Flooding: How to Protect Your Family & Finances

In many areas, flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster—and it can happen here. Just one inch of water in your home or office can cost thousands of dollars in cleanup and replacement costs, including drywall, baseboards, floor coverings and furniture. You may think you’re covered, but many homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flooding.

Here are several reasons to talk to an insurance agent now about flood insurance.

• There is usually a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.
• Coverage is relatively inexpensive.
• Renters can buy flood insurance .for personal belongings or business inventory.
• Basement coverage includes cleanup expense and repair or replacement of items such as furnaces, water heaters, washers, dryers, air conditioners, freezers and pumps.
• You do not have to repay flood insurance benefits as you do with disaster-related assistance loans.
• You can receive payments for flood-related losses even if no disaster was declared.

Learn more about flood insurance at www.floodsmart.gov.

There are things you can do to prepare your home and family now for flash floods:

• Make a family emergency plan. Emergency preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. Write down your plan. Decide ahead of time where you will go if you have to leave and where family members will meet up. Identify an out-of-town emergency contact. 
• Get supplies for an emergency kit. Start with three days’ water and three days’ packaged and canned food. Add a battery-powered radio and extra batteries. Store in waterproof containers with wheels or that you can lift so you can take them with you. For details about preparing an emergency kit, visit www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/floods.html
• Stay informed about what could happen. During storm season, listen to local media for up-to-date reports on weather watches and warnings. Keep a battery-powered portable radio—with a NOAA weather band—handy in case the power goes out. Choose one.

Learn more about preparedness at www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/floods.html.

Maintain Your Yard Safely

Properly maintaining your yard helps your home and our community look good. Just make sure that safety is a priority when undertaking your landscaping efforts:

• Clear sticks and debris before you mow. Random debris kicked up by a lawn mower can seriously injure you and those around you. Also, mowing debris shortens the life of your mower and dulls the blade.
• Replace the cord on your weed trimmer. Your trimming will be safer if you have strong trimmer cords. Always wear eye protection when using a trimmer. 
• Maintain your lawnmower in top working condition. If you find yourself mowing the same areas again and again, it’s time to inspect your lawnmower. Keep a maintenance checklist of important components like air filters, blades and oil.
• Keep plants and shrubs about five feet from foundation walls, and keep trees at least six to 20 feet away, depending on their size. Plant roots that are too close to the foundation not only cause damage to the structure, but may also attract bugs and mold into your home since they tend to hold moisture.

How to Make Sure You Are Heard at Membership Meetings

All association members have a right to be heard at membership meetings by presenting, seconding, debating and voting on a motion. A motion is a proposal that our membership take action or a position on a specific topic or issue.

To make a motion, wait until the previous person has finished speaking, then stand and address the chair by stating your name. "Mr. Chairman (or Madame President), my name is…." When the chair recognizes or acknowledges you, state your motion clearly and concisely. "I move that our community … ."

Once you have stated your motion, another member should second it so that debate and discussion on the issue can commence. If no one seconds it, your motion will not be considered. Once it is seconded, the chair will announce the motion so it can either be discussed or voted on.

If the topic is one that will be discussed or debated before voting occurs, then, as the person who introduced the motion, you are allowed to speak first. Direct your comments to the chair and briefly explain the motion. You and other speakers participating in the discussion should respect any predetermined time limit for comments. You may also be the last to speak on the matter.

Voting on the motion can take place when the discussion or debate is completed and the chair asks, "Are you ready for the question?" Members can vote by a show of hands, roll call or ballot. General consent, which assumes consensus that there's no opposition to the motion, is another method of voting. The chair announces, "If there is no objection …," and members show their consent by their silence. Those who oppose the motion should speak out politely but audibly, "I object."

Then the chair announces the results of the vote.

What's a Motion?

A motion is a proposal that the association's membership take action or a position on a specific topic or issue. The following are six types of motions anyone who is a member can make at an association membership meeting:

1. Main motions introduce a specific topic for consideration and cannot be made while another motion is before the group.
2. Subsidiary motions amend or change how to handle a motion that’s already being considered. A subsidiary motion is voted on before the motion it affects is voted on.
3. Privileged motions represent urgent or important matters that take precedence over regular or pending business.
4. Incidental motions are responses to procedure and must be considered before a main motion. 
5. Reconsidered motions generally are brought up when there is no other pending business so that the membership can revisit an unresolved issue.
6. A pending motion is one that has been stated by the chair but has not yet been brought to a vote.

