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Who Can You Trust When
You're Shopping for Your Home?
Naturally, when you need home-related services, you're concerned about finding a quality company to get the job done right,
who wouldn't be?
You can rest assured that the companies listed in our directory (below) have been
very carefully PRE-SCREENED by us ...
You pick a category below then click the company name. Learn about them to find
out if they're the right company for you. Complete contact info and online inquiry form your convenience.
If you don't find a service you're looking for, let us know!
Extra Information:
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Buyer Beware
IT WON'T HAPPEN TO ME ... Unfortunately, it can!
 It's
easy to procrastinate about things we
know we "should" take care of. It's human nature to assume bad things won't happen to us, our
family or our homes.
This growing list of
"Buyer Beware Tips" aims to help you
prevent problems and give you peace of mind. Send us YOUR buyer beware story. Click here.
CONSOLIDATING CREDIT CARDS
CAN HURT YOUR CREDIT RATING
... IF YOU DO IT
WRONG
If you're planning to
consolidate your high interest credit cards into a new, low rate card, don't
close the old accounts.
Length of time that you've had a credit card can
reflect very positively on your credit rating. The longer you've had
an account, the better it can be. So, consult a
reputable mortgage lender for advice on HOW to improve YOUR credit
score, there are many factors involved, and depending on your situation, a
reputable lender can help you develop a plan. .
DO YOU REPLACE WHAT YOU COULD
REPAIR?
General Contractor, Danny Thistle, tells us
that many homeowners assume they’ve got to demolish
and completely rebuild a space if there's a problem area. But it's
often wisest to simply reconstruct the isolated problem spot and leave
the rest of the structure and space intact. This can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in demolition and
remodeling costs. For example: You know
that cabinet under the sink that gets warped and smelly from a leaky
pipe? It's sometimes possible to pull out just that one cabinet and replace
it, often without taking off the countertop or losing the surrounding
cabinets! For homeowners who think they have to tear out all the cabinets and
countertop to start from scratch just because of a few bad cabinets, Danny's strategy could save a small fortune. more
DO YOUR CC&Rs RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF RENTAL HOMES IN
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? Joe Frieburger of First Class Appraisal
let us know that too many
homes rented under section 8 will drive values down. The investor does
well, but the neighborhood does suffer. He says if more than 10%
are rentals, it's a red-flag.
Joe said a number of builders are now trying to limit the amount of investors, but that can
be a problem. If you limit them too hard, you risk infringing on the
investor's civil liberties. It's a tough issue to deal
with. Joe suggests you ask the builder/HOA of any prospective
property to show you (not tell you....get it in
writing) exactly what the limits are for investor owned
properties.
The ones
with the toughest CCR standards would include deed
restrictions that prevent the property from being used as an investment
property. You might also want to call the management company (if one is in
place) to discuss any concerns you have. The best thing is
to get involved in the managment of the
HOA.
ARE YOU BUYING COMPUTER SOFTWARE YOU DON'T NEED?
Brent Hall
of National Information Systems tells us that many computer users are getting
scared into buying software they may not need. Ads on TV, in magazines and
on the radio state the horrors of people having their identity stolen, or
personal information distributed by hackers.
With the release of
operating systems today new operating systems firewalls, and popup stoppers are
built in to the systems. In most cases the only additional
software needed it a very good up-to-date antivirus solution combined with a
good maintenance program and user knowledge of the hazards of the internet such
email and malicious websites.
Click here to find out more about Brent Hall and computer services
from
National Information Systems Computer
Services.
HOMEOWNER
ASSOCIATIONS: PROS &
CONS
10 February,
2004 KNPR Homeowners associations are a fact of life
for most Las Vegas residents. They keep our neighborhoods in good condition,
protect our property values, and in the best cases they promote civic harmony.
In other cases, they can impose unpopular rules like "no basketball hoops" or
"no American flags," or facilitate corruption by unethical managers. "KNPR's
State of Nevada" considers the pros and cons of homeowners associations.
Visit their website to hear the discussion now in REAL audio. click here
HAS THIS COMMON MISTAKE KILLED YOUR TREES AND PLANTS?
Don Garritano, Owner D & K Landscape told us that as
the root systems on our trees and plants develops, it outgrows the nice, soft
soil we planted them in. As their pampered roots try to make their way thru the
unfriendly native soil they're shocked and unable to withstand the change. So
the tree or plant dies.
Don recommends that you include some of the native soil into your
replacement soil mix when you're digging a fresh hole for your plant. This will
help your plant adjust to the change in soil it will ulitmately experience as it
outgrows the initial soil bed. more on D & K
Landscape
.. 
YOUR CREDIT
SCORE INFLUENCES YOUR INSURANCE RATES
Improving
your credit score saves you in lots of ways, including your insurance
rates. According to an article "How Credit Scores Affect Insurance
Rates" by Christopher Cruise • Bankrate.com,
consumers with poor credit scores are going to pay 20 to 50 percent
more in auto insurance premiums than a person who has good credit.
Conversely, your good credit score will usually earn you
lower insurance premiums.
