Perhaps you’re wondering, where to get advice on remodeling a kitchen or making an older home more energy efficient.

Try the Home Remodeling Fair on March 20 sponsored by the Home Repair Resource Center. The event will be held at the Lee Road Library. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., presentations begin at 10 and end at 2:15.

In Ohio, property taxes are collected twice per year and are billed at the end of the year in which they are assessed. Thus, taxes billed in December 2009 (and due in January 2010) were the taxes assessed for the first half of 2009. Second-half bills arrive in June and are due in July. Exact due dates are noted on the bill. Residents can pay once per year or in monthly installments, and payments can be withdrawn automatically from a bank account.

A payment is considered late at midnight on the due date. Property owners paying within the next five days are assessed a 5 percent penalty. After that, a 10 percent penalty applies.

On Nov. 4, 15 women joined in song to celebrate their graduation from the 2009 Home How-To course provided by Home Repair Resource Center. Brynna Fish, one of the new graduates, led the group in an original composition –set to the tune of “If I Had a Hammer" – that described the journey these women had taken, from their first tentative use of power tools to their newfound eagerness to tackle home repairs.

It is getting cold outside and many people may find that when they turn their furnace or boiler on for the first time, it isn’t working properly. Home Repair Resource Center offers several programs for people who are in need of assistance. If you find yourself in need of a new heating system or repair, make HRRC your first stop.

The HRRC library is full of helpful resources. There are handouts that explain the different types of heating systems as well as the different efficiency

Home Repair Resource Center, a HUD-certified housing counseling agency located in Cleveland Heights, received a national grant that allows the agency to extend its foreclosure intervention and prevention counseling services to residents in Northeast Ohio including the inner-ring suburbs.

In the current economic climate, many homeowners are choosing to fix up their homes, rather than considering a move. Home Repair Resource Center, a nonprofit organization right here in Cleveland Heights, offers a variety of loan and grant programs to help make home repairs more affordable and less of a worry, as these two recent examples demonstrate:

Last winter was very tough on roofs and gutters, with the heavy snow and ice buildup. This spring, a young woman with two small children met with one of our counselors to obtain a loan to fix her roof. She was very worried about taking on an additional loan payment because she was already on a tight budget. She was pleased to find that she could qualify for several grant programs that reduced her loan payment by half. Furthermore, she was able to fix her roof and still have an affordable monthly payment.

In the current economic climate, many homeowners are choosing to fix up their homes, rather than considering a move. Home Repair Resource Center, a nonprofit organization right here in Cleveland Heights, offers a variety of loan and grant programs to help make home repairs more affordable and less of a worry, as these two recent examples demonstrate:

It all begins when a phony “foreclosure” or “mortgage” specialist contacts the homeowner through phone, direct mail or even a visit to your home. They look good, smell good and promise they can rescue your home from foreclosure in exchange for a fee that can range from as little as $400 to $1,200.

Get free advice from a wide variety of local home remodeling experts at this year's Community Home Remodeling Fair on Saturday, April 18 at Cleveland Heights City Hall. Sponsored by the Home Repair Resource Center and the City of Cleveland Heights, the fair will open at 9:15 a.m. and will feature presentations from 9:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

As winter turns to spring, free workshops the Home Repair Resource Center will move from interior to exterior repairs. Classes teach participants what goes into a good quality job, whether you do it yourself or contract the work.

Most classes are held at the resource center’s Teaching Center, 2520 Noble Road (two blocks north of Monticello, at the corner of Oxford), on Mondays from 7-9 p.m. Attendance is limited to Cleveland Heights residents. Reservations are requested; call 216-381-9560 to save a spot. For class descriptions, see the resource center’s Web site at www.hrrc-ch.org and select Schedule of Workshops from the list on the left side of the Web page.

The current economic situation may cause some prospective homebuyers to hesitate, and with good reason.  If your income is insecure and you are working to pay off high debts, homeownership may not be for you.  If your job is secure, you have savings, and your debts are under control, you may want to consider buying a home now. 

It’s usually little boys who follow their dads around, learning home repair skills.  That’s probably one of the reasons women can feel so intimidated when trying to fix things around the house.  Home Repair Resource Center has the answer.  Women heads of house in Cleveland Heights are encouraged to call now about the next offering of HHRC’s repair education series, “Home How-To.”  During this intensive, six-month program, women homeowners will work together to master basic carpentry, electrical and plumbing skills.  Absolutely no previous experience is required!

Home Repair Resource Center offers free home repair workshops, with “hands-on” practice using tools and techniques. Most classes will be held at HRRC’s Teaching Center, 2520 Noble Road (two blocks north of Monticello, at the corner of Oxford). The workshops are limited to Cleveland Heights residents and reservations are requested; call 216-381-9560 to save your spot.

No one will deny that the foreclosure crisis, is affecting the community in its entirety. Still, the reality of a foreclosure is hard to face. If you find you cannot make your mortgage payment on time, becoming proactive may prevent the loss of your home.

In this current economic climate, it is more important than ever to spend your home repair dollars wisely. One way to save money can be to do the work yourself. Home Repair Resource Center offers free classes that give you an opportunity to practice using the tools and techniques you’ll need for the job.

Our fall classes will all be held at HRRC’s Teaching Center, 2520 Noble Road (two blocks north of Monticello, at the corner of Oxford). Reservations are requested; call 216-381-9560 to save your spot for these workshops:

“Penny pinching” and "dollar stretching” are terms once often laughed at. But, now as daily expenses are rising, many are taking these sayings to heart and putting them into practice. Most residents are concerned with expected increases in food, transportation, home heating, mortgage/rent payments and other expenses.  Are you prepared? The Home Repair Resource Center (HRRC) offers monthly classes on budgeting to help you develop a monthly spending plan and find ways to save for unexpected expenses.  Having a budget will also help you identify whether your income is sufficient to cover all of your expenses. If not, you can learn to develop a plan to reduce expenses and/or increase your income.

In this current economic climate, it is more important than ever to spend your home repair dollars wisely. One way to save money can be to do the work yourself. Home Repair Resource Center offers free classes that give you an opportunity to practice using the tools and techniques you’ll need for the job. Reservations are requested; call 381-9560 for information and to save your spot for the following workshops: