Flood control issues were never addressed and now rains wash dirt from house to house.

I went on a long walk yesterday past some McMansions in foreclosure near my Phoenix-area neighborhood.  The houses have never been lived in.  A small time  builder built these seven big ugly monsters a few years ago when real estate prices were on the rise and he undoubtedly thought he’d sell them quickly for a big profit.  Things didn’t quite work out that way.   The houses have been in foreclosure for over a year now.

The houses are on county land and so did not have to meet city standards.  Flood control issues were never considered.  Many of the neighbors around these slowly decaying houses have been there for decades.  Not only are their once incredible views blocked by these huge houses, but I suspect the neighbors’ chances of ever getting a decent price for their own homes have seriously diminished.

A lovely desert view that is now blocked by the abandoned McMansions.

So what, if any, obligation does the foreclosing bank have to the surrounding neighbors?  Can it just let the houses decay indefinitely?  We have had problems with this issue in my immediate neighborhood, too.  We have several homes in foreclosure in our gated community, but we are under city jurisdiction and have an HOA.   We have been able to get issues like algae ridden pools and overgrown landscaping addressed.  The neighbors of the McMansions on county land don’t seem to have much recourse. 

Do you have foreclosed homes in your neighborhood? 

One of the seven McMansions in foreclosure near my neighborhood.  I saw the inside of this house at an open house and it was not impressive.  There is no landscaping around any of the houses.

Rear elevation of three of the foreclosed houses.

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 The fan pictured above has enough power to cool a loft space.  Click the link to the Los Angeles Times article below for more info about it and other unusual fans.

Looking for ways to stay cool this summer without pushing your power bill into the stratosphere?  A fan can make a room feel 7 to 12 degrees cooler and also uses 90% less electricity than an air conditioner, meaning lessening demand on the summertime power grid.  While fans can range in price from under $20 to hundreds of dollars, price isn’t an indicator of effectiveness.  More expensive fans have more elaborate styling and possibly some extra features not found in less expensive models.  

Here in Arizona, most people have at least one ceiling fan in their home.  We have several and they’re on all summer whenever we’re home. Although fans don’t always eliminate the need for air conditioning,  they can cut your usage, especially at night when they can draw cool air into the house.  If you don’t have air conditioning, you might want to consider a reversible window fan that can draw cool air in or exhaust hot air out.  It should have switches that change the direction in which the fan blows. 

If you live in a house, as opposed to a condo or apartment, consider getting an attic fan with a thermostat that turns it on automatically when the attic reaches a certain temperature.  Our attic fan runs much of the year.  I’m surprised how many homeowners here in Arizona don’t have an attic fan.  They really do work.

Finally, remember that an outdoor fan can really have a cooling effect on a patio or porch.  Your house can radiate heat in the summer, making patios and porches especially hot.  Increasing air circulation can make these areas more usable in summer.  Just make sure the fan is rated for outdoor use.

This is the outdoor fan we use on our patio.  The high speed setting really increases the air flow and makes using the patio much more enjoyable.

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times featured several unique fans, including one fan that costs $12,500 and probably belongs in an art gallery.  The Consumer Search website has top picks and reviews for fans and is worth checking out.  Stay cool.

http://www.consumersearch.com/fans

http://www.latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/08/modern-desk-fans-ceiling-fans.html

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Do you have a back yard spa?  We do and I’ve been wondering just what it costs to heat our spa and how we can save on energy costs while still enjoying it.  I went to our power company’s website to see what I could find out. 

The three major factors that affect the operating cost of a spa are weather, spa size and operating temperature.  The most important factor that will determine what it will cost to heat the spa is the difference in the beginning water temperature and the ending temperature.  The greater the difference, the more the cost. 

Let’s say you want to heat your 6′ x 6′ spa of 500 gallons from 70 degrees F to 100 degrees F and maintain that temperature for one hour.  According to SRP, that will cost one dollar using gas or $2.23 using electricity.  It will also cost $.20 per hour for the pump motor  and $.10 per hour for the aerator.  SRP bases it’s calculations on energy costs of ten cents per kilowatt-hour and $1.40 per therm with a 2-hp filter pump and a 1-hp aerator used in their example.  While these figures will probably vary depending on various local power rates, it offers a good ballpark figure for comparison purposes.

So now that you have an idea of what it costs to heat your spa, here are a few tips to reduce operating costs. 

