Fix Lawn Spots - Problem: Shade

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine

An ounce of prevention
Avoid the frustration of sun-starved grass by starting a shade garden
or ground cover in any area that doesn't receive six to eight hours of good light.

Photo 1: Replant with shade lovers
Using a garden hoe, work up the shady area to remove any struggling grass.
Plant ground cover or a shade garden

Symptoms: Shaded grass will look thin and patchy. Some types of grass actually produce wider blades as the plant attempts to catch more rays. But they also produce far fewer blades, lending a spindly appearance to the lawn. The cold truth is, if your lawn gets less than six to eight hours of sun daily, you are unlikely to sustain lush grass.

Cause: Trees, buildings and bushes.

Remedy:There are no good remedies. You can increase the sunlight as much as possible by trimming trees and shrubs. Also try starting areas in shade with sod instead of seed. The sod will adjust to the lower level of light. Although all seed varieties have their shade limitations, try overseeding your thin area with a shady grass mix.

Or throw in the towel, grab your trowel and plant a shade-tolerant ground cover. Many will thrive where your turf withered. Lamium (dead nettle) and ajuga (bugleweed) collaborate nicely in providing lovely blooms and an enthusiastic, but not invasive, carpet. This pair fares well, with a hearty tolerance spanning zones 3 to 8, and can be planted right up to your grass. They are fairly low growers and won't get more than a few nicks from a lawn mower.

Also, mulching between the ground cover plants will help retain moisture. This is especially wise if your new “shade garden” is on a slope; mulch will help prevent your fledging plants from washing out in a hard rain.

Recovery time: The plants and mulch will immediately boost the appearance of an area that was once thin grass. It'll take a couple of seasons for the ground cover to become established and blanket the area.

CAUTION!

Call your local utility provider or 811 to mark your underground utility lines before you dig.

New Skate Park Under I-95 Overpass Opening in 2015

By Hannah Sentenac
Miami New Times

Photo by Matt Roy

Skate Free partner and pro skater Danny Fuenzalida skating at the former Grand Central Park

Skaters haven't always been embraced by city officials, much less considered a positive influence on the community. Remember the early '00s and that spate of skater stereotypes? Yeah, that.

But thanks to Nick Katz and his efforts with Skate Free, skate enthusiasts are starting to get the attention of Miami leaders.

A graduate of New World School of the Arts and avid skater, Katz and team have been looking for creative ways to foster a sense of community -- both for skaters and everyone else. And now, they've been named a winner in the Miami Foundation's Public Space Challenge. Their project, a skate park and community green space, will transform the currently defunct nothingness under I-95 at the MPA Lot 11 at NW Third Ave. and First Street.

After Katz and several others helped create the now-closed Grand Central Park, they were inspired to do more.

"We put in some of our own money to create a paved 20,000 square-foot platform. Miami-Dade donated some benches, people donated mini ramps, and from there we started to actually work with concrete. We let the kids design and build their own obstacles -- ultimately it became a skate park and lasted about a year."

After that, Katz started checking out other global cities and seeing what knowledge he could glean from their efforts.

"I went traveling to cities like Toronto, New York, Paris, Madrid -- all had awesome well-designed skate parks in their center city."

"I've been taking notes on successes and failures in these public spaces.The way I envision it is, I want our organization, Skate Free, to create a groundbreaking public space -- something that's never been seen before here in South Florida," Katz explains.

Courtesy of Nick Katz

Preliminary skate park design.

"I wanted to get the ball rolling for what we could do to have a centrally located skate park that could bring all different kids from the greater Miami area to the center of the city."

So, he applied for the Miami Foundation's Public Space Challenge, and the idea for a public skate park and green space under an I-95 overpass scored a winning spot.

The space won't just be for skaters, Katz says. It'll be designed to appeal to all members of the community. The plan as listed on the Public Space Challenge site includes a "50/50 green space and concrete skate plaza that includes a 200-square-foot sculpture garden, 1000-square-foot dog park, 2000-square-foot play ground, 16,800-square-foot of green space, and a 20,000-square-foot skatepark."

"The dream would be to have an incredible linear park like the High Line in NYC or Templehof Park in Berlin," Katz tells Cultist. "I really want to knock it out of the park, no pun intended."

Currently, they're looking for corporate sponsors and getting the design work underway.

As far as timeline, Katz is thinking July 2015. So if you haven't done an ollie since 2002, your chance is coming.

5 mistakes first-time homebuyers make

NEW YORK – July 22, 2014 – Real estate experts say they see first-time buyers committing the same mistakes, time and time again. Here are some of the most common ones, as identified by experts in a recent CNBC article:

1. They're unprepared to compete against all-cash offers. Buyers need to be ready to make a quick decision if their housing market is heating up.

Buying a home is "really like finding a job – it's going to take a lot of time to prepare," says Cara Pierce, a certified housing counselor with ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions. "That way, when the deal comes along, you're ready to pounce on it."

Housing experts say buyers should have already saved as much as possible for a downpayment, repaired any credit report blemishes, and get preapproved for a loan as they start their house hunt to put them in a better position to compete.

