Homeowners Insurance Lowdown

Carnival of Homeowners #13

Greetings! Welcome to the 13th edition of the Carnival of Homeowners. We have selected 25 posts for this edition. I expect the carnival participants to give a link back to this carnival at their earliest convenience. I have divided the posts into two categories - Editor's Picks and Other Interesting Posts.

Editor's Picks:

Wealth Building Lessons presents Wealth Building Lessons » Blog Archive » Are Vacation Rentals A Good Investment? posted at Wealth Building Lessons. Wealth Building Lessons spends a few days at a Vacation Rental in Vegas and decides to find out whether they make a good investment or not.

Dianne M. Buxton presents Smarter Ways To Spend posted at Baby Boomers and Menopause. Smarter spending on your home and your household. Automatic rebates on your purchases. No cost ever. This example is about college spending - young and older - but applies to all. Hope you check it out, you'll benefit indefinitely.

John Crenshaw presents Is That The President's Hand In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me? posted at Irvine Mortgage and Refinance. The Mortgage market is tough right now; foreclosures are on the rise, there is a glut of homes on the market, and no end in sight. President Bush has come to the rescue with his FHA program to bail out homeowners in need.

Tushar Mathur presents Features that "DECREASE" the resale value of your Home posted at Everything Finance. Unless you're living in a condo, a retirement community, or historical or in-town neighborhood most buyers will look for at least a two-car garage. If you don't have a garage, it's a real negative. Personally, for a young family of mine having a 2 car garage is a must. I like having the extra storage space too.

Steve Faber presents - How to Avoid Foreclosure posted at Debt Free. Foreclosure numbers have been growing for some time now. In August, 2006 they were up 63% year over year, from 2005. In addition the growth rate of foreclosures is growing, with the foreclosure rate for August up a robust 36% over July’s numbers.

KCLau presents Get Rich with Excessive Debt posted at KCLau's Money Tips. This article shows you how the rich get richer with excessive debt. Bad-debt-free makes you a freeman. But if you know how to leverage with good debt, that’s the exact secret of wealthy people.

Other Interesting Posts:

Bryan C. Fleming presents Million Dollar Savings Club Turns 1 Year Old: One Man’s Journey posted at Bryan C. Fleming. Bryan says, "Look back on my 1 year journey of saving $1 per day. The amazing part is I don't have just $365. I've got well over $1,000!"

Pinyo B. presents Throw away junks, organize, and save money posted at Moolanomy. This post is about the benefits of keeping your home organized -- i.e., saving time and money -- by using 5S process.

Matthew Paulson presents How to Sell Your Home in a Buyers Market posted at Getting Green. The real estate market has slowed down significantly in the last 6 months, and the predominant view amongst financial analysts that home prices will continue to dip well into 2009. There are a lot more homes being sold than there are buyers out on the market.

Plonkee presents inflation is good…sometimes posted at plonkee money. Inflation can be good for mortgage debts.

Nigel Swaby presents Don't Fall For Misleading Mortgage Pitches posted at Easy Mortgages. Lenders are still using misleading advertising to snare unsuspecting borrowers. Make sure you know what you're getting into before you sign on the dotted line.

FIRE Finance presents Save Money On Trash Can Liners! posted at FIRE Finance. Trash cans are a part and parcel of every household. So are trash can liners! It might pay to pause for a moment and reflect on our annual expenditure on trash bags.

Nigel Swaby presents Bridge Loans posted at Salt Lake Real Estate Blog. Bridge loans are a way to buy time when selling a home in todays slower market. Learn about this option when you have sizable home equity.

Melissa presents The Sub-Prime Scrutiny Spares No Score posted at A Penny Closer. With the current sub-prime market madness, even those with high credit scores are being scrutinized when looking for home loans.

Jason Elder presents File for Bankruptcy - Personal Bankruptcy Reasons posted at A Bankruptcy Lawyer's Blog. When is filing for bankruptcy the only way out? People often wonder under what circumstances they should actually file bankruptcy. Here are some simple guidelines that can assist you in making that decision.

Aaron Wakling presents FICO Score - Understanding Your FICO Credit Score posted at The Credit & Credit Card Blog. Your FICO score is a vital component of managing your finances. This is the number used by the credit bureaus to determine how good your credit is. The FICO scoring system can appear to be pretty complicated if you do not know how it works.

Eric Hudin presents 5 Major Income and Tax Advantages of an LAP Plan posted at My Estate Planning Career Blog. Do you have a jumbo IRA or pension plan? In the next 2 minutes you will learn how to increase your spendable income while you live and keep it from being taxed as much as 75% after you die!

Allen Taylor presents On The Quick and Easy Path To Achieving Trading Mastery posted at Investing World Today. Many books on trading psychology refer to the steps involved in achieving trading mastery. This is usually presented as five steps, starting from beginner, through novice, and finally becoming an expert, or master.

Tim Ramsey presents Debt Settlement - Nothing but the Facts posted at My Debt Relief Blog. Bankruptcy filings have jumped nearly 17% during the month of August 2007. Unfortunately, this news is not surprising; after all, foreclosures are at an all-time high and credit card debt is skyrocketing.

