LAMON Assoc.

Atco, Audubon, Berlin, Beverly, Burlington, Cherry Hill, Cinnaminson, Collingswood, Delanco, Delran, Edgewater Park, Evesham/Marlton, Florence, Haddonfield, Lumberton, Maple Shade, Masonville, Medford, Medford Lakes, Merchantville, Moorestown, Mt. Laurel, Palmyra, Pennsauken, Rancocas, Riverside, Roebling, Voorhees, Willingboro, Winslow

No "Home Alone": Before leaving your home during the day, make it look as if someone is still at home by using timers on lights in various rooms. Even though daylight hours are longer during the summer, it may still get dark faster than you expect or you may return home later than anticipated, and taking this step ensures that your home appears occupied at all times.

No Open Door Policy: Ensure that all doors leading to the home and garage are locked, even when leaving for short periods of time. The typical burglary takes less than five minutes, and unlocked doors, combined with an empty home, put out the "welcome mat" for crime.

Someone to Watch Over Me: Be landscape smart. Shrubbery and other plants can grow very rapidly during the warm, wet summer months, so keep them trimmed to allow your neighbors to keep an eye on your home. Also, an unkempt yard could be viewed as a sign of an empty home to a burglar. When leaving home, take your house keys along or leave a spare set with a trusted neighbor. Never leave a key under a welcome mat, in a mailbox or other hiding spots most burglars will know where to look.

Crime Doesn't Take a Vacation: If you're planning to be away from home on vacation for more than a day or two, ask a neighbor to park a car in your driveway and pick up your mail and newspapers or be sure to make arrangements to cancel the paper and hold the mail. Disable your garage door opener and manually lock it from the inside, and don't forget to check that the door leading from the garage to the home is locked, too.

10:42 a.m. EST November 26, 2002 - If your smoke detector won't wake up your child during a fire, what will and what can you do?

As reported by NBC10 News

     That's what experts are trying to figure out, and why we put our local families to the "Cause For Alarm" test again.
     When we first tested these four children, they did nothing. 
     They didn't move when the Philadelphia fire department triggered detectors with nontoxic smoke. 
     Fire officials told NBC 10 that the children would have been dead in three minutes if it had been a real fire producing a similar amount of smoke. 
     Doctors have always known children are deep sleepers, but even industry experts assumed a blaring smoke detector would wake them until now. 
     Recent tests like this have proven most children under the age of 13 will not hear a smoke detector in their sleep.
     Fire Commissioner Harold Hairston believes practicing fire drills at home will make a difference and make children more sensitive to alarms.
     "It's a matter of conditioning yourself to the sound," Hairston said.

We decided to test his theory.. 
     During the past week, the fire department trained both of our families. Smoke detectors were triggered. 
     The children learned to test the door for heat, crawl under smoke and call for help. 
     Each family practiced and then we returned for another test. 
     Once again, we set off alarms with nontoxic smoke to make the situation seem as real as possible. 
     And once again in the South Philadelphia row home, no one stirred. 
     In our Overbrook home, the youngest child didn't move, but within 30 seconds parents are relieved to see her older sister come through. 
     Our sister station in Dallas did this same exercise with three families. Even after they practiced drills for two weeks, none of the children woke up to alarms in the middle of the night. 
     As a result of tests like this, Underwriters Laboratories is considering new decibel levels for smoke detectors. 
     And the Fire commissioner now suggests a detector in each child's room might help, and practicing drills allows parents to see how each child will respond. 
     But the fire commissioner believes you really need to do months of training to make a difference. If there is a fire in your home, your children will need to count on you to get them out safely.

     This Guide provides information and guidance for homeowners and renters on how to clean up residential mold problems and how to prevent mold growth. To access the guide use the link to the left. 

Take the chill out of winter.

     Don't be surprised if you shiver when you open your heating bills this winter. American families typically spend 40% of their annual home energy bill on heating - between $650 and $800 for homes in the northeast and Midwest, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). (Year 2000 prices.)
     Here are some energy-saving improvements you can make this fall, courtesy of Owens Corning, manufacturers of insulation.

1. Add another layer of attic insulation. As a general rule, if you have less than 12 inches of attic insulation, more will cut heating and cooling costs and make your home more comfortable.

