How a Notary Protects Your Personal Information

Have you ever had documents notarized? This isn’t required too often for most of us, so you don’t know what to expect. People’s biggest concern is what will happen to the personal information they disclose to the notary.

Notaries keep journals, which contain identifying information such as signatures, addresses, California driver’s license numbers, passport numbers and even your thumbprint. These pieces of information could be used to create a false identity. The law provides safeguards, however. Notaries public are required by the state to keep their journals under lock and key. The information must be under their control at all times. When a notary resigns, these journals are turned in to the county clerk or the secretary of state for safekeeping. Notaries are also prohibited from selling names and addresses to any third party.

Too Many Keys Can Damage Your Car's Ignition

Are you someone who loads up your key ring with lots of keys and doodads? I never thought about this until my ignition wouldn't start one day. The repair bill was $250. According to Tony Leonardi, owner of Leonardi Automotive, a Diamond Certified company, I got off easy. Some ignition jobs can cost up to $900, and it's not an uncommon repair. The age of the vehicle is not a factor. In fact, the problem is worse in some of the new cars.

Mr. Leonardi says the keys swing with the weight of the dangling objects. This wears down the whole ignition assembly. With enough wear, you end up with a car that won't start, or one you can't turn off! To avoid this, don't hang everything on one key ring. Or use a quick-release ring, which allows you to separate the remote and the key you drive with from all the others.

Chemistry Matters When Choosing a Real Estate Agent

How many people in your life know all about your finances, your hobbies, your lifestyle and your goals and dreams? How many have peeked inside your closets and even seen your dirty laundry? Not many business relationships get as personal as the one you have with a real estate agent when you're buying or selling a home. That's why chemistry matters so much when selecting an agent, according to Mike Silvas, President and CEO of Morgan Lane, Inc., a Diamond Certified company.

While it's important to know how much experience an agent has, to ask for references, and to find someone with a good business track record, Mr. Silvas believes that consumers also need to choose someone who fits their personality. An aggressive buyer may want an aggressive agent; a shy person may prefer a more sensitive and empathetic agent. A great agent can adapt to the needs of any client, both emotionally and from a business point of view. So, I advise that you interview prospective agents for personality as well as experience.

A Good Motto for Home Sellers

Be prepared. That's what Steve Gavriloff, owner of Westgate Real Estate, a Diamond Certified company, tells his clients who are selling homes Ð prepare yourself early in the process. With all of today's disclosure requirements, it makes good sense for a seller to get termite and home inspection reports done before they put it on the market. That way, you know what you're dealing with and you can make repairs or adjust the asking price accordingly.

If you anticipate the questions buyers will have and address them, you're more likely to have a smoother negotiation process. That's a plus for everyone involved. Besides getting those inspection reports done, Mr. Gavriloff also recommends that sellers freshen up the paint, replace worn flooring, and pay attention to landscaping details. Even though many buyers say they're looking for fixer-uppers, most prefer moving into a house that's already been spiffed up.

Water Heaters With a Lot of Pluses

My neighbor just had a compact water heater installed that hangs on the garage wall. I had never seen one before, so I asked Mike Maples, of MAPLEService, Inc., a Diamond Certified company, to tell me more about how they work. Known as "on-demand" water heaters, these devices have a number of advantages. They save energy because they do not keep a tank of water hot. When you turn on a faucet, a flow switch ignites the water heater. Another advantage is that you don't have to worry about flooding if your water heater springs a leak while you're away. On-demand units are safer in case of an earthquake. And finally, they last longer than a tank type heater. You do need a larger flu and gas supply to accommodate this type of heater, which adds to the cost of installation.

Late Model Used Cars Offer Big Savings

Most everyone knows that while it's a thrill to buy a brand new car, it's a lot more expensive than buying a used car. In fact, new cars lose about 20% of their value in the first year of ownership, according to Michael Medeiros, owner of Wholesale Autos R Us, a Diamond Certified company. One of the best values for consumers is a late model lease return.

A previously leased vehicle is usually a fairly new car, two to three years old. The owners are motivated to maintain their cars because they're penalized for excessive wear and tear when they turn them in. Mr. Medeiros says the typical lease return has around 45,000 miles on it, and the best part is that these automobiles are still covered by the manufacturers' warranties. If you want to make sure a previously leased car has not been in an accident, run a check yourself through CARFAX for $24.99
(www.carfax.com).

First Aid for Clogged Drains

The last time I had a big party, the kitchen drain got clogged. The plumber advised me never to put potato peels into the garbage disposal. Plenty of things will stop up your sinks. Besides food, grease and hair, roots can cause back-ups, as well as materials caught in old galvanized lines.

