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This Fourth of July, the United States will celebrate more than two centuries of freedom. Among those we thank, the men and women in uniform who are serving our country today. We hope our service members stay safe. And we hope you keep your families safe during fireworks festivities. You can do-it-yourself, but you don't have to do it alone.
The Welcome Mat
Fireworks Safety Tips
Summer means picnics, barbecues, parades and fireworks displays, especially around the 4th of July. Make sure you know how to stay safe when enjoying fireworks at home. If you’re going to enjoy a celebration this summer, it's important to follow a few fireworks safety tips. Summer means picnics, barbecues, parades and fireworks displays, especially around the 4th of July. Summer also means an increase in injuries from backyard grills, bonfires and fireworks. read more
High Efficiency Washing Machines Save Water and Energy
You don't need hot water washes to power through piles of laundry. Cold water plus the right washing machine and detergent will do the job better than you can imagine read more
Ask Tom & Leslie: Window Blinds that Allow Light and Privacy
My first floor windows have roll shutters on them for security. I do not have any window covering on the interior of the window. I would like to open the shutters to let sun light in, but would ike to keep privacy. I know top down bottom up shades would be perfect, but currently can not afford them. read more
Flying the Flag
As you prepare to bring out the stars and stripes to celebrate the nation's birthday, here are a few rules and etiquette to help ensure the honor and respect of the flag with a careful, thoughtful display.. read more
Weekend Warrior Giveaway Sweepstakes
Want to win some super cool Black & Decker painting tools to help with your next weekend warrior home improvement project? Like our Facebook page and enter to win one of six products, including the Black & Decker 2-Speed Paint Sprayer. With these tools, you'll be able to get your painting projects done up to 5 times faster! read more
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Friday, June 29, 2012
Safely Set Off 4th of July Fireworks - 6/29 Money Pit e-Newsletter
Monday, June 25, 2012
Jerk Of The Week! Sorry New Jersey Residents, But This is Ridiculous!
Wonder if she has a job... probably not!
N.J. woman seeks $150,000+ from 13-year-old for Little League accident
In what can only be described as one of the most bizarre lawsuits ever filed, a New Jersey woman is suing an area 13-year-old because she suffered injuries after he made an errant throw at a Little League game. Making the case more extreme is the fact that the prospective defendant wasn't even 13 when he made the throw that accidentally struck the victim: He was 11.
13-year-old catcher Matthew Migliaccio, who is being sued for a bullpen overthrow — FacebookAs first reported by the Asbury Park Press and quickly followed upon by the Associated Press and a variety of other sources, Manchester Township, N.J., resident Elizabeth Lloyd has filed a lawsuit seeking an astounding $150,000 in damages related to medical costs incurred after suffering an injury at a Manchester Little League game in 2010. The $150,000 total reportedly doesn't even include an additional unspecified sum being sought for pain and suffering.
The accident which eventually led to Lloyd's suit came when a catcher, then 11-year-old Matthew Migliaccio, attempted to throw a ball back to a pitcher in the bullpen while he was warming up the reliever. Migliaccio's throw soared above the pitcher's glove and somehow escaped from the fenced-in bullpen at the Little League facility, eventually striking Lloyd in the face at the picnic table at which she was sitting.
Migliaccio and his family's representatives have steadfastly insisted the injury was the result of a genuine accident, but Lloyd and her lawyers are now claiming that the young catcher's throw was intentionally offline, leading to "severe, painful and permanent injuries." Lloyd's lawsuit hascategorized the elementary schooler's throw as assault and battery.
Another claim in the suit seeks to prove that Migliaccio was involved in "inappropriate physical and/or sporting activity" near Lloyd when she was struck. Making matters worse for the now 13-year-old, Lloyd's husband has also filed suit against the Migliaccio family, claiming that he has lost the "services, society and consortium of his wife" as a result of her injuries.
Manchester Little Leaguer Matthew Migliaccio — FacebookAs one might expect (and perhaps hope), the lawyer representing the Migliaccio family is desperately attempting to have all three claims dismissed as utterly frivolous.
