Lifestyle Columns
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Use love when disciplining childrenJun 26, 2011 12:00 am - While I’m away, readers give the advice. On handling problems with children using love, examples: I was a foster parent for 20 years, taking in underloved an...
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Rental forum: Can security deposit cover last month’s rent?Jun 26, 2011 12:00 am - Q. One of my tenants did not pay rent for the month of May, and when I called him to ask where the rent check was, he told me he was giving notice and would be out o...
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Home repair: Tub gurgle perplexes readerJun 26, 2011 12:00 am - Q. I have a problem with my roof vent, and I don’t know how to correct it. In the early winter, we started to notice a sewer odor in the lower level of our raised ra...
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Mortgage Professor: Six tips for a better credit scoreJun 25, 2011 12:00 am - Editor’s note: This is the final column in a three-part series on how to qualify for a mortgage. Previous columns appeared in HomesSunday. Your credit score, calculated ...
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On homes and real estate: Financing vacant landJun 25, 2011 12:00 am - Q. We are interested in buying 5 to 10 acres of land in a rural area. Can we get a mortgage for a land purchase? A. Every time I write that banks don’t want to lend...
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Super Handyman: Today’s faux finishes mean there’s no excuse for a boring wallJun 24, 2011 12:30 am - Faux paint finishes may have started years ago with the typical marbleized look, but boy, have they come a long way. The variety of brushes and other applicators, as wel...
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About Real Estate: Savvy buyers know when to walk away from a stubborn sellerJun 24, 2011 12:00 am - Trying to negotiate a purchase from an obstinate seller usually is a waste of time, especially now that there are so many good homes offered by more reasonable o...
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Home inspector: Exhausted over clothes dryer ventJun 24, 2011 12:00 am - Q. Our home is 3 years old, custom built, and has always had a laundry problem. The clothes in the dryer never become completely dry, no matter how long we run the d...
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The nation’s housing: Fannie, Freddie open foreclosure websitesJun 24, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — Looking for a deal where the home seller pledges in advance to contribute potentially thousands of dollars to your closing costs? If so, check out the summe...
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Real help requires real peopleJun 23, 2011 6:00 am - Four recorded messages and two live — though not lively — operators later, the only thing I’d gotten from the customer service department of my HMO was more irritated. ...