WASHINGTON - With the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby less than two weeks away, the assembling of rosters for the showcase is looking like a derby in itself.

While Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton is already on board for the National League, the rest of the spots for the NL are up in the air. Then all of the American League spots, except for Jose Bautista's captain seat, are to be determined.

Sluggers Jose Abreu and Mike Trout, currently first and eighth respectively in the AL home run race, appear doubtful to join the show, Trout expressing both his desire and misgivings about participating.

There are a number of reasons why hitters may be reluctant to join in. Some believe the derby - July 14 at Minnesota's Target Field - can mess up their swings, though NL captain Troy Tulowitzki is not one of them. The need for rest by the time mid-July hits is also a factor, according to Tulowitzki, who will be participating in his first derby.

"Some guys don't want to do it, for whatever reason," Tulowitzki told USA TODAY Sports. "Either they're not great home run hitters in (batting practice), or they think it messes them up or maybe their fatigue. The season's long, and you can get all those things that people are sensitive about."

The swing issue seems to be a common theme for some around the league. And it is possible that trying to pop balls up can throw things off a bit.

But Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, who was eliminated in the second round of last year's Home Run Derby, said hitters take so many swings that if the derby gets anyone in a funk, they're going to come out of it.

Davis acknowledged talk of whether or not his dip in production after last year's All-Star break was due to the derby. He hit .315 with 37 home runs before the 2013 break, and .245 with 16 home runs after.

"To be honest with you, I don't know," Davis said. "But I think if you have an opportunity to do it and you want to do it, you should do it."

Texas Rangers first baseman Carlos Pena he was fine when he did the 2009 Home Run Derby. But in a science as inexact as hitting, there can still be that thought in the back of some players' minds.

Read this article:
New format, old problem: Home Run Derby needs big bats

For those looking to score a deal on a home, foreclosed properties can offer a great opportunity. Lenders are looking to unload the property and will often offer up a deep discount to do so quickly. But the process of buying a foreclosed home can differ a little from traditional home sales. Here are some things to consider before you make an offer on one of these properties.

The As-Is Sale

Disgruntled homeowners in foreclosure can feel like they have nothing left to lose. Faced with the prospect of losing their house, homeowners sometimes leave the place stripped of anything valuable or useful, including door knobs, fixtures and wiring. In cases like this, the lender is unlikely to make repairs and will sell the home as-is. While you can get the place at a steep discount, it might only be a bargain if youve got some DIY skills. This shouldnt necessarily discourage you from buying, but youll need to figure out if the cost of repairs will offset the discounted offer price.

Not Knowing What Youre Getting Into

With most homes, youll likely get some disclosure from the current owners. A helpful homeowner might give you a little advice, like the best place to start a garden, or offer you a heads up on minor repairs, like a bathroom door that sticks. And when it comes to big repairs, such as a shoddy foundation or termite damage, the owners might be legally required to let you know before you buy the place. But a lender has no history with the home, so dont expect to get a run-down of problems before you move in. A foreclosure might be a good deal, but it can also turn into an unexpected adventure.

Dont Assume Theyll Take Any Offer

While a foreclosed home can often be a bargain, you shouldnt expect the lender to accept a lowball offer. Even in a market flooded with foreclosures, a bank might balk at a low offer, preferring to wait until housing prices bounce back rather than take a huge hit on the investment. However, you can use local foreclosures to your advantage. Take a look at recent sale prices for homes sold by lenders which are often called real-estate owned, or REO sales to help you price the place.

It Takes More Time

Most mortgages are backed by big banks and financial institutions, which means you will likely run smack into a large, slow-moving bureaucracy when trying to buy a home in foreclosure. With a traditional home sale, you can expect to find out if your offer has been accepted within a day or two. But when buying from a financial institution this process can take weeks. So have patience and dont freak out if you dont immediately hear back from the seller.

A Different Kind of Sale

Read the original here:
5 DIY home sale tips

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was a poetic convergence of tech trends this week at the corner of Fourth and Howard streets`.

Over in Moscone Center West, Google was getting its Internet-of-things groove on at its developers conference, touting plans to tie digital devices together with products like TV sets inside our homes.

Meanwhile, across the street in Moscone North, thousands of the people who will actually be building these tech-savvy abodes -- developers, architects, manufacturers and contractors -- were having their annual powwow, giving each other a peek of what awaits us all just inside our front doors of tomorrow.

Carrie Drier holds up the latest fire sprinkler head made by Viking at the PCBC home show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on June 25, 2014. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group)

All across the exhibitors floor at the annual builders trade show, amid the nontechy stalwarts like roof tiles and toilets, you could almost hear the mantra humming just below the surface: "When it comes to the home of the future, all ... is ... one."

