A fire can rage through your home at a moment's notice, and it can cause a significant amount of damage in a very short period of time. Damage from the flames, intense heat, smoke and soot can cause tens of thousands of dollars or more in some cases, and a severe fire event can result in a total loss for the homeowner. More than that, a fire can create a serious health and safety risk for you and your loved ones inside the home. If you are concerned about how safe your home is from a fire, consider a few important points. Do You Have Fire Extinguishers On All Floors? When a small fire breaks … [Read More...]
Last week's events included the National Association of Home Builder's Housing Market Index, which fell to its lowest reading since last summer. Other news included reports on housing starts and building permits, the FOMC meeting statement and Fed Chair Janet Yellen's press conference. Home Builder Confidence Falls, Building Permits Rise The NAHB Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell by two points for a reading of 53 in March. The expected reading was 57. Analysts said that this proves that lower mortgage rates and steady job growth aren't fueling housing markets as expected. NAHB chief … [Read More...]
If you have children, no home is complete without a treehouse. Besides the fact that treehouses provide kids with hours of entertainment, they can also confer ancillary benefits that are hard to quantify. For starters, treehouses can improve property values by boosting curb appeal. When building any type of treehouse, keep the following tips in mind. Location, Location, Location Before you head off to Home Depot and get all the necessary supplies, you need to spend some serious time storyboarding the build process. Pick a tree with low, sprawling branches such as an oak or a maple. … [Read More...]
The post-meeting statement of the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee indicated that while the Fed is considering raising its target rate as early as June, the agency is in no hurry to cast anything in cement. The statement cited stronger labor markets and low unemployment rates as encouraging, but noted that FOMC members remain concerned about economic growth due to low inflation failing to meet the FOMC goal of two percent. 15 of 17 FOMC members said that they expected interest rates to increase before year-end, but downwardly revised forecasts of how high rates might be raised. … [Read More...]
Spring is not far off, and your garage, basement and attic need your attention. From sweeping cobwebs to throwing out old, useless junk and organizing family photos, spring cleaning is essential to keeping a tidy house. Follow our handy guide to organizing your garage, basement and attic. Make Room For Your Car You'll likely need to set aside a full weekend to organize your garage. As you won't be able to complete this task by yourself, get your family or friends to help you out. It might be a good idea to bribe them with free pizza for lunch. Go through every square inch of the garage from … [Read More...]
Few people consider the tax implications of buying a home, but there are many. Here are a few ways buying a home can impact the amount of tax you pay. Mortgage Interest Most people put down the minimum amount of money needed to buy a home and finance the rest, usually over 30 years. This means that, especially in the early years of the loan, most of what they are paying are the finance charges. The good news is that all that interest is tax-deductible for people who itemize their deductions, which adds up to several thousands of dollars in deductions annually. You also can deduct interest on … [Read More...]
