How secure is your home?

How secure is your home? Security alarms and a good guard dog may be your answer. However there is one easy step to further insure your family’s safety. Replacing or re-keying your home door locks. Often, this easy step is forgotten or overlooked. This is a small price to pay for a lifetime of security.

First, find a locksmith who is licensed. A licensed locksmith is regulated by the Department of Public Safety. Being licensed ensures they are not a fly by night service provider who will have access to your home. Also, the grade of locks that a licensed locksmith will install versus a home improvement store’s lock is different in durability. Better service with better equipment.

Locks should be changed or rekeyed when there is a change in your life. Moving into a new home is the number one reason. According to licensed locksmith Lance Ross, “You may be able to save some money by rekeying the lock instead of changing them out completely”. Other reasons to change the locks is a divorce, new nanny or if the kids have grown up and moved away. It may be necessary to give a key to your home to a neighbor, but even those relationships may change.

Many homeowners have not changed their locks on their home since moving in. Most home builders will use the lower grade lock rather than the stronger locks used by locksmith. Another common mistake is leaving a key in the deadbolt lock. Homeowners tend to believe that this is the best practice in case of an emergency; they can get their family out quicker. “Leaving a key in the door is a welcome invitation to a prospective burglar looking for easy access. Hiding the key near the door is best” says Ross.

Locksmiths also provide other services. Locking yourself out of your car is not a good experience. A locksmith can be just a call away. Home and office safes are another service offered by most locksmiths that is a growing trend.

Lock it, bolt it or secure it. Your family, their security!

Get in touch with Lance at A-1 Lockservice through his Web site…

a-1lockservicehouston.com

Furniture, customize it!!

In the column of keeping the wife happy, my husband willing went with me on a shopping spree. But this was not your typical day of shopping. This day was for furniture shopping, for new bedroom furniture to be exact. Countless, endless and numerous of stores and salespeople tried their best to show us what they thought we needed. My husband would not be satisfied until I was a happy wife.

We strolled down the aisles of places that promised to save us money or stores where we could buy a whole room of furniture at a low cost. Nothing turned our heads.

We were wanted something that would go along with the ranch style home décor we both favor. Rustic woods, with brown leathers and cowhide accents would be the ideal combination of the best furniture for our home. Then a brilliant thought from my husband, we will have it custom made.

Cowhide Western Furniture based just outside of Dallas custom made our bedroom furniture set. It is exactly what we were looking for at the price we wanted to spend.

Mixing of leathers, Cowhides and solid hardwood frames is a true craft that Cowhide Western Furniture has maintained. Their experienced craftsmen design brilliant pieces for many homes across the Nation. Most important, once your order is placed, it takes only 2 to 4 weeks for delivery.

The husband and wife duo that bring the heart and soul of the company together are Luke and Laura Hannah. They share a vision of creating beautiful furnishings for the home or office that shows a style of its own.

The Hannah’s are regular vendors in Las Vegas at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, First Mondays Trade days in Canton and numerous other events. They will be at the San Antonio Stock Show and are currently at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

If you consider your furniture pieces to be art, it must be custom made.

Visit them at: cowhidewesternfurniture.com

Magana Media, In the beginning...

BARBARA MAGANA ROBERTSON ALWAYS FINDING A WAY!

From Anthony Maisel & www.dailyireports.com: I worked with Barbara great detail, passion and her new venture is proof of her dedication.

