home improvement: Green Your Home!
- 09/12/12 01:56 AM
Green home improvement techniques help the environment and have the possibility of saving you money.
Help reduce your carbon footprint with these 3 green ideas:
1. Begin with an audit: An energy audit, which costs around $400, will help you spot safety issues that will help you know which home improvements will give you the best investment return.
2. Weatherize: The most popular green trends are simply sealing cracks in your walls or replacing insulation. It’s easy and cost effective.
3. Rethink your remodel: Take regular remodeling projects and use sustainable or healthy products in their place.
For more green real … (1 comments)
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home improvement: Home Renovation Projects With Great Returns
- 03/09/12 04:34 AM
The real estate market is still rough nationwide, and many homeowners are choosing to renovate their current place and wait until the market improves instead of selling it at a loss. That leaves many of them asking where to start.
The most important thing to keep in mind is value: what home renovation project will get the most money back?
In this market it's unlikely any homeowner will see a 100 percent return on investment, but these are some home improvement projects with big payoffs.
Window replacement. Besides saving money on utilities, replacing your old windows will give you a 69 … (0 comments)
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home improvement: Winter Home Maintenance Tips for 2012
- 12/28/11 02:22 AM
It's that time of year again: Snow, ice and freezing temperatures are part of the daily grind, and if you're not careful, they can wreak havoc on your home. Winterizing your home is key to preventing disaster this holiday season, and if you haven't done it already it's best to get started before temperatures drop any further.
But where do you begin? Check out the winter home maintenance checklist on my CBS MoneyWatch blog for some tips from Traveler's Insurance.
Clean your gutters. This is important, as it keeps snow and ice from building up on the roof and leaking into … (4 comments)
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home improvement: Five Great Holiday Gifts for Your Home
- 12/19/11 04:12 AM
The holidays are a time of giving: We give money to charities and gifts to our friends, but what do we do for our homes? I give some suggestions on what to get your home this holiday on my CBS MoneyWatch blog.
It's tough to think about spending extra money at a time when we're already spending so much on presents and decorations, but setting some money aside to give your home a little something special can pay big returns later on.
With a little planning, you can take advantage of holiday sale prices and give your home a present this … (2 comments)
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home improvement: Tackle Spring Cleaning Projects With This Home Maintenance Checklist
- 04/15/11 06:29 AM
The results of spring cleaning are undeniably satisfying: an organized, spruced-up home, and a big feeling of accomplishment. It's getting there that can be the tough part. Whether you're trying to sell your home or just need to do a deep clean, it can be daunting to look at the list of projects you have to tackle. On today's Equifax Personal Finance Blog, guest blogger Sam Takin puts together a handy home maintenance checklist to get those spring cleaning projects started. Instead of haphazardly starting certain tasks, Sam Tamkin suggests making five seperate lists: need to repair, need to clean, need to buy, … (2 comments)
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home improvement: DIY Projects to Add Value to Your Home
- 01/14/11 01:16 AM
When home values are soaring, it’s easy to find home-improvement projects that will add value to your home’s bottom line.
But when home values aren’t moving all that much, you have to be much more thoughtful about which home-improvement projects will add the most value for the smallest cost. The biggest savings is in labor: if you can tackle some of these projects yourself, you’ll be out only the cost of the materials. So what makes a DIY project a good choice to up your home's value? It should have low-cost materials, be easy for an average person to complete, and make … (2 comments)
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home improvement: How To Cut Energy Bills Without Cutting Costs
- 12/10/10 01:33 AM
There’s nothing better than snuggling up in front of a roaring fire in the middle of a raging snowstorm. (Can you tell I grew up in Chicago?) And while I like to sleep in a freezing cold bedroom at night, not having heat isn’t really an option.If you don’t like being cold in the winter, you might reach for either a sweater or the thermostat. But there’s no reason to suffer higher energy bills.Because everyone's on a budget this year, I've compiled a list of tips for cutting your energy bills without sacrificing your comfort. Check out all the money-saving ideas … (1 comments)
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home improvement: Best Time Of The Year To Start Big Home Improvement Projects
- 12/02/10 08:57 AM
There are a lot of folks who are happy 2010 is over and are looking forward to a better 2011. For many homeowners who struggled to make mortgage payments and get bills paid, 2010 was a year of putting off big home purchases, like furniture and appliances, and big home-improvement projects, like recarpeting and repainting. According to ServiceMagic’s Q3 Home Remodeling and Repair Index, Americans have switched their focus from adding on and doing major remodeling projects to completing “high cost” projects deemed “necessary.”
But you can’t put off an important home repair forever, even if it is expensive.According to Craig Smith, … (1 comments)
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home improvement: HUD Announces Pilot Program to Help Homeowners Pay For Energy Improvements to Their Homes
- 11/10/10 06:29 AM
The Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development has teamed with the Federal Housing Administration on a pilot program for homeowners making energy-efficient home improvements.
The program, dubbed FHA PowerSaver, offers home improvement loans for homeowners looking to add green improvements to their homes.
The program hopes to encourage green technology and expand green job opportunities in the United States. The $25,000 loans cover green home technology from solar panels to energy efficient doors and windows.
The program is looking for mortgage lenders to join a two year pilot program.
Lenders will be selected to participate based on their capacity … (1 comments)
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home improvement: DIY Projects and Home Repair with VIDEO
- 02/26/10 06:30 AM
DIY projects and home repair can be a quick and easy way to spruce up your home, and even help sell your house faster.
With projects like polishing brass doorknobs, replacing light fixtures, and painting bathrooms, you can do it yourself and save quite a bit of money from hiring a handyman.
