Marina Teq

Accurate Home Inspection of Atlanta asked:


About 82 percent of all fire deaths in 2004 resulted from home fires.fatal fires occurs at night when people are likely to be less alert. Half of home fire deaths in 1999–2002 result from fires reported between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Most structure fires are preventable.According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in the year 2004.



In 1982, wood-burning appliances accounted for more fires, more fire deaths, and greater property damage than any other kind of heating fuel — about 140,000 fires, 250 deaths and $257 million in property damage. These losses represented 20 percent of all residential fires in the U.S., 5 percent of all fire deaths, and 8 percent of estimated property damage.





CPSC research indicates that most wood heating fires involve the chimney and not the appliance itself. The majority of these fires are contained within the chimney and cause no damage to the house. The Commission is concerned, however, not only about the chimney fires that did ignite other parts of the house, but also about the potential future hazard from the continued use of chimneys whose structural integrity has been compromised by a chimney fire. This is especially true in light of the fact that many contained chimney fires are not reported to the fire services; in fact, consumers may not even be aware that a chimney fire has occurred.





Therefore, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a special safety alert concerning chimneys used with woodburning stoves, fireplaces, and fireplace inserts. The Commission urgently warns consumers to be aware of the potential fire hazards associated with these chimneys.





Now that the nation has entered the heating season, the Commission strongly urges you, if you have a stove or fireplace, to have the chimney inspected for any damage that may have occurred in the past heating season. If it is difficult to examine the chimney, a local chimney repairman, chimney “sweep,” or dealer can help. Have any damage repaired NOW.





Most fires involving either masonry or prefabricated metal chimneys occur because of improper installation, use or maintenance. The Commission staff has identified the following common causes of fires:





1.)Improper chimney installation too close to wood framing.

2.)Installation of thermal insulation too close to the chimney.

3.)Improperly passing the stovepipe or chimney through a ceiling or wall, causing ignition of wood framing.

4.)Structural damage to the chimney caused by the ignition of creosote (a black tar-like substance that builds up inside the chimney in normal use).



5.)Structural damage to metal prefabricated chimneys that results in wood framing being exposed to excessive temperatures or leakage of potentially toxic gases to the interior of the home can take the following forms:





6.)Corrosion or rusting of the inner liners of metal chimneys.

7.)Buckling, separation of the seam, or collapsing of the inner liner of metal chimneys. (This can result from too hot a fire, especially in high-efficiency stoves and in fireplace inserts, or from a creosote fire.)



Structural damage also occurs in masonry chimneys, often associated with deterioration or improper installation of the chimney. The tile inner liner and the surrounding brick or block structure may ***** and separate, perhaps as a result of the ignition of creosote that has built up in the chimney. Many old chimneys do not have a tile liner. If your chimney does not have a liner, the addition of a properly installed liner is advisable. Also, a clay liner should be sealed with refractory cement.





Even when the heating appliance is properly installed, people with either metal or masonry chimney systems should frequently check the chimney for creosote deposits, soot build-up, or physical damage. This involves only a simple visual examination, but it should be done as often as twice a month during heavy use. If you see heavy creosote buildup, suspect a problem, or have had a chimney fire, a qualified chimney repairman or chimney “sweep” should perform a complete safety inspection. They can arrange for any necessary repairs or creosote removal, which must be done before the heating appliance is used again.





                                    “Commitment to Performance”                                                                  





                                                www.findmeaninspector.com

Kristin Abouelata - Home Loans asked:


"In order to promote the production of more affordable new housing units for very low, low and moderate income individuals and families in the state, to promote the preservation and rehabilitation of existing housing units for such persons, and to bring greater stability to the residential construction industry and related industries so as to assure a steady flow of production of new housing units…"

Many times, people have heard of THDA and are confused, thinking that THDA is a certain loan type. In fact, it’s lending agency. All THDA mortgages must be insured by private mortgage insurance, FHA, VA or RECD And as these loans are intended for low to moderate income families or individuals, there is a income limit and acquisition cost limit. Also, you must be a first time homebuyer unless your home is in a targeted area.

Why is THDA so fantastic for a first time homebuyer? Well, it comes down to money. THDA offers a below market rate and will allow up to 100% financing. Have you been reading the papers lately? It’s not so easy to find 100% financing these days. Unless, that is, you’re a first time homebuyer. It also has programs that allow for down payment assistance via grants from certain approved agencies (if your loan type requires a down payment). If you have satisfactory credit and the home you wish to buy meets THDA’s standards, then you’re in business.