"I just think that it's disgusting that you have people suing an 11-year-old kid for overthrowing his pitcher in the bullpen," Anthony Pagano, who is representing the Migliaccio family, told the AP. "It's horrible this can actually happen and get this far. Ultimately, hopefully, justice will prevail."
As for the family of the prospective defendant, the boy's father insisted they cannot even believe that their son's bullpen accident has reached the lawsuit stage.
"The whole thing has almost been surreal," Bob Migliaccio, Matthew's father, told the AP. "We keep thinking it's just going to go away, and then a week and a half ago a sheriff shows up at my door to serve my son the papers.
"It's absurd to expect every 11-year-old to throw the ball on target. Everyone knows you've got to watch out. You assume some risk when you go out to a field. That's just part of being at a game."
Canadian house purchased in 1982 for $15,000 now selling for $2 million
Canadian house purchased in 1982 for $15,000 now selling for $2 million
By Eric Pfeiffer, Yahoo! News | The Sideshow – 3 hrs ago
Sherman Hines walks into his historic house in Nova Scotia. (CBC.com)Photographer Sherman Hines purchased his Nova Scotia home for just CA$15,000 in 1982. Now, he and his wife are selling the restored 7-room home for CA$2 million. And he'd prefer you turn it into a museum.But it's not a case of ego run wild. In truth, the home itself is a piece of history. Hines discovered that the home was one of the oldest in Canada, having been built in 1699 by French missionaries.
"As far as I can find in any research I have done, it is the oldest building east of Quebec City," Hines told the CBC.
When Hines first toured the 300-year-old house, he found it in disarray.
"We drove up and I crawled around in this basement, it was full of mud and debris," he said. "I was doing kind of a duck walk around, I couldn't stand up, and I fell in love with it."
After researching through historical maps, Hines realized the building had once been used by the French as a fortified church to protect them against British military forces. In the 30 years since purchasing the building, Hines has restored it to its former conditions and even used as much period furniture as possible.
"Part of my fun is saving the buildings, the other part is finding the materials to fix them up with," Hines said.
But now that the Hines children have grown up, he and his wife are planning on moving to smaller quarters.
"It was mainly a place for the children," he said. "It's a wonderful place for children to grow up, and now there are just two of us ... and we use three rooms."
Economists expect 2013 home price rebound
Economists expect 2013 home price rebound
Homeownership rate expected to drop in next five years
By Inman News, Monday, June 25, 2012.After experiencing a slight dip this year, home prices will see modest increases starting in 2013 and through 2016, according to a quarterly survey of more than 100 economists, real estate experts and investment strategists.
The survey, conducted by research and consulting firm Pulsenomics LLC on behalf of real estate search and valuation portal Zillow between May 31-June 14, 2012, asked 114 participants to project the path of the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index over the next five years.
When last published May. 29, the index showed that national home prices in the first quarter hit a record low, declining 1.9 percent from first-quarter 2011. Prices were down 35.1 percent from their second-quarter 2006 peak, to levels last seen in mid-2002.
The panel of experts surveyed by Pulsenomics said they expect the index, which covers all nine U.S. census divisions, will show a 0.4 percent annual decline at the end of 2012 and then increase by 1.3 percent in 2013. Their projections are more or less similar to what they were in the last quarterly survey in March.
The economists surveyed largely agreed on the trajectory of national home prices for first-time in the history of the survey, which dates to May 2010, Zillow said. The most optimistic quartile of panelists predicted an average 1 percent increase in home prices this year, while the most pessimistic expected a 2 percent decline. Most agreed that after the first quarter's decrease, home prices will rise for the rest of 2012, Zillow said.
Article continues below 
Nonetheless, 56 percent of respondents believe the national homeowership rate in five years will be lower than the rate in the first quarter: 65.4 percent. One in five projected the rate would be at or below 63 percent. The lowest rate on record is 62.9 percent, hit in 1965.
"It’s good to start to see some convergence of expectations among economists, as it lends further support to the claim that a bottom is real," said Stan Humphries, Zillow's chief economist, in a statement.
