Attention Snowbirds! 35 Tips to Prepare Your Home For an Extended Summer Absence

There are a number of general things to do in preparation for "flying north." Make sure to update your emergency contact information with your Home Owners or Community Association including giving them the name of your emergency key holder and who has a key. If available, sign up for any Vacation Watch programs your community offers. Some police departments have vacation check programs. Notify them, and generally they will do a routine check of the house. While some will only drive by and look for suspicious activity, some will get out of their vehicles and inspect the grounds looking for any break-ins. If contact information is left with the police, they can phone the homeowners if there has been a break-in or disturbance.

Arrange for services such as landscaping, pest control and pool services if needed. Contact your internet provider and cable company to stop service or start vacation hold. Arrange for mail forwarding and newspaper stop. Ask a neighbor to pick up stray newspapers, flyers, packages etc. and make sure that neighbor has your contact information and a key. Ask the neighbor to park in your driveway occasionally to make the home looks occupied. Consider using a professional home watch company to care for your home.

If you have never done so, take photographs or videos of all your expensive items. If needed this would be helpful for both the police and the insurance agency to identify the stolen goods. Store valuables in a place that a burglar could not access. (i.e., take jewelry to a safe-deposit box, lock computers in closets, hide keys to extra cars, etc.) Be sure to remove all valuables from sight.

In the kitchen remove food from the house to discourage pests. Store staples such as sugar or flour in sealed metal, glass or thick plastic containers. The best refrigerator solution is to turn it off, empty it and prop open the doors. The next best solution is to empty out items which will spoil and add items like bottles of water, etc. to help retain the cold and help the unit use less energy. Don't forget to turn off the ice maker and place a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb odors.

Regarding other appliances, put 2-3 tbsp. of vegetable oil in the dishwasher to keep the seals moist. Do not latch the door. Also put 2-3 tbsp. of vegetable oil in the garbage disposal to help keep it from locking up. Remember to unplug other appliances throughout the house.

With telephones turn off the ringers so thieves can't hear if no one is answering the phone. Don't leave a message on the answering machine that tells callers you're out-of-town. Instead, say you're away from the phone and you'll get back to them.

To help add moisture for the furniture place several 5 gallon buckets of water around the house. Close blinds. If using timers, leave the blinds open slightly to let light shine out so the home looks occupied. Open all doors to rooms and closets to allow for air flow.

Regarding water, in the bathrooms wrap toilet bowls with cling wrap to keep the water from evaporating. Turn off inside water valves at the washer, under sinks, and at toilets. Valves like to be used. Better yet, shut off the main water valve when leaving.

Change the furnace filter(s) especially if you are leaving the A/C on. You could turn it off completely but if not, set it to a high temperature (95) in the summer. Check / close fireplace damper. Lock all doors and windows placing wood dowels in the tracks of sliders where possible.

Outside the home pick the remaining ripe fruit from trees to avoid falling fruit accumulating under the tree. Trim trees and bushes away from the house so as not to obscure windows and doors. Set the irrigation timer to the summer watering cycle. Replace the 9v battery if not done so in a while. Drain water features and treat with appropriate chemicals to avoid mosquito infestation. Store the patio furniture and barbecue grill in the garage.

Speaking of the garage, disconnect the car battery. Leave golf cart batteries on trickle charge. Fill the golf cart batteries and car battery. Turn the water heater to vacation or pilot. Disconnect hot water circulator or set it to the off position.

Just before leaving shut off the house main water valve but do not touch the landscaping water valves. Unplug the garage door opener or lock garage door. Double check that all doors and windows are locked making sure the door between the garage and the house is locked. Leave by the front door and lock it!

Now you're set to enjoy your trip!

This checklist was prepared by Roger Selway, owner of Sun Valley Home Watch in Surprise, Arizona. Roger was a home improvement contractor in Maryland before moving to Arizona. He now offers house sitting and home watch services to seasonal and part time Arizona residents. Go to SunValleyHomeWatch.com SunValleyHomeWatch.com for more information. If you have any suggestions for his checklist, send them to him via his website. Thanks.

