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Billboard House Advertises a Way Out of the Housing Crisis

Kent Zelas — 2012-02-13T15:15:00 00:00

Scott Hostetler didn't bother to tell his family that he'd applied online to have their house in Buena Park, Calif., turned into an advertising billboard for the price of their monthly mortgage payment. He figured that it was like taking a chance on the lottery -- and who ever expects to win the lottery? Then, about three weeks ago, he got the call from Romeo Mendoza, head of the advertising company that made the offer, Brainiacs From Mars.

Mendoza delivered the shocking news: The Hostetlers' home had been selected out of some 38,000 applications to be the first to be branded with a very special custom paint job, a deal that would cover the monthly mortgage payment of $2,000 for at least three months and perhaps up to a year -- depending on when either the homeowners or the ad company wants to end the contract. At the end of that time, the company promised to restore the home's exterior to its original appearance.

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Until then, though, it would display the bright orange and green colors of Brainiacs From Mars (formerly known as Adzookie). The company signage in the photo above is just temporary; while Buena Park is OK with the paint job, city zoning laws prohibit permanent advertising signs on residences.

Hostetler and his wife, both of whom are deaf, have lived in the home for about 18 years. They both work for Goodwill Industries -- he's an information technology manager and she's a rehabilitation counselor. Their 17-year-old daughter (pictured with her parents) lives at home; they also have a son who is a freshman at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

The Hostetlers say that they plan to use the extra money sent directly to them monthly from Brainiacs to pay down some bills, replace Scott's old Chevrolet Suburban, and maybe go on vacation.

Getting Help Into the Hands of the People Who Need It Most

The idea for the Billboard House came to Mendoza, the company's chief executive, as he picked up his 7-year-old from school. Every day they would pass a sign that advertised a bank-owned property. And when he visited his mother in Las Vegas, there were areas so hard hit by the housing crisis that, he says, they seemed to him like ghost towns. Government can only do so much, he says, while corporations have the money, and this seemed to him like a promising way to get some of that into the hands of people who needed it the most.

While Mendoza figures that about 10 percent of those who applied to have homes turned into billboards "wanted to have a good time" with it and were attracted to the novelty, he insists that "we're here to help the homeowners." Applications "have come from literally everywhere," he says, though he has noticed a higher amount from the "foreclosure states" -- Florida, Nevada, and California. Applications have also come from Japan, Spain, Russia, the Czech Republic and many other countries. One city councilman reportedly invited Brainiacs From Mars to paint an entire row of homes in his town.

The advertising company has plans for 100 such homes, Mendoza says, but a goal of 1,000 if they can attract the advertisers. In areas like Buena Park that prohibit advertising signage, they'll stick to the brand's colors, but where community zoning allows more, signs would go on the homes.

What Will the Neighbors Think?

While there is no set of particular qualities that Brainiacs is looking for in a homeowner, Mendoza says the Hostetlers are the kind of close-knit family that "felt right" to help debut the promotion. As for official requirements, the applicants must own the home, and local zoning laws must allow the paint job. Selected homeowners also have to be prepared for neighbors' reactions.

You might think the company would be looking for homes in high-traffic areas, but the Hostetlers' 1960s house is inside a quiet development of tract houses, at least a block away from main streets and within view of a neighborhood park. You might get a glimpse of the back of the home from nearby Knott's Berry Farm, though, as you prepare to plunge from the top of its Xcelerator or another towering thrill ride. The house is practically in the shadow of the amusement park, one of Southern California's top tourist attractions, whose roller coasters serve as a backdrop for the neighborhood.

After its official unveiling today, the house could become its own neighborhood attraction -- along the lines of a elaborate Christmas display, the Hostetlers say. While AOL Real Estate was there on Sunday, members of a motorcycle club that was gathered at a house across the street were taking pictures, and a quartet of teens on skateboards stopped to take a look.

