited to pulling a plow.  Even this common image of a draught is misleading since an Irish Draught is much lighter and more free-moving.

When farms became almost all mechanized over the past century, the numbers of draught horses significantly declined and this Irish breed neared extinction.  However, like all serious things that are Irish, the fate of their own draughts were discussed over many pints.  It was ultimately decided to form a society to preserve, promote and improve the Irish Draught. In large part because of the efforts of the Irish Draught Horse Society, these equines are presently enjoying growing worldwide popularity being mostly an everyday leisure riding horse.  It also has played a major role as the foundation breed of the Irish Sport Horse.

Another famous Irish proverb cites “Even a good horse cannot always keep running.”  For homeowners that have their own riding horses stabled with them on their residential properties, let us at AssetSync, LLC, get you into the saddle to catch up with the herd and your personal equine insurance needs.

Enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day holiday too!

Safe home,

Nick Narlis, President and Founder of Assetsync, LLC

1250 Rte 28, Suite 305
Branchburg, NJ 08876
Office: 908-685-0408
Cell: 908-581-1593
Email:  nnarlis@assetsync.net