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FRESHLY REPAINTED Charming brick twin is ready for new owner with new furnace, newer windows, newer roof, this home is move in ready, welcoming living space with plenty of lights, updated tiled kitchen. Fenced nicely sized backyard with deck. The 2nd floor has 3 Nice Bedrooms Hardwood floors throughout and a Full Bath. The full basement is partially finished and would make an other large entertaining space and great laundry room. DON’T MISS OUT. MLS 540017 – $128,500

3 Reasons Your Real Estate Agent WANTS You To Bother Them

 

Real estate agents hear this all the time…

“I wish I had called you before. But I just didn’t want to bother you. I know you’re busy…”

…after it is too late.

There are times when you might feel like you shouldn’t “bother” the real estate agent you know. (Could be your friend, a neighbor, your brother-in-law, cousin, your sister…)

Maybe you’re truly trying to be considerate.

But, maybe it’s because you’re not even aware that you should.

Or, you just don’t want to feel obligated or pushed into doing something. (Despite what many people think, most agents are not pushy. Most are the exact opposite.)

So, let’s go over a few times that you should “bother” your real estate agent. Because it really isn’t a bother.

In fact, we’ll get into why it will bother them if you don’t reach out to them for any of these things.

1. You just want to check out a house.

You see a house online. Or a For Sale sign. Maybe even just stumble across and open house.

You’re not all that serious about buying a house. Maybe you’re only just starting to think about it. Or, maybe you have no desire at all to move, and you’re just curious and want to take a peek.

So, you don’t want to “bother” the agent you know to show you the house.

Instead, you call the listing agent. Or some random agent you don’t even know. Or just walk right into the open house.

Next thing you know, you love the house. You’re making an offer. The offer is accepted. And then you regret it. Or problems come up. Or the process is miserable. Or you don’t feel like the agent you’re dealing with is giving you the best advice.

And that’s when you call the agent you know.

Too late. At that point, the agent you know can’t help. (Or at least shouldn’t…) Because now you are represented by another agent. The agent you know can get in a lot of trouble for even giving you friendly advice.

As innocent as it seems, when you just want to go see a house… you are inadvertently making a bigger decision than you think — you are deciding who will represent your interests, advise you, and help you through the process.

Even if you just go see a house with another agent, and before you even make an offer you decide to have the agent you know write up the offer and represent you… the agent who simply showed you the house could claim you as their client. It’s called “procuring cause”. I won’t get into the details here, but it can become messy.

You’re better off calling the agent you know to show you the house in the first place. You won’t be considered a bother.

What will bother him is to have to bite his tongue and not give you the help you want further into the process.

2. You want to know how much your home is worth.

Maybe you’re just curious about how much your home is worth. Or, maybe you’re actually thinking of selling. It might be because you want to get a feel for your net worth.

Nowadays, you can hop online and check out any number of sites that will give you the value of your home.

So, why “bother” the agent you know about this?

Because most of what you will find online is highly inaccurate to begin with. They are “automated” valuations. They are based upon data and algorithms. They have never even seen the inside of your home. They do not take into account your local market conditions.

And if you base your hopes, dreams, and decisions off of an inaccurate value, that can hurt you quite a bit.

Again, asking the agent you know to do an analysis and give you a true market value… not a bother.

But, it would be bothersome to hear that you’ve based important life decisions off of an inaccurate value once it’s too late.

3. You are considering a home improvement project.

The real estate agent you know probably isn’t an architect. Or a builder, a plumber, an electrician, a painter, etc. So, they probably can’t advise you about the ins and outs of a specific project or costs.

But once you have a sense of the proposed cost of a project, before you just pull the trigger and move forward, you really should “bother” your agent for their input.

Putting on an addition? That will surely increase the value.

A kitchen or bathroom remodel? Yep, your house will be worth more.

But will the value increase more than the amount you spent? Will that matter in your situation? Will the choices you make in decor, layout, or fixtures appeal to a buyer down the road? Does that even matter, given your future plans?

All questions and thoughts your agent can get into with you. Before you spend the money and go through the headaches of a huge project.

On the other hand, if you go forward with a home improvement project and spend, let’s say $60,000, and then call your agent…

You could seriously regret how much you spent, or even doing the project at all.

Your agent doesn’t want to break the news to you that your home is only worth $38,000 more after you spent $60,000. There is no joy in that. There is nothing that can be done at that point.

