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Industry News (click the headline to read the full story)
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The Big Picture
Have some of you readers been thinking, "Why do I have to pay more than one assessment each month?" Assuming that your Association is well managed and maintained, and you're not paying a Reserve Assessment or a Special Assessment along with your regular monthly assessment, chances are you live in a Master Association. Sometimes these are called Master Planned Communities.
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Refinancing Gets Even More Attractive
Homeowners who have resisted the urge to refinance their mortgages until now could be rewarded for their willpower. Mortgage rates have fallen to new lows-and banks are rolling out incentives to win business.Economic uncertainty in Europe and slow growth in the U.S. are prompting investors to pile into ultrasafe U.S. Treasurys. That, in turn, is pushing down mortgage rates, which are tied to Treasurys. |
| Home repairs: Knowing when you can do it yourself
In times of economic hardship, "do-it-yourself" is a tempting mantra for many homeowners with dripping faucets, running toilets, leaky windows or sticky locks. The savings can add up when you don't have to call a repairman, especially for things like painting, plumbing and appliance repair, said Ken Collier, editor-in-chief of The Family Handyman. "Parts are a small part of the cost. Labor is huge," he said.
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| Sights, Smells and Sounds In Your Home That Can Stress Out Your Pet
We live in a world chock-full of arresting - and often overwhelming - sights, smells and sounds. But while you can block all that background static with state-of-the-art Bose headphones, your pets have no choice but to soak it all in. From noise emitted by fluorescent light bulbs to overpowering air fresheners, there are many things that may seem innocuous to us - but can negatively affect your dog or cat's stress levels. Here's a look at some common sensory pet stressors.
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| How To Get an Architectural Review Board to Approve Your Home Project
If you're planning on building a custom home in a new development or remodeling a home in an older neighborhood, you'll likely find your plans subject to design review.Design review boards go by different names: ARB (Architectural Review Board), DRC (Design Review Committee), ARC (Architectural Review Committee) and others.They've been called less flattering names by homeowners whose proposals don't get favorable treatment.
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It might come as a surprise but a whopping 72 percent of surveyed homeowners nationwide are satisfied with owning a home. The other 28 percent, not so. They say they're dissatisfied and that's likely due to the devaluation of their homes. 
Perhaps you've been there and have experienced a similar situation as a board member. Your homeowners association has followed all of the requirements of notification to the delinquent owner of the property, but this particular owner has failed to respond to your requests to pay his past due assessments. You have instructed the association's 
So, here's a question for you. Would you rather walk into a clean home or a dirty one? No, it's not a trick question but it is an important one. You see, when it comes to selling a home, many people forget how important the answer to that question really is. Sellers get busy looking for their new home, preparing the 
