Home Living Advisor
Home living, Boomer-style: decorating, furniture, remodeling, gardening, yard style, outdoor living, patios and pools, entertainment, backyard parties, and more...
Housing Law Means Changes to Reverse Mortgages
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, signed by President Bush on July 30, ups the borrowing limits on reverse mortgages, puts the brakes on aggresive marketing of reverse mortgages, and limits the fees a financial institution can charge for reverse mortgages.
Protecting Mom & Dad
You might assume your loved one will receive high-quality care in a nursing home; however, that can be a dangerous assumption and your parent may instead be at risk of harm.
How Competition Can Benefit You – Starting NOW
Submitted by Richard Rider on 27 May, 2008 - 15:00.Richard Rider Rant
A small financial tip for these hard times: If you have cable TV service, AT&T is starting to compete in some areas. Not to say they are necessarily better, but the competition itself is indeed beneficial.
I just called my cable company, Time Warner, and told them that I was considering switching to AT&T cable and high speed Internet services. That prompted the sales clerk to suddenly note that I was under an "old" plan (established less than a year earlier), and that now there are better deals.
Prepare Your Home To Sell
Q: Now that our children are in college or graduated, my wife and I are in a house that's too big for us. We're looking to sell our home but, unlike two years ago, it isn't a seller's market. Do you have any tips for sprucing up the place to make it more "sellable?"
Advisor's Experience in San Diego Firestorm 2007
Submitted by John L. Hawkins on 24 October, 2007 - 16:38.HawkTrek
Boomer Advisor is published by Advisor Media from our home office in the heart of San Diego. For the past three day we've been living the nightmare known as Firestorm 2007. So far, so good. Our office hasn't been threatened (unlike the Cedar Fire of 2003, which burned just a block from us). None of our San Diego-area staff was harmed and their homes all survived.
But I must add, "so far", because fires still rage in various areas of the county, and if new fires start, there's still plenty left to burn.
Make the Most of Your Garden
Does this sound familiar? You drive to your local big box store, ready to buy some plants to spruce up your garden. Park the car, walk into the nursery section and suddenly, you are confused. The plants mostly look the same. And there are so many you have no idea which to choose. You stand there wondering, "Am I the only person to feel so overwhelmed?"
Hello Healthy and Tasty Cuisine
As we age, our dining needs change. Food doesn't taste the same as it used to. Our evolving health needs restrict or even banish certain foods. But this doesn't mean meals must be bland and tastless. It might seem challenging, but with a few tweaks and techniques you can create healthy, delicious food that is also pleasing to the older adult palate.
Design Your Kitchen For the Future
A well-designed kitchen can make cooking and entertaining more enjoyable. So if you're considering remodeling the kitchen, your focus is probably cosmetic. However, as your parents get older, there are safety issues to consider, too.
Will Reduce My Carbon Footprint for Cash
Submitted by Richard Rider on 10 May, 2008 - 15:00.Richard Rider Rant
Much is being made of "reducing our carbon footprint." I'm in favor of that -– to a point. I look for carbon-reducing steps that also save me money and/or make my life more pleasant! As I see it, if a carbon reducing strategy costs more, then often the wisdom of selecting that option is highly suspect.
For instance, I like using energy-saving florescent bulbs. I've used the big florescent lights in my fully equipped, professional office in the home for about 30 years. I also use the newer compact florescent bulbs whenever they fit with the demand, which fortunately is most of the time.
Remodeling for Safety: The Bathroom
As Boomers age, we're helping our parents deal with livability issues. All too soon, we'll be dealing with these issues for ourselves and our spouses. Some of us — the "early aged," who have some sort of injury or debilitating condition — are already dealing with these challenges.
Richard Rider Rant: Tales from San Diego Firestorm 2007
Submitted by Richard Rider on 29 October, 2007 - 23:00.Richard Rider Rant
Eight items, all related to the San Diego area fires. Interesting tales from folks affected by the blazes.
Phone Numbers at Your Fingertips
Have you ever wanted to call someone but had to stop and look up the number, even ones you dial often? Have you wished you could remember the important ones so you don't have to look them up? Have you ever had a hard time hearing the person on the line, but didn't want to keep asking them to speak up? Here's the phone for you!
Use a Home Equity Loan Wisely
A Home Equity Line of Credit, or HELOC (pronounced hee-lock) as it is called in my industry, has become as common as SUVs and Starbucks. If you don't have one, I bet you know someone who does. People use HELOCs as an easy way to get lots of cash.
Easy on the Ears
Have you ever walked into your mom and dad's house and been blasted by the TV volume? To them, it sounds normal; to you it's too loud to even think, much less carry on a conversation.
One solution is TV Ears, a hearing device that lets people with mild to severe hearing loss hear the television clearly without disturbing others.
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Advisorama
Avoid cliches like the plague. They're old hat.