That’s just three examples. There are certainly more. But you get the point…

So, reach out to your agent before you do anything real estate related… and just trust that it isn’t a “bother”.

By Lighter Side Staff

Summer is in full swing

“The heat is on.” Glenn Frey.  The temperature wasn’t the only thing heating up in June.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 287,000 jobs were created in June, well above the 175,000 expected. However, the better-than-expected number was somewhat offset by May’s revision lower to just 11,000 jobs created (though May’s figures were influenced by the Verizon strike). From April to June, job growth averaged 147,000 per month, below the five-year high of 282,000 new jobs per month in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Rounding out the report, the Unemployment Rate ticked up to 4.9 percent while average hourly earnings rose by just 0.1 percent. It is worth noting that hourly earnings did increase 2.6 percent year-over-year, matching the highest level of the recovery since 2009. Overall, while this was a good report, especially after May’s dismal reading, low wage growth shows the labor sector still isn’t as strong as it needs to be.

In housing news, research firm CoreLogic reported that home prices, including distressed sales, rose 5.9 percent from May 2015 to May 2016. Home prices also rose 1.3 percent from April to May. CoreLogic forecasts that home prices will rise 5.3 percent year-over-year in May 2017. The housing sector will likely remain a bright spot in the economy with rates at historic lows.

The minutes to June’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting were released with little fanfare, as the meeting took place prior to the Brexit vote and ensuing fallout. The minutes did reveal that the pace of improvement in labor market conditions slowed in April and May but real gross domestic product (GDP) appeared to be rising faster than in the first quarter. Consumer price inflation continues to run below the Committee’s longer-run objective of 2 percent, restrained in part by earlier decreases in energy prices and in prices of non-energy imports.

At this time, home loan rates are hovering just near all-time lows.

 

© 2016 The Kiplinger Washington Editors.

Realtor.com named Allentown in top 10 cities to live in

Three Pennsylvania cities were recently named to the top ten best cities for first-time home buyers, according to realtor.com®.

Allentown, Harrisburg and Philadelphia all landed on the list, thanks to their affordability, inventory, mortgage availability, job growth and livability.

Philadelphia was the highest Pennsylvania city, coming in second place after Portland, ME. With a median home price of $222,000, and an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, the City of Brotherly Love is an ideal location for first-time home buyers. Realtor.com® reports that nearly 27,000 people are moving from New York City to Philadelphia each year, partly due to the affordable real estate prices in a big place that still has a big-city feel. Additionally, violent crime has decreased 20 percent from 2009 to 2014, making the city feel safer.

“When you look at the criteria it is readily apparent why Philadelphia got the award. The first two are affordability and inventory. Philadelphia developed a tremendous housing stock during the years when it was an industrial giant. A significant portion of the housing was workforce housing in great neighborhoods. These two- and three-bedroom homes are perfect for first-time home buyers. Affordability has been enhanced through the city’s tax abatement program, as well as affordable real estate taxes,” said Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors® President Paul Garvey.

“Another criteria was job growth. Numerous industries in Philadelphia are growing, including energy, telecommunications and life science. Companies like Comcast and Spark Therapeutics are just two examples of growing firms. This growth has contributed to Philadelphia having the largest percentage gain of millennials of the country’s 20 largest cities. Livability and quality of life in Philadelphia has also been recognized around the globe. The only World Heritage City in the United States, number 1 rated city for culture by Travel & Leisure Magazine, a top five walkable/bikeable city are just a few of the plaudits the city has received,” he added. “We are honored to be recognized as a top ten city for new home buyers and encourage everyone to visit, enjoy our restaurants and cultural scene and see for themselves why.”

Meanwhile, Allentown nabbed fourth place on the list. Thanks to an “aggressive economic redevelopment,” Allentown’s median home price of $188,000 and unemployment rate of 5 percent, the city should look pretty good to first-time home buyers. Realtor.com® also noted that Allentown boasts Pennsylvania’s highest beer production by volume, and that the Lehigh Valley area is considered the state’s fastest-growing wine region.

“Our Allentown and Lehigh Valley region has seen a surge of first-time home buyers, primarily due to the substantial amount of commercial development and businesses that have created fantastic employment opportunities. With the stabilization of lower gas prices, we have also attracted many New York and New Jersey buyers. I believe that our geographic location has spurred much interest with being only about an hour from Philadelphia and New York City. It truly is a great place to call home,” said Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors® President Chris Raad.

