Volume 86Smart Home Maintenance & Improvement Tips for Fall

Winter is just around the corner and you count on your home to protect you from the elements. But how can you be sure that your house is ready to fend off the relentless attacks of the elements? Start with the roof. Even if you performed maintenance earlier in the year, now is better than waiting until the weather turns, or worse yet; you experience trouble first-hand.

Improve Home Energy Efficiency The first step to improving the energy efficiency of your home is to draft-proof your house by finding and sealing any air leaks, especially those around windows and doors.

1. Start by closing all your doors and windows, turning off the heating/cooling system, and turning on any exhaust fans—such as range hoods and bath vent fans—to create an artificial draft in your home.

2. Light a stick of incense and pass it slowly around the edges of windows and doors.

3. Watch for movement of the smoke—indicating drafts—and mark the spots with pieces of painter’s tape.

4. Examine the weather-stripping where drafts were found, and adjust or replace any that is worn, bent, or damaged.

5. To seal gaps in the threshold at the bottom of doors, install Duck® brand Double Draft Seal or Triple Draft Seal.

To reduce the amount of cold air coming through the glass on older single-pane windows, apply a plastic film kit—such as Duck® brand Roll-On Window Insulation Kits—over the window.

Folding attic stairs can also be a major source of heat loss during the winter. Start by applying self-adhesive foam weather-stripping between the pull down stairs and the frame, then position a Duck® brand Attic Stairway Cover in the attic over the opening.

Go to Duck Weatherization Solutions for more home energy saving tips and products.

Maintain Your Heating System Whether your heating system uses gas, oil, or electricity, it’s important have it thoroughly inspected and adjusted annually by a trained HVAC professional, such as those at authorized Carrier dealers.

The best time to schedule a heating inspection is in early fall before cold weather arrives, since heating contractors are not as busy. During a heating inspection, a HVAC professional can:

AGENT NAMEEquity Real Estate(555) 555-5555email@email.com

Inside This IssueSmart Home Maintenance & Home Improvement Tips for Fall20 Little Ways to Ensure a Safe and Happy HalloweenHow to Increase the Value of Your Home

“Halloween was confusing. All my life my parents said, "Never take candy from strangers." And then they dressed me up and said, "Go beg for it." I didn’t know what to do! I’d knock on people’s doors and go, "Trick or treat." "No thank you." – Rita Rudner

Six Credit Report Tips for Homebuyers(MCT) – Whether you plan to buy a home in six months or a year or two, you’ve probably been told to request your free credit report to check for errors and to see what a lender can learn about your from the report…

Cooling Housing Market Highlights Best Markets for

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Replace the air filterClean and inspect the blowerTest the safety controlsInspect and adjust the burnerCheck the thermostatTest pressure switchesInspect the ductwork and repair any leaks

It’s also important for the homeowner to continue to replace the furnace air filter every one to three months as needed during cold weather with a quality air filter.

Make Your House Safer There are over 300,000 house fires each year in the United States, which is why it is so important to have both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms located throughout your home and to replace the batteries on the detectors regularly.

It’s also important to keep a multipurpose (ABC type) fire extinguisher on hand, especially in the kitchen where most home fires start.

Fall is also a good time to have your fireplace and chimney inspected by a certified chimney sweep to make sure it’s drawing properly and that creosote hasn’t built up to dangerous levels, which can cause a chimney fire.

Electrical problems are another major cause of fires in homes. Electrical fires result in over 50,000 house fires a year, causing nearly 500 deaths and over 1,400 injuries.

Shorts in wiring inside walls, on extension cords, in lamps, or from appliances can result in “arc-faults” that can generate temperatures up to 10,000° F. Arc-faults are the main electrical failure that results in fire, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Replacing existing electrical wall outlets with Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI), such as SmartlockPro® Outlet Branch Circuit AFCI Devices from Leviton, can detect arc-faults and then interrupt the power to help prevent electrical fires in your home.