"We put the backbone wiring inside the new home so that everything we use in that home is more connected," said Joey Hill, a market representative with Legrand, North America, a global rock star of switches and sockets. It's partnering with GE on cutting-edge home security and home entertainment technologies, the very stuff that the Googlers were crowing about nearby. "We provide the infrastructure that supports things like Netflix on your Apple TV," Hill said. "This is where the industry is going: You'll control your home lighting, security and audio, all from your smartphone or tablet."

While this trend has been picking up steam in the past year, Hill and others at the show painted a picture of an ever-rapid advancement in the digitally driven household. And borrowing a page from companies like Apple, where powerful computing is dressed up in sleek designs, Hill said, "It's not just cool gadgets around the house, but we'll be seeing much more of a focus on style."

And with that, Hill demonstrated a "pop-out outlet," a wall socket that's tucked into the wall and emerges -- abracadabra! -- with the push of a finger. "This technology has to be beautiful," he said, "if it's going inside your house."

Standing nearby, Shannon Stafford was nodding her head in agreement. "I've got that system installed in my own house," said the owner/president of Illuminations Lighting, an electrical equipment supplier in El Dorado Hills. "I can completely control my entire house with my phone."

Stafford sounded like a kid in a candy store, describing the magic-wand features coming soon to new homes across the country. "I can dim any of the lights down to 10 percent. I can customize every switch, outlet and night-light."

Link:
A peek inside the home of the future

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was a poetic convergence of tech trends this week at the corner of Fourth and Howard streets`.

Over in Moscone Center West, Google was getting its Internet-of-things groove on at its developers conference, touting plans to tie digital devices together with products like TV sets inside our homes.

Meanwhile, across the street in Moscone North, thousands of the people who will actually be building these tech-savvy abodes -- developers, architects, manufacturers and contractors -- were having their annual powwow, giving each other a peek of what awaits us all just inside our front doors of tomorrow.

All across the exhibitors floor at the annual builders trade show, amid the nontechy stalwarts like roof tiles and toilets, you could almost hear the mantra humming just below the surface: "When it comes to the home of the future, all ... is ... one."

"We put the backbone wiring inside the new home so that everything we use in that home is more connected," said Joey Hill, a market representative with Legrand, North America, a global rock star of switches and sockets. It's partnering with GE on cutting-edge home security and home entertainment technologies, the very stuff that the Googlers were crowing about nearby. "We provide the infrastructure that supports things like Netflix on your Apple TV," Hill said. "This is where the industry is going: You'll control your home lighting, security and audio, all from your smartphone or tablet."

While this trend has been picking up steam in the past year, Hill and others at the show painted a picture of an ever-rapid advancement in the digitally driven household. And borrowing a page from companies like Apple, where powerful computing is dressed up in sleek designs, Hill said, "It's not just cool gadgets around the house, but we'll be seeing much more of a focus on style."

And with that, Hill demonstrated a "pop-out outlet," a wall socket that's tucked into the wall and emerges -- abracadabra! -- with the push of a finger. "This technology has to be beautiful," he said, "if it's going inside your house."

Standing nearby, Shannon Stafford was nodding her head in agreement. "I've got that system installed in my own house," said the owner/president of Illuminations Lighting, an electrical equipment supplier in El Dorado Hills. "I can completely control my entire house with my phone."

Stafford sounded like a kid in a candy store, describing the magic-wand features coming soon to new homes across the country. "I can dim any of the lights down to 10 percent. I can customize every switch, outlet and night-light."

Robert Robinson and John Daley, right, show off their products from S&P USA Ventilation Systems at the PCBC home show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group)

Link:
A peek inside the high-tech home of the future

MATTOON (JG-TC) -- A home at 86 Old State Village southwest of Mattoon was apparently a total loss after a fire Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters arrived at the scene about 12:15 p.m. and found fire showing through the front windows of the modular home, Mattoon Assistant Fire Chief Sean Junge said.

There was one person at home at the time but neither the occupant nor any firefighters were injured, Junge said. He said the investigation determined the fire was caused by a wiring problem in the home's bedroom.

The resident's dog was already outside when fire crews arrived and firefighters rescued two cats, Junge said. However, four cats died in the fire and two others couldn't be located, he said.

He described the damage to the home as "very extensive" and said it was likely a total loss.

Fire crews were at the scene for about 2-1/2 hours and firefighters from the Charleston Fire Department helped with the fire, Junge said. Mattoon police and the Coles County Animal Rescue and Education Center also assisted, he said.

Excerpt from:
Old State Village home likely a total loss after fire

Jane #39;s Story
Calling on the Government to better protect private tenants. Six years ago Jane #39;s daughter Thirza moved to Cornwall to start an exciting new life with her husband and their two young children....

By: Electrical Safety First

Read this article:
Jane's Story - Video

ROANOKE This is how Holly McDuffie describes her home: The crappiest house in Roanoke.

Its got mold, exposed wiring and plumbing problems. The air conditioning doesnt work. Bricks are separating from the house.