As for the neighbors, they found out last week, on the first day of painting, when Brainiacs From Mars went door-to-door to the closest houses to explain why the olive green and chocolate brown color scheme that the Hostetlers say had earned them compliments and admiring inquiries was dramatically changing. The neighbors were shocked at first, the Hostetlers say, but "that went away, and now they understand." One neighbor even wanted to have his house turned into a billboard, too. Though another walked by and said, "Your house was so pretty before. What did you do to it?"

Vivian Largent, who lives across the street and a few doors down, says that she thinks the new paint is fine as long as it's temporary. She would have some concerns about property values if it stayed up for the long term, though.

Largent said that she knows people who could really use some help on their mortgage right now, and had asked Brainiacs how those she knows could apply. (You can find the application on the Brainiacs website.)

She also wondered why the advertising sign that the roofers has posted in her front yard, as they'd worked on her home, was allowed, while the signage that Brainiacs From Mars attached to the Hostetlers house for media photographs had to be taken down.

Before:

After:

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the college that Scott and Elizabeth Hotstetlers' son attends.

Also see:
How the Foreclosure Settlement Could Affect You
Home Swap: Exchange More Than Affection on Valentine's Day

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Messy Yard Brings Jail Time for SC Woman, Then Help

Kent Zelas — 2012-01-13T13:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News

A financially struggling South Carolina woman served six days in jail for having a cluttered yard, then returned to her home Thursday to find several volunteers working to help bring her property up to code and some offering to help save her house from foreclosure.

Linda Ruggles, 53, of Mount Pleasant, was released from Charleston County jail not knowing what she would do about the "clean lot violation" that put her behind bars and, The Post and Courier newspaper reports, still needing funds to avoid foreclosure on her home of 15 years.

The photographer had sold her blood and even volunteered for medical experiments to get money to keep her home, the newspaper said, but ended up in jail after being unable to pay the $480 that she was fined. Ruggles' photography business fell victim to the recession and she incurred the fine in December after neighbors complained about her yard. The clutter on her property includes shingles that she was about to use to fix her home's roof, when the economy collapsed, and scrap metal that she collected to sell.

After the story of her sentence appeared in the media, several people called the newspaper offering help, including landscapers who started working on the property Thursday and a contractor who said that he would repair her roof for free. Others reportedly are looking to help her financially.

"I'm really overwhelmed," Ruggles told the newspaper. "I'm so thankful and appreciative people want to help."

The town has said that it had made efforts for a year to work with Ruggles to avoid jail, including an offer by Mount Pleasant's police chief to find youths to help clear the property.

Ruggles continues to hold a part-time job at a supermarket, where she has returned to work.

Also see:
80 Cent 'Typo' Almost Cost Man Home
103-Year-Old Who Faced Eviction Gets New Lease on Life
Most Controversial HOA Moves of the Year

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2011 in Real Estate: The Top 11 News Stories

Kent Zelas — 2011-12-26T09:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News,Economy

It seemed like a race to the bottom this year: Along with continued declines in property values, every season seemed to see another record low in interest rates -- though fewer-than-expected buyers were inclined to take advantage. Also on the way down or stuck in the cellar: the number of Americans who expected to buy their own home and their chances of qualifying to own one -- though some scaled down their aspirations by looking into building smaller, more economical houses.

But perhaps the most significant decline came in the realization of the American dream. U.S. Census figures put the rate of homeownship at its lowest level since the Great Depression -- 65.1 percent, with some analysts saying that the U.S. might never return to its mid-decade housing boom peak, when about 70 percent of occupied households were owned by their residents.

And though some analysts were still predicting even lower housing prices, and still more foreclosures, there were hopeful signs. A rise in home construction inspired more optimism among homebuilders. And some of the cities that have suffered most during the housing crisis finally saw significant movement in their real estate markets.

(Pictured above: An eviction team removes a family's possessions from a foreclosed home in Longmont, Colo., in September.)

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Also see:
Celebrity Real Estate Trends of 2011
Most Controversial HOA Moves of the Year
Homes Lose $700 Billion in Value in 2011, Report Says

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Enter to Win a Job Search Makeover

Kent Zelas — 2011-09-26T16:40:00 00:00

Filed under: Economy

Job searching is a job in itself, so let us help. Tell us your story for a chance to win professional resume help and a new laptop.

