Spring Means It's Home Maintenance Time

With warmer weather in the air, are you getting the itch to play in the sun, plant a garden, throw open your windows, and... have your furnace inspected?  That’s right!  Spring is a great time to protect the largest investment of your life, your home, by providing routine checks and repairs that can improve its appearance and functioning, while also preventing expensive damage. 

Here are some tips courtesy of NeighborWorks America, a national network of not-for-profit groups, including TRIP, that are committed to revitalizing their communities. 
 

NeighborWorks Home Maintenance Tips

Preventive maintenance includes routine checks and repairs that improve your home’s appearance and functioning as well as prevent more expensive damage from occurring. 

These include:
·    To protect against leaks and insect damage, inspect your home’s roof, basement, and outside wall
·    Inspect doors and windows for unusual wear and tear. Repair and replace caulk, weather-stripping, glazing, window and door seals as needed.
·    Inspect insulation and replace any wet or damaged pieces.
·    Clean debris from gutters and down spouts.
·    Examine carpets and flooring. Treat minor mold growths quickly with a bleach and water solution.
·    Have your furnace, air conditioner and hot water heater inspected, upgrading them as needed to improve energy efficiency. Replace air filters regularly.
·    Thoroughly clean lint and debris that has built up in dryer ducts and behind lint screens.

Home repairs and replacements include fixing or replacing appliances, fixtures or systems in your house as they wear out through normal use.
·    Repair or replace an inefficient furnace, air conditioner or water heater to save energy and money.
·    Repair and replace leaking faucets and plumbing.
·    Routinely replace smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries.

Taking the time now can save you expensive repairs later.  Don’t delay. 

Loan Scam Alert: Don’t Be Fooled

As more homeowners face foreclosure, we want to remind people not to get scammed by “loan mod” companies and other for-profit companies that make promises to rescue homeowners in default.  Their slick and appealing marketing materials may have you believing that they can save your home, your world, and your future, but don’t be taken in.  If you need foreclosure assistance, we urge you to contact TRIP’s HomeOwnership Center at 690-0020 for free, confidential, and professional assistance.  You may also contact any of the reputable not-for-profit housing counseling agencies listed on the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal’s website at http://www.nysdhcr.gov/Programs/ForeclosurePrevention/CounselListing.htm. 

Please also note that there will be monthly Foreclosure Clinics held locally with free legal review and housing counseling available.  April 15 and May 12 at the Legal Project. 5-8pm. Contact TRIP  at 690-0020 for more info.

A national campaign has been created by HUD, NeighborWorks America, and others to provide important info to consumers. You can find some valuable information at its website at www.loanscamalert.org.  A list of “6 Things You Should Know” is copied below from the website. 

New York State is also getting the word out to consumers to beware of scams.  A  Statewide “Loan Modification Scam Alert” campaign was launched last month during Consumer Awareness Day.  For more information, go to www.nysconsumer.org. 
·   
6 Things You Should Know
Scams aren't always easy to spot – but it helps if you know the warning signs to look for. Here are six red flags to indicate that you may be dealing with a loan modification scammer:

1. A company/person asks for a fee in advance to work with your lender to modify, refinance or reinstate your mortgage. They may pocket your money and do little or nothing to help you save your home from foreclosure.

2. A company/person guarantees they can stop a foreclosure or get your loan modified. Nobody can make this guarantee to stop foreclosure or modify your loan. Legitimate, trustworthy HUD-approved counseling agencies will only promise they will try their very best to help you.

3. A company/person advises you to stop paying your mortgage company and pay them instead. Despite what a scammer will tell you, you should never send a mortgage payment to anyone other than your mortgage lender. The minute you have trouble making your monthly payment, contact your mortgage lender.

4. A company pressures you to sign over the deed to your home or sign any paperwork that you haven't had a chance to read, and you don't fully understand. A legitimate housing counselor would never pressure you to sign a document before you had a chance to read and understand it.

5. A company claims to offer "government-approved" or "official government" loan modifications. They may be scam artists posing as legitimate organizations approved by, or affiliated with, the government. Contact your mortgage lender first. Your lender can tell you whether you qualify for any government programs to prevent foreclosure. And, remember, you do not have to pay to benefit from government-backed loan modification programs.

6. A company/person you don’t know asks you to release personal financial information online or over the phone. You should only give this type of information to companies that you know and trust, like your mortgage lender or a HUD-approved counseling agency.

For more info: http://www.loanscamalert.org/

Amanda's Law

On February 22, 2010, "Amanda’s Law" took effect. The law mandates the installation of carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in all homes in New York State. The law is named for 16-year-old Amanda Hansen of West Seneca, NY, who died on January 17, 2009 due to a carbon monoxide leak from a defective boiler while she was sleeping at a friend’s house.

The reason for the law is simple: CO poisoning is the #1 cause of poisoning deaths in the United States and can be prevented by detectors. Carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors can save lives.

The law requires carbon monoxide detectors in every 1-2 family property; apartments in a multiple dwelling; and all condominium and cooperative apartments where the dwelling unit has appliances, devices or systems that may emit carbon monoxide or has an attached garage.

Under the law, homes built before January 2008 are permitted to have battery-powered CO alarms, while homes built after that date are required to have the alarms hard-wired into the building. Previously, only homes built or bought after July 30, 2002 were required to have these devices installed.

Additionally, Amanda’s Law will require contractors in New York State to install a CO alarm when replacing a hot water tank or furnace if the home is not equipped with an alarm.

Carbon monoxide can be produced when burning any type of fuel, including gasoline, charcoal, propane, natural gas, kerosene, oil, wood or coal. If any flammable material burns incompletely, carbon monoxide is produced. Carbon monoxide, which is odorless, colorless and tasteless, can kill within minutes or over a longer period of time depending on the amount that is in the air.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are often mistaken for the flu and can include dizziness, fatigue, weakness, throbbing headache, nausea, vomiting and confusion. By the time people realize there is a problem, they are often too sick or too disoriented to get out of the house and get help.

CO detectors can be purchased at most hardware stores and home centers as well as many grocery stores.

Contemporary Arts Center at Woodside

Here is a good Troy project that can benefit from your assistance to get a $50,000 grant from Pepsi.  All it takes is your online voting – daily if you can. 

The Contemporary Artists Center Woodside (CAC) is situated on a commanding hill overlooking the Wynantskill and the Hudson River in South Troy, NY.  Formerly the Woodside Church and Chapel, the buildings stand as the only remaining structures of the once vast Upper Works of the Burden Iron Company, a site of profound significance in the history of American invention, industry, and engineering during the nineteenth century. It was built in the 1860's for Ironworks owner Henry Burden in memory of his wife. Purchased in 2007 by CAC, this neo-gothic stone church is now being rehabilitated and turned into a public contemporary art exhibition space. The first phase, the residency hall, has been open since June 2009 and has been bringing in artists from around the world. 

You can help in the success story of a large church reuse!  CAC is in the running for a $50,000 grant from Pepsi, which would go towards to the restoration of the main church structure and its opening to the public.

The grant is decided solely based on online votes.

Here is what you can do:

   1. Sign up on the list: http://www.cactroy.org/grant  (for instructions and daily reminders)

   2. Vote for us as often as you can, up to once a day

   3. Spread the word!  (please give friends and coworkers the link and let them know about the project!)

Voting takes literally 10 seconds a day, and there is even a Facebook voting app for those on Facebook.

To connect with CAC on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/ContemporaryArtistsCenter.Woodside

For more info:

http://www.cactroy.org/

New Federal Lead Safety Rules

New federal lead safety rules for Renovations, Repairs, and Painting (“The RRP Rule”) take effect on April 22, 2010.  If you work on a house or building built before 1978 that is occupied by a child under the age of six or a woman that is pregnant this rule could apply. The RRP applies to housing, schools, hospitals, churches and childcare facilities.  In general, the rule requires that after April 22, 2010 all renovation firms must be certified by EPA to continue doing renovation, repair or painting work.  There are certain exclusions including:

•  renovations performed by homeowners in their own homes
•  emergency renovations (requires verifications)
•  renovation activities where affected components do not contain lead-based paint
•  minor repair and maintenance activities, including interior work that disturbs less than 6 square feet per room of painted surface and exterior work that disturbs less than 20 square feet per side of painted surface.  This exclusion does not apply to window replacement, demolition and certain other prohibited practices.

Furthermore, a homeowner may choose the “Opt-Out” provision, meaning that she chooses not to use lead-safe work practices.  She would have to certify certain conditions in writing including that:  

•  she and her family reside in the home and
•  there are no children under 6 years old and
•  there are no pregnant women residing in the home and
•  there is no child-occupied facility in the home and
•  the owner and residents have been educated about the dangers of lead and received the Renovate Right pamphlet.

In early May, TRIP will be hosting a free 8-hour training class for contractors, landlords, maintenance workers, painters, etc. to receive certifications as required in Lead Safe Work Practices and Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP).  Contact TRIP at register@triponline.org to secure a seat now. You will be informed of the date and location shortly. 

TRIP will also make more information available about the RRP Rule on its website at http://www.triponline.org.  To view a handbook about the RRP Rule, go to http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/sbcomplianceguide.pdf

Why Reassessment?

The City of Troy has not completed a comprehensive reassessment of its tax roll in thirty-four years.  As a result of this, many homeowners in Troy are paying taxes that do not accurately reflect the values of their homes.  The City is currently attempting to build support for a citywide reassessment in order to remedy this problem.  The reassessment is a very complex and controversial undertaking, especially in this difficult economic time.
 

