100 Questions and Answers About Buying a New
Home - This
great guide focuses on finances--from how much
home you can afford, to various mortgage loan
programs, insurance, taxes, and more.
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5 Tips for Shopping for a Mortgage
- Buying a home should be a dream come true
not a nightmare of worry and stress. "5 Tips
for Shopping for a Mortgage," will help
consumers avoid potential pitfalls and make
well-informed decisions when choosing a home
loan.
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Automatic and Programmable Thermostats
- How to choose which of the five basic types
is best for your home and will help you save
the most money and energy.
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Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams
- If it's too good to be true, it probably is.
Protect yourself from opportunity hunters and
frauds.
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Borrower's Guide to Home Loans
- Here's how to find the best loan when
shopping for home equity loans and reverse
mortgages.
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Buying Your Home: Settlement Costs and
Information -
Describes the home buying, financing, and
settlement (closing) process. Also gives tips
on shopping for a loan.
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Drinking Water From Household Wells
- Families with their own wells are
responsible for maintaining them and making
sure that the water is safe to drink. Here are
the facts on sources of pollution and how to
keep your water safe.
(PDF file)
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Electrical Safety Precautions During Disasters
- Follow these safety tips when dealing with
electricity during and after storms and other
disasters to prevent death, injuries, and
property damage.
(PDF file)
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Energy Efficient Mortgage Home Owner Guide
- If you're buying, refinancing, or
remodeling, save money with a mortgage that
covers energy-saving repairs.
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Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults
- Older people are at special risk for death
and injury from fires. To protect yourself and
those you care about, follow the tips in this
booklet.
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Fixing Up Your Home and How to Finance It
- Information about hiring a contractor, doing
the work yourself, and the HUD Title 1 home
improvement loan program.
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For Your Protection Get a Home Inspection
- Understand the difference between a home
inspection and an appraisal, the benefits of
and protection provided by a home inspection,
and how to find a qualified home inspector.
(PDF file)
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Great American Home Safety Check
- Gives important tips to help stop
slips/falls, poisoning, and fire/burns--the
leading causes of home safety issues in the
U.S.
(PDF file)
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Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure
- Whether you're in foreclosure now or worried
about it in the future, here is some
information that can help.
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Home Equity Conversion Mortgage at a Glance
- This type of mortgage, also called a
federally insured reverse mortgage, allows
people 62 and over to borrow against the
equity in their homes without having to repay
the loan as long as they are living in the
home. Get the details on eligibility, fees,
loan distribution and repayment, and more.
(PDF file)
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Home Modifications
- Home modifications are changes made to adapt
living spaces to meet the needs of people with
physical limitations so that they can continue
to live independently and safely. These
modifications may include adding assistive
technology or making structural changes to a
home. Learn what modifications are right for
you, how to pay for home modifications and
where to go for more information.
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Homeowner's Glossary of Building Terms
- Taking on a home improvement project can
open a whole new world of terms you may not
know. Here's a quick reference to help you
keep up with the language of the trade.
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HUD and Acting Surgeon General Unveil National
Strategy to Produce Healthy Homes
- There must be a coordinated national effort
to produce healthier housing. That was the
central message from U.S. Housing and Urban
Development Deputy Secretary Ron Sims and
Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson as
they issued a national 'call to action' to
confront the prevalence of home-related
preventable diseases such as lead poisoning
and asthma. During a news conference at the
National Building Museum, Sims and Galson
unveiled
HUD's Healthy Homes Strategic Plan
and the Surgeon General's Call to Action to
Promote Healthy Homes as a coordinated
effort with other public and private partners
to stimulate a national dialogue about
creating healthier homes.
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Improving the Efficiency of Your Duct System
- Fix potential problems that can affect your
family's health and comfort and cost you
money.
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Indoor Air Hazards Every Homeowner Should Know
About - Get rid
of molds, carbon monoxide, radon, asbestos,
lead, tobacco smoke, and other pollutants.
(PDF file)
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Indoor Electrical Safety Check
- Quick and easy tips to make your home safe
from electrical hazards.
(PDF file)
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Is Foreclosure Knocking at Your Door?
- If you are having financial difficulties,
there are mortgage modification programs to
help you.
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Making Your Home Safe from Fire and Carbon
Monoxide -
Prevent fires, protect yourself with smoke
detectors and fire extinguishers, keep carbon
monoxide out of your home, and develop an
emergency home escape plan for your family.
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MakingHomeAffordable.gov
- Information on federal home loan
modification and refinancing program. Offers
features including interactive self-assessment
tools to help boowers determine if they're
eligible to participate and calculate the
monthly mortgage payment reductions they may
under the Making Home Affordable program.
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Managing the Japanese Beetle: A Homeowner's
Handbook -
Discusses how to detect and control Japanese
beetles, and choose plants that resist
Japanese beetle feeding.
(PDF file)
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Mortgage Servicing: Making Sure Your Payments
Count - When
you get a mortgage, you may think that the
lender will hold and service your loan until
you pay it off or sell your home. That’s often
not the case. In today’s market, loans and the
rights to service them often are bought and
sold. In many cases, the company that you send
your payment to is not the company that owns
your loan.
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Outdoor Electrical Safety Check
- Detailed guide to preventing outdoor
electrical hazards that can cause fires and
dangerous shocks.
(PDF file)
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Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home
- Exposure to lead is dangerous, especially to
young children. Learn how to check your home
for signs of lead.
(PDF file)
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Saving With Energy Star
- How to choose products with the Energy Star
label to help save energy, help the
environment, and reduce the costs of utility
bills.
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Shopping for Your Home Loan: HUD's Settlement
Cost Booklet -
This booklet will help you become familiar
with how interest rates, points, balloon
payments, and prepayment penalties can affect
your monthly mortgage payments. In addition,
there is important information about your loan
after settlement, including how to resolve
loan servicing problems with your lender, and
steps you can take to avoid foreclosure.
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Should You Have Your Air Ducts in Your Home
Cleaned? - Tips
on deciding if your ducts need cleaning,
choosing a cleaning service, evaluating health
claims, and keeping ducts clean.
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Surges Happen! How to Protect the Appliances
in Your Home -
Find out what power surges are, what
appliances need protection, and what devices
work best.
(PDF file)
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Turning "Fixer-Uppers" into Dream Homes
- Learn how you can get a long-term mortgage
that includes the costs of reconstructing,
modernizing, or eliminating health and safety
hazards in your home. Find out what properties
are eligible, what improvements are covered,
and how to apply.
(PDF file)
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Water on Tap: What You Need to Know
- Explains where it comes from and how it's
treated, what contaminants are, and what to do
in case of a problem with either your public
or private water supply.
(PDF file)
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Weather Patterns Are Changing, and So Are Your
Chances of Being Flooded
- In recent years, 2 out of every 3 U.S.
natural disasters were flood related. Learn
how to obtain the flood insurance you should
have.
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Weathering the High Cost of Heating Your Home
- Evaluate your heating system's energy
efficiency, buy energy-efficient appliances,
and get the best prices on heating oil.
(PDF file)
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Winter Fires - Safety Tips for the Home
- Fire safety and prevention during the colder
months of the year are the topics covered in
this flyer. Safety tips on alternate heating
sources (wood stoves, electric space heaters,
and fireplaces) and furnaces are featured.
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Your Move Packet
- Three helpful booklets to help you choose a
reputable mover, select the right level of
liability insurance to protect your
possessions, and deal with any problems on an
interstate move. Includes a "before you move"
checklist.
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