Lifestyle Columns
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The Sensible Home: New refrigerators are more efficientDec 03, 2011 11:30 pm - Q. Our refrigerator is pretty old and I would like to get a new, more efficient one. We are empty-nesters now, so I am wondering if it makes sense to get a smaller o...
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Doug McAllister/Under the Hood: Air blender motor failsDec 03, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. I have a 2005 Grand Marquis with 61,000 miles (out of warranty, of course). I recently had to have the blender motor replaced because the old one stopped working....
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Law talk: Encroachment creates quandaryDec 03, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. We were required to have a survey of our lot done to obtain a building permit for a new fence. When reviewing that survey we found our neighbor's driveway was bui...
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Home repair: Moss loves a damp roofDec 03, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. A friend from Vermont suggested I write to you regarding a problem I am having with the shingles on my house roof, which has a number of annoying small clumps of ...
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On homes and real estate: Property liens can lead to sale of homeDec 02, 2011 11:00 pm - Q. My father inherited three properties from his mother and aunt, who didn’t leave any wills. They were both nursing home patients — and this is where the problem co...
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Condo talk: Keep an open mind to short salesDec 02, 2011 11:00 pm - Short sales are becoming more common in condominiums and other buildings overseen by associations, given the drop in real estate values over the past several years. Depe...
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Mortgage Professor: Ways to avoid refinance rejection What you should know about lender ‘overlays,’ debt ratiosDec 02, 2011 11:00 pm - “My application to refinance my $200,000 loan was recently turned down … do I have any recourse?” If by recourse you mean a third party of some standing who will direct ...
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Get your wood-burning fireplace in tiptop shape for the winterDec 01, 2011 11:30 pm - A wood-burning fireplace is a very wasteful way to heat your home, in most cases. They are just not very energy efficient. But there are some things you can do to increa...
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The nation’s housing: Keeping score on a housing bust’s devastationDec 01, 2011 11:00 pm - WASHINGTON — How big a whack did your credit scores take during the grim years of economic distress following the housing bust? Was it 20 points, 50 points, 100 points —...
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About Real Estate: Wacky laws affect homeowners in every stateDec 01, 2011 11:00 pm - A man#146;s home may be his castle, but the government is still king when deciding what he can and cannot do while he lives there. Q. We are newcomers ...