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How can you save money on big-ticket home purchases? Hint: Look for the blue “Energy Star” label on products.

What Every Consumer Should Know About ‘Energy Star’ We’ve all seen the blue Energy Star logos on appliances, windows and even electronics, but what do they mean? Origins and purpose. The Energy Star program was launched in 1992 as a joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star encourages develo...

Television armoires are doing a disappearing act. Learn about new TV storage trends dictating home entertainment styles.

Bigger TVs Changing the Look and Feel of Family Rooms As technology has evolved, the once-popular television armoire is disappearing from American homes. What’s new in home entertainment storage and display? Take a look. Consoles. Many consumers are opting to display televisions on top of a cabinet or hang them on a wall. Consoles work well in either...

What do you need to know about foundations? Take a few minutes to study up before you build.

What Type of Foundation is Best for Your New Home? The foundation of your home is arguably its most important structural component, since every part of the home depends on it remaining firm and level. Different foundations are available and each is made for certain types of soil and other environmental conditions. Let’s look at the four categories...

Don’t let your dining room collect dust. The right choices will transform your space from forbidding to inviting.

Dining Room Trends Dish Up More Casual Atmosphere Once upon a time, dining rooms tended to be on the stuffy side, with a table and matching set of chairs, and a china cabinet chockful of fine dishes. But today’s more casual lifestyles are changing dining rooms from formal and forbidding to inviting and eclectic. If your dining room is stuck in a ...

When an aging loved one begins to need daily help, a move to an assisted living facility may be the answer. Here’s a brief overview for family members.

Assisted Living Facilities Provide Extra Help for Seniors When seniors first show signs of needing help with medical and daily personal care, it’s time to consider moving to a community that provides what’s known as assisted living. When you need a hand. Once capable of living alone, seniors who begin having health issues may find they need a little ex...

Your world just got turned inside out. You’ve had a fire or flood in your home. Who do you turn to for help? Take a deep breath and follow these steps.

When Disaster Strikes: Handling Flood and Fire Damage Few things can be more wrenching and make you feel more vulnerable than when your home suffers major damage from a flood or a fire. You realize how suddenly life can take a shocking turn. You also want to get your life back to normal quickly. How do you find trusted professional help? When a […]

Check this handy list of essential chores for move-in day, and save yourself a lot of heartache.

7 Must-Dos on Move-in Day If ever there was a day requiring a detailed checklist, it’s Moving Day. Here’s a life-saving list to get you through what can be a drama-filled 24 hours. Clean up. You never know how well a seller will leave your new home so it’s best to plan on a comprehensive cleanup before you move your [....

What exactly is a “senior move manager” and do I need to hire one? Here’s a helpful explanation of what these trained professionals do to help aging adults downsize and move.

Do You Need to Hire a Senior Move Manager? For aging adults contemplating a major move, hiring a “senior move manager” might be a wise decision. A rapidly growing segment of the service industry, senior move managers are trained to help aging adults move to smaller homes or senior-care facilities. They have expert knowledge about the dec...

You pay your utility bills every month, but do you understand what they say?

Check the Fine Print on Utility Bills The next time the monthly utility bills arrive, resist the urge to blindly write a check or schedule a payment. Take the time for a more in-depth examination. You just might find a way to trim the bill. Understanding your electric bill. Using a fixed rate, the power company charges a set rate of x [...

Take your home’s beauty to the next level. Check out these staircase designs -- from classic to new and modern.

Step-By Step-Details to Beautiful Staircase Design Elegant, sweeping stairs are one of the central contributors to a home’s beauty. Here are the latest trends in stairs, which just might sweep you off your feet. Anatomy of a staircase. If you are updating a staircase or in the process of a building a new one, it’s helpful to know the lingo. The ...

Don’t assume that if you own the land, you own the mineral rights beneath it. What every homeowner should know.

Is Your House Sitting on a Goldmine? And If So, Who Owns It? In the classic 1960s sitcom, “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Jed Clampett became a millionaire when he fired his gun into the ground and struck oil. If only it were so simple. Did you know there are two types of ownership to land: surface rights and mineral rights. Let’s look at the differences and...

Do your homework first before putting someone to work in your home. Here’s a common-sense check list.

How to Hire and Work with a Contractor When hiring a contractor to do work at your home, you want someone who is honest and competent. Here's how to go about finding the right person for the job.