Two early-morning shootings Monday in Wilmington began a new week with violence that officials say left three people hospitalized. There were no arrests Monday in those shootings or in the state’s last fatal shooting Friday in Kent County.

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Three wounded in two shooting incidents - Delaware Online

Lawyers for homeowners and homebuilders who used drywall suspected of causing corrosion and possible health risks say they expect Chinese manufacturers to ignore hundreds of lawsuits filed against them. So, who’s going to be on the hook for any court …

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Lawyers: Chinese Drywall Makers May Ignore Suits - CBS 3 Philadelphia

Amelia Island Florida, 13 miles of white sandy beaches, golf and tennis whenever you are in the mood, fishing, kyaking through the salt marshes while the wild life watches you and all of this just 25 miles from Jacksonville.

Amelia Island Florida is a perfect place for a vacation home and many residents started out owning vacation homes and chose to stay when it came time to pick a retirement community. Amelia Island Florida is a place that really grows on you, so much so that you do not want to leave.

AS for the vacation homes, there is a wide variety available in all price ranges. One of the main determining factors in the price, besides the size of the property, is the closeness to the beach. Right on the beach will cost most more. Remember, homes that are advertised as having an ocean view are not the same as the ones on the waterfront. You can see the ocean from a few blocks away also.

Most of the homes are truly unique. You really need to make time to see as many in your price range as possible. The one you choose to not see, just might be the one that is your perfect vacation home. Make sure you know what is most important to you, lots of land or a condo where you do not have to do anything, lots of rooms, or just a small get away. Plan to make notes and ask questions and just have fun.

A two-bedroom mobile home for $79,000
A two-bedroom mobile home for $99,900
A three bedroom mobile home for $104,900
A three-bedroom mobile home on over an acre of land for $135,000
A two-bedroom cottage for $145,000
A one bedroom duplex condo for $155,900
A two-bedroom townhouse condo for $156,900
A three-bedroom cottage for $174,500
A four-bedroom cottage for $175,000
A two-bedroom cottage for $185,000
A brand new three bedroom cottage for $194,900A three bedroom ranch for $195,000
A four-bedroom ranch for $284,500
A brand new four bedroom ranch for $299,900
A two-bedroom condo with an ocean view for $300,000
A four-bedroom ranch for $379,000
A three-bedroom ranch with a home office for $399,990
A four-bedroom townhouse for $450,000
A three-bedroom ranch for $499,900
A four-bedroom L shaped ranch for $565,000
A two-bedroom condo in a low rise building with an ocean view for $589,000
A four-bedroom two story Spanish style for $600,000
A three-bedroom ranch for $665,000
A four-bedroom ranch for $700,000
A four-bedroom townhouse with an ocean view for $975,000
A four-bedroom condo in a taller building on the waterfront for $1,850,000
A five-bedroom mansion on the waterfront for $7,195,000

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Some families still waiting to fix or replace their homes damaged or destroyed in the May 10, 2008, tornado received some welcome news today. The Harry S

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NEWS NOW: Group to begin administering grant funds - Neosho Daily News

In a joint press release, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that they will begin testing formaldehyde levels in the trailers and mobile homes provided by FEMA for people left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. The testing will occur in Mississippi and Louisiana starting December 21.

Those living in and near the FEMA trailers and mobile homes have repeatedly raised concerns about the formaldehyde levels and general air quality in these temporary dwellings. FEMA has asked CDC for their assistance in addressing these concerns.

“We are mindful of the importance of this information to people who have been living in temporary housing for such a long time,” said Dr. Henry Falk, director of CDC’s Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention. “This is a complex task. Knowledge about health effects of formaldehyde on long-term residents of temporary housing is limited. Levels we find in these tests will help everyone involved in this process make better informed decisions about what steps to take.”

In the meantime, FEMA says it has “placed a priority” on helping people move out of temporary housing. They are joining forces with the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and other government agencies to find better housing for trailer and mobile home residents.

