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Homeowners

Homeowners

Home -- it's where the heart is. It's also the biggest and, we hope, best investment most consumers will ever make, so it's important to choose wisely, maintain it well and enjoy it!

Mortgage 'Rescue' Makes a Bad Situation Worse

Mortgage 'Rescue' Makes a Bad Situation Worse

[Updated 5 p.m. 10/13, to add the company’s response] Falling behind on your mortgage is bad. Falling in with companies that claim to offer “mortgage relief” services can be even worse, leaving cash-strapped homeowners like Paul of South Carolina in even worse shape than before they signed

California Outlawing Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers, Lawn Mowers

California Outlawing Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers, Lawn Mowers

A few years ago, the rather chic little city of Palm Springs, California, banned gas-powered leaf blowers, bringing relief to residents tired of the ear-splitting din and noxious fumes emitted by the infernal gadgets. The move was seen as the sort of thing that only a wealthy little resort town

Summertime is Prime Time for Driveway Paving Scams

Summertime is Prime Time for Driveway Paving Scams

This is the time of year when it’s not uncommon to find a slightly sweaty guy at your front door, claiming he is in your neighborhood paving and repairing several driveways. Because he has workers and equipment nearby and ready to go, he says, he can offer you a

Home Elevators Endanger Children, Feds Seek Recall

Home Elevators Endanger Children, Feds Seek Recall

In an unusual action, federal safety regulators are suing a home elevator manufacturer, seeking to force a recall of elevators that they say can trap and kill or maim children. What’s unusual about that? Well, for starters, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) doesn’t normally have

Heat Pumps Becoming a Year-Round Solution to Heat Waves and Winter Weather

Heat Pumps Becoming a Year-Round Solution to Heat Waves and Winter Weather

Bailey the Dog and I were sitting quietly in the family room one day in February when an odd thing happened. I realized I was sweating and Bailey was panting lightly. It being the coldest day of the year, somewhere south of 20 degrees, this didn’t seem normal. Our

Big Utilities Blackball Solar Power

Big Utilities Blackball Solar Power

Many homeowners assume that, any day now, they’ll be able to put some solar panels on their roof, thereby saving money and helping reduce the strain on the nation’s electric utility grid. But the reality is a bit different. In state after state, consumers find that a few

Florida Homeowners Face Higher Insurance Rates

Florida Homeowners Face Higher Insurance Rates

Feb. 17, 2021 Florida and Texas have become quite aggressive in painting themselves as low-cost states and making a pitch for businesses and consumers looking to escape higher costs of living in such states as California, New York and Illinois. But while both states offer relatively low tax burdens, they