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Here are a few ways to spruce up your bedroom with the latest gadgets…

Automated Blackout Shades

Sync your shades with your sleep schedule and keep the room dark until its time to get up.

Dawn Simulation

Enjoy a dawn simulation by setting your lights to slowly turn on in the morning and wake up to a warm, gentle glow.

Smart Beds

Choose your ideal firmness on each side of the bed and drift away as it senses your movement and automatically adjusts to your sleeping position.

Dynamic Temperature Control

Set your thermostat to meet your needs and create the ideal atmosphere that warms or cools as you wake.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Anyone who owns a home knows that homeowners insurance is essential. It’s coverage you need to have in the event your home suffers significant damage. But understanding just what your insurance covers is not as simple as it sounds, and reviewing your coverage regularly is a prudent idea.

Are you covered for floods? Fires? Earthquakes? All three? Does your policy provide guaranteed replacement cost”which, for obvious reasons, since houses appreciate in value, may be almost prohibitively expensive? And what about exclusions? Many homeowners aren’t sure exactly what their coverage will pay for.

Financial advisors at consumer resource The Motley Fool suggest asking yourself three pointed questions when purchasing or renewing homeowners insurance:

What does it cost to build in your area? There’s no way to price disaster insurance effectively without knowing what it would cost to rebuild your home. You need to know the per-square-foot average construction cost for your zip code”a number you should be able to get from a reputable insurance agent”then multiply that by the total area of your home to get the replacement cost. Insure for that amount, and then recheck the pricing regularly.

What risks does your home face? Exclusions and riders are common for homeowners insurance. In Colorado, for example, policies frequently exclude damage from mold, since mold doesn’t thrive in the state’s dry climate. Other common exclusions apply to older homes, where outdated plumbing or fixtures may lead to greater risks. Be sure you understand exactly what risks your insurer will be covering.

What’s my back-up fund like? The best way to save money on a homeowners policy is by taking on a higher deductible. But the higher your deductible, the less likely you will be to put in a claim for any lesser damages that may occur. You will need to have an emergency fund large enough to cover the gap in the event you ever need to.

Interested in housing and real estate tips? Feel free to contact me directly.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

How many times have you heard the story about people who move into their dream home only to find out that theres a huge plumbing issue or noisy neighbors next door? Learn from their mistakes, and reconsider certain factors before signing on the dotted line. Heres a comprehensive checklist for homebuyers when it comes to deal breakers:

Plumbing: If the plumbing isn’t working, guess who has to spend money fixing it? You got it: the person who signs on the dotted line. Plumbing issues can be even harder to address in older homes that have an outdated set-up. Be sure your inspector conducts a thorough evaluation before closing.

Electrical System: Whatevers not there has to be added, and whatever is not working has to be fixed. And since were talking about electricity, you could literally be playing with fire when it comes to outdated systems.

Roof: Here come the leaks. Or the potential leaks that will pop up after your first winter at the new place. You dont want anything getting in between you and your Christmas dinner, so make sure the home has a roof that is reliable and can be easily maintained.

Location: If you want a home by the beach, dont buy a home in the city. But departing from the obvious, keep in mind how noisy or quiet your street is, or how close your home is from the things that affect your lifestyle.

Layout: Similar to the location, you want to make sure your future house is laid out as close to what you had in mind as possible. If the bedrooms are too small to fit two kids per room, it will be costly to make those upgrades.

Placement: This detail is often overlooked. Your home might be laid out perfectly and in a location you approve of, but it might be placed too far or too close from the street. Your home could also be sandwhichedagainst another house, not allowing for any privacy, or it could be too secluded. Before buying, take a good look around the outside of the home, not just the inside.

Flooding: Make sure youre aware of whether or not your home is at risk of flooding, and dont dismiss this factor just because youre not close to a body of water. A slope in the road combined with a bad draining system can have your front porch swimming with the fish after a heavy rainfall.

Upgrade Restrictions: Dont get carried away with upgrade ideas before first double checking that there are no local restrictions. Ask the local municipality directly, given that the seller may not even know for sure.

History: In essence, make sure that your house has been patched up correctly through the years. You dont want to invest in a place that appears fine but may actually start collapsing after a few months.

Also keep in mind that the things that may inconvenience you now will also inconvenience a future buyer. Make sure youre not locking yourself into a bad deal.

Source: Zillow; LearnVest

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From traditional elegance to contemporary cool, heres how to design a white kitchen.

Go Big on Marble

Marble is perfect for creating sophisticated countertops and backsplashes.

Warm It Up With Wood

Easily warm up the ambiance and create an effortlessly timeless aesthetic.

A Touch of Texture

There are plenty of ways to add texture, like terrazzo floors or exposed white brick walls.

Introduce Accents

A white kitchen doesnt have to be entirely white. Introducing an accent color is advised to mix it up a little bit.

Maximize Natural Light

Sun exposure will help create a light and airy atmosphere in your kitchen.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Interest rates remain low, though thats no reason to stow your money under your mattress.

Hiding your money at home wont earn you any interest, and thats one of the benefits”no matter how small”that banks and credit unions can offer customers. But banks and credit unions have different benefits and drawbacks, and knowing how each works can make it easier to decide where to put your cash.

Here are some differences between credit unions and banks:

Profit vs. no profit: The first thing to note when comparing banks to credit unions is that banks are in business to make money and credit unions are not for profit. This can allow credit unions to offer better interest rates, which well get to shortly.

Credit unions are cooperatively owned and run by volunteer board members, who decide interest rates and other factors. To join a credit union, you may have to be a member of an employee group, association or some other specific affiliation, and may have to live in a specific geographic area.

Interest Rates: Credit unions have slightly better interest rates than banks on CDs, money market accounts, regular savings accounts and interest checking accounts, according to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

Better Loans: Credit unions also have either the same or better rates on home loans, and their car loans can be half the rate of what a bank charges, according to the NCUA data.

Deposit Insurance: Both credit unions and banks have the same protection from the federal government through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., or FDIC. It insures up to $250,000 per account for checking, savings, money market and CD accounts.

Lower Fees: Credit unions generally charge less in fees than banks, according to the NCUA, though its website didnt offer specific examples. When looking into banking fees, ask about minimum balance requirements to avoid a monthly fee, whether youre limited to withdrawals from a savings account each month, what debit card fees it charges and if youre reimbursed for fees at an ATM not affiliated with your account.

More Options at Banks: From a retirement plan to business loans and investing services, and everything in between, most banks will often offer more services than credit unions do. Banks also have more brick-and-mortar locations and ATMs that are spread around the country and are free to customers, making them a more convenient option.

Wherever you decide to put your money, check online with the FDIC to ensure that the bank or credit union you want to do business with is insured by the FDIC and is a legitimate financial institution.

Published with permission from RISMedia.