Four Ways to Keep Homes Safer and More Energy Efficient While Owners Are on Vacation

Energy Education Council provides practical tips to cut electrical costs this summer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., July 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer months are a popular time for many families to take a vacation. If you plan on spending time away from your home yet this summer, remember to prepare it for your absence. With the proper preparations you can cut electrical costs and keep your home and electronics safe while you are away.

"We want people to enjoy their vacations and keep their homes as safe and efficient as possible when they are away," said Molly Hall, executive director of the Energy Education Council and its Safe Electricity program.

The Council offers tips to help you prepare your home for vacation:

• Change thermostat settings before you leave. When temperatures are warm outside, it is unnecessary to keep your home as cool as you normally would since you will not be in it. Turn the thermostat up to a warmer temperature or turn it off entirely. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can adjust it to cool down the house just in time for your return home.
• Unplug appliances and electronics. You will not use your computer, television, or toaster while you are away, but they will use continue to use energy and waste money if you do not unplug them. Even when appliances are turned off, many of them go into standby mode and continue to draw power. Unplug appliances and electronics to prevent phantom power draw. This also protects your electronics if there is a power surge in your absence.
• Adjust the water heater. The water heater can account for 15 to 25 percent of the average energy bill. Water heaters continue to use energy to keep the stored water warm. Since you are not using this water while on vacation, either adjust the water heater temperature to the lowest setting, or turn it off if you will be gone for more than three days.
• If you plan on leaving lights on to deter burglars, put the lights on a timer. You can save money by not having lights on constantly and make it appear that people are home by varying the times the lights are on.

There are other ways to make your home more efficient throughout the summer, not just while on vacation:

• Clean your air conditioning unit. Blocked or dirty air filters and coils can reduce your system's ability to push and pull air through vents, so make sure to wash or replace filters. Also remove debris from around the outside unit.
• For inside lighting, use CFL or LED bulbs. Not only do they save energy, but they also give off less heat than regular incandescent bulbs, keeping your home cooler.
• Make sure all air leaks are sealed. Inspect caulking around windows, doors, and any openings into the home. Weather stripping and caulking will help maintain your home's temperature.
• Close your drapes or curtains during sunny or hot days. This helps prevent the summer sun from warming up your home through the windows.
• Clean off ceiling fans, and make sure they are circulating air in the correct direction for the season. During warm months, ceiling fans should operate in a counter-clockwise direction. This creates a cooling effect at less cost than air conditioning. For more tips on keeping your home safe and efficient year-round, visit http://EnergyEdCouncil.org/.

Realtor.com® Finds 67 Percent of Consumers Plan Home Improvements in the Next Six Months

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationally, 67 percent of consumers plan home renovations within the next six months, according to the latest realtor.com® Home Improvement Survey. Realtor.com®, operated by Move, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOVE), is the leader in providing consumers the most accurate U.S. residential for-sale listings online*.

More than 1,500 visitors to realtor.com® from May 19-29, 2014, responded to the survey. Over two-thirds of respondents plan to renovate an area of their homes immediately, and 20 percent of those surveyed plan to list their homes for sale before the end of 2014.

Similar to last year, the most common budget range for home improvements is between $2,001 and $5,000. Eighteen percent of those planning to renovate before the end of the year expect to spend between $10,000 and $20,000. Home owners are most likely to spend that money remodeling kitchens, bathrooms, backyards or patios. The top reasons for the remodeling are greater enjoyment of the home and improved appearance, according to the survey.

"With 32 percent of consumers planning to spend money on improving the look and feel of their homes, home buyers should think about purchasing homes that require renovations," said Barbara O'Connor, Move's chief marketing officer. "By considering these kinds of homes, buyers open themselves up to more affordable options and the ability to renovate their homes to fit their specific needs and tastes."

Most popular reasons for planned home improvements:

• 32% - To improve the aesthetics and/or enjoyment of the home;          
• 22% - In preparation for putting house on the market;              
• 19% - Recently purchased a home needing renovations; and
• 11% - To improve the value of the home.

Most popular areas of the home to improve:

• 61% - Kitchen;
• 59% - Bathroom(s);    
• 33% - Backyard/patio; and
• 32% - Exterior of the home.

Range of home improvement budgets for the next six months:

• 22% - $2,001 - $5,000;
• 19% - $5,001 - $10,000;
• 18% - $10,001 - $20,000; and
• 14% - $20,001 - $50,000. 

Range of home improvement budgets in 2013:

• 20% - $2,001- $5,000;                                                                      
• 13% - Up to $500;
• 11% - $501 - $1,000; and
• 11% - $1,001 - $2,000.

