Page 4 Friday, February 19, 2021
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HOW TO ‘FIGHT DIRTY’ Tips for putting your pressure washer to use BRANDPOINT
Long-term mortgage rates rise slightly; 30-year at 2.81% ASSOCIATED PRESS SILVER SPRING, Md. — U.S. longterm mortgage rates ticked up this week but remain at historic lows as the coronavirus pandemic continues to batter the economy even as more Americans get vaccinated. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate home loan rose to 2.81% from last week’s 2.73%. One year ago, the rate was 3.49%. The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate loans, popular among those seeking to refinance their mortgages, rose to 2.21% from to 2.19% last week. A year ago it was 2.99%. The 5-year adjustable rate mortgage averaged 2.77%, down from last week’s 2.79%. It averaged 3.25% one year ago. While economists expect modest increases in home-loan rates this year, they likely will remain low with the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates near zero until the economy recovers. Record-low lending rates have helped push buyers into the housing market, but a lack of supply has left many prospective buyers empty handed. The lack of supply was pushing prices up even before the pandemic struck last March. Although the housing market has been one of the stronger sectors of the U.S. economy since early summer, the overall economy remains at the mercy of the ongoing pandemic. The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid rose last week to 861,000, evidence that layoffs remain elevated despite a steady drop in the number of confirmed viral infections. About 1.7 million Americans are getting vaccinated each day, although those efforts have been complicated by recent winter weather in many parts of the country.
Home construction falls 6%; signs of rebound ahead ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — U.S. home construction fell 6% in January but applications for building permits, which typically signal activity ahead, rose sharply. The decline pushed home and apartment construction down to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.58 million units last month, compared with 1.68 million in December, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Single-family construction starts dropped 12.2% while construction of apartment units rose 16.2%. Even with the January dip, ultra-low mortgage rates and rising demand from Americans ready for a bigger house after a year of living in a pandemic will in all likelihood mean a strong year for the housing market in 2021. Hints of a sustained housing push could be found Thursday in the Commerce numbers. Applications for building permits, considered a good sign of future activity, spiked 10.4% in January to an annual rate of 1.88 million units. And strong sales this year would only extend a banner 2020 when home construction jumped 7% to 1.38 million units. That was the strongest showing since a housing boom in 2006. Construction fell 12.3% in the Midwest and 11.4% in the West. It dropped 2.5% in the South. The only region of the country that saw an increase last month was the Northeast, where construction rose by 2.3%.
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s you’ve been spending more time at home lately, you’ve probably found things around your house and yard that aren’t as clean as they used to be. Depending on where you live, you may be eyeing many of these cleaning projects and putting them on your to-do list as spring approaches, or you may be itching to get at them right away. Unfortunately, some of these areas are really difficult to clean, and some of the problem spots are very tough to reach, too which may explain why they’ve gotten in such rough shape.
Solutions for outdoor tough spots While you survey your property to look for ways to improve its appearance, take note of the hardest-to-reach and toughestto-clean spots, such as: Z Exterior siding and brick Z Fences Z Windows Z Decks, patios and porches Z Sidewalks and driveways Z Cars and trucks Z Lawn equipment and grills If any of these items look like they could use a good scrub, don’t get out the soap, sponge and brushes just yet - a pressure washer may be just what you need. “For tackling big or small jobs, the Powerhorse 3200 PSI Pres-
Maintaining your pressure washer Once you’ve got your pressure washer, Green recommends the following tips for keeping it in top shape: Z Always remove your tips and clean them out after every use on your pressure washer gun as well as your surface cleaner. This keeps the tips from calcifying. Z Whenever you change the engine oil in your pressure washer, change the pump oil as well. This way they stay in the same cycle. Z Always use a fuel treatment and stabilizer in your fuel, unless using premium ethanol-free fuel. The stabilizer assists in keeping the unit running smoothly and limits carburetor cleaning and repairs. Z Flush the pump before extended storage, especially if stored in a freezing climate. If you’ve put off investing in a pressure washer before, this could be the best year for getting those tough-to-tackle jobs done. This pressure washer has a built-in nozzle holder, so the right nozzle is within reach at all times. In addisure Washer can make your out- ries you need to tackle countless tion, the onboard soap tank adds door cleaning easier, faster and a projects around your home or efficiency, eliminating the mess your business. It features a main- and hassle of using a siphon tube much more effective to blast tenance-free direct drive axial away the dirt,” said Jonathan and separate container. You simGreen, senior regional parts and pump, along with adjustable ply add detergent to the onboard pressure - making it versatile service manager at Northern tank and you’re ready to clean. Tool + Equipment. “Most impor- enough to handle delicate jobs You can look forward to enjoyor blast away years’ worth of tantly, it’s easy to use and will ing a brighter, cleaner spring and grime. The push-down style cart summer at home when you’ve got save you a great deal of time so features a sturdy steel tube you can take care of any job your house and yard looking fresh frame, and its ten-inch flat-free without the elbow grease.” and clean. The Powerhorse 3200 PSI Pres- tires make it easy to move from To learn more about what a sure Washer is an effective tool, job to job while you’re improvpressure washer can do for you, ing your home, yard or business. visit Northerntool.com with all the power and accesso-
Home is where the heart is. When you have a mortage or refinance with KGEFCU, your money and servicing stays on Kaua‘i and goes back into our community.
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