Eric Stanley presents Retirement Planning - Do You Know If You Have Enough? posted at Personal Finance Blog Articles. Have you been saving enough for your retirement? Well, if you’re like the large majority of people, the answer is not really.

Thomas Humes presents Retirement Planning - This Simple Rule Can Make it Easy for Baby Boomers posted at Wealth Building World. For many, the thought of retirement planning makes people queasy. A study by the Savings Council shows that Most American’s spend more time planning a two-week vacation than planning their retirement. Saving and investing for retirement can be intimidating.

Pinyo B. presents The mortgage refinancing that nearly cost me $370,000 posted at Moolanomy. This post points out some of the pitfalls for homeowners who is considering mortgage refinancing or prepayment.

Mark J. Donovan presents Tips for Winterizing your Home posted at HomeAdditionPlus. Mark provides some tips on how to prepare your home for the winter months ahead.

Dave presents Soundproofing An Exterior Door: Part 1 UPDATED posted at Soundproofing with Dave. This is DIY project for soundproofing your door while maintaining an attractive appearance.

Phil presents The Best Mortgage Comparison Website is Bankrate.com posted at Phil for Humanity. According to Phil, "The Best Mortgage Comparison Website is Bankrate.com."

That concludes the 13th edition of the Carnival of Homeowners. Next edition will be hosted here on 29 September 2007. Submit your blog articles using our Blog Carnival Submission form.

Carnival of Homeowners #12

Welcome to the 12th edition of the Carnival of Homeowners. We have selected 14 posts for this edition. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

Producertravis presents Weekend Ramblings posted at Skiing At Home dot com, saying, "I have a skiing at home blog, plus I am building a home without a general contractor!"

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Ten Ways To Handle That Problem Property Next Door posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "What to do about eyesores in your neighborhood. But tread carefully! You want to be a good neighbor about this as well."

ArtThailand presents Owning a condo in Thailand posted at artThailand.

Tracy Coenen presents Tom Briggs and Briggs Modern Woodworking judgments posted at FRAUDfiles, saying, "Looking for a carpenter to do some home improvements? Check the court records for judgments before giving him any money!"

Matthew Paulson presents How to Stop Abusive Homeowners Associations before Problems Begin posted at Getting Green.

Stirling Newberry presents The Last Wave of This Expansion posted at The Agonist, saying, "I now state that it is time to ride it out. If you have not sold your house, don't."

Ryan Russell presents Finding A Fix: 10 Tips For Resolving Financial Disputes posted at My Money Thinks, saying, "Over the past 20 years I have learned a lot about disputing issues with creditors and banks. Learn from my experiences, and start getting what you deserve when financial institutions cross the line."

Edithyeung presents The Money Series – Books that You Just Cannot Miss posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act., saying, "There are a few books that are truly special for me and I which were able to keep my attention glue to them. These books really kept me on the edge of my seat and I actually finished them by reading, not listening. I found these books contain some true wisdom and ideas that I wished I had learned in school but never did."

Kay Bell presents Foreclosure's other tax cost posted at Don't Mess With Taxes, saying, "Sure, you're making your house payments, but if your neighborhood is full of foreclosures, it's eventually going to cost you, too, in the form of more taxes."

The Dough Roller presents 10 Fun and Free Websites to Lookup the Value of Your Home (and your neighbor’s home) posted at The Dough Roller, saying, "Ten great sites to find the value of your home. No, Zillow is not the only home value website!"

Edithyeung presents The Money Series – How to Manage and Maintain your Bank Account? posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Tushar Mathur presents How to save money on lighting in your home! posted at Everything Finance.

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents 14 Ways To Improve Your Credit Score posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, "Over the course of a 30 year mortgage term, I'd pay a whopping $357,873 less than you might, simply because I've established a good credit score."

FIRE Getters presents Garage Sale Tips - A Complete Kit To Save Money! posted at FIRE Finance, saying, "..that gave us the idea to share how we go about purchasing stuff at garage sales. The basic concept of saving through the means of buying second hand is that someone else's trash is another person's treasure. So you can use these tips at garage sales, yard sales, rummage sales, church sales or a "whatever you call it" sales. For us these sales always present a means to find a new treasure and save some of our hard-earned money."

That concludes this edition. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 20 September 2007. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Homeowners using our carnival submission form.

Carnival of Homeowners #11

Welcome to the 11th edition of Carnival of Homeowners. We have selected 27 posts for this edition. I hope that all carnival participants would give a link back to this carnival post at their earliest convenience. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

Jason Elder presents Bankruptcy - Information and Myths You Need To Know posted at A Bankruptcy Lawyer's Blog, saying, "You may heard lots of different things about filing for bankruptcy. It’s likely that a lot of this information is wrong. Find exactly what you need to know."

Matt Hanson presents Credit Card Fraud - How to Protect Yourself posted at The Credit & Credit Card Blog, saying, "As technology has increased, so has credit card fraud. There are some simple steps that you can take to help protect yourself from credit card fraud."

