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Germany leads the world in energy efficiency, followed by Italy, Japan, France and the United Kingdom, according to an international scorecard. The United States is tied for eighth with South Korea.

What are other countries doing so much better than the U.S.? Can the big steps that Germany, for example, is taking to be more green be broken down for individuals to do?

The 2016 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard from the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, or ACEEE, looked at performance in buildings, industry, transportation and overall national energy efficiency efforts.

Those are broad areas and apply to entire countries. But there are plenty of small things that an individual or a family can do to save energy that are more widely used around the globe. Here are a few:

Build better: If youre adding on to your home or remodeling, consider green building materials that will make your home more energy efficient. Forty percent of all energy is consumed in buildings, and most of that is used for heating.

Buy green: When choosing a refrigerator or freezer, pay a little more money upfront if you have to for the one thats more energy efficient. Products with the Energy Star certification clearly make it easy to see how much energy something uses and how much it costs per year to power it. Look for the most energy efficient product you can when shopping, such as light bulbs and consumer electronics.

Ride a bike: Germany has extensive bicycle transportation networks, with more than 200 long-distance bicycle paths. Riding a bike to work every day may be difficult, but try riding on errands a few miles from home to see if it improves your health and lowers the gas bill for your car.

Take public transportation: The German public transportation system is so large that 88 percent of Germans live near a bus or train stop. Share your car or take the bus to work and save money and help the environment.

Recycle: If your citys garbage collector doesnt have a recycling program, ask for one. Germany has a complicated recycling system where items must be sorted and recycled properly. Recycling helps reduce pollution, conserve resources and save energy. For example, about 95 percent of the energy used to produce an aluminum can from virgin materials can be saved by using recycled aluminum instead.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

There are many advantages of homeownership, but the burden of maintaining, repairing and replacing home appliances goes right along with it. The decision to repair or replace a broken or failing appliance is often made under pressure and without adequate knowledge about the nature of the appliance or its expected lifetime.

Water Heaters
Unless the water heater isnt working properly because of a part thats easy to replace, its almost never a good idea to repair it. The primary causes of water heater failure are tank leaks or corrosion, neither of which can be repaired.

Refrigerators
Many repairs for refrigerators are easy and affordable, especially if the problem is a bad motor, a refrigerant leak or issues with electronic controls. However, door seals can fail, causing the appliance to run overtime or build frost in the freezer section. Between the cost of replacement seals and the labor to install them, it often makes sense to replace the refrigerator instead of repairing it.

Dishwashers
Mechanically, dishwashers are fairly simple appliances that are easily repaired. Problems associated with the door seal or holes inside the tub often prompt a replacement rather than a repair, though.

Stoves and Ovens
Because stoves and ovens have few moving parts, they break down less often and replacement is typically a matter of personal preference rather than necessity. However, stove and oven heating elements do fail, and unless the appliance is too old, replacement burners and elements are readily available. Newer ovens and ranges may have control panels built into them that can fail. Prices for parts vary, and it may be better to replace the unit rather than the component, especially if theres an active home warranty.

Washers and Dryers
Water leaks and broken belts are common problems associated with washing machines and easy to repair. A burned-out motor may prompt a replacement, depending on the washers age and condition. Clothes dryers create a good deal of heat, and when they malfunction, it can be dangerous if their safety switches malfunction. A dryer that overheats clothing is a fire hazard, and unless the breakdown results from a failed motor or timer, its probably a good idea to consider replacing it.

Major appliances do make life easier and more comfortable, but theyre often a mystery to homeowners. When making a repair-or-replace decision, consult the manufacturers or representatives that service them.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If youre buying a house with cash only, you may have gotten a lower price for it and you certainly wont have to deal with a bank to get a mortgage loan. Another advantage is that you dont have to buy title insurance to protect your lender.

Mortgage lenders usually require buyers to purchase a title insurance policy, usually for about $1,000, to protect the lenders interest in the property. The home is the collateral for the loan, so the lender wants to make sure there arent any problems with the title of a property.

While a cash purchase of a home wont require title insurance for a lender, called a loan policy, homebuyers may still want to buy it for themselves. An owners policy protects the new titleholders ownership rights. The policy is in effect for as long as the owners or their heirs own the property.