"However, the fact that more than half of respondents believe that the homeownership rate will fall lower should be a sobering reminder that significant challenges remain ahead for the housing market, from negative equity to millions of foreclosed homeowners who now have impaired credit, making a return to homeownership harder than it would be otherwise."
When compared to economists' projections two years ago, the expected pace of the housing recovery is now considerably weaker.
"In June 2010, the average cumulative appreciation in U.S. home prices expected by our panel was 10.3 percent for the years 2012 through 2014," said Terry Loebs, founder of Pulsenomics, in a statement.
"Now, two years later, the average prediction among our experts for the same period is just 3.5 percent. This translates into $1.25 trillion less housing wealth than expected nationally over the coming three years."
Friday, June 22, 2012
California pending home sales jump in May
California pending home sales jump in MayDistressed sales still account for 41 percent of transactionsBy Inman News, Friday, June 22, 2012. Inman News®Pending home sales in the nation's most-populous state rose by double-digits in May compared to the same month a year ago, according to a monthly index from the California Association of Realtors.CAR's Pending Home Sales Index remained unchanged from April's revised figure. But the index jumped 11.2 percent from May 2011, to 128.8.The index, which tracks purchase contracts signed but not yet closed, is considered a forward-looking indicator of future home sales activity with the majority of pending sales closing within one to two months, CAR said. An index level of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity in California in 2008.May was the fourth straight month to see a double-digit, year-over-year index increase.California's share of distressed sales fell in May, to 40.7 percent of total sales, from 49 percent in May 2011. The shares of both REOs (real estate-owned homes) and short sales declined, though short sales to a smaller extent, to 21 percent and 19.4 percent, respectively.Share of distressed sales to total sales (single-family):
Cancer Survivor's Wife Makes Unusual Donation to Conn. Hospital
Cancer Survivor's Wife Makes Unusual Donation to Conn. Hospital
By Katie Kindelan | ABC News Blogs – 19 hours agoA very personal donation left anonymously by the wife of a cancer survivor at a Connecticut hospital has sparked an outpouring from other donors who want to match the woman's priceless contribution.
The "Pay it Forward" like chain of events began last Wednesday afternoon in the chapel of the St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn. It was there that Margalie Alphonse, an EKG technician at the hospital, found an envelope lying in front of the Virgin Mary statue as she was leaving mass.
Inside was a donation to the hospital, but not in the form of the typical cash or check. Instead, Alphonse found an engagement ring and a wedding band inside the envelope with a simple note attached to explain exactly what the donor intended.
"I would like to donate this ring to cancer patients," read the note, signed a "cancer survivor's wife."
"I see what it is, I felt touched. I said oh my God. I'm gonna try to find the right person to give it to," Alphonse told local ABC affiliate WABC.
Hospital officials, after being notified by Alphonse, were not able to find the donor, despite searching records and reviewing surveillance camera footage.
The donor's anonymous actions have, however, stirred enough hearts to ensure the rings, appraised at $3,300, are not the only donation the hospital receives.
Hospital officials told WABC that other donors have already come forward to say they would like to match the donor's contribution.
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Retirement in the United States is nice and all, until they ask you to actually pay for stuff.When retirees' nest eggs are a finite and dwindling resource, rising local and federal taxes can put even the staunchest, flag-draped patriotism to the test. If retirees are willing to leave the states behind, the savings can be substantial.[Related: De-Stressing Secrets from Around the World]The folks at International Living crunched the numbers and looked at the price of simple staples, assimilation and staying in touch with family left behind. The following countries scored high marks not only for their inexpensive living, but for overall friendliness toward American retirees:
PanamaA retiree has it pretty sweet in Panama, where a program commonly known as pensionado help retirees settle in quickly. International Living says retirees can live like kings here for $1,500 to $2,000 a month and score apartments for less than $500 a month or buy waterfront condos for less than $200,000. Pensionado, meanwhile, gives users 15% off fast food, 15% off at hospitals and clinics, 20% off professional services used in Panama, 25% off the price of food eaten in a sit-down restaurant; 25% off domestic flights on Copa Airlines, a 30% discount on public transport and 50% off movies, theater tickets and sporting events. There's no age limit for the service, either, so help yourself. MexicoConsidering the tensions over the state of Mexico/U.S. immigration law, it's at the very least amusing to consider American workers streaming south to chase their retirement dreams. But great homes on Mexico's Caribbean coast go for less than $170,000 while places such as Lake Chapala are home to dozens of expat communities. It's not such a bad place for snowbirds, either. It's the only retirement destination on this list withing driving distance, and retirees can rent out their properties in the off months to cover costs. 
