The winter holidays are a time for celebration, and that means more cooking, home decorating, entertaining, and an increased risk of fire and accidents.

Holiday decorating & lighting

• Use caution with holiday decorations and whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.
• Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
• Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload extension cords.
• Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation (i.e., using clips, not nails).
• Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations.
• Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving the house or going to bed.

Holiday entertaining

• Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range.
• Provide plenty of large, deep ashtrays and check them frequently. Cigarette butts can smolder in the trash and cause a fire, so completely douse cigarette butts with water before discarding.
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of sight and reach of children (preferably in a locked cabinet).
• Test your smoke alarms, and let guests know what your fire escape plan is.

Trees

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant."
• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
• Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.
• Be sure to keep the stand filled with water, because heated rooms can dry live trees out rapidly.

Make sure the base is steady so the tree won't tip over easily.

Lights

• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
• Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
• To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.
• Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
• Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
• Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.

Decorations

• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals.
• Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.
• In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children.
• Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a young child to eat them.

Fireplaces

• Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers, and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is open.
• Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten.
• Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.

Toys and Ornaments

• Purchase appropriate toys for the appropriate age. Some toys designed for older children might be dangerous for younger children.
  Electric toys should be UL/FM approved.
• Toys with sharp points, sharp edges, strings, cords, or parts small enough to be swallowed should not be given to small children.
• Place older ornaments and decorations that might be painted with lead paint out of the reach of small children and pets.

Children and Pets

• Poinsettias are known to be poisonous to humans and animals, so keep them well out-of-reach, or avoid having them.
• Keep decorations at least 6 inches above the child's reach.
• Avoid using tinsel. It can fall on the floor and a curious child or pet may eat it. This can cause anything from mild distress to death.
• Keep any ribbons on gifts and tree ornaments shorter than 7 inches. A child could wrap a longer strand of ribbon around their neck and choke.
• Avoid mittens with strings for children. The string can get tangled around the child's neck and cause them to choke. It is easier to replace a mitten than a child.
• Watch children and pets around space heaters or the fireplace. Do not leave a child or pet unattended.
• Store scissors and any sharp objects that you use to wrap presents out of your child's reach.
• Inspect wrapped gifts for small decorations, such as candy canes, gingerbread men, or mistletoe berries, all of which are choking hazards.

Security

• Use your home burglar alarm system.
• If you plan to travel for the holidays don't discuss your plans with strangers.
• Have a trusted friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your home.

Following these guidelines will help make your holiday season safer & more enjoyable...

 I know some will disagree, but the old saying "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" is becoming more real everyday. We have executives cashing in millions while their company files for bankruptcy, and their stockholders loosing their investment. Retirement pensions and IRA's loosing value and dwindling down to a worthless piece of paper. The government is estimating 1 out 10 U.S. citizens are getting food stamps. Not to mention the price of gas, food, clothes, etc. Then we have the President telling us the economy isn't that bad, only temporary. Below is the new release on poverty in Illinois. It shows a 19 percent increase in poverty over the last 9 years. Similar statistics can be found throughout the country. This doesn't look temporary to me. Maybe this is why so many people, young and old, are registering to vote for the first time. If enough of us stand up and work together, we as Americans can put our country back on track and continue to be the greatest country in the world. If we don't, nine years from now might be a whole lot worse.

 "Poverty is on the rise in Illinois.  The Heartland Alliance, in its annual report on poverty being released Wednesday, April 16th 2008 says 250,000 people have become poor here since 1999, a 19 percent increase. Wages, adjusted for inflation, are down, and the cost of basic living is up.

The total impoverished population in Illinois is 1,539,033, based on federal standards: Annual income of $10,400 or less for an individual, $14,000 for a family of two and $21,200 for a family of four.  Fifteen percent of Illinois families have zero or negative net worth, meaning their debt is greater than their assets.  In this year's study, poverty grew in 74 of 102 counties. Twenty-two counties are on the poverty-warning list, 44 on the watch list, based on indicators such as high school graduation rates, unemployment and teen birth rates.  Study author Amy Rynall says in the Illinois economy, many of the new jobs have been in low-wage sectors, yet people with declining wages have rising costs for housing, food, transportation, medical care and taxes. She blames a "regressive" tax structure for contributing to the problem.  The report suggests an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit as the quickest way to alleviate poverty. Rynall says that will also serve as an economic stimulus, because low-income people will spend that money immediately on basic needs."

     Here is something us Home Inspectors and Real Estate agents have in common, a client that both of us do not like to represent.

                      • The Bully Buyer. Nobody likes a bully and chances are you're not going to like this type of buyer either. You will be inundated with a list of things that are wrong with house -- all while presenting an offer. The inspection process? It will be a nightmare. If you detect a bully, move on. "This bully approach is a prelude to endless negotiations, and his or her trying to obtain concessions by nitpicking on the disclosure and the inspection."