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A Foolproof Home Organizer Checklist

If your New Year’s resolutions include keeping a tidier, more organized household, home and garden experts provide a home organization checklist designed to help keep you on target. Engage the family by assigning daily and weekly chores to everyone who is at least five years old. Post your checklist where everyone can read it, and […]
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Pros, Cons and Cost of Space Heater Options

(TNS)—Central heating systems are designed to maintain a warm and comfortable temperature in your home — even when the weather outside is exceptionally cold and frigid. However, extreme snow storms and dramatically cold weather can prevent your primary heating system from effectively warming up your house and can cause cold air to infiltrate various areas […]
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Learning the Basics of Reverse Mortgages

(TNS)—Reverse mortgages have become the cash-strapped homeowner’s financial planning tool of choice. The first Federal Housing Administration-insured reverse mortgage was introduced in 1989. Such loans enable seniors age 62 and older to access a portion of their home equity without having to move. The bank makes payments to the borrower throughout his or her lifetime […]
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Real Estate Q&A: When the Home Doesn’t Appraise

(TNS)—Q: After a long search, we finally found a home. We outbid the other interested parties and are under contract to close later this month. But our lender just told us that the house did not appraise for the purchase price. What can we do? A: When you take out a mortgage, your lender will […]
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New Breed of House Hunter Commands Pet Perks, Parks and More

Pets have found their way into the hearts—and homes—of over 125 million households across the country. Now, more so than ever before, pets are warranting consideration beyond that of their owners. On the house hunt, pets are playing a foremost role in the homebuying and renting decisions their owners make. “I can easily say 80 percent […]
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Prepping: Need a New Kitchen in 2016?

For 2016, I’m introducing an ongoing series we’ll call ‘Prepping!’ In a single segment, or series, we’ll take on a subject related to your home – like ‘prepping for a new kitchen’ or ‘prepping for a new dog’ – and unpack that subject tapping the appropriate experts. So as we hinted, our first subject and […]
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How to Stop Putting Things Off at Work

(TNS)—The fun of the holidays is over and most of us are back at work, hoping to focus on new goals. That brings us, inevitably, to the archenemy of goals: procrastination. A good example of procrastination, and I’m not making this up, is me typing one-and-a-half sentences of this column and then thinking, “Oh, I […]
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5 Things Hackers Love to See You Share on Social Media

(TNS)—Whether you got a new job, new digs or just want to post a cool selfie, chances are you’ve shared what you’ve been up to on social media. Communication channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram make sharing information fast and easy. Sharing what you’re doing might sound innocent, but your friends and followers aren’t the […]
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10 Disciplines to Build Wealth

Looking to build more financial stability this year? The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals® (NAHREP®) has introduced 10 key practices that Gary Acosta, NAHREP CEO and co-founder, has created as one of the initiatives for the Hispanic Wealth Project (HWP). The HWP was launched by the NAHREP foundation with the aim of tripling […]
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5 Healthy Home Habits to Start in 2016

(TNS)—It’s the time of year when we’re inundated with articles on how to be healthy, start good-for-you habits and dump the bad ones. But, what about giving some attention to another major investment in your life—your home. To help get your home in tip-top shape, here are five healthy home habits to start in the […]