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Research on Car Loan Details

In addition to these, this loan is available in certain number of forms such as greeneasylife.com secured loans, secured home loans, secured education loans, secured personal loans and many others. We talk about how mortgages,  and any type of loan that reports to all 3 credit bureaus will affect your credit score. At the time of the foreclosure, the borrower is insolvent, with liabilities, mortgage and other debts, totaling $250,000 and assets totaling $230,000. The other services of the Navy, such as lenders, home greeneasylife.com equity loan, and mortgages, also have low rates. Several online lenders offer auto lending with good interest rates and selection of a reputable lender is a tough job. As many sources are available, the option is left to the buyer. Before going in for a particular loan the applicant has to compare and consider many aspects rates. Simple steps to be followed before choosing a loan and they are, research on loan details and the lender to check out the details.

Many institutions like Bank, credit unions, auto dealerships or financial agencies. Many financiers do offer used car loans, as the risk of the financiers are less compared to the buyer. Other institutions will give less mortgage interest in addition to low quotations, high quotations on checking accounts, and more. And are definitely not as glamorous to buy as the automotive itself, but carefully exploring options can make the long term enjoyment from the car better. The expansion of the online finance broker has created greater access, because it forces finance providers to make their best offer up front. They are secured by the auto which also offers protection to the lender. And generally offer repayment periods of 36 to 72 months. This is a good method to deal with debt as with the lump payment that you receive; you can go and pay off all your debts. Most automobile dealerships offer financing through participating lenders and you will need to meet certain requirements in order to qualify.

Those who have an excellent credit rating and who are buying a new automobile but can afford to pay back over a shorter term could consider looking at unsecured loan. News cars depreciate as soon as they are driven off the forecourt so you have to bear this in mind, but are one of the best ways of borrowing to finance your brand new purchase. It does not matter how good the deal they say they can offer is, going online and finding through a specialist will save you money. There are many different ones to choose from online and the one most suitable for you would depend on the auto you are buying and your personal circumstances. However if you go online with a specialist website you will have all the information available and be able to find finance suitable for your needs. There are greeneasylife.com/badcredit poor credit loans for this purpose and even though they usually come with a high rate of interest, a specialist will be able to search the whole of the marketplace to find you the cheapest one possible.

When it comes to finding a loan there are many types to choose from so getting doing your homework is essential, so take advantage of articles to gets you off to the best start possible. You can use a specialist finance website to search within the automotive marketplace on your behalf to secure you the best deal or interest rates possible on any borrowing. If you are using none of the above strategies and are applying for plain bad credit car [ebooks-mall.org/car/] loans, you can still be approved, but in that case, you will be charged a much higher rate. Such loans are available online and therefore they do no involve any unnecessary application or processing fees, thereby making them cheap as compared to other traditional car loans available in the market. And available at cheap interest rates, not only is the process of buying a car cost effective but also effort-less. Through the website offering this service, you can contact many lending companies which are ready to offer the kind of online car loans you are looking for. Some lenders of online have tailor-made their payment schedule in accordance to your salary dates and frequency.

Ronald W. Firquain is a auto mechanic, musician, Arabian horse owner for 20 years, writer, marketer, entrepreneur, webmaster and has 18 years of computer experience. car tips [ebooks-mall.org/car/]

Want a Career Change? Try Starting an Agency!

House-Sitting Agency

A combination of high boarding costs for pets, rising crime rates and a general reluctance among householders to leave their homes empty when away on holiday or on business has led to a great demand for house-sitters.

These are people who move into a home while the owners are away to look after the place, tend the garden and care for any pets. Sitters don't themselves earn a great deal, and most are retired people or at least middle-aged (though sitters for agencies specializing in larger animals such as horses can be as young as 25).

If you want to earn a reasonable income in this business you will do much better to run an agency providing sitters rather than acting as one yourself.

Introduction Agency

Introduction agencies provide a popular means for unattached people to meet others of like mind.

