Water Proofing Your Sweet Home

The home may be more than a building for you. It might be a monument or great place for home seekers; it might be more than a mere shelter! Maintaining the home correctly is very important. The severity of seasons might affect the structures of your home. In the winter season, snow might get settles on your roof tops. They will reside over there till the end of the winter season. When the summer season comes, all this snow will melt. As a result there is a chance that the roofs which are most probably made of snow might get corroded.

The waterproofing becomes very important in a number of ways. The main reason why this became so popular is the extended life time of structures in the house. During rainy season, water will fall from the roofs to the ground. Some of the water might bounce back from the ground to the walls. As a result the mud might accumulate over the walls and might cause problems in the walls. Fungus and some other kinds of pests might cause damage to the wood and ceiling. It is due to this situation, the water proofing becomes very important. The proofing could be done in many ways. The main step in water proofing is to remove the water that is present in the house to the outside. This will make the house dry and also.

Termites often reside in a moistly and water present atmospheres. There are special people who offer water proofing. There are many waterproofing companies present. You just need to visit these companies and give your location. They use specialized equipment's like dryer which can be used to dry up the carpets completely. This becomes very important. In order to do this the movers that are present in the company will move the furniture.

There are special equipment's like the dryer machines and machines if your building is flooded in rains or any other natural disaster. After that the doors and windows and other holes that usually permit water from getting into the house will be blocked. All the holes will be converted completely so that the rain water and snow don't enter. Special kind of waterproof paint will be applied on the ceiling so that the water does not leak into the house or to any of the room. The water will be removed through pipes and other fixtures that are fixed in the house.

Home Sweet Home - Insurance Issues for Home-Based Businesses

Oh, the joy of running your business out of your home! As a sole practitioner consultant, I enjoy the benefits of working from home. No rent, no office politics, no standing in line for the bathroom. I also love my five-second commute, with no traffic to avoid except my dogs.

If yours is one of the many home-based businesses that seem to be growing in number with advancing technology, insurance may not always be at the forefront of your mind. You're not required to get building insurance, and you might not use your auto in business beyond driving to appointments. The reality, however, is that you have exposures that often aren't considered and definitely aren't adequately protected in your homeowners insurance.

I would like to raise your awareness in three areas of concern for every home-based business:

1. Liability

Are you a consultant or other professional who doles out advice or publishes information? You may need professional liability insurance. If you can be sued for the information you provide or the things you say and write, don't be caught without this coverage. I recommend no less than a $1,000,000 limit. Many companies specialize in this type of insurance, so contact a broker or check on the Internet. I warn you, it doesn't come cheap; however, neither does a lawsuit!

Do clients or vendors come into your home office? Your personal liability coverage is not set up to protect you for business-related activities. Depending on your business, a businessowners policy (BOP) can often properly protect your liability at a small cost.

Let's talk about your auto. Even if you're only driving to meet a client off your premises, your business is exposed while you are behind the wheel. How? If you cause an accident while "on the job," and you're incorporated, your business will be brought into a lawsuit. If your business is incorporated, make sure you include Non-Owned & Hired Auto Liability on the General Liability portion of your BOP.

Please note - If you're not eligible for a BOP because of the type of business you operate from home, you can still get a General Liability policy.

2. Property

Every home-based business is going to have some business property. Whether you have products in your garage or furniture in your office, you need to insure business property outside of your homeowners insurance, which limits the value of business assets. You can adequately insure your computer, furniture, inventory, and artwork through the BOP mentioned earlier.

3. Life and Disability

Hopefully, your overhead is low and your income is up. Protect your ability to maintain that income with disability insurance and protect your family against the loss of your income with life insurance. Talk to your accountant about making these policies business expenses by paying for them through your business.

Believe it or not, you are more likely to become disabled than to die by the time you hit 65 years of age. Depending on the nature of your career, you could lose your ability to bring in income AND become a source of additional expenses. Most disability carriers require you to have two years in business before they will offer this policy, but that shouldn't stop you from looking into it when you can.

Here's your homework: Take the time now, after reading this article, to assess your insurance situation. Just because you work from home doesn't mean you aren't in danger of losing everything. So just like any business would, consider what could be catastrophic to your business and then take steps to transfer the risk to an insurance company. Use higher deductibles where possible to keep costs down.

Home Sweet Home

Travelers and leisure trippers know this caption well, "Home, sweet home." At the end of each much-deserved trip to the sunny beaches of the Pacific or the icy mountaintops of the Alps, the next best thing is always the comfortable ambience of one's own abode.

Most people find something in their own homes that's truly unique and unparalleled, so that whether it's the comfort of Waldorf Astoria in New York or the Shangri-La Hotels in the tropics, the best places to take respite is still the corners of the home. Here are short descriptions of why the home is still the best place to have the best respite.

