This last year, I watched as a friend tried desperately to sell his long-dreamed-for home. Unable to, he reduced the price several times and finally moved into another house for rent, leaving his home empty. Of course, there were many factors involved besides the slump in the market that made things difficult – a job change, gas prices, and mortgage payment increase all contributed to his dilemma. Thankfully, he did not have to completely abandon his house, but he is letting it go in a short sale. Not only is he releasing the home he always wanted, he is doing so with a negative equity in spite of the many improvements that should have raised its value.

It’s a very sad situation to watch happen to someone you know, and it is becoming almost commonplace. Why would a home be abandoned, what happens to them when they are, and is there anything that can be done to prevent it?

Homeowners are choosing to simply move out of their homes for many reasons. Maybe the main breadwinner has had a job change or been laid off, or perhaps their company is going out of business. Maybe there is a divorce or a death in the family or some other life-changing event. When you add those things along with the economic situation and the bottom dropping out of the market itself, something has to give.

I watched a video report with Lisa Ling for SoCal Connected and realized a little more of the seriousness and unhappy state of things for thousands of homeowners who leave their homes abandoned. She spent the day with a company that does what are called “trash outs,” completely cleaning out all goods and any left-behind valuables from an abandoned home to get it ready for sale by the bank. It was a very depressing scene to watch, especially given how widespread an occurrence it is. Watch this report at http://kcet.org/socal/2008/09/socal-connected-episode-1.html and realize that this growing crisis is affecting not only the homeowner, but the neighborhood, the city, county, and state each time a home goes abandoned.

An abandoned house brings down the value of all adjoining properties within a mile or so of the house, and when you start counting how many are either in foreclosure or short sale already, it’s staggering. When a house sits empty, it is targeted for vandalism. Half-empty pools turning green lead to health issues, and without regular up-keep, the property quickly becomes deteriorated, sometimes even ending in demolition.

A sale for less than the value of the mortgage is called a “short sale,’ leaving the homeowner short of the funds needed to settle the debt owed. Banks are reluctantly agreeing to let some short sales go through, but not writing off the unpaid amount, instead, requiring the homeowner to sign a promissory note for the balance due.

A short sale preserves the homeowner’s credit where a foreclosure will not. Homeowners don’t always realize there are options they can use to save their home from foreclosure. For more helpful information, go to http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/.

Because abandoned homes affect everyone, is there anything you can do to safeguard your neighborhood from vandalism and decreasing value? Here are some recommendations:

• Be part of a neighborhood watch group, alerting neighbors to suspicious activity around homes that are not occupied.
• Notify your local law enforcement so they can do regular drive-bys.
• Call the listing agent and make the suggestion to have lights or sensors on inside and outside the abandoned home. If there isn’t any alarm system, a door-jam alarm placed on interior doors will sound loudly if opened.
• Alert the homeowner’s association of the empty house for routine check-ups and property up-keep of grass and plants.

Abandoned homes are everyone’s problem, so it might be wise to take it upon yourself to do something if you can. There are no guarantees of 100% protection against value loss as the housing crisis continues to spiral, but protecting against vandals protects the whole neighborhood and the up-keep will keep the house from becoming an eye sore. And if there is the possibility of your mortgage becoming a foreclosure, seek all the help and advice you can from your bank or state for possible funding and bailouts.

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I live in an apartment and if you have ever owned your home, you know the move to apartment living isn’t easy. It doesn’t belong to you, so you frequently get the “you can’t do this” or “you can’t do that” feeling. So how do you make the apartment feel like your own?

Decorating your apartment is left to what you bring with you and what you will take away when you leave. I have the typical white walls and beige carpeting in my apartment, with diamond design linoleum in the kitchen and bath. All kitchen appliances are white. This brings me to one of the biggest “you can’t” on the list: paint or wallpaper.

So I decorate the walls with art pieces. I have a larger framed piece as the main focal point of my living room, with an opposite wall showcasing family photos in a variety of frame styles and colors. The master bedroom is decorated in an Asian decor with large fans on the walls and splashes of red, black, and gold as the main colors. The second bedroom belongs to a 49ers fan, and you can guess what his decor and color choices might be. Red and gold are on the walls, the window coverings, the bed, and the rugs over the carpet, with a touch of black in the dresser and computer table. Now, that room is truly his own.

A good option for small apartment furnishing is to double up the uses of your pieces. I use a coffee table with a lift-up top for storage and an old steam chest for storage in the entryway for sitting and removing shoes and wet jackets.

If you have a patio and there are no “you can’ts” attached to it, a small patio garden can bring a tremendous feeling of ownership. It has for me. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t have my hands in a little earth once in awhile, which is also why you will find indoor plants in every room of my apartment.

