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fix and Repair
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How to Install a Ceiling Fan
A step-by-step guide to putting in a versatile and stylish fixture
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How to Lay a Cork Floor
An eco-friendly floor that's also easy on the feet
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How to Install a Front-Entry Flagpole
Hanging the Stars and Stripes will give your house a nice seasonal touch of classic Americana. Here's how
Decorating and Maintenance
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Don’t Forget a Home Inspection with a New Construction Home
Every home—whether it’s a resale or new—has some kind of an issue, and the reality is that there is no “perfect” house. Many homebuyers embark on their search for a home with the belief that new homes should be flawless, when this is never actually the case. Problems are found in all homes, but the [...]
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Investment Alert: Can You Afford a Second Home?
Most of us have dreamt of having a vacation home. It could be on the beach in New England, somewhere tropical, or even somewhere foreign. Many consumers don’t realize that with the proper research, their dream vacation home might actually be in reach. Instead of visualizing how relaxing vacations and weekend getaways could be, why [...]
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Homeownership Counseling Helps Keep Modified Loans Current
Just three weeks after Congress restored $40 million in its budget for homeownership counseling, a new study by the Urban Institute reports that counseling greatly increased the ability of homeowners to stay current once they cured a serious delinquency or foreclosure. Counseled homeowners were at least 67 percent more likely to remain current on their [...]
Home Wise
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Productivity Boosters: Apps That Can Help
(MCT)—With a gazillion applications available now for smartphones and tablets, which are really most useful day-to-day? Here are a few that I find myself returning to. Stitcher Radio, free from Stitcher Inc., delivers on-demand audio programs that do away with downloads and syncing. It’s an app I fire up most days on my long commute [...]
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Taxing Matters: Now’s the Time to Start Planning for Possible Hikes
(MCT)—As tax return season starts, many of us are thinking of what we could have done last year to lower our taxes and what we can do now to lower taxes in the future. While it may be too late to change 2011 taxes, it’s the perfect time to plan moves to make in 2012. [...]
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Home Economics: Saving Power Costs in the House
(MCT)—Winter has been relatively mild and virtually snow-free so far in many regions. That’s helped take the chill off utility costs. In fact, the people who monitor such things say electric bills are down, especially in areas like the mid-Atlantic. But there’s a way to cut costs even more, though it may not be immediately [...]