Did You Know?

TRIP Offers a Variety of Programs to Homeowners, Homebuyers, and Tenants

Regardless of one’s income, education, or housing situation, TRIP’s NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center offers many programs that can benefit anyone.  Here is a sampling of programs that are currently available: 

Troy Landlord Training Program 

October 6th & 8th, Parts 1 & 2; 6 - 8pm.  Learn from a variety of experts how to make your life – and your tenants’ too -- as painless as possible, without losing your shirt!  Speakers from TRIP’s Rental Management Department, Troy Community Police, Troy Code Enforcement, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, United Tenants, Troy Section 8, and more.  This is geared for homebuyers/first-time landlords, large landlords, small landlords, rental managers.  Everyone finds something valuable at it!  

Register today at 
http://www.triponline.org/news_and_events/WorkshopRegister.html

$15 fee for materials and light refreshments.  Seats are limited so don’t delay!

Home Maintenance Training 

Many of us become homeowners with little knowledge or skills about how to care for our most prized possession – our home.  Well, TRIP can help!  If you want to learn how to do home repairs, or even learn just enough so that you can understand your contractor or repair person’s language, TRIP’s Home Maintenance class is for you!!  This free, 8 week course provides an opportunity to learn a variety of needed skills such as painting, plumbing, electrical work, and more.  You can register for the classes of your choice or take all 8!  Offered twice a year, TRIP’s Home Maintenance Training begins on September 18th at 6 PM and continues on Thursday evenings through November 13th.  To see the schedule or to register, go to www.triponline.org.

In addition to getting the hands-on experience, read the article “15 small jobs that let you invest in your home and hold down household costs” which is excerpted from Money Talks News 
(www.moneytalksnews.com)  

Repair Program 

To Make Homes Accessible for Qualified Elderly and/or Disabled People & Vets

If you know of a Rensselaer County resident – either a renter or a homeowner – that is in need of home modifications to accommodate people with mobility issues (ie. wheelchair ramps, doorway widening, grab bars, etc.) or modifications to help those who are visually and/or hearing-impaired, check out TRIP HomeOwnership Center’s Access to Home Program.   

This program can provide up to $25,000 for eligible repairs for tenants or homeowners who meet income guidelines (which are higher for Veterans) and other criteria.  Visit www.triponline.org or call Rensselaer County Housing Resources at 690-0020 x223 for more information.  

Faces at TRIP: Patrick Madden

Patrick Madden: Executive Director

Patrick Madden, TRIP’s executive director, has been a face at TRIP for decades – almost 3, in fact.  His name and face is synonymous with TRIP, having been here since 1985, when he was first hired as the Director of Real Estate Development  -- 29 years ago  (which is really odd since he swears he’s not a day over 30)! 

Patrick has real staying power; he has been TRIP’s executive director since 1987 and never left, just as he has never left Troy for any significant amount of time.  Born and bred in Troy, he lives on the Eastside, only two blocks from where he grew up and where his father still resides. Patrick is a maven in regard to risk management and his motto as a director of a complex housing organization:  always hire people smarter than you.

Patrick says he knows a little about a lot of things.  He is an skilled photographer, a history buff, enjoys music and kayaking and is a graduate of Albany Law School.  He has been learning the mandolin for several years now; ask him to play a tune sometime! 

In addition to his roles at work and play, Patrick also is a dad to three great kids. We are fortunate to have this wise captain at the helm of TRIP!

15 Small Home Repairs You Can Do

Here are 15 small jobs that let you invest in your home and hold down household costs:

1. Change HVAC filters

Your furnace and air conditioner filters trap airborne allergens and dust so you breathe clean air. These filters need changing on a regular basis while you’re using your furnace or air conditioning.

Angie’s List says 60 percent of furnace and air conditioner service calls are because of dirty filters. Those tiny particles of dirt can hurt your furnace’s heating coil and fan. Changing filters regularly also can lower utility bills $100 a year, because dirty filters force HVAC systems to run harder and use more energy.

Changing filters is a simple, important homeowner skill. Filters can be simple or higher-tech, as BobVila.com explains:

"Basic furnace filters are designed to trap dust, dirt, and airborne particulates before they can get into the system and potentially damage the fan or the heating coil. More expensive filters perform the same role, plus they can enhance the air quality in your home by trapping bacteria, pollen, and mildew and mold spores."

Consult your owner’s manual to locate your system’s filter. Inspect filters regularly and install new ones every month or two, or even more often. That depends on how dirty the filter is (BobVila.com shows examples of dirty and clean filters)

2. Fix leaky faucets

A dripping faucet means money down the drain, literally. A faucet that drips just once a minute wastes 34 gallons of water a year, according to this fun drip calculator from the U.S. Geological Survey. This Old House shows how to fix or replace a leaky faucet.