Prizes will be decided by popular vote and AOL Jobs editors, so be sure your story is honest and true to you.

Story submissions must be in by Oct. 2, 2011.

Voting will take place Oct. 3-7.

The winner will be announced on Monday, Oct. 10.

Good Luck!

-- Enter to Win

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Halloween Pet Parade Puts on the Dog for Charity

Kent Zelas — 2010-10-21T15:47:00 00:00

Filed under: News,Buying

The story of what's likely the world's largest pet-centric Halloween parade -- and an unlikely charity event -- starts with a lonely dog and his sociable owner.

About a decade ago, Justin Rudd of Long Beach, Calif. thought his English bulldog, Rosie, could use canine companionship. So he started an informal, weekly "yappy hour" among acquaintances. The dogs could romp and sniff, and the owners could "talk dog stuff," Rudd says. The group met at a small park in Long Beach's Belmont Shore neighborhood, a beachside community of about 8,000 (in a city of half a million) who reside in mostly single-family homes and small apartment buildings.

It didn't take long for the social circle to grow, and for "yappy hour" to customarily end with the group of dogs and their escorts strolling together along the neighborhood's main drag, Second Street. Patrons of the shops, pubs and restaurants on Second came out to watch the procession -- and at that point, Rudd says, "you've pretty much got a parade."

The idea of costuming the dogs began one Easter. Rudd, a beauty-contest coach who has been a renter in the Shore for 14 years, was inspired by the annual fashion parade down New York's Fifth Avenue. "It was just an informal thing: 'Let's do something like that, but with dogs,' " Rudd says. Then he added a community-minded twist: Using the event to raise money for local pet-shelter and K-9 programs.

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He expected 50 participants. But 150 turned out. The event's success led to another costume parade that fall, for Halloween. Since then, the group has continued to build community and raise charity funds with dozens of events, only some of which involve dogs. "It's a great time to celebrate animals," Rudd says of the pet event, "and celebrate the connections with them."

Ten years later, the "Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade & Pet Adoption Fair" draws as many as 700 contestants annually, some from as far away as Las Vegas, he says, and has become more elaborate in its costuming and presentation -- including pet-scale floats. Not strictly for canines, competitors have included cats, ducks and a pot-bellied pig. As a fund-raiser, its revenues from entry fees brings thousands of dollars to charities, Rudd says, including $32,000 to local spay-and-neutering programs in the past two years alone.

While Howl'oween draws the most attention, it's only one of scores of events organized by the 41-year-old Rudd and his non-profit Community Action Team in the Belmont Shore area. One monthly event, the "30-Minute Beach Cleanup," sometimes brings out as many as 400 volunteers on a weekend to help comb the beach of debris. (Long Beach sits at the mouths of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers, so it's plagued by the garbage that washes out of what are essentially gigantic storm drains.)

Rudd and Rosie's influence includes the apartment building where Rudd has lived for eight years. The policy at his fourplex was "no pets" before he moved in, but Rudd says that once his landlord got to know Rosie, the policy was waived. And now everyone in the building is allowed a pet.

Not the least of Rudd's accomplishments was helping establish Los Angeles County's only dog beach, when he felt that Rosie and other dogs in the area needed a place to run and play in the surf, leash-free. Though the idea was met with some resistance, and was initially adopted on a trial basis, after nine years it looks as if it's here to stay.

After Rosie died at age 12 early this year, the Long Beach City Council voted to name the three-acre stretch of shore after her. It's now called Rosie's Dog Beach.