Finally, Harrisburg landed in sixth overall. The median home price here is $168,000, lower than the other two areas, and the unemployment of 4.2 percent is also the lowest of the three. Realtor.com® noted that at least 18 tech companies have developed in the city in the past few years, and the live entertainment in the mid-state also can’t be beat.

“I just recently had a couple of first-time home buyers that decided to leave Philadelphia and move here to downtown Harrisburg. They felt that they wanted to be in the city to be able to walk downtown, walk to their jobs, enjoy the nightlife so close by as well as the river and FNB Park. They get to enjoy affordable home prices and just want to be where the action is and felt that Harrisburg offers that to them,” said Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors® President Jodi Diego.

“With the first-time home buyers, we’re within walking distance to nightlife, restaurants and shopping, and recreation, as well as home prices being affordable, that’s what I feel is appealing to the first-time home buyer,” she added.

In addition to the Pennsylvania cities, Portland, ME, St. Louis, MO, Albany, NY, Baton Rouge, LA, Dayton, OH, Minneapolis, MN and Virginia Beach, VA rounded out the top ten list.

About the Author

Kelly Leighton

Kelly Leighton is the multimedia content manager at the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors®.

 

 

9 Ways to Deep Clean the Cruddiest Things in Your Home Without Breaking Into a Sweat

Ahhh! Sparkling floors, gleaming windows, and zero dust bunnies. A thorough spring cleaning can make your abode feel brand new. But that immaculate house comes with a price — sore biceps. Instead of skimping on your annual deep clean because you’re zonked, use these brilliant hacks for nine of the most pain-in-the-butt tasks. You’ll get the same pristine results with half the time and energy.

1. Break Out the Drill on Your Bathtub

Cleaning a grungy tub can be back-breaking work. But here’s a genius idea that’ll save you time and sweat: Use your drill. Simply attach a foam ball polishing attachment, and use it to do the scrubbing for you. Look in the automotive section for the attachment, which is made specially for tackling grime without scratching surfaces.

Related: Clean Your Bathroom for Just Pennies

2. Soak Stove Burners in Ammonia

Your stove burners take the bulk of the greasy, gunky mess during cooking, so do them a favor and give them a good cleaning. Don’t worry: No scrubbing involved. To clear the crud, combine your stove burners and 1/4 cup ammonia in a plastic bag and let sit overnight. They should come clean with a light sponge the next day.

3. Run Floor Vents Through the Dishwasher

Image: Liz Foreman for HouseLogic

Scour as you might, removing all the accumulated dirt and dust from your floor and ceiling vents can be a spring cleaner’s nightmare. If yours are made of aluminum or steel, there’s a shortcut to spic-and-span: Just run them through the dishwasher on a water-only cycle.

4. Iron Out Bad Carpet Stains

Don’t spend an hour scrubbing out that nasty, set-in carpet splotch. Iron it out instead. Spritz a solution of one part vinegar, three parts water on the stain, and lay a clean cotton cloth on top. Turn your iron to its highest steam setting and run it over the stain for about 10 seconds to transfer the stain to the cloth and off your carpet.

5. Tie a Bag of Vinegar Around Your Showerhead

Image: Liz Foreman for HouseLogic

Mineral build-up on your showerhead can cause low water pressure and wonky water streams. But it’s easy to clean them without removing them. Using a rubber band, attach a bag of vinegar to your showerhead, making sure all the holes are submerged in the vinegar, and soak it overnight. Voilà. Good as new.

6. Make Your Leaf Blower Multi-Task

Forget the broom and rags when you’re cleaning out the garage. Whip out your leaf blower and let it blow all the dust, debris, and dead bugs (yuck!) away from the floor and shelving. Just be sure to put away light-weight things could accidentally get blown out with the trash.

7. Get Rid of Crayon Marks with Goo Gone

Removing evidence of your toddler’s overactive imagination from your gorgeous white walls can be a struggle, but a little bit of Goo Gone (traditionally used to clean sticker residue) will remove the crayon and your headache. Spray it on the drawing, wait a moment, and wipe it off cleanly — without exhausting your arms.

8. Boil Your Range Filter

Image: One Good Think by Jillee

There’s no need to scrub the grease and grime off your range filters. Use a bit of baking soda and your largest pot instead. Set the water to boil, slowly add 1/2 cup of baking soda, and submerge your filters for about five minutes. (Make sure to dump the water somewhere safe. Grease in the drain is even worse than grimy filters.)

