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Obtaining a home inspection is one of the most important steps in purchasing a home. A qualified inspector can point out potential costly problems with the home you are considering buying, and a good inspector will give maintenance advice and ultimately give you peace of mind about your home investment. All home buyers -- whether they are buying an older home or building a new one -- should have the home inspected by a professional after making an offer and before closing. There are a few things you need to know before hiring a home inspector. First, the home inspection industry is becoming more professional and regulated. There are professional organizations with codes of ethics, like the National Association of Home Inspectors and the American Society of Home Inspectors, but membership is voluntary. The average home inspection costs $300, which is paid on the day the inspector examines your home. Lower or higher fees do not necessarily reflect the expertise of the inspector. Finding

Save Energy and Money with the Appliance Rebate Program! Are your old appliances costing you a fortune? There is no better time to replace them thanks to the Efficiency Maine Appliance Rebate Program going on right now. Replace an old air conditioner, dehumidifier, clothes washer or refrigerator/freezer with selected Energy Star appliances and you could receive rebates of up to $75.00 today, plus you will save even more with lower electric bills in the future. Click here for more details .

KILL-A-WATT® ELECTRICITY MONITORS Detect the "energy thieves" in your home with the new Kill A Watt® Energy Detector. This electricity usage monitor and educational tool kit is available for free checkout from your local library. The monitor will help you detect the "energy thieves" in your home and the tool kit will help you put the lid on power consumption by appliances and electronics in your home or business. The Kill A Watt® and tool kit is on loan in most Maine public libraries as part of a state-wide community outreach campaign by Efficiency Maine, a program of the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Mainers can check out the Kill A Watt® monitors, just as they would check out a book, from their local library at no charge. These monitors simply plug into electrical outlets and then allow a consumer to plug in any appliance to get readout on how much electricity the appliance uses and then calculate how much money it's costing. The educational tool kits i

Want to save money on your energy bills? Here are some energy-saving tips for you! Heating & Insulation — By turning down your thermostat by 1 degree F, you can save 25-30 gallons of heating oil per year. That’s up to 3% of an average home's yearly consumption, or between $105-$128 per year at the current average rate of heating oil ($4.26/gallon). More Heating & Insulation Tips... Cooling — Save up to 3% on your cooling costs for every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer. For example, raising it from 73 to 78 degrees can save up to 15% in cooling costs. More Cooling Tips… Appliances — Wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket, especially if it's in an unheated area of your home. The blanket could save you up to 10% on water heating costs. More Appliance Tips… Lighting — CFLs can give the same amount and quality of light as incandescent bulbs, yet use one-third the amount of energy and last ten times longer. A CFL can save over $30 in electricity c

Many homes or buildings built before 1980 may still contain asbestos or old corrosive building materials. This should not make you overly concerned, because asbestos exposure is easily avoidable by taking simple precautions. Many green, Eco-friendly alternatives are available which not only provide a safe and health method of insulation, they can even help in reducing annual energy costs. Tips and Prevention: If any asbestos is located in the home, most experts suggest to just leave it alone and undisturbed. Asbestos that is not deteriorated and left alone will almost always not pose any risks. The best action may be no action at all. When its fibers are disturbed and become airborne, it can be a cause for concern. Home professional consultants can provide an evaluation of the home. It is not always an easy process to determine whether or not a particular insulation contains asbestos. Anyone who is unsure about the insulation in their home should have the materials in question tested.

So, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board himself has said it publicly that it looks like the recession is over. Here comes the recovery! But there was a significant footnote in Bernanke's speech on the economy last week in Washington: Don't look for a dramatic recovery. Bernanke expects that it will be a slow moving, plodding sort of improvement where the economy inches toward expansion and that there won't be a sudden, dramatic return to economic boom anytime soon. Bernanke's point about the end of the recession was underscored by a 2.7 percent jump in retail sales for the month of August. This is an important indicator because the key to stimulating the economy again is to get consumers spending, which appears to be happening. Not just for auto sales, which got a big boost in August from the government's "cash for clunkers" program, but also for other important categories, like food and clothing purchases, department store retail, entertainment

A year after the financial collapse of 2008, the housing market is very different than it was before the foreclosure crisis. Here are seven bits of wisdom from economists and financial planners for anyone contemplating a home purchase today: Old-fashioned basics are more important than ever. The safest way to purchase a home is to put down 20 percent on a fixed-rate, 30-year (or less) mortgage. Don’t become overconfident about income growth. Even though buyers in their 20s and 30s will likely see their incomes grow more quickly than previous generations, it is important to act sensibly when borrowing. Anyone contemplating adding children to the family should calculate whether they could live on one income because having both halves of a couple work may turn out to be impractical. Include a maintenance budget. Even new homes need upkeep and repairs. Buyers who can't afford their dream home now should opt for a starter home where they can save money each month for what they really wa

The first-time home buyers tax credit ends November 30th. Is it possible to buy in the next two weeks and still close in time to collect it? Scheduled to end on December 1st, the time is running short to get your FREE CASH. The demand is going to be huge and the process is likely to take longer than usual. But is NOT too late! In order to receive this credit, you must get moving! To guarantee you don't miss out, do your best to aim for these dates: Try to Close by November 15th . Thanksgiving is at the end of November and will cause additional delays. There will be much less stress if you aim to close before the holidays. Those who wait until the end of November could find themselves losing out on the credit. Complete Due Diligence by November 1st. This means all your inspections, appraisals, title review, and MORTGAGE PAPERWORK needs to be complete by this time. Under Contract by October 15th . You need to have a home picked out and under contract by this date. If you delay beyo

People who have lost their homes through foreclosure (or short sales) or who have restructured their mortgage loans may qualify for tax relief under a new tax law, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007. Highlights of Mortgage Debt Relief: You may exclude up to $2 million of debt forgiven or canceled by a mortgage lender on a main home. Both mortgage restrucuring and foreclosures qualify Now available for the years 2007 through 2012. For more information, go to The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation .

If you are a First-Time Home Buyer and purchase a home before December 1, 2009 you can take advantage of the 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. Here's what you have to do to get your benefit: Close on your home purchase by November 30, 2009, Ensure that you are a qualified first-time buyer under IRS guidelines, Decide which year to file under, 2008 or 2009, File an amended 2008 return or choose to apply the credit to your 2009 tax return. Deciding When to Apply the Credit If you want the benefits of your credit as soon as possible: You might choose to file under your 2008 tax year. Since April 15 has already passed, you would have to file an amendment to your return. However, if you've already filed for an extension of your 2008 return, then you can simply claim the credit when you submit your return. If you anticipate a drop in income next year: You can wait to claim the credit as part of your 2009 filing. In some cases the value of the credit might be higher, particularly