The Flip Side of Foreclosure

(NewsUSA) - In so many ways, foreclosure is an end. It's a bank's last resort, and the sad final chapter for a family sold on the American dream of home ownership.

But in another sense, foreclosure is also a beginning -- a never desirable, but often useful, tool that can help stave off neighborhood blight and create a path toward rejuvenation.

As much as everyone wants to avoid foreclosure, it does provide cities -- especially older ones with declining populations -- the legal means necessary for acquiring property that would otherwise become vacant or abandoned.


The trouble is that there's a stigma associated with foreclosure, and legislators can be swayed to impose restrictions on the process that make it more difficult for municipalities that want to reclaim and reuse property that has been left to decay.

So, from a policy perspective, what can be done to create better legal tools for clearing titles that don't depend solely on the self-interest of debt collectors? Here are some ideas proposed by Mary Helen Petrus, a researcher at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland:

* Quiet title actions, in which governments go to court to "quiet" any and all claims to a property's title.

* Laws to facilitate nuisance abatement through receivership (giving courts the power to assign repairs or improvements to an overseer of a vacant property).

* New rules making it easier for willing homeowners to forfeit their properties so that governments can take stewardship.

* Processes for tax foreclosures that don't have to go through the courts.

This is not to say that foreclosure is always the best option. In viable neighborhoods, the most beneficial course of action is generally to focus on improving the quality and affordability of housing for the people who still live there. But when there's a breakdown, and there's no hope of rescuing properties from becoming vacant or falling into disrepair, foreclosure is often the most viable option.

This is especially true in American cities where joblessness is high, or the population is dwindling. In these situations, where there simply aren't enough homebuyers to purchase the number of homes available in a market, foreclosure can actually help begin the process of revitalizing neighborhoods. For more information on this subject, visit www.clevelandfed.org/pr/foreclosure

Tips for Getting Your Furnace Ready for Winter

(NewsUSA) - Frigid days are fast approaching. And as snow falls and temperatures plummet, it is important to make sure your furnace is in proper working condition. Follow these tips to make sure you don't get left in the cold this winter.

1. Have your heating equipment properly maintained and cleaned by a licensed heating and cooling contractor.

2. Have the duct work checked for air leaks. Research shows that faulty ductwork accounts for more than 25 percent of the heating loss in an average home.

3. Replace air filters. A dirty filter restricts air flow and causes the unit to lose efficiency.

4. Use a programmable thermostat. By setting your thermostat from 72 degrees to 65 degrees for eight hours a day (for instance, while no one is home or while everyone is sleeping) you can cut your heating bill by up to 10 percent according to the Department of Energy.

5. Keep air supply and return registers free from obstructions (for example, furniture, rugs, and clothes baskets).

6. Use a whole-home humidifier. Heated indoor air is very dry and needs to be humidified. Actually, one of the driest places on earth could be your home. Don't believe it? The relative humidity of the Sahara Desert is 25 percent; Death Valley's 23 percent. In the winter months, the average heated home can have a relative humidity as low as 13 to 16 percent. The benefits of using an Aprilaire automatic whole-home humidifier include:

* Comfort helps eliminate dry nose and throat and itchy skin, while also reducing static electricity.

* Well being optimum humidity levels can help reduce the chance of upper-respiratory problems caused by dry air. Ask your doctor.

* Preservation proper humidification levels will protect against shrinkage and cracking in furniture, moldings and hardwood floors.

* Energy savings adding moisture to the air means you'll feel warmer with lower, energy-saving indoor temperatures. A home heated to 69 degree with 35 percent humidity feels just as warm as a 72 degree home at 19 percent humidity.

Visit www.aprilaire.com for more information.

Professional Ranges Make Gourmet Meals

(NewsUSA) - Watching food programs has become a favorite activity for many Americans, but recreating the gourmet meals onscreen is often easier said than done. True, television chefs often have cooking degrees from fancy schools and years of restaurant experience, but you don't need to be a professional to put an impressive meal on the table. What you do need is professional-quality cooking equipment.


Americans looking for the professional cooking experience can buy professional ranges for home-use. These ranges mimic the power and larger cooking surfaces of commercial models in a heavy duty, stainless steel package with the insulation and convenience features required for cooking at home.

A burner on a standard stove has a power output of about 9,000 BTU, whereas a professional range for the home will average 15,000 BTU. Putting even more power to work for home chefs, Thermador's Professional Series ranges and rangetops feature star-shaped burners with an output of 18,000 BTU each. The results: with this much power on every burner, large pots of water will boil in a fraction of the time, and overall faster and more even heating results, allowing the most challenging recipes and techniques to be mastered at home.

