Saving Money where ever we can

Were appliances were purchased before 1990? Then you’re spending a lot more on energy than you need to, and it might be a good time to think about replacing them.
>p>A new Energy Star refrigerator consumes 75% less energy than one from the 1970s, saving you more than $100 a year. Because you’re getting a new one anyway, locate the refrigerator away from direct sunlight and the oven. In the winter, turn up the refrigerator temperature and save yourself even more money.
Remember: While you’re shopping, keep in mind that bigger is not better — at least where refrigerators are concerned. Size your new refrigerator for what you actually need. A model with an upper or lower freezer uses 10% to 15% less energy than a side-by-side model.

Energy Star dishwashers are designed to use less water than hand washing. To take full advantage of this feature, only run your new Energy Star dishwasher when it’s full.

An Energy Star washing machine uses half the energy of a model made before 1990, saving you about $110 a year. Also, front-loading washers use less water than top-loaders.

Tip: Some states and local utility companies offer rebates for buying new Energy Star appliances.You can save hundreds of the purchase of that new appliance!Find your local rebates at the Energy Star website.

2. Buy a Water Filter3. Use Water-Saving Devices4. Use a Clothesline5. Insulate Forgotten Places6. Convert your Fireplace7. Weatherize Windows and Doors8. Choose Better Heating and Cooling9. Switch to CFLs10. Taken from an article By Eric Corey Freed

Spring Maintenance Tips for Your Home

Replace your furnace filter

Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter

Check your electrical system

Look for burn marks at the main electrical panel; they can be a sign of arcing inside the panel, which can easily lead to a fire. Loose connections or damaged insulation can cause the arcing. Note: Only a qualified electrician should remove the front panel cover. Trip and reset the circuit breakers regularly.

Remove any combustible materials such as paper boxes or flammable liquids from the area near the main electrical panel. Sparks caused by arcing inside the panel can ignite material stored nearby.

Check all electrical outlets for loose-fitting plugs they are an indication of a worn out receptacle. Worn receptacles should be replaced as they cause overheating and fires. Also check electrical outlets and switches to be sure they work properly. If any switches, outlets or receptacles do not work, have a qualified electrician determine the problem and fix it to avoid fires inside the walls of your home.

Install safety covers to help protect children from electrical shock. Any appliance or tool that gives even the slightest shock should be unplugged and checked by an electrician or repair shop.

Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible.
Make sure it is Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed or Factory Mutual (FM) approved. Check the gauges to make sure they are charged and ready to use.

Make sure the light bulbs in all your fixtures are the correct wattage

The light fixture manufacturer recommends the correct wattage. If too high a wattage bulb is used in a light fixture, heat produced inside the fixture can lead to fire inside the fixture, ceiling or wall.

Review your fire escape plan with your family

Consider installing a lightning protection system on your home

Protect all your electrical appliances from power surges and lightning

Have a professional air conditioning contractor inspect and maintain your system as recommended by the manufacturer

Check for damage to your roof
Signs include missing, curling, cupping, broken or cracked shingles. Pooling or ponds of water that fail to drain from flat roofs may indicate low areas and inadequate drainage.

Run through a severe-weather drill with your family

Repair all cracked, broken or uneven driveways and walks to help provide a level walking surface

Protect your home from sewer or drain back-up losses

Check all the fascia and trim for deterioration

Check your water heater

If you have a gas-fired water heater, check to make sure it is venting properly. Light a match next to the vent and wave it out (don't blow it out). See if the smoke is pulled up into the vent. If it isn't, have a professional inspect and repair it. Otherwise, carbon monoxide and other combustibles can build up in the home.

Check around the base of your water heater for evidence of leaks. If your water heater is over 5 years old, it should be checked monthly for any leakage or rusting at the bottom. If water leakage or rust is found, the water heater should be replaced.

Check the shutoff valve at each plumbing fixture to make sure they function.

Clean clothes dryer exhaust duct, damper, and space under the dryer

Replace all extension cords that have become brittle, worn or damaged

Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm

Trends in 2010

Trends in 2010 encompass a lot of things but in this post I will start with the one that has a great interest to me: Out Door Living Spaces. I've put a link to an interesting sight I thought you might enjoy.
In Ohio we have a little issue with out door living spaces. It's called Ohio Weather.
It's a fickle thing, the weather. It can be nice one minute and literally, a mess the next. So, how does one even think about outdoor living? Well, here is my approach:
1. consider options for good weather- casual weather proof furniture.
2. tents and canopies, awnings and arbors to keep us 'under cover' when necessary.
3. propane heaters for cooler evenings.
4. outdoor carpeting for those 'under cover' places.
5. portable fire pits
6. portable or fixed water features.