(Retrieved from todayshomeowner.com)

20 Little Ways to Ensure a Safe & Happy HalloweenEach year, more than 41 million trick-or-treaters, ages 5 to 14, dress up in

Buyers, SellersU.S. home values rose more slowly in August than they have in a year, and the cooling market offered a clear view of local markets that favor either buyers or sellers…

12 Tips for Creating Great Curb AppealFirst impressions are everything and your home is no exception. When your home is listed for sale, you’ll want the initial look to create a positive impression that invites house hunters indoors to see what’s inside…

Adding Value with Home RepairsSelling your home? Don’t overlook some easy and relatively inexpensive fixes that can add real value to your home’s selling price. While major remodeling is costly and may not address the needs and tastes of prospective buyers, these repairs and maintenance suggestions…

The Great Delay: Student Loan Debt and HomeownershipA record number of Millennials, individuals aged 18 to 34 years, are delaying household formation. This “Great Delay,: instead of the forbearance of impending doom, may actually be a sign of prudent economic decision…

http://rismedia.com/category/home-owner-news/page/1/

Tall Tale from a

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disguise and travel door-to-door in hopes of collecting treats. Whether you’re chaperoning, handing out candy, or simply driving through town, follow these tips to ensure everyone stays safe on Halloween. Of course, homework is waiting, but is it better to have kids start on it as soon as they get home? Or should they blow off a little steam before settling in? Experts agree that whether your child should play before or after homework depends on the child and what works best for your family, regardless of age.

For Kids

1. When decorating pumpkins, The Nemours Foundation, a large nonprofit dedicated to children's health, cautions against letting small children use carving knives. Instead, consider decorating the gourds with glitter glue, paint, or markers.

2. When selecting a costume, always make sure the fabric is flame-retardant, cautions the National Fire Protection Association. When possible, choose disguises without billowing or long trailing fabric, which are more likely to brush against candles or lanterns and catch fire.

3. If your child’s costume includes a hat or a mask, avoid falls by ensuring it fits well and that the eye holes are large enough to properly see out of, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

4. Swords, knives, and other accessories should be short, soft, and flexible to avoid injury.

5. Light colored costumes make it easier for drivers to see kids at night. The Nemours Foundation advises that parents add reflective or glow-in-the-dark tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags, so children are easy to see.

6. In case your child gets lost, consider attaching a nametag with your contact information onto costumes.

7. Only buy nontoxic makeup and always test it in a small area first, suggests the National Safety Council. Removing any makeup before bed can also help prevent skin or eye irritation.

8. A parent should always accompany young trick-or-treaters. If older children want to go alone, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests mapping out a familiar route and agreeing on a strict curfew.

9. The National Safety Council reminds parents to teach kids not to approach dark homes and never to enter a stranger’s house.

10. Always walk on sidewalks and use caution when crossing the street. Use cross walks and avoid crossing between parked cars or in front of driveways.

11. Never eat candy while out and about. Wait until the festivities have come to an end, so that a parent can inspect treats and throw away any unwrapped or suspicious treats.

Vienna Graveyard Chris Cross, a tourist in Vienna, is going passed Vienna's Zentralfriedhof graveyard on October 31st. All of a sudden he hears some music. No one is around, so he starts searching for the source. Chris finally locates the origin and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827. Then he realizes that the music is the Ninth Symphony and it is being played backward! Puzzled, he leaves the graveyard and persuades Tim Burr, a friend, to return with him.

By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it is being played backward. Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar. When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backward. The expert notices that the symphonies are being played in the reverse order in which they were composed, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th. By the next day the word has spread and a throng has gathered around the grave. They are all listening to the Second Symphony being played backward.

Just then the graveyard's caretaker ambles up to the group. Someone in the crowd asks him if he

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For Motorists

1. Drive slowly and be especially alert in residential areas, particularly during the hours of 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm (the most popular trick-or-treating hours) on Halloween night, suggests Safe Kids Worldwide, a global organization dedicated to preventing injuries in children.

2. Due to increased activity and road hazards, The National Safety Council warns parents to discourage young, inexperienced drivers from taking the wheel on Halloween.

For Homeowners

1. Festive decorations, like dried flowers, cornstalks, and crepe paper, are highly flammable. The National Fire Protection Association recommends keeping these items far from open flames and heat sources.

2. It’s important to keep pathways and stairs well illuminated, but consider trading candles and torches for flashlights or battery-operated lanterns to ensure costumes don’t catch fire.

3. Remove garden hoses, toys, lawn decorations, and other obstacles from pathways and yards to avoid trips, warns the Mayo Clinic.

4. To limit sugar intake, consider handing out stickers, pencils, small toys, or other inedible items.

For Pets

1. Don’t let your pet find his or her way into the candy stash. According to the ASPCA, both chocolate and candies that contain xylitol can be dangerous (and potentially lethal) to dogs and cats.

