Own Home Style » Savings

Save Money by Upgrading Your Thermostat

Own Home Style — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:41:04 +0000

By Birney Summers

One way to heat less is to avoid heating rooms that are not being used. If you have a spare bed room that is only used for storage you can shut off the heat going to that room and close the door.

You may be able to reduce the heat in some rooms that are used only for short periods of time. Try closing the louvers on the warm air outlet to reduce the amount of heat that you let into the room.

Another way to heat less is to turn the thermostat down when no one is home. If your house is empty during the work or school day, turn the thermostat down 10 or more degrees so you heat less. If you go visit the grand kids on the weekend turn the thermostat down so you heat less.

Here is where you can save with a better thermostat.

Replace your old fashion thermostat with a new digital thermostat. By using a digital thermostat, you can program it to preheat the house. When you know that he house will be warm when you get home you are more likely to turn in way down when you leave. Set your thermostat to warm up you house ready to welcome you home. A good programmable thermostat can be bought for under $100. The $20 on sale basic model I bought a works just fine.

In our house, the thermostat is set at 68 during the day and 62 at night. That is cooler than some folks like, but we like it that way. Using a programmable thermostat makes setting the temperature down at night easy and you do not have to worry about forgetting. Set it to turn the heat down about an hour before bedtime. We program ours to start warming the house up an hour before we get up in the morning.

Remember heat less by keeping the thermostat low. Turn it down when no one is home. Turn it way down when your mother in law visits. To get the feel of being there turn it down during TV football games. Turn it down and buy a new sweater with the money you save.

It is cheaper to use an extra quilt or an electric blanket and turn the thermostat down even more at bedtime. I sleep better when it is cool in the house.

Remember heat less and save more.

Click here for more money saving information. I am a, Baby Boom Vintage, Energy Conservation Engineer. My mission is to help folks save money on their energy bills. The more than 137 FREE articles that I have written teach folks how to save money on their utility bills. Click here for an index of ways you can save money by saving energy. For more information on saving your energy money, visit the Energy Boomer blog at http://energyboomer.com

Home Owners Insurance and Trees – You Love Them Your Insurance Company Hates Them

Own Home Style — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 07:03:54 +0000

By Geary Morris

Coverage for damage caused by trees and for the trees themselves is one of many confusing areas of a Homeowners insurance policy.

Your neighbors’ tree falls and damages your garage, shed and fence.
Will insurance pay for the damage?
Whose insurance should pay?
What will they pay for?

A tree falls in your yard.
Will your insurance policy pay for it to be removed?
Will it pay for a new tree?

A tree limb breaks from wind or a lightning storm and is dangling over your house.
Will your insurance policy pay for it to be removed?
What if it’s hanging over a neighbor’s house?

A tree falls on your car.
What policy will cover the damage to my car?
Is there coverage for the tree removal?

First, the basics; it does not matter whose tree it was. If there is damage to your property (from anyone’s tree) your insurance policy is the one to respond. If there is damage from your tree to a neighbor’s property, their insurance policy is involved. If there is damage to both properties (from anyone’s tree) both policies will be involved and each will deal with its own property only.

The only time a Homeowners insurance policy should be involved with damage to someone else’s property is if there is liability involved. That is if the tree was rotten or leaning and should have been removed or trimmed prior to the damage occurring. Even then the damaged properties insurance policy will generally pay for their customer’s damage and then try to recover their money from the tree owners’ insurance company.

Second, the important consideration for coverage is; what is physically damaged. If a tree, or portion of a tree, falls and does not damage any real property there is no coverage. Real property is any building, structure or contents item it does not include land, landscaping or plants of any kind. A fence, shed, patio, driveway, swing set or bicycle would count as real property.

If a tree falls into your yard and does not cause any damage to the home or any other real property then there is no coverage to remove the tree or for any cleanup. Sorry!

If there is damage to anything such as a fence then the policy should cover repairs or replacement of the damaged item(s) and also limited coverage for removal of the tree. To make this even more confusing; the tree removal coverage is divided in 2 phases.

Phase 1: Getting the tree removed off of the real property is covered with no sub-limit. That is if a tree is on a storage shed then the first stage of tree removal is to remove it off the shed so repairs can be made. The only limit for this part of the removal is the coverage limit on this section of your policy; in this case the Other Structures coverage.