1. Homes provide memories that link to the best and worst moments in ones life. These moments cannot be effectively replaced by neither ornate items nor by the quality of the carpet or comforters in hotel rooms. These are intangible memories that linger in one's mind. Staying in a hotel may provide you with the best and most comfortable stay, but staying in it for long always makes you want to go back to where each corner of the room has meaning and substance.

2. The people in the home are the strongest reasons why home is sweeter than most other places. Watching movies like that one by Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump gives you a really good picture of why home is called sweet. What with old mommy waiting right at the gate for dear son to come home. The country homes get to have more of the sweet home things as most countryside families send their children to major cities to get college degrees. For students, getting a really good education tops the list of priorities even with some homesickness along the way. However, school breaks provide an avenue for students to go home to old town and get the best things in the countryside.

3. The ambience of the home provides identification like no other. It gives you that feeling of belongingness. Also, the freedom that comes along moving around in one's home and doing all the things you love doing freely pour within the confines of the home. Like they say, it's not the structure it's the substance that matters the most. Its not the physical beauty of the home that truly matters rather, it's the ethereal ambience that defines the reality of a sweet home that we all want to go back to, where ever in the world we may have landed on.

These are some of the things that keep people going home. Whether in the best hotels elsewhere, we always have that alluring feeling that brings us right at the doorstep of the very home that has taught us the "first things" in life--- in the home, sweet home.

Home Sweet Home - Costs to Consider When Buying a Home

Buying a home - the most exciting, frustrating and costly event you will likely ever experience. Aside from the obvious purchase price (and let's hope you have a good agent to negotiate for you!) there are many additional costs that you do not want to come as a surprise. Some of these budget stretching figures you may have anticipated and some you may have not, but best keep a checklist so as not to overlook this swell of expenses.

Quite a few of the Home Buyer's expenses relate to MORTGAGES AND LENDERS:

• Mortgage loan insurance is required when you need a mortgage loan that exceeds 80% of the purchase price of the property. This coverage exists not to protect you, but to protect the lender from you defaulting on the mortgage. The insurance premium is calculated as a percentage of the mortgage and is based on the size of the down payment in relation to the total purchase price. Premiums can be paid in a lump sum or added to mortgage payments depending on the lender. An application fee will usually be incurred as well.

How much? 1.75% for over 80% financing up to 2.75% for 95% financing.
• A mortgage broker fee may apply If you use the services of a mortgage broker to arrange a mortgage on your behalf.
How much? These fees vary dramatically, but more recently it is the lenders that are paying these fees.
• Your lender will require a property appraisal - an appraisal fee will likely be passed on to you. The complexity and magnitude of the task will determine the cost.
How much? For a typical house purchase the fee is under $500.
• While negotiating your purchase you (via your astute agent) may ask for an up-to-date land survey. If one is not furnished, you may be required by the lender to have one done at your expense.
How much? Approximately $1200.
• The lender will require proof that you have secured Property insurance for the replacement value of the house and the contents. This is a must since your home is the collateral for the mortgage loan.
How much? From $500 and up annually.

Some one-time fees you will joyfully incur include:

• Home inspections, in some cases, are contracted by the vendor prior to listing the property. If not, it is customary to include a home inspection in your offer.

How much? $400 to $500 depending on the size of the property.
• A purchaser has the option of buying Title insurance to protect from problems with property title.
How much? For a property valued at $400,000, title insurance is $200 and would rise to $800 for a $1,000,000 property.
• We cannot forget about our lawyer! Even the most basic of home purchases will require the services of a lawyer. Lawyer fees can cover costs associated with reviewing the offer, title searches, preparing mortgage documents and drawing up the title deed.
How much? These fees vary from approximately $1000 to $2000.
• Moving costs will vary. Are you renting a truck on your own and 'encouraging' family and friends to help you move or are you hiring a capable moving company? Consider if you have to professionally package and/or store any items. How much? Quite difficult to give an estimate here since this cost will vary with the size and quality of the move as well as the distance.
• If you are purchasing a condominium, the seller will either provide a Status Certificate or you will need to pay for the certificate and supporting documents. These papers outline the Condominium Corporation's financial and legal state. How much? The cost of a Status Certificate is $100.
• Land Transfer Tax includes both Provincial and Municipal land transfer taxes. Most real estate websites and the Toronto Real Estate Board site have land transfer tax calculators. These taxes are calculated based on the purchase price as a fixed percentage and as percentages on a graduated scale. First time homebuyers may qualify for some land transfer tax rebates up to a $2000 provincial rebate and a $3725 municipal rebate. How much? Definitely the most sizeable cost to incur. Land Transfer Tax on a $500,000 property in Toronto would be $12,200.
• In general, GST does not apply to resale homes but does apply to newly constructed homes. However, the developer seller will most often include this GST in the purchase price.
• Adjustments occur in most property transactions.The vendor must be credited on a prorated basis for taxes and utilities that have been prepaid beyond the closing date.