2. They place a car ahead of the home. Lenders are going to scrutinize applicants' debt-to-income ratio when assessing how well they can afford a mortgage payment. Consumers' debt has gone, on average, from $40,000 in 2010 to $51,000 today, according to David Norris, president and COO of loanDepot, a non-bank mortgage lender.

"It would be much easier to own a home if you can show a history of saving and not have gotten yourself into too much debt," Norris told CNBC.

3. They place too much emphasis on online loan information. Online sites can be good for finding out general information about loan products and estimated costs, but experts recommend visiting mortgage lenders face-to-face to help demystify the process and get advice about the buyer's specific situation.

"Go to different places and talk to loan officers to get a feel for what the differences are between similar types of loans," says Pierce. "Sometimes a company won't charge an origination fee, but then the interest rate is higher … and in some cases you can put many of the upfront costs – closing costs, title insurance – into the loan, which makes your balance larger."

4. They rely too much on online home values. Some real estate websites are giving buyers a false sense of home values.

"If a buyer believes that the actual value of the property is $1.1 million [as estimated on an online website that advertises home listings] when it's really $1.3 million, it's a real disservice to the client," says John Barrentine, co-founder and CEO of RED Real Estate Group. "You really should [spend time] with someone who understands the market, someone who's there day in and day out."

Homebuyers can get the best feel of the market by working with a real estate agent and driving around neighborhoods, so they can get a sense about homes that may be less valuable or even more valuable than suggested online.

5. They forgo the home inspection. About 10 percent of homes recently purchased weren't inspected by a home inspector, according to Bill Loden, president of the American Society of Home Inspectors. Some buyers were trying to cut down on the costs of hiring an inspector to investigate a home – which usually averages about $450 – but defects uncovered later could potentially result in the loss of thousands of dollars.

"It takes a trained eye to be able to see the problems that can exist in a home," Loden says. "The inspection can also give the first-time buyer a bit of a schooling on the house and how to maintain it."

Buyers should also be prepared to ask questions about conditions that are common to specific areas, such as radon in Midwest; sewers in California; and active clay soils in Dallas that can lead to foundation issues. The home may require additional inspection from a specialist to rule out potential problems.

Source: "8 Biggest Mistakes First-Time Homebuyers Make," CNBC (July 17, 2014)

© Copyright 2014 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Shirley MacLaine Selling New Age Retreat in New Mexico

AUTHOR:EMILY HEFFTER
ZILLOW

here’s nothing flashy about the Plaza Blanca Ranch that actress Shirley MacLaine is selling in Abiquiu, NM.

Source: IMDb

The Academy Award winner and new age thinker, 80, has used the 7,450-acre property as a place to meditate and write. She added onto the adobe-style main house, making two separate residences, plus a spiritual retreat space in a subterranean level.

There is also a yurt, caretaker’s house, swimming pool, horse barn and chicken coop — all of it off-the-grid and sustainable, with greenhouses for growing food.

Over the years, MacLaine hosted spiritual retreats at the ranch and spent a lot of time there with her dog, Terry. From her porch, she says she has observed UFOs, and she built a labyrinth of rocks to aid in meditation.

In televised tours, her mantle was crowded with Academy Awards and Golden Globes, and the table in her dining room was the one used in the film “Terms of Endearment.”

MacLaine told The Wall Street Journal she consulted a psychic about the listing price and decided on $18 million. The ranch was a spiritual retreat for her and a place where she spent a lot of time, but the actress said she wanted to spend more time in Santa Fe to be less reclusive.

The listing is held by Lynden Galloway at Sotheby’s International Realty in Santa Fe.

How to Repair Household Appliances - Problem 2: Electric oven won't heat

By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine

Photo 1: Replace bad wire ends
Remove the mounting screws and pull the element
out far enough to inspect the wires.
Replace broken, frayed or charred wire ends.
First cut off the damaged section and
 strip off about 3/8 in. of the insulation.

Photo 2: Crimp the new terminal
Slip the stripped wire into the new terminal.
Align the barrel of the terminal with the 14-16
wire gauge notch labeled “noninsulated.”
Squeeze to crimp the terminal onto the wire.

Photo 3: Replace a bad heating element
Test the element by touching the ends with the
two probes of a multimeter. Set the tester to RX-1.
The needle should move to the right.
If it doesn't, replace the heating element.

Solutions
If your electric oven won't heat, there's a good chance the heating element has a bad connection or is burned out. But before you dive into this repair, check to make sure the circuit breaker (double pole for 240 volts) hasn't switched off. If your oven heats somewhat and the light still comes on, check the receptacle with a voltage tester (buy at home centers and hardware stores) capable of testing 240-volt circuits. Call in an electrician if it's not getting at least 200 volts.

If the circuit to the oven is good, unplug the oven, then unscrew the heating element and pull the connections into the oven compartment (Photo 1). Coax the wires through the holes carefully to avoid unplugging or damaging the connections. If the wires have tension on them, clamp them with a clothespin to keep them from being pulled back into the hole. (Don't worry if a wire disappears back into the hole; retrieve it by pulling out the stove and removing the back panel.) Inspect the connections and look for charred, frayed or broken wires. If the terminal connection is bad, replace it (Photos 1 and 2). Make sure to buy a special “high-temperature” terminal (available from appliance parts dealers).