All THDA mortgages are 30 year fixed rate loans, so you needn’t worry about finding yourself with an ARM loan (adjustable rate mortgage) and a new payment you can’t afford in 3 years. And THDA allows lenders to only charge customers a standard 1% origination and .25% discount fee. It also closely monitors fees associated with the loan. THDA really looks out for the best interest of the first time homebuyer. If you are eligible for a THDA loan, you can feel pretty certain that an unscrupulous lender can’t take advantage of you because THDA won’t let them. For so many people, buying a home is pretty intimidating. THDA takes away the uncertainties a buyer faces with its guidelines and lending practices.

If you do apply for a THDA loan, be prepared to document your credit worthiness. THDA loans require slightly more documentation than your average loans because of the uniqueness of its product. In order to offer more, THDA asks for more – ensuring you qualify for its pretty awesome program. Sounds like a fair trade, if you ask me.

What are the disadvantages of a THDA loan? Not many. They do have a federal recapture tax if you sell your home within the first nine years of owning it. But it sounds scarier than it really is. I’ve heard that only about 1% of THDA customers actually pay this tax. That’s because a bunch of really great things have to happen to you in order for it to actually apply to you. And if those great things happen to you, paying the recapture tax won’t matter much to you anyway. I’ve been in the business for 16 years and have only heard of one person actually having to pay one. He graduated from medical school and his income when through the roof. His property was sold above market value than for the area because it was adjacent to some property that a huge retailer wanted to purchase. Again, good things have to happen to pay the recapture tax. So, you shouldn’t be afraid of it.

More people need to hear about and take advantage of the THDA loan programs. It’s such a great product and really helps the community and the housing industry. If you’re a first time homebuyer or think you’re in a targeted area, make sure you ask about THDA to see if you would qualify for a loan. You won’t regret it!

webmaster home asked:


These days its fact that its not hard to get home loans. Either its home equity loan or its mortgage loan and availability of easy home equity loans is in full bloom. These loans are uncomplicated, tenable, easily available, very flexible and tailor-made for homeowners. The best part about all this is that almost every loan lending or financial institution offers them.

Most home buyers have to borrow money in order to purchase their home. Few have enough money sitting in the bank, or in other easily saleable assets, to pay the entire cost of the home at once. (Even those few who do have enough money usually find it financially advantageous – perhaps for extra tax relief — to borrow some of the money.) The home loans they receive is called a mortgage. Generally, a mortgage is a loan of money to the home owner secured by a “lien” on the real estate.

Own house is the dream of every person. For a middle class person, it is considered as a life time achievement as it requires quite a huge amount of money. Banks play a pivotal role in fulfilling this basic need. The products they offer and the services they provide are of immense use to people who intend to have their own house. For a safe and beneficial home loan, proper awareness over the products, policies, terms and conditions of the bank is most important as ignorance may result in more payments to the bank in terms of principal and interest components.

A mortgage is a security document that allows the borrower to keep title of the property while using the property as security or collateral for a loan. The lender then places a lien on the property in the event the owner does not pay the agreed payment. When the borrower pays off the loan, the lender gives the borrower a satisfaction of mortgage that removes the lien from the property. About half the states in the U.S. use mortgage foreclosure as the means of satisfying the loan balance.

Mortgage allows investors to pool money in a trust to lend to individuals and companies. They secure their borrowing by a mortgage over residential or commercial properties. The trust collects the interest paid on these loans and then distributes the interest, less charges, as income to investors.

Borrowers should bear in mind that there are two different kinds of mortgage points-discount points and origination points-and that lenders do not all charge the same amount for these different types of points. Discount points refer to an amount of money paid to a lender to obtain a loan at a specific interest rate. These points are like pre-paid interest on a loan that a borrower takes out for a new home, with each point equalling to 1% of the total principal amount of the loan. Origination points are used to pay for the costs of obtaining the loan in the first place. They are much less popular than discount points, as they do not provide borrowers with any valuable benefits and are not tax deductible. Borrowers are therefore better off trying to get a loan that does not require them to acquire these kinds of points.

My Dream Home Registry asked:


While it is not necessarily the most inexpensive of the flooring options available on the market today, hardwood floors are certainly one of the simplest and most lovely options available. Wood matches just about everything, and you don’ have to worry about vacuuming or those nasty smells that just won’t seem to leave carpet. It is an effective option for floor covering and if you take care of your hardwood floors, they will last you a very long time.

However, having hardwood flooring in your home is about more than wishing it was there and deciding to have it. Here are the three things that you should know about installing hardwood flooring in your home.

