Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - Verizon Fios comes to our house today!

I sit here, waiting for the Verizon Fios techs to get here. I'm singing the "anticipa-a-tion" song in my head.

I'm pretty excited about it. I am so sick of all the problems we've had with Comcast -- picture pixelating, sound dropping in and out. Wireless connectivity spotty at best. So I really have my hopes pinned on Fios being a better product, though I really do realize that it is a "your-mileage-may-vary" product and service.

One very funny thing happened when the sales guy came to our door. He was young -- under 30, I'd say. He was extoling the virtues of the Verizon Triple Play - TV, internet and phone. My husband, Joseph, had some questions about the phone service, which the sales guy only sort-of answered. For those of you who know Joseph, he can get pretty intense in his questioning.

So Joseph's question was basically: why get Fios phone service when our old fashioned phone service works great?

The salesman's answer - The battery backup gives you peace of mind. If the power goes out, you will still have phone service for around 8 hours.

Joseph said we have better than that now. We have phone service for as long as power is out.

The sales guy said but this is better because you have a battery backup.

Well, needless to say, this went on for a ridiculously long time, with each of them getting more and more frustrated. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I explained to this youngun that the old-fashioned phones, the ones you plug straight into the outlet with no power cord needed, worked whether or not there is power. He was amazed.

Talk about a generation gap! Sometimes less technology is better.

UPDATED 11/7/07

Well, it's installed and, so far, it's terrific! Internet speeds are great, the TV picture is sharper (we don't have Hi Def) and I'm happy. It'll take a while to get used to the new remote and menus, but that's normal. So far, so good! --Susan

(C) Susan Pruden.

Saturday, July 28, 2007 - Who's That At My Door?

One of the benefits of showing so many homes is that I get to see all kinds of neat stuff. This past winter I was in a townhouse up in Laurel and I noticed the little peep-hole for seeing who's at your front door. We have one at our front door and usually it's only good for letting me know that someone is there -- I can't usually tell WHO that someone is. And if they stand a little to the side, I can't see them at all.

Note: I don't open the door if you stand to the side. If I can't see you, you don't get to see me. At least until we get one of these neat do-hickeys.

Anyway, this particular peep-hole is called a Door Scope and it's like having a little color monitor on your door! It's bright and clear, you don't have to stand with your eye pressed up against it to see through it, and it's got a very nice wide-angle lens. They range in price from $14.50 to $29.50.

I'm so glad we got something good out of that particular showing, because the real estate company forgot to call their client and let her know that we were coming through. We let ourselves into the house at our appointed time (using the lockbox as instructed), set off the alarm, which got the owner out of the shower and scared her half-to-death. The buyers decided they'd seen enough at the front door and we left.

But not without noticing how cool the Door Scope was.

If I were selling my house, I'd definitely want one of these things. Okay, even though I'm not selling, I want one. Are you reading this, honey???

(C) Susan Pruden.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - Recalls -- How do we find out about them

Once in a while, a home inspector will notify a buyer that an appliance has a recall on it. Then the buyer asks the seller to take care of whatever the repair is. Usually it's that simple and it costs the seller nothing.

But occasionally the recall has expired and the manufacturer says they are happy to do the repair -- for a fee.

So check out recalls now -- there's a terrific site that combines all the different agencies that oversee recalls -- recalls.gov. It's worth a little exploring.

(C) 2006 Susan Pruden.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - Water Damage and Homeowner's Insurance

I guess I'm sort of on an insurance kick right now...I haven't had any claims, so I'm not really sure why it's on my mind. Actually, what's really on my mind is maintenance and how it affects insurance.

According to The Institute for Business & Home Safety, water damage is the number one cause of homeowners insurance claims. According to the IBHS, the most frequent water claims involve:

• Toilet overflows
• Burst washing machine hoses
• Failed water heaters
• Leaking air conditioning condensation lines and drain pans
• Leaky shower pans

USAA (my insurance company) offers a Checklist For Preventing Water Losses to help you determine what areas to check in your home.

As soon as I finish typing this, I'm printing a copy and going on a tour of my home. I'll let you know how we fare.

(C) 2006 Susan Pruden.

Monday, June 19, 2006 - Vacant Home Insurance

If you own a house that is vacant or unoccupied, you should review your homeowner's insurance policy with your agent to find out what the stipulations and coverage are.

Some companies don't insure vacant homes at all.  Vandalism, fire, water damage, and so forth, can be a greater threat in vacant houses because no one is around to see it or stop it. Imagine a burst water heater pouring water into your basement for days -- you  may not realize it until you get the water bill!

Vacant home insurance is usually more expensive than your regular homeowner's insurance. However, it may be better to pay a higher premium than to have a claim denied outright.

Whatever the situation, it's good to have a talk with your insurance company if your house is going to be vacant for any length of time.

Additional reading: A brief article on the most common type of homeowner's insurance and what it covers.

(C) 2006 Susan Pruden.