If your sink gets clogged, check whether other fixtures in the house are having the same trouble. If more than one is involved, the problem is often the main line. Many plumbers do not recommend liquid chemical products. It's better to use a friendly enzyme product such as Bio-Clean for pre-maintenance, or a manual snake. If that doesn't work, call a plumber for advice. Some will help you over the phone. If you do need a cleanout, a plumber's electric snake can flush out lines up to 200 feet!

Does Your Kitchen Need a Tune-Up?

Are you tired of looking at those old kitchen cabinets? Do you wish you could change the appearance of your kitchen without spending tens of thousands of dollars? Re-facing could be the solution for you, according to John Beeley, owner of Kitchen Tune-Up, a Diamond Certified company, especially if you like the existing configuration of your kitchen and you don't want to go through an entire remodel.

When re-facing, you remove the old cabinet doors, do extensive prep work, and then permanently install real wood veneer or laminate. Roll-outs and new drawers can also be added. The new doors are then installed with modern concealed hinges. The results can be dramatic. It may be a strategy you should consider to increase the beauty and function of your kitchen when you don't want to go through with a full kitchen remodel.

Understanding Your Car's Over-Drive Feature

I just found out I have been driving around using my car's over-drive function incorrectly. Turns out most people do, according to an owner of a Diamond Certified Auto company. The reason it's confusing is that when the over-drive light is on, over-drive is off, and when the light is off, the over-drive feature is on! No wonder we're mixed up.

He says you should have the over-drive off (light is on) when you're driving around town and/or going up hills. This prevents the transmission from going into a higher gear unnecessarily and reduces wear and tear. The over-drive should be turned on (light is off) when you're driving on freeways. This is a good way to increase your car's fuel efficiency. For a further explanation on how the over-drive feature works, check your owner's manual. A better understanding will save you gas and extend the life of your transmission.

Protect Your Hearing

The last time I had a big party, the kitchen drain got clogged. The plumber advised me never to put potato peels into the garbage disposer.  Plenty of things will stop up your sinks. Besides food, grease and hair, roots can cause back-ups, as well as materials caught in old galvanized lines.

If your sink gets clogged, check whether other fixtures in the house are having the same trouble. If more than one is involved, the problem is often the main line. Many plumbers do not recommend liquid chemical products. It’s better to use a friendly enzyme product such as Bio-Clean for pre-maintenance, or a manual snake. If that doesn’t work, call a plumber for advice. Some will help you over the phone. If you do need a cleanout, a plumber’s electric snake can flush out lines up to 200 feet!

Why Bother to Tint Your Windows?

The pillows on my couch are now faded beyond repair, even though I often keep the drapes closed. The carpeting in my bedroom is lighter in spots too. If I had only known that I could have prevented much of this damage by having my windows tinted. Louis Miller, owner of Climate Insulating Products, a Diamond Certified company, says heat, indirect light and ultraviolet rays coming through your windows, even when it's not sunny, can cause a lot of deterioration. Most home furnishings are affected and that includes upholstered furniture, artwork, leather furniture, hardwood floors, everything other than ceramics and metal.

Window tinting, where a clear-appearing film is applied to your windows, has a number of benefits. Besides eliminating damaging heat and light, it can give you a little extra daytime privacy. Also energy savings will eventually pay for the film coating.

Controlling Your Kids' Credit Card Spending

If you want your older teenagers to have a credit card for emergencies, but you don't want them to go crazy with it, you have a number of options. Linda Sherry from the non-profit group Consumer Action says the key is to maintain some control, and at the same time, help them establish credit. One option is to add your child as an authorized user on an account you control. It's a separate card number, but the charges show up on your bill.

Another way is to be a co-signer on a credit card. Your child gets the bill, and you can monitor activity on-line by setting up a joint password. Some parents have their kids apply for credit cards with a $300 credit limit for starters to see how they handle it. You might also check out pre-paid credit cards, a good option for young teens, where you pay in advance and they charge against a set amount of money.

How to Eliminate Brown Grass

Do you have brown patches of grass in your backyard like I do? No matter how often the lawn is spiked and fertilized, grass does not grow there. From my research, I have learned that it’s likely I have “sour” soil from the alkaline in my dog’s urine. All the spiking and fertilizer in the world won’t grow new grass for long.

