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How to hire a good home contractor
Don't hand your home-remodeling project to an unreliable or dishonest contractor. Here are 6 things to look for.
Madlynn is Kid of the Month Have home prices bottomed out? The latest housing data indicate home prices may be stabilizing, although butterflies over the economy could keep many potential homebuyers on the sidelines. By MarketWatch
Home prices are closer to stabilizing today than at any time in the past nine years.
10 tips on staging your home to sell It doesn't take long for a prospective buyer to form an opinion about your house. Here's how you can tilt the odds in your favor by making your home appeal to the widest clientele possible. Christopher Solomon, MSN Real Estate
Prospective home buyers form an opinion about the home you're selling in 15 seconds, by one estimate. How much house can you buy? Enter your income, the monthly minimum payment on your debts and the amount of cash you can put toward a new home. You'll need to choose an interest rate and estimate your credit rating. We'll calculate the maximum house you can afford, the size of the loan and an estimated payment, making some basic assumptions about taxes, insurance and closing costs. We'll also adjust for your credit history. These are guidelines. Lenders may approve a loan for more, but that doesn't mean the loan is a wise choice. Many Mortgage Delinquents Still Unaware There Is Help mortgagenewsdaily.com
How to hit up your landlord for cheaper rent, perks Treats help. But so do sleuth work and building a solid case for why you deserve a break, whether you're midlease or ready to move on. Here are 15 tips Christopher Solomon, MSN Real Estate
It's both a tough time and a great time to be a renter out there, America.
7 home-buying traps First-time home-buyers face an unfamiliar road and risk purchasing the wrong place at the wrong time. Here's a guide to the potholes. by Liz Pulliam Weston Buying your first home is an exercise in faith. You don't really know what you're getting into, you're awash in unfamiliar terminology and everyone you meet seems to have strong (and utterly contradictory) ideas about which way the housing market is headed. You may not be able to avoid every home-purchase mistake, but you can keep your regrets to a minimum by avoiding the following traps: |
Housing ProgramsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
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HUD – Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet
USDA - Rural Development / Housing & Community Facilities Programs (HCFP) The Housing and Community Facilities Programs provides a number of homeownership opportunities to rural Americans, as well as programs for home renovation and repair. HCFP also makes financing available to elderly, disabled, or low-income rural residents of multi-unit housing buildings to ensure they are able to make rent payments. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Renting
HUD doesn't actually own rental housing. HUD does not provide funding to support
several rental assistance programs. Read all about them in
"Renter's Kit"
Housing Finance Agencies offer individuals, families, and businesses a wide range of support and assistance. Click your state to find HFAs and organizations near you that can help you with your housing finance questions and concerns. Housing Finance Agencies offer plans on preventing and ending homelessness. Supportive Housing Works to End Homelessness Supportive housing is proven to help people who face the most complex challenges--individuals and families who are not only homeless, but who also have very low incomes and serious, persistent issues that may include substance use, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS--to live more stable, productive lives.
Ending and preventing homelessness in every community, one church and one family
at a time.
Search for Bridge of Hope in your state. Bridge of Hope National
311 National Road, Exton, PA 19341
2-1-1 Connecting People in Need with Community Services Call 211 for emergency help with affordable housing and basic human needs, help with addiction prevention programs for teenage children, help for aging parents, for identifying support groups, and much more (see below). Services are provided by United Way Worldwide and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS).
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
Catholic Charities agencies serve people of all faiths. They provide a wide range of services, including services for single moms and children: housing, emergency services, health care, child care, adoption, counseling, financial assistance, food pantries, and other critical services.
Florence Crittenton Services, Charlotte, NC
Florence Crittenton Services of Charlotte, NC is one of the largest
comprehensive residential problem pregnancy programs in the United States. In
addition to a safe environment during pregnancy, a full range of services are
provided including health and prenatal care, education, adoption programs,
parenting skills/early childhood development education, life skills,
scholarships, group and individual counseling and family planning.
Eligibility: Maternity Program: • High-risk, single pregnant young women 10 years of age and older who may also be homeless • Victims of incest, sexual and/or physical abuse and neglect and family violence • Pregnant women addicted to substance or at risk of becoming an alcoholic or drug abuser • Court ordered adolescents and adults • Foster care clients • Those who are from under-served counties in North and South Carolina and at risk for infant mortality/morbidity, low birth weight, premature birth or having a baby born addicted to a substance
Sarah's House (Mother/Child Program): Single adolescent mothers
ages 14-18, in legal custody of the Department of Social Services who are
parenting a child or children in need additional support.
Our Families Our Future – Cheyenne, WY
Our Families Our Future is a Wyoming non-profit organization that helps
low-income single mothers on their path to economic self-sufficiency. Our CLIMB
Wyoming programs train and place women in demand occupations and careers that
earn livable wages. Almost 40% of single mothers in Wyoming are living at or
below the Federal poverty level, but the staff and partners of Our Families Our
Future are working to reverse this statistic by empowering single mothers to
improve their lives and the lives of their children.
Our Families Our Future
1001 W. 31st Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001
Provides safe and confidential transitional housing with integrated support
services to homeless single mothers and their children, and separately to
homeless single men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. The goal is to
coordinate successful re-integration of residents into the community through
adequate housing, counseling, child care, food, clothing, education and
vocational training, life skills development, employment, medical and dental
care.
Vision House
P.O. Box 2951
The Nurturing Network is an international charitable organization that responds to the immediate and comprehensive needs of a woman facing the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy. TNN - Who We Are - Whom We Serve - How We Network
• Need Help? www.nurturingnetwork.org/needhelp.html
Fellowship Housing—Hoffman Estates, IL
Fellowship Housing is a two-year transitional living program for single moms and their kids who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It provides subsidized housing and one-on-one mentoring while working to save money and improve single moms’ situations.
CoAbode – Single Mothers House Sharing CoAbode offers a unique matchmaking service to provide single moms with one or more children the opportunity to share housing, while pooling resources and finances with another single mom of their choosing.
Community Action Partnership, Sonoma County, CA - Programs
Giffen House - Affordable housing for single mothers with
children and single women who are working toward overcoming their homelessness,
getting off of public assistance and working toward long term stability. All
residents are enrolled in an individualized program designed to help them find
employment, a living wage, and obtain permanent housing.
Moving ResourcesSimple tips can help moves go smoothly
Housing choice vouchers allow very low-income families to choose and lease or purchase safe, decent, and affordable privately-owned rental housing. HOME Investment Partnerships Program HOME provides formula grants to States and localities that communities use—often in partnership with local nonprofit groups—to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people.
Homes and Communities - U.S. Department and Urban Development
451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410 Resources Links:
1250 Addison, Suite 113, Berkeley, CA 94702, 510-549-9980
Cooperative Resources and Service Project
Solo Parenting Alliance
NoteThe listing of or omission of an institution, organization or corporation on this Web site does not refer to programmatic capability nor does it confer any official status, approval, or endorsement of the institution, organization or corporation itself. This listing does not purport to be a listing of all organizations & corporations that are providing relief in the affected area. Additionally, there may be organizations providing relief in the affected area that are not accepting donations at this time. It is not the purpose of this Web site to make, or enable to be made, any representation to the public concerning the organizations listed. This listing is for informational purposes only. Any contributions or submissions you choose to make from links on this Web site are at your sole discretion.
• Join the SingleMom.com forums. Share your tips, resources and experience with other single moms |
Utility Prices are Significant Expenses by Randi Lynn Millward I don't know about you, but my electric bill is sky-high. I've been running around the house unplugging everything in sight so as not to incur charges from my appliances using "phantom energy". Because you are somebody special! by Annette Bridges Since my trip to Italy, my husband and I have enjoyed a delicious breakfast routine that often includes French toast, fresh fruit and a yummy cup of cappuccino.
Our Friendships by Laurie Cesario-Overton We all have those days when we get overwhelmed and it seems like every time we turn around there is another problem. 3 Money Rules for Stay-at-Home Moms
As we all know, life is unpredictable. We lose jobs, get divorced and even become widowed...
