Are The California Wildfires Of 2007 Burning Homeowners Twice?

Many emails regarding homeowner insurance problems from the California wildfires of 2007 have flooded my mailbox. Homeless victims are trying to rebuild with insufficient insurance money. The cost to rebuild homes in California is currently more than the value of the finished home. People seeking to build homes without paying exorbitant contractor expenses are flocking to my website looking for answers.

One particular email message is from a single mother who had lost everything she owned. The fires swept through many neighborhoods fueled by high winds and dry conditions. California was in a state of emergency and there was very little that could be done to stop it. Many homes were completely burned or devastated beyond repair. This woman was given an insurance claim reimbursement for $80,000, yet the cost to rebuild her home is $130,000.

The liabilities took a heavy toll on insurance companies. Very few homeowners are receiving what they adequately need to rebuild their homes, so they are now weighing their options of rebuilding. There are many of our beloved California people who are desperate to get on with their lives, but are unable to do so.

Many insurance claims are not calculated on replacement value, but the value of similar homes in the neighborhood. The comparative approach is used to determine a home's value in the real estate market. Overall, this is a fairly reliable means of home valuation, but in the case of home replacement in a weak housing market, it can spell disaster for homeowners.

As an example, suppose a person wants to build a 2,000 square foot home in California where he or she already owns the land. The materials and labor costs for a modest home of this size is around $210,000. After the home is finished, the appraised value could be as low as 80% of the value of the cost of materials and labor because of a weak housing market. So the comparative approach could value the new home as low as $168,000.

Many homeowners aren't willing to take such a huge loss of equity to live in a home so they are waiting for the housing market to recover. Undoubtedly, the housing market will recover as it always has, but this still leaves the California wildfire victims in an awkward place. Do they rebuild a home that will cost more to build than it's worth, or do they wait for the market to recover? Such is the dilemma of many homeowner wannabes right now.

This problem isn't everywhere, yet it is alive and well in many parts of the United States, more particularly, in California. There are questions that should be asked as collective members of this great nation about the problems in California. It's one of the strongest states leading the way for other states to follow. The question about the volatility of housing markets is really insignificant because markets will rise and fall. That's just the nature of the beast called the housing market.

The true question should be directed toward building and labor costs. Why does it cost so much to build a home in California?

One may be tempted to think that the price of building materials could be a reason, but the fact is that building materials are probably cheaper in California than almost anywhere else in the United States.

The real answer is that California has regulated itself into a corner by allowing bureaucrats to impose stringent codes and standards. Many newly created jobs in California are those of inspectors and building officials that aren't needed. The need for building inspectors and other types of home systems inspectors is understandable. They are necessary for our physical and financial safety.

When inspectors are inspecting and overseeing other inspectors however, one starts to feel that there should be some cutbacks on bureaucrats. In many parts of California, homeowners are not allowed to do work on their own homes. It doesn't matter if the work done is approved by a licensed inspector; the homeowner has to hire someone else to do the work. Bureaucrats have created too many plush jobs for themselves and the housing industry is feeling the crunch.

Here in Idaho the standards aren't as drastic, but still more regulated than they should be. Ten years ago, there was a mass exodus of Californians into Idaho. Land, housing, and the way of life was affordable without over-regulation in the planning and zoning departments, but that soon changed.

Many of the people that moved from California were older in age and they had money from their home sales to build homes in Idaho and to invest in land. They immediately started to do the same things that they did in California. The same things that made them want to move away. They started imposing regulations and codes.

They made it so homeowners with farms couldn't divide up their land to sell or even give to other family members. They made it so that homeowners had to become licensed contractors to work on their own homes or else they had to hire it out. Planning and zoning offices are full of retired California people that move to Idaho looking to get away from it all, yet bringing it all with them.

The cost of building homes went up sharply after that, but the actual value of homes in the neighborhood rose very little. Now, it's difficult to build a home on a budget here and people are wondering why.

It's time to regulate the regulators or there will be more housing markets like that of California. The problem is that there are so many people who prefer to be government parasites. They want to have jobs that are easy to do so they create those jobs for themselves. Their pay comes from those who work hard for a living.

The housing market will recover in time, but if we could create a housing stimulus package like the federal economic stimulus package, it would help the market bounce back immediately.

This package would be as simple as redefining the needs of inspectors and codes. Making cutbacks on all additional inspectors and codes that weren't there twenty years ago would be a good plan. This doesn't have to be a permanent change, but rather, a part of a housing stimulus package to get things jump-started. Houses would suddenly become affordable again for everyone. A home should never cost more to build than it's worth after it's built.

