(NewsUSA) - Whether you are a recent college graduate, a grad student in a new city or a young professional shifting gears into a new job, finding your first home as an independent adult can seem daunting, but a few key points can put you on the path to your own place.         

Pick a location. If you are in graduate school or have taken a new job, your location may already be predetermined. For those looking to move for a fresh start, mid-sized cities such as Colorado Springs, Boston, Seattle and Milwaukee have been gaining traction among young professionals for their blend of affordable housing, diverse social life and variety of entertainment options.     

Determine wants vs. needs. How much space do you need? Will you have roommates or pets? Think about what suits your lifestyle. Would you like to live in a high-rise building that includes amenities such as a gym, or a pool, or would you like to live in a three-flat apartment that’s on a quiet neighborhood street? Make a checklist of must-haves and nice-to-haves before your start your search.     

Make safety a priority. Being new to a city or area can make you feel vulnerable, which is why knowing what security measures a building uses can go a long way toward feeling safe and comfortable at home.     

Since safety and security start at the front door, check to see what type of entryway system the building has. The latest systems feature intuitive technology that provide residents with the ability to open the door from an app on their smartphone and the ability to visually confirm who’s requesting access, such as a friend, delivery driver or service worker..     

One example of this technology is the award-winning LiftMaster Smart Video Intercom powered by myQ.® With a smart video intercom such as LiftMaster at the property’s entrance, residents can safely unlock the door or gate from the myQ Community app and verify guests’ identities before granting them entry to the building or community from their smartphone. You can rest easy knowing that all visitors who enter your building are logged and accounted for.     

When choosing your apartment, ask about security. It’s as important as asking about parking, pets and plumbing features.     

For more information, visit myq.com/community/resident about keeping your home safe and secure.

Reissue: June 15, 2022

(NewsUSA) - (NewsUSA) -Right now, moving may be a little challenging as property value has gone up tremendously and the number of homes on the market is low. The next best option is to remodel and expand your home office, home gym, or add a patio for outdoor gatherings.

If you own your home and have a mortgage, a cash-out refinancing option may be an easy way to have the money to tackle your home improvement project. Since interest rates are still quite low now may be a good time to tap into your home's equity. Many homeowners may not realize that cash-out refinancing can help fund these projects. A cash-out refinance is not a second mortgage. It is borrowing against the equity in your home or money you have already paid towards your mortgage. A cash-out refinance will require that you refinance your home most likely at a lower rate. The new loan amount will be slightly more than the remaining balance of your home because it will include the amount of cash you take out for you or your family.

Cash-out refinancing is beneficial because it can increase monthly cash flow and allow you to make good use of the funds you take out, according to Freedom Mortgage, one of the nation's full-service mortgage lending company and a leader in FHA and VA loans according to Inside Mortgage Finance, 2020.

The benefits of cash-out refinancing aren't limited to home improvements. Funds from a cash-out refinancing also can be used to pay for a college education or to consolidate high-interest debts at a lower interest rate. Homeowners can typically borrow up to 80% of the value of their homes without paying the private mortgage insurance (PMI) required by some lending situations. That means if you have more than 20% equity in your home, you can use that equity to get cash now.

To help homeowners explore their options and determine how much cash they can obtain, Freedom Mortgage offers a free cash-out refinancing calculator that enables the user to determine what makes sense and the amount of their new monthly payment.

For more information, visit https://www.freedommortgage.com/cash-out-refinance.

(NewsUSA) - Puradigm, a global leader in a new category of product, -- simultaneous air and surface purification -- has launched a residential version of their robust charged particle purification technology. Health-conscious families are taking notice.

In a University of Florida study, Puradigm proved to be more than 2,400x faster than traditional HEPA filtration when eliminating SARS-CoV-2 (COVIDd-19). Extrapolating from this study, a typical HEPA filter could take 40 minutes to remove the number of harmful pathogens from an average cough size. Puradigm purified the same amount of pathogens in less than a second.

In another study in hospital patient rooms, Puradigm was shown to be up to 8x more effective at reducing pathogens than manual cleaning of contaminated surfaces.