When do they plan to sell their home?

• 37% - Not any time in the foreseeable future;
• 20% - 0 - 6 months;                                                   
• 19% - 1 - 3 years; and
• 10% - 4 - 6 years.

Ages of survey respondents:

• 28% - 45 – 54;
• 26% - 55 – 64;
• 19% - 35 – 44; and
• 13% - 22 – 34.

Geographic location:

• 25% - Southeast;
• 22% - Midwest;
• 22% - Northeast;
• 17% - West; and
• 13% - Southwest.

Income ranges:

• 20% - $100,001 – $200,000;
• 17% - $70,001 – $100,000; and        
• 13% - $50,001 – $70,000.     

Don't Let Mosquitoes Take the Fun Out of Summer

Keep Your Family Safe From Biting Bugs and the Diseases They Carry

ST. LOUIS -- When the weather's just right for enjoying the backyard, the last thing you want is to have your good time spoiled by pesky insects. Fortunately, there are many preventative measures you can take to protect family and friends from mosquitoes and other biting bugs.

Keep Bugs at Bay 
Whether you're hosting a backyard barbecue or traveling to exotic locales, use a personal insect repellent as your main line of defense against biting bugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using a repellent when spending time outdoors as a highly effective way to minimize risk of contracting West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses.

When you're choosing a repellent, consider the length of time you plan to stay outdoors. DEET-based repellents, such as Unscented Backwoods Cutter® and Cutter® All Family® products, are recommended for those who plan to spend longer periods of time outdoors in more heavily infested conditions. Other options for families are oil of lemon eucalyptus, found in Cutter® Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent, and geraniol-based products, such as Cutter® Natural Insect Repellent.

Also, treat your lawn with an all-purpose, EPA-registered lawn spray labeled for use against mosquitoes. Cutter® Backyard™ Bug Control Spray Concentrate, for example, creates a barrier against biting bugs in your lawn for up to 8 weeks of control. Spray over the entire yard, including ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers, for up to two months of residual protection from mosquitoes.

Last, use an area repellent around your patio, deck or campsite to create a zone of mosquito protection while you're spending time outdoors. Easy-to-use, all-weather citronella products, such as Cutter® CitroGuard® American Holiday Triple Wick Candle, use the natural repelling properties of citronella oil to repel mosquitoes and other flying bugs for up to 40 hours.

Control Mosquitoes 
In addition to effective treatment on your skin and clothing and around your home, limiting mosquito activity around your lawn can also decrease your exposure:

• Remove the places mosquitoes breed. At least once a week, empty water from flower pots, bird baths, barrels and pet dishes. Empty and change water in fountains, bird baths, wading pools, rain barrels and potted plant trays at least once a week to destroy potential mosquito habitats.
• Cover swimming pools, and make sure you're not allowing water to collect on the top of your swimming pool cover. Clean out leaves or debris from rain gutters.
• Avoid overwatering your lawn – your grass should be getting about 1 inch of water per week from a combination of rain and watering. If your lawn is still soggy several hours after watering or if water is pooling on the surface, you have too much moisture.

Mosquito-Borne DiseasesNot only are mosquitoes pesky, but they can also be dangerous. Mosquito-borne diseases affect millions of people each year worldwide, and they're generally at their peak during the summer months. Keep an eye out for reports of several mosquito-borne diseases on the rise in recent years:

• West Nile virus is the most commonly reported mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Although only one in five people who contract the virus develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches or vomiting, the virus can cause serious neurological illnesses that can be fatal, such as encephalitis or meningitis. Experts expect the virus to remain a domestic health concern for years to come.
• Although Dengue fever is primarily thought to be a tropical disease, occasional cases have been detected in southern states, including Texas and Florida, in recent years. As many as 400 million people are infected with dengue fever in the tropics and subtropics annually. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache behind the eyes, rash and muscle pain.
• If you're planning to travel outside of the United States this summer, be aware of the risk of mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus. Previously only found in Africa and Asia and most recently in the Caribbean, the virus has been confirmed in several U.S. states among recent travelers to those regions. The painful chikungunya (pronounced chik-en-gun-ye) virus causes fever, joint pain and swelling, headache or rash, according to the CDC. The chikungunya virus is highly uncomfortable but not deadly.

Home Field Advantage: Glen Perkins, Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins pitcher, Glen Perkins talks about what makes his house feel like home in this edition of Coldwell Banker Home Field Advantage.