Larry Angell is the author of Sweat Equity, building a house at half cost. His experience working with low income families to attain affordable housing has started him on a crusade to help other people learn how to build homes for a fraction of the cost. He teaches the advantages and benefits of becoming new homeowners with high equity.

Architects And Home Design

Antique Wood End Tables - A Fantastic Way To Add A Vintage Look To Your Space

Your home has a vintage feel to it. You have a lot of old fashioned and traditional furnishings, plus, decorations and a home interior to match. So, when you are going out shopping looking for new pieces of furniture, you need ones that are going to fit into your homes present dcor and antique wood end tables would a wonderful selection that would work well in your home.

Antique wood end tables have a very pleasing look that is sure to enhance the appearance of any room that they are put in. Obviously they are crafted out of wood, but there are many different woods used to make them and each has a very distinguished and beautiful look, featuring many lovely finishes. A few of those wood options include maple, pine, oak, and cedar while some finishes include antique, cherry, black, and many more. Usually, these fine furnishings will feature a lot of intricate detailing, including elegant scrollwork, carvings, edging, and lovely accent touches like eye-catching hardware and even hand painted designs, patterns, and inlays. Sometimes they will just be very simple and will have a table top and supporting for legged base and other times they will have a table top that has an apron, a drawer or side cabinets for storage, extra shelves to display items, and instead of the four legs will have a single pedestal base. All the options make it easy to find the perfect one for you and your space.

Not only are antique wood end tables a fabulous choice for a home that is traditionally decorated, but one would also be a lovely choice for a modern home as well. Like, if you are looking to add a vintage look to a room or if you want something that is just a little different from everything else in your home. One would be a nice addition. However, if you are not into antique wood end tables, there are also many other kinds of end tables to choose from that fit well into any setting. Other selections include those of the modern variety that are made from metal or wood that have glass table tops, ones that are a little more artsy that feature unique designs and styling using all types of materials, and ones that are plain, yet sophisticated and are made out of wood. From traditional to modern, there are many that you can choose from. For a quick way to see the many different options, just hit the World Wide Web and do some online shopping. You can easily compare prices without ever having to leave your home.

So, if your home has a classic feel to it, or you simply want a furnishing that is a little more traditional than what you have, an excellent choice for you are antique wood end tables. Extremely appealing to the eye, one or a few would be a fabulous way to enhance the look of your home.

As an owner of many home decor sites, Jennifer Akre offers product reviews and information on tables and accessories, giving the online consumer help finding elegant end table or end tables. Decorate your home your style - your way - Click today: antique wood end tables

Pocket Door Problems

Final Walk Through on a Newly Built Home

So you're within days of closing on your newly built home and you're already to move in. Before you close on your home, however, it is important that you first do a final walk through on the newly built home. If you are intent on closing on the planned closing day, then you should preferably do the final walk through at least several days before the closing. This will enable the general contractor to have some time to address any issues that may be uncovered during the walk through.

Walk Through Checklist Around the Outside of the Newly Constructed Home

When doing a final walk through of a newly built home, start by walking around the outside of the home. Check for loose siding and roofing shingles. Also check the outside foundation for cracks. Make sure screens are in all windows, and that entrance ways are properly and completely installed e.g. stairs, decks, and walkways. Also check that the outside water spigots and outlet boxes are operational. Also make sure all outside lights are working. In addition, make sure ground fault interrupter circuits have been used on outside outlets. Finally take a careful look at the gutters to make sure they have been installed properly and have a good pitch towards the drain pipes.

Next examine the grounds / landscaping. Has the turf been properly installed and looking healthy? If grass seed was planted, has it germinated? Are retaining walls properly constructed and were they installed where you expected them to be? Make sure that all the shrubs that you paid for were installed in the right locations and were of the right species. If an underwater sprinkler system was installed make sure it operates correctly.

Also check the grade of the landscaping around the home foundation. The grade should be such that water will drain away from the foundation. If this is not done, expect regular basement water problems. Also check for pooled areas, where water is sitting stagnant. If you see pooled areas this is a sign that grading was not done properly. Finally, make sure the driveway was installed properly and to your satisfaction.

Walk Through Checklist for the Inside of the Newly Built Home

Once you have completed the walk through around the outside of the home, it's time to check the inside. When doing the inside walk through you may want to bring along an outlet tester or small appliance such as a hair dryer to check to make sure power is operational to all outlets.

When performing a walk through on the inside of the home, start with the basement. Make sure there are no leaks or puddles in the basement. In addition, check the walls for cracks. Also make sure the plumbing and wiring is neat and properly secured. Make sure that you confirm that the heating and cooling system work properly. Also check to make sure that major beams are sitting properly in the foundation sockets. On occasion I have seen center beams floating at one end of the foundation. Either the lally columns were placed too high or the socket was placed too low for the beam.