A growing number of families have found a way to keep safe in the wake of COVID-19 and mutating coronaviruses with Puradigm's offering of HOME and HOME+ purifiers. By installing Puradigm, they are also investing in their good health by using the technology to reduce mold, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), viruses and bacteria, as well as harmful chemical off-gassing from synthetic household items. Puradigm has been certified as an organic product.

"The Puradigm HOME was an absolute game changer for our family! Our son had suffered for over a decade from environmental irritants, and within 30 minutes of setting up the Puradigm HOME, he felt better. This product really works, and we are so grateful," says Robert M., a Puradigm customer and father of two in Southern California.

Puradigm purification is trusted by major clients around the world to protect their workers and customers, including the Vatican, United Airlines, Lockheed Martin, and the Texas State Capitol building. Dr. Jawad Shah, MD, a neurosurgeon for Insight Surgical Hospital, utilizes Puradigm in his surgical suites and patient rooms and has seen tremendous success in reducing hospital-acquired infections. Puradigm has now made this amazing technology available for home use.

Puradigm technology works by converting air and water vapor into charged particles. These charged particles are distributed throughout the home environment, attacking hard-to-reach pathogens simultaneously in the air and on surfaces, and continuously around the clock. This natural, safe and effective purification process has been proven to work thousands of times faster than conventional air filter systems for easy and complete protection throughout the home.

The Puradigm system is quiet and non-invasive, as well as energy efficient, with an estimated power consumption of less than $0.05 per day. The system is easy to use via in-home touch panel controls or remotely, with options for wall mounting or free-standing installation. Systems are available to suit a range of indoor living spaces, including single-family homes, apartments and garages so families can enjoy peace of mind in any setting.

To celebrate their new residential purification option, Puradigm is currently offering 25% off of its HOME and HOME+ products. Just mention this article with promo code NEWS25 during checkout.

For more information and test results, visit https://www.puradigm.com/product/home/.

(NewsUSA) - Recent inflationary pressure, challenging financial circumstances and a looming rise in interest rates have made aspiring homeowners across the country feel like the dream of owning their home is slipping away from them. This situation may seem bleak, but San Francisco-based start-up, Divvy Homes offers aspiring homeowners another option to make their dreams a reality.

Divvy Homes is dedicated to making homeownership more accessible to American families. The company has designed a program for would-be homeowners who don't quite qualify for a traditional mortgage because of tighter lender requirements, not quite enough savings or a range of other reasons.

Divvy helps by offering a program that allows customers to build savings with their Divvy payment, boost their credit score through free credit counseling and ultimately position themselves to qualify for a traditional mortgage at the end of their three-year lease. If a customer is ahead of schedule and wants to purchase before their lease ends, they can buy their home from Divvy whenever they are ready.

Here's how it works:

- Qualify. The process starts when buyers complete a five-minute online application. Divvy requires a minimum household income of $2,500 per month and proof of three months of income. It will then run a soft credit check, complete a background check and ask for a government-issued ID. Once approved, the customer receives a home-buying budget and pairs up with a real estate agent to start shopping. Already have an agent? Not a problem. Divvy knows the homefinding process is personal and will work with the agent of the customer's choice.

- Buy. Once the customer finds their dream home, Divvy bids to purchase the property. When a bid is successful, customers can expect a quick closing process so they can get the keys and move in.

- Save. The customer contributes a payment of one to two percent of the home's value at the beginning of the lease. That money is held on behalf of the customer to be used toward a down payment when the customer is ready to purchase the home. In addition to the initial payment, up to 25 percent of each monthly payment goes toward saving for a down payment. It's a plan that combines the flexibility of renting with the benefit of a savings program that prepares customers for the wealth-building power of homeownership when they are ready.

- Own. The potential homeowner builds up to 10 percent of the home's value over their three-year lease, but they can elect to obtain a mortgage and buy the home at any time. Change of heart? Customers can walk away from the arrangement and cash out their savings, net of a relisting fee.

Divvy has a consistent and growing record of creating new homeowners across the country. It has closed more homes in 2021 alone than in the past four years and doubled their market share since the beginning of 2021. Divvy customers have exercised their option to purchase their homes at a rate of nearly 50 percent -- well above the conversion rates of industry competitors.