With layoffs, downsizing and cutbacks being a growing trend in newsrooms worldwide, it made me begin to ponder what else could I do to make a living. After nearly 18 years at a top ten station and for about 12 of those years as Assignment Manager, I knew it would be a difficult decision to leave the news business. I loved the people I worked with and loved the hunt for a good story. Nothing is better than a good friend giving you a good story.
My decision to leave the news business was exactly that, my decision. I offered my salary and left the newsroom. No regrets, no ill will just many fond memories.
I grew up in a Newsroom. I learned from veterans that they themselves were struggling to stay in the business back then. A cagey veteran may have a treasure chest full of contacts and backline numbers, but they are a dying breed in the industry.
So I learned the trade of running an Assignment desk. Plain and simple if you don’t know the position you will never know what I did for a living for all those years. How do you move on in your career with this type of experience and skill?
My initial thought was to take the summer to explore my options and soak up the sun. I thought of becoming a Journalism Professor.
Then the phone started ringing. An offer here and there but I really wanted to take my time and enjoy not being tied to a phone, working a Holiday or taking a lunch.
Then a contact called me and wanted some advice on a case his was working. He wanted to know how to get media coverage. Then a longtime friend and contact called and wanted me to do a media relations course for his public information officers. Within the next couple of days, Magana Media was born.
I am doing what I know how to do. I find the news worthiness of a story and I find the appropriate forum for it. Sounds simple yet there is a need. In addition, I instruct law enforcement, public safety and VIP media relations course. After years of working with different agencies in a variety of situations this was a very natural step to teach these courses. Building good relationships between agencies and the media is something that I did daily while in news and now as service from Magana Media.
It took a leap of faith to leave the news industry, but it took the experience to form Magana Media. Placing clients in different markets, keeping up with the social media trends and maintaining the relationships with the different media outlets are my new everyday challenges.
There are no more scanners, no more short staff issues and no more driving into work during a flood, those were the days. The news will go on, for me I too will go on.

Ready, Set, Refund Time

For the next couple of months some residents will be heading to their mailboxes to retrieve their Tax Refund check. The question now becomes “How to spend the extra money”? A quick trip to Vegas, a shopping spree or a night on the town may be what you want to do with your money but it may not be the wisest choice. It is not easy, but there are sensible ways to put your refund money to work for you.

Paying off debt is one way to apply your refund money. While getting rid of debt may lack excitement, it is a priority to your financial freedom. According to financial expert Connie Mack, “paying off your debt will gain you financial strength”. “Guarantee yourself a return, whether it is a low student loan interest rate or a high credit card rate. You are guaranteeing yourself returns by not having to pay that interest rate in the future” says Mack on paying off debt.

Another option is to apply your money to an emergency fund. With looming layoffs and high unemployment levels an emergency fund is imperative. Finding a job is now taking longer as the economy continues to recover. Mack believes a goal of 12 to 18 months worth of living needs to be saved versus the normal 6 months recommended.

Retirement and education are wise choices to place your money. According to Mack “Lack of pensions puts more responsibility on the worker to save for retirement”. Saving now will allow you a more secure future. Securing you child or grandchild’s education cost is another option. There are many funds including the Texas Tuition Promise fund that can be started with your tax refund.

You may choose to spend your refund on home improvements or a charitable donation which could earn you a tax credit. These are both rewarding acts. In regards to a home improvement it is far more rewarding if you will be in the home for at least 10 years. Make sure you get the worth of your home’s investment.

Your tax refund check will be arriving soon. How will you spend it?

Brrrr….Are you ready for the Cold Temperatures?

December snow in Houston, Christmas blizzard in the East and now another burst of Arctic air will blow in at the end of the week. Is your home ready for the freezing temperatures? There are several things you can do to your home that will help you stay warm and keep from having a costly cold weather disaster.

The standard wrapping of your home’s pipes is a must do in preparation for cold weather. There is pipe fitting foam that is available at your nearby home improvement store. Marlin Home Inspections owner, Mitch Rembert says...

“Wrapping pipes now will help avoid a major pipe burst disaster in your home…which can be costly”. When the temps drop below freezing for an extended amount of time, water will freeze. Once the water freezes it will expand causing the pipe to have pressure and a possibility of bursting”

Homeowners can use newspapers and plastics as an alternative source of insulation for wrapping pipes.

Proper insulation to your home will help keep cold temps out and warm temps inside. Caulking and weather stripping doors and windows are some of the short term quick fixes a homeowner can do. Long term will include proper attic insulation and installing storm windows.

“Plastic and tape will help provide a quick fix on a low budget to some of your minor insulation problems” suggests Rembert.

Another tip to help the “pipes” make it through the frigid night is to keep the faucet at a slow drip. This will allow the water to keep running at a low pressure. In older homes, keeping the kitchen cabinet doors open help provide warmth to the pipes.

Most important be safe and check on your neighbors. People, pets, plants and pipes is a good motto when thinking of the cold temperature preps. Stay warm!!

For home inspections go to http://www.marlinhomeinspections.com/