A. You could sue, but you probably would not win the case.

Smart buyers always get “preapproved” for a mortgage before they start shopping for a home. The bank typically issues a letter, certificate or card that suggests the buyers can borrow a certain amount of money — in this case, $275,000.

If you read the fine print, though, you’ll find that the bank can cancel its preapproval for any number of reasons. Those causes range from a below-market appraisal to the unexpected loss of a job or a sudden drop in the borrower’s credit score.

Your letter does not say why the lender yanked the buyer’s loan preapproval. But if the purchase offer you signed included a standard contingency stating that the buyer isn’t obligated to complete the transaction if they cannot get suitable financing, you have little choice but to terminate the proposed deal and return the buyers’ deposit.

Filing a lawsuit against the buyers likely would be both costly and fruitless, unless you could prove that they purposely set out to defraud you or the bank. Successfully suing the lender itself would be an even bigger long shot, because its highly paid lawyers almost surely would be able to show that they had a good reason to cancel the borrower’s preapproval and therefore cannot be held financially liable for a real estate deal that fell apart.

Your best move now would be to agree to cancel the transaction, return the buyers’ deposit and put your home back on the market again. That will be a hassle, but it’s a better alternative than tying your property up for months by filing a costly and time-consuming lawsuit that you almost certainly cannot win.

Q. My credit score is pretty lousy, but I want to buy a house. I went to one of those free “credit-repair” seminars that are advertised on TV. It was basically a waste of time, because the speaker mostly wanted to sell his expensive books and CDs. But one suggestion he made left me wondering: Can getting a federal “taxpayer identification number” allow me to get a mortgage without disclosing my Social Security number and avoid the bank from discovering my crummy credit history?

A. Probably not. Plus, getting a taxpayer identification number — commonly called a TIN — could put you in hot water with both the Internal Revenue Service and law-enforcement authorities if you misuse it.

Virtually anyone can get a TIN and then use it to apply for a mortgage or other types of credit. Most TINs are issued to businesses or to immigrants who don’t have a Social Security Card.

Yet, even if you have a Social Security card, obtaining a TIN to get a mortgage or obtain other credit can get you into trouble. For example, it’s illegal to apply for credit with a TIN instead of a SSN if you are simply trying to elude existing creditors or law-enforcement officials. Penalties can include hefty fines and even prison.

In short, relatively few individuals can benefit by getting a TIN. Those who do must be careful how they use it.

Q. The company that provides our homeowner’s insurance policy gave us a check last week for all of the $4,200 in repairs that we had to make after our basement flooded in late April. Do we have to pay federal income taxes on the amount?

A. No. The check you received merely allowed you to restore your home to its earlier condition, so there’s no profit for the IRS to tax.

The fact that the insurer fully reimbursed you for the needed repairs, though, means that you will not be able to claim a large casualty-loss deduction on the income-tax return that you file next year.

Send questions to David Myers, P.O. Box 4405, Culver City, CA 90231-2960, and we’ll try to respond in a future column.

At the time, Doelger said the letters at issue informed borrowers who lost homes through foreclosure that they were eligible for reviews of their cases and might be entitled to compensation if their homes were taken improperly. Doelger said some people who might have benefited from a review lost the chance to get one by tossing out their letters or disregarding them.

Since then, another reason has popped up for borrowers to keep their eyes out for letters from lenders: Bank of America announced at the first of May that it will offer thousands of borrowers the opportunity to forgive the principal on their mortgages. That principal reduction will average $150,000 per borrower, Bank of America officials said.

The catch? Borrowers who toss out their letters from Bank of America might not learn of the program and whether they are eligible. The bank estimates it will send those letters to more than 200,000 mortgage customers that might be eligible for relief. Borrowers, then, must actively pursue principal reduction under the program to receive it — the bank won’t simply reduce the amount eligible borrowers owe on their homes.

Bear in mind that Bank of America’s program is part of a $25 billion settlement with 49 state attorneys general that was announced earlier this year. Under that settlement, Bank of America — along with Ally/GMAC, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo — agreed to compensate borrowers who were hurt by the alleged “robo signing” scandal.

That scandal, of course, involved people losing their homes through inappropriate means. All lenders that were part of the agreement will offer various programs to assist an estimated 2 million past and present borrowers on one level or another.

Of course, if those eligible for relief don’t communicate with lenders, they may well lose their chances to benefit from the settlement.

Doelger said there are a number of reasons borrowers discard beneficial letters from lenders. For one thing, some borrowers assume that any letter from a lender is bad news, and that’s doubly true when it comes to homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages.

For another, Doelger pointed out, there are more than a few scams out their targeting troubled borrowers. While principal reduction, potential mortgage reviews and other promises might seem too good to be true, it’s well established that close to 2 million past and present homeowners may receive something under the settlement.

Of course, people still need to be wary of scams. It’s easy enough to tell whether an offer is legitimate or not: Contact your lender or mortgage servicer if in doubt, and they should be able to verify the validity of any programs to which borrowers may be eligible.

Staying in touch with a lender is always a good idea. With the settlement out there and lenders still deciding how to implement it, good communications between borrowers and mortgagers is a better idea than ever.

Home Sweet Home is distributed by the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas. Visit the association online at mbaar.org.

“Many of us have delayed home repairs and improvement until they are absolutely essential,” said Rob Haislip, vice president of Archadeck. “Even then, sometimes homeowners don’t have enough information to decide when something is optional or truly a safety hazard that could result in an injury.”

To help ensure safety, especially for decks that are more than 10 years old, Haislip shares seven deck safety inspection guidelines with the clever acronym of BE SAFER:

• Boards: Look at the condition of your deck boards. While most wood will show some minor cracks and splits over time, boards should be good and not rotting or damaged.

• Every connection: Decks should be built using a variety of fasteners and metal hardware connectors. Check every connection on the deck to make certain that they are not corroded or compromised. Look for nails backing out, red rust and other signs of corrosion that can weaken the integrity of the deck.

• Structure: If visible, look at the posts, beams and joists that provide the structural framework of the deck. Is there any noticeable sagging between supports?

• Attachment: The attachment of the deck to the house is where most deck failures occur. Ensure that the deck is properly attached to the house with bolts and is properly flashed for water protection. Nails should never be used.

• Foundation/footings: The foundation/footings support the weight, also known as the load, on a deck and the columns that bear on them. A footing that is sinking may cause a noticeable sag in an area or a column to separate from a beam.

• Exits: Check the areas where people exit from the deck, usually stairs. Check the condition of the material used on the stair stringers, stair treads and risers. Do the stairs require a handrail? Is there adequate lighting to safely use the exits at night?

• Rails: Look at the condition of the rail posts and sections of railing to make sure that they aren’t loose or wobbly. Verify that the pickets/balusters are fastened securely and spaced no more than four inches apart.

For more information and tips on taking care of your home, visit www.ArkansasRealtors.com.

House to House is distributed by the Arkansas Realtors Association. For more information about the ARA, visit www.ArkansasRealtors.com.

