You might be tempted to put off fixing your home until the economy rebounds. But some problems, if left unchecked, can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs and might even compromise your family's health, such as mold contamination. The trouble signs are easy to spot, provided you know what to look for. What's more, contractors aren't as busy now, so they're likely to be more flexible on price. Here are the five biggest red flags of home maintenance, with some advice on how to deal with them. 1. Runaway Rainwater Gutters, downspouts, and leader pipes collect rainwater and channel (3 comments)
Consumers Can't Carry the Economy Recently I read about an interview The Wall Street Journal did on thirteen economists on the recent increase in Retail Sales, and here is a recap of what they had to say about retail in todays economy. Retail sales were boosted in July by autos and gasoline - and that's mostly it. Ex-auto and gas sales dropped for the second time in three months, and had bad breadth - only 3 of 11 retail categories rose on the month (eating/drinking, non-stores, miscellaneous). Today's retail sales report is the logical reflection of an economy having households riddled with (2 comments)