“FEMA’s first priority has been and continues to be the health and safety of temporary housing residents,” said FEMA Administrator David Paulison. “Upon request, FEMA will continue to move any temporary housing unit resident with a formaldehyde concern into a hotel or motel immediately and will work with all residents to provide them a housing alternative. Every occupant who has expressed a health concern through our hotline has been offered a housing alternative and we are continuing to work with each of them to find a permanent housing solution that meets their needs.”

Testing will begin when CDC takes air samples from a representative group of approximately 500 occupied FEMA trailers and mobile homes over a period of five weeks. CDC will then analyze the formaldehyde levels in these samples. At this time, there are no federal or scientific guidelines with regard to formaldehyde levels. CDC will offer advice to FEMA based on their findings. Residents and the general public will receive a summary of CDC’s analysis in early 2008.

Since the public is understandably concerned about the fate of people still displaced by Katrina, FEMA and CDC have set up separate toll free hotlines to field questions. FEMA workers are available to address housing questions at 1-866-562-2381, or TTY 1-800-462-7585. CDC workers will discuss health-related questions at 1-800-CDC-INFO.

Source:

Joint press release, FEMA and CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r071213.htm

MUKILTEO, Wash., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Teo ( http://www.teotech.com ), an innovative telecommunications company, today announced that the Bedford, Pa. School District has adopted its E911 Emergency Awareness Solution to ensure access to real-time …

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Bedford, Pa. School District Adopts Teo’s Leading E9-1-1 Emergency … - Consumer Electronics Net

US STOCKS fell for a third successive day on Friday on disappointing housing and durable goods data, while Research In Motion’s lacklustre results dented optimism about technology spending. Economic reports showed that new orders for long-lasting …

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International Markets - Business Day South Africa

US stocks fell on Friday as investors wrestled with disappointing data on durable goods orders and housing, while Research In Motion’s lackluster results dented recent optimism about technology spending.

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Wall St drops on recovery worry - Business Times Malaysia

* Australian dollar offshore range $0.8617-0.8699. * Aussie slipped, hurt in part by weakness against a stronger yen, while lower U.S

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Aussie dlr slips to 2-week low vs yen; bonds firm - ninemsn

When I was transferred to Cheyenne, Wyoming, on my job five years ago, I didn’t want to go, but I didn’t have much choice. I was a single mom with a home and a piece of land in rural Wyoming, with a sizeable mortgage. I had two more years to work before I would be eligible for early retirement, and prospects for a comparable job in the remote community were slim to none. So I packed my bags and headed for the city. The company put me up in motels for a time while I was searching for a home.

At first, I thought I would have to rent a small apartment. Used to the wide-open spaces, that thought just freaked me out. I really didn’t want to waste money on rent. I wanted my money to be building equity, so I began looking for a small home or single-wide mobile home in my price range, which was about $50,000–very low even in 2002. The realtors were sending me to look at tiny, run-down single bedroom homes on very small lots, or dilapidated trailer homes on dinky rented lots in crowded trailer parks. All these were unsavory to a country girl, to say the least.

I was almost ready to give up and go back to the apartment idea, when I came across a double-wide mobile home on and acre and a half corner lot with mature trees and a large metal shop building. It was in a junky neighborhood on the south side of Cheyenne, which is the wrong side of the tracks, for sure. I was instantly drawn to the tall pine trees in the yard and the relative isolation from the neighbors the corner lot offered. The asking price was a little more than my self-imposed price range, but, I reasoned, they might come down. I called the realtor and told her I wanted to make an offer. She asked if I didn’t want to look inside the house first, and I said I guessed I would, although I had already settled the matter in my head. She met me at the property about six p.m. and took me for a quick look inside the mobile home.