If the connections are good, the heating element might be burned out. Test the element with a multimeter (buy at home centers and hardware stores) as shown in the bottom left photo or take the heating element to an appliance parts store for testing.

Installing a new element is straightforward. Simply connect the wires to it, slide them carefully back into the holes and screw the element to the back of the oven.

Figure B: Electric Oven Details
The electric heating element is fastened to the bottom of the oven

Finding a Bad Credit Home Loan

From the Superpages.com

Finding a bad credit home loan can be a challenge, even in easy-credit markets. When there is a credit crunch or tight lending standards, finding a bad credit home loan becomes even more difficult. However, even if you have a less-than-average credit score, or a bankruptcy on your record, you may be able to find a home loan that meets your needs. Follow these tips for finding a bad credit home loan to make the process a bit easier.

Tips for Finding a Bad Credit Home Loan

When looking for a bad credit home loan, make sure to do your research so you can fully understand your options. You should also:

• Review your credit report and consider improving your credit
• Save a significant down payment for your home
• Shop around for lenders and rates
• Consider working with a mortgage broker
• Explore government insured loans

Improving Your Credit

Before you begin the mortgage loan process, take any steps you can to improve your credit. Negatives drop off your credit report in seven to ten years, so if you are close to the end of that time period you may wish to wait to buy.

You should also aggressively pay down debt- your debt-to-credit ratio, or the amount you have borrowed versus the amount of credit available to you, accounts for approximately 30% of your total credit score. By improving this number, you can raise your score significantly.

If possible, you can also ask a friend or relative with good credit to add you as an authorized signer on one of their accounts. They needn't even give you access to the card; the positive account history is displayed on your credit report as soon as your name is added to the account.

Check your credit score by requesting a copy of your credit report from Experian, TransUnion or Equifax. These three major bureaus are the industry leaders and most lenders work with one or more of these companies to evaluate your creditworthiness. Reviewing your score and report can allow you to see if your efforts at improving your credit have been successful and can help you identify errors that might be hurting your credit.

Save a Significant Down Payment

The more money you put down on a home, the lower your loan-to-value ratio (the ratio of how much you borrow versus how much the home is worth). The lower your loan to value ratio, the less risky the loan is for the bank. If you have at least 20 percent to put down on the home, banks may be more willing to work with you and you may be able to find a bad credit home loan more easily.

Shop Around for Lenders and Rates

Check with your local credit union, bank, savings and loan and other local institutions. Review rates available from online lenders. Before selecting a bad credit home loan, you want to make sure you have the best possible rate available for your situation. If you do decide to get quotes from a number of lenders, however, ensure you apply for and get all of your quotes within a one-to-two day period. If you apply for multiple loans in a brief period, they are often grouped together as an inquiry. If you space out your applications, they can each show up as a different inquiry, making your credit score worse.

You may also want to research mortgage companies that do their own underwriting instead of relying on credit scores alone. Mortgage companies that do their own underwriting will do a more thorough review of your history and finances as opposed to simply relying on your three digit FICO score. If your bad credit was the result of medical bills or other one-time unfortunate incidents in your past, a company that does its own underwriting may be more forgiving than the credit bureaus who simply calculate your score using a standard formula.

Consider Working with a Mortgage Broker

A mortgage broker is a mortgage professional who has a relationship with a number of different lenders. A mortgage broker gets paid to help you find a loan, so it is in his best interests to do so. However, be aware that a mortgage broker will charge a commission, and don't assume your mortgage broker is acting selflessly on your behalf; although they want to help you, you still need to do your own research and evaluate the terms of your bad credit home loan to make sure it makes financial sense.

Explore Government Options for a Bad Credit Home Loan

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration work with lenders to offer secured loans to buyers in special situations. You may be able to qualify for this type of loan more easily than for a conventional loan, even with bad credit. If you are a veteran, are disabled or have other special circumstances, other government agencies may also be able to help. Research these types of loans carefully to find out all of your options for a government backed bad credit home loan before deciding to pay a higher interest rate with a traditional or sub-prime lender.

Jack Osbourne’s New Home: High-Style, High-Security

AUTHOR:EMILY HEFFTER
ZILLOW

After growing up in a reality show himself, new dad Jack Osbourne might feel completely comfortable in his new traditional home in Studio City. As TMZ pointed out, the home’s high-tech security system has 16 high-resolution cameras inside and outside.

Source: IMDb

Property records confirm that Osbourne and his wife, Lisa, paid $3.2 million for the brand new home, moving their family of three to a gated community after selling in Los Feliz earlier this year.

The Cape Cod-style 5-bedroom, 7-bath is definitely a family home, with a big, private backyard that has a pool and outdoor kitchen. The home has lots of high-end features: a wine room, chandeliers, high-end appliances, marble counters, fireplaces and a master bathroom with a giant shower, seating area, stand-alone tub and a steam unit.

The beige-and-white house lacks the personality of the couple’s previous Spanish-style home, but the 5,614-square-foot space is a step up in size and luxury.