10 Reparaciones en el hogar que no se deben ignorar




Si usted es como la mayoría de la gente en la que su hogar es la compra más grande e importante,  se sobre entiende que usted lo mantendrá evitando posibles problemas. Teniendo en cuenta que su compañía de seguros de hogar puede negarse a pagar por los daños y perjuicios si descubren negligencia. No espere  que una rotura menor se convierte en un gran problema. Aquí hay 10 reparaciones en el hogar que usted no debe ignorar:



1. Perdidas de agua


Los daños por agua pueden ser devastadores. Si usted tiene una póliza estándar de seguros de hogar, puede que cubra los daños del agua resultantes de la rotura de una tubería. Pero si por negligencia,  se permite que una fuga de agua conocida persista hasta que de lugar a una reclamación de seguro mayor, su compañía de seguros  puede no estar  dispuesta a pagarla. Las compañías de seguros harán seguimiento de sus reclamaciones.  Si observa una perdida de agua, debe arreglarlo lo antes posible. Usted no quiere que su casa este en la lista negra de la companía de seguro.



2. Grietas en los cimientos



Su base es el apoyo principal de su casa. Grietas en los cimientos pueden invitar a las fugas de agua desde el exterior, o incluso llevar a las paredes al pandeo y otros problemas. Si usted nota que sus puertas no se cierran como deben, o encuentra deformaciones en su fundación haga una inspección inmediata. Asegúrese de tener estas grietas reparadas de manera que su casa no está en riesgo.



3. Pintura descascarada



Si desea proteger su hogar, es importante cuidar de la pintura descascarada. La pintura actúa como la piel protectora de su hogar. Mantiene el agua afuera,  antes que se filtre en el interior. También protege la madera de la sequedad y el agrietamiento. Además, la pintura ayuda a mantener afuera las plagas. Una de las mejores maneras de mantener su casa en buen estado - y mantener a su compañía de seguros de hogar feliz - es tener cuidado de su pintura. Si se observa la pintura descascarada, hay que lijar y volver a pintar. En las casas construidas antes de 1978, usted debe tener una prueba de plomo realizado antes de retirar la pintura.



4. Ratas o ratones



Los roedores y otras plagas pueden causar estragos en un hogar. Las ratas y los ratones pueden masticar los cables y el aislamiento. Esto puede convertirse en un peligro de incendio. Otras plagas, como las termitas, puede reducir la estabilidad de la estructura de su casa. Es importante eliminar los roedores y otras plagas al ser descubierto. Puede hacerlo usted mismo o puede contratar a un exterminador para atender el problema. También debe considerar que el control de plagas se considera un costo de mantenimiento regular. Probablemente su póliza de seguro del hogar no cubre estos gastos.



5. Chequear los costos de combustible



Usted puede pensar que en  su casa nada raro esta ocurriendo. Pero a continuación, recibe una factura de combustible extraordinariamente cara. Esto puede ser un indicio de que algo anda mal en su hogar. Si su compañía de gas no aumentó sus tarifas, pero su factura es alarmantemente alta, esto podria indicar de que tiene una fuga o que tal vez su sistema de calefacción debe ser inspeccionado y limpiado - o incluso mejorado. En cualquier caso, puede ser una buena idea para llevar a cabo una auditoría energética en su hogar.



6. Luces parpadeantes



Su póliza de seguro de hogar puede tener todo cubierto, pero esto será poco consuelo,  si su casa se incendia, debido al cableado defectuoso. Una advertencia para indicar que algo anda mal puede ser luces parpadeantes. Se puede decir que muchas cosas fueron conectados a un circuito o que el cableado se ha deteriorado. Estos puede aumentar los riesgos de incendio. Para solucionar el problema, usted debe tratar de reducir su consumo de energía, o redistribuir sus aparatos para que estén conectados en circuitos diferentes. (También puede añadir más circuitos.) Siempre consulte a un electricista licenciado. La compania de seguro no cubrira los gastos de reparaciones de su casa,  si el incendio fue ocasionado por un  arreglo de cables de electricidad hechos por un electricista sin licencia.



7. Cables deshilachados



Si los roedores han estado en su casa, usted debe comprobar si hay cables pelados. Llevar a cabo inspecciones periódicas en busca de cables pelados. Estos pueden ser los riesgos de incendio, así como reducir su eficiencia energética, que le cuesta dinero. Consulte con un electricista licenciado.



