Helpful articles on do it yourself projects and home improvement topics. http://www.doityourself.com Tue, 13 May 2008 11:50:09 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.doityourself.com/assets/images/logo_doityourself.jpg http://www.doityourself.com Feed provided by DoItYourself.com. Click to visit. http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-finance-DIY-projects Home improvement projects you take on yourself almost always save money over hiring contractors to do the work for you. Even so, home repairs and improvements can be costly. Many people wonder whether they should finance their projects using credit cards Tue, 13 May 2008 01:31:42 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-finance-DIY-projects http://www.doityourself.com/stry/chapter-11-bankruptcy Bankruptcy cases filed under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code are usually called “reorganization" bankruptcy. Corporations, sole proprietorships, and partnerships use this type of bankruptcy to reorganize their business. If the company is a corporation, the fact that bankruptcy is filed does not endanger the stockholders' personal assets. If the company is a sole proprietorship or non-limited partnership, both business and personal assets may be used to pay off debts. In order to be eligible for Chapter 11, the business or individual must have unsecured debts of at least $336,900 or secured debts of $1,010,650. Chapter 11 is most often used by corporations. Tue, 13 May 2008 00:09:09 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/chapter-11-bankruptcy http://www.doityourself.com/stry/bamboofeaturebenefit In recent years, bamboo has emerged as one of the most popular new flooring styles, and it’s easy to see why. Bamboo floors have been widely used in the Pacific Rim for decades, and America has seen bamboo’s benefits for years in furniture and home accessories, so it’s natural that its usage as flooring is catching up to us now. Its wide range of style and ease of maintenance gives the pro-bamboo crowd a lot to cheer about. Mon, 12 May 2008 17:26:21 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/bamboofeaturebenefit http://www.doityourself.com/stry/flea-market-chair-makeover I love a treasure hunt and will take any opportunity to scavenge around for a great flea market or garage sale find. Every year around August, The World Longest Yard Sale is hosted by several states starting in Alabama on up to Kentucky along Hwy 127. Fri, 09 May 2008 03:41:04 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/flea-market-chair-makeover http://www.doityourself.com/stry/interest-only-loans Normally, mortgage payments consist of two parts: a payment toward the principal, or the amount you owe on the home, and an interest payment. A mortgage that is "interest-only" means that the borrower's payments will consist of only the interest and none of the principal on the loan. There is usually a specific term during which the borrower is allowed to pay interest only; this can vary, but it is typically about five to 10 years. Borrowers can, of course, make payments to the principle if they want to during the interest-only term. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:38:09 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/interest-only-loans http://www.doityourself.com/stry/flat-minimum-payment-loans For people who are interested in having flexible payment options, a flat minimum payment sounds like a dream. Sometimes called Pick-a-payment mortgages, they are marketed with names such as "stress-free mortgages." These loans allow a borrower to choose their minimum payment or an interest-only payment. They can also choose whether to amortize loan over 30 years or 15 years. Often the payment they choose is as little as one percent. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:28:45 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/flat-minimum-payment-loans http://www.doityourself.com/stry/non-conventional-loans In the world of lending, there are two kinds of loans. These are "conventional" and "non-conventional" loans. If the loan is conventional, it is a mortgage loan other than those insured or guaranteed by a government agency such as the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Veterans Administration), or the Rural Development Services. Within the framework of conventional loans there are two types, conforming and nonconforming. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:17:27 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/non-conventional-loans http://www.doityourself.com/stry/balloon-mortgage Borrowers who are shopping around for mortgages are often mystified by balloons. A balloon mortgage is a combination loan; it is easiest to think of it as having a fixed-rate portion and an adjustable rate mortgage portion. It is called a "balloon mortgage" because it doesn't fully amortize over the life of the loan -- the borrower is left with a lump sum payment at the end of term. That's the balloon. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:59:14 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/balloon-mortgage http://www.doityourself.com/stry/energy-star-fact-sheet If every American home replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR, we would prevent 9.3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year. (6 billion kWh, $642 million, 773,000 cars) Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:24:01 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/energy-star-fact-sheet http://www.doityourself.com/stry/energy-star-earth-day Green your home: The first step to a green home is using energy efficiently. The energy we use in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain and global warming. The less energy we use in our homes, the less greenhouse gases we create. Check out ENERGY STAR @ Home and the ENERGY STAR Home Advisor at energystar.gov for tips on how to seal up your home, heat and cool your home efficiently and use programmable thermostats to save energy. And while on the ENERGY STAR Web site, enter your utility bills into the Home Energy Yardstick to see how your home's efficiency 'measures up' to others in your area. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:20:16 +0100 http://www.doityourself.com/stry/energy-star-earth-day