The current owner was an older lady who had lots of stuff. In fact, the house was so stuffed, I could not even see much of the floor, there were just trails through. I did notice the counter in the kitchen would need some help, as the ceramic tile was falling off on the corner that was exposed. I made a mental note of that, but thought I could either live with it or fix it. By nine p.m. that evening, the realtor and I had completed the offer of $55,000 and I went back to the motel, thinking the owner would likely counter back with about $60,000 since she was asking $65,000. At ten a.m. the following morning, the realtor called to say I had a signed contract. I was surprised, to say the least, and worried, because I really didn’t know where I would get $55,000. I had put my rural property on the market a few months prior to that, but had not even had a nibble. I made a bee-line to my bank when I got off work that day.

Sitting down with a bank vice-president, I showed him my contract and told him what I had done. It just so happened, this man was aware that real estate values were just taking off in the Cheyenne area, with lots of industries coming there because two major Interstate Highways happen to cross there. He just sat back, scratched his head, and said, “Yeah, I think we can help you with that.” The bank carried back a second mortgage on my ranch and the Cheyenne house was free and clear!

Then the fun began. The appraisal came in at $70,000 and the appraiser told me if I just cleaned it up a little, he could probably appraise it for about $100,000. I knew I had some work ahead of me, but that it would be well worth it. After the owner moved all her “stuff” out, then I could see that the kitchen counters were not the only problem. All of the floors were in really bad shape. The carpets were all stained and worn out. They had lain sticky vinyl tiles in some of the rooms, and they were coming up. There were no curtains on the windows and someone had a grease fire in the kitchen and melted part of a cabinet. It was so bad, my son and I slept out on the back deck rather than in that dump our first night there. They had run a welding and repair business out of the metal shop, and there was junk galore left in there and out in the back lot. I kept the dumpster full the first four months I was there, and hauled about five pickup loads of junk myself to the dump, then hired a company that came in and hauled three 5-ton dump truck loads out.

The perimeter fences all needed rebuilding, and the house and shop both needed exterior paint. I hired a service to replace all the carpets for me and then I tore into the kitchen with an almost complete remodel. I removed the old sink and cabinets and laid a new laminate flooring in there. Laminate is very easy to install for the do-it-yourselfer and very economical. It also has a rich look and feel to it and helps to insulate a cold floor. Then I went to Home Depot and bought new cabinets–the pre-finished kind that you just have to assemble, and a friend helped me hang the top ones and install a new stainless steel sink and laminate countertop. An overhead, built-in microwave was added, and all the other appliances just needed a good cleaning and the kitchen was done. So far I had only spent about $4,000 on all these repairs that made the house livable. I repainted the metal garage and workshop with some paint that had been given to me and the neighborhood kids all helped paint. Then I tore into the wire fence and replaced it with three-rail doweled wooden fence that gave the place a western look, then painted the outside of the mobile home to match the shop.

I did most of the work myself, only hiring the dump truck contractor to help with the clean-up for around $1,000. The fence cost about $3 a foot for the materials and I installed about 400 feet of it. So my costs for renovation were now around $7,000 including what I had spent on drapes and paint for the inside of the home. Before placing the home on the market, I had a roof inspection done and it revealed I needed a new roof, however. My insurance had excluded the roof from my coverage at the time I bought the home. I got several estimates from roofing companies and they all wanted to do a complete tear-off and reroof job for around $4,000. It only had one layer of shingles, though, and I was finally able to find a company that was willing to just add another layer of shingles for half that, so my total repair costs were now up to about $9,000. All the neighbors were remarking on how much better the place looked. Meanwhile, Cheyenne was booming and real estate values were skyrocketing. I listed my property in the spring of 2007 for $130,000. The appraisal came in at $131,000, and my home was sold within three months–a gain of about 78 per cent over the five years I lived there.

So location isn’t everything. It certainly does play a part, but more important are buying at the right price and making needed improvements to the property. I would recommend you always have an appraisal done before you buy and make sure you don’t pay more than the appraised value.