A. If this mild winter was any predictor of the upcoming summer temperatures, we are in for some high electric bills for air conditioning. With the low cost of natural gas and more electric utility companies switching to natural gas, hopefully electric rates will stay reasonable.

Although the amount of electricity used for lighting in the typical house is only a fraction of that for heat, cooling and water heating, it still constitutes a significant annual cost. Using more natural lighting instead of light bulbs is not difficult to accomplish. Also, at the same brightness, most people can see much better under natural light than under artificial light.

If saving electricity is your primary concern, then a tubular skylight is often a better choice than a traditional rectangular skylight for natural lighting. A traditional skylight provides more lighting and a view of the sky. Its drawback is that it creates a large hole in the insulation envelope of your roof and loses energy. It also costs much more than a tubular one.

I installed a tubular skylight in my garage and it provides adequate light for most activities out there during the daytime. When there is a full moon, it actually produces enough light for me to walk to my car in the garage.

Tubular skylights are available in several diameters depending upon how much light you need and the space available. According to ODL, a small 10-inch-diameter model produces as much light as three 100-watt incandescent light bulbs. A larger 14-inch model is equivalent to using five 100-watt bulbs.

If you use incandescent bulbs, the annual electricity savings from installing a large tubular skylight is about $90. If you typically use compact fluorescent bulbs, the annual savings is about $25. This might not sound like a lot per year, but the tubular skylight should last for many, many years. It requires no maintenance and should easily pay back its initial cost.

Tubular skylights use a sheet metal tube that extends from above the roof to the ceiling below. The interior of the sheet metal has an extremely reflective coating, so very little brightness is lost as the sunlight bounces back and forth on its way down. A clear dome seals the top of the tube above the roof, and a flat diffuser snaps over the bottom in the ceiling.

To control the brightness, optional dimmer flappers are available to reduce light intensity. These can be operated by an electric motor (which requires wiring) or by a solar panel with a remote control.

Another nice feature for bathrooms is a tubular skylight model that also works as an exhaust fan.

The following companies offer tubular skylight kits: ODL, 866-635-4968, www.odl.com; Solatube, 888-765-2882, www.solatube.com; Sun-Dome, 800-596-8414, www.sun-dome.com; Sun Pipe, 847-496-4904, www.sunpipe.com; Tru-Lite, 800-873-3309, www.tru-lite.com; and Velux, 800-888-3589, www.veluxusa.com.

Q. I am getting quotes on having my furnace replaced. Some of the contractors are adding in a fee for the county inspectors. Is this really necessary when I am just having my old furnace replaced?

A. From a legal standpoint, the requirements for inspections depend upon your local codes. If one or more of the contractors includes it in your quote, most likely it is required by law.

I recommend paying the small fee to have it inspected. I had a new heat pump installed 10 years ago without an inspection. The contractor had dropped a screw on a wire, which kept one resistance element on. It really drove up my electric bills until I found it myself.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.

For the lovers of ranch style, I’ve discovered a book, published by Gibbs Smith, and through the book a magazine that celebrates these midcentury houses in all their glory. Author of Atomic Ranch: Midcentury Interiors Michelle Gringeri-Brown and photographer Jim Brown launched the quarterly magazine Atomic Ranch in 2004 to call attention to the underappreciated ranch homes built all across postwar America. Their in-depth research and admiration for the style dazzle in their new book as they showcase stylish ranchers decorated from vintage original to updated modern.

So what’s a rancher? Key elements are a long, low (often rambling) profile with minimal exterior decoration. Gringeri-Brown notes that they have limited curb appeal, but once you are inside, the story heats up. You’ll find simple, no-fuss architecture, an open plan, small kitchens and baths, and bedrooms separated from living area. Large windows and sliding glass doors bring the outside in. Rooflines overhang to protect the interior from direct sun.

Shown here is a midcentury house built by real estate developer Joseph Eichler. Renowned for bringing modern style to subdivision or tract housing, his homes were post and beam construction, which allows for huge expanses of glass and a wide-open layout. The design is Spartan, with clean geometric lines. The living room is a challenge to set up, with the off-center fireplace and walls of glass. A focal wall of green Venetian plaster and a pair of red cotton rugs balance the strength of the brick fireplace wall and tile floor.

With walls of glass come big utility bills, a drawback to this modern design. Pinch-pleat curtains or metal blinds do suit the style, and offer privacy, but not in this home. The bedroom floor is a slat-covered, radiant-heated slab, which helps.

Decorating solutions are described with tips from the homeowners for each of the eight ranchers in the book. Minimize colors and materials in an open-plan style. Repeat materials to build cohesion. Research midcentury colors on the Internet to find the right palette. Shop for vintage pieces that are appropriate to the style of the ranch; you often can mix in a few modern pieces. Lighting makes a big impression; the lamps shown throughout the book are fantastic!

To heighten the book’s appeal even more, there’s a very complete resource section for those who are seeking anything midcentury, from furniture and lighting to art and architects. And if you don’t have a rancher, you can steal a few very cool decorating ideas that would work wherever you live.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email any questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, or visit her new website, www.debbietravis.com.

A. That’s a timely question, considering that today is the start of “National Pet Week.” I’m devoting this entire column to answering (or re-answering) questions readers have asked about real-estate-related issues concerning pesky pooches, wayfaring cats and the like in the past few years.

Only a handful of states have real-estate disclosure laws that specifically address barking dogs or other annoying animals. But most states require that sellers must disclose any “nuisance” — and a few courts have ruled that that definition should include a barking dog, stray cats or even a neighbor’s constantly crying baby.

Talk to your neighbors to see if there’s something they can do to keep the dogs quiet at night. Simply bringing them indoors might do the trick.

If that fails, call your local city attorney’s office and see if your community is among the hundreds of areas that have approved “anti-barking” ordinances. These laws typically allow local authorities to cite dog owners for the first or second offense, and then begin fining them until the problem gets under control.

A real estate agent or attorney could give you more details. But frankly, I would lean toward disclosing the problem to a potential buyer upfront and risk blowing a sale rather than face the prospect of an expensive lawsuit later.

Q. My neighbor’s dog gets out of his backyard a few times a month and always seems to make a beeline for my garden, where he digs up my flowers and shrubs and dumps you-know-what on my grass. I have talked to my neighbor about the problem a few times, but he laughs and says “dogs will be dogs.” What are my legal rights here? Is there an alternative to simply calling the dog catcher?

A. I love dogs, but don’t like irresponsible dog owners.

You certainly have the right to remove the dog from your property, but you do not have the right to harm it. That means that you can use “reasonable force” to shoo it away, such as chasing it with a soft broom. However, hurting or killing the dog — even though it’s trespassing — would be illegal unless you were acting in self-defense. It also could trigger a lawsuit by the dog’s owner, and maybe even criminal charges against you.

Phoning the local dog catcher might not be a bad idea if the dog wanders onto your yard again. Many cities and counties now charge more than $75 to an owner who retrieves a dog, cat or other pet that was corralled and then taken to a community’s animal shelter. After paying such charges once or twice, your neighbor might build a fence or take other measures to ensure that his pooch won’t get out again to ravage your garden and poop on your lawn.