At one time, agencies suffered from a certain stigma, but with soaring divorce rates and the increasing isolation of modern life, their role in society has become increasingly accepted. Running an introduction agency today can be a profitable and highly fulfilling home-based business.

Agencies fall into three broad categories. The first type uses computers to match members, generally on the basis of a questionnaire which they fill in. Clients are given printouts of around six other members with whom they may be compatible, and left to make contact for themselves.

The second type circulates lists of members, including brief details of their age, background, interests, etc. These are sent on a regular (say, monthly) basis, and again members are left to make contact with other members themselves. And the third type arranges personal introductions. In this case, new members are normally interviewed by the agency owner (or a member of their staff) and assessed for compatibility with other people on the agency's books.

Some agencies combine two or more of these services, perhaps offering a basic computer dating service and a more personalized (and expensive) 'gold service' with introductions arranged in person.

Party Plan Selling

This is a business where you demonstrate and then sell goods to small groups of people in a private home, taking a commission on every sale.

The homeowner is called the hostess (they are almost always female) and the other people are her neighbors and friends. The hostess invites her guests to a 'party' at which she provides tea and coffee (or in some cases wine) and snacks to provide the party atmosphere.

In return for hosting the party, the homeowner receives a gift from the parent company. The thinking behind party plan selling is that it allows the guests plenty of time to handle and try the products in a relaxed atmosphere, which they can't always do satisfactorily in a shop.

Probably the best-known example of party plan selling is Tupperware, the kitchen equipment manufacturer, but there are many others, including companies selling books, photograph albums and accessories, 'adult' products, diet and health foods, happinesslifetime.com skin care and cosmetics, and even energy products and services (gas and electricity).

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online ( sixsigmaonline.org sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Medical Care For Everybody - Not In The USA

Do you have medical coverage for yourself and your family? Are you middle income and do not have medical coverage? What are your options? Read on.

I am furious with this wonderful country we live in the United States of America which it seems has turned its back on the very people who support it.

I had wonderful medical care through my husband's employment for many years and just took it for granted. I worked most of my adult life now I am divorced and unemployed and do not have any medical care.

Join with me in exploring what options are available for an ordinary person who is a member of the middle class. What happens when this ordinary person needs medical care?

I thought like everybody else that everybody in this country was entitled to medical care but that is not what is happening.

WHY IS MEDICAL CARE FOR EVERYBODY NOT HAPPENING?

HIGH INCOME PEOPLE:

If you have the money you can purchase medical insurance for yourself and your family. It can become a problem if there is a pre-existing condition of one or more of your family members. Maybe, all they have to do is pay higher premiums and that problem is solved or not.

Employment is the way most people obtain medical insurance for themselves and for their families. Today employers in some cases expect their employees to pay a portion of the escalating monthly premiums.

Many employees choose not to be covered simply because they can not afford the escalating monthly insurance premiums. If an employee had to choose between food for their families and monthly escalating premiums food wins hands down.

So what good is the medical coverage if the employee cannot afford it?

Now what do they do for medical care?

What about the thousands of employed people who do not have medical insurance options. These people fall under the category of part time employee or their employer can not afford medical coverage.

What about the employers that feel their employees should be covered under their spouse's employment?

But what if you don not have a spouse or your spouse does not have medical coverage? Now what are your options?

LOW INCOME FAMILIES:

(1) MEDI-CAL

There are tight restrictions on Medi-cal. It is dictated by income, bank account and diagnosis.

(2) COUNTY MEDICAL SERVICES (CMS)

There are also tight restrictions on this plan. It is dictated by income, bank account and diagnosis. CMS is also difficult to obtain.

MIDDLE CLASS:

For the middle class just barely hanging on by their fingertips NOTHING, a big fat ZERO, unless you have medical coverage through your employment or through your spouse.

(3) FREE CLINICS ON A SLIDING SCALE:

There are a few free county clinics that work on a sliding scale by income. $35.00 is the highest amount you can pay. If your need is greater than a fast trip to the doctor for a prescription, you will have to pay for that additional care.