Eric Hudin presents Simple Tips to Organizing Your Vital Information - Are You Prepared? posted at My Estate Planning Career Blog, saying, "If you’re like most people, you have good financial records. Ideally, there is a central location where this information can be referenced and accessible to you, your spouse or your family."

Allen Taylor presents Credit Crisis - Fasten Your Golden Seatbelts posted at Investing World Today, saying, "For years, now, financial talking-heads have been telling us how the Feds credit expansion of six years ago would come back and bite us in the butts. Last week, it did just that."

Tim Ramsey presents Paying Down Credit Card Debt - 5 Key Points posted at My Debt Relief Blog, saying, "There are a number of no-nonsense, time-tested ways to conquer credit card debt. Here are 5 key points for eliminating your credit card debt and getting on the road to financial health."

Eric Stanley presents Are You Falling Into These 4 Frugality Traps? posted at Personal Finance Blog Articles, saying, "It’s easy to say that this item costs less than that item. But does the difference really justify buying the cheaper item? Not always, and that is what you have to think about."

Chris Russell presents Working Hard Does Not Produce Success posted at Productivity Planner, saying, "Yes, we work hard to be successful, but we also have to choose to be successful. It is a decision. It is a conscious effort. It takes mental discipline. It is a deliberate mindset."

Thomas Humes presents Retirement Income Planning - Getting Started posted at Wealth Building World, saying, "The days of being able to retire on social security alone are long gone, and todays retirees must rely on personal investments and/or earnings as well. Whether you're 30, 40, 50 or 60, here are a few tips to get you on track for a rich and rewarding retirement."

Kevin Bedell presents How to Calculate the Savings from using Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs posted at 21st Century Citizen.

Nickel presents Mortgage Fees: What’s Legit and What Isn’t posted at fivecentnickel.com.

ArtThailand presents Owning a condo in Thailand posted at artThailand.

Kevin Fleming presents How to Find Better Satellite Rates posted at Satellite TV Guru, saying, "This article explains various ways that homeowners can find better prices for Satellite TV."

Trent presents Six Maintenance Lessons I’ve Learned During My First Month As A Homeowner posted at The Simple Dollar.

Mark J. Donovan presents Basement Ceilings | Dropped Ceiling Tiles vs Drywall Ceiling posted at HomeAdditionPlus, saying, "Mark reviews the advantages and disadvantages of dropped ceiling tiles versus drywall ceilings for basement remodeling projects."

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents Help Me David Wann Kenobi; You’re My Only Hope! posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, "“My name is Paige and I am an Afflueholic. It began with watching the Brady Bunch. They always had the grooviest stuff….” If David Wann (co-author of Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic) were here in this room with me right now, I would have a few questions to ask him. Well, first I would have to clear my pile of stuff off of the nearest chair so he could sit down."

ISPF presents Ah... The Joys of Home Ownership posted at Grad Money Matters.

Steve presents Avoiding Foreclosure: What You Can Do posted at Sushi Money, saying, "If you're concerned about foreclosure, take a rational and proactive approach to the situation. You're not alone, and there's a lot you can do!"

shortans presents Home Warranty Reviews » Home Warranty Provider Reviews and Ratings posted at Home Warranty Reviews.

Edithyeung presents The Money Series – Books that You Just Cannot Miss posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Matthew Paulson presents Financial Documents That You Need to Keep posted at Getting Green.

FIRE Getters presents BNC Mortgage Unit Shut By Lehman - 1200 Job Cuts! posted at FIRE Finance, saying, "Lehman Brothers said that it's shutting its subprime-mortgage unit BNC Mortgage LLC and firing 1,200 people, becoming the latest company to stop offering home loans to less-creditworthy borrowers. According to an industry publication Inside B&C Lending, BNC was a top-20 subprime mortgage lender in 2006, originating more than $14 billion worth of home loans."

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Weeding Out Crazy Lawsuits (Outdoor Smoking Ban Limerick) posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog, saying, "It isn't easy to be a home-owning smoker in Sweden."

Plonkee presents investing in your own home? posted at plonkee money, saying, "Your own home does not a good investment make."

Silicon Valley Blogger presents 4 Ways To Invest In Real Estate That We’d Actually Consider Doing posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Some real estate investment strategies we'd love to try at some point!"

Tushar Mathur presents High Energy Bills ?? Try out these simple ideas ! posted at Everything Finance.

Steve Faber presents - Ways to Save Money on Things You Do Everyday posted at DebtBlog, saying, "It's the little things in your life, those that you do repeatedly throughout the year, that add up. In many cases, you don't think it really matters, but that's where you're wrong, my confused friend."

Ryan Russell presents Saving money without calling names posted at My Money Thinks, saying, "The main reason store brands cost less is simple - marketing and advertising! Private label products require less than 2% of sales to be spent on marketing, whereas manufacturer brands spend 10-40% of sales. Just how much money can you save?"

That concludes this edition. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 10 September 2007. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Carnival of Homeowners using our carnival submission form.