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How deep do you go when cleaning for holiday guests?  You can have a clean home without going overboard. If you think wiping down countertops and fluffing a few pillows in advance of the guest onslaught will land you on Santa’s “nice” list this holiday season, check that list twice. The extreme cleaners (telephone buttons! vacuum brushes! remote controls!) featured in this New York Times article may make you feel like a slacker. But you can bring your home to sparkling guest-readiness without going overboard. A few tips from the "Times" will keep your home merry, bright, and clean: 1. Scrub your entryway.  Wipe down your front door, give the doormat a good shake, and make sure dust and dirt haven’t collected on floors and furniture legs. These are the first things guests will see when they arrive, so keeping them clean will guarantee a good first impression. 2. Focus on the kitchen.  People tend to gather around the food during the holi...

Hosting has its shares of anxieties, especially if you're striving to make your home welcoming. How do you know everyone will feel comfortable? And will you ever get a chance to relax yourself? You will if you focus on what's really necessary. Here's a list of steps to get your home ready — and take the stress out of hosting. #1 Declutter The day before guests arrive is no time to pull apart junk drawers and clean out linen closets. Declutter your home, especially the guest rooms and public areas -- foyer, kitchen, living room, den, and dining room. Remove anything unnecessary from countertops, coffee tables, and ottomans; if it’s out of sight, keep it out of mind, for now. If you run short of time, bag up the clutter and store it in car trunks, basements, and out-of-the-way closets. Sort and arrange after your guests depart. #2 Add Night Lights Even though you can navigate your home blindfolded, your guests can’t. Make sure outside lig...

For one thing, they're less breakable than other lights. Yes, LED holiday lights save energy. Up to 75% less energy than the old-fashioned kind, according to the U.S. government’s Energy Star program. But there are more advantages to LEDs than energy savings. Here are 5 other reasons to switch to LED Christmas lights. #1 They're More Durable They don't have filaments or glass, so they're less likely to break or be damaged as you string them up and down. #2 LED Holiday Lights Last and Last LED bulbs can keep your season bright for as long as 100,000 hours, says Cathy Choi, president of Moonachie, N.J.-based Bulbrite, which manufactures LED and regular bulbs. That’s substantially longer than the life of your old holiday light strings. #3 You Can String a BIG Strand of Lights Safety wise, you shouldn’t connect more than three traditional light strings, but you can connect at least 10 with LEDs and up to 87 in some cases, totaling a ...

When the last of summer's heat is a faint memory, and you're pulling out your hoodies more than your shorts, it's time to tackle a few simple chores that'll make winter more pleasant and prevent some nasty surprises next spring. This fall checklist will help: #1 Clean and Stow Your Mower If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, get to know it. If your mower sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer ($10 for a 10-ounce bottle) prevents gas from degrading.Add stabilizer to your gasoline can to keep spare gas in good condition over the winter, and top off your mower tank with stabilized gas before you put it away for the winter. Run the mower for five minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor. Another lawn mower care method is to run your mower dry before stowing it. 1. When the mower is cool, remove the spark plug and pour a capful of engi...

The Pilgrims were on to something when they planned a Thanksgiving potluck; here are other good ideas that’ll simplify your T-Day kitchen cleanup. Want something to be thankful for?  Check out these tips that’ll make your Thanksgiving kitchen cleanup faster and easier -- and will give you more time to enjoy family and friends. Plan a Potluck The first Thanksgiving was a potluck; so let your guests share the fun and bring dishes to share. Then make sure they take home their serving bowls and platters, which will cut down on dishes to wash and put away. Set Up a Soaking Station Soak pots and pans as soon as you transfer food to platters. But instead of filling the sink with soaking pots, designate a small trashcan as the soaking spot. Fill it will soapy water and dirty pots, and hide it under a sink or in a mudroom. That way, your sink is free throughout the evening to clean as you go and rinse dishes on the way to the dishwasher. Tr...