If the repairs to the shed and the tree removal combined are greater than the coverage available then there is an additional coverage available for debris removal. This is 5% in most cases, so if you have $10,000 coverage on Other Structures you can have up to $10,500 for the repairs and tree removal cost.

Phase 2: The second stage of tree removal is removing the tree debris off the premises. This portion is limited to $500 or $1,000, this limit can vary by insurance company, policy type and state involved.

Third, the tree itself is covered in certain limited circumstances and for a limited amount only. The tree is not covered for wind or hail damage but is covered for damage from fire, lightning, explosion, vandalism and vehicle damage (as long as it was not a vehicle driven by members of your family). The limit is typically $500 per tree but can be more on some policies and in some states.

Fourth, If a damaged tree is leaning toward your home or dangling precipitously over your home what is covered? Assuming that portion of the tree has not damaged real property then there is NO coverage. Even if another tree or portion of the same tree has caused damage.

It is your responsibility to protect your property. The insurance policy only covers damage, NOT potential damage. The same is true if one of your trees is dangling over someone else’s property, no coverage for potential damage.

If you ignore the situation and the tree later falls and causes damage to the neighbor’s home their insurance will cover their damage. They will then want to recover their money from your insurance company, or you. This is called subrogation.

If the later damage occurs to your home your insurance company could try to deny coverage because you did not protect the property.

The Homeowners insurance policy covers sudden and accidental damage it is not a maintenance policy.

Finally, damage to any automobile will only be covered on the auto policy (then only if you have Comprehensive coverage). The tree removal will not be covered by your Homeowners policy unless other real property was damaged.

About the AuthorGeary Morris is the National Sales Manager for Storm Survivor, LLC.

See our websites mentioned below for more information. You can send direct questions or read what other homeowners have asked. We offer web sites and products as a consumer resource for information and news about property insurance claims and insurance related topics. Informational original articles, excerpts from industry publications, links to insurance resources, consumer questions and answers.

http://InsuranceClaimMoney.com/ – The Claims Money Kit!
http://AskTheAdjuster.com/ – Information and articles on all types of insurance
http://DisasterForum.net/ – Insurance topics forum

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Eliminate Mold With Exhaust Fans In Your Bathroom

Own Home Style — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:43:47 +0000

If you live in an older home or are thinking about buying one, there may not be exhaust fans in the bathrooms.

Installing them will probably be in your best interest for quit a few reasons. First of all they help to pull those smelly odors out of the room. Next they stop your mirrors from fogging up so much, but more importantly they go along way towards the prevention of mold growth.

All that moisture will eventually lead to the black fuzzy looking stuff setting up housekeeping on your bathroom walls and ceiling. Excessive moisture can damage to your paint or wallpaper and woodwork as well.

If left unresolved it can damage sheetrock and cause extensive repairs to have to be made. Mold growing anywhere can be unsightly and not a very healthy situation either.

Installing an exhaust fan now can be a fairly inexpensive solution when compared to the costly consequences of putting it off until later. You can get them at most home improvement stores. They can be purchased with or without lights.

If you have a ceiling light fixture in your bathroom already, you can replace it with a fan/light combination. Or add just the fan in another location. Before you go down to pick one out, be sure to know the measurements of your bathroom so you are able to purchase one that will be strong enough for the size of your room.

A sales person should be able to help you locate one with the right CFM {cubic feet per minute} That information can be found somewhere on the box..

If your going to attempt the installation yourself, take a good look at the tools you will need and all the necessary steps involved to be sure that you are up to the task.

There are several things such as electrical wiring, installing the vent into the ceiling and out of the house through the attic. You might want to consider hiring someone to do it for you. Sometimes this is the best way to go if your not very skilled at do it yourself projects.

Whichever way you decide to go, it will be an inexpensive improvement that will help to dispel a number of things excessive bathroom moisture can cause. It will defiantly be worth the time and money now compared with what it could cost you least on.

About the Author Description

Jim Corkern is a write and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and mold remediation companies across the united states.

Floods, Earthquakes and Fires: Secure vs. Insure

Own Home Style — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 06:22:21 +0000

Pamela Stevens

Natural and unnatural disasters affect everyone. Some areas of the United States are so prone to natural disturbances that many private insurance companies will not offer coverage. For example, most homeowners insurance will not cover damage caused by floods or earthquakes, and few will cover forest fires if your property is in an undeveloped area.

