We’re going to be having some roof work done in the next month or so, and one of the tasks is to install a ridge vent along the main peak of the house. I have a pretty sizeable attic, but the only ventilation is through two relatively small gable vents at each end. [...]

… and I’m up voluntarily. I realized this may be one of the last times that I am up voluntarily on a Saturday for 15 years or so. We’re in the home stretch of baby brewing time - 7 weeks to go. It’s not enough time! Not because we aren’t “ready” [...]

Here’s a unique way of looking at housing costs data. Take the average housing prices in the U.S. since 1890, adjust for inflation, then plot it on a rollercoaster.
Pay particular attention to 1997 onward.

via Consumerism Commentary

Our house came with it’s very own, not recently used, 8.5′ Birdview satellite dish. You know, one of these big suckers:

I really had no use for it and since it was blocking my tractor’s path into the garden, began looking for options to dispose of it. I found a group of people that [...]

Amanda decided that she really didn’t want an office after all, so we decided to convert the smallest bedroom into my office instead. I think the before and after pictures are stunning.
Before:     After:
My father-in-law and I installed a new hardwood floor, which is actually a blend of two different colors [...]

USAToday profiles Buffalo’s housing market, one of the few to remain a steady grower while other areas of the country go POP!
While many cities have suffered the effects of subprime mortgages and home foreclosures, Buffalo’s housing market — including suburban areas such as Amherst and Orchard Park — has enjoyed a slow but steady increase [...]

Ahh…. nothing like 60s in January. You gotta love the Buffalo weather! The break in the temperature allowed me to do two things - grill a steak for dinner Tuesday, and finish installing my second garage door opener. My Dad and I had previously ran the electric, the door control, and [...]

One of the advantages of being a homeowner is that certain home improvement projects are sales tax free, if they fit the New York State’s guidelines of being a “Capital Improvement”. The tricky part can be determining what exactly qualifies as a capital improvement. The NYS Department of Taxation lays it out like [...]

Once again, the government’s attempts to fix “problems” they are incapable of fixing will screw us, the consumer. The latest energy bill has a provision to ban incandescent light bulbs. From the Chicago Tribune…
“In this bill, we ban by 2012 the famously inefficient 100-watt incandescent bulb,” said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), who co-sponsored [...]

Time Warner is certainly advertising the hell out of their new home phone service. I’m guessing it’s because it’s really not that good of a deal. When I had my landline phone and DSL package from Verizon, on average I paid about $49 a month for the phone portion of my bill, taxes [...]