DIY Is Not Always Cheaper

Hardwood floors are certainly something that those handy people out there in the world are able to take care of. Buying wood and laying it down as flooring in your home sounds a great deal easier than it is. There are many different kinds of wood that can be used for flooring in your home and depending on your needs; there are great deals of different styles to choose from. You want your flooring to resist nicks and scrapes, but you want it to be able to get some character as well.

There are all of these things and more to think about, and if you install your wood flooring all on your own, chances are that you will not be able to get the solid advice that you might wish you had later. You want your floor to last as long as possible and although you might be very willing and able to put in your new hardwood floor all by yourself, the costs down the line might make this not-so worth it. Do you want to end up having to have your floors redone because of an error on your, the amateur’s, part?

Not All Wood is the Same

The more money that you spend the better quality of wood flooring you will be able to get as far as outward appearance goes; although a floor may not look as uniform and sleek as another type of wood floor it will probably last just as long. The quality and type of wood that you select for your floor has a lot to do with how you want your flooring to look when it’s down. Do you want a smooth look or do you like the way that natural knotholes look in the wood? Do you prefer the way that wide planks look on the floor or do you prefer the look of thinner, smaller pieces of wood for your flooring?

Depending on what you are willing to spend, there are a great deal of different ways that you can go with the wood for your flooring. You can buy First, Second, or Third wood, which is a description of the type or quality of wood on the market ranked in order of quality. Clear is the finest wood that you will be able to get a hold of. It has little to no grain marks or knot holes in it, so if you want the best quality that is the way to go.

You Are In It for the Long Haul

While hardwood floors are a great option for the floor covering in your home, be sure that that is what you want to do, and that it is an acceptable long term solution for you and your home. While the hardwood floor will not have to be vacuumed, it has to be specially cleaned and probably swept constantly (unless you are a fan of dirty feet). Also, keep in mind that depending on the quality of wood that you purchase you may have to deal with some small repairs due to warping or splitting, or simply due to damage that is unsightly for your home. Either way, hardwood floors are much easier to maintain than they are to replace and although you will probably be thrilled to keep your floors for years to come, it will be rather difficult to do otherwise.

This article is sponsored by My Dream Home Registry, the gift registry for everything home. Visit them on the web at www.mydreamhomeregistry.com

Charleston Home Buyers, LLC asked:


Due to the current down market, more and more people are looking for alternate, non-traditional ways to sell their home. The days of sticking a FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sign in the yard or simply listing it with the realtor that your friend at work used, just isn’t having much effect these days. Depending on your selling situation, selling your home to a professional home buyer can be the right selling decision. As with other home selling options, selling your home to a real estate investor has benefits.

Working with an experienced investor can really simplify and expedite the process. Some of the great benefits of selling your house to a professional property buyer are: you are able to sell your house fast, “as is” on the date or your choice, you do not have to pay large real estate commissions to a Realtor, you do not have to spend your time, energy and money updating and making repairs and you only have to have one showing. There are many other benefits that an honest, experienced and well trained Charleston real estate investor can provide, such as knowing exactly how to handle problem properties or situations where Low Country folks are taking the brunt of the current economy on the chin and are facing many of the more and more common financial problems like foreclosure that need short sales in order to sell their over leveraged home and avoid foreclosure.

I would recommend selling your house to a local real estate investor if you are in any of the following selling situations:

I am behind on monthly mortgage payments I need to sell my home fast I am moving out of state or out of my local area and can’t afford two mortgage payments I have been transferred by my job I am going through a Divorce and need to sell my house My home is 100% financed and I do not have enough equity to list my home with a Realtor I need to Stop Foreclosure and avoid ruining my credit I am currently in Bankruptcy Someone in our family has health problems and can not work, therefore we can not pay our bills I am tired of being a Landlord and do not want to deal with tenants anymore My home needs lots of repairs and I do not have the time or money to fix it up My home is in pre-forclosure I want to cash out of my investment property My home has been on the market with a realtor for many months and my listing agreement is now expired, I want to sell my house fast, now We recently inherited a property and want to sell it quickly and want someone familiar with an estate sale and the probate process I own my house free and clear and am willing to wait for the market to turn around but would consider taking payments for my equity if I can get my asking price now



As you can see there are many reasons why you should consider selling your home to a local home buyer, and these are not all of them. Simply put, listing your home with a Realtor or trying to sell your home FSBO cost you money and time, it also does not get you offers within just a few hours/days. If you do not have time, do not have money, or simply do not want to deal with the hassles of selling your home, then sell it to a real estate investor. You may be happily surprised by the offer you get.