2. If your Jack-o-lantern is illuminated with a candle, take care to place them out of your pet’s reach. Cats and dogs can easily knock these decorations over, which could cause a fire, says the ASPCA.

3. Your furry friends may look extra cute in their costumes, but be sure they’re comfortable. If your pet seems distressed, it may be a sign that the disguise is restricting movement or sight.

4. Ensure the comfort of both your pet and the revolving door of trick-or-treaters by keeping animals away from chaos, warns the ASPCA. You wouldn’t want your dog or cat to escape or scare any small kids.

(Retrieved from realsimple.com, Bridgitt Hauck, author)

How to Increase the Value of Your HomeBefore you begin renovating, know which projects will increase your home’s worth and which ones can harm it.

Is This Renovation Worth It? Is digging up the backyard to put in a pool

has an explanation for the music.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about" says the caretaker. "He's just decomposing!"

Did You Know?October was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar. It comes from the Latin word "octo" meaning eight. Later, it became the 10th month when January and February were added to the Calendar.

The Saxons called the month Wintirfyllith because it had the first full moon of the winter season.

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worth it? What about upgrading a tired-looking kitchen with gleaming marble countertops? And what about installing high-tech speakers—throughout the house?

If you’re planning to renovate your home, you may already be asking yourself these very questions. But when it comes to increasing your home’s appraisal value, the answer to them isn’t always a resounding yes.

To help ensure that your reno dollars are well spent, we asked real estate experts across the country to weigh in on the top five home improvement dos that can boost resale value—and five don'ts that just aren't worth the extra expense.

Upgrade Your Kitchen All of our experts agree that a kitchen renovation should be at the top of your list, since it's the heart of a home—the room where families spend most of their time. But where to start? A couple of givens include upgrading to stainless steel appliances and installing countertops made from engineered stone or granite, because these fairly easy changes will improve the aesthetic appeal of the space. Details can also make a difference, like putting shiny knobs on cabinets and purchasing a sparkling new faucet for the sink.

Another wise kitchen upgrade? Knocking down a full or half wall, so you can connect the kitchen to a den or living room. “It makes the kitchen feel more spacious," says Phyllis Rockower, owner of the Real Estate Investors Club of Los Angeles in California. "If you’re cooking, you can still hear what people are saying during a party, or keep an eye on your kids while they’re playing.”

Revamp Your Bathroom A toilet that looks old, cracked or dirty (or doesn’t flush properly) is a turn-off—and the same goes for a vanity, which should be eye-catching and practical. “Install a vanity that recesses into the wall, so it saves space,” advises Alen Moshkovich, a broker for Douglas Elliman in New York City.

Proper lighting can also be a great value booster, such as adding a window in the bathroom, so natural light can illuminate the space.

There's one other simpler fix that homeowners tend to overlook: Reglazing a tub, rather than getting a new one, will save you money and upgrade the look of your bathroom.

Go Green “In the last four to five years, there’s been a growing demand for green housing,” says Tom Ferstl, a commercial and residential real estate appraiser at Ferstl Valuation Services in Little Rock, Arkansas. “Making your home more energy efficient is a plus—anything that helps keep heat in during the colder months and out during the warmer months will help.”

The changes can be small, such as adding storm doors or a ceiling fan in each room. Or they can be large, like double- or triple-paning your windows.

It’s Chili by George!Recipe Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutesPrep: 10 minutesCook: 1 hour 45 minutesYield: 10 servings

Ingredients2 lbs. lean ground beed1 (46 fl.oz.) can tomato juice1 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce1 (15 oz) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)1 ½ cups chopped onion¼ cup chopped green pepper1/8 tsps. ground cayenne pepper½ tsps. white sugar½ tsps. dried oregano½ tsps. ground black pepper1 tsps. salt1 ½ tsps. ground cumin¼ cup chili powder

Recipe by George Couch

Read the directions on the following website: allrecipes.com

Another FactOctober Gemstone: Opal & Pink TourmalineOctober Flower: CalendulaZodiac Signs: Libra and Scorpio

More US presidents have been born in October than in any other

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Want more ideas on how to renovate your home in a green way? Check out Regreen, a site created by the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Invest in a Sprinkler System Many homeowners don’t want to be bothered with maintaining a stunning, landscaped garden, so planting tons of tress, bushes or flowers isn’t necessarily going to elevate your home’s value. But everyone wants green grass, so adding a sprinkler system that automatically turns on and off is a good investment, says Ferstl, because it allows a buyer to keep a lawn looking good without much work.