I recently visited one of these clinics. The doctor told me I needed a program of Physical Therapy and I would have to pay for it. I am not employed. Physical Therapy is very expensive and I was out of luck. But the bottom line is I needed the physical therapy so I would once again be employed.

I was given a prescription and had it filled at Sam's Club. I was told it was the most reasonable place to purchase prescription medication when you do not have medical insurance. I did not need a membership for a pharmacy visit.

4) HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS:

Thousands of people now flock to the hospital emergency rooms for everyday medical care. They wait long hours clogging the flow of real trauma cases. It is not unusual for some people to give bogus personal information; therefore, they will never receive a bill. The hospital does require every patient show a form of identification for your file.

What about the people that are honest with there personal information? They can receive a huge bill and if x-rays and lab were obtained at the time of the visit --look out.

What if you require emergency surgery or need to be admitted to the hospital. Your medical bill can become an astronomical amount. If you can't afford to pay this bill you will go to a collection agency and maybe lose your home or business.

211 TELEPHONE NUMBER:

If you have any questions about any of the information listed above call 211. It is a wonderful new information line for just this information. The phones are manned by volunteers.

WEEKLY POPULAR TELEVISION SHOWS:

Have you noticed that many popular weekly television shows are now creating shows about medical insurance issues? I just watched Desperate Housewives for the very first time.

The story line was one of the housewives was divorced and she did not have any medical coverage. She needed surgery to save her life.

The plot was she marries somebody immediately and that could provide insurance coverage and then later get divorced.

What do you think about that? What is this country coming to?

It is making honest people lie, cheat and commit fraud so they can obtain the medical coverage they so richly deserve.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

We start by educating the public about this enormous problem and what it involves. A little bit of knowledge is very powerful.

Then we start at the local, state and then onto the federal government level.

WE NEED CHANGE NOW! IF THE SYSTEM IN PLACE NOW DOESN'T WORK CHANGE IT! MEDICAL CARE FOR EVERYBODY - NOT JUST A FEW.

We could all move to Canada. They have free health care for everybody but what about the good old USA? The system in place right now is a joke.

I wonder what kind of medical coverage the president of the United States and his family have, plus all the other government officials? Aren't we entitled to the same?

One thing I can do as an individual to fight back is to write articles and to blog. I have already written several articles on varies aspects of medical insurance problems, maybe someday somebody will stand up and take notice.

I hope you enjoyed my article. Please feel free to check out my other articles.

Copyright 2006 Linda Meckler

Linda does not have medical insurance. She wants to educate the public about available medical help. Currently she is the author of "Ghost Kids Trilogy," three books in one book. CHRISTY 12, AND HER BROTHER BRAD, 16 MOVE INTO AN OLD HOUSE ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AND MEET TWO GHOST KIDS. Meet a Magical Blue Vase. Join Christy and Brad on a Pirates' Treasure Hunt. ADVENTURE/MYSTERY Love, Family Values and Charity burst off the pages. Visit my website at lmeckler.com lmeckler.com my email

Why Isn't My Home Selling?

The decision to place your home on the market stems from many factors. Once it is out there though it is a waiting game to see what happens. It can be frustrating though when it isn't selling. As the days turn into weeks and then months you may be hoping against all odds that it will sell. If you aren't getting serious parties after about the first 30 to 60 days then something isn't right and you need to make changes. Don't just continue to wait around and hope it improves on its own.

Instead of just waiting around though you need to explore what is going on. There can be a number of factors preventing your home from selling. Some of them you won't have any control over but others you will. Changing the things that you can will increase the chances of your home selling soon.

First, take a look at the market. Find out how many homes out there in your price range and with your size are on the market. If there are lots of them you need to find a way to make yours stand out. You may even offer to help with the closing costs or other benefits that buyers will really be enticed to check out.

Compare the price of your home to others out there. Are you asking too much for it due to what you owe or due to your sentimental attachment to the place? By dropping the price closer to those other homes you can get back into the running. You may not be happy about losing a few thousand dollars on the sell. Yet you may end up paying more than that if your home stays on the market and you have to pay the mortgage month after month while you wait for a buyer.