Thermador, which started making professional-style ranges for home use in the 1990s, recently introduced its fourth-generation Star Burner. The burner's unique design directs heat evenly from the center of the pan to its edges creating a more even and superior distribution of heat than the standard circular burner, reducing cold spots, which ultimately affects the way the food will cook. Thermador Professional Series ranges also feature patented ExtraLow simmer burners, which have an output of 375 BTU per hour. This precise simmer control system enables home cooks to heat delicate sauces or melt chocolate without scorching or stirring.

Professional ranges for the home also offer a streamlined, professional look. With a bold, chiseled profile, high-grade stainless steel knobs and an angled door handle, the Professional Series from Thermador creates a classic, robust feel in any home kitchen.

For more information, visit www.thermador.com

Resolve to Get Organized in 2010

(NewsUSA) - Start 2010 with a bang: organize your home and work space! Take the first step by installing shelving that is specifically suited to maximize your space. To successfully clear out and keep out clutter, you need storage space. The folks who operate www.Shelving.com and www.TheShelvingStore.com have been providing shelving and storage fixtures for over fifty years. They know that one size does not fit all when it comes to maximizing your available storage space.


When measuring the space for your shelving project, go up as high as you can. If you have a 9-foot ceiling, use shelving units

that are 8-feet high. If you have large and bulky items to store, use shelves that are as deep as your space will allow. Shelving units that are 24-inch, 30-inch, 36-inch deep or even deeper provide much-needed room.

The more shelves you have in each unit, the greater your storage space per square feet of density. For example, a 24-inch-deep by 48-inch-wide shelving unit will occupy 8 square feet of floor space. If you erect a shelving unit 8 feet high and add eight shelves to the unit, you would create 128 square feet of shelving space in just 8 square feet of floor space. Think higher, deeper, wider and add as many shelf levels as possible if you want to get the most density out of your floor space.

Be organized (always), be practical (keep it simple) and get some functional shelving. Wall-mounted decorative shelving is a wonderful complement to just about any room, and they create shelving space where free-standing shelving wouldn't be appropriate. Consider glass shelving for a more contemporary design, or wood grain shelves for a softer, warmer tone.

Whatever your interior design tastes, there are shelves that will satisfy your desire for form and function. With decorative wall-mounted shelving, you can display your prized items like trophies, pottery and pictures in frames. Your home and office should reflect your personality, so choose personalized displays. Using the right shelf will get you on your way to being organized.

An efficient home is a happy home. Start 2010 happy and organized with the help of The Shelving Store.

Visit their Web sites at www.TheShelvingStore.com and www.Shelving.com for more ideas on how to better utilize your existing storage space. They offer free shelving designs for any project.

Get organized for Holidays

Mastering the Alaska Home Heating Test

(NewsUSA) - If a wall-hung boiler can heat a home in Alaska problem-free for 10 winters, then it can heat a home anywhere, according to mechanical contractor Mike La Fay.

La Fay, owner of Meadow Lakes Supply in Wasilla, Alaska, installed his first Baxi Luna modulating wall-hung boiler in early 2000. Since then, he has installed more than 100 of these high efficiency, eco-friendly heating appliances in homes throughout Matanuska Susitna County, which is a 50-minute drive north-east from Anchorage.


"It can be 30 below zero here for three weeks straight, so a reliable heating appliance is essential for both home comfort and survival," La Fay says. "I have not experienced any significant problem with Baxi Luna performance. With Gensco, the exclusive Baxi distributor in Alaska stocking parts and accessories, I am really looking forward to my second decade as a Baxi contractor."

Gensco is a leading wholesale distributor of heating supplies and equipment, selling only to qualified contractors trade in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana since 1947. More recently, Gensco supplied 250 Baxi Luna boilers for an award-winning community redevelopment of Seattle Housing Authority, which reported 37 percent energy use savings over another hydronic heating system.

"My neighborhood just got natural gas recently, so I now have a Baxi Luna heating our family home and my shop. Our former oil fuel bill was up to $500 a month, and now we are spending around $150 for gas," La Fay notes. "You simply can't get better than that -- saving lots of money while knowing your heating system will withstand the coldest challenges of our winter."

Baxi is one of Europe's largest heating products manufacturer and has been making leading wall-hung boilers since the late 1960s. The firm's Bassano, Italy, plant has been producing Baxi Luna wallhung heating since it opened in 1978 and now makes 4,000 boilers a day for export to 70 countries, including the United States. Baxi heat exchangers are stainless steel and bear the ASME H-Stamp.

