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Fire sprinklers have been used in the protection of many business establishments. But lately these fire protection systems have also gained popularity among home builders and home buyers alike. So what leads people to install fire sprinklers in their residences even if they have already installed smoke alarms? It is because smoke alarms merely alert occupants to a spreading fire in the house, but these devices cannot suppress it. Fire sprinklers on the other hand have proven to be very effective in controlling a fire and protecting people from its associated dangers.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were about 396,000 residential fires during 2005 in the United States. These fires had caused 3,055 civilian fire fatalities, 13,825 civilian fire physical injuries, and $6.9 billion in property losses.

Studies conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s United States Fire Administration show that thousands of lives could have been saved if residential fire sprinklers had been installed in those burned homes. The installation of a fire sprinkler system could have also prevented most of the fire related injuries and substantially reduced property damage.

Residential fire sprinklers are therefore very beneficial to both people’s lives and properties. The advantages of these fire protection systems are further detailed below:

Quick response

The Underwriters Laboratories (UL) lists the latest available residential fire sprinklers. It features fire sprinkler heads with a quick response time that is faster than that of the standard commercial and industrial sprinklers. Due to their enhanced trigger mechanism, early suppression fast response (ESFR) residential fire sprinklers automatically activate quickly to control the fire before it can gain momentum.

Affordable cost

The current average cost for residential fire sprinklers is approximately $1.00 to $1.50 per square foot in the construction of new homes. This cost is expected to go down as home fire sprinklers get more popular and demand increases. Existing homes can also install a fire sprinkler system, but the cost is typically higher since the home has already been constructed.

Small size

Residential fire sprinklers are relatively smaller than the conventional commercial and industrial versions of these devices. Home fire sprinkler systems can also be inconspicuously installed and can be aesthetically coordinated with the color scheme of your home interiors.

Nominal installation work

During the construction of a new house or renovation of an existing one, installation of a residential fire sprinkler system will necessitate only a minimal amount of piping and labor since access to the walls, ceilings and attics is easily obtained.

Minimal water requirement

Residential fire sprinklers need less water than fire sprinkler systems designed for commercial and industrial buildings. Typically a residential fire sprinkler system can be linked to your home’s main water supply.

Less costly piping requirements

The use of plastic PVC pipes has considerably lowered the piping costs. Plastic pipes are also more advantageous than metal pipes because they do not have rusting or threading problems typically associated with metal.

Individual sprinkler activation

The activation of the fire sprinklers is on an individual basis. This means that if the fire is in the kitchen, the nearest sprinkler will be the only one to activate and contain the fire in that area. Thus, water requirements and water-related property damage are both minimized.

Discounted insurance cost

Depending on the coverage type, underwriters offer discounts of about 5 to 15 % in home insurance premium to homeowners who have fires sprinkler systems installed. These values are even expected to increase in the future.

Residential fire sprinkler systems indeed offer an inexpensive, low maintenance, and inconspicuous option of fire protection. And on top of those advantages is the proven reliability of these devices in protecting your property and family from the hazards of fire. For the minimal cost of having a fire sprinkler system installed in your home, you can potentially increase the value of your property, gain discounts in your insurance premiums, and protect your family and possessions. A fire sprinkler system installed in your home is certainly a valuable investment that will become priceless should you have a fire in your home.



By: Ryan J. Smith

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There are many reasons people turn to commercial property listings to find great investment properties. However, is it the right decision for your individual circumstances? The answer is not always so cut and dried. There are quite a few potential benefits to seeking the help of others as you make your investments.

Realtors vs. Commercial Property Listings

You may think it will save you money to pour through various publications that list commercial real estate and/or properties week after week in search of the perfect property for your investment. This isn’t the case though most of the time. Time is money after all and you can save yourself a lot of time sifting through properties that don’t meet your standards by going through a Realtor.

Benefits of a Real Estate Professional

There are more benefits to hiring a real estate pro to help you find commercial property listings that meet your needs than you might see at first glance. Some of the benefits that don’t immediately jump out and grab you include the following:

Knowledge of the local marketing. This includes growth trends, downturns, and events occurring in the community that might affect the value of various properties. It’s their business to keep ears to the ground in order to serve you better. Benefit from their hard work.

Understanding of real estate trends. More importantly, they understand how these trends relate to your investment goals. You have your own business. You’ve been trained to do that business and odds are that you’re good at what you do as a result. Commercial property agents have also had training and experience to help them assist you better.

Experience dealing with the local economy and how it relates to the value of property. You probably understand that some parts of the country have properties that generally sell above or below (depending on the market) the estimated value of the property. Did you know that the same holds true in your city or town? There are some neighborhoods where properties are “worth” more than they would be in other neighborhoods. You would do well to work with a real estate professional that understands this well.

Going it alone is like Digging for Treasure without a Map

When it’s your investment future that’s on the line, you’d do well to work with a partner that will help you find the path you’re working towards. Otherwise, you risk leaving money on the table by the time all is said and done with your investment venture. A skilled professional is dedicated to making sure you are poised to receive the greatest potential return on investment or at least shoot straight with you so that you know what you’re getting into.



By: Posey Gaines

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Let’s say you made one of those big no-no credit mistakes. You went out of town on vacation for a week, came back home and realized you totally forgot to pay your credit card bill. It happens all of the time.

Chances are you are okay. The worst thing that may happen is you have to pay a late fee, but more than likely the creditor won’t report your one-time late payment to the credit agencies. Most lenders and creditors will not report bad repayment history until you are 90 days late, and if they do not report it, it does not end up on your credit report. Since your credit score is calculated by the information on your credit report, you’re in the clear.

But what if they do and that late payment ends up on your credit report. Sadly, if you have an otherwise good credit score, this will affect you the most. It could knock 100 points off your credit score – ouch! Late payments by people who already have a crummy credit score won’t get dinged nearly as bad.

This may actually not be entirely true though. The way FICO is calculating credit scores going forward now gives some forgiveness to people who made that one-time mistake, but will further penalize people who have a history of not paying their bills.

The best solution to make sure this does not happen is to set up automated bill paying. That way, no matter what, your bills get paid.

If, however, you have a history of making late payments, you’re in a bit more trouble. You’ll wan to get a copy of your credit report and take some of the steps to increase your credit score, which you can do completely on your own.



By: Ryan

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