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Home Insulation: More Federal Funds, More Controversy

Kent Zelas — 2010-08-30T14:20:00 00:00

Filed under: News

As Vice President Biden was touting the accomplishments of the Recovery Act last week in making 200,000 low income homes energy efficient, Republicans were pointing out that the number is far short of the 2 million homes that Biden said would benefit. The job-stimulus part of the Department of Energy program also has been criticized for less-than-airtight management and for not creating the promised number of jobs. However, Biden said that by weatherizing 20,000 to 30,000 homes each month, the program was on track to reach its goal, as it continues to get more people working. Biden's comments followed a DOE announcement in August that 119 organizations across the country will receive nearly $120 million under the DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program, and the DOE included a state-by-state breakdown of homes weatherized as of June. What isn't in dispute is that home insulation can be a cost-saver over the long haul, even if you don't qualify for a grant or subsidy. For more on buttoning up before winter, see these AOL Real Estate guides:

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Solar Energy Plan Lights Up Southern California City

Kent Zelas — 2010-07-16T12:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News,Lifestyle

A Southern California city is offering homeowners what its mayor calls "a landmark opportunity" to get affordable solar energy. Is this a tipping point for the implementation of solar power?

This week the Lancaster City Council unanimously passed a plan to partner with a solar energy company in offering residents a program to lease solar panels -- with the guarantee that homeowners will save on their monthly electric bills. The company, SolarCity, is a Northern California-based enterprise that's already worked with Beaverton, Ore., and Phoenix on similar plans. What's unique about the Lancaster program SolarCity spokesman Jonathan Bass told HousingWatch, is the scope of the project.

Aside from a conversion of city-owned buildings (which is expected to save the city money over the long term), Bass says that Lancaster's renewable energy program will include businesses, nonprofits and average homeowners. (Pictured is a recent SolarCity installation at a Lancaster assisted-living complex.) In this high desert community in northeastern Los Angeles County, where heating and cooling needs can be as lofty as the elevation, the average homeowner can be confronted with triple-digit electric bills.

Although the solar panels are available for purchase to anyone, Lancaster residents must own their own homes and have credit ratings above 700 to qualify for the program's solar-lease option. After evaluating the viability of installing a system on the roof of a Lancaster home, Bass says, the company will handle all the permitting and other processing necessary and guarantee that customers will save on the cost of their electric power -- even with the additional cost of the solar lease -- or SolarCity will make up the difference.

For a three- or four-bedroom home with an average of $200 a month in electric bills, Bass said, the savings could be hundreds a year. Although the cost of the lease for a home of that size is not cheap at $110 a month, the monthly electric bill is expected to be only around $60. And Bass says that the efficiency of SolarCity's units is averaging about 10 percent more than the company projected.

"The nice thing about this program is that it requires no public funds," says Bass, aside from what the city is spending to install solar systems on its facilities.

Helping keep the cost down, however, are tax credits and rebates for renewable energy systems. For instance, there's a 30 percent federal tax credit for a solar installation, says Bass. A homeowner or a business can earn those by buying a system outright. In a lease arrangement, however, those credits go to the installer.

Lancaster's solar-conversion partnership is also designed to bolster the local economy by providing jobs and training in what's hoped to be a growth industry in the city of nearly 146,000, which is about a 70-mile drive from downtown L.A., in the Antelope Valley. Training could include classes at local high schools and colleges, Bass said, in a curriculum that SolarCity would assist in planning, and with the idea that graduates will have the opportunity to work at the company. (Bass said that SolarCity doesn't outsource.)

Aside from Tuesday's council vote in Lancaster, it was also the day that the city trumpeted the debut of a energy-efficient model house built there by KB Home. Aside from solar panels, energy storage batteries, LED lighting and an electric vehicle outlet, it has what USA Today called a "smog-eating roof" -- its "tiles have an embedded catalyst that when exposed to sunlight, speeds up oxidation and reduces the nitrogen oxide pollution that creates smog."

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a statement that "we will all benefit from this program, which will help reduce our carbon footprint while creating a number of new jobs in our community."

There's no question that this kind of renewal, along with renewable energy, is needed in Lancaster and other of L.A.'s air-conditioned exurbs. Those were founded on the practicality of long freeway commutes, and those are where the Southern California version of the housing crash arguably hit hardest.

Of course, the larger conundrum is whether such local renewable energy programs are sustainable in other regions of the country, as well.

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Moving In: Moving Day Disasters and How to Avoid Them

Kent Zelas — 2010-07-14T14:58:00 00:00

Filed under: How To

Thousands of homebuyers across the U.S. are moving in to new homes this summer, thanks to the homebuyer tax credit. After the gantlet of contracts, credit checks, offers, counteroffers, inspections and title searches, the journey should be exciting and fun.