• Keep your spa covered with a tight fitting insulated cover when not in use.  Make sure your spa is insulated well around the sides and bottom.
• Check your spa thermostat to ensure it’s working properly.
• Reduce the number of hours you filter your spa.  According to SRP, the average spa only requires one-half to one hour of daily filtering.  However, run the filter enough to maintain water clarity.
• Have your filter pump checked annually by a qualified technician.  A filter pump that is not working properly costs more to operate.
• Switch off your aerator when it’s not needed.  An average aerator is 1-hp and costs about $.10 per hour to use.

 If you’re thinking of a solar heating system for your spa, keep in mind that a backup heating system is required.  Also, a solar heating system will not heat your spa at night, as it works only during daylight hours.

Now that I have some idea on how to control the costs of using our spa, I think I’ll enjoy spending time in it even more.

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Garage Break-in Video

Yesterday the president of our homeowners association emailed residents a video of a garage being broken into in the span of a few seconds.  Someone had sent the link to him and he was passing it along in the hope that it would remind people to think about security in the community.  It definitely got my attention. 

For one thing, many of us are a bit lax about locking the door from the garage into the house.  Some folks even go away on vacation without locking it.  If an intruder can gain entry to your garage within seconds and the door into the house isn’t locked, it’s like handing a burglar your house key.  What allows such easy entry into the garage?  The cord that hangs from the garage door opener.  If it can be grabbed from the outside, the door will open.  If you have a garage door with windows, it’s even easier, as the intruder doesn’t have to work blind and can see into the garage to hook the cord.  I had never even thought about this. 

So what can we do to prevent a garage break-in?  There are several options.  Tie up the cord so it can’t be hooked from the outside.  Make sure the door into the house is always locked.  If your garage door has windows, cover them from the inside so no one can see into the garage.   If you have an alarm system, use it.  Many people install expensive monitored alarm systems and never bother to turn them on.  And finally, keep your garage door closed.  Many people in our neighborhood leave their garage doors open whenever they’re home, offering passersby the opportunity to get a good look at the contents of the garage.  I’ve seen all kinds of expensive tools and sports equipment on display in our neighbors’ garages when I’m on walks in the neighborhood.  And while we’re on the subject of unwanted garage entry, it’s not a good idea to leave your car parked in your driveway with the garage door opener in your car. 

Many neighborhoods have more homes than usual for sale and in foreclosure, which often means more people than usual coming and going in the neighborhood.  It’s worth taking a few extra minutes to secure your home.  “Because your personal property is worth more than you think.”

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It’s a wonderful feeling to wake up feeling fully refreshed after a good night’s sleep.  In fact, the expression “sleep tight” comes from the 16th and 17th centuries when mattresses were placed on top of ropes that needed regular tightening.  We may spend a third of our lives sleeping, but how much would you be willing to pay for a mattress?  A few years ago, we spent several thousand dollars for a McCroskey Airflex mattress. I figured we’d hit the high end of the mattress market. 

Apparently I was wrong.   According to an article by Anjali Athavaley in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, there are mattresses now being sold that cost upwards of $33,000.  E.S. Kluft’s American hand-made Palais Royale mattress takes ten craftsmen three days to make.  It’s made of more than ten pounds of cashmere, silk, mohair and New Zealand wool, among other things.  It costs more than I paid for my car.  The company’s Sublime model will cost $44,000 and is set to launch later this year.

While it’s interesting to note that there are people willing to spend enormous sums for the promise of a good night’s sleep, choosing a mattress that feels good to you and offers enough support is a personal decision.  But how do you dispose of your old mattress once you buy a new one?

The average mattress contains nine pounds of cotton and twenty-five pounds of steel.  Landfills don’t want them and those that will take them will usually charge “differential tipping fees” for them.  The steel springs won’t crush, so mattresses won’t compact.  There are several innovative recycling programs that take apart and recycle old mattress parts.  According to the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), one program in Duluth, Minnesota sends mattresses to Goodwill where they’re cut apart and the parts re-sold.  The foam is sold to companies that make carpet pads and the wood frames are chipped and used as a biomass fuel source.  The cotton is combined with wood fiber to make oil filters.  The steel springs and “shoddy” are a challenge to recycle, according to NRRI researcher Tim Hagen.  Shoddy is comprised of shredded old clothes and jeans combined with ”heat-bonded synthetics that are ‘air-laid’ into a dense non-woven mat.”  It’s the insulation in a mattress between the steel springs and the fluffy cotton topper.  It cannot be recycled, but Hagen is looking into sources for it as a fuel source.