Don’t over crowd your rooms; keep them simple. My bathroom came with a little peach color in the way of the vanity countertop, so I enhanced that color with the shower curtain, rugs, towels and shelves. Find what it is that makes your style uniquely yours and create your apartment decor around it, making the apartment feel like your own.

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I won’t name who in my family did this, but some of you might guess. This person does much of her own remodeling, and so felt she could handle painting her house. She and her spouse made their plans, picked their colors, and shopped for prices in paint and equipment. Wow, they were going to save so much money and they were very excited. They did consult a professional painter, my son, but they wanted to save money and didn’t want to pay for a job they were sure they could do; after all, how hard could it be to brush on some paint and do a little trim?

The painter told them what they needed to do and said he would help, but they insisted they would be OK. He stayed away through the project to save himself the pain of seeing them learn the hard way what he went to school, served an apprenticeship, and spent years of on-the-job experience to learn.

They did do their paint job, and from a distance, it doesn’t look too bad, but my sister, oops, found out that there is a lot of prep work to be done before a single stroke of paint is even applied. They learned that not all paints are the same, what you are painting makes a difference in equipment, and…

Well they learned the hard way. The house is not finished and they will have to paint again in the spring; the job isn’t going to hold up to the winter weather. Did they save money? No, it will end up costing much more; the job has to be fixed and finished the right way.

Hire a professional contractor to do the work that you do not have the ability to do yourself. Be honest, especially if you have never done anything like it before. Many years before this experience, I learned that you must know who you do hire. Don’t trust just anyone that claims to be a professional. Finding a name in the phone book, a license, and some odd references will not guarantee a job well done.

A friend of mine was having her roof refinished by a professional roofer; a job that was to take only a few days. The job took weeks and was barely finished in time for the first big storm that usually hits the Northwest right around October. The job didn’t cost her too much more than what was agreed upon, but it did cost her a great deal in time, worry and frustration, and yes, she had to clean up the mess.

Make sure the contractor you are considering is:

• Well qualified to do the job
• Can show proven experience with references, maybe even pictures of work done
• Licensed and insured
• Able and willing to obtain permits and follow building codes. A contractor not wanting to obtain permits may not have an up to date license
• Able to provide a guarantee of their work
• Going to clean up the mess everyday

Above all, I suggest you do research on the type of contractor you should be using. Get estimates from several possible contractors, and don’t always choose the lowest. A good way to get through this part of homework is to get recommendations. Look to others that have used the contractor before or use a source such as CalFinder to match you up with possible contractors who provide free estimates.

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I can tell you, though, that remodeling decisions are not always easy to make, especially with the economy sitting the way it is at this time. My sister and her husband have had to make some tough decisions. They are foster parents and raising their own kids, so their decisions are often influenced by the needs of the household. Who makes the decisions in their household for a remodeling project? Well, my sister does.

When she gets an idea that she feels will add to the good of the household, then she will find a way to make it work. Her husband, on the other hand, is the man that gets the job done. For them, the decision to do a remodel is mostly because my sister enjoys it and because she feels it is time for an upgrade. She loves, no she thrives on the hustle and bustle of a project in progress. Within the past two years, they’ve remodeled their kitchen and master bath.

First, she gets the idea, and then she will spend hours with pencil and paper drawing out what she wants. Her next step is to spend time on the Internet looking at plans, styles, and materials.

Once she has a clear picture of her plan, she approaches her husband and sells him on the idea. They then, together, start putting their budget in order. This requires that he makes the material and cost calls and she makes the calls for the help, usually from family and friends with experience. If there are permits and such required, he makes those calls, too. Making these calls gives them a good idea of costs and who has the best deals for what they want. My sister will take advantage of every sale in town, and abroad if necessary, to find and get what she wants.

Does this scenario sound at all familiar to you?

Because remodels at this time do not bring as high of a return to your home as they did only a few years ago, think of other ways to gain some of the expenses back. Plan to use environmentally safe, energy saving products and materials whenever possible. Also, plan what you will do with construction debris from the project. These are some things my sister has become more and more conscience of through her project mistakes and lessons learned.

For many people, the decision to remodel can be a hard one to make. For me, I would weigh the costs of money and time of work I could do myself, against hiring someone to do the work for me. Who makes the remodeling decisions in your house? Whoever does, don’t fail to do the research, planning, and careful budgeting before starting. It will be worth a consultation with a well-qualified contractor.