8. Aire acondicionado con filtro roto



Otro artículo de la casa que requiere atención es la condición del filtro de aire. Si tiene el filtro obstruido, una serie de problemas pueden resultar. Un filtro obstruido puede producir moho.  El seguro estándar de la casa no va a pagar para el retiro del moho. Su sistema de aire acondicionado es una parte bastante costosa en su casa, y el filtro es una parte integral del mantenimiento del mismo. Los filtros cuestan entre $ 2 a $ 25, dependiendo del tipo de modelo. Si se cambia el filtro con regularidad, usted evitará costosas reparaciones en casa.



9. Chimenea con humo



Una chimenea con humo puede ser una señal de que ha llegado el momento de limpiarla. Una chimenea sucia  puede inflamarse, poner su casa y su vida en peligro. Están los deshollinadores certificados que pueden ayudarle a limpiar su chimenea con regularidad. También puede modificar sus prácticas de quemar  madera,  creando pequeños fuegos que prendan menos y evitar la quema de basura en la chimenea de la casa.



10. Canaletas tapadas



Una alcantarilla tapada puede conducir a perdidas que su compañía de seguros de la casa puede no cubrir. Usted debe asegurarse que sus canales no están alejados de la casa. Limpielos regularmente, y asegúrese de que estén firmemente sujetos a la casa. Usted puede reducir las posibilidades de que los desechos lleguen a los canales mediante el uso de pantallas. Esto hace más fácil limpiar las canaletas.

10 home repairs you shouldn’t ignore

If you’re like most people, your home is the largest purchase – and most significant investment – you’ll ever make. So you’ll want to maintain it, and a large part of proper upkeep means staying on the lookout for potential problems. In fact, if you allow your home’s condition to deteriorate, your home insurance company may refuse to pay for the damages. Don’t wait until a minor annoyance becomes a big problem. Here are 10 home repairs you shouldn’t ignore:

1. Water leaks

Water damage can be devastating. If you have a standard home insurance policy, it will cover water damage resulting from a burst pipe. But if you negligently allow a known water leak persist until it results in a big insurance claim, your insurance company may not be too keen to pay. Insurance companies keep track of your home insurance claims, and follow your progress. If you notice a water leak, get it fixed as quickly as possible. You don’t want your home to end up a home insurance blacklist.

2. Foundation cracks

Your foundation is your home’s main support. Cracks in the foundation can invite water leaks from outside, or even lead to walls buckling and other problems. If you notice that your doors are not closing as they should, that could be one sign that your foundation is settling, or warping, and that an inspection for cracks could be in order. Be sure to have these cracks repaired so that your home isn’t at risk.

3. Peeling paint

If you want to protect your home, it’s important to take care of peeling paint. Paint acts as a protective skin to a home. It keeps water from seeping inside. It also protects wood from dryness and cracking. In addition, paint helps keep pests at bay. One of the best ways to keep your home in good shape – and keep your home insurance company happy – is to be careful of your paint. If you notice peeling paint, remove it, sand the area and repaint. In homes built before 1978, you should have a lead test performed before removing the paint.

4. Rats or mice

Rodents and other pests can wreak havoc on a home. Rats and mice can chew up wires and insulation. This can become a fire hazard. Other pests, such as termites, can reduce the stability of your home’s construction. It is important to have rodents and other pests taken eliminated upon discovery. You can do it yourself, with traps and poison, or you can hire an exterminator to take care of the problem. You should also consider that pest control is considered a regular maintenance costs. Therefore, your home insurance policy isn’t likely to cover it.

5. Spiking fuel costs

You may not notice anything wrong inside your home. But then you receive an unusually expensive fuel bill. It can be a clue that something is amiss with your home. If your gas company didn’t increase its rates, but your bill is alarmingly high, it could be an indication that you have a leak or that maybe your furnace needs to be inspected and cleaned – or even upgraded. In either case, it may be a good idea to conduct an energy audit in your home.

6. Flickering lights

Your home insurance policy may have you covered, but that will be small comfort if your home burns down due to faulty wiring. A warning to signal that something is wrong can be flickering lights. It can mean that too many things were plugged into one circuit or that your wiring has deteriorated. These can be fire hazards. To fix the problem, you should try to reduce your energy consumption, or redistribute your appliances so that they are plugged into different circuits. (You can also add more circuits.)

7. Frayed wires

If rodents have been in your home, you should check for frayed wires. Conduct regular inspections in search of frayed wires. These can be fire hazards, as well as reduce your energy efficiency, costing you money.

8. Broken air conditioner filter

Another household item that requires attention is your air condition filter. If you have clogged filter, a number of problems can result. A clogged filter can produce mud, and that can lead to mold. Standard home insurance won’t pay for mold removal. Your air conditioning system is an expensive part of your home, and a filter can be an integral part of keeping it in working shape. Filters cost between $2 to $25, depending on the type you buy. If you switch your filter regularly, you will avoid costly home repairs.