The Divvy Homes program is currently available in 16 metropolitan areas across the United States: Atlanta, GA; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Ft Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Jacksonville, FL; Memphis, TN; Minneapolis, MN; Miami, FL; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; San Antonio, TX; St. Louis, MO; and Tampa, FL.

Visit divvyhomes.com for more information.

(NewsUSA) - Good housecleaning has never gone out of style, but it has taken on a new priority in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Whether you are spending more time at home or have returned part-time to in-person work or school, smart, effective cleaning strategies can help keep your home and family safe and healthy.

Safe and simple are key criteria for choosing from among the wide variety of today's home cleaning products. However, consumers also want cleaners that are tough and effective, that don't just eliminate stains and spots, but also kill germs, viruses, and bacteria.

To that point, many people want to make cleaning easier, and that includes one-stop shopping.

One such product, all-n-all, tackles cleaning, stain removal and deodorizing in one single step.

The multipurpose cleanser contains ingredients derived from renewable resources, natural products including hydrogen peroxide and plant derived essential oils. It is designed to deliver a tough cleaning punch throughout the home, and the formula kills 99 percent of germs, bacteria, and viruses on hard, porous/non-porous surfaces when used correctly.

"Added surfactants help to break down those stubborn stains, giving you a one-step cleaning solution for your whole home," says Jason Bailey, president of all-n-all.

To that end, all-n-all is engineered to clean the entire house:

• Kitchen: all-n-all can help keep countertops and floors germ-free while tackling kitchen appliance cleaning from the sink, refrigerator, to tough stove top grease and grime.
• Living room: Stain-removal properties can take on challenges such as wine, coffee and pet stains from carpet, clean light switches, remotes, and tables.
• Bathroom: Remove iron deposits, hard water and calcium deposits from faucets and shower fixtures, clean sinks, bathtubs and countertops in one simple step.
• Nursery: It's safe and gentle enough to use on children's highchairs, furniture, toys, and game controllers.

All-n-all contains no dyes, phosphates, bleach, chlorine, or sodium lauryl sulfate, and is manufactured in the USA, with no harsh or abrasive chemicals.

Visit Lowes.com for more information and to purchase all-n-all natural cleaner.

(NewsUSA) - (NewsUSA)

Farmhouse-style interiors have been popular for the last few years and the look remains as sought after as ever. There are enough iterations of the style (modern, industrial, French, rustic, and more) to suit most tastes. Signature elements include open shelving, shiplap, apron sinks, and a preference for natural, honest materials-stone, metal, and above all wood, new and reclaimed. "When it comes to farm-style decor, most of us think of the kitchen first," says Linda Jovanovich, of the American Hardwood Information Center. "But it can work equally well in bedrooms, living areas, even bathrooms. Incorporating natural hardwood into the design is a great way to achieve the look without going overboard into kitsch." Here are six inspiring uses of the perennial style.

1. A warm contemporary farmhouse kitchen

Photograph by Caitlin Murray

A large apron sink in cream-color cast concrete sets up a warm and sophisticated country tone in this Portland, Oregon kitchen by Emerick Architects. The island's black-walnut-slab top is complemented by open shelving and undercounter cabinetry in honey-stained maple, gray quartz counters, stainless-steel appliances, and a handmade ceramic-tile backsplash.

2. Corral-inspired stair railings and balustrades

Photograph by Spacecrafting

Rift-sawn white oak with a custom whitewash stain forms the handrails and posts of the main staircase in a Stillwater, Minnesota house by Home Design by Annie. An elegant reinterpretation of the traditional wooden-rail fences found throughout rural America, the stair gets a high-tech twist in the form of stainless-steel guard wires.

3. A characterful rustic kitchen

Photograph by Scott DW Smith

Charming rusticity is the name of the game in this Hesperus, Colorado kitchen remodel by Veritas Fine Homes. Existing beams and columns and a new oak floor-all in a dark finish-are joined by knotty-alder cabinetry and floating shelves stained a similar color to the island's honey-tone maple butcher-block top.