MalaysiaThe country's My Second Home retirement benefits program for all foreigners is a great draw, but so is the quality Internet access, cellphone coverage and roads. It also helps that it's dirt cheap. A sea-view apartment with a pool and gym on Penang Island goes for $1,000 a month, and big-budget movies usually premiere here, are shown in English and go for about $4. Oh, and there's plenty of English being spoken as well.
ColombiaMedellin has a notorious reputation among Americans who know it mostly for its drug-laden past, but that hasn't prevented a huge expat population from springing up within city limits. Medellin's El Poblado district has Japanese, French, seafood and Italian restaurants within a block of each other. Its health care system ranks atop any other stop on this list, while the cost of everything from housing to entertainment are a great fit for a fixed income. [Related: 3 Ways to Take Control of Your Retirement]
New ZealandThe English speaking certainly helps, but so do the winters that come during an American summer. That's some pretty costly snowbirding, so maybe the proliferation and low cost of every day amenities as well as more frivolous items should be seen as long-term investments. New Zealand's reputation for healthy living and near-absent pollution should also appeal to those who want to extend retirement as long as possible.
NicaraguaA visit to the doctor is $15. Overall health care can cost as much as 60% less than the U.S., while U.S.-trained doctors speak English and will make house calls. A huge expat population in the colonial city of Granada spends about around $1,200 a month to live there, considering a small house can be $500 to $1,000 a month to rent. The best steak dinner in town runs about $13, while regular meals go for half that and "local meals" are $2 to $3. Local beer, meanwhile, runs between 75 cents and $1.50. This makes Florida's cost of living look like Manhattan's.
SpainWait, the same Spain that just dodged a bailout and is still dealing with crushing debt? Yep, that's the one, but austerity measures haven't bitten into the best of what Spain has to offer. This is by no means the cheapest option on the list and, in fact, has the most expensive real estate of any country listed. That said, it's really easy to fit in, with near-ubiquitous English, three-course meals for less than $20 and modern infrastructure that places high value on convenient, punctual rail service. Combine that with teeming culture and tons of ways to pass the time and Spain can be a great fit for retirees who've already weathered a shaky economy. ThailandAbout $500 a month is enough to score a nice new home just about anywhere in Thailand. One of International Living's contributors pays just $222 a month for a beachside bungalow with air conditioning, hot water, Wi-Fi and a refrigerator. Altogether, the cost of living in Thailand sets retirees back only about $1,000 a month while giving them great amenities and vibrant cultural and entertainment options. Bangkok still gets pretty wild, but loads of expats and lots of English speakers help ease the transition. [Related: Best Places to Retire]
HondurasThe benefits offered to retirees beyond the three-hour flights back to see the kids are fairly substantial, especially considering that expats living on beachfront property can do well here on less than $1,500 a month. The scuba diving, fishing, sailing, kayaking, snorkeling and surfing are lovely too. But even Honduras can't top the last entry on our list:
EcuadorThis basically is Florida or Arizona for the expat community. The country's retirement benefits package includes 50% off transportation, utility bills, international round-trip flights originating in Ecuador and tickets for cultural and sporting events. Foreigners can also enroll in Ecuador's Social Security medical program for $57 a month. Those over 65 also pay lower income tax. Penthouse suites and beachfront condos go for $50,000, while beachfront rentals hover around $500 a month. A retiree's entire cost of living rounds out to roughly $800 to $1,500 a month, and the neighbors more often than not are either A) other expats or B) English-speaking locals. We'll warn that this isn't exactly undiscovered country among retirees, but it's several steps up from the costly retirement kennels and golf carts of more costly American hot spots.
