Survey Finds Women Enjoy Home Maintenance
According to the results of a nationwide survey released in July, single and married women homeowners alike are actively involved with home maintenance, know a lot about it, and want to know more, particularly about engaging reliable home care professionals. The survey of 603 women homeowners was commissioned by Sears, Roebuck and Company.

The Sears survey - titled "Her Home: How Women Homeowners View Home
Maintenance" - is a follow-up to a study, which found that 85% of women have been, are currently, or expect to be solely responsible for maintaining a home.

Women's interest in home maintenance is not surprising given national trends in home ownership, which show more women are entering the home-buying market than ever before. In fact, Fannie Mae estimates that by 2010, women-headed households will total nearly 31 million - close to 28% of all households in the country.

"From the record numbers of single women buying a first home to divorcees or widows, more and more women are finding themselves responsible for a home," said Georgeann Georges, vice president of Sears' Home Services unit. "The fact is that the vast majority of women are likely to spend years at either end of their adult life as sole caretakers for a home. Given that a woman's home is frequently her most valuable financial asset, women need to arm themselves with the knowledge and tools to keep their homes in good repair."

It is an increasingly important issue for women, particularly with an aging population. Forty-nine percent of the women homeowners 50 and over who were surveyed said they are concerned that they won't be able to keep their homes up in years to come. On average, the women surveyed have owned their current homes for 17 years and have been homeowners for almost 25 years.

Overall, findings from the survey indicate that women clearly enjoy home maintenance:

• 83% of women said working with tools makes them feel independent.
• Three out of five would rather receive an hour of advice from Bob Vila than Dr. Phil.
• 69% of women homeowners consider themselves at least somewhat handy.
• Proficiency in home repair admired twice as much as fashion sense in other women.

Yet, the survey pointed to some issues for women and found a number of areas where women need to learn more or where they are looking for advice and resources. Specifically:

• Women's knowledge, confidence and abilities in home repair lag men's.
• In 44% of married or cohabiting households, the husband/partner is solely responsible for home maintenance.
• While women rely on home care professionals for maintenance, many believe they're being overcharged.
• Women believe good home repair professionals are harder to find than a doctor or financial advisor.

Encouragingly, most of the women homeowners surveyed said it is important for them to learn more about home maintenance and repair. One of the factors driving women's interest in keeping their homes up is the fact that their home is the primary asset for many women homeowners. Forty-one percent of women said the equity in their home is worth more than all their other financial assets combined and another 30% weren't sure which is worth more, underscoring the importance of keeping a home well maintained.

For additional survey results, visit www.searsmedia.com/mediatools/specialreports/women/key_findings.pdf

Marven Gardens Is More Than A Monopoly Property
If you've ever played Monopoly, you may have wondered where some of the property names came from. (Hint: If you live in southern New Jersey, you probably already know the answer.) In recognition of Atlantic City's 150th anniversary this year, the Courier-Post is working its way around the Monopoly board, examining the city street by street.

For instance, one of the game's yellow properties, Marvin Gardens, was named after a 160-acre residential development built in the mid-20s. The developers came up with the name "Marven" (note the "e" in the spelling) by combining "Mar" and "Ven" from the nearby Atlantic City suburbs of "Margate" and "Ventnor" City. Unfortunately, the original spelling has never been corrected on the Monopoly board.

No matter how you spell it, today Marven Gardens is a hot spot in this South Jersey seaside town, with homes reportedly selling the minute they go on the market. According to Renee Winkler, staff writer for the Courier-Post, who spoke to several area real estate agents, homes in need of repairs can sell for as much as $600,000; beachfront homes that just a few years ago would sell for the same are now going for $1.5 million or more. The typical Marven Gardens homes are three story brick, stone and stucco with wraparound decks, giving the subdivision the "essence of an upscale British country village."

Marven Gardens is listed on New Jersey's Register of Historic Places and marked with a sign painted to resemble its Monopoly deed.