Did You Know: The history of the tape measure

Almost every home has at least one. They can be made out of cloth, plastic, or metal. Seamstresses and tailors use them, as do professional craftsmen and weekend do-it-yourselfers. It's the tape measure, patented on this date in 1868 by Alvin J. Fellows of New Haven, Connecticut. His version had a feature still used today — a spring click lock to hold the tape at any desired point. One notable tape measure was 600 feet long and gold plated. It was presented to New York Yankees slugger Mickey Mantle in 1956 to honor his longest home run. Tape measures are sure to be found at the nation's more than 15,000 hardware stores, which employ more than 130,000 American workers. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Clutter and Downsizing

When looking at moving on in life an individual needs to look at the clutter that surrounds them.

BALTIMORE, July 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- When looking at clutter and downsizing you have to remember that you're moving from your old life to a new one. Downsizing is one factor that many individuals need to take into account when looking at retirement and moving on with their life. Life is about moving and clutter removal is one of the first parts in moving in forward in regards to handling a wide variety of different issues that occur before possibly moving onto a new stage in your life.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140710/125883

When sorting through your home and possessions it often is a long and difficult process. You want to decide which items to keep, which items junk, and which possessions to donate. This daunting tasking often taken on alone is often very trying for an individuals, since they may have emotional attachment to certain items that may have belonged to their loved ones that may no longer or friends who are no longer with them. This could include old pieces of clothing, children's toys, books, furniture, or a multitude of different items that could be considered clutter. This decision making process does not have to be handled alone a clutter cleanup company could certainly help.

A clutter cleanup company can help an individual sort through the clutter and find the treasured items that the individual in reality really wants to keep. These are trained professionals who are willing to helping a person sort through their past in order to better their future. They are trained in encouraging the individual to realize that they will not be losing memories, but adding room to create no ones. The past can always be remembered, but the items are presently taking up much more of an area than the memories themselves. 

Clutter cleaning can involve a company taking the items sorting, and disposing of them. When you think about the costs associated with it. It is not a bad scenarios, where you have professionals handling the disposal of items that you yourself you cannot dispose of upon your own account because of the decisions involve or the size of the items that need to be removed. Also, the items that you decide to keep can be sorted by them for storage, and this is a great time saver for those individuals who are looking to avoid a significant amount of time being wasted.

When dealing with the clutter of time a clutter clean up company can help you answer any clutter cleanup questions. They are professionally trained to deal with these variety of situations and certianly address them for you. Once again you do not have to handle downsizing your clutter alone a compassionate company is out there to help you. 

Home Field Advantage: Dillon Gee, NY Mets Starting Pitcher

For NY Mets starting pitcher, Dillon Gee, home is wherever his family is. In this edition of the Coldwell Banker Home Field Advantage video series with MLB.com, the Gee family discusses adjusting to life in New York City.

Eight "Survival Tips" for a Successful Move

HOUSTON -- Summer is peak moving season. In 2013, 15.3 million Americans moved between June and August, according to the American Moving & Storage Association. To help prepare for the hectic summer moving season, Mattress Firm, Inc., and Homes.com have partnered to provide outside-the-box tips to help movers avoid unnecessary stress and reduce property damage.

"Summer season is peak moving time as families across the country take advantage of great weather and move into their new places in time for back-to-school," said Wendy Froehlich, vice president of marketing at Homes.com. "Although finding your new home is wonderful and exciting, moving can be overwhelming as you juggle packing and moving essential belongings. Following a few simple tips and tricks can help ease the stress and result in a smooth transition from your current space to your new home."

Between 2012 and 2013, the most common reasons for moving were housing-related, at 48 percent, followed by family matters and employment. Renters were also far more mobile than homeowners, with 24.9 percent moving between 2012 and 2013, compared to 5.1 percent of homeowners, according to the 2012-2013 U.S. Census Bureau population survey.

"Many people find that moving is the ideal time to replace a mattress, especially if it has reached or surpassed the eight-year mark," said Steve Stagner, CEO of Mattress Firm, Inc. "With Mattress Firm's presence in most of the states with the highest number of total moves in 2013, we try to simplify our customers' moves by providing helpful moving tips and offering our Red Carpet Delivery and Removal service, ensuring hassle-free delivery for your new mattress and pick up for your old one as you begin life in your new home."

Whether a homeowner or a renter, married or single, Mattress Firm and Homes.com offer the following moving do's and don'ts to help Americans simplify their summer moves. 

Eight Clever Tips to Avoid a Moving Fail

1. Plan Ahead: The key to executing a move that is both efficient and stress-free is to plan your move weeks before the actual day. A moving file and calendar are great ways to keep all of your moving information, such as your lease or mortgage contract, utility hook up and power documents and other important information, in one place.

2. Get Organized: Organize boxes for their corresponding room in your new home, sealing them with colored duct tape to color code.