Before issuing an owners policy, a title insurance company will search and examine public records to determine the state of the propertys title. Any issues found will be fixed, and if there are challenges, then youll be alerted to the issue so you can determine if you want to proceed with the transaction.

You wont be required to buy an owners policy when buying a home with cash, but it may be a smart purchase anyway. Title insurance can protect you financially from any prior liens on the property, restrictions on the use of the property or forgeries in public records.

A missing heir to a former property owner, for example, could be found. Or a deed could have been forged in the past. Title insurance not only helps uncover such issues, but protects you against any undiscovered issues that could arise in the future.

How likely are cash purchases of homes? In January 2017, 23 percent of home sales were cash, according to the National Association of REALTORS.

Only 6 percent of first-time buyers paid all cash for homes. The most likely buyers to pay all cash were investors, followed by international buyers, distressed sales and second-homebuyers. As investment and distress sales have declined, so do cash sales.

Buying a lenders policy for title insurance is a relatively small cost when purchasing a house. Still, the savings when paying cash for a home can be a little bit of a boost to your bottom line. At the very least, the savings could be put toward buying an owners policy for title insurance for yourself to give you some peace of mind during the buying process.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Taking out a mortgage to buy a house is a huge step. The amount and terms of the loan will have a major impact on your financial picture for decades. That’s why you should choose a lender carefully.

What to Do Before You Apply

In order to qualify for an attractive interest rate, you need to prove to lenders that you are a good risk. That means you need to get your financial house in order before you start applying for a mortgage. The first step is to get copies of your credit reports and have any errors corrected. If you have a lot of credit card debt, work to pay down the balances and lower your debt-to-income ratio.

Take a hard look at your budget and figure out how much you can afford in monthly mortgage payments. A lender may approve you for a bigger loan than you can realistically handle. Write down all of your monthly expenses, look at your monthly income after taxes and figure out how much you can afford for a mortgage without stretching yourself too thin.

Applying for a Mortgage

Gather all of the information you’ll for lenders to process your application. This will include pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, a list of all financial accounts, a list of all your monthly debt payments, proof of employment and income, and information on any accounts in collection, lawsuits or bankruptcies. Lenders may have different requirements on how far back they want the records to go.

Lenders offer a wide range of interest rates, fees, points and other terms based on each applicants specific circumstances. Some people get the best deal from a traditional mortgage lender, while others are offered better terms by a credit union, retail lender, correspondent lender or wholesale lender. The lender that offered your friend a great rate might not offer the same rate to you, but you could get a good deal somewhere else.

If you dont shop around, you could spend thousands of dollars more than you have to over the life of the loan. If you don’t have the time to contact multiple lenders yourself, a mortgage broker can get quotes from several lenders in exchange for a fee. Then you can compare them to make a decision.

Getting preapproved for a mortgage can help in the home-buying process because it demonstrates that you’re in good shape financially and able to move forward quickly. Once you get preapproved, you still need to carefully manage your finances. The lender may review your income, assets and debts again before finalizing the mortgage.

Choose Carefully

Obtaining a mortgage is a significant step that will impact your finances for many years to come. You should not rush it or take it lightly. Do what you can to improve your current financial situation, be realistic about what you can afford and shop around to find the most favorable terms.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If youre about to put your home on the market, there are probably some repairs and changes that need to be taken care of to ensure you get top dollar for your home.

But before you begin tearing your home apart, its important to understand that some home improvements can be categorized as major and necessary, while others are more minor in nature.

When picking which improvements to take care of prior to listing your home, remember that not all home improvement projects offer the same return on investment. Here are some tips:

Cosmetic Repairs
Most prospective homebuyers know to look beyond cosmetic damage (peeling paint and scuffed floors) when theyre looking to purchase a home. More importantly, theyll want to know that the major systems in the home are in good working condition, such as any and all plumbing and electrical components.

Luxury Fixes
If youre updating your kitchen or bathroom before listing your home, make sure you’re not going overboard on the finishes unless it’s a luxury listing. Quartz counters and a new double wall oven in the kitchen may not get you your money back when you sell, so keep it modern, but also keep the costs in mind.

Trendy Repainting
A fresh coat of paint will work wonders when it comes to giving new life to any room in your home, but if youre going to take on this project, its best to not get too colorful. If youre serious about selling your home, youll want to attract as many potential buyers as possible, so stick to neutral colors that will appeal to the masses.

Published with permission from RISMedia.