A North Hempstead family will have to pay $6,000 more a year in taxes for a total of $13,333 after the home was reassessed, county officials said.

The 10-year town employee, added a second story improvement job to her New Hyde Park cape home sometime between 2001 and 2004. However, the building department apparently did not file the required permits for the remodeling with the county assessor’s office and her taxes were never raised to reflect the renovation, officials said.

Her father deeded the home to her in 2005 through a life estate transaction. Inspectors reassessed the home at $800,000 up from $435,000, the assessor’s office said.

Currently, the family pays $7,289 a year in taxes - minus $1,718 in tax exemptions - officials said.

“We’re not criminals,” the family said. “If we didn’t pay the proper taxes, that’s the county and the town’s fault. It’s not our obligation to get it over to the assessor’s office.”

Town officials confirmed that the family actually had filed the permits and paid the fees, but the assessor’s office said it never received the documents.

“The Town is reviewing its records to determine … whether a copy of the permit for second floor renovations was delivered to the County Assessor’s office in 2002,” town spokesman David Chauvin said in a statement. “All appropriate documents will be turned over to the Assessor’s office.”

Building permit applications go to a plans examiner for approval. The examiner then stamps them and gives them to a department clerk, who then assigns them numbers before copies are sent to the assessor.

As the wildfire threat rises in a number of states, the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is encouraging homeowners to take steps to reduce their risk and boost their homes’ defenses.

According to IBHS, the key is removing everything fire would view as a fuel source. This will help create a zone around the home to help slow flames, should a fire start, and potentially direct it elsewhere. Take these steps within 30 feet of most houses, 50-100 feet if it’s a heavily wooded area:

1. Eliminate fuel sources like dry landscaping, woodpiles and decks.
2. Prune trees and shrubs.
3. Trim taller trees so lowest branch is no less than six feet from the
ground.
4. Remove dead leaves and branches from the yard.
5. Clear branches from around the roof and chimney.
6. Mow lawn regularly and dispose promptly of cuttings and debris.
7. Clear roof, gutters and eaves of debris.
8. Maintain your irrigation system.
9. Move firewood and storage tanks 50 feet away from the home.
10. Store flammable liquids properly.

Homeowners about to begin a landscaping project can increase their protection by introducing more native vegetation and spacing trees at least 10 feet apart.

And if a facelift is being planned for a home’s exterior, use only non- combustible materials on the roof, walls, eaves, soffits and fascia.

For more information to help protect your home or business from disasters or more common causes of loss, visit the IBHS web site www.disastersafety.org

The Institute for Business & Home Safety works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other property losses by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

How do you pick a home repair or home maintenance contractor who’ll do a good job without ripping you off?

Here are 8 top tips from an expert that may help homeowners pick the right home repair or home maintenance contractor for their work:

1. Experience matters. Pick a home repair or home maintenance contractor
with enough experience to do your job right. When we’re called in to
fix problems caused by other contractors, the most common cause of the
problem is that the person who did the original work didn’t have the
experience or skill to do the job right the first time.

2. Get a firm price. With a few exceptions, home repair and home
maintenance contractors should be able to give you a firm price in
writing before work begins. The exceptions are jobs where it’s
impossible to know up front how much work and materials will be
required — some emergency plumbing repairs, for example. Make sure
the price quote specifies what’s included.

3. Get a firm schedule. There’s nothing more frustrating than work that
doesn’t get done on schedule. Ask your home repair / home maintenance
contractor for a firm schedule and insist on being able to cancel a
contract if work doesn’t start on time. Consider price incentives for
work being completed on time for major projects that take a long time
to complete.

4. Get multiple bids on large projects. Always a good idea. Pay
attention to how the people preparing the bids approach your project.
The degree of professionalism a home repair / home maintenance
contractor shows when bidding your project is a good indicator of the
professionalism they’ll bring to your work.