3. Don't Crack Under Pressure: Keep your plates in one piece by stacking Styrofoam plates in between each one, and protect glasses by putting them inside pairs of (clean) socks.

4. Vacuum Seal Out of Season Clothing: Don't waste time fumbling through out of season clothing. Not only will it take up less space and be a breeze to pack, but can go directly into storage in the new place.

5. Think of the Little Things: Keep sandwich bags handy to hold any small items you have to take apart, such as a mounted flat-screen television or your bed frame, and tape them to the backside. Label the bags accordingly, making unpacking and reassembling furniture a breeze!

6. Sweet Dreams: Check the mattress tag; if a mattress is over eight years old, avoid the hassle of moving it and arrange to get a new one delivered to your new home. If the mattress is still in its prime, use a mattress protector to transport it safely to a new home.

7. Green Thumb: Transport plants delicately by using a Christmas tree bag to keep all of the appendages safe and prevent snapping.

8. Survival Kit: Make life easier when arriving at the new home by packing an easily accessible overnight bag with clothes and necessary toiletries. Don't forget to include first-day essentials, such as a box cutter, paper towels, trash bags and power strips.

States with the highest number of total moves in 2013, both inbound and outbound, were California, Texas, Florida, Virginia, Georgia,New York and North Carolina, notes Homes.com. The Western U.S. experienced the highest moving rate, at 13.4 percent of all moves between 2012 and 2013, and the Northeast experienced the lowest moving rate among the regions at 7.8 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau population survey.

Bankrate: Mortgage Rates Slightly Higher Following Strong Jobs Report

NEW YORK -- Mortgage rates moved higher following a stronger than expected jobs report, with the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate rising to 4.31 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.33 discount and origination points.

To see mortgage rates in your area, go to http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/  

The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate inched higher to 3.41 percent, while the larger jumbo 30-year fixed mortgage rate increased to 4.33 percent. Adjustable rate mortgages were mixed, with the 5-year ARM holding steady at 3.33 percent and the 10-year ARM climbing to 3.88 percent.     

So why did a blockbuster jobs report have such a muted impact on mortgage rates? In large part the flood of cheap money from central banks around the globe is keeping a lid on rates, even in the face of the type of economic news that historically has pushed rates higher in a more pronounced way. Many investors around the globe are parking this cheap cash in the safety of U.S. Treasury securities, at yields that are favorable to what can be found elsewhere around the globe. Mortgage rates are closely related to yields on long-term government debt.

As 2013 came to a close, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 4.69 percent. At that time, a $200,000 loan would have carried a monthly payment of $1,036.07. After drifting lower throughout the first half of 2014, the average rate is now 4.31 percent, and the monthly payment for the same size loan would be $990.92, a savings of $45 per month for anyone that waited.

SURVEY RESULTS

30-year fixed: 4.31% -- up from 4.28% last week (avg. points: 0.33)

15-year fixed: 3.41% -- up from 3.40% last week (avg. points: 0.19)

5/1 ARM: 3.33% -- unchanged from last week (avg. points: 0.21)

Millennials Living In The States Bordering Mexico Name The Top 10 Cities In The Region For Their Generation

NEW YORK, -- The increasing influence of Hispanic-Americans on every aspect of American life—from politics to media, fashion to entertainment—is felt most keenly in the four U.S. states bordering Mexico, a microcosm of the U.S. Hispanic community. Already the largest racial/ethnic group in the U.S. after Caucasian, Hispanics are forecast to become the majority in 25 years.

Because of those reasons and many more, Havas PR North America surveyed 800 18- to 34-year-olds, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, in the four states (Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas). The agency's report on the findings, "Mi Casa en Los Estados Unidos: Millennials of the Border States," examines the opinions of these "border millennials" on key areas such as family, food, work and more.

Among other questions, Havas PR asked these young respondents which cities in the Southwest will be the best places for their generation. The top 10:

1. San Antonio 2. San Diego  
3. Los Angeles 4. Phoenix 5. Austin  
6. Albuquerque  
7. Dallas–Ft. Worth  
8. Houston  
9. San Francisco  
10. Tucson 

"The highest-ranked cities have three commonalities: They are ethnic, affordable and youthful, including college towns as one anchor," said Marian Salzman, Havas PR North America CEO. "Our queries were open-ended, by the way, so it's not as if we supplied our list and asked them to prioritize their 'where.' We all need to be keeping an eye on these cities as we think about where the next generation will flourish."

In addition, the agency discovered that staying close to family is important to many respondents—and that they will never leave the Southwest. This is especially true for Hispanics (51 percent versus 44 percent of non-Hispanics).