An alternative is to sue your neighbor in small claims court because he has been unresponsive to your verbal pleas.

Start by putting everything in writing. The next time the dog comes onto your property, send the man a certified letter stating the date and time of the unwanted visit and itemize the damage that the dog caused. Also estimate the cost of the damage and request that he repay you.

This should be enough to make your neighbor begin to take the problem seriously and take measures to secure the wandering pooch. If it doesn’t, it’s time to head to court.

Receipts for any money you paid to repair the dog’s damage, such as the cost of buying new plants, certainly would bolster the case that you present to the judge. Photos or a video of the dog romping or digging in your yard also would help, especially if they have been electronically time-stamped by the camera.

Another option would be to file a claim for the damage the dog causes with the company that provides your homeowners insurance. However, it’s doubtful that the destruction would exceed your deductible. And even if the insurance company paid, filing a claim would do little to encourage your neighbor to keep his roaming Rover under control.

Q. I have a Rottweiler and always keep him in my yard, but a friend of mine says that the cautionary “Beware of Dog” sign on my front fence could set me up for a lawsuit if he bites an intruder. Could it?

A. Maybe so. A handful of judges in dog-bite cases have ruled that the simple act of posting a “Beware of Dog” sign indicates that the homeowner knows that the dog was dangerous and that the plaintiff who was bitten — whether a postal-service worker or a common burglar — is entitled to monetary damages.

Not surprisingly, a judge is more likely to award money to someone who has been bitten if the dog took a chunk out of another person’s leg before.

Your letter states that you securely keep the dog in your yard. Though he apparently hasn’t attacked someone previously, it would be wise to replace your current sign with a less-threatening “Dog on Premises” sign, which you can find at most hardware and home-improvement stores for less than $10. Doing so will alert the mail-carrier or (unwanted) visitors that you have a pet, without suggesting that they need to beware that your dog may bite them.

By the way, my gun-toting neighbor approaches the problem a bit differently. He has a gracefully hand-carved sign on his front door that says “Beware of dog: He eats anything that I shoot.” It’s an amusing, and perhaps effective, kind of disclaimer.

Send questions to David Myers, P.O. Box 4405, Culver City, CA 90231-2960, and we’ll try to respond in a future column.

We’ve seen the federal government bail out banks and attempt to remedy bogus foreclosure practices. We’ve watched the government put tax credits in place for homebuyers and regulate the appraisal process in an attempt to make sure home values aren’t exaggerated. There have also been some attempts to help out homeowners who are at risk of going into default.

Still, U.S. News and World Report said in April that 4 million homeowners have lost their homes through foreclosure over the past few years and that 11 million Americans now owe more than their homes are worth.

How can those homeowners be helped? The federal government has taken a look at the issue of principal reduction over the past few years. The notion, of course, is that reducing how much a person owes on a house will result in more affordable payments, thus leading to fewer defaults and foreclosures.

There are, of course, some federal programs in place designed to achieve the goal of principal reduction. Take the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), which is available to people owing more than their homes are worth and is available only to people with loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

What about the 40 percent of Americans without mortgages underwritten by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac? There’s the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which is different from HARP in that it doesn’t allow for principal reduction. HAMP can, however, lead to lower interest rates for even homeowners without loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

The end result of those programs? Foreclosure rates are still high and there are 11 million homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth. The programs, then, have fallen short of the goal of significantly reversing the trend that finds homeowners paying more than their homes are worth and getting in over their heads on mortgages.

Principal reduction is a straightforward concept, but putting it in place is difficult. The problem, of course, is that the institutions holding loans are asked to accept less money than they would if underwater homebuyers pay what they owe under the mortgages.

Is the federal government supposed to compensate those lenders? If so, are taxpayers supposed to come up with that cash at a time when the government is heavily in debt and feeling pressured to slash costs?

Another problem has to do with who is helped. One can argue that there are two groups of homeowners in trouble — those who were able to handle their mortgages just fine until they hit an economic roadblock, such as losing a job, and those who simply took out risky loans and should have known they’d run in trouble down the road. Do both groups deserve help?

The point of all this is that principal reduction is a sticky subject and it has been for a few years now. That issue might not get the most attention, but it’s an important one that could potentially impact millions of homeowners.

Home Sweet Home is distributed by the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas. Visit the association online at mbaar.org.

For the 25 years that I’ve worked for the Arkansas Real Estate Commission, a consumer group that has consistently been a target of unethical activity is timeshare owners who wish to sell their timeshares. Many persons who purchase timeshares eventually find that their lifestyles no longer match the vacation product they purchased several years prior. It’s sort of like the Corvette, purchased while a teenager, that needs to be traded in for a minivan when family obligations overcome the need for speed. The difference is that there’s always a secondary market for the Corvette, while the resort industry has struggled to develop a successful secondary market for timeshares. This has opened the door of opportunity to unscrupulous individuals willing to take advantage of the owners.

Many people own timeshare property and find it fits their vacationing needs quite well. According to surveys conducted by the International Foundation of the American Resort Developers Association (ARDA), 80 percent of timeshare owners are fully satisfied with their purchase. I’ve worked with ARDA through the years on the resale dilemma by serving on panels and speaking to resort professionals about the lack of a secondary market for timeshares. I’m convinced this association wants to address the resale dilemma. Timeshare owners who wish to sell their vacation property should visit the ARDA website on selling a timeshare at www.arda-roc.org/resales. For additional consumer protection information and advisories, visit www.arda.org (from the “News and Information” tab, click on “Consumer Information”).

Arkansas encountered problems with vacation property resale in the 1990s as advance fee scams started popping up across the state. While the sales angles differed from one operator to the next, the basic business model started with obtaining a list of timeshare and resort lot owners. Next, a call center was created by hiring mostly gullible and inexperienced salesmen who did and said whatever their employer told them to in order to obtain the property owners’ credit card information. The caller would then charge the owners a fee ranging from $300 to $700 to list their properties. Working together, the Real Estate Commission and attorney general managed to shut down these advance fee scams, where the properties were only being listed for the advance fee but seldom sold. Less than 1 percent of properties listed by many of these companies were ever sold.

On its website, ARDA mentions an activity that may have surfaced in Arkansas recently. ARDA refers to the practice as “transfer or repurchase solicitations.”

According to ARDA, the Vermont attorney general released a statement in 2010 stating “transfer companies solicit consumers to transfer ownership of their unused timeshares and, thus, ‘unburden’ themselves of maintenance fees, taxes and other costs. These solicitations mislead the consumer and may imply that the company will offer to pay consumers for their timeshares when, in fact, the owners get nothing and are required to pay up to several thousand dollars to supposedly transfer away the ownership of their timeshare property.”

Based upon comments I’ve received, the salesman usually works on the emotion of fear and convinces the timeshare owner that keeping the timeshare will become an ever-increasing burden for the owner.

In Georgia, the Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) recently reported it had entered into settlements with a company that provides timeshare transfer and lien release services to consumers. The Georgia OCP’s investigation revealed that the companies were sending out postcard mailers to consumers implying that they would offer consumers money in exchange for their timeshares. Consumers who responded by attending a sales presentation were instead allegedly pressured into paying thousands of dollars to transfer their timeshare deed over to the companies or to sign up for the company’s lien release services.

The California Department of Real Estate recently issued an alert and fraud warning about the growing number of scams being perpetrated against timeshare owners in connection with “timeshare resales.” According to the alert “Fraudsters pose as timeshare buyers and use such advertising slogans as ‘Will Buy Your Timeshare for Cash,’ ‘Timeshares Wanted’ or something similar, to lure timeshare owners….” The timeshare owner is then asked to pay a fee up front to process the paperwork. The alert states that other scammers falsely tell the timeshare owners they have a ready and willing buyer for their timeshare, then charge the owners “legal and processing” fees and “closing costs,” which can be in any amount but appear to fall in the average range of $1,000 to $3,000.

On its website, ARDA recommends that timeshare owners be extremely cautious when solicited by a company offering to “take your timeshare off your hands” and recommends that the following questions be asked of the representative of the timeshare transfer company.

1. Ask what you must pay in order to transfer the timeshare to the company and how they will accomplish the transfer.

2. Ask your resort’s homeowner’s association (HOA) or management entity if they are familiar with the transfer or resale company and what their experience has been.

3. Ask if they will require you to sign a “power of attorney” and, if so, ask them to send you a copy so you can have your attorney review it before you sign it.

4. Ask the company what they will do with your timeshare. (Some of these companies sell the timeshares on eBay or other websites for a few dollars. You could do this yourself and save thousands in the transfer fee). Also, you do not want to be a party to a default that hurts other owners and could possibly hurt your credit rating if your name is not properly taken off the deed.

5. Ask if the company will notify your resort and exchange company of the transfer and provide proof of these notifications.

6. Ask how soon your timeshare will be legally transferred, i.e. now, in 30 days, 90 days, etc.

7. Ask who will be responsible for paying your costs of ownership (maintenance fees, taxes, etc.) while the transfer is pending.

8. Get all of the answers to your questions in writing before you pay any money, and have a knowledgeable friend or professional advisor review the information with you.

9. Ask for the names and phone numbers of other timeshare owners who have used the company’s transfer services so you can call and ask about their experience.

10. Finally, do not succumb to pressure. If this is a legitimate company offering a reputable service, they should encourage you to take the necessary time to research the company and make an informed decision. If you are being pressured to do this now, walk away. For more consumer guidelines and tips, visit ARDA’s consumer website, www.VacationBetter.org/index.php?selling-your-timeshare.

Arkansas consumers should also ask the sales representative if they have an Arkansas real estate license. The Arkansas Real Estate License Law requires persons who perform activities in Arkansas involving the sale or transfer of timeshare properties to hold an Arkansas real estate license. If they do not hold a real estate license, the consumer should contact the Real Estate Commission at 501-683-8010 and provide the details of the situation to a commission investigator. While a real estate license does not guarantee that the person is offering the consumer a legitimate option, it does provide some protection for the consumer. Also, the Arkansas Real Estate Commission has the authority to impose a civil penalty up to $5,000 against any unlicensed person who illegally performs “unlicensed real estate activity” in the state.

For more information see Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s consumer alert issued April 4 entitled “Proceed Carefully when Reselling Timeshares” at GotYourBackArkansas.org or call McDaniel’s consumer hotline at 800-482-8982 or 501-682-2341.

House to House is distributed by the Arkansas Realtors Association. For more information about the ARA, visit www.ArkansasRealtors.com.

A. Kitchen habits can get the better of us all. We spend so much time preparing meals that we go on auto-pilot, and when someone changes the route, there’s trouble.

There’s a kitchen design company that may have the solution to your kitchen wars; they are leading edge and expensive, but their design concept is compelling. German company Bulthaup (www.bulthaup.com) couples the Bauhaus philosophy with contemporary design.

Bulthaup b2 is a kitchen workshop that concentrates all key functions into four elements. There is a kitchen workbench with a cooktop, a work area and a sink, and two tool cabinets that hold appliances, tools, crockery and food supplies. Following the principle of clearing away anything superfluous, the cabinet for tools and supplies was impeccably researched, and only essential items were given space. To appease your husband, when the cabinets are open, everything is at his fingertips. When the doors are closed and the workbench is cleared, the pieces transform into pure, stand-alone units. The fourth element is a suspended extractor for air filtration and light. The units are flexible; they can be recombined, added to and moved. Hope this helps.

Q. We live in a 55-year-old ranch-style house with original narrow board oak floors and oriental rugs in all the rooms. The guest bedroom carpet, which covers most of the floor, is a busy pattern — mostly in pastel shades of blue, rose and cream — with navy blue around the border. I’d like to use something other than plain colors for the textiles in the room, which includes an upholstered headboard, a wooden bench cushion, a bed skirt and covers. Can you give me some guidance on mixing patterns?

A. Your mid-century ranch-style home has a history and color palette that will help you. Colors are taken from nature, along with cheery pastels and bold shots of turquoise and orange, stainless steel and bronze.

Rather than adding more multicolored patterns, look for fabrics that have tone-on-tone texture, such as ribbed and embossed patterns. Blocks of color will energize the guest room — maybe turquoise for the bed, and a citrus green for one of the walls.

Q. I have a gas log fireplace with a brass rectangle around it that has become pitted and ugly. Have you any suggestions on how to fix this?

A. The brass is most likely lacquered, and there is no way to repair this. You can paint over it with a metal paint, which will clean it up, but you’ll still see the pit marks.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, or visit her new website, www.debbietravis.com.

A. Disclosure laws vary from state to state. A local real estate agent or attorney would be in a better position to discuss your particular situation, but I would follow the advice that the top lawyer at the National Association of Realtors gave me several years ago: “If you’re not sure whether you have to disclose a current or past problem, then you probably need to.”

Countless judges have ruled that sellers must disclose anything that might “materially affect” a buyer’s decision to make an offer on a house or on the price that would be paid. So, there’s no question that a seller would have to tell a buyer about an aging roof that constantly leaks, an air-conditioning system that no longer works or a bedroom that was recently added without proper government permits.

Disclosing past problems that a seller believes have been remedied falls into a muddier part of the law.

I’m glad your home’s plumbing system has been working well since you paid that expensive repair bill last year. But if you don’t disclose the previous problem to potential buyers, you could wind up being sued if, say, the contractor did a simple “patch job” to only temporarily solve the issue or used substandard materials that will soon break down.

Consider notifying the buyer about last year’s problems in writing, preferably in the legal contract that you sign to sell your house. That way, the buyer either could back out of the deal if the disclosure makes him feel uncomfortable or would have little right to sue if he goes through with the transaction.

You might even be able to turn the repairs you have made into a marketing advantage. Providing copies of the bills you paid and the work that was done could make a potential buyer more confident about making an offer to purchase your house, especially if the job was done by a licensed and bonded contractor who guarantees his or her labor and materials.

Q. I read that mass murderer Charles Manson was once again denied parole earlier this month. But what happened to the house where the Sharon Tate murders occurred? Who lives there now?

A. The hilltop house in the Benedict Canyon area of Los Angeles where the actress and four others were shot and stabbed to death by Manson’s followers has been bought and sold several times after the 1969 murders. One owner finally razed it and replaced it with an 18,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style mansion in 1993, but its moniker as the “Sharon Tate House” still sticks.

Even the grass and dirt were removed and replaced in the owner’s efforts to distance the property from its lurid past.

The address was also changed, from 10050 Cielo Drive to 10066, in an unsuccessful attempt to discourage lookie-loos. The current manse is a popular stop on several of those kitschy homes-of-the-stars bus tours, and now is owned by Hollywood producer Jeff Franklin, creator of such TV hits as Full House and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

Q. My partner and I made a full-price offer on a condominium, but it was rejected. We think that the sellers turned it down because we are gay. Can we sue the sellers under the federal anti-discrimination law, even though we both are white males?

A. You can sue, but you probably wouldn’t win. The Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 makes it illegal for a seller or landlord to discriminate against a buyer or tenant based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The law was expanded 20 years later to include families with children and people with disabilities.

Many groups have lobbied Congress in the past several years to add homosexuals to these seven categories of “protected classes” under the federal law, but those efforts have been unsuccessful.

Separately, though, a number of cities — and even a few states — have adopted their own laws that effectively ban discrimination against gay people who want to purchase a house or rent an apartment. Call your local fair-housing agency for details, contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs at 800-669-9777, or visit HUD’s www.hud.gov website if you honestly believe that your purchase offer was rejected based on your sexual orientation.

Send questions to David Myers, P.O. Box 4405, Culver City, CA 90231-2960, and we’ll try to respond in a future column.

Decorating has a lot to do with where we are in life physically and personally. The location and architecture of the building in which we live will suggest a certain style, be it urban or rural, small or large. Even more compelling is the combination of our age and stage. How and with whom we fill our days and what’s important at this time in life will drive how we relate to home space and what we expect to get out of it. Search for a color mix that speaks to your spirit, and look for furnishings that have their own style.

Fashion and decorating trends offer guidelines that can be helpful when it’s time to set up house. What’s in store can spark off a beginning point for pulling together the best look, one you anticipate with pleasure upon arriving home.

Ranges of gray have been and continue to be a decorating color mainstay. It is the modern neutral, replacing white and off-white on walls, floors, fabrics and furnishing.

Grays range from the palest dove gray to saturated tones of charcoal. These colors have a sophisticated aura about them on their own and mixed with other neutrals, and add a rich dimension to both modern and traditional decor. Gray that has a slight brown tinge is serene. Pairing soft taupes and grays is a sure method of setting up a tranquil mood fitting for relaxation and sleep.

The bedroom shown here is a masterpiece in graceful design elements that signify modern elegance and spatial balance. The sensuous flowing arc of the bed frame is first to catch your eye, outlined crisply with the white linen. The source for the 11 South Urbana bed is through Tolie Designer Club, www.toliedesignerclub.com.

Large headboards are very on trend, and here we have an interesting take on that — there are, in effect, two headboards. Blocks of tile have been installed on a wood construction and attached to the wall like a grand piece of art. The oversized block of tiles acts as a magnificent frame for the bed and the whole room, including lights and nightstands, and brings the room down to human scale. It’s a clever device in a space with such lofty ceilings.

Introducing a metallic element increases the sophistication quotient. You see it here with the shimmery pendant lighting. And there are plenty of other options you can utilize, such as choosing a drapery fabric with metallic threads, or a few accent pillows in silver or bronze. This also creates a subtle contrast in sheen, from shiny metal to matte linens.

Sheen plays a part in the overall aspect of any room. Here the bed frame and glossy floor glow in day and night light; smooth, seamless surfaces, both flat and curvy, catch the light. Walls and fabrics with low sheen absorb light, and the space around them feels larger. There’s an interesting contrast between the lush pile gray carpet and painted concrete floor. Tactile surfaces and rich neutral tones are oh so easy to live with, and never grow old.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. Follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, or visit her new website, www.debbietravis.com.

The guidelines would require servicers to acknowledge receipt of short sale purchase offers within three business days, respond to short sale requests within 30 days (with a possible 30-day extension) and make a final decision within 60 days of receiving purchase offers.

“As the leading advocate for housing and homeownership, NAR knows that delays in approving short sale requests remain a significant challenge for Realtors and consumers and often results in canceled contracts and the property going into foreclosure,” said NAR president Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi and Associates Inc. in Miami. “Realtors greatly appreciate FHFA’s efforts in establishing a timeframe for responding to sellers and potential buyer offers to help streamline the short sales process.”

NAR has long urged the lending industry to improve the process for approving short sales. When a family is absolutely unable to stay in their home, a short sale minimizes the negative impact on sellers and communities.

NAR believes that streamlining the approval process will reduce the amount of time it takes to sell the property, improve the likelihood that the transaction will close and reduce the number of foreclosures. Short sales also help stabilize home values and neighborhoods by keeping homes occupied, which benefits the housing market and aids in the recovery.

According to a recent release from Freddie Mac the new guidance includes the following details:

• If more than 30 days are needed, borrowers must receive weekly status updates and a decision no later than 60 days from the date the complete borrower response package (BRP) is received. This will help servicers who may need more time to obtain a broker price opinion or a private mortgage insurer’s approval on a BRP or property offer.

• In the event a servicer makes a counteroffer, the borrower is expected to respond within five business days. The servicer must then respond within 10 business days of receiving the borrower’s response.

• Freddie Mac will use the new timelines to evaluate servicer compliance with the Servicing Alignment Initiative (SAI) and its own servicing requirements.

A spokesman for Freddie Mac stated that “short sales are more complex than routine home sales since they may involve multiple parties and long-distance negotiating. Freddie Mac’s new timelines are intended to help make the decision process more transparent and timely for short-sales under the Obama Administration’s HAFA program or Freddie Mac’s traditional short-sale option. Today’s announcement underscores our commitment to help reduce credit losses and taxpayer risks by supporting more opportunities for sustained occupancy in our nation’s homes.”

According to Freddie Mac, the organization completed 45,623 short sales in 2011, a 140-percent increase since 2009, and has helped more than 615,000 distressed borrowers avoid foreclosure since the housing crisis began.

For more information, visit www.realtor.org/topics/short-sales.

House to House is distributed by the Arkansas Realtors Association. For more information about the ARA, visit www.ArkansasRealtors.com.

A. Sure. I was surprised at the number of letters that I received from my beloved readers after that column was printed a few weeks ago, and many of them sent along other tips that can save homeowners money while also safeguarding the environment.

