Do-It-Yourself & Home Improvement Resource

Outgoing trends in Real Estate

Outgoing Trends in Real Estate Mark Nash, a Coldwell Banker broker and real estate author, has compiled a list of what's ``in' and ``out' for housing this year. The list is a result of input from Realtors from around the country who, in turn, have solicited feedback from home buyers and sellers as they visit resale and new homes. Here's a sampling of what is absolutely ``out,' according to Nash and his contributors: • Ebony-stained hardwood floors. You're better off tearing it out than trying to sand the ebony ...
- read more -

Sunrooms - the next home improvement trend?

Sunrooms - the next home improvement trend? With home prices soaring, more and more homeowners are remodeling their current homes rather than selling and trading up. And when homeowners consider their options for renovation and adding space to their existing building, more of them are choosing to build with the light of a sunroom rather than to block out the light with conventional 2 by 4s and plywood. Architects and designers have been telling us that the trend in building over the past several years has been toward m ...
- read more -

Take Care of Your Septic Tank

Take Care of Your Septic Tank CORTLAND — Loretta Ecklund, a septic system inspector with the Trumbull County Health Department, says she sees a lot of cases of rural homeowners failing to maintain their septic systems. "A lot of people move out into the country and don't have a clue how to maintain their system," she told a large audience at the Agricultural Service Center at a recent seminar. She and fellow inspector Richard Curl spend much of their workday looking at such systems, often re ...
- read more -

Spa Versus Hot Tub

Spa Versus Hot Tub Aren't a spa and a hot tub the same thing?  Most people would probably say yes but you'll find the answer below.Hot tubs are wooden barrels and spas are fibreglass shells covered with acrylic or other plastic materials.However, some hot tubs have acrylic liners and some spas are free-standing with wood skirts.Tubs have a rustic and natural appearance; they blend well with decks, gardens, and patios.They are, however, harder to clean and maintain than spas because of the texture of the wood and the angles an ...
- read more -

Home and Fire Safety Tips

Home and Fire Safety TipsBelow is a list of suggestions to help minimize the threat of tragedy from a home fire. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm in all major rooms of the house. A smoke alrm is inexpensive protection and can double your chances of getting out of a home fire safely.Take extra care when using portable heaters or fireplaces. Make sure there are no burnable items within 3 feet.Make certain you and your family have a fire safety escape plan. Each member of the family should know at least three ways of getting out of the hom ...
- read more -

Negative Amoritization Loans

Negative Amoritization Loans Mortgage negative amortization can only occur with an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) when the interest rate adjusts more frequently than the borrower's payment adjusts, or the indexed interest rate rises faster than the borrower's monthly payment increases. For example, most ARMs have monthly payments that are "locked" for one to 10 years. Many have fixed monthly payments for the first three to five years. However, if the ARM interest rate adjusts monthly, semi-annual ...
- read more -