Read more here >>

excerpted from Money Talks News

article by Marilyn Lewis www.moneytalksnews.com

Read more at http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2014/08/07/stop-putting-off-these-15-home-repairs-and-upgrades/#JavArjrGqfX3vjJe.99

Please Join Us

TRIP and RCHR

2014 Homecoming Dinner

Monday, October 27, 2013

Please join us in honoring 

Mary Theresa Streck 

with the TRIP & RCHR

2014 Community Citizenship Award

To join the Honorary Committee or purchase tickets, go to 

http://www.triponline.org/news_and_events/Homecoming_dinner.html  

or contact Gail at 518-272-8289 x212, gail [at]triponline[dot]org

Be Prepared!

Are you prepared?
As rains from hurricane Arthur created flash flooding and some minor tree damage last week, we were reminded that the season for storms is upon us, and there are several things that we can do, individually, and as a community to be ready for them. 

Great Resource

The website Ready.gov is a great resource, explaining the steps you can take to be informed, make a plan, build a kit, and get involved. 

At Home

At home, make sure you have a plan about how to get back in touch with your family, and a kit containing food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours.

In Our Community

In our community, when we work together, we can be much safer in the face of disasters. FEMA sponsors a program in Rensselaer County to train and develop Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). This program trains local community members to help emergency responders before, during, and after hurricanes and other emergency situations. You can learn more about the CERT Program at http://www.ready.gov/preparedness-leader.

If you are interested in joining a Community Emergency Response Team here in Rensselaer County, please email anasha [at] triponline [dot] org for more information.

How to Build a $1,000 Emergency Fund in 10 Months

By Katie Bryan

Do you have $1,000 set aside for emergencies? If you already do, you could probably use another $1,000 in that account. Experts recommend keeping at least three months expenses in a reliable, liquid account – though even an extra $1,000 can be a life-saver. But finding $1,000 to save isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve put together this 4-step plan on how to save $1,000 in 10 months. 

Get Started with These 4 Steps

Find a Safe Place to Save Your Money – You will want to save your money in an account that you can access easily in case of an emergency. That means you should probably not keep this savings in a U.S. Savings Bond or in mutual funds. Choose a traditional savings account or a short-term certificate-of-deposit (CD), currently the most attractive accounts. (Early withdrawal penalties on a CD rarely lower the yield below that of a savings account.) Consider opening a new account or sub-account for this money so you’re not tempted to spend it. Most importantly, do not keep savings in a checking account, which pays no or low interest and is too easy to access.

Save $100 a month – If you are already saving $100 a month, great! Skip to step 3. If not, you need to either earn $100 more a month or cut back in order to find that $100 to save. America Saves has a list of 54 ways to save money to get you started. It can also help to pay yourself first and save the $100 at the beginning of the month instead of waiting to see if you have money left over to save at the end of the month. 

Automate Your Savings – Setting up an automatic way to save is one of the best ways to save. Once you set it up, then it happens without having to think about it. Here are two ways to automate your savings. 1. Every pay period, ask your employer to deduct $100 from your paycheck and transfer it to a savings account. Ask your HR representative for more details and to set this up.  2.  Ask your bank or credit union to transfer $100 from your checking account to a savings account every month.  Talk to your local bank or credit union to set this up.

Watch Your Savings Grow for 10 Months – The final step is to sit back and watch your savings grow. How often do you look at the calendar and think it’s half way through 2014 already? The same will apply to your savings; Before you know it you will have that $1,000. They key is not to touch the money unless you have an emergency – that’s what the money is there for after all. 

Once you have at least $1,000 in your emergency account, continue your savings success and continue to build your emergency savings or apply that money to a new savings goal. Perhaps you have debt you need to pay down or want to save for a car or home. 

No matter what you are saving for, America Saves can support you with tips and advice through emails and text messages. Sign up for these by taking the America Saves Pledge Today. 

Katie Bryan works for America Saves, managed by the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America (CFA), which seeks to motivate, encourage, and support low- to moderate-income households to save money, reduce debt, and build wealth. Learn more at americasaves.org.

Whom Do You Admire for Improving Troy?

Nominate your favorite “Troy Treasure” as this year’s Troy Treasure Awardee

Unsung Heroes
We think that one of the “unsung heroes” – people who work at improving the City of Troy – should be publicly recognized and thanked by the community.  This year the Troy Treasure Awardee will be presented at the TRIP & RCHR HomeComing Dinner on October 27th.

Nominate
Eligible nominees may be a Troy resident, community group, or business who is passionately committed to improving Troy, toils in his or her neighborhood out of a love of community, and demonstrates his or her hometown pride in Troy in very positive and real ways. 

Nomination forms are available at www.triponline.org, or by e-mailing Hilary[at]triponline[dot]org.  Please email the completed form to Hilary by July 22nd.