When evaluating what kind of insurance coverage you need, consider what your current policy covers, any inexpensive additions (or endorsements) to your active policy and your location related to the risk of natural disaster.

There are many types of disasters to consider, including natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, forest fires, tornadoes and hurricanes. Unnatural disasters include war, nuclear accidents, civil disobedience and terrorism.

NATURAL DISASTERS

Floods

Who is at risk? Everyone. Any area can experience an unusually wet season and the wastewater management systems of most cities do not have the means to control a rapid increase of water in paved areas. Generally, if your property lies near a body of water or in an area prone to hurricanes or flash floods the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) considers you to be at a high risk.

To determine the level of risk in your area: Visit http://www.floodsmart.com, sponsored by the NFIP, to see floodplain maps and search by zip code the flood risk of a specific area.

Insurance: Traditional homeowners insurance does not cover flooding. Many lenders require flood insurance if the property is located in a high-risk area. Private agencies do not provide flood insurance; flood insurance is available through the NFIP, who is under FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. Information about this insurance program is available at the NFIP website or through an insurance quote service. Flood insurance offered by the NFIP usually also covers flooding caused by hurricanes, rivers and tidal waves if two acres or two adjacent properties are affected. Water damage from broken pipes, backed-up sewers and from fire hoses is usually covered by standard insurance.

Earthquakes

Who is at risk? In the United States, the most active areas are along the Pacific Ocean including Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon and Washington. Inland areas of activity include Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and a small area between the three connecting corners of Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri.

To determine the level of risk in your area: The United States Geological Society Earthquakes Hazards Program hosts maps at http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/epic/epic_circ.html that are updated by the hour for the entire planet. Residents of California can go to http://www.quake.abag.ca.gov to view an interactive shaking and liquefaction map.

Insurance: Earthquake endorsements can be added to most insurance policies purchased through a private agency. In California, residents can purchase earthquake insurance through the California Earthquake Authority. The probability of an earthquake, your location, soil type and building structure determine premiums. Deductibles on earthquake insurance are typically very high, often up to 10 to 15 percent of the building’s structural limit. Damage caused by broken gas lines or water pipes as a result of an earthquake typically may be covered by standard insurance. Earthquake damage to vehicles is covered by comprehensive insurance. Liquefaction can cause water damage by mud and standing water resulting from an earthquake. Consult your policy to determine whether your earthquake endorsement or other additions cover this type of phenomenon.

Forest Fires

Who is at Risk? Properties in wooded or dry grassland areas or located far from fire stations are considered at risk.

To determine the level of risk in your area: The National Interagency Fire Center publishes current fire maps at http://www.nifc.gov/firemaps.html.

Insurance: It is quite common for insurance companies to refuse coverage for properties in wooded areas or far from fire stations. Fortunately, unless you are in certain high-risk areas, many agencies will offer coverage or endorsements. Some policies offer benefits to help clean smoke damage and cover accidental fires or lightening fires in developed areas. Many insurance companies will extend discounts if preventative products are in place, including fire alarms or sprinklers, fire extinguishers and fire-resistant roofs.

Tornadoes

Who is at Risk? Tornadoes are most common in the states located east of the Rockies. However, they occasionally do occur in other areas.

To determine the level of risk in your area: The National Climatic Data Center tracks severe weather. To view maps and historical information related to tornadoes visit http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html.

Insurance: Coverage for this type of disaster is usually available through a standard insurance policy. Most policies will also cover structural damage from hail that quite often accompanies this type of weather. Damage to trees and landscaping is not usually covered unless an addition is purchased.

Hurricanes

Who is at Risk? Hurricanes occur most often over and near the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Indian Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. In the United States areas surrounding the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern coastlines of Florida to Maine are particularly prone to this type of severe weather.

To determine the level of risk in your area: View hurricane maps published by the National Climatic Data Center at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/hurricanes.html.

Insurance: Many standard insurance policies will cover damages covered by wind but not by flooding. Flood insurance must be purchased through the National Flood Insurance Program.

UNNATURAL DISASTERS

War

Damage to property from war activity, due to modern technology, could potentially happen anywhere. Most insurance policies will not cover losses caused by a war.