5. Consider price and value. Price is always worth considering. But
choose the home repair / home maintenance contractor who will give you
the best value for your money. Value includes the quality as well as
price. If you receive widely varying bids for a project, try to
figure out why. The bids may include different quality material or
levels of work. Cheapest isn’t always the cheapest or best.

6. Inspections are important. Be wary of home repair / home maintenance
contractors who try to get you to skip permits and inspections by
promising to do the work for less money if you do. Permits are there
to protect you. The inspector’s job is to make sure the work done on
your home meets local safety and quality codes. Skip this step and
the few dollars you save today may cost you big bucks down the road.

7. Get a guarantee. Get a guarantee in writing and understand exactly
what it covers — or doesn’t cover.

8. Check references. Ask for references from other homeowners who’ve had
similar work done. And check them out with the Better Business Bureau
too.

Research released today revealed the nation’s strangest house hunting experiences. From the discovery of stray pets to sightings of the supernatural, the research uncovers an array of quirky incidents; with 1 in 4 people (23.5%) reporting that they experienced an unusual encounter in their search for the perfect home.

Top 10 Strangest House Viewings

1. Discovered that the owners had given each of their pets
their own bedroom
2. Arrived to find the roof had fallen in
3. Experienced a spooky ghost like presence
4. Split up with a partner due to an argument over a potential
house purchase
5. Ended up making friends with the people selling
6. Looked around the wrong house
7. Got locked in the house whilst viewing
8. Found someone in the house sleeping it off after a drinking
session
9. Found a stray pet left behind
10.Walked in on a couple together in the bedroom

Other bizarre findings, which not surprisingly put off prospective buyers, included the discovery of the sellers sex habits posted on the fridge, a dead pigeon found in the bathroom and a discovery that someone asleep upstairs had already purchased the house.

Searching for a house can be a stressful experience for many people. However if people plan ahead with regards to their finances, it will enable them to feel much better prepared for when they do eventually find their perfect home.

It is perhaps therefore a relief to many house hunters that the research shows the majority of people view less than 5 houses (43%) and take less than 3 months (33%) before they find their ideal house. However at the other end of the scale there are some dedicated house hunters who devote years and end up visiting over 100 properties (1%) in search of their dream home.

Always make a checklist of priorities before visiting any properties, taking into account factors such as the location, size, local amenities, surrounding areas and council tax banding of the property.

A recent trend creating a buzz in the home improvement industry is the good life - people seeking to live well by remodeling a kitchen, add a fireplace to the master bath or create an outdoor living room complete with fireplace and kitchen.

Based on a Harvard study, American homeowners will keep the remodeling industry thriving into the next decade wanting energy-efficient, gorgeously designed products that will add comfort and convenience to the little precious time spent at home.

Comfort is a notion that means different things to different people: It can be visual. It can be physical. It can be a synthesis of color, light, texture and style. What works in a New York City brownstone might not be the answer in a Southern California flat.

Some home touches can be expensive, but making a little room feel and actually be comfortable doesn’t have to cost a ton of money

Get your imagination going and consider this:

Observe the types of places you personally find inviting and comfortable. Imagine that as your ideal room and vision a desk, a couple of tables ot a TV set. Perhaps a chaise lounge where you could stretch out would work. Once you’ve decided, looking hard for what would make you happy (without spending a fortune) and just DO IT! Remeber, you are doing it for YOU… not for home and garden magazine.

Then relax and enjoy your getaway at home.

Roofs take a tremendous beating during the winter months. Extreme weather conditions, including volatile temperature changes, can cause roofing shingles and flashing to expand and contract, creating damage. Heavy snow loads and ice dams also take a toll on a roof. Missing, cracked or damaged shingles may develop into leaks. Home repair experts recommend that homeowners have their roof inspected at least once a year to identify and address problems early, before serious damage is done.