The Minnesota program recycles over 17,000 mattresses a year.  Other than keeping mattresses out of landfills, the program has created jobs at Goodwill and generates some revenue selling the recycled materials.  The International Sleep Products Association, a trade organization for the mattress industry, is looking at the Duluth program as a national model for mattress recycling.

Some municipalities have large item pickup days when you can schedule a pickup for items like mattresses.  It’s not as good an option as recycling the mattress parts, but better than seeing a mattress thrown by the side of the road.  Let’s hope we see more innovative mattress recycling programs in other parts of the country in the near future.

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Planning a move this summer?  Moving can be a stressful experience.  Failure to choose a reputable moving company can ruin your move and wreak havoc in your life.  You’ve probably heard horror stories of people having their household goods held hostage by unscrupulous movers.  Last year alone the Better Business Bureau received over 8,400 complaints about moving companies.  You may be wondering how you can protect yourself and your family from falling victim to unethical and unprofessional moving companies.  Begin by thoroughly researching and interviewing several companies before deciding which company to hire for your move.

When we moved to another state six years ago, the real estate brokerage we were using to sell our house had a referral service for clients to find movers.  The movers were pre-screened and their work was guaranteed.  We interviewed three different companies on the list and chose one.  They were reputable and professional and we were satisfied with their work. 

An estimator from a moving company should come to your home and give you a written in-home estimate after looking over the personal property you intend to move.  Your questions and concerns should be addressed at this time.  A reputable moving company will not give you an quote over the phone or via email. 

Do not consider hiring a moving company until you have checked them out with the Better Business Bureau and your state regulatory agency.  Make sure they are licensed.  Anyone with a truck can call themselves a mover but only a highly rated professional company should be trusted with your possessions. 

It is worth checking out the American Moving and Storage Association website at www.moving.org.  Their ProMover program puts consumers in touch with pre-screened movers.  Their website states that the ProMover program “helps consumers identify quality professional movers and gives assistance finding a mover, getting an estimate and understanding valuation and insurance.”  Movers in the ProMover program must have at least a satisfactory rating with the Better Business Bureau and be licensed. 

Moving is not cheap.  An unrealistically low price quote should be a red flag.  All three moving companies we interviewed were within a similar price range.  We chose the company who gave us the middle bid.  The estimator spent a lot of time with us answering questions and explaining the moving process.  We felt that was far more important than saving a few dollars.

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Did you know that May is Electrical Safety month?  I didn’t either until I read it in our monthly utility bill.  However, it’s a good reason to review some things we can do to protect ourselves and our families from shock and electrocution around pool and spa areas.  The Consumer Prodduct Safety Commission states that the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are the best protection against electrocution and should be installed on all outdoor receptacles.  Their GFCI checklist also includes:

• Underwater lighting circuits operating at more than 15 volts;
• Electrical equipment used with pools, hot tubs, and spas;
• 120-volt and 240-volt heaters close to the pool.

Our pool light burned out the outher day and needs to be changed.  We’ll be checking for mold or other growth inside the lens that can indicate water leakage when we change it today.  (When I say ”we” I mean my husband.  I’ll be supervising.)  If there is any indication of a leak, an electrician should inspect the lights and make sure the junction boxes and wiring connections to the lights are safely installed.

Some other important tips to remember around the pool:

• Know where all the electrical switches and circuit breakers are located for the pool and spa equipment and how to turn them off in an emergency.
• Keep electrical cords and wires at least five feet from the water.  This includes wires for outdoor tvs, light strings and rope lights.
• If an electric item falls into the water DO NOT reach in to retrieve it until it is unplugged.
• Use battery-operated products around water whenever possible.
• Avoid touching electrical items or wires when you’re wet or in contact with wet surfaces.  The CPSC recommends wearing rubber-soled shoes when using electrical items near water.

Of course, remember to always watch kids around water, too.  Now let’s put on some sunscreen and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

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I always thought it would be fun to have a “valuable” treasure appraised on Antiques Roadshow.   Unfortunately, I wasn’t chosen in their lottery when the show came to Phoenix last year.  I’ve done some research and found some useful information, however, on how to go about finding and hiring an appraiser.

