Good Question! In short simple terms, it means new for old, no depreciation of your asset at the time of loss. In other words the insurance company agrees to replace your old dwelling with a new dwelling. The same holds true for your personal property, new furniture to replace the old furniture. However, this does not mean the company will pay more then the...

How I wonder if my appliances qualify.  If you have purchased a home appliance in the last ten years you probable have noticed the Energy Star label.  The Energy Star label is one of the most recognizable labels in the world.  Recently that label has fallen from the heavens. A  recent Department of Energy Audit of the Energy Star label program revealed...

Sloan has a product on the market that allows a home owner to capture water from the sink and use it to flush the toilet.  I think this is an easy way to do something a little green.  The system which cost around $375 can be installed by anyone who knows a little about plumbing.  As you can see from the picture, a tank sits under your sink and stores...

My mom called me today.  She started talking about the 99k house competition.  I had never heard about this so I had her explain.  Basically the competition was to design a house that could be built for 99k.  Sounds nice, so I checked out the houses.  The winning house had some really cool things.  For one, rain water catchment...

Many vacationers opt to rent a home in their vacation destination rather than staying in a hotel. For these vacationers, this is a worthwhile option because it gives the vacationer a more comfortable place to stay with features such as cooking facilities which are not typically offered in commercial hotels. Finding these vacation rentals can be significantly...

While there are some renters who view renting an apartment or a house as a failure, there are others who see the benefits there are to be gained from renting a property as opposed to purchasing a property. Some of the benefits of renting include the ability to save money while renting for the purpose of purchasing a home, few maintenance requirements and the...

I’ve just come from a settlement table at which a friend bought a new condo. It’s beautiful, convenient and just what she wanted. However, at the settlement table she and a relative whom she clearly loves got into a tiff with each other. What should have been a happy occasion was almost spoiled. Thank heavens they got themselves together and the...

Homeowners who are considering re-financing their home may have a wealth of options available to them. However, these same homeowners may find themselves feeling overwhelmed by this wealth of options. This process doesn’t have to be so difficult though. Homeowners can greatly assist themselves in the process by taking a few simple steps. First the...