A reassessment will examine every single building in the city of Troy in order to determine its value.  Since it has been so long since the last citywide reassessment, many of the values recorded on the books may not necessarily be accurate anymore. The role of a reassessment is for every Trojan’s tax bill to reflect their share of the tax burden according to their property’s value as accurately as possible.
 

Another important reason to reassess is that many businesses with the resources to challenge their assessments are winning, costing the city money in legal fees and reimbursement of taxes.  It is difficult for the city to defend itself in these disputes because the assessment is so far out of date, meaning the city loses and must repay taxes the courts determine were unfairly collected.
 

The assessed value is used to calculate the owner’s property taxes by showing the portion of the tax levy the owner is responsible for.  The actual amount of taxes is determined by the amount of taxes the city chooses to levy.  When the city determines how much it will collect overall in taxes, it uses the assessed values to determine how much of that each property owner will pay.

A reassessment does cause some problems for Troy, however.  It will cost the city at least $1 million to complete a reassessment, which is not easily affordable in this time of declining revenues.  Also, there is concern that some senior citizens living on fixed incomes may be forced out of their homes by unaffordable taxes if their assessments are raised by a reassessment.

The city will be conducting informational meetings throughout the city throughout March, and the City Council will vote on the measure at their April 1st meeting.  A list of informational meetings is below

• Monday March 22, 6:30 PM, Franklin Terrace Ballroom, 126 Campbell Ave.
• Tuesday March 23, St. Mary’s Church, 196 Third St.
• Wednesday March 24, 6:30 PM, Troy YMCA, 2500 21st St.
• Thursday March 25, Sacred Heart School Cafeteria, 310 Spring Ave.

What is Troygle?

Troygle is a group of Troy citizens committed to bringing Google's ultra-high-speed broadband to Troy to transform the way people play and do business here, and to catapult Troy into the future. Google will be test-piloting ultra-high-speed broadband in select communities around the United States, and Troy has the opportunity to apply to be a part of this trial. With cities across the nation vying to stand out and attract Google’s broadband network, local citizens have been hard at work trying to attract the company to the Collar City.

Your help is needed! It takes just a few minutes to fill out a very simple application to let Google know why Troy is a great place. The more residents who apply, the better the chances of winning the bid. Applications are due March 26th. Click here.

Not only is Troy the “All-American City” – the official home of Uncle Sam – Troy is the birthplace of countless innovations, the place where history, culture and technology meet. It has an educational environment, with excellent infrastructure and modest costs for housing and commercial space. It is time for Troy’s next innovation – to lead the way with Google by bringing ultra-high-speed broadband to a diverse, creative, historic city.

A number of meetings have been held by the Troygle group to discuss the application for Google to use the city as one of its test sites for its upcoming ultra-high-speed broadband network and  to discuss the many community and technology-based details which must go into the city’s application.  With the help of resident Lisa Graham, a video shoot was also held during the Waterfront Farmers market in the Troy Atrium to interview local residents about why they want Google broadband and how their lives and businesses would benefit from such technology. The group is hosting a face-off in Monument Square on March 23rd, from 5-7pm called "The Need for Speed" between the Hellions of Troy roller derby league and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hockey team while  incorporating Google tools and technology into the event.

Google's ultra-high-speed broadband will benefit Troy and the community in countless ways:

• JOBS - The greater efficiency and speed will facilitate the ability of its citizens to better do their jobs, to find a job, and will spur private enterprise. It will lay a foundation for job creation by helping to attract private companies to base themselves here.
• CONNECTION - It will help connect all institutions to the community - including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hudson Valley Community College, Russell Sage College, and all of the schools, nonprofits and private sector businesses. It will serve as a bridge to bring Rensselaer's advance technological innovations to all of Troy.
• COMMUNICATION - It will allow nonprofits to better serve their constituents, bringing high-speed wireless to lower-income residents and families who might not otherwise have access, thus opening up their worlds and creating more opportunities.
• ACCESS - It will allow more access to broader collections of digital archives, multi-media and medical and biotechnology innovations, among other things.
• VIRTUAL TOURS OF TROY - It will enable the city to better market itself to the world - bringing the world to Troy, and bringing Troy to the world.

Google announced in February that it would deliver download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second through fiber-optic connections, which the company claimed would provide an Internet experience more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today. According to Google officials, the company plans to offer the service “at a competitive price,” to between 50,000 and 500,000 people to provide speeds which would allow them to more easily download high-definition video, stream three-dimensional images, and perform other tasks which require massive data transfer rates. Google has not said how many cities it intends to serve, or how much it is willing to spend to do it.

http://www.troygle.org/