Home-Improvement Apps: Tools You Need—In Your Pocket

Ready to tackle a few home improvement projects? There's an app for that.

Houzz Interior Design Ideas

This highly-rated app—4.5 out of 5 stars in the Apple store—lets you discover ideas for your home through a large database of design ideas. You can browse photos by style, room and location, and save them to a virtual idea book. You can also find product and local professionals, and read articles by renovation experts. You can save your ideas for offline access and ask for advice from the app's community. Available free in both Apple and Android stores.

MyPantone

There are many paint color apps, but this one lets you save colors based on their PANTONE ID and create colors palettes from inspiration. You'll be able to share the exact hue you like with designers, manufacturers, family and friends. It suggests complementary colors too. Available for $9.99 in the Apple store and $7.99 in the Android store.

iHandy Carpenter

This app turns your phone into the tools you need to complete your improvement project. It features:

• A surface level
• A bubble level bar
• A protractor to measure angles from 0 to 180 degrees
• A ruler with both inches and centimeter readings
• A plumb bob to verify the verticality of lines or walls

Once calibrated, the plumb bob, surface level and level bar also can be used as an inclinometer/clinometer by reading the angles on the screen. Available for $1.99 in both Apple and Android stores.

Keep Your Backyard Bug Free--Naturally!

Summer is the time for barbecue parties and sleeping under the stars, but bothersome bugs can ruin outdoor fun. Many people spray themselves and their lawns with chemical repellants to get rid of these pests, but there are natural alternatives that are environmentally friendly to your home and association. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy a bug-free summer.

Get growing. Planting a simple garden can do wonders in keeping the bug count down. Plants like garlic, radishes, marigolds, nasturtium, oregano, sage, rosemary, cilantro and mint are easy to cultivate and can make the area in and around your garden uninviting to the creepy crawlers, as they act as natural bug repellants. Pest-control never looked or tasted so good!

Wet and wild. Eliminate stagnate or standing water in your yard; it provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Emptying used kiddy pools and fountains and refilling them with fresh water, cleaning gutters of leaves and other rain-blocking debris and filling in puddles with dirt are just some of the ways to reduce the buzzing bugs in your yard.

Going to the birds. Setting up a few bird houses in your yard is not only a great way to enjoy the beauty of our feathered friends, but it also mitigates bug problems, since many birds love to dine on dragonflies, dung beetles and the ilk.

Candle in the wind. When outdoors, ignite an all-natural bug repellant candle nearby to keep the bugs at bay, and enjoy the sweet smell of citronella, lavender, mint and other aromas that pests find repugnant. Brands such as BioSensory, Solay, Melo and Yankee Candle have jumped onto the debugging bandwagon and offer eco-conscious candles.

Light up the night. Many high-flying insects are drawn to light like a moth to the…you get the idea. So, why not install an elevated yellow bug light on your back porch or deck to attract those critters up and away from the ground (and you!) when you spend an evening outdoors. Of course, be sure to review the CC&Rs or talk with to an association representative to make sure your bug lights are in compliance with the rules.

How to Be a Good Neighbor

A little consideration goes a long way. Read the following tips from eHow.com on how to be a good neighbor beyond just a smile and a wave.

• Welcome any new neighbors with a personal note or pop by for a personal introduction.
• Make sure that the outside of your home—along with the grounds—is well-kept and complies with the association's CC&Rs.
• Be mindful of noise—loud music, barking dogs, power tools—that may disrupt the neighborhood beyond a reasonable hour.
• If you have a large party, consider your neighbors when directing your guests where to park, end the party at a reasonable hour and invite your neighbors to join in the fun.
• Return anything you borrow from your neighbor promptly, in the same condition they lent it to you, and express your thanks.
• Replace anything of your neighbor's that you, your children or your pets break or soil.
• Respect your neighbor's privacy.
• Offer to take care of mail pick-up, plants or pets while your neighbor is on vacation.
• Be social! Inviting a neighbor over for coffee and conversation can promote open communication and a friendly neighborhood environment from which all neighbors can benefit.

Visit www.ehow.com for other helpful, neighborly advice.