Does your home need repairs either inside or out? These are indicators that can turn potential buyers away. Taking the time to clean up your home, paint it, and to take care of problems will help people to see it differently. You need your home to appear very inviting when someone comes to look at it.

Take a good look at the inside of it too. Does it seem too cluttered when people come to see it? If you aren't getting anyone interested in it then you need to view the advertising and promoting that is connected to it.

Consider how you are advertising your home for sale too. If you are doing it on you own it may be time to get a real estate agency on board with you. The cost for their fees isn't as much as you might think. They likely have plenty of people looking for homes so they can match you up with people interested in what you have to offer.

If you are already working with a real estate agent ask them to kick it up a notch. Make sure they have photos online and ask about being part of an open house weekend. That can get you a great deal of traffic coming in to see your home on a given day. Consider asking people that do come to your home why they didn't make an offer. Their feedback can help you to get it sold.

Try to stay positive as you are making changes to the listing for you home. It may take just one change for you to get a buyer in place. It may take a combination of reducing the price and making some repairs. Do what it takes so that you can get your home sold and move on to your next endeavor.

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Finding Non-Medical Home Care - What Are Your Options?

There are a many ways to go about getting non-medical support services inside the home of your elderly loved one. Regardless of what type and level of  home aid service you are seeking, your most important choice will come down to one question. Should you hire someone through an agency or an independent contractor? Let's take a closer look at each option.

Independent contractors, are interviewed and hired by a family member or the individual requiring assistance. While this option may seem less expensive, there are often hidden costs and risks involved.  Hiring an independent contractor may involve responsibility to pay applicable payroll taxes since the independent contractor may be considered an employee.  This can be verified by checking with your CPA in advance.  Should the independent contractor suffer an injury while on the job, you may be held responsible to pay medical bills and other related expenses.  Should the independent contractor become ill or take a vacation, they are not obligated to arrange for a replacement in their absence. When hiring an independent contractor you should always conduct a thorough background check and check personal references, if possible.  Otherwise, you could leave yourself or your loved one open to theft, fraud and, possibly, even abuse.   

Agencies  who employ and place non-medical home care personnel provide specific services to assist with daily activities including meal preparation, light housework, bathing, dressing and companionship. The agency relieves the customer of many potential problems that they would otherwise face if they were to employ an independent contractor themselves.   The agency is responsible for insurance, taxes, workers' compensation and bonding costs.  Also, should an employee become sick or otherwise unavailable, the agency will provide a replacement employee to perform the needed services.

The home care agency also provides training for its home care employees and ongoing supervision, as well. This assists the agency in monitoring and responding to the ever changing needs of their clients in order to ensure that the appropriate level of caregiver is assigned. Most importantly, the homecare agency is responsible to conduct background checks in accordance with state law.

In addition, should the needs of their customer change, the home care agency is usually licensed to provide a more advanced level of home care, including skilled nursing, for individuals. This means that as your loved one's physical or medical needs change, they do not need to find another home care agency to accommodate their needs. Working with one non-medical home care agency may also make it easier to access applicable reimbursement resources from Medicare.

Denise Glenn is an avid researcher and daughter of a beloved parent with Alzheimer's. She strives to present accurate and helpful information regarding elder care resources. Check out her newest website at medical-alert-devices.org Medical Alert Devices and learn about the latest in medical-alert-devices.org/medical-alarm-system Medical Alarm System.

The Pricing Problem - Game Theory Used to Determine Optimal Rates For Assisted Living Facilities

When aging seniors begin to need basic assistance with daily living, they can essentially choose from one of the following to get the long-term care they need:

(1) receiving assistance at home from a loved one;

(2) hiring a caregiver from a homecare agency; or

(3) moving into an assisted living facility. While approximately 70% of seniors over 75 years of age obtain help from a loved one in the US, home happinesslifetime.com care agencies (HC) and assisted living facilities (ALF) are growing, lucrative industries. ALFs and HC services provide quality senior care and assistance for those in the aging elderly US population who have the ability to lessen the burden on their children by paying for expert long-term care services with their home equity, pensions, retirement savings, and/or government funding.