Many homeowners are avoiding this annual spring repair ritual by installing durable and environmentally-friendly metal roofs. In fact, the number of homes with metal roofs has doubled over the past five years. Why? Today’s metal roofing is available in a wide variety of styles and colors to complement any architectural style. Metal roofs resist cracking, shrinking and eroding and stand up to hail, high winds and wildfires.

These time-tested roofs also save energy and can help to save the environment. Installing a metal roof can save homeowners up to 40 percent in annual energy costs, depending on the geographical region. And, the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows for a tax credit for homeowners who install qualified energy-efficient improvements to an existing home, including metal roofs that meet the Energy Star(R) program requirements.

Most metal roofing systems are made of recycled material. In fact, these investment-grade roofs contain up to 56 percent recycled material, from production to installation to reuse, far superior to traditional asphalt shingles. Often, metal roofs can be installed directly onto an existing asphalt roof, reducing landfill waste associated with tearing off the old roof.

“Metal roofs come with a long term warranty, increase the value of your home and cut energy costs.

Low-income Pennsylvania families in need of heating assistance will benefit from larger crisis grants and an extended application deadline for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle B. Richman said today.

“Many low-income families are still feeling the financial effects of the rising cost of heating their homes and keeping their loved ones warm,” said Richman. “For that reason, we are pleased to have sufficient funding available that allows us to continue providing for the heating needs of families across Pennsylvania.”

Crisis grants will be increased to $400 and the program extended to March 30, 2007. LIHEAP recipients who have already received $300 in crisis benefits can now apply for an additional $100 if they experience another home heating emergency.

Cash grants are designed to help families pay their home heating bills and are based on household income, family size, fuel type and heating region. This year, a family of four with an annual income of up to $30,000 can qualify for assistance. In addition to verification of income and household size, applicants must provide a recent energy bill or a statement from their fuel provider stating the type of fuel they use and their customer status.

Federally funded, LIHEAP helps low-income households pay for a variety of home heating fuel sources and furnace repairs during the winter months. Since the application period for the current program year opened last November, the program has provided cash grants to more than 304,000 families and it has helped nearly 83,000 families in crisis.

Crisis grants are approved for families with heating emergencies, such as mechanical breakdowns or unexpected fuel shortages. In most counties, individuals seeking crisis grants should contact their county assistance office. Residents of the nine counties listed below are encouraged to contact the appropriate agencies.

Home Solutions of America (NASDAQ:HSOA) was Awarded $17 Million in Contracts to Provide Construction Services in Florida

Home Solutions of America, Inc. is a provider of recovery, restoration and rebuilding and remodeling services. It’s restoration division was awarded the $17 million in contracts to provide construction services on new residential and commercial construction projects in the Tampa, Florida area for a leading regional developer.

Under the agreements, the Company will provide construction services, including design, engineering, architectural, labor and materials as well as cabinetry, granite and vanities. Work under several of the projects has already commenced. The new projects are in addition to the previously announced remediation and recovery work the Company commenced in the area last month in connection with the tornadoes that struck the Central Florida region in early February.

Home Solutions of America, Inc. is a specialty provider of recovery, restoration and rebuilding/remodeling services to commercial and residential areas that are prone to flooding, hurricanes, tornados, fires or other naturally occurring and repetitive weather related emergencies.

A homeowner can increase resale value with a conservatory. One look at the glass-enclosed conservatory sold her the very first she walked through the home. Where homes sell for between $1.5 million and just over $2 million “The conservatory most definitely adds resale value.

We are talking about an airy, glass enclosure that complements a structure’s more traditional brick facade. These designs and remodeling additions carry many potential advantages - including increasing value and desirablity of an upper end home. Conservatories running $85,000 in 2000 are already costing $125,000+ to replicate because of the demand and desire of upper-end homeowners to have one.

Real-estate agents generally say that, as an investment, a conservatory is a wise bet because it increases overall living space and can enhance a home’s curb appeal. Such artistic visions come with hefty price tags. Today conservatories would run as much as $175,000 to $230,000 — hardly the standard remodeling of America’s middle class.