For your life's possessions, though, it's not about the journey -- it's about the destination and getting there without a moving-day disaster.

About 12 years ago some friends of mine were ready to move into a house they'd bought in L.A. after returning there from Virginia. An employer already had arranged to have their furniture trucked across country and put in storage, while they'd shopped for a place. A local moving company had just finished the last leg of the job, they thought, when they got a call from the California Highway Patrol. There was a mattress on the side of the freeway with their name on it. The CHP wanted to know what to do with it.

You don't have to surf very far on the net to find similar disaster stories, and worse.
Much, much worse. Like the story of the over-height truck and the low bridge.

Moving is always a nightmare, says Laurie Manny, a real estate agent in Long Beach, Calif., because people moving into a new home are so frazzled by that stage. It's a nightmare that she says she's experienced a few times herself.

And you thought the sleepless nights ended after escrow closed.

Disaster No. 1: There are no trucks available.

The final days of June, July and August are the busiest times of the year for movers and van-rental companies. And summer is the busiest time, period. So plan for it as far in advance as you can. If you can move off-season or at the beginning or middle of the month, you probably will have better luck reserving a truck, and you might save money, too.

Disaster No. 2: It turns out my cousins didn't want the bedroom set after all.

You think you've made a deal on some furniture, but it falls through. Or you expected to sell a lot more at your garage sale. The mover's estimate was made on the amount of possessions that you thought you were going to move to begin with, now there might not be any more room on the truck -- or it will cost you more.

Disaster No. 3: I didn't know we had this much stuff!

How difficult is it to pack? Maybe not so much if you have enough time and know how to do it properly. A lot of do-it-yourselfers underestimate the task, and will still be packing boxes when the moving truck pulls up. The driver might have to pitch in. This could cost you more in time and money, especially if improperly packed possessions are damaged in the rush.

Disaster No. 4: I'm not finding a parking space.

State and municipal codes vary, but you should pick a moving company that's somewhat familiar with the area, and that's able to arrange a place to park its van close to your new property. Check with the mover to make sure.

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If you're doing the move yourself, especially in a neighborhood where parking is at a premium, call your community's transportation department for the rules. You might need to buy a permit to reserve parking on the street. And do this several days in advance. The gears can grind slowly at City Hall, especially in this era of budget cutbacks.

If moving into an apartment or condo, you should talk to management about how to bring furnishings in and if you need to reserve a freight elevator.

Disaster No. 5: Honey, do you have the keys from the real estate agent?

A reputable moving company probably will give you at least a couple of hours to resolve this kind of snafu before having to charge more. But that truck might soon be needed elsewhere, too.

The worst case scenario is when a house deal falls through at the last minute, then your possessions might have to go back where they came from or into storage.

As for my friends' mattress? Their movers were unfazed when called about the CHP's find. Yeah, sure, they'd pick it up and drop it off at my friends' house that night. As if instigating a SigAlert was all in a day's work.

When my friends got to their new home, it still wasn't there. But there was a note from their new neighbors down the street (whom they hadn't yet met):

"Could you please come get your mattress?"

Disaster No. 6: Gee, I thought the weatherman said it would be clear today.

Water damage is one of the worst things that can happen to wood furniture or anything covered in fabric, like a couch, or stuffed with batting. And it can ruin electronics as well. To prepare:

Have tarpaulins handy to cover them, or plastic sheeting. Even blankets can work in the short run.Park the truck as close to an entrance as possible.
If you can enter through a garage or carport, that might help, especially if you can use it as a staging area to quickly unload the truck before a storm reaches full force.
To prevent muddying your new floors, put down tarps, old towels, area rugs, runners, or even unroll some heavy landscaping cloth inside the house, making sure these won't slip.
Make sure there's a good doormat at the entrance -- probably smart no matter the weather.

Aside from damaging your possessions, wet weather can of course slow delivery. You should hope that your driver errs on the side of safety, so weather and traffic may cause delays, especially over long distances. But the mover should stay in touch with you to let you know a load's progress and when a problem arises. This is why the expected time of arrival can stretch over a few days.