Nuclear Accidents

If a nearby power plant irradiates your property, insurance will generally not cover damages. However, it may help to express liability concerns to the owners of the plant. Before purchasing a property, you may want to visit the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission website at http://www.nrc.gov to discover if an active plant is located in the area.

Civil Disobedience

Civil disobedience usually refers to a riot or other civil commotion. Standard insurance will generally cover damages resulting from a riot, unless you were actively involved. If your property is broken into and items are stolen or vandalized, most insurance policies will cover the cost of repairs and replace stolen items. However, in order to receive the full value of lost items you may have to purchase “replacement cost coverage.”

Terrorism

On November 26, 2002, President Bush signed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which stated that private insurers and the federal government share the risk of losses attributed to terrorism. The act also rescinded state exclusions for terrorism. This act was set for a three-year period; check in your state to find out how your state currently enforces coverage for acts of terrorism. Additionally, evaluate your particular insurance policy to see what benefits you may receive if an act of terrorism affects your property.

Additional Considerations:

Homeowners may want to consider, regardless of location, Additional Living Expenses (ALE), which is a benefit that will reimburse up to 10-20% of the structural coverage of your home to help with temporary living expenses.

Business owners may want to consider purchasing ‘contingent business interruption’ or ‘contingent business income’ coverage that can help cover profit loss or extra expenses that occur as a direct result of interruption of supply due to events outside the businesses control. This type of coverage could be beneficial if your main supplier or customer is located in an affected area.

Landslides often are not caused by earthquakes or flooding. This unique kind of earth movement falls into a commonly undefined area of coverage; consult your policy to see if your insurance covers this type of occurrence.

Standard insurance may cover some natural disasters, such as damage from windstorms, hail, lightning and volcanic eruptions.

Even if you purchase complete coverage, relief does not come instantly. With this in mind, it is a good idea to keep on hand food, water, cash, a battery operated radio, first-aid supplies and protection from the elements to last at least three to four days.

Document your belongings well. Keep an accurate and up-to-date copy of your records and policies off the premises in a safe place.

In Summary

Once you’ve determined what the risks are in your area carefully review your policies. Keep in mind that policies may offer different levels of benefits with regards to property. Evaluate coverage in terms of the structure and content of a building, the outer buildings such as sheds, barns or garages, landscaping, and temporary living or relocation expenses.

Understanding your policies can be difficult. Nevertheless, it is better to invest a little time now, than worry about it later. If you think your insurance coverage falls a little short, shop around to find the kind of coverage you need or speak with your representative about additions to your current policy. You may also want to try on online service like insurancefinder.com.

References

Association of Bay Area Governments. Earthquake Maps and Information, Liquefaction and Information. http://quake.abag.ca.gov.

Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). What is a Flood? http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/whatflood.jsp.

Insure.com. The Basics of Earthquake Insurance. http://info.insure.com/home/quake.html.

Insurance Information Institute. Earthquakes: Risk and Insurance Issues. http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/earthquake/.

Kreidler, Mike. Facts about Earthquake Insurance http://www.insurance.wa.gov/factsheets/factsheet_detail.asp?FctShtRcdNum=20.

National Interagency Fire Center. Fire Maps. http://www.nifc.gov/firemaps.html.

U.S. Department of Commerce. NOAA Satellite and Information Service, National Climatic Data Center. Hurricanes. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/hurricanes.html.

U.S. Department of Commerce. NOAA Satellite and Information Service, National Climatic Data Center. Tornadoes. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/tornadoes.html.

U.S. Department of Interior. US Geological Survey, Earthquakes Hazards Program. http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/epic/epic_circ.html.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Facility Information Finder.http://www.nrc.gov.

Weston, Liz Pulliam. What Your Home Insurance Doesn’t Cover. http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourhome/P35342.asp.

About the Author

Pamela Stevens.

Pamela Stevens writes for TopTenREVIEWS.com, an online review service that publishes unbasied software, online service and hardware reviews. TopTenReviews also publishes movie reviews and entertainment pages. Please see http://toptenreviews.com for reviews and articles on a wide variety of topics.

How to Buy a Rent to Own House

Own Home Style — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 06:49:50 +0000

By Derick B Van Ness

For many Americans today the dream of home ownership seems out of reach. Prices have skyrocketed over the last few years, and right now it’s nearly impossible to get into a home without good credit and mega bucks for a down payment.

