When you’re working, wrangling the kids and generally living a full life, it’s easy to let taking care of your home fall to the bottom of the priority list. But you need to stay on top of maintenance chores if you want to keep your home and all the good things in it functioning smoothly.
As fall approaches, it’s time to start thinking about a top-to-bottom inspection to check for any damage and to prepare for the upcoming cold winter months.
Bite-sized projects
When it comes to staying one step ahead …

When choosing a mortgage lender, the first thing one usually thinks of is getting the lowest interest rate available. While interest rates are important, there are other notable considerations, such as choosing a lender you can trust and with whom you can work. Take time to research area lenders.
As you will see in this brief out­line, obtaining a mortgage can be a lengthy and complex process. Along the way, there are many opportuni­ties for problems and misunder­standings.Select a lender in whom you can have confidence and trust – one you …

Engineers are experimenting with bold ideas and minor tweaks to squeeze out new efficiency gains in household appliances.
Some improvements may go unnoticed, like new materials and adjustments to motors. But engineers are also rethinking basic ways in which traditional white goods work — exploring how one appliance can harness heat produced by another, for instance, or using ambient warm air inside a home.
Appliances already have made substantial gains in energy efficiency over the past two decades, driven by government standards. A new refrigerator uses about half as much electricity as …