May 25, 2010 by Mimi Miller.

Avert Disaster: Listen to Your House
10 red flags that signal your home’s weakest links
By Erik Forbes

Just like a car that sputters when something under the hood is amiss, houses send out warnings of their own. Protect your investment—not to mention your security—by learning some of the warning signs and seeking out help. Be sure not to blow off the red flags: Left untreated, these small problems can become big, expensive disasters.
Red Flag What’s Going On Get Help
1. Your water bill suddenly increases for no obvious reason
If you haven’t left the hose running for a few days by mistake, you may have a water leak someplace underground where it cant be seen. To confirm, shut off everything in the house and check the water meter reading over an hour. If the flow continues, you have a leak. Plumbing How-Tos
2. Slow flushing toilets and sluggish drains
Because toilets dump a lot of water down waste lines quickly they are usually the first to exhibit signs that there is a clog or trouble with a septic system. If other drains are slow too, you can be sure that it is the whole system that is not working properly and not just one cranky fixture. Untreated clogs can become a big, smelly mess. Unblocking a Cleanout
Emergency Drain Fixes
3. Rusty nails, dark wall stains and musty odors, but no leaks
Water damage does not need a leaky pipe or roof to occur. In many homes, problems with poor ventilation can cause water damage that is every bit as bad as a leak from a burst pipe. In fact, it can be worse because it often goes undetected longer and can cause health problems. Reducing Moisture Problems
Environmental Protection Agency
4. Doors and windows that will not close or keep opening, and mysterious cracks that keep getting larger
Sure your house could be haunted, but it’s more likely that your home is settling unevenly. Small expansion cracks in concrete or plaster are usually nothing to worry about but if there are more problems you should call a structural engineer. When it’s time to call a structural engineer …
5. You continually have to relight a pilot light on an appliance
The thermocouple is probably bad. (This is the safety device that shuts off the gas to an appliance when it senses that the pilot light is no longer burning.) A thermocouple is a “fail safe” device—that is, when it goes bad it performs its intended function regardless of need. So although your pilot may be on, the wayward thermocouple will still shut it and the gas off. Find someone to fix your furnace
6. Your clothes come out of the dryer too hot or still damp
Often lint will clog dryer vents that are too long or kinked. In some cases this will even lead to fires. To solve the problem dryer vents should be kept as short as possible and cleaned at least once a year Dryer Vent Maintenance Could Save Your House
7. Flu and allergy like symptoms whenever you are at home
Dirty air filters and dirty ducts in your home’s heating/cooling system can fill your home with sickening mold and bacteria. Other causes may include adhesives and chemicals in furniture and rugs and a lack of fresh air circulating into your home. Environmental Protection Agency
8. Hot switches and plugs, sizzling electric boxes, dimming lights and tripping breakers
These are symptoms of a seriously overburdened electrical system. Switches and plugs that get hot when you use them, sizzles and buzzes in electric boxes, lights that dim when you turn on other appliances and breakers and fuses that continually need to be reset or replaced are red flags saying you need to upgrade your electrical system. Unchecked, this problem could escalate into a fire hazard. Charting Electrical Circuits
9. Small holes in wood surfaces, mud tunnels along foundations, and sawdust
Sounds like termites are taking over. These pests are a problem everywhere, but especially in southern states. Because termites do most of their damage where it cannot be seen—inside the wood—you should always be on the lookout for warning signs. Have your home inspected if you suspect these monsters are present. Warm Weather Pests
10. Small piles of sand around roof drains and gutters
Just like sand in an hourglass, when an asphalt composite (tar paper) roof starts to go bad, the little grains of sand stuck to the paper start to fall off and flow down. When enough grains have fallen off that you see bare patches, it’s time for a new roof. Roof Maintenance Tips
National Roofing Contractors Association

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May 5, 2010 by Mimi Miller.

America’s Top Places to Live for 2010
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RISMEDIA, May 5, 2010—The three most important things to remember when moving and buying a new home are: location, location, location. As potential home buyers start looking for new homes, RelocateAmerica.com, a leading website in providing relocating consumers access to resources for their upcoming relocation, has released its 13th annual list of “America’s Top Places to Live for 2010.”

The “Top Places to Live” list features several breakout categories such as the Top 10 Recovery Cities, Retirement Cities, ‘Earth Friendly’ Cities, Recreation Cities and Small Towns.

New for this year, the Top 10 Recovery Cities focused on areas poised for swift economic recovery. Many of these communities did not see the massive real estate bubble that formed in other areas and have a more diverse economy.

To be considered for the list, a community is nominated at RelocateAmerica.com. From the thousands of submissions, RelocateAmerica.com’s editorial team reviews the nominations and selects the top places to live, as well as the Top 10 for each smaller category, based on interviews with local leaders; feedback from residents; and economic, environmental, education, crime, employment and housing data for the past year.

“Given the tough economic times our nation is facing, home buyers have re-evaluated their priorities and are looking to relocate to communities that offer plenty of perks, but minimal hassle and cost,” said Peter Meyers, Vice President, Research and Content Development, at RelocateAmerica.com. “While some cities are facing a road to recovery that could take years, others are poised for a quick rebound – and already have seen growth. We wanted to highlight those cities that are on the road back to economic health.”