You May Have Too Much Debt But You Also Have Options How Life Works If you feel like you're in over your head with personal debt, you're not alone. Millions of Americans have become overextended, many as a result of easy credit and the recessions. Credit cards, medical bills, personal loans and raising interest rates do not make a good financial mix. Could fat babies mean fat toddlers?
A new study from Harvard Medical School found that babies who gained weight quickly had a sharply higher risk of obesity. The study followed close to 600 babies and found those in the top quarter of weight for their length at 6 months had a 40 percent higher risk of obesity by age 3 than smaller babies. Offer to barter Dr. Marie - Advice for Pet Owners A vetʼs office is a business that requires a lot of services. In many cases your vet may be willing to barter in exchange for veterinary services. How to Find the Best Car Loans for Single Moms Financial Advice for Single Moms The best car loans for single mothers might be just around the corner at your local car lot. Crystal Bowersox - A Single Mom And A Real American Idol Read how the amazing Crystal Bowersox. the runner-up of American Idol Season 9, handles fame and life as a single mom, raising her 17 month old son. 5 Ways for Single Moms to Save Money Single moms are always looking for ways to save money, and for good reason... It’s important to find ways to cut corners on the little things that perhaps you don’t think about too often, because those are usually where your biggest money drains are. Suze Orman's Recession Rescue Plan - helps you survive in times of financial crisis OPRAH.com Do you know what your family would do if you lost your job - or worse, your home? Financial expert Suze Orman is ready to help you devise a recession rescue plan to survive - and possibly thrive - during this deepening financial crisis... Your Just-in-Case Emergency Plan by RealSimple Who do you call if you can't make it home in time to meet the kids' bus? Who do you trust to take in your mail when you're on vacation? Who do you trust with the extra set of keys to your house? How to save $10,000 By Liz Pulliam Weston If you were hoping for a list of small tweaks you could make in your spending to save $10,000 a year, sorry. The reality is that $10,000 is a lot of money. And saving big money usually means making big changes in the areas where we spend the most, such as: Housing, Transportation, Food. The Super, Sexy, Single Mom on a Budget by Renee Rayles A quick reference guide designed for the busy, single mom who has little time to read while running the mom taxi, cooking dinner, helping with homework, and trying to fit in a date night every now and then.
Single Mothers & Single mothers carry an enormous load of responsibility, especially those having sole and/or primary custody of minor children. They nourish, they nurture, they teach, they discipline, they shelter, they protect, and they provide… all without the assistance of another equally-invested adult. Mom's Obesity Raises Newborn's Heart Risk from the National Institute of Health The more obese a woman is when she becomes pregnant, the greater the likelihood that her newborn baby will have a congenital heart defect, a new study suggests. The finding raises concerns because 1 in 5 women are obese at the start of pregnancy in the United States. The 10-Ingredient Shopping Trip By Tara Parker-Pope and Mark Bittman ... In his latest “How to Cook Everything” segment on the Today Show, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman makes it surprisingly easy to cook a week’s worth of dinners with just a 10-ingredient shopping trip. Your 5-minute guide to protecting your identity 20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft, and seven ways to clean up things if you become a victim. Single Moms in the News
6 Best Celebrity Single Moms
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney For those wondering why tween boys don’t read very much, the answer is that more books aren’t like this... 10 ways to avoid moving scams Horror stories about sketchy moving companies abound. Don't let one take you for a ride. Here's expert advice to help. by Fred Minnick, Bankrate.com
You've heard the stories. Movers load up your stuff one day and hold it hostage the next, demanding more money and threatening to dump your precious treasures if you don't pay.
18 easy ways to save on your move Many people overlook obvious ways to lower the cost of schlepping stuff to a new place, but you can save hundreds of dollars. by Christopher Solomon
If you're among the millions of people pulling up stakes this year and resettling in a new home, getting your goods to a new location means digging deep into your wallet, right? Not so fast.
Your 5-minute guide to home buying Home shopping is a high-stakes, stressful venture. Here are 24 tips to help you through the biggest purchase of your life.
Seriously consider this question: Are you really ready to buy a home?
Mortgage help: Do you qualify? Les Christie, CNNMoney.com
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