This can be discouraging, especially to those with larger families or small children. Having too little room and no back yard, and hearing the neighbors through the thin walls of an apartment building is not what most of us want for our brood.

However, in recent years an increasingly popular and mutually beneficial option has emerged for people facing these or other related home-buying issues. The process is termed “how to buy a rent to own house” (which is similar to a Lease Option) and it can be a viable solution for anyone who finds themselves with limited down payment money, income, or credit. It can allow an aspiring homeowner to get into a house before they have completely fixed all of their credit problems, and with less money out of their pocket.

Even more encouraging is that the rent to own house buying process doesn’t usually involve getting qualified by a Loan Broker or a bank before moving into the house. Because the Seller is a real person with a real need to sell their house, they are typically more flexible and willing to work with a buyer than a financial institution would be. And depending on the situation, the seller is quite often able to accept a down payment that is considerably less than a bank would require. These pluses are very appealing to many Americans who have been unable to keep pace with high housing costs, or who have had events which have temporarily lowered their credit score.

In exchange for these advantages, the buyer of a rent to own house needs to be flexible in other ways. Usually this type of buyer is expected to pay close to (or even slightly above) market value for the house and the may also pay above-market rental prices. This is because of 2 things:

1) The home seller usually needs above-market rents to help cover his mortgage.
2) The home seller will often give “Rent Credit” to the potential buyer in exchange for a higher monthly rent.

For example, take a home worth $300,000 with a monthly mortgage payment of $2,200. The owner needs to sell it, but there are several others in his area that are also for sale, a few perhaps listed at even lower prices than his. The home seller decides that he wants to sell to a rent to own buyer so that he can get the home sold quickly and for the price he needs.

The seller may offer the house at $295,000 with a monthly payment of $2,400 and a 3% Option Consideration (which is money or “down payment” giving the buyer the Option to purchase the home in a pre-determined amount of time at a pre-set price). Most times this Option Consideration is non-refundable even if the buyer is unable to purchase the house.

In this example, the rent to own buyer will bring the 3% Option Consideration to the seller (before move in) and begin paying the rent. They will have already agreed upon the price of $295,000 (which can’t increase even if the value of the home does), and they will have agreed that the buyer will have a pre-determined amount of time to exercise their “Option to Buy”- for example, 2 years.

It may also be agreed upon by the Buyer and Seller that $600 of the $2,400 monthly rent will be considered “Rent Credit” and applied toward a down payment. This Rent Credit money will be used when the rent to own buyer finally qualifies for a loan, and officially takes ownership of the house. (Within the agreed upon 2 years)

This is a simple example, and terms are negotiable in transactions such as this, but this scenario is common and was used to help clarify some of the elements of the process.

This creative process of how to buy a rent to own house is becoming more and more popular because it creates a “Win – Win” scenario. The Buyer is able to get into a home with limited money and credit, and the Seller is able to get a fair price for their home and get it sold more quickly. Both sides are better off than before, and the process meets all of their needs. In today’s tumultuous market this tried and true method is allowing many Americans to buy and sell homes that they wouldn’t have been able to through more “conventional” methods.

For more information on How to Buy a Rent to Own a House, feel free to read the articles at the following links:

http://tms.ecol.net/realestate/leaseopt.htm
http://homebuying.about.com/od/financingadvice/qt/091007_leaseopt.htm

Also, if you are in Southern California, we have “Rent to Own House” or “Lease Option Home” programs available, and can help you find one. Contact us at: 800-883-0881 or let us know what you want at by submitting a form at:

http://freedomhomebuyersonline.com/email_notify.html

Derick Van Ness has been a full time Real Estate Investor since 2002, and has been involved in buying, selling, lease optioning, renting to own, and flipping over 100 properties. He currently owns Freedom Home Buyers and is a Life Success and Real Estate Coach. Derick makes his home in sunny Southern California.

How To Insure A Home Business

Own Home Style — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:48:18 +0000

By Alexander Gordon

Insuring a home business is in now way less important than insuring a big corporate. However, there are many differences when you go to insure a home business and a corporate business. You can get best deal in home business insurance, with a systematic approach No matter what kind of business you are running, insurance is necessary for every business so that you do not have to regret in case of any unforeseen occurrence.

How to Start?