"I can recommend this appliance to homeowners with confidence, knowing it has a proven Alaska track record for quality, safety and environmental performance," says La Fay, who does ongoing maintenance of his installations and remains committed to learning more about the product. "I have learned a lot from a Baxi Luna training and contractor-certification CD-ROM. It is a great tool for a contractor located in Alaska."

To learn more about proven Baxi energy-efficient, eco-friendly heating solutions, including modulating, condensing or near-condensing boilers

(in either combination central heating and domestic hot water mode, or heating-only), visit www.wallhungboilers.com

Make Pool Maintenance Mindless, Eco-Friendly

(NewsUSA) - Most people want to enjoy their pools, not spend time maintaining them. And with today's busy schedules, it's easier than ever to make mistakes, like running pool equipment too long or letting the water go green -- and not in the eco-friendly sense.

But automating pool functions can save up to 75 percent of a pool's annual energy costs, while also reducing chemical use and maintenance time. Pool owners can customize pool functions to their schedule. For example, someone may set their pool's filter pump to run longer or more often on weekends, when the pool experiences heavier use.


The pool experts at Hayward offer the following tips for Americans looking to enjoy their pools with minimum effort and maximum savings:

- Replace your pool's filter pump. A pool pump may be your home's second or third largest energy consumer after air conditioning units. But a multi-speed, energy-efficient pump can save up to 75 percent on your pool operating costs. Hayward recommends its Tristar 2-speed pump or Variable Speed pump that features up to eight programmable speeds. Owners can further reduce energy consumption by setting each action's time, speed and duration, or setting the pump to work during off-hours.

- Use a robotic cleaner. A robotic cleaner can quickly pay for itself, saving up to 94 percent of the energy used by a pressure cleaner and booster pump. The best models, like the TigerShark, use little energy themselves, operate independently from other pool functions and shut off after cleaning.

- Are you still flipping switches? Save energy by managing your pool and spa functions with automation. The new OnCommand automatic pool controls can be retrofitted to your pool for less than the price of your next big-screen TV. Program and control up to 4 functions such as your multi-speed filter pump, booster pump, pool/spa lights, heater or pool cleaner.

For more information, visit www.haywardnet.com

Tips for Creating a Sustainable, Stylish, High-Performing Bathroom

(NewsUSA) - Pioneering new product solutions can transform any bathroom from a water-and-money-waster to a water-and-cash-saver without sacrificing style or performance. Think that your bathroom doesn't offer a significant potential for cash savings? Think again.


Let's do a little math with the help of the Water Savings Calculator (www.americanstandard-us.com/water-efficiency/) created by American Standard. Using an average residential cost of $6.06 per 1,000 gallons of water per year, consider this:

* Install new 1.28-gallon-per-flush (gpf) high-efficiency toilets to replace older (pre-1990) 3.5 gpf toilets currently in your home. With the average toilet being flushed 12 times per day, replacing two older toilets saves $118 and 19,447 gallons of water per year.

* Replace three 2.2-gallon-per-minute (gpm) faucets with 0.5 gpm WaterSense-labeled faucets and use them the same 40 minutes per day. The result: Save $451 and 74,460 gallons per year.

* Swap out two 3.0 gpm showerheads for new 1.5 gpm models and save $265 and 43,800 gallons per year.

Grab the calculator -- in one year, the average household can save $834 and more than four swimming pools' worth of water!

Bulking up your wallet and saving water become all the more appealing when combined with a new generation of plumbing products that offer peak performance. Remember these product selection tips as you outfit a new, greener bathroom for your home:

* Look for the WaterSense label. Created by the Environmental Protection Agency, this label certifies that products reduce water usage by 20 percent or more without sacrificing performance. The WaterSense label is currently available for high-efficiency toilets (HETs) and faucets. American Standard has the most high-efficiency toilets independently rated to flush more than two pounds of solids. All American Standard bathroom faucets are WaterSense-certified, and they comply with stringent new no-lead requirements.

* Keep performance front and center when going green. The goal is conservation without sacrifice. Using as little as 1.0 gallon of water on the light setting, the H2Option Dual Flush HET scours the sides of the bowl with a strong push-and-pull siphonic action created by a forceful, but quiet, jetted action under the rim. The FloWise three-function showerhead has the option of a full 2.5 gallon flow rate, but an internal turbine also delivers invigorating sprays at lower water-use settings.