9. Sprinkle Your Mattress With Baking Soda

Your mattress needs a springtime refresh, too, but you sure can’t toss it in the washing machine. Cleaning gurus recommend dragging your mattress outside, beating it, and letting the sunshine help freshen it, then dragging it back in. But who has the muscle for that? This is much easier: Use a kitchen strainer to sprinkle baking soda over its surface and let sit for an hour or longer. Longer is better. Then use your vacuum’s upholstery attachment to suck up the odor-absorbing soda.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/green-cleaning/how-to-deep-clean-your-house/#ixzz45Wx2lu3m
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Some Laminate Floors Could Cause Cancer, Says CDC

Certain Lumber Liquidator ​products are even more dangerous than were originally reported.

Certain types of laminated flooring bought from Lumber Liquidators could cause an increased risk of cancer, according to a shocking new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The possible health effects come from exposure to formaldehyde emitted from the floors. The CDC reports: “The estimated risk of cancer is 6-30 cases per 100,000 people.”

There were earlier reports of the cancer risks associated with the company’s flooring which gave lower estimates, but the CDC says that the new report, which measures with more accurate ceiling heights, indicates people who have the flooring are three times more likely to get cancer than they originally reported.

Lumber Liquidators, the largest hardwood flooring retailer in the US, came under fire last March after CBS’s 60 Minutes launched an investigative report on their China-made products. They reported at that time that more than 100 million square feet of the company’s problematic laminate flooring is installed in American homes annually.

“It’s brand that’s well-known, and it raises the question of what do we look for and who do we trust? It’s really a big issue,” says healthy home expert Sabine H. Schoenberg, founder of PrimeSitesCT.com and ThisNewHouse.com. She recommends buyers educate themselves when purchasing materials for the home. “Be a consumer that’s asking questions, whether you’re buying flooring, kitchen cabinets or paint. Ask what the glues are made of, make sure they’re VOC [volatile organic compounds]-free glues.”

According to the CDC, other side effects of certain Lumber Liquidators flooring include eye, nose and throat irritation. And they recommend “taking steps to reduce exposures, which should alleviate respiratory and eye, nose and throat irritation.  These steps should also reduce the cancer risk.”

By Kate Storey

From: ELLE Decor

Map Shows Relative Value of $100 in Every State

The graphic representation below, of what a $100-dollar bill can really buy you in each state, shows where you can get the most out of your money.

The Tax Foundation, a non-profit, created a color-coded map of the U.S., illustrating how much $100 is really worth in each state. The organization drew the map using data from The Bureau of Economic Analysis and used national averages to compare just how much you can truly buy with your income.

Tax Foundation

So which states give you the most bang for your buck?

Mississippi comes in at the top of the list, where $100 is really worth about $115.21. It’s followed closely by Arkansas ($114.29), South Dakota ($114.21), Alabama ($114.03) and West Virginia ($113.12). Washington D.C. comes in very last on the list, with $100 only getting you about the equivalent of $84.96. Hawaii comes in second at $86.06, followed by New York ($86.73), New Jersey ($87.34) and California ($89.05).

Many argue that these numbers are just a result of some states’ high costs of living. While the organization admits there’s a common relationship between the two, the real driving force behind the skew of numbers is what’s called “regional price parity.” The difference in the price of goods in each state can mean a lot when it comes to what each state’s average income can really buy.

Tax Foundation

The graph above shows the difference in average income for California and Nebraska before and after taking regional price parity into account. Although the two have almost the same income on average, Nebraskans can buy more with their income on average than Californians when you factor in the local costs of goods.

In general, you can buy more with your income if you live in a land-locked state with a lower population. Although it isn’t wise to let this info sway you to move to another state ASAP, it’s a helpful look into just how different each state’s economy is and how it really affects its residents.

BY LORIE LIEBIG

Amtrak running one passenger train from Allentown to New York City next spring

For the first time since the 1980s, passenger rail enthusiasts next spring will get a chance to catch a train from Allentown to New York City.

But don’t expect to be commuting daily to the Big Apple any time soon, because this will be a one-time event meant to generate excitement for efforts to restore passenger rail between the Lehigh Valley and New York.

It’s the brain child of Joe McHugh, an Amtrak executive who happens to be an Allentown native and longs for those days when passenger trains stopped at stations in all three Lehigh Valley cities.

“It’s very preliminary, but we’re going to make it happen,” said McHugh, Amtrak’s vice president of government affairs. “We’ll start in Allentown, go into Bethlehem, pass Bethlehem Steel onto Freemansburg, Easton and then New Jersey, probably at High Bridge. I’m committed to getting this done.”