Camille Maxwell is concerned about her daughters safety, fearing that her house may simply collapse around them because the master support beam is broken in three places.

Her master bathroom caved in last fall.

As you can see, there is no frame underneath this side of house anymore, she said, pointing to the massive hole where her bathtub and hot water heater once sat in the Collin County home.

McDuffie and Maxwell dont know each other. But they do have something in common: Khosrow Sadeghian.

Hes the landlord News 8 recently told you about who specializes in renting to people with no credit or bad credit. Sadeghian owns in excess of a 1,000 properties throughout North Texas in Denton, Collin, Dallas and Johnson counties.

He had rented a house in the Sanger area to Jim and Debra Bowers. He promised that fixes would be made to the property. When the repairs werent made, the Bowers couldnt move into the property.

That left the Bowers living with their three children in a motel, paying rent there in addition to paying for the mobile home they couldn't live in.

The plumbing was in disrepair. The toilets didnt work. The air conditioning system was malfunctioning. There were holes in the floor throughout, letting rodents and other creatures into the home. There was evidence of mold under the sink and elsewhere.

See more here:
Landlord facing more tenant complaints

By Simon Perry

06/23/2014 at 09:30 AM EDT

Kate and William (inset), Kensington Palace

Andrew Holt/Getty; Inset: REX USA

The price, after $1.6 million was spent last year, has increased by another $5 million, it has been claimed, bringing the total so far to $6.6 million. An official report will be announced Wednesday.

Shouldering the bill is the U.K. taxpayer, via what is known as the Sovereign Grant, though the family, and in large part Prince Charles, were responsible for the fixtures and furnishings in the living section of the compound.

The apartment itself is, in fact, a four-story home, with up to 30 rooms, including nine bathrooms furnishings for which Kate shopped for personally, it is believed.

The royal family is also privately paying for the improvements being carried out at the couple's country home, Anmer Hall on Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham estate. The 10-bedroom country mansion, complete with tennis court and swimming pool, was a gift from the Queen, 88.

Constructing new internal areas, including the kitchen and Prince George's nursery (requiring the ripping out of asbestos, installing a new roof and modernizing the wiring and plumbing), has increased the cost at Kensington Palace. Because it is a historic building, stringent guidelines must be adhered to in the renovations.

Aides stress that Apartment 1a will be their official home for many years to come and had to be converted from offices into a suitable home. Moreover, it had not been renovated for at least 50 years, the last extensive update being in 1963.

Go here to read the rest:
William and Kate's Home Refurbishment Approaches $6.6 Million

Homeseer home automation controller unboxing
http://www.discount-low-voltage.com/Connectivity/Home-Control/HT-ZEE Here #39;s a quick unboxing look at the cool Homeseer home automation controller. These are ...

By: Mercy Salinas

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Homeseer home automation controller unboxing - Video

For those looking to score a deal on a home, foreclosed properties can offer a great opportunity. Lenders are looking to unload the property and will often offer up a deep discount to do so quickly. But the process of buying a foreclosed home can differ a little from traditional home sales. Here are some things to consider before you make an offer on one of these properties.

The As-Is Sale

Disgruntled homeowners in foreclosure can feel like they have nothing left to lose. Faced with the prospect of losing their house, homeowners sometimes leave the place stripped of anything valuable or useful, including door knobs, fixtures and wiring. In cases like this, the lender is unlikely to make repairs and will sell the home as-is. While you can get the place at a steep discount, it might only be a bargain if youve got some DIY skills. This shouldnt necessarily discourage you from buying, but youll need to figure out if the cost of repairs will offset the discounted offer price.

Not Knowing What Youre Getting Into

With most homes, youll likely get some disclosure from the current owners. A helpful homeowner might give you a little advice, like the best place to start a garden, or offer you a heads up on minor repairs, like a bathroom door that sticks. And when it comes to big repairs, such as a shoddy foundation or termite damage, the owners might be legally required to let you know before you buy the place. But a lender has no history with the home, so dont expect to get a run-down of problems before you move in. A foreclosure might be a good deal, but it can also turn into an unexpected adventure.

Dont Assume Theyll Take Any Offer

While a foreclosed home can often be a bargain, you shouldnt expect the lender to accept a lowball offer. Even in a market flooded with foreclosures, a bank might balk at a low offer, preferring to wait until housing prices bounce back rather than take a huge hit on the investment. However, you can use local foreclosures to your advantage. Take a look at recent sale prices for homes sold by lenders which are often called real-estate owned, or REO sales to help you price the place.

It Takes More Time

Most mortgages are backed by big banks and financial institutions, which means you will likely run smack into a large, slow-moving bureaucracy when trying to buy a home in foreclosure. With a traditional home sale, you can expect to find out if your offer has been accepted within a day or two. But when buying from a financial institution this process can take weeks. So have patience and dont freak out if you dont immediately hear back from the seller.

A Different Kind of Sale

Follow this link:
5 foreclosure buying tips