As you and your family snooze soundly at night, your appliances, electronics and home systems still silently draw energy. This idle load can be responsible for as much as a third of your electric bill....
![Image of electrical power meter on outside wall of brick wall calculating the idle load drawn by the home.](https://www.houseopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Cut-Energy-Costs-by-Managing-Idle-load-e1617891580736-770x360.jpeg)
As you and your family snooze soundly at night, your appliances, electronics and home systems still silently draw energy. This idle load can be responsible for as much as a third of your electric bill....
The federal government offers housing assistance to allow low-income families, disabled people and the elderly to rent decent, clean homes through the Section 8 Housing Voucher program. Here’s how it works. A Section 8 overview...
If you want to begin investing in real estate, you may find that traditional financing sources like conventional and government-backed loans don’t work for you. Where can you turn to find real estate financing? Here...
When you buy an investment property to rent out, you put lots of money and effort into the purchase, renovation and repair to make it ready. Great tenants make your investment pay off, but to...
You probably think first of an apartment when it comes to renting a place to live. But it’s also possible to rent a single-family home. Let’s consider the differences between apartments and rental homes and...
Those antiques your grandmother left are lovely, but you may nonetheless choose to sell them. Perhaps you don’t have space for additional furniture, or maybe grandma’s style just doesn’t fit with your own. You may...
The idea of the staycation, which emerged during the pandemic years, was a response to the escalation of travel restrictions. Staying at home for your vacation might sound less than exciting initially, but with a...
If you’re trying to get a mortgage, you may hear the lender refer to a broker price opinion. Is that the same thing as an appraisal, or a comparative market analysis? Not really. Let’s explore...
Owners of residential investment property often spend money on repairs or renovations. These expenses can be written off on your taxes, but the rules vary depending on the nature of the work. Here’s what you...
You probably intend to organize your financial and other personal documents “when you get around to it,” but the task can seem overwhelming. Once done, however, organizing your financial affairs will give you and your...