McHugh said the run would use an Amtrak inspection train, which is a diesel-powered engine with perhaps six passenger cars. The last has transparent walls to allow maximum viewing so the tracks and rail bed can be easily inspected. Amtrak routinely uses the train for excursion-type events like the one McHugh hopes to schedule.

Will passenger rail service be a part of Lehigh Valley’s future?

The train likely would be filled with political leaders, business officials, stakeholders in the passenger rail effort and maybe a few lucky people from the public. It would use existing Norfolk Southern Railway lines that carry daily freight trains.

The idea for the run came as McHugh found himself seated last week with the Valley’s three mayors during a RenewLV Plans 2015 Summit for Smart Growth at the Renaissance Hotel in Allentown. It was a welcome proposal for three mayors who have been trying to jump start efforts to bring their cities passenger rail into New York, Philadelphia and maybe even Harrisburg.

Amtrak will run an inspection train, such as the one shown here, from Allentown to New York next spring to generate excitement for the effort to bring passenger service back to the Lehigh Valley. (CHUCK GOMEZ / AMTRAK)

“This would be an amazing way to get people to visualize that this is not an impossible task,” said Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski. “This will show people that we can get from point A to point B right now. This can be done.”

It’s an effort that some advocates have been pushing almost since the service was suspended in the mid-1980s, and one that seemed dead just a few years ago, when a $250,000 study done in 2010 by New Jersey transit officials determined it would cost nearly $700 million to link to Manhattan.

But Valley leaders now say that study was flawed and new efforts have begun.

In reality, the one-day run would have little effect on how soon — or if — the Valley can once again have passenger rail service, said Becky Bradley, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, a clearinghouse for all Valley transportation funding. But it can’t hurt, she said.

Even as the mayors were meeting in Allentown, Planning Commission officials were huddled with Federal Highway Administration officials, who last week granted the commission the OK to conduct a study on the issue. However, that study will take 18 to 24 months and can’t begin until at least October, Bradley said.

It would be designed to determine how it could be done, how much it would cost and whether demand would justify that cost. Even if all those boxes are checked, the most optimistic projections would put the first chance of buying a train ticket at least a decade down the line, Bradley said.

“We’re pursuing the rail option, but this [Amtrak event] will have no practical impact on that effort, other than to maybe build some excitement,” Bradley said. “I think passenger rail service would be awesome. Who doesn’t? But we’re going to have to prove to the federal government that we can support it, and then we’re going to have to find the money.”

The study will try to determine whether a long line of hurdles can be cleared. The proposed Amtrak event will travel along freight lines, but it’s unclear whether they would be available for regular passenger trains. The study also has to determine how long such a commute would take and what it would cost.

“If it’s a three-hour ride that costs $300 round-trip, then obviously that’s not going to work,” Bradley said.

McHugh did say that if any run can be restored, it’s the one to New York. There is already a connection for freight, unlike the route to Philadelphia, where many of the rails have been removed and the lines turned into nature trails.

But those are details for another day. For now, McHugh said he’ll focus on that one-day return to glory. He’ll have to negotiate rights of way agreements with Norfolk Southern and pick a feasible day, probably in March, April or May. But McHugh said he’d like nothing more than to help stoke a fire under the effort to bring passenger service back.

“As an Allentown native, it only makes the passion burn a little brighter,” said McHugh, an Allen High School graduate who grew up on 19^th Street. “I’d love to be able to visit my mom by train.”
Matt Assad Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call

6 Stellar Reasons to Buy a Home in 2016

Is it really 2016 already?  For those of you who happen to be planning on buying a home in the new year—or even just trying to—there’s a whole lot to celebrate. Why? A variety of financial vectors have dovetailed to make this the perfect storm for home buyers to get out there and make an (winning) offer. Here are six home-buying reasons to be thankful while ringing in the new year:

Reason No. 1: Interest rates are still at record lows

Even though they may creep up at any moment, it’s nonetheless a fact that interest rates on home loans are at historic lows, with a 30-year fixed-rate home loan still hovering around 4%.

“Remember 18.5% in the ’80s?” asks Tom Postilio, a real estate broker with Douglas Elliman Real Estate and a star of HGTV’s “Selling New York.”“It is likely that we’ll never see interest rates this low again. So while prices are high in some markets, the savings in interest payments could easily amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage.”