Today is “Earth Day,” the day that we thank our little planet for the great stuff it has given us. But let’s face it: The oceans are dying, air quality is getting worse, and the nation is running out of places to throw its garbage. The government’s efforts to clean up the mess have been largely unsuccessful.

Yet some experts say the most important battleground in the war against pollution isn’t on the sea or in the air — it’s in our own homes.

Below are some good, chemical-free and cost-saving ideas that I have received from readers in the past few weeks. All have been vetted by experts, ranging from chemists to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (commonly called PETA), a nonprofit group that supports various environmental campaigns as part of its efforts to protect our four-legged friends.

MOTHBALLS

Mothballs are effective for keeping insects away from clothes in a closet, but they don’t come naturally from moths or their, er, you-know-whats. They are instead made in a factory using dichlorobenzene, a chemical that has been linked to cancer among humans and has killed millions of fish after the discarded balls are thrown into the garbage or flushed down the toilet.

Mothballs also have killed numerous children after the kids ate them, believing they were candy.

A safer way to protect your clothes, kids and the environment is to store your outfits in a bug-proof cedar closet or chest. If that option is too expensive, said a representative for PETA, slip a few cedar chips (available for $10 per bag or less at most home-improvement stores) into the cover that holds your fancy suit or gown.

“It’s like having a cedar closet but only costs a few bucks,” one letter writer agreed. Three others said that an inexpensive sachet of dried lavender, tucked into one of the garment’s pockets or covering bag, will work just as well.

FLEAS

More than one half of all American homeowners have a dog or cat who’s roaming about their abodes. Many pay hundreds of dollars a year for fancy prescriptions, canned sprays, collars or over-the-counter drugs aimed at keeping fleas away.

The trouble is, inhaling sprays — or simply handling flea collars — can pose risks to both people and their pets. And when the cans or collars are used up, they get tossed into the trash and wind up taking more space in our nation’s dwindling number of landfills.

There are cheaper and more eco-friendly alternatives. A PETA representative says a small amount of fennel, rue, rosemary or garlic added to a pet’s daily food bowl can bust the bugs, save money and lighten the load at the nearest dump.

FLOORS AND STAINLESS STEEL

Home economists say that a cup of white vinegar mixed with 2 gallons of water can remove dull or greasy film buildup on floors, while baking soda or mineral oil is good for polishing stainless steel. Both are safer and cheaper than store-bought cleaners.

MILDEW

A mixture of lemon juice and salt, or white vinegar and salt, can replace store-bought (and sometimes dangerous) mildew removers.

Vinegar, which typically costs only a dollar or two for a bottle, has lots of other money-saving and eco-friendly uses. It’s a biodegradable and effective way to clean a stained toilet. A few readers said that one part of vinegar coupled with three parts of olive oil also makes a good furniture polish. Other letter writers suggest a mixture of two parts olive oil and one part lemon juice.

THE GARDEN

Many commonly used insecticides are particularly dangerous to both personal health and the environment, especially when rain or a sprinkler system washes the residue off the grass, down the curb, into the sewer and out to the ocean.

Surveys suggest that about half of all insecticides are sold to combat ants. But simply washing countertops, cabinets and floors with equal parts of vinegar and water can help keep the bugs out of a kitchen.

Several readers offered an alternative. “You just pour a line of cream of tartar where the ants are entering the house, or even the garden,” wrote one. “They won’t cross the line.”

I tried this little trick in my own garden, and it worked. The best thing? That small can of cream of tartar cost me only 99 cents at a local discount store.

FERTILIZER

You might think the manure you put on your lawn or garden is chemical-free. But much of it isn’t, in part because potentially harmful chemicals must be added to kill bacteria and spur the vegetation’s growth. No bull.

Starting a backyard compost heap instead can be a pennywise, environmentally sound choice, according to the Sierra Club. Leaves, grass, fruit rinds and other organic waste account for about one-third of all trash collected from single-family homes.

Compost kits can be purchased for less than $100 at most home-improvement or hardware stores, or can be built with a simple wood frame and chicken wire.

Their mulch “makes a great fertilizer, but doesn’t have the chemicals that those store-bought fertilizers have,” one reader wrote. “My tomatoes are already popping up, and so are most of my flowers. I saved money, and I think that maybe I did a little bit to save the Earth.”

Send questions to David Myers, P.O. Box 4405, Culver City, CA 90231-2960, and we’ll try to respond in a future column.

What is a qualified mortgage and why should consumers care whether it is defined broadly, narrowly or at all? This all goes back to the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act) and addresses the secondary mortgage market. The secondary market, of course, is where mortgage-backed securities come into play.

That market was frequently blamed for the subprime lending crash that hit around 2007. The theory was that risky loans were bundled into mortgage-backed securities, which failed when borrowers couldn’t pay their mortgages and default rates soared. The end result was that the secondary market faltered, billions of dollars in mortgages were at risk and shockwaves were sent through the economy.

The Dodd-Frank Act, in an attempt to prevent another credit meltdown, requires financial institutions that bundle loans into mortgage-backed securities to retain at least 5 percent of the “credit risk” of those assets. That risk-retention rule is an attempt to make sure the interests of the financial institutions bundling loans into mortgage-backed securities are in line with those of investors, mortgage lenders and homeowners. The theory is that everyone will stand to lose something if a mortgage doesn’t perform, so all parties involved will promote loaning money to borrowers likely to pay it back.

Qualified mortgages, however, are exempt from that 5-percent, risk-retention rule. A qualified mortgage is one that, historically, is considered a low risk because default rates are low. The question, then, is what is or is not a qualified mortgage? The trick, it seems, is to make sure only well-performing loans fall into the “qualified mortgage” category, but to not be so restrictive that some responsible borrowers are frozen out of the market.

“Most economists and housing market analysts in government and in the private sector agree that today’s underwriting standards are tight and are contributing to a slow housing recovery,” the statement from the Mortgage Bankers Association and other groups asking for a broad definition says. “Our organizations believe that an unnecessarily narrow definition of [qualified mortgage] that covers only a modest proportion of loan products and underwriting standards and serves only a small proportion of borrowers would undermine prospects for a housing recovery and threaten the redevelopment of a sound mortgage market.”

The Mortgage Bankers Association argues that a narrow qualified mortgage definition will slow down a housing market that is still struggling, but a broad definition, coupled with regulatory oversight and strong underwriting standards, will lead to a market recovery. The Mortgage Bankers Association states that nonqualified mortgages will be quite expensive to issue and will be in short supply, so it’s in the best interest of the public to make sure the definition is as broad as possible without letting risky loans slip through the cracks.

We will, no doubt, see more line drawing in the months to come in Washington and will learn whether the final definition is as broad as some groups want or as narrow as it appears to be now.

Home Sweet Home is distributed by the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas. Visit the association online at mbaar.org.

Why now? Because despite the heated rhetoric of an election year, Realtors remain focused on homeownership, housing and real estate issues. We know that the challenges our country faces aren’t going away after November. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue the American dream of homeownership, and we will fight against obstacles that make it more difficult for people to buy, own and invest in real estate.