Many appraisers are certified in specific fields of expertise based on standards set by the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), or the American Society of Appraisers (ASA).  There is also an organization called the Appraisal Foundation that sets appraisal standards and qualifications.  (All Antiques Roadshow appraisers are associated with this organization.) While not every qualified appraiser in a field is certified, a certified appraiser has met certain professional standards set by the above listed organizations.  Certified appraisers in various fields can be located through the websites of these groups (see below).

Make sure the appraiser’s field of expertise is what you require.  An appraiser who specializes in jewelry is not the appraiser you need for antique furniture.  Be prepared to tell the appraiser the purpose of the appraisal.  The appraiser should know if you want a value for insurance purposes, possible resale or you just want to know.  Under no circumstances should appraisal services be performed for a fixed percentage of the value of the item being appraised.

An formal written appraisal is a legal document that usually involves an extensive amount of research on the part of the appraiser.  Fees can range from $100-$250 per hour.  Be sure to give the appraiser information about  how you acquired the item and any history you may know about it.   Many appraisers will tell you that your item isn’t worth the cost of a formal written appraisal, which is valuable information.  You wouldn’t want to pay more for an appraisal than the item is worth.

Incidentally, I’ve learned that the appraisal values given on Antiques Roadshow are “verbal approximations of value” rather than formal appraisals.  I knew that already, but I just needed to remind myself after my disappointment at not getting chosen to attend the show.  If you’ve ever brought any of your own treasures to the show, I’d like to hear about your experience.

American Society of Appraisers (ASA): www.appraisers.org

Appraisers Association of America (AAA): www.appraisersassoc.org

International Society of Appraisers (ISA): www.isa-appraisers.org

Appraisal Foundation: www.appraisalfoundation.org

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We all know spring is a wonderful time for giving your home a thorough cleaning, but it’s also a good time for cleaning your family heirlooms, framed art, fine silver and glassware.  They need an annual close inspection and deep cleaning, too.  Jane Viator, a decorative arts consultant, has written an article for the March 2010 issue of Antiques Roadshow Insider with advice from experts in different categories on cleaning some items you may have in your home.  Here’s what Jane and the other experts have to say:

Works on Paper: Do not spray cleaning solution onto the glass of a framed item.  It can seep under the glass.  Spray cleaner onto a soft, dry cloth and then wipe the glass.  Acidic mats can cause unsightly “mat burn” to works on paper.  Matting material from the 1960′s and earlier is probably not acid-free and should be replaced with archival matting.   Consider ultra-violet-filtering glass for high-value works on paper.

Glassware: Cool-to-lukewarm water is the best bath temperature for glassware pieces.  Avoid rapid temperature changes, as that can break glassware.  Allow pieces stored in hot or cold conditions to adjust to room temperature before cleaning them.  Glass items with metal mountings should not be submerged in water, as trapped moisture will cause damage.  Glassware should be dried thoroughly.  Condensation can permanently mar the surface.

Silver:  Wash sterling and silver plate pieces by hand with a mild detergent.  A low-abrasive silver cleaner should be used for tarnished items.  Never use a dip, instant cleaner or all-purpose metal polish.  Do not use rubber bands or plastic cling wrap for storing silver pieces.  It can leave “shadows” on silver that cannot be removed.  Silver should be stored in tarnish-proof cloth bags.

Hopefully, this will help you enjoy your beautiful treasures for many years to come.  Happy spring.

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Spring is here in my part of the world, namely Mesa, AZ.  The weather is now warm and sunny and people are riding their bicycles everywhere I go.  This is a good time to review some safety tips for riding bikes in traffic and watching out for them if you’re driving a car.

I’m surprised at how many cyclists I see riding in traffic without helmets, including kids.  I won’t ride to the end of my block without a helmet.  Contact with even a slow moving vehicle can cause serious injury to a cyclist and a helmet can mean the difference between life and death.  Even a bad fall from a bike can cause a head injury. 

Quite a few cyclists ride wearing earphones in my area.  I imagine they’re listening to music while they ride, but that’s probably not a good idea.   It’s great listening to music while working out at the gym, but it’s essential to be able to hear what’s around you when you’re on a bike riding in traffic.  You need to be able to hear horns and other sounds on the road. 

Wear highly visible clothing and have a light on your bike when riding at night.  I’ve seen people riding in dark clothes with not so much as a reflector on their bikes.  Crazy and dangerous. 

And drivers need to pay attention to driving rather than their cell phones and be aware that cyclists use the road, too.  Let’s all enjoy the beautiful spring weather together safely.

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