Disaster No. 7: No, I don't think that couch was already missing its cushions when you guys came to pick it up.

Realtor Laurie Manny of Long Beach, Calif. remembers a dispute that she had with a mover about a damaged piece of furniture. The mover insisted that a mirror attached to it had already been broken when they picked it up at her storage unit. Going to the scene she found shards of mirror where they had loaded her furniture on the truck, suggesting otherwise.

The mover refused to take responsibility. The mirror was irreplaceable, and she ended up having to junk the piece. To avoid this kind of dispute:

The mover should make a thorough inventory before loading, including a condition report that the customer checks and signs off on. The customer should then again thoroughly check the condition of the furnishings when the move is completed before signing the receipt.
Typically, the moving company carrier also offers insurance. And they will offer the customer several options. Manny says to use the most reputable company you can find and make sure to get a certificate of insurance from the company so that you know they are insured and what's covered.
Your homeowners policy still might apply for theft, fire, flood or other occurrences -- but not against damage in transit. Ask your insurance agent if you can get a rider on your policy that would cover this.
Certain credit cards might cover damaged items, if they were purchased recently enough.

Disaster No. 8: What's this charge for?

The driver says, sorry, the load weighs much more than estimated, so it's going to cost you more. You don't want to pay? It'll go into storage until you do pay more, along with storage charges.

Watch out for scams. SmartMoney described one like this and several others in its article, "10 Things Moving Companies Won't Say."

A quote that a customer gets from a salesman might not include taxes and other legitimate add-on costs. So ask about additional charges and get a thorough estimate in writing at the outset, so there are no surprises later.

The federal government has a website with resources on moving companies, including complaint histories, and explains how recent changes in the law can protect customers from unscrupulous practices.

Disaster No. 9: When's the last time anyone saw Fluffy?

Secure or relocate your small children and pets away from the job, and not just because something could bump or fall on them.

If it spends most of its waking hours protecting your home, your dog might react badly to those strangers rolling up the carpet. It can even make happy-go-lucky dogs nervous.
Cats especially might find a moving-van's interiors enticing, with its maze of furnishings and boxes to climb and explore.
Warn the neighbors, too. (Once, when I was introducing myself to new arrivals in the neighborhood, I turned away from my preschooler for a second and he was halfway up the ramp of their moving van.)

If Fluffy does go missing, and the movers are on the road in the middle of the country, you can hope that they will open the door and listen for a cat crying and try to get it out of there. If there are no obvious signs that it's there at all -- well, that can be a lot of stuff to unload and reload for nothing.

There are two things that those I spoke to seem to agree on, but they also might top the list of things-easier-to-say-than-do, especially if you've been focused on buying a home. They are:

Give yourself as much advance time as you can to plan and prepare, especially if you're doing it yourself. Major moving companies have a lot of useful information on their websites, even for do-it-yourselfers. You'll also find blogs and books on the subject.
Use the most well-recommended company that you can find. This might require some research online and especially through the network of people you know. Your real estate agent might be good to start with, along with your insurance agent.

Happy moving!

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.

************************************************

Want to learn more about home buying and home finance? If so, you won't want to miss
our online discussion with industry experts,
"What Works Now: Smart Moves When Buying a Home,"
created by AOL Real Estate in participation with Bank of America Home Loans.
Watch it now on AOL Real Estate.

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Moving In: Moving Day Disasters and How to Avoid Them, Part 2

Kent Zelas — 2010-07-02T10:45:00 00:00

Filed under: News

Thanks to the homebuyer tax credit, the long holiday weekend will likely be one of the busiest times to move, in the busiest moving season of the year. And what better way to celebrate July Fourth than by fulfilling the American Dream of moving into your own home?

First, though, you need to make sure you get your stuff there.

