12 Home Security Tips For Summer Safety


home security more important during summer

Summer is a special time of year where we spend more time outdoors and traveling for graduation, weddings and of course, the family vacation. These are all wonderful and in order to enjoy your memories even more, the home security tips shared here will let your relax and hopefully, avoid dealing with someone breaking into your house.

Wishing you a relaxing and memorable summer this year.

Home Security When Noone is Home Close doors, windows and other entry points when your home is empty, so now is a good time to make sure all locks are easy to operate by any family member. Don’t... 

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Alternative Energy for Tomorrow, Today?


solar panels capture energy from sunlight, a renewable energy resource

There are a few houses being built across the US that are “off grid” where they produce all of the energy they need for electricity, heating, cooling and hot water. These passive houses combine super insulation building techniques with one or more alternative energy technologies.

This article provides an overview of these emerging energy sources, the ones covered by the 2013 Federal Tax Credits for Consumer Energy Efficiency, to motivate more homeowners to invest in energy sources that are considered renewable, meaning they are continually replenished – water, wind, the sun, the earth (geothermal) and biomass energy from energy crops like... 

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Home Warranties Provide Buyer Security


a home warranty reduces the risk of serious problems needing repairs

Home warranties make a a home more attractive to prospective buyers because they’re protected from major repairs during their first year of ownership when they’re getting familiar with their new home. Sellers will often pay for a home warranty to make their home more attractive and many homeowners maintain their warranty year-after-year to avoid worrying about replacing major home systems or appliance when required.

There are different types of home warranties depending on whether you’re buying an existing or new home. You’ll should read the fine print for any home warranty to understand what’s covered and the rules you must follow to... 

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Homeowner Tips for Saving Water


WaterSense helps us focus on saving water

There are billions of people living under severe water stress conditions, meaning they have difficulty getting enough fresh water for drinking, bathing and growing food. For those of us living in the US with easy access to fresh water unless there’s a drought, we don’t realize some of our communities are focusing on how to protect and expand local water supplies.

The reality is less than 1% of the water on Earth can be used by people! That’s why there’s a new WaterSense program similar to EnergyStar, to help us use our water wisely and not waste it.

When looking at water use... 

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Estimates: How Honest or Simply Sales?


estimates can

Remodeling and home repair estimates are a lot like store price tags on clothes. For those who only want to buy things on sale, you tend to pick the lowest price. With clothing, you may forget about the seam that splits open on the first washing or turtleneck sweaters where the elasticity doesn’t last through one season … or like me, you might recognize the problem and change where you shop for clothing.

So let me share some real stories from my experience running my businesses, as you might have one or two stories while we have lots of stories from working... 

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Cleaning Your Concrete Patio and Driveway


pool-concrete-patio-a4whoa

When we’re outdoors, we seldom look down at the concrete patio, driveway or sidewalk we’re walking on. What we forget is these outdoor living spaces need care and cleaning just like the rest of the house. Spring is the perfect time (temperature) to put a few hours into cleaning your concrete patio, driveway along with some gardening. It only takes a few hours to protect your patio so it looks great all through the summer and fall. You’ll be glad you did this chore in the spring, as you enjoy many months relaxing and reading, sun bathing, grilling hamburgers and steaks,... 

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Caulking Tips for Homeowners


caulking windows inside reduces air leaks

Caulking is a routine home maintenance job. It’s very important but there’s little to remind us when old caulking fails to keep the water out, or air is leaking and raising our utility bills. Caulking won’t stick like a door that’s difficult to close but it may crack or separate from the window it’s protecting, so it no longer provides an airtight seal against water, air, dust and insects.

That’s why we offer quarterly home maintenance checklists, to remind you about items that need ongoing maintenance and repairs. This spring you’ll easily spot the screens than have holes and need to... 

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Dirty Decks & How to Clean Them


pressure washing a deck is one approach to cleaning a deck

Decks get dirty from people walking on them, dropping things and then there’s the weather and things blowing around in the air. We all want a beautiful deck and with a little elbow grease, you can clean them at the beginning of your “outdoor” season.

If you’ve got a wood deck, after you’ve cleaned it you also need to seal it to protect it from the elements … as that’s how you’re able to extend it’s useful life. If you take care of your wood deck, it can last 20 to 25 years and if you don’t, you might have to replace... 

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Reasons for Moving Vary Widely – What’s Your Reason?


reasons for moving

Prior to the housing trough, Americans had many reasons for moving, and they averaged one move every five to seven years or 11.9% in 2008 according to Pew Research’s article, Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home? As housing prices drop, people remain in their existing homes for many reasons, like concerns about home value or employment uncertainty.

As the economy pulls out of this extended recession, people are wondering if now is the right time to move and how do they know if they have good reasons for moving. Have home prices stabilized, even increased in some markets? Are interest rates going... 

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2013 Remodeling Trends


top home remodeling projects enhance curb appeal

Remodeling.com (www.costvsvalue.com) came out with their 2013 Cost vs Value report in January, so we wanted to give you an update. The big news is homeowner confidence is up, and that’s reflected by rising home prices and a corresponding uptick in the returns you should get for home improvements you make to your house. All 35 projects included in the report had higher Return on Investment (ROI) that the previous year.

Similar to previous years, the exterior renovations (windows, doors, siding and roofing) are at the top of the list with respect to ROI, taking 7 of the top 10 positions. This... 

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