Besides checking the drainage in the yard and eliminating standing water, you have to find out whether the topsoil has the proper Ph. If the Ph is off, nutrients cannot be absorbed. By adding sulphur for acid soil or lime to increase alkalinity, you can prepare the soil now for winter rains, which take the nutrients deeper. In the spring, you can look forward to a yard full of healthy grass and plants. 

Readying Your Roof for Winter Rains

No matter what type of roof you have, it's a good idea to get prepared for the upcoming rainy season. Michael Cobb, General Manager of General Roofing Company, a Diamond Certified company, suggests that you do your own visual inspection or have a professional check now for signs of deterioration, clear out all build-up from the gutters and flush them out, check all flashings around chimneys, vents and skylights for broken seals, and clean debris from the roof.

If you have a pitched roof with composite shingles or a shake roof system, Mr. Cobb says you'll want to replace missing, cracked, or broken shingles or heavily curled wood shakes. If you have a flat roof system with tar and gravel, look for bare spots which might need touching up. Some flat roofs have been treated with a reflective coating. These systems should be re-coated every 5-7 years to provide the most protection.

Tricks to Getting the Best Airline Seats in Coach

Not too long ago, I discovered one of the tricks to getting a decent seat on Southwest Airlines. I printed out my boarding pass before leaving for the airport. As a result, I ended up in the first boarding group and had my pick of the best seats. I didn't arrive at the airport hours in advance either. Another great way to find the best seats in coach is by calling the airline before departure. Some of the seats saved for preferred customers are freed up 48 to 24 hours ahead of time.

Where you sit is important, too. You can find out more about where the primo seats are by using a Web site called seatguru.com. They list which seats on specific planes have the most legroom, which ones don't recline, which ones are near emergency exits, and even where you might have a difficult time seeing the on-board movie!

Some Pearls of Wisdom about Pearls

Pearls are a great addition to any woman's wardrobe. They can be worn day or night, for sporty and dressy occasions. Like all fine jewelry, pearls require some special care. Terri Brooks, owner of the Willow Glen Diamond Company, suggests that pearls be stored away from gold jewelry, and because the beads are soft, they should be wrapped in cotton or a silk pouch.

It's important to apply your hairspray or perfume before putting on your pearl necklace. Chemicals can damage cultured pearls. And if your pearls need cleaning, Ms. Brooks warns against using anything abrasive such as baking soda, a toothbrush or scouring pad. Rather than submerging pearl strands in water, it's better to wipe off surface debris with a soft cloth. Once the string is wet, it attracts dirt and can stretch. If that happens, the pearls can be re-strung, but why ask for added expense when it can be easily avoided

The Ins and Outs of Pre-Planning Your Burial

No one likes to think about death, especially our own. Making pre-need arrangements allows you to buy property and services at today’s prices, let your family know your wishes and it takes away the hassle of someone making decisions during an emotional time. Any money you pay in advance for services is placed in a trust, which is regulated by the state. Pre-need arrangements don’t have to be paid all in a lump sum; you can also make payments over time. It’s important to let your family know that you have done this planning. Many cemeteries will provide a pre-need planning guide, which outlines your wishes and arrangements. Keep the guide with other important documents such as life insurance policies, stock certificates and military papers.

A Sneaky Scam Going Around the Internet

The more at ease you are on the Internet, the easier it is to let your guard down, as I discovered the other day. I received an e-mail with the subject marked "Billing Notice." Without thinking, I opened it immediately. The e-mail from AOL and said that they were experiencing a problem with charging the monthly fee and suspected my card was about to expire. In fact, the card does expire this month.

They asked me to click on a link update my information. I was about to do that when my daughter noted that AOL notices usually look different. AOL Customer Service confirmed this was a scam. The scammers only use an e-mail address for about 10 minutes to collect card numbers quickly before shutting it down and starting over again. A few get prosecuted, but mostly you have to be vigilante. You can help by reporting suspicious AOL billing e-mails to tosreports@aol.com.

Preventing and Controlling Mosquito Problems

Are you and your kids getting too many mosquito bites? Do mosquitoes take some of the fun out of your outdoor BBQs?  You can head off a mosquito problem by preventing them from landing and breeding on your property.

First, make sure your window screens are on tight and not damaged. Next, eliminate all standing water. Look for pooling in dishes under plants, and in the water bowls and toys for your pets. Change out the old water, especially in the birdbath. Use fogger sprays for outside dining, as they will provide some short-term relief.  Cover yourself and use repellents containing DEET when mosquitoes are most prevalent, at dawn and dusk. And finally, if your mosquito problem is totally out of control, call the Mosquito Abatement Center in your county for professional help.