Sinkholes are a lot more common than many home owners realize—particularly in Florida, according to CoreLogic, a real estate analytics firm.

A Florida man is presumed dead after a large sinkhole engulfed his entire bedroom last week, capturing headlines across the country. The incident has prompted many home owners wonder if a sinkhole is a threat to their homes too.

In a CoreLogic analysis, Florida appears to be most at risk for sinkholes, with 15,000 verified sinkholes. Pasco County—along the West Coast of Florida—has about 6,000 of those sinkholes, according to CoreLogic.

"It's important to note that not all sinkholes are prone to a sudden collapse like this, and they all obviously represent various levels of risk to people in the area," CoreLogic writes. "It's also interesting to know, however, that general homeowners insurance often does not cover sinkhole losses."

Source: “CoreLogic: Sinkholes More Common, Costly than Home Owners Realize,” HousingWire

About 30 home buyers — all pre-qualified — have lined up in tents and camped out in order to be first in line for an opportunity to buy a new home in Huntington Beach, Calif. The homes are still under construction by Brightwater Capri development and are priced between $800,000 and $900,000.

The first home in the new development still doesn’t go on sale until March 2. Five homes are set to be released this weekend. Only pre-approved buyers on a first-come, first-served basis will be able to preview the homes.

The homes feature four bedrooms, ocean views, and range from 1,992 to 2,685 square feet. Buyers have 11 floorplans to choose from.

"If you want the opportunity, you gotta make the sacrifice," says Terry Torline, a hopeful buyer who is camping out. "Based on what's out there in the marketplace, it's a good deal right now."

Source: “Huntington Beach Homebuyers Camp Out for Chance at New House,” AOL Real Estate

Expect to see emerald everywhere — Pantone’s 2013 color queen.

Goodbye Tangerine Tango. Hello emerald, Pantone’s 2013 color of the year.

Why emerald, or as Pantone’s swatch names it: 17-5641?

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature — the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, a color consultant to corporations.

Eiseman says emerald sparkles, fascinates, and “brings a sense of clarity, renewal, and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world.”

Tangerine Tango, last year’s color queen (and my new favorite hue), was a pinkish orange that packed an energy punch. 2013’s emerald is a vivid, verdant green that “enhances our sense of well-being … promoting balance and harmony,” Pantone says.

Expect to see the color on everything from kitchen colors to gas grills to $25 commemorative mugs.

Emerald green: love it or hate it?

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/painting/pantone-color-of-2013-emerald/#ixzz2LvWTXrFR

There is a long list of household chores the beginning of each season. If you break it down with one chore a day and bundle a short, easy list on a day off from work, then it can become manageable. After all, you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time!

So first, think of your personality. If you put the worst chore first, would you be happy to get that one over with, or would you simply never start working on the list at all? Order the list to fit your comfort zone.

Spring

• Walk around the yard and take a notebook with you. Write down any lawn or outdoor buildings which require maintenance. Be sure to make specific notes, so you will not be scratching your head later trying to figure out your notes. Remember painting as well.
• Get rid of all the old stuff you have not used in a year. Garage sales are great motivators.
• Switch the clothes in the closet from heavy winter to spring.
• Check the roof. Are there any loose or deteriorating shingles? Are the gutters in need of repair?
• The outdoor furniture is calling; pull it out of storage and enjoy watching the flowers begin to grow!

Summer

• It may seem silly to think of the upcoming frost, but checking the furnace or heaters now makes sense, instead of having a failure at the worst possible moment.
• Check the screens on all the doors and the assemblies for the sliding glass doors.
• If you use contractors for replacing gutters and other outside household services, now is actually the time to take advantage of that. The fall is when they are typically the most busy.
• The kids will be spending a lot of time on the swing set, is it well maintained?

Fall

• The leaves are falling, sigh, time to rake. Make the activity more festive and have a contest to see which family member can gather the most. Remember the gutters!
• When is the last time you checked the insulation in the attic? Do any shingles need replacement after the summer sun?
• Now is the time to aerate the soil, in the front and back yards.

Winter

• It’s a perfect time to get a lot of the detailed “spring” cleaning done inside the house. Holidays are approaching and folks will be dropping by for short visits and lengthy meals. Move furniture, vacuum underneath, check the foyer closet for clutter, to make room for heavy coats and umbrellas. Give the whole house a white glove test!
• Change clothes in the closet from summer to winter.
• Check supplies to keep the walks free of ice; shovel, dry ice, salt, etc.
• Check decorations for the holidays.

Inventory levels in 2012 reached an 11-year low and fell yet again last month, further limiting the number of homes for sale nationwide. Inventories of for-sale homes were down by 16.5 percent in January year-over-year, and fell 5.6 percent from December, according to the latest data compiled from Realtor.com.

Inventories typically fall in December and January in preparation of the spring buying season.

“But the shortage of homes for sale in a growing number of U.S. markets is maddening for would-be buyers who frequently complain that there aren’t enough good choices,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “Bidding wars are becoming more common.”

At a time when buyer demand is strong, inventories remain constrained as banks slow their pace of foreclosures and home owners delay selling until they regain more equity in their homes.

Metro areas posting some of the largest monthly declines in inventory levels are San Francisco (where inventory levels are down by 21 percent in January compared to December and down 47 percent year-over-year) as well as Seattle (where levels dropped 9 percent from December). The two have also seen some of the largest price increases in the nation. Median asking prices have risen by 16.4 percent and 23.7 percent in those places, respectively.

Source: “Housing Inventory, Already Low, Dropped Further in January,” The Wall Street Journal

 

 

After a meteor struck western Siberia and more meteors threatened the entire globe on Friday, CNNMoney asked the question: Who pays for damage to a home if hit by a space object?

Rest easy, “your insurance covers falling objects," says Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute. In the rare events when meteors have crashed through home owners’ roofs over the years, insurers have paid the damage for those insured, Hartwig says.

“Blue ice” — the frozen sewage that sometimes falls from airplanes — is more common and is also covered if it falls from the sky onto your home, Hartwig told CNNMoney.

A remnant of a meteor struck in the Urals region of western Siberia Friday injuring more than 700 people and damaging nearly 300 buildings. It was referred to as a “once-in-a-century” event.

"The earth is pelted with 40 tons of space debris a year," says Laurie Leshin, a former NASA scientist. "Most of that is in teeny dust particles" and rarely does it injure people or damage property.

Source: “Who Pays for Damage From a Meteor?” CNNMoney (Feb. 15, 2013)