To insure a home business, first of all decide the additional insurance coverage required for a home based business that is not covered otherwise. For example, most of the homeowners’ policies cover the risk of only up to $2500. This is a very small amount considering the risk associated with home business properties. Furthermore, you have to insure for lost income and liabilities. Contact the local office of chamber of commerce or any other organization for self-employment and inquire about the available insurance programs. Also, take advice of our present insurance company from whom you have bought the rental or homeowner insurance policy. It can guide you regarding the additions and riders in insuring home office property.

Insurance Cover for Business Interruption:

While insuring a home business, also gather information regarding the business interruption policies. In this insurance, the company reimburses you the amount, in case of sudden obstructions in day-to-day business operations. Different companies offer different options with varying price tags, By putting some extra effort in shopping around, you may end up in clinching best possible deal.

There are certain special policies also for particular kind of businesses. For example, a professional should have professional liability insurance. Similarly, those businesses, which deal in food products or homemade personal care products, may need some special policies. Varying with the kind of your business and the insurance company, you have basically three options before you to insure a home business.

A Quick Look at All the Three Options:

First is homeowner’s policy endorsement. This is simply just endorsing your current homeowner’s policy. By paying only $25, you can double the risk coverage for business equipments. A liability endorsement is also available for homeowner’s policy. However, insurance companies provide it only for those businesses, which have limited number of visitors. Second option is in-home business policy. The area of coverage in this policy is much wider than the first one. The third option is business owners’ policy. This policy is designed for the businesses that perform business activities from two or locations.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com – The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining “The Community of Small Business Owners” to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

Home Improvement Ideas That Won’t Break the Piggy Bank

Own Home Style — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:49:17 +0000

By TC Thorn

An attractive kitchen is one of the things a person notices and remembers about a home. Rather then spending large amounts of cash having cabinets and surfaces replaced, try picking up new doors and hardware, and maybe a can of wood stain or paint. Old cabinets can be freshened up with a brush and screwdriver in an afternoon for a lot less than a complete overhaul. The same tricks work for appliances which may feature removable plates. New plates can be ordered in different colors or materials. Some may even be reversible already, so if you want to remodel a white kitchen darker you only need to loosen a few screws.

Light fixtures can be changed by following the included directions. Old styles can be made modern in a half hour. Using eco-friendly fixtures can improve a room’s attractiveness while adding cleaner light and lowering your electric bill. Doorknobs, handles, and other hardware throughout the house can be retouched for a better look.

Landscaping can be done with nothing more than a hand spade. Local gardeners and groups may meet and share plants. Some species that are commonly used spread, and a neighbor may want to get rid of some beautiful plants. Ask around and improve the outside of your home without having to sell off the furniture inside. If you already do some gardening, check on line for a seed exchange. The price of postage may be all it takes for you to trade vegetable seeds for a tree seedling or a small shrub.

Flooring is normally the realm of experts, but kits exist that are installed over existing floors. Several hundred dollars can be saved by doing the work yourself while getting rid of worn out floors.

If your carpet is looking used but you can’t afford to lay new carpeting, rent a shampooer and purchase the cleaning agents for it. Using it in a high traffic room can put new life into it and put off replacement.

Adding a new toilet seat in the bathroom and a few new towels can give a newer look to you bathroom. Replace chipped tiles around your bathroom and clean the group to complete the look. A new sink may not be difficult for a DIY-er to handle either.

Hiring a professional to inspect your home and take care of small repairs can be a good thing as well. When small details like wiring and water fixtures are reseated and touched up it tells visitors that you care about your home. The price of a pro for a few hours may be more than enough to make up for the equipment and tools you would have to purchase yourself.

Watch your front door. A loose handle and cracking paint around it will be the first thing to greet visitors. Adding stronger fixtures, a new light kit, or paint to the frame can do wonders for the image of your home. Metal frames can be painted over as well, without requiring a new frame.

New curtains on your windows present a better image. Anyone driving by can see your windows so if the colors are off or they are getting tatty, just hanging a new set will make everyone feel better.

If you don’t have enough space for a proper garden behind your home, consider flower boxes. Installing them underneath a window is easy and small flowers growing inside them makes a home warmer. If you enjoy cooking you can install one near the kitchen as a boxed herb garden.

About the Author

TC Thorn writes home and garden and remodeling articles for Home Improvement Ideas Visit the bathroom remodeling and kitchen remodeling sections for more ideas.

