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Buying a Home Home Purchase Guidelines Long Island Homes and Property Real Estate for Long Island Energy Efficient Homes Homeowner Tax Credits Tax Credits for Home Energy Efficiency Adjustable Rate Mortgages Mortgages for the Long Island real estate market The Right Mortgage for the Right Home Buyer Real Estate Question of the Day! Real Estate - scams and mortgages What you need to know about real estate Home Purchase Savings Interest rates offer greatest leverage Tax credit vs mortgage interest rates Assisted Living VA Special Pension home loans Home mortgage rates Another Interest Rate Drop Mortgage Interest Rates Defending homeownership Is now the time to buy a home? Real Estate - still a great investment Long Island condo & co-op Long Island Homes for sale Long Island Properties Negotiating house purchase price New construction on Long Island Real Estate transfer fees buy your home through a short sale purchase selling short with the banks approval Short sale home purchase $2000 home buyer grant New York State home buying grants home list price vs. home sales price negotiate a new home sales price New York State STAR tax exemption STAR tax exemption for New York homeowners Buyer Brokerage Real Estate Representation Seller Agency Tips for improving your credit score Home and property appraisals Homeowner Tax Advantages Home Purchase Track Owning a home vs. Renting 55+ Adult Community Senior housing The Season's at East Meadow co-op Condo's Homes land for sale Why Now is a Great Time to Buy a Home on Long Island Homeownership Open House weekend home buying process mortgage prequalification Real Estate Investment Tips Tips to Flip your real estate Home Shopping Checklist Look for a house with a checklist ips to purchasing a short sale home Short sales: How to purchase Cut energy costs for your home home energy efficiency Loan application mistakes mortgage loans mortgage home loans What home loan is right for you? house hunting Hunting for a home Common Home Defects What to look for when buying a home first time home buyers The 1st time home buyers guide mobile based home search Mobile phone users - coupons smart phone applications Housing Market Recovery Bright Spots Natianal Housing Market Report Home Closing - contract to closing Home purchase timeline 203k home mortgage program Home Improvement Funding Myths of the real estate market The Home Buying Process narrow down your home search The Best location for your home purchase buying a home? protect your credit! credit protection Home value pitfalls home closing steps to take New home closing Home Styles Popular Homes best interest rates credit scores Create Energy within Your Home with Feng Shui Feng Shui within your home consumer confidence home buyers more confident in housing market Real Estate market impact Rent verse Buy Renters Outspend Owners on Housing Benefits of home buying Winter shopping for homes Consumers confidence in home ownership Homeownership attitudes Real estate tax advantages & tips Tax tips for homeowners job opportunity real estate agent real estate career rental agent 1st time home buyer tips priorities for home buyers make moving fun for family Moving for the family Buy a foreclosure REO purchase tips Tips to buying a foreclosure property Use a real estate agent to buy a home Use a real estate agent to sell a home Why use a real estate agent Home Buying steps Home Buying tips Stepr to take prior to buying a home home loan good faith estimate Tips to your home loan mortgage FICO Scores How FICO scores are calculated Your FICO score Invest in a home tax refund - invest it in your home purchase VA Loan The Home Buyers Wish List Home buying expectations real estate market report Bidding on real estate properties purchase offers for your home home mortgage downsizing your home moving to a smaller house Jumbo Loans for Home Purchase Mortgage Money Lesson newlywed home purchasing tips The perfect wedding gift... a new home Avoid these home buying mistakes common mistakes when buying a home Good News for Housing Home Price Index Bank fees for the homeowner understanding banks and their fees Home Inspections for your new home purchase What to know about home inspections Fire safety for your home Is your home fire safe? Home Mortgage programs LTV Mortgage loan to value Mortgage relief for disaster challenged areas Location Property location - real estate buying a short sale property short sale tips buying a home - best investment? When is the best time to buy? New Years resolutions Resolutions: a Reality for Realty's Get a mortgage after foreclosure mortgage financing - after foreclosure Is it a good time to buy a home? What age is old enough to buy a home? Buy a short sale property Short Sale real estate properties Home property tax deductions real estate tax deductions Real Estate License School Apartment Rentals House Rentals Real Estate Rental Agent House Hunting Tips Simple house hunting tips & ideas Mortgage advice - current trends mortgaging & refinancing in 2013 Good credit score = best equal rates How to build up your credit score lease - option to buy Rent with option to buy Avoid Home Improvement Blunders Home improvements ideas for the property owner Home Buyers - What do you really want? Needs & wants of home buyers mortgage loans for new home construction New construction home loans Home Buyers - Price & proximity to work Key Concerns for the home buyer Impressive mortgage applications Keys to getting your mortgage approved Home buying mistakes to avoid Home purchasing blunders to avoid New homes vs older homes to buy or not to buy a home pet friendly rentals Pets or no pets - apartment rentals tips for home purchasers Flipping houses home flpipping 101 spec houses home buyer how to's how to be a better home buyer Mortgage amortization A happy home What makes you really happy? Low housing inventory Low inventory housing market Home prices on the rise Rising property values Home buyer tips to open houses Open House etiquette Winning a home purchase bidding war Home mortgage rate tips mortgage tips for the new home owner Home Equity Line versus 2nd Mortgage buy a new home or expand your current home Home improvements vs. new home purchse Mortgage Rate Lock Residential home mortgage rates Improve your economic profile for home mortgage Personal Finance Costly problems for new home buyers New home buyers avoid costly problems Handy man special The home fixer-upper How to refinance Refinance - without perfect credit Debt to Income Tackling Debt Seasonal real estate trends The fall season housing market Factor in home repairs in your mortgage payment Home repairs for new home purchasers Home sellers negotiation techniques negotiations for home buyers & sellers The home buying process - stress free The process of buying a home Recently Read Saved for Later Brooklyn East Meadow Coldwell Banker American Homes Local Attractions Home Improvement Interior Design Queens Fresh Meadows Long Beach Local Businesses Massapequa Ronkonkoma Huntington Farmingdale Home selling Suffolk County Nassau County Great Neck Wantagh Syosset Hicksville Mount Sinai Roslyn Heights Smithtown Bellmore Manhasset Merrick Northport Oceanside Dix Hills Elmhurst East Setauket Franklin Square local stores shops shopping local business spring trails hiking nature pets outdoors parks and recreation dogs gardens Long Island summer restaurants things to do home decor declutter staging home staging tips curb appeal garden real estate tips art events fall events long island events home maintenance fall home improvement fall home home tips local concerts long island living Massapequa Park farmers markets holidays holiday events local home office 2025 historic tours historic tours local tours architecture kitchen
April
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Owning a home is infinitely rewarding but issues do pop up, and there's no need to call a handyman every time something goes haywire. The home repair experts at HGTV suggest four things every homeowner should know how to do:



Change smoke detector batteries. Do this twice a year or anytime you hear a loud chirping. Get up on a ladder and twist the body of the unit off the bracket. If it isn't hardwired, it will completely remove. Change the battery and twist it back in place.

Find the main water shut-off valve. If you ever come home to a flooded floor, you need to be able to shut off the water to the whole house ASAP, especially if the source of the water leak is unclear. That's why every homeowner should know where her main shutoff valve is, and every home is different. Look near the perimeter of the house at ground level nearest your water meter. The shutoff valve might be in a basement, crawlspace, closet or garage, but should never be covered over with drywall. Look for an access panel or hose bibb (a threaded faucet.)

Change the air filters in your HVAC system. Locate your return air intake and open the door by releasing the clips at the top of the frame. The disposable filter rests just inside. Note the size and/or take it with you to the home store for comparison. Bring a stack of new filters home, slide a new one in place and close and latch the door.

Find a wall stud. If you're hanging a picture or shelf, you need to be able to locate a wall stud to nail into for support. You can shell out the 20 bucks for a battery-powered stud finder, but there is a simple alternative. Start by locating an electrical outlet along the wall, since the receptacles are typically fastened to one side of a stud. Studs should be located every 16 inches or so, although yours may vary. Tap on the drywall—it should sound hollow as you move to the left or right. As the sound changes, that indicates where the stud is.

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