9. Smoky chimney

A smoky chimney can be a sign that it is time to get it cleaned. A dirty chimney can actually catch fire, putting your home and your life in danger. There are certified chimney sweeps that can help you clean your chimney regularly. You can also modify your wood burning practices to create smaller fires that smoke less, and by not burning trash in your fireplace at home.

10. Clogged gutters

A clogged gutter can lead to leaks that your home insurance company may not cover. You should make sure that your gutters aren’t pulling away from the house. Regularly clean out your gutters, and make sure that they are firmly attached to the house. You can reduce the chances of debris getting into your gutters by making use of screens. This makes cleaning gutters easier.

Fannie Mae Says 2011 Housing Outlook is brighter

Things may start looking up for the U.S. housing market in 2011, according to Fannie Mae in its December 2010 Economic Outlook report.

Hope for the new year is very welcome as it’s no secret that this year’s mortgage statistics were disappointing at best. Fannie Mae reports that mortgage origination for all of 2010 is expected to fall to $1.53 trillion from roughly $1.92 trillion in 2009. Refinances are predicted to make up 66 percent of all new mortgage loans this past year, but with mortgage rates beginning to climb and likely to continue on that path, Fannie predicts that refinance loans will drop to 42 percent of the $1.13 trillion of mortgage loans expected in 2011.

“Despite rising mortgage rates, our forecast for home sales is stronger than the previous forecast, given our brighter economic growth and labor market outlook,” said Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan. “We expect modest increases in home sales, despite recent interest rate rises, due in part to modest additional declines in home prices, and we expect people to take advantage of affordability as their employment and income outlook brightens.”

What’s more, Fannie cites positive movement from the broader economy that will help to improve the housing market. Because of greater consumer confidence and spending, as well as falling unemployment claims this month, Fannie Mae’s economists believe“that economic growth is poised to kick into higher gear, with an above-par performance lurking just around the corner-by the second quarter of 2011. For all of 2011, we expect growth of 3.4 percent, compared with a projected 2.9 percent in the previous forecast.”

There are definitely some real threats to increased prosperity next year though, including China’s potential inflation issues, financial unrest in Europe and our own country’s unimpressive recent employment record, but all in all Fannie expects total home sales to rise about five percent in 2011 from this past year.


Amber Nelson on December 20th 2010 in Home Buying, Interest Rates, Mortgage News

Refinancing Your Car Loan: How Much Can You Save?




If you're paying 6% or more on your auto loan, consider refinancing it. You could put hundreds of extra dollars back in your pocket. Here are some situations that may make an auto loan refinance advantageous:

1. Interest rates are lower than when you bought your car, or you got your auto loan from a dealer without shopping for a rate. If interest rates have dropped since the day you purchased your car, you may be able to save by refinancing. Similarly, if you took the first loan offered (and it wasn't one of those 1% dealer-subsidized interest rates), you might be able to do better. Dealer-sourced vehicle loans often come with higher rates than you could get elsewhere because the dealers aren't arranging financing from the goodness of their hearts -- the extra money is a profit source, just like extended warranties or destination charges.

Keep in mind though that you are no longer financing a new car -- you are refinancing a used car, and those rates are generally higher than new car loans. The good thing is that, unlike home mortgages, auto refinances cost almost nothing to originate, so most of your interest savings goes straight to your bottom line.



2. Your credit score has improved since you bought your car. If you had no credit history when you financed your vehicle, or your report had a few marks in it, you may qualify for a lower interest rate today if your score has improved. Folks with minimal credit histories (an especially common problem for younger buyers) can be charged as much as 18% on their first car loans. Yet, if you make your payments on time for a year, you may qualify for much better offers. Check your credit report for free at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. You can purchase your credit scores for a nominal fee as well.

3. You're short on cash. If you need to reduce your payments, refinancing could be a viable solution. By stretching the remaining balance of your loan over a new, longer term, you can drop your payment significantly. For example, if you have a 5-year $25,000 car loan at 6% and have paid on it for 3 years, you could drop your monthly payment from $483.32 to $221.11 by refinancing the remaining $10,905 balance with a new 5-year loan -- even if you increased the interest rate to 8%! Although you will be improving your "cash flow," just understand that in the long run you will pay more in total interest with this strategy.

4. Your car lease is expiring and you want to purchase the vehicle. When the term of your lease is up, you usually have the option to buy the car. The dealer will probably offer you a financing package; take this as a starting point and shop a bit to see if you can improve on the terms.