In terms of actual resale value, owners in some parts of the country can expect to recoup 65.7 percent of the cost, according to Remodeling magazine’s annual report, published in December 2006. It found the average cost of building a conservatory or sunroom in New York is $51,517, while the average resale value is $33,825.

High- and low-end buyers

For those at the upper end, a conservatory can be one more way to customize an already stunning property. A conservatory is about the only thing you could do to add value to a home that costs $22,000,000 — now that is upper end!

Conservatory designs vary from the traditional glasshouses originally built to conserve plants during cold-weather months, to more modern geodesic domes. Many are octagonal, with sloped glass roofs and tall glass walls or windows. Sunrooms, a close relative of the conservatory, usually have a solid roof.

Today, these rooms with a view are more likely to be used as dens, studies or rooms for entertaining. The most popular location is just off the kitchen, says a Maryland-based company that designs conservatories for commercial and residential properties, including some in the Hamptons.

Industry experts say the trend has been building since the ’70s, when insulated glass became available, making the structures functional even during harsh Northeastern winters.

Some homeowners forgo custom designers in favor of manufactured conservatories, which can be far less expensive. Kits run from $25,000 to $150,000 and come in several standard designs. Buyers choose the type of glass, windows, insulation and a ventilation system, which, along with size, determine the price.

Single-family homes are expected to end the growth spurt that has persisted, with some cyclical interruptions, since 1973 and the size of homes is NOT expected to rise any more.

The high cost of housing has forced consumers to start making trade-offs, and higher quality is trumping additional space. Recent sizes of 2,459 avg square-feet are up from the 1973 avg of 1,500 square feet in 1973 — but that trend is likely to change.

What they have been losing in square footage, however, home buyers have been getting back in volume — higher ceilings are here to stay. Much of this changes is also being driven by accessibility for the aging baby-boom population, technological advancement, green construction materials and environmental concerns.

The Demise of the Living Room

The prediction of the demise of the formal living room for the past several years appears to be correct — 40% of homes built in 2006 didn’t have one and of those that did it’s size shrank dramatically.

The room in the average house most likely to gain in its share of square footage is the family room — which in our opinion is just a renaming of the old living room!

Other Findings:

* Low-maintenance exteriors, improved home design, the location of the home, two-car garages, home office and better security systems.

* Getting steadily higher over the course of the past 10 years, ceilings on the first floor of the average home are expected to be mostly 9 feet and some may even be 10. For luxury homes, a 10-foot ceiling will be standard on the entry level, ranging up to 12, and a 9-foot ceiling will be standard on the second floor.

* For kitchens it’s more counter space, more cabinet space, hight tier flooring and better quality appliances.

* The average 2015 home is expected to have two full and one half to three full and one half bathrooms, and the upscale home will range from three full and one half to four full and two half bathrooms.

* Standard outdoor features will be a front porch, patio, deck and rear porch — back to the 40s.

* Sixty-six percent said that the average 2015 home would have a fiber optic network, and 87% said that this feature would be found in upscale homes.

* Among electronic features that will be standard in the average home by 2015, participants identified: programmable thermostats (78%), structured wiring systems (61%) and multi-line phone systems (59%). Upscale homes, by comparison, are expected to include just about every electronic feature that is available: multi-zone-controlled HVAC (88%); multi-room audio (87%); whole home control/automation system (86%); monitored burglar alarm system (81%); programmable thermostat, structured wiring system and instant hot water in bathrooms and kitchens (each 80%); a monitored burglar/fire/toxic gas alarm system (77%); a lighting control system (75%) and much more.

* Participants noted several trends in green building in the average home: an increased demand for energy-efficient appliances and mechanical equipment, greater use of water- or energy-conserving devises, much more energy-efficient windows, more green and sustainable products and builders seeking green certification.