Episodes

In the Replay today, Mike talks about his kitchen/laundry room project that Kevin is about to begin. Like all homeowners, Mike isn’t immune to contractor Horror Stories. Today, he shares one involving a siding job gone bad. In today’s Feature, Donna Butts, a frequent contributor and great friend to Your Valuable Home, joins us to share inspirational stories of people across generations helping each other live life to the fullest. Donna is the Executive Director of D.C.-based Generations ...

In the Replay, Kevin is referred to a dissatisfied roofing customer to provide advice. In the Horror Story, Nissi explains the roofing nightmare no homeowner should have to deal with. In the Feature today, renowned architect and frequent Your Valuable Home guest, Illya Azaroff explains a scenario whereby a young family can buy and build a modest house that’s resilient, sustainable, and expandable as the family grows. This all proves that home ownership can be within the grasp of those wh...

In the Replay today, Kevin provides a progress report on major renovations his company is doing to a 300-year-old farmhouse. It’s again time for the Bad Guy Bulletin is our once-a-month segment devoted to exposing all sorts of scams and scammers. George Smart is on a mission “to document, preserve, and promote residential Modernist architecture.” He’s doing that in myriad ways, including hosting a Modernism podcast and presiding over the world’s largest open mid-century digital archive. We le...

In our Replay and Horror Story today, Frank fills us in on his in-law suite which is now on the right track. The same project began as a contractor Horror Story that lasted about a year. In the Feature today, a deer strike will ruin your day. Getting hit by a dead, falling tree could destroy your home, your car, and/or take your life. Today we get a short, intensive course on why our landscape, including roads and municipal rights of way, holds the potential for disaster with thousands of dea...

In the Replay today, Kevin reports on a large, 300-year-old house that’s getting an extreme makeover. His first order of business: replace 40-some windows. In the Horror Story, Kevin reports that a driveway repaving job has gone totally out of control. In the Feature, Kevin proves that you can take advantage of a major renovation to make major, long-overdue upgrades.

In the Replay today, we revisit Mike for the final time. The post-fire reconstruction that became a nightmare for him and his wife is redone far beyond his expectations. The Horror Story involves the refrigerator in Kevin’s home, and it has a happy ending. After several attempts by repair people to fix a nagging problem, Kevin’s wife contacted the head of General Electric Appliances, and he made good things happen. Congratulations GE, for delivering outstanding customer service. In this week...

In our Replay today, Kevin provides sound advice on how to vet and hire a house painter. In today’s Horror Story, the choice of the wrong painter results in a huge mess. Our Featured segment today focuses on Eight Days of Hope, a faith-based organization of volunteers who have helped victims of natural disasters in Florida, Hawaii, and elsewhere rebuild. Most recently, Eight Days of Hope expanded its mission to help young female victims of one of the most horrendous human disasters of our ti...

After listening to today’s replay, it would be a good idea to determine if your house is properly insulated. It’s the third week of the month – time for the Bad Guy Bulletin. In a tip sent in by Marc Furber from the Bucks County DA’s office, a contractor who shook down a homeowner for thousands is still on the loose. In another account, another shady contractor who demanded up-front money for multiple jobs he never completed, was taken out of circulation. In our Feature today...if you’ve ever co...

In our Replay today, Jon Lapp, our sponsor Provia’s Product Manager for Siding briefs us on the newest addition to the ProVia siding line – Harbor Mill shingle and shake siding. Jon talks about how ProVia uses laser technology to mimic the look and feel of real wood, the architectural styles most suited to Harbor Mill, the myriad available colors, ease of installation, etc., etc. If you’re thinking about re-siding your home, you need to listen to this. In the Horror Story, we relate the s...

In the Replay, Mike talks about the progress made on his project, the entire house reno. In the horror story, Mike discusses the added issues from the previous contractor, you won’t believe what he did. Working our way down the California coast, we get a briefing from Heather Chadwell on the stable real estate market of Newport Beach, where the prices of many of the homes are in the stratosphere. Then on to the last stop on the Your Valuable Home Real Estate RoundUp 2023, San Diego, where real ...

In this weeks replay, Kevin and Ron talk about the rising costs of permits. In the horror story is Not the Bad Guy Bulletin, it is the Bad appliance Bulletin! In the feature segment, the Real estate round up in heading to California, Suzi Farajiani, expects a tight seller's market to continue for some time. The good news here is that there are also towns in the LA area where homes are affordable by middle-income house hunters.

In the Replay of the Week, PA realtor, Jeff Parkins, has terrific advice about hunting for a new home in a seller’s market made more complex by rising interest rates and home prices. Relying on Jeff’s skills and tenacity, legendary performer, Kim Sledge beat the dynamics of the current real estate market in the Philadelphia area and found a great place to downsize. The Bad Guy Bulletin is about a ray of hope in the disheartening world of customer service, where the cost is often passed on to the...

