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A central air conditioning system can provide years of satisfactory cooling with relatively little maintenance. However, a seasonal start-up check and periodic maintenance is recommended.

Homeowner Checklist

The amount of do-it-yourself air conditioning maintenance a homeowner can do is limited. However, there are a few steps that can help the system operate trouble-free and minimize the potential for consequential damage. Ensuring adequate airflow is perhaps the most important homeowner responsibility.

Following manufacturer instructions, homeowners can generally:

Clean or replace the filter(s) regularly. Keep leaves and other debris off the condensing (outdoor) unit. K...

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FOR many recent college graduates, the dream of owning a home may have to be postponed awhile as they first grapple with repaying mounds of education loans.

Outstanding student loan debt now totals over $1 trillion, according to a report last month from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That surpasses the amount owned on all credit cards in the United States.

Student debt has become an issue in the presidential race, with both President Obama and Mitt Romney, the presumed Republican nominee, supporting efforts to extend loan subsidies set to expire in July.

Last year alone, students took out $117 billion just in federal loans. And it’s no wonder: According to the Colleg...

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The Women's Association of Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC) is pleased to announce its 16th Mansion in May Designer Showhouse and Gardens at Glynallyn Castle in Morristown, New Jersey. From May 1st through May 31, guests are invited to tour this historic mansion featuring design inspirations from 60 of the area's top interior and landscape designers who have donated their work in support of our cause: a new Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Center at Morristown Medical Center. After touring the Mansion and strolling through the gardens, guests can make the most of their spring day in the country by dining at the Castle Cafe and shopping at the Crown Boutiques, all convenie...

A number of factors influence the price of a home. These factors can include the property's condition and location, as well as current market conditions and interest rates. But the land on which the property sits can also influence its value. Although some people believe that a buyer will pay more for a larger piece of land, a lot's size is not always as important as its usefulness.

A home that is situated on a flat lot may sell for more than the same home if it were on a large, steep piece of property. Homebuyers typically prefer homes that offer level areas that will provide a place for children and pets to play, as well as a place to plant a garden. If a sloping lot has positive attri...

You want the peace of mind that comes from knowing your home and its contents are covered by your insurance policy, but it can be difficult to determine how much coverage you need. A recent study found that 70 percent of all homes in America are underinsured and most of those are underinsured by at least 30 percent. If yours is one of those homes, you may be faced with substantial out-of-pocket expenses if disaster ever strikes. To be safe, you should meet with your insurance agent to discuss your policy's coverage limits.

Be aware of all your options when updating your policy. Consider an insurance company that offers total-component estimating. This method figures the cost to repair an...

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Not all moms enjoy a glass of wine, but those who do will appreciate our selection of top 10 Mother's Day wines. We've chosen sparklers, reds, whites and rosés, as well as a few bottles on the sweeter side, including one made with chocolate and one with peach. Bring a bottle as a gift for mom to enjoy later or to share during a meal together.

Gloria Ferrer 2004 Royal Cuvee

SPARKLING

Gloria Ferrer 2004 Royal Cuvée
Carneros, California

Make your mother feel like a queen with this sparkling wine, whose first vintage was served to the King and Queen of Spain when they visited California in 1987. The 2004 vintage is a blend of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay gr...

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The relentless decline in home prices is nearing an end and prices should rise for the first time in seven years in 2013, but a possible new wave of foreclosures could threaten the recovery, according a Reuters poll of economists.

The median forecast of 24 economists polled by Reuters was for the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index to end the year unchanged. That was the same finding back in January for this house price gauge, which covers 20 cities.

"We are expecting a gradual improvement, but if we get a big wave of new foreclosures coming to the market, price declines could be even greater," said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an economist at BNP Paribas in ...

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It's the least favorite thing for many sellers, packing up their homes and relocating to a new home or even a new state.

Most people associate moving with stress but it doesn't have to take the thrill of moving into a new home away. Preparation and careful planning can not only ward off the stress but also save you money.

Here are some quick tips to help you move out of your old home and into your new one with ease and comfort.

Get organized. Moves are often a chaotic mess. Very often the sale goes through and sellers scramble to get their belongings packed up and loaded into the trucks. Then when they get to their new home, there isn't a trace of organization.

Boxes that were...

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Q: I'm thinking of putting my home on the market and need to know its square footage. How do I calculate my home's square footage?