ALFs naturally compete with HC agencies for seniors and it is typically the adult daughter who decides if her aging parent will either move into an ALF or hire an in-home caregiver. Presumably, an adult daughter will choose the option that cultivates the most health and happiness to her aging parent at the lowest cost (especially in the current economic climate), and the goal of an ALF is to maximize revenue while keeping occupancy rates high by not losing seniors to HC companies. However, ALFs (known in signaling games as the sender (Source 1), since they send a price signal to the adult daughter) can vary greatly in quality (i.e. 'good' or 'bad') and HC quality is more stable (See Note). Ideally, operators of 'good' ALFs would signal their high quality to adult daughters with high prices, but because HC is a valuable alternative and there are 'bad' ALF that could raise their prices to falsely signal quality, the 'good' ALF operator has to carefully set its rates. This uncertain price-quality signaling between high revenue for the ALF and optimal benefit to the senior resident can be analyzed using game theory, particularly an extensive form signaling model, to help owners and operators of ALFs answer the question:

How should I price my assisted living facility to profit and show high quality, while still attracting residents?

As with any theoretical model, many assumptions about the 'game' must be made in order to solve. First, we will presume that there is uncertainty for the adult daughter regarding the quality of ALFs and a facility can be either 'good' (G) (higher benefit), with a probability of (p), or 'bad' (B) (lower benefit), with probability (1-p). Moreover, the benefit a senior receives from an in-home caregiver is more constant and simply provides a benefit of (HC). Second, ALFs can charge a high monthly rate (H) or a low monthly rate (L) and HC companies charge a constant amount, (K). The following values will be used as a numerical example to represent the costs and benefits of various senior living choices:

(G) = 6 (arbitrary benefit value of a 'good' ALF)

(B)= 3 (half of the benefit value of a 'good' ALF because of lower quality care levels)

(HC)=6.5 (highest benefit value option, assuming seniors would rather stay at home at receive care)

(H)= goal to solve for (H); typical high priced ALFs in the US charge $3,000-$6,000/month)

(L)= 1.5 (represents the cost of typical low priced ALFs charging $1,500/ month)

(K)= 5.5 (represents typical monthly caregiver costs charged by HC companies of $5,500/month)

(p)= 0.5 (assume that 1/2 of ALF are 'good' regarding the health and happiness provided to the senior)

Consequently, a set of parameters and a graphical representation of this game can be created from these assumptions. Therefore, the adult daughter who wishes to maximize her aging parents utility (benefit minus cost) would order her preferences for care options (highest to lowest utility) as follows:

(G - L) > (G - H) > (B - L) > (HC - K) > (B - H)

Thus, the adult daughter would first like a 'good' ALF at a low cost, second, a 'good' ALF at a high cost, third, a 'bad' ALF at a low cost, fourth a HC agency at the typical cost (K), and lastly, a 'bad' facility at a high cost.

There exists a specific price at which the adult daughter may choose a high priced ALF in hopes that it is 'good' (G - H), in spite of the risk that the ALF is 'bad' (1 - p) and gets (B - H). Subsequently, the total utility is: (p)(G - H) + (1 - p)(B - H). The adult daughter will then only choose a high priced ALF if the utility is greater than the utility from a HC agency, illustrated by the equation:

(p)(G - H) + (1 - p)(B - H) > (HC - K)

For a numerical application, assume the values from above to solve for (H) (See Figure 2 for detailed calculations) and the resulting highest price an adult daughter is willing to pay for the potential benefit of a 'good' ALF at high price, with the risk of that the ALF could be 'bad' factored in, calculates to H

- Jeffrey Cole is a student at Princeton University studying Political Economy and Environmental Science. Cole is also active in the senior housing industry and has created numerous market feasibility reports for Assisted Living developments in California. Fore more information: [colecapitalinvestments.com].