In the main part of the home, check to make sure that the floors do not squeak and that all the doors and windows open and close properly. Also check every light switch and outlet to make sure that they work properly.

In the kitchen make sure that all of the appliances are correctly installed and are functional. Also check all of the cabinets and drawers to make sure they are functional.

In the bathrooms make sure the ceiling fans are all working. Also make sure the fiberglass tub has not been damaged in any way.

Both in the bathrooms and the kitchen make sure ground fault interrupter circuits have been installed.

Make sure painting is complete throughout the home and that all flooring has properly been installed. Make sure you check for cracked tiles, or cuts in the vinyl flooring.

Finally check the smoke alarms, and home security system. Make sure they are working properly.

If problems are uncovered, write them down and submit a copy of the list to your general contractor. After he has addressed the issues, go back to the home and revisit the issues you uncovered on your first walk through.

Conducting a walk through on new home construction, prior to closing, is essential in making sure you get what you pay for. If you find problems after the closing it will more than likely take more time and effort to get them corrected, even if you have a home warrantee/guarantee. A general contractor wants his paycheck, and if he knows he won't get it until the problems are resolved chances are he will resolve them very quickly.

For more help on building a new custom home, see HomeAdditionPlus.com's New Home Construction Bid Sheet. The New Home Construction Bid Sheet provides you with the knowledge on how to plan a custom home building project, and what to look for when hiring contractors for your new home construction. It also includes a detailed cost breakdown table and spreadsheet for estimating your own new home construction building costs.

About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement information visit http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Concrete Patio Gofer Damage

Gardening Gloves

Gardens are beautiful places to relax in. They can also provide endless enjoyment if you are a gardener. The idea of having flowers that give off pleasant smells as you pick your garden fresh vegetables and herbs is a pleasing one. The amount of pain that unprotected hands can go through however might make you reluctant to prune those rose bushes.

Gloves, in particular gardening gloves are the most important item that a gardener can possess. The process of choosing the right glove can be a little difficult especially if you are new to gardening. There are a few tips that can make buying your gardening gloves easy.

The best type of gardening gloves should be made from very good quality leather. They must also be gloves that can be used for whatever gardening job that you will embark upon. Buying a pair or two of general purpose gardening gloves that have a cloth backing to them, will let your hands stay cool and comfortable during the time you are gardening.

Many times you might decide to do some gardening after it has finished raining. This will mean muddy and very wet gardening. The idea of working with wet, slippery hands may not appeal to you. Therefore selecting rubber gardening gloves that have a cotton lining will absolutely protect your hands from the mud and dirt of a rainy garden.

To ensure that your plants stay healthy and insect free, many of us will use a pesticide. Wearing gardening gloves made from latex or plastic will not help to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the chemicals in pesticides. Neoprene gloves on the other hand are made for this purpose.

All most every garden has roses bushes planted in them. While a rose bush that is filled with blooms is a gorgeous sight, the many thorns on the plant can make a gardener's heart sink. To prune those very thorny plants you should wear gardening gloves that have long wrist protectors.

When the time comes to transplant your delicate seedlings in the garden you need gardening gloves that will let you handle them with care. However there are many plants that must be planted in the garden during the early winter season. Wearing gloves to protect your hands from the cold is a good idea, but it can impede your ability to feel the process of transplanting. For delicate winter time transplanting fingerless gardening gloves will allow you to do this delicate and detailed work, whilst keeping you as warm as possible.

The only other tip that you need to consider when you choose your gardening gloves is to see that they fit your hands comfortably. So, take heart, take plenty of notes, plan, and buy to your heart's content. Remember that gardening gloves truly are a gardener's most trusted companion. They will not only help to protect your hands from dirt, mud and thorns, they also aid in the prevention of painful blisters. Thus you will need to choose your gardening gloves with care.

Charles writes for the popular garden centre website BlueWorldGardener where you can find a great range of lawn mowers, garden furniture and gardening gifts.

Horizontal Or Vertical Drywall

Getting Children Interested in Growing Vegetables

What is the best way of getting your children interested in growing vegetables?

Well in my view you need to give them their own space. Tell them this plot is yours. It does not have to be large, about 2 feet square for younger children or you could even get them started by growing crops or herbs in pots. Older children may prefer something larger. I know that a small high density bed that is only 2 foot by 2 foot doesn't sound very big, but it will be to a young child. A larger bed may just seem too big to do anything with to them, so start them small. If you have more than one child, give them their own high density bed each or just make a larger bed and divide this up into a section for each child and then divide this into mini plots for each crop. For very young children I would not make the bed more than 2 feet wide as they can reach the middle of this from each side.