Install Built-In Speakers High-tech homes stand out ... and will impress buyers. Your best bet is to centrally wire a sound system in your home, and put a speaker in every room, so you can control music from anywhere in the house with one remote. Rockower also suggests installing surround sound in the den or living room (basically wherever you watch TV), which makes watching movies or sporting events more exciting.

Avoid Putting in a Pool You may think that a beautiful backyard pool will make buyers flock to your home, but many families don’t want to deal with the maintenance or the liability of an accidental drowning. “It’s an especially bad investment in the northeast and the northwest, where you have few hot months to actually use a pool,” says realtor Brendon DeSimone, a member of the National Association of Realtors and an expert contributor to Good Morning America and HGTV.

Avoid Converting a Bedroom Turning a bedroom into a room that’s specific to your interests—such as a wine cellar or a library—is a risk. Once you start embedding wine refrigerators or bookshelves and customizing the space's structure, the room becomes less valuable, because the next owner may not want to spend money renovating that room. “If you insist on doing it, at least make it easy to ‘un-do’ later when you want to sell,” says DeSimone.

Avoid Laying Down Carpet Don’t bother carpeting any room in the house. “Natural hardwood flooring is what everyone wants these days,” says Moshkovich. Plus, wood floors tend to be easier to clean, they don’t show as much dirt and they’re better for family members who suffer from allergies. “If you're looking to save, engineered wood is cheaper than 100% natural wood—and it still looks good,” suggests Moshkovich.

Avoid Installing Ornate Lighting Buyers like bright lighting, but if you empty your wallet buying an over-the-top chandelier, you probably won’t get most of your money back, notes Ferstl. “Some people go all out when decorating a dining room, but the next owner may want to turn the dining room into a bedroom, so it’s often a waste," Rockower says. Her recommendation: Opt for subtle high hat or recessed lighting or get a basic chandelier or hanging fixture from Home Depot—you can find a bunch that look good for under $100.

month.

In the US, October is National Pizza Month, Popcorn Month, Pork Month and Sausage Month.

October is not mentioned in any Shakespeare play or sonnet.

The Hunt For Red October, with Sean Connery, is the only film with ‘October’ in its title ever to win an Oscar (for best sound editing).

Hawaii has a special October event called "the Aloha Festival," sometimes described as the "Mardi Gras of the Pacific."

Movie TriviaHalloween (1978) The mask in ‘Halloween’ is actually William Shatner’s face. The production crew bought the cheapest mask they could find at a Halloween store, which happened to be William Shatner. They spray-painted it white.

Important October Events

October 1, 1908 - Henry Ford's Model T, a "universal car" designed for the masses, went on sale for the first time.

October 1, 1938 - Hitler's troops occupied the Sudetenland portion of Czechoslovakia. In an effort to avoid war, the leaders of Britain and France had agreed to cede the German-speaking area to Hitler, who later broke the agreement and occupied all of Czechoslovakia.

October 1, 1979 - After 70 years of

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Avoid Redoing Your Garage “I’ve seen some people turn garages into family rooms or play rooms—and then have a hard time selling their house,” says DeSimone. “Most people want a garage to stay a garage.” Not only do buyers want to protect their cars from rain and snow, but they also need a place to put dirty outdoor stuff, like lawnmowers, leaf blowers, shovels and garbage cans. Bottom line: Don't go glam with your garage!

(Retrieved from realsimple.com.)

American control, the Panama Canal Zone was formally handed over to Panama.

October 2, 1967 - Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993) was sworn in as the first African American associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He served until 1991 and was known for opposing discrimination and the death penalty, and for championing free speech and civil liberties.

October 2, 1968 - California's Redwood National Park was established.

October 3, 1990 - After 45 years of Cold War division, East and West Germany were reunited as the Federal Republic of Germany.

Russian tank-soldiers loyal to President Boris Yeltsin shelled the Russian White House, crushing a hardline Communist rebellion. Yeltsin then fired Vice-president Alexander Rutskoi and jailed other opposition leaders.

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