About the Owners:
We're Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner, professional writers who specialize in explaining things. We live and work in a 200-year-old farmhouse that shares our 3.5-acre riverfront property with the Cottage. Our books have sold over one million copies since 1975. One of our favorites is *About the Author*, a 'juicy bits' guide to 125 novelists of all genres, what to read first, what to read next, etc. Most recently, we've created a book/CD package called *How to Make Your Vacation Property Work for You! The Quick & Easy Guide to Advertising, Renting, Managing, and Making Money from your Second Home* (available from Amazon as well as our FullyBookedRentals website). Our books often change or enrich people's lives, and based on reader feedback, this one is no exception. Managing a property remotely isn't difficult, and you really don't have to pay 15 to 50 percent of your rental income in commissions!
How the Cottage Came to Be :
When we bought this property 20 years ago, what is now the Cottage was essentially a U.S. Army signal shack that had been transported here as housing for farm workers. The farm had long since been transformed into a housing development. But a few nice book advances from Random House enabled us to transform the shack into what you see here. We hired a Bucks County cabinetmaker and his wife and son to do the work. Much of the wood is hand-planed and pegged, not nailed. The chair rail was cut with custom-made 'knives' created from an authentic 18th-century profile. The chimney was built by a master mason and his son using photos of chimneys in Colonial Willamsburg as a guide. And the crown moulding in the living room was supplied, in a roundabout way, by Donald Trump when one of his casino projects went bankrupt. The Cottage has been featured on the Fine Living Channel's 'Around the World in 80 Homes: Vacation Homes with Distinct Architectural Styles' (Episode FLAWH-211).
To Every Thing, a Season:
It's probably part of being true believers, but even in the bleak mid-winter, this is a great place to be. We ourselves are fortunate to have working fireplaces in the living room, dining room, den, and bedroom in our 200-year-old home. We made certain that the cottage had a splendid fireplace in its 'front parlor' as well. So when the snow falls or the rain beats down, it is strangely enjoyable to be safe, snug, and warm--with a crackling fire and with nothing to do but enjoy yourself with a good book, VHS/DVD movie, or your favorite audio CD. Certainly that's how we feel about our home and about our cottage. Every season offers its own delights. And, being surrounded by the symmetry, intrinsic beauty, and visual harmony of 18th-century colors and design is a delight every month of the year.
Learn more about this holiday rental at the owner's website:
