Listen Story audio 4min 30sec Updated: 11:30 a.m. | Posted: 7:25 a.m.

Somali-Americans in Minnesota and across the United States are again facing problems sending money to relatives still living in east Africa.

Last month, the bank that handled the majority of cash transfers from the United States to east Africa stopped providing the service. Aid organizations say there will be a humanitarian crisis if the financial pipeline doesn't expand soon.

That worries residents of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood near downtown Minneapolis, home to thousands of Somali-Americans. It's not hard to find people who regularly send cash to family in or near Somalia.

"If I don't send any money, there's no way they can live," said 28-year-old Ayub Ali, who earns a modest living as a truck driver.

This month Ali again scraped together $700 and came to Kaah Express, a storefront money-wiring business on Cedar Avenue. Ali said he sends money to his wife and children, which they'll use for the basics including food, clothing and rent.

"She doesn't have any income except my income," he said.

During Somalia's recent civil war, Ali's family fled to Nairobi, Kenya along with many others.

According to the charity Oxfam, many of the 10 million people who remain in Somalia are deeply dependent on money sent from relatives overseas. The group says $1.3 billion in remittance payments flow in to Somalia from around the world every year. The funds account for as much as 45 percent of the country's economic activity.

Somalis in the United States may only send money if a U.S. bank is willing to facilitate the transfers. Any bank that does risks multimillion dollar fines if it runs afoul of federal antiterrorism financing laws and complying with the laws is increasingly difficult.

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Blocking wire transfers could spark a humanitarian crisis in Somalia

1. Energy efficiency

Do you know how thick the exterior walls are? Is the garage (including the garage door) insulated? What about solar panels to help with energy costs?

Making a home energy efficient is about more than just the type of insulation that is stuffed into the walls that you can see. It's also about making a space that maximizes circulation, and smarter home technology to reduce monthly energy costs and best practices before you move in. Try asking your builder how their floor plan maximizes light and airflow to make sure you're not flushing money each month.

At Sego Homes, for example, exteriors are built with 2x6 walls using sustainable materials that require less maintenance and help keep homes energy efficient. Functional roofs with decks can be fitted with solar panels to help generate electricity year-round and Sego Homes is a 100% ENERGY STAR builder, which requires homes undergo a rigorous screening process before you move in.

2. Up-to-date technology

Would you buy a new car with a cassette player?

For many homebuyers, the appeal of a new home can be overwhelming and distracting. It's possible to overlook the wiring when so much attention is paid to the color of the cabinets, carpet, closet size, etc. Rightfully so there are hundreds of important decisions to make when purchasing a new home.

Picking a new homebuilder that utilizes up-to-date technology is crucial. Is your new home wired for CAT5 cable? What about surround sound in the living room? What about the latest in home automation, including smart thermostats and home connectivity?

Sego Homes incorporates the latest technologies, including USB charging stations in their kitchens and an electronic keyless deadbolt on the front door.

It's also worth asking your builder how adaptable the home will be for future technologies. It's impossible to see into the future, but any reputable builder should be amenable to describing how your home can be easily upgraded.

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Sponsored: 4 Secrets for a Smarter New Home

EVANSDALE | A home that volunteers were building for Habitat for Humanity will have to be rebuilt following a Thursday morning fire, according to officials with the agency.

Unfortunately with the damage, its not the extent but where. It was up in the attic area, so it did get the roof trusses and some of the supports, said Ali Parrish, executive director for Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity.

The house at 717 Jordan Drive, which had been a few months away from completion, will have to be torn down to the foundation, and builders will have to start over, she said.

The cause of the fire hasnt been determined, but no foul play is suspected, said Ryan Phillips, a spokesman with Evansdale Fire Rescue.

Builders had been in the house Wednesday installing wiring and drywall, and the building did have electrical power at the time, Phillips said. No one was at the home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported.

Workers at a nearby business called 911 around 7:30 a.m. Thursday after noticing smoke coming from the roof of the single-story home.

Crews with Evansdale, Raymond and Gilbertville fire departments responded and extinguished the flames quickly. But the fire had been smoldering for awhile before it was discovered, Phillips said, and the flames burned through rafters and damaged drywall.

The houses foundation had been poured September 2014, and Habitat volunteers began work in October, Parrish said. The nonprofit group has about a dozen homes in the works and completes about seven or eight a year, she said.

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UPDATE: Habitat home damaged by fire in Evansdale

Black Decker Complete Guide to Wiring Book Review
Black Decker The Complete Guide to Wiring, Updated 6th Edition: Current with 2014-2017 Electrical Codes (Black Decker Complete Guide) paperback Amazon.co...

By: Sparky Channel

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Black & Decker Complete Guide to Wiring Book Review - Video

A Detroit home. Photo: AP

Sixty-two thousand properties have faced foreclosure in Detroit this year over unpaid taxes. About half will likely be auctioned for $500 apiece this fall.

Buying homes or vacant lots for $500 might sound inviting, even in a city as troubled as Detroit.

After all, look at New York: Decades of crime and decay gave way to a real estate boom that has gentrified even outlying working-class neighborhoods.

Properties that sold for thousands in the bad old days are now worth millions.

But there are no guarantees. "The opportunities are there but there are huge challenges," said Dang Duong, a law and business student at the University of Michigan who has bought and renovated several dilapidated homes in Detroit.

"If you're under the impression you can buy a property for $500 and wait a few years until Detroit has recovered, that's going to be difficult."

Here are five things to consider before buying property in Detroit.

Are you prepared to evict former owners, longtime tenants or even squatters? Loveland Technologies, a mapping company that has surveyed every property in Detroit, estimates that half the properties facing foreclosure are occupied, housing about 100,000 Detroiters.

Critics question the morality of buying occupied homes and fear the program may increase Detroit's homeless population. They say many owners stopped paying taxes because they weren't getting city services in return.

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Homes selling for $500 but here's what you should know before buying

Kate Glanville bought family home in Carmarthenshire with her husband Newly married couple fell in love with the two-bedroom cottage in 1996 But in achieving dream of building perfect home, their marriage crumbled Couple discovered problem after problem with home and started arguing Beautiful home was featured in a magazine, but the pair were not happy After 17 years and 150,000 spent, their marriage finally collapsed in 2013

By Kate Glanville For The Daily Mail

Published: 17:36 EST, 9 March 2015 | Updated: 10:30 EST, 10 March 2015

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The handwritten For Sale sign caught our attention as we drove through the Welsh countryside on the first warm day that spring. The hills were drenched in sunshine, daffodils lined the lanes and newborn lambs bleated in the fields.

For years we had fantasised about living in just such an idyllic place; dreaming of a country cottage where we could set up a pottery studio for us both to establish our ceramics businesses, and where I could write and fulfil my dreams of becoming a published author.

The sign was propped outside an old stone cottage in the village of Bethlehem, Carmarthenshire, in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The two-bedroom cottage had a long barn attached to it and was surrounded by a large, overgrown garden. Damp patches stained the walls, and the slate roof and wooden porch looked as though they might collapse at any moment.

Despite its dilapidated appearance, my husband Duncan and I could immediately see its potential, and by the time wed finished looking around we had fallen in love with the property.

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How creating a perfect home can wreck your marriage

Clovis police investigating Sunday morning murder Clovis police investigating Sunday morning murder

Updated: Monday, March 9 2015 6:03 PM EDT2015-03-09 22:03:17 GMT

Authorities in Clovis are trying to find two men they want to question about a weekend murder.

Authorities in Clovis are trying to find two men they want to question about a weekend murder.

Updated: Monday, March 9 2015 5:41 PM EDT2015-03-09 21:41:31 GMT

The subject in the attached photo is a person of interest in a theft at an LISD elementary school on Friday, March 6.

The subject in the attached photo is a person of interest in a theft at an LISD elementary school on Friday, March 6.

Updated: Monday, March 9 2015 5:12 PM EDT2015-03-09 21:12:45 GMT

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) conducted a traffic stop Sunday on US-287, yielding over 112 pounds of marijuana, valued at over $682,000.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) conducted a traffic stop Sunday on US-287, yielding over 112 pounds of marijuana, valued at over $682,000.

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Family files lawsuit against mobile home park where two died

If in the market for a new Honeywell thermostat, make sure you understand your Honeywell thermostat wiring needs before upgrading.

Q: I installed my new programmable thermostat, but it wont turn on.

A: If you plan to upgrade to a new thermostat make sure you have the proper number of wires available, otherwise your new thermostat wont work. If you do need additional wires, you will want to consider how difficult installing new wires will be for your application.

Modern electronic thermostats are no different from any other technology, in that they can do more, but can also seem complicated to install and understand. One comfort to know is the basic wiring hasnt changed much, withexception of an additional wire to get some programmable digital thermostats operating.

Note:For specific thermostat model installation manuals and wiring instructions, refer to our Thermostat Buying Guidefor a complete list and link of manufacturers. Individual thermostat model information is most likely the best place to find particular manuals, and not a generalmanualscategory that can be found within the search function.

SEE ALSO : In-Depth Thermostat Wiring Explained

Note: A previous installer may have used a different set of color wires. This will be a non issue to keep track of if a whole new set of thermostat wires is pulled. Otherwise tag the wires before removing from the existing thermostat, or take note of the terminals each wire is attached to.

Some programmable thermostats (e.g. Honeywell Prestige wiring requirements) need aminimum of5 wires, and maybe more depending on what features you want to operate (humidifier, etc). The additional 5th wire will be for common (neutral), which acts the same as it does on an electrical light switch to complete a path and provide power for thedisplay, closing switching relays, etc.

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Honeywell Thermostat Wiring Instructions | Diy House Help

When it comes to smart lighting controls for the connected home, there have been just two basic choices: You can plug lamps into ugly wall-wart plug-in modules, or you can remove your existing light switches and replace them with smart switches.

The first choice is ugly and doesnt work with overhead lighting; the second choice is expensive and requires you to handle bare electrical wires. But now the crew at Switchmate have an ingenious third way that delivers the benefit of a switch replacement without the need to deal with wiring.

I first saw a prototype of the Switchmate back at CES. Its a block of plastic with a servo motor, a Bluetooth Low Energy radio, and a couple of magnets on the inside, and a simple button on the outside. Place the Switchmate over your existing light switch and the magnets secure it. Press the button and the motor moves the existing light switchs control mechanism to turn the light on and off (it works with both a traditional toggle switch as well as the fancier Decora/rocker switch).

More importantly, the Bluetooth LE radio inside the Switchmate makes it possible to control the switch from an app. Switchmate has developed a free app for the Android and iOS operating system that lets you control your lights from your phone or tablet. You can also set up schedules for your lights to turn on and off automatically, either as a burglar deterrent (delivering the impression that someones home while youre away) or just to make sure certain lights are on when you typically come home from work.

Switchmate will also offer a Bluetooth hub that will enable you to control your lights from anywhere you have Internet access. The Switchmate is slim enough that multiples can be mounted side by side to control multi-gang switches. The one thing Switchmate wont do is dim your lightsits an on/off solution. But the low cost and simple design make this smart-home solution appropriate for everyone, including renters who wouldnt want to alter the property or leave their controls behind when they move.

Switchmate kicked off acrowd-funding campaign on Indiegogothis morning, with a $50,000 goal, and will be selling its lighting controls at early-bird pricing of $39.95 each. Thats a little more than the typical Z-Wave plug-in module, but those require a hub to operate. And its cheaper than a Belkin We-Mo plug-in module. Bottom line: Its a very smart idea.

Michael is the lead editor of IDG's TechHive property, which is focused on the connected-home and home-entertainment markets. He's an early adopter of connected-home technology, having built his own smart home in 2007, which he uses as a real-world test lab when reviewing new products. Michael also reviews home-networking products for TechHive and PCWorld. More by Michael Brown

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Switchmate makes your home lighting smart without any changes to your wiring

A home near Adams Center was engulfed by fire shortly before noon Thursday.

Firefighters were called to home at 13178 Fuller Road, next to the Honeyville Baptist Church, around 11 a.m.

According to property records, the home is owned by David Harrienger II.

Officials said three adults lived there.

No one was home at the time.

Officials said one of the residents went home for a lunch break, saw smoke coming out the back of the house and called 911.

The owners just stood by with family and friends and watched.

"Well, I got multiple phone calls. First one was from the previous owners who live in Ithaca now, and these new people moved in a couple months ago, so I feel pretty bad I know they had a dog inside and from what I hear they didn't get him out," said neighbor Aaron Williams.

Aaron's home across the street was built in 1863.

He said seeing his neighbors house on fire made him worry about this own home.

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Home Near Adams Center Destroyed By Fire