4. A cool western ranch-style bedroom

Photograph by Rikki Snyder

As this bedroom in Sag Harbor, New York designed by Timothy Godbold shows, the classic look of Southwestern ranches-pared down and sun scorched-adapts well to a modern interior. The aesthetic is evoked with minimalist means: simple bone-white accessories set against an expanse of white-oak boards that clad the walls like barn siding. 

5. The industrial-farmhouse look in a loft

Photograph by Manolo Langis

Reclaimed hardwood is a beautiful, sustainable material that can be used in a farmhouse-style kitchen to create a sense of warmth, age, and texture. In this Santa Monica, California loft conversion, SUBU Design Architecture juxtaposes recycled wood with plumbing pipes and similar machine-age elements that nod to the building's industrial heritage.

6. Open-shelf wet bar with a rural-art vibe

Photograph by Rikki Snyder

Timothy Godbold conjures another variant of that farmhouse staple, open shelving, with this wet bar cunningly tucked under the open stairs in a North Haven, New York residence. Stocked neatly with interesting glassware and bottles, the floating slabs of white oak and the gray honed-granite countertop become an art installation in their own right. Visit www.hardwoodinfo.com for more about farmhouse style with American hardwoods.

(NewsUSA) - (NewsUSA) -Right now, moving may be a little challenging as property value has gone up tremendously and the number of homes on the market is low. The next best option is to remodel and expand your home office, home gym, or add a patio for outdoor gatherings.

If you own your home and have a mortgage, a cash-out refinancing option may be an easy way to have the money to tackle your home improvement project. Since interest rates are still quite low now may be a good time to tap into your home's equity. Many homeowners may not realize that cash-out refinancing can help fund these projects. A cash-out refinance is not a second mortgage. It is borrowing against the equity in your home or money you have already paid towards your mortgage. A cash-out refinance will require that you refinance your home most likely at a lower rate. The new loan amount will be slightly more than the remaining balance of your home because it will include the amount of cash you take out for you or your family.

Cash-out refinancing is beneficial because it can increase monthly cash flow and allow you to make good use of the funds you take out, according to Freedom Mortgage, one of the nation's full-service mortgage lending company and a leader in FHA and VA loans according to Inside Mortgage Finance, 2020.

The benefits of cash-out refinancing aren't limited to home improvements. Funds from a cash-out refinancing also can be used to pay for a college education or to consolidate high-interest debts at a lower interest rate. Homeowners can typically borrow up to 80% of the value of their homes without paying the private mortgage insurance (PMI) required by some lending situations. That means if you have more than 20% equity in your home, you can use that equity to get cash now.

To help homeowners explore their options and determine how much cash they can obtain, Freedom Mortgage offers a free cash-out refinancing calculator that enables the user to determine what makes sense and the amount of their new monthly payment.

For more information, visit https://www.freedommortgage.com/cash-out-refinance.

(NewsUSA) - The COVID-19 pandemic and historically low mortgage interest rates have caused a flurry of home buying across the United States. Families are searching for more flexible work or learning spaces, larger homes and spacious yards for cooped up kids.

For those just getting started, an Arizona-based real estate rewards and referral network company, RBN (Real Buyer Network), offers homebuyers added value to their purchase through its relationship with American Express.

Here's how it works: Homebuyers use an RBN participating agent for their home purchase and they can earn American Express Membership Rewards® points up to the purchase price of the home.

Larry and Myra of North Carolina recently earned more than 500,000 reward points with RBN. "We enrolled with RBN and were put in touch with Thomas Wohl, Broker, Realtor and it's probably the best decision we ever made. Thomas was not just interested in us buying a house, but rather we bought the RIGHT house for us." The home purchase itself follows the traditional real estate process of cash or mortgage financing.

Founder Kipp Lassetter says, before prospective homebuyers get started, before touring any homes, before interviewing any other agents or doing anything in the home buying process, they need to visit RBN's site.

"Choose from the most qualified participating agents, buy their home through the traditional real estate process and earn rewards. Using an RBN participating agent is a no-brainer."

Lassetter was inspired to found RBN after his own home buying experience, in which he struggled to find a real estate agent with expertise in local neighborhoods and a willingness to go the extra mile on service and support.

RBN fills this niche by partnering with the best local agents and rewarding homebuyers for selecting these agents.