Before calling some random number on the side of the road off one of those “We Buy Houses” signs, it is important to make sure you know who you are dealing with. Unfortunately, there are a few unethical investors, like in any business, and currently the real estate market is a prime target. Thanks to the Internet it is relatively easy to locate information about a legItimate business. South Carolina business owners are required to register with the South Carolina Secretary of State and you can see if they the business you are calling has bypassed even that basic requirement. The Attorney General’s office handles consumer complaints, as does the Better Business Bureau. Realtors and brokers are licensed through the Real Estate Commission. These agencies can help to ensure you are working with a licensed, legitimate, complaint-free business or real estate investor.

Charleston Home Buyers, LLC is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau, a registered LLC with the South Carolina Secretary of State, and an active member of the Charleston Real Estate Investors Association. “We pride ourselves on our integrity and conduct business under strict ethical principles. We say what we mean and do what we say!” Many references and testimonials are available upon request and some of which are posted on our website. We buy houses in Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley County and work with a group of nationwide investors. We currently are looking to buy more real estate in Summerville, Goose Creek, North Charleston, Ladson, Hanahan, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Mt. Pleasant, Downtown and all other area in the tri-county area.

If you need to sell your house quick, submit your property information via the “Sell My House” form at our website today for a Free, Confidential, No-obligation offer or call our toll free 24 hour recorded message at 888-52-BUYER (888-522-8937) for more information about selling your home to a professional house buyer. You can also always call us direct 843-72-BUYER (843-722-8937), however it is usually better to take 5 minutes to fill out our property information form first so that we can save you time by having the information already and do some research so that we can get an offer to you right away.

Here’s what some of our sellers have had to say:

“I had been trying unsuccessfully to sell my house for 9 months with a realtor…tired of having the house perfect… we closed the following week” Frank P. - North Charleston

“In less than a week’s time, all of my headaches were over… I would recommend anyone who needs to sell their house to this group of caring people…” Rev L. Greene - Summerville

“My experience with Charleston Home Buyers began and ended with extreme kindness, genuine concern, and sympathetic professionalism…” Brenda M. - West Ashley

“Selling a house can be quite difficult and stressful unless you can find someone like Charleston Home Buyers …… They saved me from losing my house to foreclosure and I was able to make some money and not lose everything.” B. Harvey - West Ashley

“….selling our home to Charleston Home Buyers was the best decision we made. They handled our affairs with the utmost care and efficiency…..” The Daniels Family” - Charleston

Copyright © 2009 Charleston Home Buyers, LLC. All rights reserved.

Americas Home Improvement Coach asked:


Simple Things You Can Do to Make Your Home More Appealing

 

Not everyone can afford the cost of a renovation or a new home, but you can never go wrong when you cosmetically upgrade the interior and exterior of your home. Investing in the upkeep of your residence not only improves its appearance, but the overall appearance of your neighborhood. It can be cost efficient, simple and quick to do.

 

            On the exterior of your home, power washing the siding or brick can dramatically improve the appearance. Painting the fence, planting some colorful flowers and mulching the trees in your yard can add curbside appeal. The first thing most people focus on when approaching your home is your front door. Painting or staining your door is a simple low cost improvement that can highlight your entrance without the costly expense of replacement. Shutters are also a low cost item, pre-painted, easy to install and can change the appearance and style of a plain looking facade and enhance its charm. If your entrance walkway is in disrepair you can install brick pavers for a warm but elegant, country look. There are many styles, colors and shapes.

 

            The interior of your home may need a new coat of paint. You may want to consider some of the new color schemes available at your local paint or home improvement store. New carpet in the bedrooms or new rugs over a freshly scraped and polyurethaned hardwood floors in your living room and dining room can be a refreshing change. Upgrade the interior trim and add ornamental crossheads above the doorways. If you desire more light, have a larger window installed where you feel the interior can be enhanced by exterior views. Maybe it’s time for new kitchen appliances or modern bathroom fixtures. From new garage doors to installing a new lighting fixture, there are many things you can do to make your home more appealing without spending thousands of dollars.

 

Take a walk around your home and imagine what it would look like if you made a few minor changes. Just make yourself a list in the order you feel a repair or change is needed. These projects can be a lot of fun for you and your family and time together, well spent.

 

To get your copy of Hector’s book,

 

What Your Parent’s Never Told You About Owning a Home

 

Visit www.americashomeimprovementcoach.com and with

 

your purchase his book you will receive 5 reports on

 

ü     Selling Your Home In Any Market

ü     Hiring the Right Contractor For You

ü     Staying Within Your Budget

ü     Looking Out For Contractor Scams

ü     What Questions Should You Ask a Potential Contractor