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From the Desk of Tom Carmody
Chairman of AHAA

“Housing Hits Trifecta of Bad News”

I certainly am aware that we are the midst of the worst housing situation in America since the early ‘90s, and one that may be the worst since the depression era. USA Today highlighted the problems on the front page of its Money section: high foreclosure rates, falling prices and vacant homes. Miami leads the way in falling prices, Nevada in foreclosures and vacant homes for sale across the nation are 800,000 than would be the case in a normal market. Most every market has suffered, and will continue to do so it seems.

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Homeowner Tips

Check out our Seasonal Maintenance Checklist

Tools can be expensive to purchase. This is a list of tools that are most important to have on hand as a new homeowner.

Tools for Basic Home Repairs

Duct tape
Hammer
Screwdrivers (flathead, phillips, and allen; different sizes)
Putty knife (different widths and sizes; useful for scraping as well as puttying)
Tape measure (a 25 foot tape will handle most small household jobs)
Vise grips (useful for helping to loosen tight nuts)
Utility knife (with replacement blades)
Caulking gun
Screws, nails, bolts, of several sizes
Level (used to check whether surfaces are plumb or level)
Pry bar (for nail pulling and prying)
Adjustable wrench
Adjustable pliers

Tools for More Advanced Projects

Pair of pipe wrenches (for plumbing projects)
Pipe cutter
Belt sander (for sanding off paint and varnishes)
Cordless drill/driver (buy a set of drill bits too)
Diagonal cutters (for cutting wire)
Clamps (a pair, for projects involving gluing or fastening)

There are many home improvement books available. You can either buy one or check them out from your local library. These are some really good options:

Home Improvement 1-2-3(Home Depot … 1-2-3): by Home Depot (really good pictures)
Dare to Repair: A Do-it-Herself Guide to fixing almost anything in the home by Julie Sussman (written by a woman for women)
How to Operate Your Home byTom Feiza; Paperback
New Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual by Reader's Digest; Hardcover
New Fix-It-Yourself Manual by Reader's Digest; Hardcover