I’ve practiced real estate here in Little Rock for almost 15 years. During that time, I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of families invest in their futures through homeownership. Over the past few years, however, I’ve also seen buyers with good jobs and strong credit histories turned down for loans, hardworking families who are unable to refinance into lower monthly mortgage payments, and people lose their homes to foreclosure because their bank was too slow to process a short sale.

There are some who say we should turn our backs on homeownership — that the government should step away from insuring and purchasing mortgages, that homeowners shouldn’t be able to take advantage of certain tax benefits, and that maybe owning a home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, after all.

There’s no doubt that homeownership isn’t for everyone. The decision to own a home is a very personal one.

There’s a reason we’re a nation of homeowners. Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “A nation of homeowners is unconquerable.” That’s because homeownership fosters stronger communities, creates social stability and contributes to a strong economy.

Yes, Realtors sell real estate, and cynics may view our efforts as self-serving. But in doing our jobs, we help people into homes that give them shelter, a sense of community and the opportunity to build financial security over the long term.

We help businesses find homes, too. Commercial real estate is just as much a part of the fabric of our local economy as are homes for families.

As we look to America’s future, we must not lose sight of the values that helped make our country strong in the first place. Realtors want our country’s current and future leaders to understand the vital role that real estate plays in both the long- and short-term health of this nation.

That’s, why I’m going to Washington.

House to House is distributed by the Arkansas Realtors Association. For more information about the ARA, visit www.ArkansasRealtors.com.

A. Your observations are not wrong; for a few decades the custom of collecting and passing down monogrammed linens and initialed silver from parents and grandparents fell out of fashion, along with the notion of trousseau teas. Women were busy elsewhere, and the handmade details of life took a back seat.

However, monograms and words of encouragement never disappeared and are now very much back in style. Modern retailers are showing a wide selection of inventory that is either pre-printed or can be labeled to order.

West Elm, www.westelm.com, has a treasure trove of items, all modern and stylish and labeled with letters or words that demarcate ownership, but also will make you smile and think a bit.

Modern monograms can be quite bold or as subtle as fine stitching sewn white on white. Bedding, bath linens and glassware are traditional targets, but how about colored tea light candle holders, a child’s scoop-back chair, felt storage bins or your very own initialed canvas laptop cover? For entertaining, there are acacia and olive wood serving boards, knives, and glass whiskey and wine decanters topped with sculpted wooden spheres.

Monograms are back, with more choices and design possibilities than ever.

Q. My 1950s bungalow has strange walls in the entry, living and dining rooms. I’m not sure what material the wallcovering is, but it’s very, very hard (it’s almost impossible to hang pictures), and has a raised wood grain. I’d like to paint the walls a taupe or soft gray to bring it to a more modern feel, but I’m afraid the lighter color palette will make the weird embossed grain more obvious. Any suggestions?

A. This is the most common question I hear: What do I do with paneled walls? The question is the same whether they are real pine panels, plastic or wood veneer. All are dated and look gloomy.

I have made a video showing how to paint these panels so that the paint will stick, and how to cover the panels with the latest in paintable wallcovering. This wallcovering has an embossed or raised pattern and will camouflage your raised-grain problem.

Visit www.houseofinnovation.ca, scroll down to the video titled “Update Your Outdated Family Room With Debbie Travis,” and see the remarkable results.

Q. I have four dining-room chairs with very large white seats. I can’t believe I let my sister talk me into getting them! They have all become stained from my grandchildren’s mishaps at the table. My cleaning efforts only left water stains. I can’t afford to reupholster. How about camouflaging with fabric paint? I’m thinking of a dark-colored abstract design.

A. Grandchildren are really taking the heat lately. Last month it was tabletops.

There are fabric paints designed to cover upholstery, but there is always the chance that the paint will rub off on clothing due to paint left behind between fabric fibers. It’s almost impossible to rinse the excess paint away when you can’t remove the fabric. Also, paint will feel like paint, not your original material.

It’s not hard to reupholster the seats yourself — you just need a staple gun and some lovely fabric that has a more forgiving design. This is your best option.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, or visit her new website, www.debbietravis.com.

A. You, like many of my other readers, have been snared by new regulations the Federal Housing Administration enacted April 1.

More than 1 million people each year purchase a home with a low-down-payment loan that’s insured by the FHA, the federal government’s primary program to help low- and moderate-income buyers. The agency guarantees the lender that if the borrower defaults, it will pay the bank for some or all of its losses.

The FHA once ignored most collection accounts when granting its approval, but not anymore. The new rules instituted earlier this month basically mean that any mortgage application will be rejected — even if the borrower is disputing a credit-card charge or medical expenses — if the total amount exceeds $1,000.

Ironically, you are kind of in the driver’s seat now. Though you are disputing the $1,200 bill for your faulty fridge, the collection agency may compromise for about half that amount and wipe your credit clean so you can qualify for the FHA loan.

Those with larger unpaid or disputed loans are eligible for a waiver, if they can prove that their hardship was caused by a divorce, a death in the family, unemployment or a handful of other factors. Call the FHA for details, 888-466-3487, or go to the agency’s website, www.hud.gov.

Q. I saw an advertisement for a home that is on a “flag lot.” What does this mean?

A. A flag lot is a parcel that, from a bird’s-eye view, sort of looks like a flag standing on a pole. A long but narrow path or driveway connects to the street — that’s the “pole” — and the bulk of the parcel and home (the “flag”) sits to the left or right at the top of the connection.

Flag lots are fairly common, especially in rural areas and second-home communities. But they’re also sometimes found in urban areas, where the original developer built one house that fronts the street and another behind it on the flag.

Buying a home on a flag lot can be a tricky proposition. The key concern is that the buyer must make sure that the long driveway or path is included in the purchase, or at least ensures that he or she can use it at all hours of the day.

I met a reader at one of my public appearances several years ago who said he bought a small house on a flag lot, only to find that the driveway leading up to his house was owned by the family who lived in the home that directly faced the street. He had to pay those owners $50 a month just to use the driveway that led to his house in the back.

Q. Is it true that all homes and public buildings in Florida must have doors that swing outward, rather than inward? This would seem like a pretty stupid law, especially because the high winds that come with a hurricane would blow an open door right off its hinges!

A. Florida and a few other states have laws requiring that most public buildings have doors that swing outward rather than inward, but the rules don’t apply to personal residences.

True, a door that you have to pull rather than push when you enter a building can cause problems when there are high winds. But a greater risk is if there’s a fire or other emergency inside, say, a movie theater or nightclub. If the doors opened inward, the throngs of people trying to get out could cause a human logjam — those closest to the door might be trampled, and the rest would be trapped inside.

I think that such laws are sensible. Though outwardly swinging doors are more apt to snap off their hinges in high winds, there’s a much greater chance that folks who are already inside might need to escape if there’s a fire or other emergency. And besides, having lived through one hurricane and a few tornadoes myself, I didn’t really think about going to a movie or bar and worrying about how the doors of the establishment might swing as the winds were approaching.