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• Outdoor lighting for your deck has endless possibilities for design and style, but safety is usually an issue, too. Illuminate your deck with three basic types of lighting: recessed deck lights, post cap lights, and accent lights. Of course there is so much more to choose from, but these will get you started.
• Light your home’s first impression with an entryway that is welcoming and secure.
• Low-voltage lighting for landscapes, walkways, or decks save money and are energy efficient. This type of outdoor lighting is easy to install and requires little maintenance.
• Solar power your nighttime with lighting kits that, after purchase, will cost you practically nothing. They are perfect for the environment and your pocket and make for endless possibilities of landscape lighting.

Check for these and many other articles in the remodeling library for your home-based projects, outdoors and in! Then, contact us to get free estimates from professional contractors based in your local area.

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Looking around for ideas, I found a great little site for the most outrageous bathrooms. Though a little crazy, it could provide some little bits of fun for decorating your bathroom. Check it out at HGTV: Special Features. At the least, it will be entertaining.

I do have a few suggestions of my own to offer. You can change up the whole look of your bathroom with just a few on-hand supplies. Play around with different colors, shapes, and sizes, and in moments, your bathroom can go from your usual decor to one with a special theme:

• Soaps
• Throw rugs
• Hand towels and racks
• Candles and holders
• Plants (artificial or real), pots for plants
• Potpourri dishes and potpourri
• Matching accessory pieces—toothbrush holder, cup, soap dish,
  lotion dispenser, etc.
• Shower curtain and clips
• Wall decor—hangings, plaques, etc.
• Toilet seat cover
• Room freshener to fit the season, such as pine, cinnamon, pumpkin

With these and your own little touches, such as ornaments, garlands, or twinkle lights, you will change your bathroom from the everyday room to the perfect transformation for entertaining.

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Here are my pics:

Food chain

This picture was taken by an inspector when checking an attic. He states that when he first approached the vent, there were about 15 more bats than in the picture and his flashlight chased them off. The scary thing is the 2’ black snake at the top of the vent. It looks like dinner time. The inspector wondered if he should let the buyer of the house decide if they should keep the snake to keep the bats out or get rid of it? What do you think?

Fried

The mouse in this picture was looking for a house with a view. I don’t think his realtor mentioned the exposed wiring.

Sweet

Inspectors usually expect to encounter something when looking down chimneys, but he was very surprised to find honey bees instead of the usual wasps, hornets, or raccoons. That is one large hive.

Home of Hay

Some kind of creature has made this attic into a great home for the entire family of what-ever-they-are. This looks like their idea of a mansion rather than a nest.

Dauber Country

This picture really made my skin crawl. I can’t stand wasps and to see that many nests in one room … ewwww. These are dirt daubers in the main wiring connections panel of a country house. What if the electricity goes out and you have to check the breakers…in the dark??

Before closing this post, I would like to offer 4 tips to help prepare your home for an inspection.

1. Make sure all components of your home are accessible, like the water heater, electrical panels, crawl access, attic access, and furnace. Maker sure they are not blocked or hard to inspect.
2. A clean home is much easier to inspect. Clutter or a messy home only adds to the time an inspection will take; this may cost you.
3. Vacant homes sometimes do not have all utilities operational and this makes for a difficult inspection to some components. If this is the case, another time has to be scheduled for utilities to be on and this costs time and money.
4. Consult your realtor or listing agent of your worst fears. Have them along for the inspection and let them address questions and concerns with the inspector. Keeping the inspector delayed also tallies up in cost as it usually takes about 3 to 4 hours for a good inspection.

Keep the horrors at bay in your home and consult a professional for your next home inspection! Here are some links to help you find one:

• The American Society of Home Inspectors
• Home Inspection Institute of America
• National Association of Home Inspectors
• Home Check – Home Check provides information to find experts in the field of home inspection, appraisers, architects and Landscapers for makeing improvements to there Property.

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If your attic is still a good old attic that hasn’t been transformed into a spare room, then it is the perfect place for long-term storage. It is almost a “given” to use it as such, but there is a technique to doing it. The attic being where it is in the house, temperature will affect what is stored there. Do not store candles, electronics, photos or film, music, camcorder or VCR videos, delicate fabrics, or anything that would be sensitive to heat changes that will occur in the attic with each season. That being said, here are a few tips for good attic storing techniques:

