New Home Remodeling Rules
San Diego housing
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules which took effect April 22 require remodeling work on homes built before 1978 to be undertaken only by contractors certified by the agency in lead-safe practices. (An EPA-certified contractor isn’t necessary if the work doesn’t disturb the paint, but that can be hard to know up front.)
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry recommends that home owners assume lead is present if their home was built before 1978 unless they’ve had it tested and found it lead free. Certified remodelers are required to display their EPA-certified training certificate to home owners.
Houston Texas lawyers
Perpetual Unemployment Benefits Doing More Harm Than Good
Next week legislation to extend expanded unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed through the end of the year looks like it will be passed in Washington.
In nearly half of the states the jobless can collect unemployment checks for 79 weeks. The new federal government extension would lengthen the time span up to 99 weeks. That’s almost two years of individuals collecting money for not working. If you’re fine with this because you feel sorry for those who don’t have jobs, then how about three years? Four years? Should there even be a limit?
Finally, some are saying that the seeming endless unemployment checks are actually a detriment to motivating people to get back to work … What do you think?
San Jose California real estate
Home Remodeling Downsized
San Diego home
Amid the recession, homeowners who hired contractors for home remodeling in recent months most often tackled small-scale jobs and replacements, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2009-10 Cost vs. Value report. The study compares national and regional remodeling costs for 33 popular remodeling projects.
Exterior replacement projects like doors and windows continue to recoup the most dollars at resale, which makes them attractive to homeowners looking to improve curb appeal. These projects are also among the least expensive to complete. Entry door replacements (steel), which recoup nearly 129 percent of their costs at resale, returned the most on investment. Other high-ranking cost-vs.-value projects were siding replacements, attic bedrooms and deck additions.
Projects that recouped the least were home-office remodels, sun rooms, upscale master suites, upscale garage additions and upscale bathroom additions.