Useful Tips To Help You Shop for a Home Loan To Save Money

Own Home Style — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:51:43 +0000

Featured on OwnHomeStyle.com.
Most consumers want to know which housing loan is the best in town. Unfortunately, that is the wrong question to ask.

There are more than 100 housing loan packages in the market and what is best for one person might not necessarily be the best for you. Each package has different features that are suitable for different needs.

Thus, a more appropriate question to ask is what are the factors that you should consider in choosing a housing loan? Here are some things you should note before signing on the dotted line for a home loan.

Pre-approval: Before you close a deal to buy a property, it is advisable for you to first get pre-approved for a bank loan.

With the setting up of the Credit Bureau in 2002, banks can now check your repayment history of loans and credit cards taken up with other banks. Were you late in paying instalments? Have you ever been sued? If the answer is yes, banks may not approve your loan application or they might approve a lower loan quantum. This could jeopardise your purchase of a property, and you might even have to forfeit the option money you paid.

Loan duration: A minimum loan duration is five years and the maximum 30 or 35 years, or till you are 65 or 70 years old, whichever is lower.

One way to decide on loan duration is to time the loan duration to match your intended retirement age. So, if you plan to retire by age 60, you should ensure the loan is fully paid up before you reach 60, rather than stretch it till you’re 65.

Floating or fixed: If you think interest rates have peaked and are likely to go down, you might want a floating rather than a fixed rate package.

However, if you’re worried about the possibility of banks revising interest rates upwards, you might want a package which fixes the interest rate for the next one to three years instead. It might not make sense to fix rates for more than three years since the lock-in period for most packages ends after three years. You can always shop around for a better package after that.

Flexibility of repayments: If you intend to make a lump sum repayment within the next one to three years, you should look for a package that offers you the flexibility to make such repayments without penalty. Some packages impose a penalty fee of up to 1.5 per cent of any lump sum repayment you make.

Transparency of rates: If you want to know the exact basis for the interest rates charged on the housing loan, you can consider loans pegged to interest rates that are publicly available, such as the three-month Singapore Inter-bank Offer rate (Sibor) or Swap Offer Rate (SOR) which move according to market conditions.

Basically, a home buyer pays an agreed percentage above the variable SOR for a specified period. You might want to consider such a package if transparency is a key issue for you and you are of the view that Sibor or SOR rates are falling rather than rising.

Penalties: Ask if any penalty will be imposed if you make a full redemption of your loan and how long the penalty period is. Currently, there are some housing loan packages with zero penalty period, while most loans typically have a penalty period of one to three years.

Interest-only: If you are a high income earner and in high tax bracket, choosing an interest-only mortgage might make sense. You benefit through savings in income tax as the interest portion of loan instalments for investment properties is tax-deductible.

This package also works well for short-term investors. By paying back only the interest, investors would benefit from lower cash outflow until they sell the property. As a result, they may be able to invest in two properties instead of one.

Interest-offset: If you have substantial cash you might want to consider an interest-offset mortgage instead. This basically links your current account to your home loan. The interest earned in your current account is the same rate as that charged on your home loan. By offsetting the interest earned on your current account against your home loan interest, you can enjoy big savings – in time and money.

Every dollar you put into this current account would have same effect as making a partial repayment of your loan, but give you the added flexibility of drawing down the cash in the current account if you need to. Whereas if you do a lump sum prepayment, the cash is ‘locked’ in the property and you lose liquidity. Thus, an interest offset package enables you to pay a lower effective rate of interest on your housing loan so that a bigger portion of your monthly instalment goes toward reducing the principal. This allows you to pay off your loan sooner and pay less in interest.

Promotions: Sometimes, banks might offer special promotional packages. If you engage the services of a mortgage broker, he would be able to provide you updated information on such promotions which could translate to additional interest savings for you.

Why better to apply loan through a Competent Mortgage Broker? In the past, when consumers shopped for home loans, they had to contact each bank individually to gather information. This a tedious process that takes up a lot of time. In the last few years, with the emergence of independent mortgage brokers in Singapore, home loan shopping and comparison have been made easier.

Basically, an independent mortgage broker who knows your requirements can help you zoom in on the most attractive home loan packages. You typically do not have to pay for the service of a mortgage broker as banks pay them a fee as they also help banks save on staff costs and resources.