Send questions to David Myers, P.O. Box 4405, Culver City, CA 90231-2960, and we’ll try to respond in a future column.

The CFPB plans to finalize those rules in January. To get an idea of the extent of those rules and what the CFPB hopes to achieve by implementing them, point your favorite Internet browser to tinyurl.com/7dgym6p and download the PDF file.

A mortgage servicer, of course, collects payments from a borrower on behalf of the original owner of the loan. If you took out a mortgage at a local bank but make payments to another institution, you are dealing with a mortgage servicer. Over the past few years, questions about practices of servicers, concerns over high foreclosure rates and the general shakiness of mortgage markets have led to the development of the proposed rules.

“The mortgage servicing rules we are considering reflect two basic, common-sense principles — no surprises and no runarounds,” CFPB director Richard Cordray said in a news release. “For too long, mortgage servicers have not been held accountable to their customers, and the result has been profoundly punishing to homeowners in distress. It’s time to put the ‘service’ back in mortgage servicing.”

The national Mortgage Bankers Association had some input on the proposed rules, and the group will stay involved in the process.

“National standards that apply to all residential loan servicers have the potential to create more confidence and certainty in the real estate market for both borrowers and servicers alike,” Mortgage Bankers Association president David H. Stevens said in a statement. “Borrowers would be protected by a single standard regardless of where they live, and servicers would have one set of rules to comply with everywhere they operate.

“The reforms that Director Cordray outlined appear to closely track the issues we have talked to him and the CFPB staff about, and MBA looks forward to working with the CFPB and other policymakers and stakeholders to ensure that the process used to develop the standards includes servicers of different sizes and business models.”

What are some of the new rules? A partial list follows:

• Clear monthly mortgage statements. The CFPB has proposed statements that tell borrowers how much they are paying in principal and interest, late fee warnings, options for borrowers who are delinquent, etc.

• Warning of future interest-rate increases. Under this rule, borrowers would learn of changes to interest rates in advance and estimates of how much their future mortgage payments should be.

• Options to foreclosure. If a borrower is at risk of losing a home through foreclosure, a servicer will be obliged to provide information about the foreclosure process and alternatives to it.

There are also proposed rules requiring servicers to deal with errors quickly, apply payments to accounts immediately and keep records accessible to borrowers and any staffers working on assisting people behind in their loan payments.

It remains to be seen what final rules will come out of the process and, indeed, if they achieve the stated goals of helping borrowers keep informed about their mortgages. The CFPB has been working on a standard set of rules for some time now, and those will continue to evolve. It’s well worth keeping an eye on how the process develops in the months to come.

Home Sweet Home is distributed by the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas. Visit the association online at mbaar.org.

According to the report, over the next two decades, the aging baby boomer generation will swell the nation’s senior population by 30 million. That demographic shift will likely help increase the supply of housing, since people over age 65 typically sell much more housing than they buy.

“The Northeast and Midwest are most likely to see a large number of older homeowners selling their homes to younger homeowners as the baby boomers age,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “This increased supply could mean additional buying opportunities for echo boomers. That generation will absorb 75 to 80 percent of the available inventory of owner-occupied housing by 2020.”

The echo boom generation includes nearly 65 million people born between 1981 and 1995. NAR’s analysis illustrates the potential impact of economic and housing policy on this generation’s demand for housing as they come of age.

“Housing, jobs and the economy are inextricably connected,” Yun said. “A strong recovery with favorable housing market conditions would encourage substantial growth in echo boomer households, which would help absorb the current vacant inventory and stabilize conditions for residential construction.

“Under a reasonable ‘middle’ recovery scenario, approximately 12 million new households will be formed over the next decade, requiring construction of up to 15 million new housing units,” Yun said.

Moe Veissi, NAR president and broker-owner of Veissi and Associates in Miami, noted that current market trends favor would-be homeowners of all ages.

“As the supply of rental housing continues to fall, rents are increasing,” Veissi said. “At the same time, affordability for homeowners is at a record high. For buyers who qualify and are ready to assume the responsibilities of owning a home, opportunity is knocking.”

House to House is distributed by the Arkansas Realtors Association. For more information about the ARA, visit www.ArkansasRealtors.com.

A. In my opinion, no door compares in beauty to a finely finished natural wood door. Unfortunately, although most people think of wood as a good insulator, it actually is a poor insulator as compared to a steel or fiberglass door filled with insulation.

If your current wood front door, or a new fiberglass one you are considering, has a lot of glass — as many door models do today — the door material becomes less important from an insulation standpoint.

For example, many insulated fiberglass doors have uninsulated wood rails and stiles along the edges. If you also subtract the area of the glass, the insulated area may be only one-half of the total door. Select a new insulated door with minimum glass for efficiency and security.

The significant efficiency advantage of a fiberglass door is that it does not warp with changes in humidity and requires very little maintenance. My guess is much of the chilly sensation you feel around your existing wood door is from air leakage around the edges. If a wood door is not properly maintained and regularly sealed, even the best doors will warp and leak over time.

Modern fiberglass doors have natural grain rolled into the surface. Once they are stained and finished with urethane, it is difficult to distinguish one from real wood until you touch it. They also weigh less than a solid wood door, making them easier to open and close with your arms full.

I recommend using a staining and finishing kit from the door manufacturer. Most manufacturers offer a wide variety of stains, and you know it will be compatible with the door surface material. Also, when it needs to be refinished, the stain in the refinishing kit will match. Even though it is fiberglass, if the door is exposed to the direct sun, it will need occasional refinishing.

There are several insulation options for fiberglass doors. Some use a preformed rigid foam insulation panel, which fits inside the fiberglass skins. Others inject expanding foam inside the door after it is assembled. If both methods are done correctly, there is not a significant difference in efficiency, so don’t be swayed by marketing hype about one or another.

Since you probably will want some glass in your new door, make sure it is triple-pane, which provides two insulating air gaps. The insulated fiberglass door I have on my own house has a decorative beveled plastic pane in the middle. This protects it and makes the smooth indoor and outdoor glass surfaces easier to keep clean.

The following companies offer fiberglass entry doors: Peachtree Doors, 888-888-3814, www.peachtreedoor.com; Pella, 800-374-4758, www.pella.com; Plastpro, 800-779-0561, www.plastpro.com; Taylor Door, 800-248-3600, www.taylordoor.com; and Therma-Tru, 800-843-7628, www.thermatru.com.

Q. We have a heat pump, but our neighbors have gas heat. Our heat pump cools well, but does not produce much heat. We cover it during winter like our neighbors do their air conditioners. Are we doing the right thing?

A. It is fine to loosely cover the outdoor unit of a central air conditioner over the winter to keep out debris, but not a heat pump. The heat pump’s outdoor unit needs to have air circulation to draw heat from the air.

Your heat pump compressor has probably been running like crazy trying to produce heat, and your backup resistance has been coming on. It would be wise for you to schedule a service call to have the heat pump inspected.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.