After devoting most of her working life to a rewarding but modestly paying career in child care, Darlene Bakes was understandably worried about her retirement.

Bakes, 62, hit the financial peak of her career six years ago, when she became the full-time director of the Parent-Child Center at Shoreline Community College. She currently makes $56,788 a year.

She doesnt have a deep investment portfolio loaded with securities and properties. Instead, her wealth is almost entirely in her Seattle house, built in 1928, and retirement-savings accounts from work.

When could she retire? How could she do it?

I was thinking about it a lot, Bakes said.

At that point, she volunteered for a free money makeover by a member of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Financial Planning Association. Bakes was contacted by Carlos Lopez, an Eastside private-wealth manager with Kansas-based Creative Planning.

Lopez examined Bakes goals and finances, and much to her surprise declared her financially independent, which means she has the resources to support herself throughout retirement.

For Bakes, working is no longer a necessity, but a choice.

How did she do it? Lopez said Bakes built a solid nest egg by controlling her expenses, taking full advantage of retirement-saving plans at work and saving money whenever possible.

She saved diligently, despite her circumstances, Lopez said.

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Thrifty habits put retirement in reach for child-care worker

Contemporary- Modern Basement Remodeling in Bella Vista Philadelphia
Just a block from South street, this basement remodel exhibits a rich variation of designer materials that culminate in an opulent and warm overall design. F...

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Contemporary- Modern Basement Remodeling in Bella Vista Philadelphia - Video

Basement Remodeling Philadelphia suburbs
To really use this expansive basement for purposes other than just storage, homeowners called on dRemodeling to help carve out spaces for the variety of acti...

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Basement Remodeling Philadelphia suburbs - Video

Stratford homeowners are being urged to take care this winter and guard against burst pipes.

Every winter unsuspecting property owners experience catastrophic frozen pipe bursts. According to Aquarion Water Company, unprotected pipes and water meters can freeze and expand within hours of the onset of frigid weather. Pipes running through uninsulated exterior walls or other unheated spaces usually are at the highest risk, although pipes in heated rooms can freeze if exposed to cold drafts.

Frozen pipes can burst, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage for remodeling, mold remediation, emergency substitute housing costs, as well as the loss of irreplaceable belongings. To help customers avoid these problems, Aquarions website Aquarionwater.com is featuring tips on preventing frozen pipes and meters.

It doesnt take much. Even a tiny split in a pipe can spew hundreds of gallons of water into your home or business in one day, said Donna Parlatore, Director of Utility Operations for Aquarion Water Company. We strongly encourage property owners to review and utilize the frozen pipe and meter prevention tips on our website to prevent this from happening to them.

Keeping cold temperatures away from pipes and water meters with insulation is far easier and less expensive than replacing pipes that freeze and burst. Some actions customers can take to prevent frozen pipes include:

Letting a faucet fed by pipes exposed to the cold drip to prevent the water inside from freezing.

Never completely shutting off the heat in a building unless all the pipes and toilets are drained first.

Keeping the doors to rooms where the pipes and water meter are located, including sink cabinets, open so warm air can keep temperatures above freezing.

Eliminating cold drafts near water pipes (and, if indoors, the water meter) by filling cracks in walls and around windows, replacing broken glass, and installing storm windows on basement windows.

If a meter freezes, Aquarion will send a service technician to replace it, but the company will not thaw frozen pipes or repair burst ones. Parlatore also stressed that anyone trying to thaw a pipe on their own should never use a torch or open flame.

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Homeowners urged to guard against frozen pipes

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) January 12, 2015

REMODELING Magazine announced today the release of its 28th annual Cost vs. Value Report comparing construction costs with resale value for 36 of the most popular home improvement projects in 102 U.S. markets. The entire report, including interactive infographics, is available at http://www.costvsvalue.com and at http://www.remodelingmag.com.

The 2015 report, which compares changes in home improvement project costs with members of National Association of Realtors perceptions of what those projects contribute to a homes price at resale, reflects the mixed messages that were delivered by the housing market throughout 2014.

While the cost of doing projects rose across the board last year by an average of 4.22%, the modest gains in price and tepid increases in the volume of home sales left Realtors concluding that only about half the 36 projects would benefit a homes value at resale. As a result, this years report saw cost-value ratios rise for only five projects. The midrange roofing replacement led the way, rising 5.9%. The other four gainers were the midrange garage door replacement, up 5.6%; the 20-gauge steel replacement entry door, up 5.4%; vinyl siding replacement, up 3.2%; and the sole upscale project: a fiberglass replacement entry door, rising 1.7%. Another 30 projects declined and there was one new project.

Our Cost vs. Value Reports in recent years indicated big-ticket projects such as attic bedrooms and basement remodels were enjoying ever-bigger payoffs, said Craig Webb, Editor-in-Chief, REMODELING and ProSales. For 2015, however, the simpler and lower-cost the project, the bigger its cost-value ratio three of the four projects that cost less than $5,000 are ranked in the top five for cost recouped, and the other two are in the $5,000 - $25,000 price range.

In 2015, the top recouping projects are:

Under $5,000: Steel Entry Door Replacement (101.8%); Mid-range Garage Door Replacement (88.4%); Upscale Garage Door Replacement (82.5%); Steel Entry Door Replacement (72.0%)

$5,000 - $25,000: Manufactured Stone Veneer (92.2%); Fiber-cement Siding Replacement (84.3%); Vinyl Siding Replacement (80.7%)

$25,000 - $100,000: Attic Bedroom (77.2%); Basement Remodel (72.8%); Major Kitchen Remodel (67.8%); Garage Addition (64.8%)

$100,000 +: Two-Story Addition (64.1%); Master Suite Addition (61.7%); Major Kitchen Remodel (59.0%) Master Suite Addition (53.7%)

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Hanley Wood Releases REMODELING Magazines 2015 Annual Cost vs. Value Report

DEADWOOD Witnessing a variety of evident problems and also a few that could eventually become evident, Lawrence County Commissioners voted to replace the three boilers that provide heat and hot water to the Lawrence County Courthouse Complex at a cost of $387,742.

Commissioners were presented three options and associated costs by engineer John Hey at the regular meeting of the Lawrence County Commission Tuesday. Hey said he wasn't sure about the county's long-term master plan and what that entailed, so he provided three options.

Option one was total boiler replacement, along with system updates to allow for future expansion in order to back up the jail services, which run on their own separate boiler and generator system, to include a new generator capable of handling more capacity, at a cost of more than $750,000.

Option two, existing courthouse basement boiler replacement only at a cost of nearly $390,000, was the one selected by the commission and option three was to simply patch the existing courthouse basement boilers with their corresponding cast iron sections that are leaking.

The courthouse basement boilers are approximately 25 years old.

"Owing to their age, maintenance is becoming problematic and parts are difficult to come by," said Lawrence County Deputy State's Attorney Bruce Outka.

"With option one, I don't know that there's a reason to go quite that far and I don't know that option three makes any sense either," said Lawrence County Commissioner Brandon Flanagan."

"Option one is $367,000 more than option two," said Lawrence County Commission Chairman Terry Weisenberg. "Will we see energy savings, no matter which option? How much is the gas bill?"

The gas bill for the Lawrence County Courthouse complex is roughly $10,000 per month or $100,000 per year.

The boiler replacement is needed. If one of the boilers goes down, the complex will not have heat. The courthouse boilers also supply the jail with hot water.

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Lawrence County Courthouse complex boiler replacement to cost $388K

SAC CITY, Iowa | A Sac County murder trial moved to another county once because of media publicity has been moved a second time for the same reason.

District Judge Gary McMinimee on Thursday moved John Green's trial to Boone County in central Iowa. The trial remains set for March 30.

Green's trial initially was moved from Sac County to Webster County, where his first trial in December ended in a mistrial.

Green, 55, is charged in Sac County District Court with first-degree murder for the 2009 death of his former roommate, Mark Koster.

Green's trial was originally moved to Webster County after his attorney, public defender Charles Kenville, had argued that because of pretrial publicity and news coverage of Green's arrest, finding an impartial jury in Sac County would be hard.

Kenville made a similar argument in his Dec. 31 request for a change of venue from Webster County. He said that news coverage of the trial and order for a mistrial would make it unlikely that an impartial jury could be found there a second time. McMinimee ordered a mistrial after Kenville objected to the testimony of Sac City Police Chief John Thompson's use of the term "bad people," a phrase Kenville said mischaracterized Green.

Sac County Attorney Ben Smith consented to the recent change of venue.

Green is accused of choking Koster to death in Koster's home. Koster's body was found hidden in the basement in 2012, when the new homeowner was remodeling the basement.

Green was arrested in March in Florida.

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Sac County murder trial moved to Boone County

A home's price shouldn't be the only factor in your search. Also consider the location and quality of the property.

Buying a piece of real estate is different than buying a home. The former requires getting the legal and financial parts right, while the latter means finding a property that you'll be happy living in. Here are some tips to help ensure that your next house is a place you'll want to stay for years to come:

It can't be overstated: Focus on the location and general quality of the property. Don't go chasing an exact price or a particular feature, be it a deck, a high-efficiency furnace or a finished basement. Price can be worked out in negotiation with the seller (given the right general ballpark), and a good-quality home in a good location can be tailored to your specific needs later.

Start by making a list of your needs and wants. List your dislikes, too.

This will help you zero in on a neighborhood and, together with your price range, will help your agent narrow the field of prospective properties.

If you can't afford what you want where you want it, sacrifice something inside the house rather than sacrificing the location. You can add a second bathroom or install hardwood floors to bring a house up to your standards, but you can't improve the neighborhood single-handedly.

Most buyers begin their shopping online. That's a useful and gas-saving way to familiarize yourself with your market. But remember, photographs and virtual tours can overstate a property's good points and understate its deficiencies. You might also unwittingly dismiss some really great prospects. To get real-world input review, review any listings of interest with your real estate agent.

It's smart to start looking at homes near the bottom of your price range so that you'll have room to bid higher. Also, if you start high and decide you can't or won't want to spend that much, you may end up disappointed because nothing at the lower end is appealing.

Make several visits to any house you're seriously considering. If things are so frenzied that you're likely to lose out if you follow that route, get the most out of every minute you're in the house. Consider yourself a reporter and detective, there to gather as much information as possible about the house and the sellers. Don't forget to take a notepad, tape measure, camera and even binoculars.

At most open houses you will find an information sheet about the house. The most complete ones spell out such things as square footage of lot and house, room sizes, property taxes, average monthly utility bills, and the ages of appliances and major mechanical systems, as well as the number of bedrooms and baths, and other basic data.

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Starting Your Home Search

Aquarion Water Company is reminding customers of a chilling fact every winter, unsuspecting property owners experience catastrophic frozen pipe bursts. Unprotected pipes and water meters can freeze and expand within hours of the onset of frigid weather. Pipes running through uninsulated exterior walls or other unheated spaces usually are at the highest risk, although pipes in heated rooms can freeze if exposed to cold drafts. Frozen pipes can burst resulting in thousands of dollars in damage for remodeling, mold remediation, emergency substitute housing costs, as well as the loss of irreplaceable belongings. To help customers avoid these problems, Aquarions website aquarionwater.com is featuring tips on preventing frozen pipes and meters.

It doesnt take much. Even a tiny split in a pipe can spew hundreds of gallons of water into your home or business in one day, said Donna Parlatore, Director of Utility Operations for Aquarion Water Company. We strongly encourage property owners to review and utilize the frozen pipe and meter prevention tips on our website to prevent this from happening to them.

Keeping cold temperatures away from pipes and water meters with insulation is far easier and less expensive than replacing pipes that freeze and burst. Aquarions website offers information on what property owners can do before freezing weather, signs of a possible frozen pipe or meter, and steps to take in the event of a frozen or damaged water pipe or meter. Some actions customers can take to prevent frozen pipes include:

Letting a faucet fed by pipes exposed to the cold drip to prevent the water inside from freezing.

Never completely shutting off the heat in a building unless all the pipes and toilets are drained first.

Keeping the doors to rooms where the pipes and water meter are located, including sink cabinets, open so warm air can keep temperatures above freezing.

Eliminating cold drafts near water pipes (and, if indoors, the water meter) by filling cracks in walls and around windows, replacing broken glass, and installing storm windows on basement windows.

It is the responsibility of property owners to keep pipes and water meters from freezing and making appropriate service calls. If a meter freezes, Aquarion will send a service technician to replace it, but the company will not thaw frozen pipes or repair burst ones.

Parlatore also stressed that anyone trying to thaw a pipe on their own should never use a torch or open flame. We would recommend contacting a licensed plumber.

More information and tips on preventing and dealing with frozen water pipes and meters can be found on Aquarions website, http://www.aquarionwater.com.

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Aquarion Water Company Offers Tips on Avoiding Frozen Pipes and Water Meters

SCOTT COUNTY, Va. -

A popular horse-betting facility in Scott County shut down more than a year ago. Sunday, the building re-opened to the public for the first time since then.

200 TV monitors with nothing but horse racing lined the walls of Colonial Downs. A year later -- a congregation full of excited people fill the space which is now the sanctuary of Uplift Church.

We noticed that it had sat vacant for almost a year and we knew it had closed down. So, we put somebody in charge of finding out if it was available, and if they would be willing to rent it to a church, and they said, yeah absolutely, says Patrick Johnson, pastor.

Johnson and members of his church went right to work remodeling, cleaning and preparing for the grand opening.

We started five weeks ago, and this whole building was totally different. Just to come through every Saturday and see how this has changed is phenomenal, says Britney Miles, church member.

Uplift Church has changed a lot too since Johnson started it back in 2012, when he held services in the basement of his home. We first originally started with five families, he says.

Those five families have grown into this -- with attendance numbers no one anticipated -- but couldn't be more thrilled about. It was just amazing to see 239 people come to Christ today. I was definitely excited, Miles adds.

And so was Connor Lovelace who came to Uplift for the first time. I work with a lot of the people that go here and they just make you feel at home. It's just a really welcoming environment. I love it. I love it a lot, Lovelace says.

All bets aside, it's a celebration of a fresh start and a new beginning. It's taken a whole lot of people. What grew out of those five families have now grown to more than that and they've all pitched in, and I mean just really done an amazing work to get all this work done, Johnson says.

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Former horse betting facility turned church