In more advanced countries such as the US and Australia, people usually apply for home loans through a mortgage broker rather than go to the bank directly. In Singapore, many people are still unaware of the services and benefits of engaging a mortgage broker, but things are likely to change with public education and increasing awareness.

About the Author

Copyright © 2007 Dennis Ng.

Dennis is a Certified Financial Planner and has 15 years of bank lending experience. He founded http://www.HousingLoanSG.com – a Leading Mortgage Consultancy Portal in Singapore. He is known as a Housing Loan Expert and is often quoted in newspapers for comments on Housing Loans. Please send your comments to dennis@housingloansg.com or call him at +65 6737 8801.

How to Build a Greenhouse – Designs, Planning and Material

Own Home Style — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:58:14 +0000

How to Build a Greenhouse – Designs, Planning and Material

You will have to plan carefully before you buy or build a greenhouse of your own. There are several things to consider when building your dream greenhouse. You can save a lot of time and energy by planning ahead. You will need an array of factors all working together to have the right greenhouse system, including an advanced lighting system depending on how much light you do or do not want into your new structure.

Greenhouses come in a wide variety of styles and sizes. You can find premade greenhouses that will give you all the options you can think of, including a variety of designs, sizes and prices to best accommodate your budget. You can find an array of different materials, including plastic, polycarbonates, glass, partial wood, aluminum and more that makes up your greenhouse. If you build your own, you can find even more materials that you can use.

You will find similar issues if you buy or if you build a premade greenhouse. You will have to solve some questions on your greenhouse.

You will have to figure out what kind of foundation you want, including no foundation at all. Most times, however, your foundation will be either gravel, wood or cement. You can even find brick foundations. You will have to decide whether or not you want to cover your foundation with linoleum, tile or carpet on top of that, depending on your preference and where you live. You can also find floor heating systems that will keep your floors comfortable in the winter months. These systems, however, will take time to clean and investment funds.

Depending on where you live, you will have to see what kinds of trees are around you and how many trees there are. This will influence how many hours of direct sunshine you get. You will have to learn your own local environment as well, to accommodate around wind, hail, snow and rain. You will need to ensure that your greenhouse can withstand your own elements.

Depending on your geographic location, you will find greenhouses that can best accommodate your surroundings. In the northern states, you will see less sunshine in the winter months and have to deal with a high amount of snow, but you can find greenhouses that will help you around these factors, including electrical lighting and heating systems to protect your plants and flowers.

The amount of heat and moisture in the area will also affect your plants. Summers can be more dry in some areas of the country than in others, so these dry areas will need more water than more lush areas like the Northeast New Hampshire area.

You will need to also make sure that the size of your greenhouse matches the size of your property. You will need a flat area ideal for your greenhouse. You also don’t want an area that has too much wind or too many trees if you want more sun in your greenhouse. You can find trees that will block rainfall and the sunshine so depending on what you wan to do with your greenhouse, you will have to look out for these things on your own property.

About the Author

Moses Wright loves to garden in his greenhouse during his free time. You can find more tips and resources on greenhouse home garden and how to build your own greenhouse on his site.

40 Useful Financial Calculators by MortgageFit.com

Own Home Style — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:28:21 +0000

MortgageFit.com is dedicated to help the common people take easy financial decisions related to mortgage. It is committed to build up a community involving the common people for further development of the mortgage industry.

Their community seeks to provide quality content with updated information on mortgage and related issues. The community also offers practical solutions to problems people come across in their mortgage deals. Their goal is to guide individuals throughout the process, which equips them with better knowledge and insight on all aspects of the industry.

40 Useful Financial Calculators can be found at www.mortgagefit.com/calculators/

Mortgage Calculators comprises of a combination of financial tools that make your mortgage calculations easier. Using this tool, you can determine the effective interest rate on your loan, and get an amortization schedule (both fixed rate and adjustable rate loans) of your estimated monthly payments for the entire period of repayment. The tool also helps in finding out how much you can save on your mortgage.

A variety of Syndicate Financial Tools can be found at www.mortgagefit.com/syndicate/:

Syndicate Mortgage Rate Ticker

Interest Rate Table by MortgageFit

Syndicate Simple Loan Calculator

Simple Loan Calculator by MortgageFit