Refinancing Auto Loans is Far Simpler than Refinancing Mortgages

Refinancing a car is not hard. It's not like refinancing your mortgage, which can include armloads of paperwork, lender fees and title insurance. Refinancing your vehicle loan is usually quick, cheap and easy once you have shopped for the best available interest rate and selected a lender -- you don't even need an appraisal.

A Look at Possible Savings

How much can you expect to save? If you refinance a 5-year, $25,000 auto loan carrying a 7.75% interest rate at the end of the first year, over the remaining 4 years, you'd save:

• $1,373 with a 4.75% loan, or $28.61 a month

• $921 with a 5.75% loan, or $19.19 a month

• $463 with a 6.75% loan, or $9.65 a month

Refinancing doesn't work for everyone. If your car is worth less than the loan balance, it is unlikely that you'll be able to find a lender willing to refinance your loan. You can determine the current value of the vehicle through the Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, or Auto Trader.

Gina Pogol has been writing about mortgage and finance since 1994. In addition to a decade in mortgage lending, she has worked as a business credit systems consultant for Experian and as an accountant for Deloitte.

5  ways to boost your credit score before applying for a mortgage


In today's tight economy, more than 25 percent of consumers -- an estimated 43.4 million people -- have a credit score of 599 or below, according to recent numbers released by FICO. "And while the FHA program will write mortgages with the same great interest rates all the way down to a credit score of 580, other low-rate offers will generally require a score of 720 or higher," said Keith Gumbinger, Vice President of HSH.com.
You'll be offered better mortgage rates with a higher credit score, says Gumbinger, and that translates into savings. Get offered a 6 percent rate instead of 5 percent on a $200,000, 30-year mortgage, and you'll wind up paying about $125 more each month.



Here's what you can do to raise your credit scores and get on the path to home ownership.

Know how your score works

Your overall credit score is made up of several factors, and each is weighted differently. Since different credit behaviors can have different effects on your score, it's important to know how they works.

Here's the breakdown of which factors affect your credit score:

•Payment history (35 percent)

•Amounts owed (30 percent)

•Length of credit history (15 percent)

•New credit (10 percent)

•Types of credit used (10 percent)

Get credit savvy



Think about how your financial behavior affects your credit score. Do you carry a balance on your credit cards? If so, that hurts your score in terms of amounts owed. If you open too many new lines of credit, mortgage lenders will see you as desperate. Making late payments causes creditors to think you're insolvent. These are all things that will drop your credit score.

Check your status

"You'll want to review your credit reports six months or more before a large credit event like applying for a mortgage," says Gumbinger. It can take quite some time to clear up any errors or solve legitimate disputes, and you want those things off your report when you fill out mortgage applications.

Even if you're not in the market for a mortgage, you'll still want to review your credit reports at least once each year. You're entitled to one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) each year. Stagger receiving the reports, and you'll have a credit update once every four months. You can access your free reports at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Pay on time

"Be extra careful to make each [of] your minimum payments on time each month," says Barry Paperno, product support manager for FICO, inventor of the FICO score. "If you're late making payments now, bring them current immediately and keep them current." Your payment history makes up the largest part of your credit score (35 percent), and it takes longer to raise your score after late payments than it does for some other issues.

Pay down debt

Since the FICO formula looks at your credit card limits and balances, both individually and in total, shifting balances around won't make your bottom line look any better. Instead, you'll want to pay down balances while continuing to use the cards, says Paperno. Ideally, you'll want to aim for a utilization percentage, both individually and in total, of under 10 percent. That means you're using less than 10 percent of available credit on any one of your cards.

Don't close accounts

Length of credit history is another important part of your credit score, so closing old accounts could actually hurt you. That's because potential mortgage lenders want to know you've been responsible with credit for a good long time. Keep older accounts active by making small charges on each one at least every few months and then paying those charges off right away, advises Paperno. "Using your cards regularly keeps them active, which ensures that your credit limits on these cards continue to be open and included in your credit utilization. Contrary to popular belief, you won't be penalized for having lots of available credit.

About the author:

Alexandra Kay is a freelance writer and researcher who has been contributing to magazines for ten years. Her previous experience includes three years as staff researcher for World News Tonight Saturday/Sunday. Alex holds a master's degree in print journalism and a second master's in teaching English.

Artículos necesarios para la Seguridad en la Casa

Debemos hacer una Inspección de Seguridad de la casa dos veces por año, para chequear si todo funciona correctamente.