PanamaA retiree has it pretty sweet in Panama, where a program commonly known as pensionado help retirees settle in quickly. International Living says retirees can live like kings here for $1,500 to $2,000 a month and score apartments for less than $500 a month or buy waterfront condos for less than $200,000. Pensionado, meanwhile, gives users 15% off fast food, 15% off at hospitals and clinics, 20% off professional services used in Panama, 25% off the price of food eaten in a sit-down restaurant; 25% off domestic flights on Copa Airlines, a 30% discount on public transport and 50% off movies, theater tickets and sporting events. There's no age limit for the service, either, so help yourself. MexicoConsidering the tensions over the state of Mexico/U.S. immigration law, it's at the very least amusing to consider American workers streaming south to chase their retirement dreams. But great homes on Mexico's Caribbean coast go for less than $170,000 while places such as Lake Chapala are home to dozens of expat communities. It's not such a bad place for snowbirds, either. It's the only retirement destination on this list withing driving distance, and retirees can rent out their properties in the off months to cover costs. MalaysiaThe country's My Second Home retirement benefits program for all foreigners is a great draw, but so is the quality Internet access, cellphone coverage and roads. It also helps that it's dirt cheap. A sea-view apartment with a pool and gym on Penang Island goes for $1,000 a month, and big-budget movies usually premiere here, are shown in English and go for about $4. Oh, and there's plenty of English being spoken as well.ColombiaMedellin has a notorious reputation among Americans who know it mostly for its drug-laden past, but that hasn't prevented a huge expat population from springing up within city limits. Medellin's El Poblado district has Japanese, French, seafood and Italian restaurants within a block of each other. Its health care system ranks atop any other stop on this list, while the cost of everything from housing to entertainment are a great fit for a fixed income. [Related: 3 Ways to Take Control of Your Retirement]
New ZealandThe English speaking certainly helps, but so do the winters that come during an American summer. That's some pretty costly snowbirding, so maybe the proliferation and low cost of every day amenities as well as more frivolous items should be seen as long-term investments. New Zealand's reputation for healthy living and near-absent pollution should also appeal to those who want to extend retirement as long as possible.NicaraguaA visit to the doctor is $15. Overall health care can cost as much as 60% less than the U.S., while U.S.-trained doctors speak English and will make house calls. A huge expat population in the colonial city of Granada spends about around $1,200 a month to live there, considering a small house can be $500 to $1,000 a month to rent. The best steak dinner in town runs about $13, while regular meals go for half that and "local meals" are $2 to $3. Local beer, meanwhile, runs between 75 cents and $1.50. This makes Florida's cost of living look like Manhattan's.
SpainWait, the same Spain that just dodged a bailout and is still dealing with crushing debt? Yep, that's the one, but austerity measures haven't bitten into the best of what Spain has to offer. This is by no means the cheapest option on the list and, in fact, has the most expensive real estate of any country listed. That said, it's really easy to fit in, with near-ubiquitous English, three-course meals for less than $20 and modern infrastructure that places high value on convenient, punctual rail service. Combine that with teeming culture and tons of ways to pass the time and Spain can be a great fit for retirees who've already weathered a shaky economy. ThailandAbout $500 a month is enough to score a nice new home just about anywhere in Thailand. One of International Living's contributors pays just $222 a month for a beachside bungalow with air conditioning, hot water, Wi-Fi and a refrigerator. Altogether, the cost of living in Thailand sets retirees back only about $1,000 a month while giving them great amenities and vibrant cultural and entertainment options. Bangkok still gets pretty wild, but loads of expats and lots of English speakers help ease the transition. [Related: Best Places to Retire]HondurasThe benefits offered to retirees beyond the three-hour flights back to see the kids are fairly substantial, especially considering that expats living on beachfront property can do well here on less than $1,500 a month. The scuba diving, fishing, sailing, kayaking, snorkeling and surfing are lovely too. But even Honduras can't top the last entry on our list:EcuadorThis basically is Florida or Arizona for the expat community. The country's retirement benefits package includes 50% off transportation, utility bills, international round-trip flights originating in Ecuador and tickets for cultural and sporting events. Foreigners can also enroll in Ecuador's Social Security medical program for $57 a month. Those over 65 also pay lower income tax. Penthouse suites and beachfront condos go for $50,000, while beachfront rentals hover around $500 a month. A retiree's entire cost of living rounds out to roughly $800 to $1,500 a month, and the neighbors more often than not are either A) other expats or B) English-speaking locals. We'll warn that this isn't exactly undiscovered country among retirees, but it's several steps up from the costly retirement kennels and golf carts of more costly American hot spots.