2. Turn on the humidifier. If your furnace doesn't have a built-in humidifier, use a portable unit. Additional moisture will increase the "heat index" inside your home, making 68 F feel more like 76 F.

3. Put on a sweater before turning up the dial on the thermostat. Each degree you raise the thermostat in creases your fuel bill by 3 percent.

4. Install a programmable thermostat. By turning the thermostat from 72 F down to 65 F for eight hours a day, you can save as much as 10 percent on your heating bill.

5. Open the window coverings on the South and West sides of the home on sunny days to take advantage of passive solar heat.

6. Install double-pane windows or install a clear plastic film across the inside of your window and frame. The trapped air between the plastic film and window insulates and can reduce heat loss through the window by 25 to 50 percent.

7. Change furnace filters frequently. Change or clean filters monthly and also clean air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators.

8. Plug the drafts. Caulk, seal and install weather-stripping around all seams, cracks and openings.

     For more energy-efficiency tips, call the DOE at 800-DOE-3732 to order a free, 36-page Energy Savers booklet or visit the Energy Savers Web site at http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/23223.pdf

     If you are thinking about selling within the year, please give me a call. (Jean Erickson 856-829-8090 or mailto:jean@housejeanie.com) We can begin working now on a comprehensive marketing program for your property.

Now that the stock market has slumped, people are taking another look at real estate as a sound investment. Your own home and investment properties can contribute significantly to your net worth.

According to the Office of federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, homes appreciated an average of 8.8 percent in the last year (2000). Some areas showed double digit gains. For example, the 12 highest-ranked metropolitan areas posted gains ranging from 16 to 27 percent.

How good is 9 percent? Pretty good - at that rate - a $150,000 home appreciates at the rate of $1,098 each month! The last years rate, however, is higher than normal. In the last three years, homes appreciated an average of 6.9 percent annually. The annual average was 5.7 percent over the last five years and 4.1 percent over the last 10 years.

A termite inspection is usually required when you sell a home. Termites multiply in the summer, so the summer is a good time to check for evidence of them. Taking a few simple steps can protect your home against termites.

Termites live in the soil and seek out wood and water. You can make your home less attractive to them by fixing leaky faucets, water hoses, gutters and downspouts. Also:

• Don't store firewood near your house.

• When using wood mulch, leave a few inches between the foundation and the flowerbed.

• If you use wood to build a deck, make sure it's pressure treated.

Summer means coping with hot, hazy humid days. Sunscreen and bottled water are great ways for us to fight this type of weather, but what about our canine companions? Many people don't realize that dogs need special care during the summer months just like we do. The American Kennel Club (AKC), the nation's leading authority on purebred dogs, offers 10 hot tips to insure that your dog has a cool summer:

1. Never leave your dog unattended in direct sunlight or in a closed vehicle. This can cause heat stroke and possibly death.

2. Avoid strenuous activities with your dog during extremely hot periods of the day.

3. Make sure that plants and fertilizers within your dog's reach are not toxic. Also, keep your dog off the lawn for at least 24 hours after any chemical application.

4. Beware of insect bites. Make sure your first aid kit has benadryl for any allergic reactions. If your dog has severe wasp, bee or mosquito bites, take him to the vet.

5. When you are taking your dog to the beach, make sure there is plenty of fresh water and shade.

6. Dogs can get sunburned just like humans, so limit your dog's exposure to the hot sun and apply sunblock to his ears and nose 30 minutes before going outside.

7. Be careful not to let your dog spend to much time on the hot sand or asphalt. Dogs can burn their feet just as easily as we can.

8. Cool ocean water is very tempting to a dog. Don't allow your dog to drink to much sea water.

9. Check with lifeguards for daily water conditions. Dogs can be easy targets for jellyfish and sea lice.

10. Swimming is a great form of exercise for dogs, but don't let them overdo it. They will be using new muscles and may tire quickly.

If you would like more information on purebred dogs, or would like a free AKC brochure on Canine Summer Safety Tips, write to the AKC at 5580 Centerview Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606-3390; call (919) 233-9767; fax (919) 233-3627; or E-mail to info@akc.org. Also visit www.AKC.org.