Alarmas de incendio: La mayoría de las muertes por fuego ocurren entre las 10 de la noche y 6 de la mañana, cuando no podemos sentir la emisión del humo o gases tóxicos.  Debemos instalar detectores de humo en cada piso de la casa, especialmente cerca de los dormitorios, sótanos, areas de trabajo,  deacuerdo a las instrucciones que podemos obtener en la Estación de Bomberos más cercana.
La rutina será cambiar las baterias cada vez que retrasamos o adelantamos el reloj en primavera y otoño.

Detectores de Monóxido de Carbono: Este gas no tiene olor ni color,  proviene de equipos de calefacción, estufas, y otras areas de la casa con mala ventilación de los gases.  Puede producir dolores de cabeza, vómitos y la muerte también.  Debemos  instalar los detectores cerca de las zonas de los dormitorios y en cada piso de acuerdo a las instrucciones dada por los Bomberos.  Cambiaremos al mismo tiempo las  baterias de las alarmas de incendio y monóxido de Carbono. También debemos hacer chequear los equipos de calefacción, estufa y chimenea por un profesional para asegurarnos que la ventilación y funcionamiento es correcto.

Linternas: Debemos tener una linterna en la mesa de luz en el dormitorio y otra en el sótano. Chequear las  baterias regularmente.

Etiquete las llaves de corte:  Debemos etiquetar y saber donde se encuentran las llave de corte del Gas, Aceite, Agua y la llave principal de la Electricidad.  La etiqueta nos ayudará a reconecerlos  inmediatamente  si hay una emergencia.

Barras de sostén: Instale en los baños y duchas barras de sostén bien ajustadas a la pared para prevenir caídas en el suelo.

Lista de números telefónicos de Emergencia: Tenga la lista de los nùmeros de emergencia a lado de cada teléfono. Policía, Bomberos, Doctores, Centro de Intoxicaciones, y enseñe a los niños como llamar al  911 en caso de emergencia.

Equipo de Sobrevivencia:  Este debe incluir herramientas, radio y linterna a baterias, ropa, frazadas, botellas de agua, comida en latas, y una caja de primeros auxilio.

Proteja su familia del Plomo

Proteja su familia del Plomo

Muchas casas y apartmentos construidos antes de 1978 tienen pintura que contiene altos niveles de plomo. Se lo encuentra en la pintura, las partículas y el polvo siendo riesgoso para su salud si no se atiende apropiadamente. La ley federal requiere que las personas reciban cierta información antes de alquilar, comprar o renovar viviendas construidas antes de 1978.

Los propietarios, vendedores, renovadores tienen que revelar la información que posean acerca de la pintura con base de plomo y los riesgos relacionados con la misma antes de realizar el alquiler, venta o renovación. Los contratos de alquiler o venta deben incluir un formulario de divulgación acerca de esto y los compradores tienen 10 días para verificar si hay riesgos relacionados con el plomo.

Si desea mas información llame al Centro Nacional de Distribución de Información sobre Plomo

al 800-424-5323 (National Lead Information Center)

ES CIERTO QUE: La exposición al plomo puede hacerle daño a los niños pequeños y a los bebés aùn antes del nacimiento.

ES CIERTO QUE: Aùn los ninos que parecen sanos pueden tener altos niveles de plomo en sus organismos.

ES CIERTO QUE: El plomo puede entrar en el organismo al inhalar o tragar polvo de plomo, o al comer tierra o partículas de pintura que contengan plomo.

ES CIERTO QUE: Las personas tienen muchas opciones para reducir los riesgos relacionados con el plomo. En la mayoría de los casos, la pintura con base de plomo que este en buenas condiciones no es peligrosa.

ES CIERTO QUE: Remover incorrectamente la pintura con base de plomo puede aumentar los riesgos para su familia.

El plomo es más peligroso para los niños porque:

* El cerebro y el sistema nervioso de los niños son más sensibles a los efectos

dañinos del plomo.

* El cuerpo en crecimiento de los niños absorbe más plomo.

* Los bebés y los niños pequeños se llevan las manos y otros objetos a la

boca con frequencia. Dichos objetos pueden estar cubiertos de

polvo que contiene plomo.

Los efectos del plomo para los niños

Si no se detectan pronto, los niños que tiene niveles altos de plomo

en sus organismos pueden sufrir:

* Daños al cerebro y al sistema nervioso.

* Problemas de conducta y aprendizaje (tal como la hiperactividad).

* Crecimiento retrasado.

* Problemas de audición.

* Dolores de cabeza.

Los efectos del plomo en los adultos

* Dificultades durante el embarazo.

* Otros problemas del sistema reproductor (tanto hombres como mujeres).

* Presión alta.

* Problemas digestivos.

* Padecimientos nerviosos.

* Problemas con la memoria y de las articulaciones.

National Paint & Coatings Association