All great items and great options. Do you have some you have tried and like? Let me know.

Home Warranty- a Buyers and Sellers friend.

Once thought of as a luxury to be provided by the Home Owner for the Home Buyer, the Home Warranty on a home purchased in todays market is an expectation of every Buyer.
It hasn't always been that way and home Sellers are usually happy to provide it. Because they really don't want the possibility of things going wrong for the Buyer in the house they have called home and loved, Home Sellers have stepped up to the plate and provided it with the closing. Home Warranties can also be added to the house while it's on the market so if things go wrong during the listing...there's a name and number to call to get it fixed.
The warranty usually lasts for 1 year and can be renewed by the new home owner at the end of that year. It's important for the new Home Owner to see what is and is not included. It could cover the replacement or money towards a new hot water tank, new furnace, plumbing problems, and so many more things. It also will NOT cover a new roof if you have wind damage (that's is what your home owners insurance should cover); it won't cover carpeting or code violations...but if that air conditioning goes out in the summer and it's sweltering out side, it's nice to know there is a number to call and get it fixed. (yes, there can be and usually is a deductible- so know your facts AND know the number to call when things go wrong!

3 options for Upside Down homeowners

Taken from EDMONDson.com — "If you owe more on your home than it would bring in today’s housing market you may feel trapped with no options. Should you have tried to recently refinance your home you may be painfully aware that your options are severely limited. Most lenders require equity in your home before they will allow you to refinance.

You may think you have nowhere to turn, but you might be wrong. Options do exist and two of them are part of the federal government’s Making Home Affordable program.

Option one is HARP, or Home Affordable Refinance Program. Don’t you just love how all government programs seem to be required to have a catchy acronym? If your situation meets certain criteria, you could be eligible for a refinance of 105 percent and in some cases up to 125 percent of the value of your home.

Before throwing that “refinance celebration party” there are a couple of qualifications that must be met. First, you cannot be on the road to foreclosure. If you have had any delinquent payments during the past 12 months, you will not qualify for this program.

Also, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must own your home mortgage. This is because this federal program is made available only through these two mortgage behemoths. You find out whether or not your loan is owned by Fannie or Freddie at making homeaffordable.gov and following the four steps linked to the home page.

Your ability to take advantage of this program also will depend on your credit score, the way your current home financing is structured and other lender-specific guidelines. It won’t help everyone, but it could help you and it’s worth looking into. HARP literally can shave $200 to $400 off your monthly payment and can make the difference in your ability to keep your home.

Option two is HAMP, or Home Affordable Modification Program. Not quite as catchy an acronym as the former, but it’ll do. To qualify for this option you will need to prove financial hardship that puts your mortgage in imminent danger of default. If you travel down this path, be prepared for a thorough personal financial audit of all income and assets. It’s guaranteed not to be a pleasant experience having someone comb through your personal finances, but it could mean the difference between keeping and losing your home.

Again, this program requires that your current loan be owned by Fannie or Freddie, but this program includes those home loans owned by the U.S. Treasury. There’s not a Web site for easy look-up of Treasury-owned loans — you’ll have to make some calls to find out. Your lender should be able to help you ferret this out.

The federal government provides up to $1,500 to lenders for processing these modifications, but the final approval rests with the lender, not the government.

HAMP is not a refinance program, it is a restructuring of the terms of your current note. This restructuring can lower your payment for up to five years (that’s 60 months). Then beginning in the sixth year the borrower’s interest rate may begin to increase but no more than one percent per year until it reaches the “market rate at the time the modification agreement is prepared,” this according to the Making Home Affordable Web site.

Some of the options available to the mortgage company are re-amortize your loan to a longer term, lower your interest rate or forgive some of the principal balance of your loan. But in the final analysis, the decision rests with your lender. Once the new agreement has been reached, the modification has a ninety-day trial period where the lender evaluates your ability to meet the terms of the modification before setting the changes permanently in place.

Option three, if you don’t qualify for HARP or HAMP, there’s nothing to keep you from trying to negotiate a modification with your lender. Call them up and give it a try. Whatever you do, don’t bury your head in the sand and ignore the problem. Ignore it long enough and your lender will foreclose on your home.

If modification or restructuring your home loan is not an option for you, consider a short sale, which means selling your home at market value with the remaining loan balance being forgiven by your lender. It will take some negotiating with your lender, but this option is better than foreclosure." copied from Trey Bowden
Special to The Sun