Why does the oven go kaput on a holiday? No worries. Here's how to go on the offense now. Imagine you’re preparing to host your annual holiday party, and you’re past the point of no return. The veggies and meats have been bought. Guests are already braving busy airports and crowded highways to get to your home -- and then your oven won’t turn on. Your home-cooked meal has quickly turned into a microwave dinner. That’s just one of many hosting nightmares that can end your holiday party before it even begins. Thankfully, some of the most damaging mishaps easily can be avoided. We collected five of the most prevalent issues and give you preventative tips to keep your holiday party on track. Problem: The Oven Doesn’t Heat For any holiday occasion, the oven is the most important appliance in your house. If it fails to work, the centerpiece of your meal could go from roasted beef, ham, duck, or Tofurky to Peking Duck from the local Chinese takeout joint. How to avoid: ...

8 Easy Mistakes Homeowners Make on Their Taxes Don’t rouse the IRS or pay more taxes than necessary — know the score on each home tax deduction and credit. Read Copyright 2018 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Staging Your Home: How to Make Buyers Fall in Love With these tips and tricks, your house will be swoon-worthy in no time. Read Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

7 Smart Strategies for Kitchen Remodeling Follow these seven strategies to get the most financial gain on your kitchen remodel. Read Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

How Long to Keep Tax Records: A Checklist For most tax deductions, you need to keep receipts and documents for at least 3 years. Read Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Filing Taxes After Divorce: Tips for Homeowners Some divorcing homeowners end up with unanticipated tax bills when they sell their home. Find out how you can avoid being one of them. Read Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Are Closing Costs Tax Deductible Under the New Tax Law? Here’s the scoop on what’s tax deductible when buying a house. Read Copyright 2019 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Tax Deductions for Homeowners: How the New Tax Law Affects Mortgage Interest By: Leanne Potts Tax changes for 2019 change the landscape for homeowners.  Tax season is upon us once again, and to make it even more interesting this year, the tax code has changed — along with the rules about tax deductions for homeowners. The biggest change? Many homeowners who used to write off their property taxes and the interest they pay their mortgage will no longer be able to. Stay calm. This doesn't automatically mean your taxes are going up. Here's a roundup of the rules that will affect homeowners — and how big of a change to expect. Standard Deduction: Big Change The standard deduction, that amount everyone gets, whether they have actual deductions or not, nearly doubled under the new law. It's now $24,000 for married, joint-filing couples (up from $13,000). It's $18,000 for heads of household (up from $9,550). And $12,000 for singles (up from $6,500). ...

It’s a rare buyer who can see past the clutter, peeling paint, and stinky pet odors. Here, professional home stagers unlock the secrets to staging your own home. Follow them then schedule that open house—and watch the offers come in! First impressions “These days, it’s all about  curb appeal  so don’t forget your front door,” says Jerry West Sanders,  an interior designer and home stager at Sanders-West Consulting and Design LLC of  Olympia Washington and Phoenix, Arizona. Keep up on lawn maintenance and give the shrubs a shear if necessary. If your door is showing its age, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint. Update the house numbers and paint the mailbox if it’s near the front door. In addition, Sanders says a potted plant on either side of the entrance is very welcoming to a prospective buyer. Watch for falling stuff Buyers want big and deep closets or at least ones that can be organized; a pile of hats and a soccer ball falling out on their head i...

Home Improvement with Heart — Just in Time for Valentine’s Day Roses are red; violets are blue — here are romantic improvements that add value, too. Read Copyright 2018 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Radon testing is the only way to know whether your home has high levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer over time. Here's what you need to know about radon testing and reducing radon levels in your home. 1. What is radon?  Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that’s produced by decaying uranium. It’s present in nearly all soils, and very low levels of radon are found in the air we breathe every day. 2. Why is radon a problem?  The problem occurs when radon gas enters your home and gets trapped. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon can cause lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that lung cancer caused by radon exposure kills about 21,000 Americans every year. 3. How does radon get in your house?  The radon gas moves from the soil into a home. Although it can seep directly through pores in concrete, the worst entry points are gaps in walls and floors (see picture above). Any house, of any age, in any st...