May 5, 2016
If you have been looking for a new home to purchase with an FHA mortgage, or if you have recently purchased a home, you may be interested in the latest app from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Healthy Homes app was created to raise awareness of healthy homes issues including mold, asbestos, pest control, carbon monoxide, and more.
According to a press release on the HUD official site, “…this Healthy Homes app offers a convenient tool for users to learn about common health and safety risks in the home. The app provides extensive content in clear, simple language so that users can quickly understand the potential hazards throughout a home. The app also helps residents who live in condominiums, single- family detached homes, townhouses, or in apartment buildings”.
For those purchasing existing construction properties with an FHA mortgage, it’s clear that such an app could help make the buyer more aware of health issues that potentially affect older homes. And while it’s true that some borrowers purchase new construction homes or have housing built to suit, even these properties can develop health hazards over time if the appropriate steps aren’t taken.
There are many potential hazards that can be found in our homes such as mold and lead based paint, said Michelle Miller, Acting Director of the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes who was quoted in the HUD press release. Our new app helps identify these potential problems and offers simple steps that consumers can take to fix them.
When you download the app, you’ll find content addressing healthy home questions including:
–What specific actions should a resident take to keep their home healthy?
–How can users connect healthy homes concepts to their health? For example, what does keeping your home dry have to do with your health?
–What kinds of information do consumers need to help them take action?
How important can this app be for the home owner or house hunter? According to the HUD press release, “Toxins such as lead, asbestos, and household chemicals are detrimental to health in many ways. Invisible poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide and radon also pose serious threats to family health. Since most residents spend 70% or more of their time inside their home, this app was developed to provide tips on how to make and keep homes safe from health hazards”.
Learn more about the app at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.hud.healthyhomesbasics.
Do you work in residential real estate? You should know about the free tool offered by FHA.com. It is designed especially for real estate websites; a widget that displays FHA loan limits for the counties serviced by those sites. It is simple to spend a few seconds customizing the state, counties, and widget size for the tool; you can copy the code and paste it into your website with ease. Get yours today:
http://www.fha.com/fha_loan_limits_widget
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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