Latest news with #homeowner
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla charger causes massive blaze in Texas home
Authorities say a Tesla charger caught fire in a Lewisville, Texas home on Monday, destroying a vehicle and severely damaging the building. The homeowner says she noticed 'electrical arcing' coming from the charging unit after she plugged it into her car.
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Tornado rips through Perth's City Beach, destroying multimillion-dollar homes
A freak so-called tornado has left an incredible trail of destruction in one of Perth's most prestigious suburbs, destroying multimillion-dollar homes and leaving streets resembling war zones. Wild weather hit the city on Wednesday afternoon, in particular City Beach, where several homes lost their roofs and experienced other severe damage. Video footage shows the path of chaos starting at City Beach Oval and then into the suburb, with roofs off properties, trees strewn across the road and fences down. One City Beach family left without a roof on their multimillion-dollar home. The family of four were at home on Kalari Drive relaxing on the couch when the wind gust ripped away the roof of the master bedroom, making room for rain to pour onto the furniture. Solar panels which were attached to the roof flew onto the neighbours roofs and into their backyards. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. The family was looking for a hotel to book on Wednesday night and until the damage is repaired. 'I heard a huge bang and I thought all the windows would implode,' one family member said. Another family living nearby on Marapana Road watched their backyard get crumpled by falling trees. 'I was just sitting in the kitchen, and I was looking out into our backyard, the pool area and this whole lot of darkness just filled up the air,' the homeowner, who did not want to be named, said. 'It was obviously dust and debris... it was pretty wild. 'There was a lot of rain and a lot of wind, it was torrential, it was very heavy. 'We went outside when it cooled down a little bit, and we've got trees from next door that have fallen in, we've got two other property's fences caved in, we've got people's chairs, people's bins just come out of nowhere. 'Our yard is demolished basically.' Video footage shows a cloud formation in the sky which appears to look like a tornado, however authorities are yet to officially confirm. The damage left at City Beach's Lentara Crescent was extreme. Big trees fell across the road, rendering it almost undriveable. A fence was completely torn from the side of one house and thrown towards the other side of the street. The roof of a carport was caved in, with bricks toppled onto the road and windows of the home smashed. State Emergency Service crews were seen at the home doing their best to secure what they could. A strong wind warning was in place on Wednesday night for the Perth coast. The trail of destruction left by a 'freak' tornado on Wednesday, Swanbourne had experienced 20.2mm of rain since 9am on Wednesday, with a wind gust of 50km/h recorded just before 4pm. Meanwhile, wind gusts of 76km/h were recorded at Rottnest Island and 73km/h at Garden Island. Main Roads WA was warning motorists to take care on Wednesday evening, with the Causeway flooded after Adelaide Terrace in the city. The Weather Bureau is forecasting a maximum temperature of just 14C in Perth on Thursday, with a chance of a thunderstorm near the coast in the early morning. Last year, a tornado caused major damage to dozens of homes when it tore through Bunbury.
CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
$100,000 home equity loan vs. $100,000 personal loan: Which is cheaper this July?
When you need to borrow a substantial sum of money, like $100,000, the financing options available to you can dramatically impact your wallet over both the short- and long-term. After all, the interest rate you secure on a loan today will determine what you pay for interest charges on your future payments. In this inflationary environment, though, borrowing costs are elevated across the board, so it can be tough to find an affordable option. For example, the average credit card rate is sitting at nearly 22%, so if you're borrowing without paying off the balance in full each month, you may find yourself saddled with more debt than you can afford. If you're a homeowner who needs to borrow money, however, there may be an attractive path to low-cost borrowing via a home equity loan. These types of loans allow you to borrow against the equity you've built in your home, and they have become an increasingly popular option in today's borrowing landscape, as borrowers can use them to access large amounts of money at an affordable rate. The funds can also be used for nearly any purpose. That makes them a good alternative to personal loans, which also come with lower-than-average rates in today's landscape. But if you're borrowing $100,000, is a personal loan or a home equity loan the more affordable option? Below, we'll break down the numbers to see which option truly comes out ahead this July. Find out how affordable your home equity borrowing options could be here. In general, rates on both home equity loans and personal loans are fixed. That means the rate you lock in when you take out the loan is the rate of interest you'll pay over the life of the loan unless you choose to refinance in the future. That can be a big benefit in an uncertain rate environment, like the one we're facing today, as your borrowing costs won't be impacted if rates climb in the future. And, right now, home equity loans come with fixed average rates ranging from 8.28% to 8.43%, depending on the loan term length. On the other hand, the average personal loan rate is currently 12.65%. Here's how the costs of a $100,000 loan would compare between the two if you were to borrow at today's average rates: The monthly savings alone tell a compelling story. Even with the shortest-term home equity loan, you'd save about $216 every month compared to a personal loan, which tallies up to nearly $2,600 per year. Over the full five-year term, you'd save almost $13,000 in total interest by choosing the home equity route. Were you to opt for a 10-year home equity loan route, you would save about $236 each month compared to a personal loan with the same loan term. That equates to annual savings of about $2,832 each year. Over the full loan term, your savings would be over $28,000. But the real eye-opener comes when you consider longer repayment terms. Opting for a 15-year home equity loan over a 15-year personal loan would allow you to save about $265 each month. That equates to annual savings of about $3,180 each year — and a total savings of about $47,700 over the 15-year loan term. Compare your home equity borrowing options and lock in a rate today. For homeowners with adequate home equity, the choice between a $100,000 home equity loan and a $100,000 personal loan is financially straightforward: The home equity option delivers substantial savings both monthly and over the life of the loan. However, the decision between these two loan options involves more than just numbers. You should also consider whether you're comfortable with the risks that come with using your home as collateral as well as your need for flexible repayment terms and whether you meet the borrowing requirements for each option. If you're confident in your ability to repay and want to minimize borrowing costs, though, the home equity loan represents a clear winner in today's rate environment.
The Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Sun
My retired neighbour's tree has grown under our walls & through the ceiling – I've tried cutting it but it's relentless
A FRUSTRATED homeowner has revealed that his retired neighbour's tree is so big, it has grown under his walls and through his ceiling. Not only is it huge and overgrown, but it appears that despite trying to cut the vines back, there has been no success. 2 2 Unsure on what to do, the anonymous man, who is from the United States, took to social media, desperate for advice. Posting on Reddit, on the r/landscaping thread, the irritated man shared snaps of his neighbour 's huge tree, that is invading not only his garden, but now his home too. Furious with the situation, the man titled his post 'My neighbour's yard is causing major problems. Best thing to do?' He then got candid on the situation and explained: 'So our neighbour is an old retired veteran. He's renting the home. He doesn't own the house. We don't have the owner's contact info. 'The main problem is the tree and its canopy of vines and branches that drape over their shed, which is placed way too close to our house. 'Another tree is also sandwiched between the shed and the back of our house. 'It's so tall and overgrown. A tree growing in between the shed and our house had large branches that grew over the roof.' The man explained that he previously got up on his roof with an electric saw, eager to remove the branches. He added: 'The insurance company said we needed the branches off, or they'd stop insuring us. 'I am so fed up with this.' Moment mystery 'neighbour from hell' stuffs POO through letterbox & smears paint stripper over cars in 'calculated' plot But that's not all, as he also shared that last year, he went in between the shed and the house and clipped 'a ton of shrubbery and foliage.' He stressed: 'I cleared it the best I can, but the problem is relentless and will always continue as long as this canopy continues to drape over that shed with the damned tree growing into the side of our house next to it. We don't want beef with the homeowner, but I am fed up with this Reddit poster 'They grow insanely fast. It's a ton of work, just for it to spring right back up. 'The canopy of vines drapes from over the shed, above our fence, and spreads all over the fence in the backyard.' And that's not the worst of it, as he then shared: 'It is devouring an area in the back yard as it drapes over the sunroom. 'It's gotten so bad that roots and vines from the tree have grown through the walls from underneath, and they can be seen in the ceiling FROM INDOORS IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM.' Unsure on how to proceed, he expressed: 'I am thinking about reporting this to the city. What would you do in this situation? 'We don't want beef with the homeowner, but I am fed up with this. 'This problem could be gone forever if they would have a giant tree removed, and get rid of the shed too. 'We would be able to remove the tree and then we wouldn't have to worry about a jungle canopy draping into our yard from their stupid shed.' Reddit users react Reddit users were left stunned by the man's post and eagerly raced to the comments to share their advice on how to proceed. One person said: 'Call the city, if they rent, that's on the owner.' Another added: 'This should be on the homeowner not the renter…Call him and work to have him clean his property. Best of luck.' Whilst a third commented: 'Report it to code enforcement. This qualifies as overgrown vegetation. The inspector will come out, take photos and inform the owner of the issue.' However, at the same time, many urged the user to 'help' his neighbour, as one penned: 'He's old, retired, a veteran. Just a suggestion. Why don't you give him a hand? 'He's your neighbour and it looks like he could use some help. Try not to make his life any harder than it already is.' A second agreed: 'I would ask if he needs help.' Meanwhile, someone else recommended: 'Just knock on the door, take a step back, so they know you mean no harm, introduce yourself, and ask if you can offer a hand with the yardwork. Do it little by little, until it's good to go. Rome wasn't built in a day.'
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Eagle family roosts at Mineville, N.S., woman's backyard
Nova Scotia News Eagle family roosts at Mineville, N.S., woman's backyard A Nova Scotia homeowner welcomes a family of bald eagles every year – as they nest on her roof.