In the Replay today, ProVia’s Alyssa Hostetler takes us through the ProVia web-based Envision system that helps homeowner visualize how combinations of ProVia products for the exterior of the home work together on homes of different architectural styles and on their home,. It’s a marvelous way to visualize the possibilities. And in the Horror Story, Kevin verbally spars with a contractor in the process of installing windows the wrong way. In the Feature today, we keep on working our way around...

In the Replay today, Scott, from Our Sponsor ProVia, is in the studio to brief our listeners on ProVia’s superb metal roofing. It’s a one-and-done roofing system available in slate, shake and barrel tile styles, and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty. In today’s Horror Story, we learn why a contractor had to be convinced that removing the nailing flange from a new window was a big mistake. Wow! In this the third episode featuring our 2023 cross country Real Estate Roundup, we learn about ...

In the Replay today, we interview legendary singer, songwriter, Kim Sledge, and learn that even celebrities have to navigate a tight seller’s market to find the right place to downsize. The continuing Horror Story s about the experience Kevin and company are having to re-do the work a contractor wannabe attempted in a reconstruction after a house fire. Virtually everything that was done has to be re-done. In the Feature, we get the word that the market is stable in storybook Talbot County ...

In our Replay, Joann’s “Mom suite” is complete. She’s moved in and lovin’ it. It’s the third week of the month...time for the Bad Guy Bulletin. Today We discuss how, in our opinion, more and more companies are passing the cost of customer service on to the customer. Based on your experience, do you agree? In the Feature today, real estate pros in New Jersey and Pennsylvania kick off the second year of the Your Valuable Home Real Estate Round Up. Join us over the next several weeks, as real estat...

In the Replay, Michael and Michelle describe the devastating house fire that sidetracked their lives. In the Horror Story, as if things were not bad enough, Michael and Michelle hired a contractor who was more interested in shaking them down than building back their home. In the Feature today, Patrick Gilman Program Manager in the Wind Energy Technologies Office at the U.S. Department of Energy wraps up our four-part series How We’ll Power America Going Forward. It’s going to take a mix of clean...

In our Replay today, Chuck wraps up the story of the mom-suite he had built in his house. In the Horror Story, a homeowner learns that the poor choice of a contractor results in a poorly installed patio door. It’s week three of our Series, How We’ll Power America Going Forward. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, who will explain how hydrogen is used today, and the potentially expansive use of i...

In our Replay today, Chuck wraps up the story of the mom-suite he had built in his house. In the Horror Story, a homeowner learns that the poor choice of a contractor results in a poorly installed patio door. It’s week three of our Series, How We’ll Power America Going Forward. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, who will explain how hydrogen is used today, and the potentially expansive use of i...

In our Replay today, we continue with the story of Chuck’s mother’s in-law suite...an invaluable story, if you’re planning multi-generational living arrangements. In the Horror Story, a “window company” measures incorrectly and poor installation results. In our Feature today, we get a fascinating rundown on two new types of nuclear technology sure to play a large role in How America Powers Itself Going Forward. This briefing comes from Dr. Caty Huff, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy in t...

In the Replay today, Chuck (Joanne's son from last week) completes the story of the In-law suite that he hired Kevin to build in his house.  In the Horror Story, roof contractor is FULL of excuses. In our Feature today, we begin the four-part series, How We’ll Power America Going Forward, with subject, experts from the US Department of Energy. To begin this, Your Valuable Home exclusive will talk with Garrett Nilsen, DOE Deputy Director, about the current status and future of solar Then, in ...

In our Replay, Joanne shares the early stages of what it’s like to build multi-generational living accommodations in her son’s house. In the Horror Story, THE BAD GUY BULLETIN, is a must-listen. In our Feature today, Brandi Snowden, Director, Member, and Consumer Survey Research discusses the National Association of Realtors recent Sustainability Report. In this report, NAR members (brokers and agents) let us in on their customers’ perceptions and real issues in residential real estate from m...

This episode is the fourth of a special 4 part series of listener favorites! Enjoy! -- In our Replay today, Tish shares her and her husband’s Adventure in Downsizing. Be prepared to take notes and learn from their experience. In the Horror Story today, an “electrician” made Swiss Cheese out of a ceiling to install a few lights. Hard to believe! Our Feature today focuses on a culprit that can change your life: Lyme. Could the chronic condition of a family member or friend be the result of und...

This episode is the third of a special 4 part series of listener favorites! Enjoy! -- In the Replay today, Tom explains why he and his wife decided on ProVia Siding and he admires a siding job well done. In the Horror Story, still, another contractor claims to be what he’s not on social media. We don’t have to tell you that more bad guys than ever are working overtime to separate you from your hard-earned money. In addition to rip-offs by unscrupulous contractors, email, snail mail, and tel...