October, 2009

Dodd and Isakson want to extend the homebuyers credit through June of next year and broaden it to anyone buying a primary residence, not just first-time buyers. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had backed a narrower version that would extend the full credit through March and gradually phase it out through the end of 2010. Dodd said a deal would merge the two proposals.

Democratic Senator Max Baucus, who has helped to craft the narrower version, told Reuters that he now supports several aspects of Dodd’s plan, including increasing income limits, extending the full $8,000 credit through June, and a “modest expansion” of whether it would apply to those who have bought a house before.

In other news, the Internal Revenue Service has decided that taxpayers who owe more than $1 million on their mortgages will be able to deduct interest on the first $1.1 million, or 100 thousand dollars more than was previously allowed. On average, the affected homeowners could bank about $3 thousand dollars a year and will be allowed to file amended returns for the last 3 years which will give them thousands in refunds.

Looking to the Northeast, the biggest home sales by price is still for homes in the $100,000 to $250,000 range. Compared to September of last year, sales prices increased by more than 16%. For properties in the $250,000 to $500,000 range, there’s a small rise of nearly 3%, that’s up on the no change figure from the month before. Homes priced over the half million mark are still falling a bit in value, dropping just over 5%. Looking at the cheaper part of the market there’s a rise of nearly 5% for homes priced $100,000 and under.

In the Midwest, there’s been gains in the prices we’re seeing all the way up to $750,000 — especially with homes selling between half a million and three quarters of a million, where they’re up 15% on last year. This could be a great sign of recovery as a significant number of people are applying for and getting higher mortgages to get those higher priced houses. Though, we are still seeing plenty of action in the lower price brackets of the market, where buyers don’t need to provide so much of a down payment.

In the South, we’re seeing a big increase in sales priced below $100,000 from September of last year, a sizeable 28% jump, and that’s where we’re seeing the most action. Although the $100,000 to $250,000 range also saw a rise, there was a slight drop in the quarter million to half a million range, but the $500,000 to $750,000 bracket actually takes a slight upswing of 1.3% Again, this is a great sign that as first time buyers enter the market, they’re freeing other buyers to move up.

Out West, the $100,000 and under market has the “through the ceiling” figure of a 116% rise, comparing this September over last. This enormous rise could be a sign that it’s not just first timers buying that inventory, but those looking for second homes and investors sweeping up bargains. And again, the higher priced properties saw a substantial boost, as September saw a jump in the sales of $500,000 to $750,000 homes , rising over 9% from last year. Strangely enough, there’s been a significant drop of 13% in the $250,000 to $500,000 range, but that could be a signal that inventory is leveling out in that range, which will help steady out and normalize house prices again.

So September’s home sales figures were hotter than those in August. Sales are way up, and welcome increases seems to be appearing in the areas of the higher priced properties up to $750,000.

The first step is to determine, as best you can, whether or not you truly have a legitimate case of a haunted house.

Not all hauntings are alike, and they may exhibit a variety of phenomena. Some feature a single phenomenon, such as a particular door slamming shut that occurs repeatedly, while others consist of many different phenomena, ranging from odd noises to full-blown apparitions.

Most often, these phenomena are not seen directly. You might either hear the sounds of the doors opening and closing and as a homeowner, you get to know pretty well the distinctive sounds your house makes, or you might will return to a room to find a door open or closed when you are certain that it was left in the opposite position. Likewise, lights going on or off. these events are seldom seen actually occurring, but the lights are switched on or off when you know they were not left that way. You might have also noticed this with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items.

Do items disappear and re-appear? It’s that experience of losing your keys, which you believe you placed in the spot you always place them. But they’re gone and you look high and low for them with no success. Sometime later, the keys are found. In exactly the place you normally put them. It’s as if the object was borrowed by someone or something for a short time, then returned.

What about the sighting of fleeting shapes and shadows, usually seen out of the corner of the eye. Many times, the shadows have vaguely human forms, while other times they are less distinguishable or smaller.

Anyone who’s experienced some of these phenomena might have cause to believe that their house is haunted.

But maybe not.

In fact, according to most experts, probably not. The human mind and human senses, as any magician will tell you, are easily fooled. And people can often mistake unusual occurrences in their homes for the paranormal. Before you decide there’s a ghost in your house or move out from fear, do your best to find rational explanations for what you are experiencing. Virtually all of the phenomena we’ve talked about could have perfectly natural causes.

Noises could be house settling, plumbing or even vermin such as mice and squirrels. Opening and closing doors could be faulty hinges or caused by drafts. Disappearing objects could just be carelessness and forgetfulness and shadows could be just that, shadows – And, as real as some of these things might seem, they really could be just products of your imagination.

Get help in finding rational explanations for the phenomena. A plumber might help you find the cause of that banging. A carpenter can fix that door from closing on its own. A friend might be able to look at your particular experience in a different way and offer a reasonable explanation for your “haunting” that you might not have thought of.

Despite whatever strangeness you are experiencing, your house probably is not haunted. But if it is, perhaps it is a benign spirit that you can live with. Usually, it is something you need not fear.

Otherwise, it might be time to call the Ghostbusters.

Cleaning out your ducts is also something that will increase efficiency and is relatively simple to tackle. You can pay to have this done professionally. But if you want to tackle it yourself, simply remove the duct covers and vacuum inside. It won’t be as good as a professional job but it will reduce that household dust and provide some welcome relief to any allergy sufferers in your household.

Ask anyone who has ever had a burst pipe and they will tell you that checking pipes is another “must-do” task in the fall to avoid that worst of winter nightmares. Take note of which pipes are vulnerable. Those that run through the attic or basement, for example, might be more likely to burst. Make sure they are well insulated. It is a good idea to place extra insulation around the section of piping where the water supply enters the home, as these pipes are also vulnerable to getting to cold.

And speaking of insulation, another visit you should make in the fall is to the attic to check in on your insulation – make sure there is enough to prevent heat from getting into the attic from the living spaces below. Also, make sure the attic is well-ventilated to replace warm air in the attic with cold outside air. If this makes it sound like a cold attic is a good attic, that’s because it is. Warm attics can cause snow to melt on the roof, building up ice dams along the colder eaves. This can create severe water damage when it eventually melts and drips in to the attic or along the exterior walls.

Since you are going to be up in the attic anyway, check the vents for plants, or even dirt and dust that might be hampering their efficiency. Compressed air works well to clean them up. Super clean and unimpeded attic and vents will guard against a number of problems including ice dams. When they are working properly, it will also reduce moisture buildup that prevents mildew growth and rot on your roof’s frame.

Not everyone thinks much about their ceiling fans, but don’t forget to reverse their direction now. By changing the direction it turns, it will push warm air down and force it to re-circulate, keeping you warmer and more comfortable. The blades should turn clockwise during winter.

And for safety sake, take this time to check and test all the smoke detectors in your house, replacing any batteries you need to.

A lot of these tasks are things most people can do right now, on their own. But if you feel you would rather have a professional check these out, that is also an option. It will cost you more than if you do it yourself, but may save you money in the long run to have a professional winterize your home if it means they can help you guard against little disasters in the spring. 


No doubt you are going to enjoy winter a lot more if your heat is working well, your home feels cozy, and you have peace of mind about your pipes and attic.