Texas woman hit with $1.3 million-plus electric bill
Kristin Harriger knew her electricity bills went up in summer months, but was shocked to discover she owed $1.3 …We all dread opening an electric bill, especially when air-conditioning drives up costs and maxes out a family budget.
But Kristin Harriger's recent electric bill was beyond shocking. Rather than a bill for $100 or so that the single mom from Abilene, Texas, was expecting, she was billed for $1,381,783.92, according to the Business Insider.
"I opened it. I read it. Then just went, 'Oh, my gosh. That's a lot of money," Harriger told the Abilene Reporter News.
She thought it was a joke at first, and even shared photos of the bill with her friends.
After contacting her utility company, Potentia Energy, she discovered it wasn't a joke, but a computing error. Rather than charging her the normal 9 cents per-kilowatt-hour rate, the utility charged her $1,000 per kilowatt hour.
The $1,000 per-kilowatt-hour rate is far above the best offer available to her. The Public Utility Commission of Texas website PowerToChoose.org shows that Abilene residents can get 8.2 to 12.1 cents per kilowatt hour, notes the Abilene newspaper.
"I'm glad I didn't have autopayments," Harriger told the Business Insider.
The utility company acknowledged the mistake and has told Harriger that a corrected bill would be sent to her.
In the meantime, she has set aside $150 to pay the bill when it comes.
"I work on a budget," she told the Business Insider. "I'm a single mom with an autistic child who tries to make ends meet. … I get my bills and I pay them."
Just not ones for over $1.3 million.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Kids Can DIY Too - 6/22 Money Pit e-Newsletter
Home Remodeling Repair & Improve Ideas & Solutions Radio & Podcasts Contact Us Community
Presented by:
Summer has officially begun, and for many kids, that means months of free time. Home improvement projects can be a good way to help them keep busy while instilling self-confidence and pride. But if you've got a grown-up task that needs to be tackled in a weekend, the right tools can help you get it done even faster. Find out how to win some in this week's newsletter. You can do-it-yourself, but you don't have to do it alone.
Enter the Weekend Warrior Giveaway!
Want to win some super cool Black & Decker painting tools to help with your next weekend warrior home improvement project? Like our Facebook page and enter to win one of six products, including the Black & Decker 2-Speed Paint Sprayer. With these tools, you'll be able to get your painting projects done up to 5 times faster! read more
Kids Home for Summer? Tackle Home Projects Together
With school out for summer and a list of seasonal projects ahead of you, don't discount the potential value and fun of getting young do-it-yourselfers involved in home improvement project plans. read more
Replace an Existing Tub with a Convenient Standalone Shower
Need to add a showering space to your bathroom? Sterling Ensemble Curve Shower Enclosure offers an ideal retrofit solution designed for a user-friendly installation without an extensive rework of your existing plumbing. read more
Therma-Tru Decorative Glass Options Add Style to Doors and Sidelites
Door glass and sidelites bring light into a home, while adding style to both the interior and exterior. Therma-Tru offers an expansive selection of glass for doorlites and sidelites, including clear glass, Privacy Glass and Decorative Glass options. read more
Ask the Money Pit: Staining a New Deck
"Recently I added on to an existing deck. The new deck is made of pressure treated lumber and does not match at all, so I would like to change its appearance. What can I do?" read more
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