DIY projects and home repair can be done quickly and easily, but for more complex projects like wiring or plumbing, you may want to consider hiring a handyman. Check out this ExpertRealEstateTips video for step-by-step video instructions for painting, brass polishing, replacing lights and more on ThinkGlink.com
… (1 comments)
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home improvement: Home Improvement On A Budget? Start With A Closet Organizer
- 08/21/09 03:37 AM
Budget home improvements can certainly help in this real estate market, particularly when you're busting at the seems and need more storage space. Why not consider a closet organizer? If you are planning to sell, a well organized home will look better and sell faster. A small home improvement can go a long way for you. Installing a closet organizing system also one of the few do-it-yourself projects that can easily end up looking professionally installed - while you save as much as 80 percent off the cost of having a professional closet company install a closet for you. So the … (3 comments)
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home improvement: How to Plan Home Improvement Projects So They Are Affordable
- 08/11/09 04:25 AM
Renovation costs have soared out of control - even in the current recession. You'd think that renovation costs would be less because fewer home improvement contractors are employed. But that doesn't seem to be the case.
Consumers, mindful of renovation costs are staging their home improvement projects. Doing home improvement projects in phases lowers renovation costs.
You'd think that renovation costs would be less because home improvement contractors aren't that busy working on other home improvement projects, and there are plenty of raw materials like drywall, lumber, and concrete.
But there are several reasons renovation costs have stayed … (8 comments)
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home improvement: Mold, Lead, and Leftover Meth Causing Heartache for Homeowners
- 07/15/09 05:07 AM
If you’re allergic to black mold, living in a house that has black mold hidden in the walls could actually kill you.
Lead paint, still found in old houses built and painted before the 1970s era law that removed lead from paint, can cause brain damage and learning disabilities in kids.
But what do you do about the thousands of houses that were former methamphetamine labs? According to a story in the New York Times, home buyers who purchase houses formerly used as meth labs could find their health and wealth damaged by leftover drug residue that has seeped into the … (8 comments)
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home improvement: Fewer Homeowners Rehabbing This Year
- 04/20/09 01:24 PM
If you've been waiting to paint that porch, upgrade the tile in your bathroom, or change out that broken kitchen faucet, this might be your year to do a home improvement project. According to a new study from the Harvard Center for Joint Housing Studies, it looks like spending on home improvement projects will decline about 12 percent in 2009.
“The weak housing market and the national economic recession continue to take their toll on remodeling,” explains Nicolas P. Retsinas, director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. “It looks increasing unlikely that this industry will recover until consumers have more … (1 comments)
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home improvement: Mortgage Loan: Cash-Out Refinance Rare After Credit Crisis
- 03/29/09 03:30 AM
It used to be easy to get a cash-out refinance, where you could refinance your home mortgage including the equity that you held in your property. Ever since the financial or credit crisis, it's become more difficult to get a cash-out refinance. So if you want to make home improvements you may need to consider other ways to finance them, including special credit card offers.
Question: I am considering refinancing my mortgage and I also want to make some upgrades to our home. Can I refinance and borrow money for upgrades under the same refinancing loan?
Answer: What you’re proposing … (0 comments)
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home improvement: IRS Tax Rules Change For 2008 And 2009
- 02/19/09 06:48 AM
The Obama stimulus package made some changes to IRS tax rules concerning real estate, home improvements, short sales and foreclosures. If you're a first time home buyer, you'll get either a $7,500 tax credit or a $8,000 tax credit, depending on when you bought your home. In addition, the timing of your home purchase affects whether you have to repay the home tax credit. IRS allows you to continue to take tax deductions for green home improvements and if you had a short sale or foreclosure recently, the money you lost won't be considered income thus saving you tax.
As we … (2 comments)
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home improvement: Why Hire A Professional for Home Repairs? (With Video!)
- 01/26/09 12:54 PM
Are you a homeowner thinking, "How do I sell my house?" When trying to sell, or after the home inspection, skip the DIY home repair and hire a handyman or professional contractor. A professional handyman can help finish those home repairs quickly and without the stress of DIY. Watch this Expert Real Estate Tips video on professional handyman services.
… (2 comments)
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home improvement: Home Renovation: Expect the Unexpected
- 01/26/09 12:25 PM
In home renovation and home remodeling, anything can go wrong.
With major work, you could have 40 or 50 people involved in the job. Absolutely anything could happen.
A good recommendation is to set aside up to 10 percent of the budget to deal with unexpected problems or if you decide to splurge on something like plumbing fixtures. Watch this Expert Real Estate tips for more ideas on how to handle the unexpected.
… (0 comments)
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home improvement: Why Hire A Handyman and Where to Find the Good Ones
- 01/19/09 07:31 AM
Are you a homeowner thinking, "How do I sell my house?"
When trying to sell, or after the home inspection, skip the DIY home repair and hire a handyman or professional contractor. A professional handyman can help finish those home repairs quickly and without the stress of DIY. Watch this Expert Real Estate Tips video on professional handyman services.
Once you have decided to go with a handyman or contractor for your home repairs instead of DIY you want to find the best handyman for your home repair job.
Check sites like Angie's List or get a referral … (3 comments)
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home improvement: Can A Handyman Help You Sell Your House?
- 09/11/08 03:52 AM
Home improvement projects can be overwhelming, and if you are doing them in an effort to sell your home the stress may only get worse. Some people leave those small and large home improvement jobs to a licensed, professional handyman.
"I get a ton of calls from customers who are looking for the kinds of projects that will get them to the place where the house is ready for sale. The kinds of things that are small jobs that make a big difference," says professional handyman Andy Sjostrom from The Good Handyman company, based in Oak Park, Ill.
While Sjostrom encourages … (0 comments)
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Green home improvement techniques help the environment and have the possibility of saving you money. 
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