What I would do is start them off with their own high density gardening raised bed built from timber that is at least 6 inches deep. This will give a soil depth which is deep enough for most easy to grow crops. You need to fill this with a soil mix and I would recommend buying this in the form of bagged peat or coir, bagged well rotted manure and maybe a bag of sterilized topsoil as well. As you have some manure in there you need to instill in your children good hygiene with hand washing after gardening and before eating. Mix your soil ingredients together and then fill the high density garden bed. If you are using 6 inch timber you will only need 2 cubic foot of soil mix. Once you have done this I would divide the bed into 4 mini plots using a brightly colored plastic string. I have gone for plastic as it does not rot and is safer for little hands than wire. Simply staple this to the timber. To increase interest, get your child involved in building the high density garden bed and even a trip to buy the soil mix and the seeds.

You are now ready to start planting. But what do you plant. It all depends on the age of your child. Younger children want to see things happen quickly and the crop be ready as soon as possible. Older children may be prepared to wait to harvest the crop. For this reason I would suggest thinking about what crops to grow. Things like radish and lettuce are best as these are fairly quick to grow. That takes care of 2 of the mini plots and in the others I would suggest something like mixed salad, land cress, rocket or possibly 1 outdoor cherry tomato plant. Older children will have a much better idea of what they like and want to eat so go along with that but remember, the crops talked about here are quick growing.

Cherry Tomato

I know tomatoes take a long time to grow but a seed should be up in a week and then there is all the fun watching it grow to about 3 to 4 foot tall, keep tying it to the stake, pinching out the side buds, watching the flowers appear, then the tiny green fruit and so on. There is a lot to watch with tomatoes. You can start the plant off in a pot in the house. Try the kitchen windowsill. Put 2 or 3 seeds in and choose the strongest seedling. There is watering to be done, so buy a child size watering can for this job and make sure you stand the pot on a drip tray or old plate. If it is warm enough outside, you can just put the seeds straight into the mini plot. Make sure this is at the side farthest away from the sun as otherwise it would shade out the other smaller plants.

Back to the high density bed, what to do now? It should be divided into 4 mini plots and each one of these will take a different crop.

Radishes

I would get your child to sow radish in one of the mini plots. Try dividing this up for them into 3 strips and sow 2 rows of radish in one of them, 2 rows in the next 2 weeks later and 2 rows in the final strip 2 weeks after than to give a timed cropping. Simply draw your finger to make 2 drills in which to drop the seed about half an inch deep. Try to get the seeds about an inch apart but this will not be easy for little fingers and cover the seeds with soil mix. It doesn't matter if there are gaps or too many seeds in some places, it is all part of gardening experience. If there are too many seedlings simply thin them out. You should be able to fill gaps in with these thinnings but they do not always transplant but there is no harm in trying. When your child is planting the final third of the bed there will be radishes nearly ready for harvesting in the first third.

Lettuce

I would start these off growing in small flats or seed trays or better still in cells as these make a nice little plug to transplant. Rather than a hearting lettuce, I would grow a loose leaf type as they grow much quicker and can be harvested earlier. They also have the benefit of keeping growing as long as you harvest a few leaves of each plant when you need them.

Once they seedlings are large enough, plant out 4 in a mini plot. Watch out for slugs and other pests but otherwise just watch them grow. Harvest the young leaves when ready.

Mixed Salad Leaves

I would get your child to scatter these on the surface of the soil mix. Tip the seeds out on to your hand or a piece of paper and get your child to pick a few up at a time, scatter these and then add some more. Gently cover the seeds and I find a simple garden seed sowing sieve is best for this. Do not cover them too thickly. You treat these the same as for loose leaf lettuce but rather than one type of lettuce you will get a mixture of different salad leaves which can all be harvested together.

Land Cress or Rocket

These may be a little strong in taste but if your child has grown them they may be far more likely to eat them. Sow them as you would for lettuce. Grow in flats or cells and plant 4 to a mini plot. They will develop to fill the mini plot over time.

By starting your child gardening at an early age you may set them off with a lifetime hobby. There is the old saying "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime." Well it is the same with young children and gardening. Start them gardening now and they may develop a life long interest in growing their own fresh vegetables and there is nothing finer than fresh, wholesome and tasty vegetables except the ones you have grown yourself.

You can find more information on High Density Gardening at www.highdensitygardening.com

Ric Wiley is an internet writer and gardener. His latest website about High Density Gardening can be found at http://www.highdensitygardening.com

Surviving As A Contractor