• Get rid of clutter and unwanted items that really are good for nothing but collecting dust. Think of whether or not you’ve seen, used, or remembered an item in the last two years. Unless it is something of great sentimental value, consider letting it go. Remember to donate what can be used by someone else.
• Store items around the perimeter of the attic. This gives a clear path to access items as they are needed. Be careful not to block air vents or any exposed insulation.
• Group items together, like recreational gear, holiday decorations, clothing, arts and crafts, books, etc. What you store your items in save money and time. Cedar-lined boxes work well for clothes and such. Plastic tubs seal out moisture and vermin that like nesting in boxes. Cardboard boxes can be used for some things, but I don’t really recommend them for long-term storage.
• Items that are packed in boxes or tubs can be marked with numbers. Keep a list of contents in each numbered box handy. If contents change, update the list, so that you aren’t doing all the writing on the boxes themselves. You are storing items for future use, so you will want to be able to access them when you need them.
• By using hooks and bars between exposed rafters, you can hang items, such as clothing, on hangers or bicycles on hooks. Place boards across rafters and you have book shelves.
• If you really want to create some more permanent storage space in your attic, consider doing a little bit of remodeling of your attic. Built-in shelving into the framing of the walls or even full cabinets will bring a real organized center for your storage needs now and in the future.
• If you are storing furniture, cover with old sheets for protection purposes.
• More than anything else, you have to take precautions against the local life that may take up housekeeping in your stored valuables. I would recommend hiring a professional for the removal of the more wild variety: rodents, raccoons, bats, etc. For the multi-legged varieties, it starts with prevention. Seal internal openings where pests might squeeze in, such as window frames, cable, and pipe entries. Use a natural biological control to keep pests away, such as products derived from plants. Cedar balls or chips are good deterrents. If pests still find their way in and make your attic their new home, call a professional.

With a little cleaning, prevention, and organization, you can turn your good old attic into a valuable storage space; it’s just a matter of technique.

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As you sort through household debris from the garage, attic, basement, etc., pay special attention to the following items for removal and re-routing.

White goods are items like refrigerators, freezers, stoves, microwaves, and most major household appliances. White goods contain chemicals and pollutants that effect the environment detrimentally and need proper handling for disposal, recycling, or donation. Recycling will reduce landfill volume, help offset pollution problems, and save energy and natural resources.

Household hazardous waste items would include cleaners, chemicals, paint, auto products, batteries, and pesticides. These items do not belong in any landfill as they are hazardous to the environment and to human health. When disposing of these items, they should be sealed and contained to avoid spills, and labeled clearly as to what they contain.

Electronic waste items like game systems, computers, DVDs, television sets, phones, etc. often contain mercury and lead and can be bad for humans and the environment if improperly disposed of. Many of these items are recyclable and can be refurbished.

Construction and damaged materials from your remodel, such as carpeting, furniture, doors, windows, lighting and bathroom fixtures, are items that can clearly be recycled and reused.

Here are some very good sites that give important information on how to dispose of what we just covered. They also list places to get help for their removal or reuse.

• Earth911 lists materials and recycling possibilities by zip code.
• For details on facilities and programs, contact the solid-waste, environmental protection, or public works agency in your city: http://www.wastedisposalweb.net/ and http://www.bringrecycling.org/everything_else.html (for Oregon).
• For help with electronics and recycling, look at Electronics Reuse & Recycling Center on GreenerChoices.org.
• The U.S. EPA has a list of the environmental agencies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

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It was back in the 70s when I first heard of a biodome and saw one in a magazine. It was quite the talk for awhile between my father-in-law and the family; he was always looking for ways to better his environment. But I hadn’t heard too much about them since. Today, biodomes are gaining in popularity due to the need to better our environment and the general way we live.

The article, “25 Incredible Personal Biodomes,” lists 25 types, permanent and temporary, that could easily be built at low costs and in an environmentally friendly manner, even for a do-it-yourselfer.

Looking more closely at the 25 domes and some of the links for the manufacturers, I was impressed. The costs can get high, but overall, it’s much cheaper than even a traditional manufactured home. Most come in kits that two people can frame up in about two days. Yes, the whole project would take longer, say 9 months or so, but what home doesn’t? Claims of energy efficient by most of the building manufacturers are impressive and several of the designs are completely green, complying with all environmental codes for each area.

I was especially impressed with a manufacturer located here in the Northwest, called Domes Northwest. Not only did these homes wow me, but the site was very informative.

In fact, many of the sites for the 25 biodomes were very informative and educational, including those for Energy Structure, Good Karma Domes, and Hilltop Dome House. Going by these sites, I asked myself why a green homebuilder wouldn’t want to build a dome? With so many natural disasters that have occurred of late, many of these homes located within susceptible areas have proven themselves to withstand whatever may come their way, be it a hurricane (Dome Incorporated), tornado (Mountain View), or freezing conditions (Sigler Residence). And if the average dome isn’t what you are looking for, there are plenty of possibilities for other personal and travel uses catering to locations the world over.

I really enjoyed researching some of these sites and learned a good deal about biodome homes and buildings. I invite you to check out this post and the links attached, especially if you are looking at building a home in the future and feeling a little “if-y” about the economy: 25 Incredible Personal Biodomes. Building a biodome may be a good alternative all-the-way-around, excuse the pun.

Photo Credit: Dome of a Home

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