Lori Blank & Associates

27

Dec

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Around The Home

How To Build An Outdoor Fire Pit

With most of the country easing into full-on winter weather, last-minute outdoor projects need to happen soon. And what better way to enjoy a cozy holiday season than by drinking hot chocolate and roasting marshmallows at your very own outdoor fire pit. In one weekend, the steps below can help you build an outdoor fire pit and get you fired up about the cold! Determine The Size And Location The first order of business is to choose where to build your outdoor fire pit. You want to make sure it's not too close to the house or overhanging trees. Once…

26

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Keep That Heat Inside, Insulate Your Windows For The Winter

Did you know that, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 10% of air leaks out of the average house through the windows? Also, an estimate by Energy Star states that homeowners could save an annual 7-15% on their energy bills by replacing their own windows with more efficient models. If you live in an old home, it might not be possible to replace all of the windows in your home. However, there are still many simple and cheap things that you can do that will help to insulate your windows. Apply Rubber Weather Sealing At your local hardware store…

24

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

5 Tips On Safely Hanging Those Christmas Lights

Christmas lights can be the most festive of holiday decorations, but actually putting them up can be a huge pain. With these easy step-by-step instructions, you can safely hang Christmas lights outside your house in no time. That way you can get back to what's important, family time. Buy Your Lights You'll need Christmas lights of course. There are a lot of options. You can get colorful lights or classic white lights. There are icicle lights, blinking lights, classic large bulb lights, and more. Just pick whatever looks good. Remember that consistency is important. Pick one or two types and…

23

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 23, 2013

According to December's NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, home builder confidence rose by four points to a reading of 58; this surpassed the consensus of 56 and November's reading of 56. November Housing Starts were released Wednesday and also exceeded expectations and the prior month's reading. 1.09 million housing starts were reported for November against expectations of 963,000 and October's reading of 889,000 housing starts. Building permits issued in November came in at 1.01 million and fell short of October's reading of 1.04 million permits issued. November's reading exceeded expectations of 990,000 permits issued. The week's big news emerged after…

20

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

4 Safety Tips For Your Christmas Tree

It's Christmas time, it's Christmas time – which means it's time to get a tree for your home. Whether you get a real tree or an artificial one, it's also time to think about Christmas tree safety. Prevent A Fire Hazard There's a potential fire hazard that comes with real trees, a danger that's lessened with artificial trees, but artificial trees have their own safety issues. For instance, those that spin on their bases shouldn't be left to rotate on their own. Make sure the motor is turned off whenever you leave the room. Even though safety precautions are more…

19

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Federal Reserve

Fed Minutes Predicts Tapering Of Quantitative Easing Program

Housing Starts exceeded expectations and also beat October's reading of 889,000. November housing starts were posted at 1.09 million against a consensus of 963,000. This reading is more in line with the NAHB/Wells Fargo Home builder Market Index, which reached a four month high with December's reading. With that threat resolved and a new federal budget passed, builders can now proceed without worrying about setbacks caused by government shutdowns and legislative gridlock. Building permits issued in November were slightly lower at 1.01 million than October's reading of 1.04 million. Viewed as an indicator of future construction, and ultimately, available homes,…

18

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Housing Analysis

Housing Market Index Shows Builder Confidence Up 23 Percent Year-Over-Year

According to the National Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Homebuilders Market Index for December, builder confidence recovered in with a reading of 58. This surpassed both expectations of 56 and last month's reading of 54. Analysts noted that builder confidence has steadied after the government shutdown. December's reading was the highest in four months. Dave Crowe, NAHB chief economist, said that his organization was expecting a "gradual improvement in the housing recovery" in 2014. Any reading above 50 indicates that more builders are confident about overall housing market conditions than not. Builder Confidence - Highest Reading Since 2005 Pent-up demand for…

17

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Picking The Perfect Holiday Tree

It's coming up on Christmas time, which means that people are decorating their home with lights and tinsel. It also means that it's time to pick a Holiday tree. If you've never had a real Holiday tree or you never seem to get it quite right, these tips and tricks can help you pick the perfect tree: Buying Your Tree Measure where you're going to place the tree in your home, from ceiling to floor. You'll want your tree to be at least a foot shorter than the ceiling, so take a measuring tape with you when you shop for…

16

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Mortgage Rates

What’s Ahead For Mortgage Rates This Week – December 16, 2013

Mortgage Debt Rises For First Time Since Recession Last week was relatively quiet concerning scheduled housing-related news, but the Federal Reserve's financial accounts report, released on Monday, indicated that mortgage debt in the U.S. had increased for the first time since the first quarter (Q1) of 2008. Mortgage debt increased by a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of $87.4 billion, or 0.90 percent. Mortgage debt remains approximately 12.00 percent below pre-recession levels. Increasing debt is not often considered good news, but in the case of mortgage debt in today's economy, it suggests economic recovery in the form of higher home prices and…

13

Dec

By Lori Blank

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Around The Home

Santa’s Landing Pad, Tips For Winter Roof Maintenance

It's that time of year again when the weather outside gets frightful but the holiday cheer is delightful. You've probably got a lot on your mind during these busy winter months, but make sure that you don't neglect the roof of your home. Taking care of your roof is an important part of home maintenance and you don't want to suffer a leak or any other problem during the cold months. So how can you make sure that Santa and his sleigh have a solid and well-maintained landing pad when they touch down at your house this year? Here are…