Reason No. 2: Rents have skyrocketed

Another reason home buyers are lucky is that rents are going up, up, up! (This, on the other hand, is a reason not to be thankful if you’re a renter.) In fact, rents outpaced home values in 20 of the 35 biggest housing markets in 2015. What’s more, according to the2015 Rent.com Rental Market Report, 88% of property managers raised their rent in the past 12 months, and an 8% hike is predicted for 2016.

“In most metropolitan cities, monthly rent is comparable to that of a monthly mortgage payment, sometimes more,” says Heather Garriock, mortgage agent for The Mortgage Group. “Doesn’t it make more sense to put those monthly chunks of money into your own appreciating asset rather than handing it over to your landlord and saying goodbye to it forever?”

Reason No. 3: Home prices are stabilizing

For the first time in years, prices that have been climbing steadily upward are stabilizing, restoring a level playing field that helps buyers drive a harder bargain with sellers, even in heated markets.

“Local markets vary, but generally we are experiencing a cooling period,” says Postilio. “At this moment, buyers have the opportunity to capitalize on this.”

Reason No. 4: Down payments don’t need to break the bank

Probably the biggest obstacle that prevents renters from becoming homeowners is pulling together a down payment. But today, that chunk of change can be smaller, thanks to a variety of programs to help home buyers. For instance, the new Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Home Possible Advantage Program allows for a 3% down payment for credit scores as low as 620.

Reason No. 5: Mortgage insurance is a deal, too

If you do decide to put less than 20% down on a home, you are then required to have mortgage insurance (basically in case you default). A workaround to handle this, however, is to take out a loan from the Federal Housing Administration—a government mortgage insurer that backs loans with down payments as low as 3.5% and credit scores as low as 580. The fees are way down from 1.35% to 0.85% of the mortgage balance, meaning your monthly mortgage total will be significantly lower if you fund it this way. In fact, the FHA predicts this 37% annual premium cut will bring 250,000 first-time buyers into the market. Why not be one of them?

Reason No. 6: You’ll reap major tax breaks

Tax laws continue to favor homeowners, so you’re not just buying a place to live—you’re getting a tax break! The biggest one is that unless your home loan is more than $1 million, you can deduct all the monthly interest you are paying on that loan. Homeowners may also deduct certain home-related expenses and home property taxes.

By
Kimberly Dawn Neumann

CHRISTMAS TREE SAFETY TIPS

As the holiday season swings into full gear this December, North Metro Fire Rescue District wants to remind residents about the importance of keeping their Christmas tree watered. Even a small fire that spreads to a dry Christmas tree can grow large very quickly.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments respond to an average of 230 structure fires caused by Christmas trees each year. One-third of Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems, while one in five tree-related fires are caused by a heat source (i.e. heater, fireplace, and radiator) being too close to the tree.

North Metro Fire Rescue District wants to remind residents that they should to keep the following safety tips in mind when picking a Christmas tree. This includes where it should be placed and how to safely decorate the tree.

PICKING THE TREE

• If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
• If you are going to use a real tree, choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.
• Needles should be hard to pull off branches.
• Branches should bend, not break.
• The trunk base should be sticky with resin.
• Starting with a fresh tree and keeping it watered is key in lowering your fire risk.

PLACING AND PRESERVING YOUR TREE

• Buy a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water.
• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1-2 inches off the trunk base to help it absorb water.
• Do not bring the tree inside until you are ready to decorate it.
• Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Place tree out of high traffic areas, and never block a doorway or an exit.
• Check the water level EVERY day.
• Clean your tree stand annually to improve the tree’s water intake.
• If there’s browning, dropping needles, etc., it’s time to get rid of your tree.

LIGHTING THE TREE

• Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of LED strands to connect.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

AFTER CHRISTMAS

• Get rid of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home, garage, or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program. Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.
• Even with daily watering, a live tree only lasts approximately four weeks.
• Fifty percent of home Christmas tree structure fires occurred on the 15 days from December 22 through January 5, which is why it’s important to dispose of your Christmas tree soon after the holiday.

Remember to keep safety in mind when putting up your Christmas tree this year. While a properly moistened tree is unlikely to catch fire unintentionally, a dry tree that catches fire can engulf a room in a matter of seconds. Safety can go a long way in providing your family with a wonderful holiday season. Check out this video demonstrating the dramatic difference between a moist tree versus a dry tree catching on fire:

 

 

 

 

 

Content source: National Fire Protection Association