Top 10 Overall Cities:

1.Huntsville, AL
2.Washington, DC
3.Austin, TX
4.San Diego, CA
5.San Antonio, TX
6.Tulsa, OK
7.Charlotte, NC
8.Raleigh, NC
9.Boulder, CO
10.Minneapolis, MN
Top 10 Recovery Cities:

1. Huntsville, AL
2.Austin, TX
3.Las Cruces, NM
4.Washington, DC
5.San Antonio, TX
6.McAllen, TX
7.Billings, MT
8.Albuquerque, NM
9.Everett, WA
10.Boulder, CO
Top 10 Retirement Cities:

1.Ashville, NC
2.Bella Vista, AR
3.Green Valley, AZ
4.Sarasota, FL
5.Prescott, AZ
6.Tampa, FL
7.Greenville, SC
8.San Antonio, TX
9.Hot Springs Village, AR
10.Colorado Springs, CO
Top 10 ‘Earth Friendly’ Cities:

1.Portland, OR
2.Boston, MA
3.Madison, WI
4.Boulder, CO
5.Austin, TX
6.Chicago, IL
7.Minneapolis, MN
8.Fort Worth, TX
9.Ann Arbor, MI
10.Huntsville, AL
Top 10 Recreation Cities:

1.Boulder, CO
2.Santa Cruz, CA
3.Flagstaff, AZ
4.St. George, UT
5.Ithaca, NY
6.Corvallis, OR
7.Salt Lake City, UT
8.Stevens Point, WI
9.Wilmington, NC
10.Portland, OR
Top 10 Small Towns (<40K pop.):

1.Grinnell, IA
2.St. Augustine, FL
3.Fairhope, AL
4.Stillwater, MN
5.Summit, NJ
6.Ashland, OR
7.Batavia, IL
8.Ithaca, NY
9.Peachtree City, GA
10.Trumbull, CT

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May 3, 2010 by Mimi Miller.

8 Things You Must Include in a Financial Plan
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RISMEDIA, May 3, 2010—Just like a comprehensive will or family trust, people need to give serious attention to in-depth financial planning. Financial planning addresses everything that has to do with money. With your adviser’s help, you’ll leave no financial stone unturned. Should you refinance your mortgage? Should you buy or lease a car? What should you do with the inheritance from your grandmother? How can you get more tax-sheltered dollars out of your professional corporation? Where do the answers come from? They come from the “subsets” of financial planning – things like cash flow management and tax planning. The new guide from Mutual Benefit outlines eight areas of focus when preparing a financial plan.
Income Tax Planning
Tax planning actually spans all parts of your financial plan, such as investment strategies, retirement planning and estate planning. Specifically, you need to make sure you’re maximizing all available deductions, exemptions and credits to minimize your tax bite.
Retirement Planning
How much should you save for retirement? And how will you do it? Is retirement right for you? Your planner will discuss tax-qualified retirement plans -including IRAs, Keoghs, 401k plans, 403b plans, corporate pension and profit-sharing plans. You’ll also want to look at non-tax-qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, selective incentive plans and tax shelters.
Estate Planning
You’ll start with wills, trusts and estate distribution issues, but that’s not all. A good planner will help you construct a plan so you avoid estate taxes. Too few people worry about estate taxes—they’re too far away, too intangible. But the only way to avoid them is to strategically plan for them today.
Legacy Planning
A good planner will understand legacy planning. A good legacy plan comes from knowing, living and then planning from your values. You are building bridges that will take you and those you love to greater levels of abundance, purpose and significance. You’ll talk about those things that are truly important to you, and then determine the best ways in which to pass those values on after you pass.
Asset Protection
It is imperative to develop strategies that maximize protection of your assets from frivolous lawsuits or creditors in this litigious society. You don’t want to spend years saving and growing your assets only to have them taken away by ambulance chasers. Your planner should address ways in which to implement asset protection.
Education Funding
There are three basic sources of education funding: cash flow dollars, dollars from tax savings and compound interest dollars. You won’t want to use cash flow dollars as they’re the most expensive. Income tax savings and compound interest dollars are far less expensive but require advanced strategic planning. That’s what your planner is for.
Investment Portfolio Management
Entire college courses are built around portfolio management. Simply stated, your licensed investment advisor makes sure your portfolio is “balanced.” In other words, you need both long-term and short-term investments; liquid and illiquid investments; tax-advantaged and non-tax advantaged investments. As part of portfolio management, your registered investment advisor will discuss the pros and cons of different kinds of investments – stocks, bonds, money market funds, annuities, mutual funds, real estate, tangibles, limited partnerships and certificates of deposit, among others. You will look at the whole thing in light of how much risk you can tolerate.
Risk Management and Insurance
There are three basic things you can do with risk: You can avoid it, absorb it, or transfer it. Find out what you can do to avoid risk. Your planner might advise using trusts, family partnerships, or family corporations. He should tell you how to protect your assets from frivolous malpractice claims, frivolous creditors and similar problems. Your planner should also be able to give specific direction as to ways you can absorb or transfer risk.
For more information, visit www.mutualbenefitwealthmanagement.com.

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