When shopping for insurance
your agent should be asking you a lot of questions to
qualify you for discounts. If you get different
quotes from agents of the same insurance company, it's likely one of them isn't
trying hard enough to find you ALL the discounts you're qualified for.
For help on sorting through insurance rates and
discounts, count on our pre-screened agents. They're both hands-on experts
who work for you and care about your unique situation and needs.
Contact:
Alex Rivlin, Farmers Insurance
-or- Randy Wilcox, State Farm
.
WHO OWNS YOUR APPRAISAL?
IT'S NOT YOU!
When refinancing or getting a mortgage loan, make sure you choose
your lender before ordering your appraisal. According to Joe Freiburger
of First Class Appraisals, newer industry rules dictate
that the completed appraisal can only be used by the first
lender on whose behalf the appraisal
was ordered. Most consumers think they "own" the
appraisal, but technically, the lender owns it.
SUBCONTRACTORS CAN PUT A LIEN ON YOUR PROPERTY!
Preventing Problems with Contractors: If your contractor fails to pay a sub-contractor who worked on
your project, that subcontractor may file a lien against your property. Always
ask the contractor for a "Notice to Owner form". As of Oct. 1998, contractors
are required to provide owners of single family residences with a Notice to
Owner form and a list of all sub-contractors and material suppliers that will
work on your project. This information informs consumers what steps to take to
prevent liens filed on their property.
here for the complete article from the Nevada
State Contractors Board
.
HOW TO AVOID HOME INSPECTOR TROUBLE
You're in your recently purchased home, when
problems start to show up it's common to point the finger of blame at the Home
Inspector .. what was missed? But that's not the problem. The problem is that
you, the homeowner, over-estimated the role and responsiblity of your Home
Inspector. Richard Farkus of Design Consulting Services clears up the
misconceptions more
..
UNLICENSED APPRAISERS ON THE LOOSE!
Joe Frieburger of
First Class Appraisals told us that each week, several loans fall
through, or are delayed, when the appraisal is done by an unlicensed
appraiser. The unlucky homeowners lose the money paid for the appraisal PLUS
they'll need to pay for a new appraisal. If the loan rate, or property sale is
dependent on the closing date, the homeowner can lose the loan or the home sale.
Be sure to know the individual appraiser's name who is appraising your home, and
check them out. Call the Appraisal Division of the Real Estate
Board. 775-687-4280 and 702-486-4033.
RANGE HOOD
INSTALLATION: UNTRAINED SALES STAFF CREATE HASSLES
Annie Lopez, Showroom Manager over at
Ferguson Bath & Kitchen Gallery told us that many people
who started a "do it yourself" project, end up coming
to Fergusons to get their project finished. She reports a common
situation when
Professional Range Hoods are purchased
from retail home improvement centers ... note: what often happens can
apply to many more products than just range hoods: You buy the range hood, take it home, and you realize, or
else your contractor does, that you don't have the blower ... so you
need to go back for the blower!
In most cases, professional range
hood manufacturers sell the blowers separately. Untrained staff at large home improvement centers may not always know the
specifications and let you buy the incorrect product, such as the
range hood .. without the blower. This unwitting error costs you time,
aggravation and additional money you may not have budgeted for.
You can easily avoid these kinds of costly mistakes by purchasing from expertly
trained staff who can tell you the ins and outs of
the products.
Click for more on commercial quality
kitchen appliances
ARE YOUR DOLLARS DRIPPING DOWN THE DRAIN?
Courtesy of City of Henderson
Property owners are
repsonsible for finding and repairing leaks on private property. And
if you don't find and fix leaks, it can really add up on your water
bill:
A ¼" leak loses up to 400,000 gallons per month.
That's enough to fill four Olympic size swimming pools. The City of Henderson
uses state-of-the-art leak detection technology to locate and fix small, hard to
find leaks that often cause more damage over time than large water line breaks.
Property owners are repsonsible for finding and repairing leaks on private
property.
a 1/32" leak loses 6,000 gallons per month
a 1/16" leak loses 25,000 gallons per month
a 1/8" leak loses 100,000 gallons per month
a 1/4" leak loses 400,000 gallons per
month
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SPECIAL OFFERS FOR YOU: |
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Free Room Makeovers!
An $8500 Home Office
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From Estelle's winning
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click photo to see more ...
 "...This room is the biggest disaster you have ever seen. It is right off the living room so it is one of the first things that people see when they come over. It is the den or office. Elliott uses it for the business and I am in there typing my papers for school. We have 3 computers and when both of us are in the room at the same time we are constantly running into each other. We have too much stuff in such a small room. I think this room would be a great challenge to your makeover team."
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 Audio Archives:
Screening Reports, Free Makeover Updates & Testimonials .. Listen to this ..
There's nothing like the first reaction! Our screening team
gets really excited when we find a great company. And their customers are
welcome to call-in their testimonials to us too! So, we'll start sharing some
unedited audio clips of some the call-in reports and call-in testimonials that
we get. Turn up your speakers to hear testimonials. Click Here
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