A: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) offers these suggestions for measuring your home's square footage:

Always start by measuring the outside of the house. Begin measuring from any corner and work your way around the house. Move counter-clockwise so the numbers on your tape will be right-side-up. Measure from the exterior face of the walls. Include any features that are on the same level as the floor, such as chimneys and bay windows. If there are stairs, include them on every level they serve. When there are openings to the flo...

Illustration by Bryon Thompson

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1.) Hazardous deck

Look for water stains where the deck ties to the house. Ongoing water leakage can lead to wood decay, weakening the deck structure and the house. If you have any doubt about the structural integrity of the deck, call a pro to investigate.

Rid your deck of moss and mold. Pressure washers are effective. Remember, if you see wood damage, like raised fibers, increase the distance between the spray nozzle and the decking.

CR recommends an electric pressure washer. It’s quieter and easier to store and transport than a g...

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Aging baby boomers and their echo boomer children will significantly impact trends in the nation’s housing market over the next 20 years. In a new report released by the Bipartisan Policy Center, “Demographic Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Housing Markets,” researchers at the National Association of Realtors®, The Urban Institute, and the University of Southern California analyze key demographic trends and their likely influence on housing and homeownership in the U.S.

Over the next two decades, the aging baby boomer generation will swell the nation’s senior population by 30 million. That demographic shift will likely help increase the supply of housing, since people over ...

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For people who love old houses — and love to work on them — the notion of buying a fixer-upper can be irresistible. Just think: You can snag a rundown place in a good neighborhood for way below market price, invest some time and money renovating it, and end up with a like-new house that's worth at least twice what you paid for it. Sounds good, right? Often, it is. But buying a fixer-upper can be fraught with peril. So before you take the plunge, make sure you have a realistic idea of what you're getting into.

"If people are unforgiving up front about assessing the costs of renovation, the value of the property and the neighborhood, and how much money they have, they can come ou...

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Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes

2 cups best-quality Basmati rice

Kosher salt

Unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons in total

1 large onion, diced small

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled and soaked in 1/4 cup hot water

Large pinch ground cinnamon

Large pinch ground cardamom

Large pinch ground allspice

Large pinch ground black pepper

Large pinch ground cumin

1/3 cup chopped dried apricots

1/3 cup golden raisins or currants

1/3 cup dried imported barberries or goji berries, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes and drained (or use 1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries)

1/3 cup blanched slivered almonds

1/3 cup roughly chopped pistachios.

1. Rinse the rice several tim...

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SKIING down the mountain in the morning and golfing on the fairways in the afternoon, with just a five-minute drive in between? How can that be possible?

And yet it is exactly what some intrepid sportsmen are doing in the northwest corner of New Jersey, where the Crystal Springs/Mountain Creek resort in Sussex County continues to produce artificial snow, but has also opened its golf courses a full six weeks earlier than normal.

“We call it the ski-and-tee package,” said Bill Benneyan, the vice president for marketing at Mountain Creek. “It’s 50 degrees out, and there’s still snow on the mountain.”

Nevertheless, Mr. Benneyan said, ski business is down 15 percent at Mountain Cr...

40 Park Morristown, Morristown, Penthouses Morristown

MORRISTOWN, N.J – March 1, 2012 – (RealEstateRama) — Extraordinary penthouse living in the heart of downtown Morristown has struck a chord with two new home buyers who recently purchased two spectacular Penthouse residences just days apart at 40 Park, one of the most unique and sophisticated luxury residential buildings ever built in Morris County.

The new sales at the upscale condominium building overlooking the Morristown Green has left just five residences remaining in the exclusive Penthouse collection, along with a limited selection of Signature residences

“The success of 40 Park is testament to both its coveted location in the...

Outdoor deck image via Shutterstock.

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Is it possible to double your home's living area without adding a single square foot?

Yes, and it's no joke. To pull it off, though, you need to change the way you think about the property right outside your home's walls. Rather than seeing it as leftover land to be prettied up with a few flower beds, consider it an integral, functioning extension of your home's interior.

The ground outside every house offers tremendous potential living space -- often several times the total square footage of the house itself. Yet more often than not, this valuable real estate is drastically underutilized. Even when a property is nominally "landscaped," it...

Finished basement image via Shutterstock.

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f you're fortunate enough to have a basement in your home, you may have the potential for a substantial amount of additional living space right below your feet. But if you're thinking of converting that cold and unappealing area to a warm and cozy new space, there are several things you'll want to take into consideration first.

Is it safe?

One of the very first things you want to look at with any basement conversion is safety, and that can take a lot of different forms.

Is there convenient and safe access from inside the house in the form of a stairway that meets current building codes, or is there an exterior entrance that works for...

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