Yesterday we introduced a list of five moving day disasters with a tale about a slipshod crew that dumped a mattress on L.A.'s Harbor Freeway. But try to break the conversational ice at a backyard barbecue with your own story of a moving day mishap and two other people might jump in with their own before you even get to the punchline. (Having occasionally worked as a mover myself during college, I also can tell you that they might have some stories of their own to tell about customers. And not necessarily about what big tippers they are.)

If you'll be packing up the grill this weekend instead of cooking on it, here are four more common moving day disasters to watch out for -- and if you already have enough conversation-starters, some ways to avoid them.

Disaster No. 6: Gee, I thought the weatherman said it would be clear today.

Water damage is one of the worst things that can happen to wood furniture or anything covered in fabric, like a couch, or stuffed with batting. And it can ruin electronics as well. To prepare:

Have tarpaulins handy to cover them, or plastic sheeting. Even blankets can work in the short run.Park the truck as close to an entrance as possible.
If you can enter through a garage or carport, that might help, especially if you can use it as a staging area to quickly unload the truck before a storm reaches full force.
To prevent muddying your new floors, put down tarps, old towels, area rugs, runners, or even unroll some heavy landscaping cloth inside the house, making sure these won't slip.
Make sure there's a good doormat at the entrance -- probably smart no matter the weather.

Disaster No. 7: No, I don't think that couch was already missing its cushions when you guys came to pick it up.

Realtor Laurie Manny of Long Beach, Calif. remembers a dispute that she had with a mover about a damaged piece of furniture. The mover insisted that a mirror attached to it had already been broken when they picked it up at her storage unit. Going to the scene she found shards of mirror where they had loaded her furniture on the truck, suggesting otherwise.

The mover refused to take responsibility. The mirror was irreplaceable, and she ended up having to junk the piece. To avoid this kind of dispute:

The mover should should make a thorough inventory before loading, including a condition report that the customer checks and signs off on. The customer should then again thoroughly check the condition of the furnishings when the move is completed before signing the receipt.
Typically, the moving company carrier also offers insurance. And they will offer the customer several options. Manny says to use the most reputable company you can find and make sure to get a certificate of insurance from the company so that you know they are insured and what's covered.
Your homeowners policy still might apply for theft, fire, flood or other occurrences -- but not against damage in transit. Ask your insurance agent if you can get a rider on your policy that would cover this.
Certain credit cards might cover damaged items, if they were purchased recently enough.

Disaster No. 8: What's this charge for?

The driver says, sorry, the load weighs much more than estimated, so it's going to cost you more. You don't want to pay? It'll go into storage until you do pay more, along with storage charges.

Watch out for scams. SmartMoney described one like this and several others in its article, "10 Things Moving Companies Won't Say."

A quote that a customer gets from a salesman might not include taxes and other legitimate add-on costs. So ask about additional charges and get a thorough estimate in writing at the outset, so there are no surprises later.

The federal government has a website with resources on moving companies, including complaint histories, and explains how recent changes in the law can protect customers from unscrupulous practices.

Disaster No. 9: When's the last time anyone saw Fluffy?

Secure or relocate your small children and pets away from the job, and not just because something could bump or fall on them.

If it spends most of its waking hours protecting your home, your dog might react badly to those strangers rolling up the carpet. It can even make happy-go-lucky dogs nervous.
Cats especially might find a moving-van's interiors enticing, with its maze of furnishings and boxes to climb and explore.
Warn the neighbors, too. (Once, when I was introducing myself to new arrivals in the neighborhood, I turned away from my preschooler for a second and he was halfway up the ramp of their moving van.)

Give yourself as much advance time as you can to plan and prepare, especially if you're doing it yourself. Major moving companies have a lot of useful information on their websites, even for do-it-yourselfers. You'll also find blogs and books on the subject.
Use the most well-recommended company that you can find. This might require some research online and especially through the network of people you know. Your real estate agent might be good to start with, along with your insurance agent.

You might be entrusting total strangers with all your worldly possessions, so how much effort is it worth not to lose them -- or not find them along the Harbor Freeway?

Also at AOL Real Estate:
See homes for sale in Los Angeles.
First-time buyer? See our First-Time Buyer guide.
See how to calculate mortgage payments.
Decide whether to rent or buy.

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