"Each participating agent endures a rigorous vetting process that includes a one-on-one interview and review of sales performance," Lassetter says.

Home purchasers have already earned millions of rewards points using RBN participating real estate agents. If you don't have an existing American Express account, don't worry. The RBN virtual wallet tracks and maintains your points until you connect to an eligible account.

Visit joinrbn.com for more information and to connect with an RBN participating real estate agent in your area.

(TVA) - If your mental image of a robot in the home is limited to Rosie from the Jetsons, it's time to change your perspective.

Small, efficient robots from the innovative home robot company Trifo offer a new take on home help, with an artificial intelligence twist.

"Our vision is to create a family of home robots that takes care of the home so people can live better and focus on what's important," according to the company. The Trifo robots are designed to focus on the indoor home environment. Each is equipped with an artificial intelligence system that has sensing, perception and decision-making capabilities. Trifo robots are able to continuously adapt to their environments using advanced AI technology.

Lucy Ultra Edition, the flagship product of the Trifo line, is a compact, round robot that comes packed with features to make your life easier. Some of Lucy's standout features include:

- Dual vision. Not quite x-ray vision, but Lucy's 1080P HDR color camera combines with a Time-of-Flight depth camera that creates a colorful 3-D map of your home in Lucy's brain; this helps navigate even in low-light conditions.

- Obstacle avoidance. Lucy easily avoids the annoyance of getting stuck or trapped by household objects; unique visual and depth perception keep her clear of objects as short as one inch.

- Home protection day and night. Lucy provides full-time home protection with day and night vision. Privacy concerns? Data from your home is stored and processed in the robot herself, not in the cloud or on servers.

- Smart work. Lucy's adaptive technology allows her to learn her surroundings, following routes that adapt to the environment while avoiding off-limits zones, and alert you to unusual motions in the house when you aren't at home. Lucy is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can integrate her with other smart home features. Lucy's intelligence evolves over time, so she makes your life even easier the more you use her.

- Deluxe cleaning. Lucy vacuums, but she mops, too, with a dustbin/water tank combination that sends an alert when the water level gets low.

- Pet sitting. If you have a furry friend at home, Lucy takes the angst out of cleaning up pet hair and larger dirt from muddy paws. A built-in air freshener is a bonus that helps keep pet odors at bay. Also, check out the interactive laser toy to keep your pet entertained.

Visit trifolucy.com for more information about the potential of advanced AI robots for home use.

(NewsUSA) - A third of U.S. Governors have recognized window film as a cost-effective solution to reducing energy costs in homes, protecting skin and home decor from the sun's damaging UV rays, and enhanced window glass safety. The International Window Film Association (IWFA) is sharing recent proclamations kindly made by those governors on its website.

"Consumers and government officials are zeroing in on window films as a cost-effective energy saving solution designed to reduce high utility bills and carbon emissions and they can be installed at about one-tenth the cost of a re-placement window and offer similar performance ratings," explains Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA.

Window films, which may be installed in a day or less without significant disruption, are widely seen to save about five to 10 percent of a building's total energy bill. Many window films, which are all permanently adhered to the glass, are also designed to block 40 to 60 percent of room heat being lost through glass during the heating season while still reducing air conditioning costs by 30 percent during the cooling season.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), cooling and heating account for more than half of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes. The DOE also points out that roughly 40 percent of unwanted heat that builds up in a home comes in through windows and that windows also account for up to 50 percent of a building's energy loss.

Consumer awareness of the energy saving benefit of window film has increased nearly 50 percent in eight years, from 54 percent of Americans in 2014 being aware that window film can help control interior temperatures, to 79 percent of homeowners this year being aware that window film may improve the energy saving performance of their existing windows today.

While window films differ in how they perform based on how they are manufactured, they can reduce solar heat gain in your home by as much as 80 percent. This means fewer if any hot spots, more even interior room temperatures and less power consumption so your air conditioning system may keep up with the sun's heat.

This benefit is especially noticeable when the sun is at it's peak energy transmittance during the day, which is when utility companies have to produce more power to meet the increased peak demand from both homeowners and businesses. Find window film at www.iwfa.com