Spring rains help us reduce the drought—which is good. But they also make it possible for lots of vegetation to grow—which can become fuel for wildfires. Have you hardened your home against wildfire? In the face of a raging fire, there’s nothing any of us can do but evacuate; however, by...
In college, my friend’s dorm room was next door to a guy who played incredibly loud music late into the night. My friend was an early riser, and the late-night music was driving him crazy, so he asked the guy to keep it down once it got late. When that...
Given our experiences during the last few years, all of us need to be diligent regarding fire safety. Although I’ve shared much of this information before, please keep reading as it bears repeating until we’ve all taken it to heart. Each one of us is responsible for the safety of...
Since COVID, people seem to have more pets, or at least they seem to bring their animals to more places more often. When folks are out and about at the park or on a walk with their animals, that’s great, but you know things have gotten out of hand when...
It’s a seller’s market, and if you’re thinking of selling, one way to be successful is to make your home more energy efficient. Even if you’re not thinking of selling, it’s nice to have your home remain comfortable without high utility bills. In real estate lingo, the first “improvement” to a...
Last week I shared ideas about how to improve your home’s energy efficiency by making changes to your home’s interior (replacing old appliances, adding a whole-house fan, etc.). This week, I’ll share some thoughts on exterior improvements to reduce your costs and increase your comfort. As with many things, improvements come...
A couple years ago, I wrote about homeowners and renters insurance and I strongly recommend investing in it. I sure hope those who live in Lake County happened to read and heed that advice. If you live in an area that has not been devastated by fire recently, and you...
I’ll start by saying I’m not generally in favor of government rebates or subsidies. If investing in something does not make sense without a rebate, then the rebate will result in an inefficient allocation of resources at the expense of either the taxpayer or other rate payers. However, right now the...
With autumn comes cooler weather and the need to do home maintenance if you want to be safe and warm this winter. Here are a few items to put on your list. Have your furnace inspected. Ideally, you should have your furnace serviced and cleaned before you need to fire it...
Once winter weather hits in California, the housing market slows: homeowners don’t want to spend time outside sprucing up their property in cold, wet conditions and this weather usually means the holidays are approaching—when most people would rather spend time with family than focus on selling their home. It’s much...
