Home Repair Grant Funds Available For Dalton Homeowners

Funding for home repair costs is available for low-income homeowners within the City of Dalton through the City of Dalton’s Minor Home Repair Grant Program (MHRG). The program is part of the city’s Community Development Block Grant program and it is paid for by federal grant funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. No city taxpayer funds are used for the program. The deadline for eligible homeowners to apply is Monday, Aug. 19.

The MHRG will provide financial assistance to eligible low-income households in the form of a grant of up to $10,000 to address roofing or gutter repairs. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis. Applications can be obtained at City Hall at 300 Waugh Street at the CDBG office or online at www.cityofdalton-ga.gov (a link to applications can be found on the home page under “News About Town.”

To be eligible for the grant, applicants must:
· Own and live in the home as their principal residence and hold the warranty deed to the property;

· Be US citizens and possess valid identification;

· Not have a gross family income that exceeds 50% of the City of Dalton’s current median family income as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (see attached table);

·  Be current on mortgage payments;

· Be current on the property’s homeowner’s insurance policy payments;

·  Have all city property taxes as well as all state and federal income taxes paid;

· Have no delinquent liens or judgments on the property.

To be eligible, properties must be located within the city limits of Dalton. Properties must be owner-occupied, single family detached housing units (mixed use, non-residential, or multifamily properties are not eligible). Homes must be built after 1978 to be eligible. Heirs’ property (properties without a legally designated owner with ownership divided among descendants of the deceased owner) are not eligible.

For more information on the program, interested parties can contact the City of Dalton’s CDBG program office at 706 529-2470, by email at cdbg@daltonga.gov, or in person in the Finance Office at City Hall at 300 West Waugh Street.

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5 Reasons to Install a New Roof

To increase your home’s resale value: Did you know that a new roof can boost your home’s resale value by nearly $12,000? It can also attract more buyers, allowing you to sell your home faster, thus reducing the amount you will have to pay in marketing and real estate agent fees.

To improve your home’s appearance: There is no doubt that a new roof immediately improves a home’s aesthetic value. There are many options when it comes to new roofing installation materials, and they now come in a variety of different colors and styles.

To get a better warranty: In the past, a standard warranty was around 15 to 20 years. Today, shingled roofs offer warranties up to 50 years.

To take advantage of new roofing technology: Some shingled roofs now have an Energy Star rating. They are designed to reflect solar heat away from the building, thus reducing cooling costs. Updated roofing will save you money in the long run for this reason among others.

To avoid issues during inspection: Experts recommend that you have a roof service inspect your roof once or twice a year. Even if you do not have it done regularly, your house must pass an inspection before it can be sold. Because it is one of the most important features of a house, a roof in need of repair could stop your home from selling.

On average, homeowners will spend between one and four percent of a home’s value annually on all sorts of restoration and improvements, including roofing repair and maintenance. The cost tends to increase as the house ages. For a $200,000 home, that’s at least $2,000 in repairs each year.

Though a standard roof may cost a homeowner between $1,000 and $4,000 to replace by himself, it is recommended that the work is completed by a professional roof service. Roofers often charge between $2,000 and $85,000. It may be more expensive, but you can rest assured that the installation is performed skillfully and that your new roof will be safe and secure for years to come.

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Gadsden County residents react to the outstanding amount of Hurricane Michael victims still waiting insurance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Local residents react to a recent statistic released about outstanding insurance claims nearly 10 months after Hurricane Michael.

Fifteen percent of insurance claims from Hurricane Michael still outstanding in the Florida panhandle. That's more than 21 thousand people still waiting on their insurance money.

The state insurance commissioner pressing companies to work with property owners to close claims.

Image Source: Ryan Hennessy / WTVY / MGN

The state insurance commissioner calling it a "discouraging statistic".

There are some who've been lucky enough to receive their insurance claims, but many around here didn't even have insurance to begin with and they say that is what's discouraging.

"She actually got trapped in the house because there were three trees that fell on it."

Robin Edenfield says the person who rented one of her homes in Chattahoochee wasn't able to return because the damage from Hurricane Michael was too extensive and expensive.

"if it ain't through a loan, we got to do it ourselves."

Edenfield says 22 pine trees fell on the property of the second home she owns a few houses down.

The house next door had the worst damage. The tree that was on top of it finally being removed just last week.

Edenfield says they were in the process of getting insurance on the three houses before the hurricane hit.

Now, they have to pick up the pieces without insurance. Edenfield also says they have no FEMA funding because she wasn't living in the homes.

"Being property owners, we were denied the money that we need. So, we're having to get out and find people to help clean up and redo homes that have been destroyed. It's just been a mess."

Chattahoochee resident Bob Emberton is surprised to hear 15 percent of the nearly 148-thousand claims from Hurricane Michael are active.

"It makes you wonder who they have their coverage with."

Emberton says he got his insurance claim within a month and has a new roof on his home because of it.

"It makes a lot of difference because we had over $70,000 worth of damage. They've pretty nice to us so far."

Reports say many of the still-active insurance claims were not filed in the months immediately after the storm.

Original Article: https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Gadsden-County-residents-react-to-the-news-of-15-percent--513368291.html

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How Often Do Hurricanes Hit Georgia?

Some Atlantic hurricane seasons are more or less active than anticipated. It is difficult to accurately predict storms until they have formed and are heading toward landfall. Hurricane Michael, classified as a Category 3 storm when it moved into southwest Georgia on Oct. 10, 2018, was the first major hurricane to hit the state since the late 1800s and was much more destructive than predicted. The storm wreaked havoc downing power lines and causing damage and deaths from winds and flooding.

In 2017, Georgia escaped direct hits from any of the season's 10 hurricanes, although Tropical Storm Irma (weakened from a category 5 Hurricane) still left a trail of devastation due to wind damage and flooding.

A year earlier, in October 2016, category 2 Hurricane Matthew raked along the Georgia coast without making landfall but caused tremendous wind damage and flooding.

Atlantic Hurricane Season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 with the peak period from early August through the end of October. The Atlantic basin includes the entire Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

A Typical Hurricane Season

Based on historical weather records dating back to 1950, the Atlantic region will typically experience 12 tropical storms with sustained winds of 39 mph, of which six turn into hurricanes with winds reaching 74 mph or greater, and three major hurricanes category 3 or higher with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. It's important to note that most of these hurricanes do not make landfall in the United States.

How Many Hurricanes Typically Hit Georgia?

On average, one to two hurricanes (or more specifically, 1.75 hurricanes) make landfall on the US East coast every year. Of those, only 7 percent hit Georgia. In comparison, 40 percent of hurricanes that reach land hit Florida and 16 percent hit North Carolina. Since 1851, only 20 hurricanes have made direct hits on Georgia.

There is little to no correlation between the total number of storms and those that make landfall in any given season. For example, 2010 was an extremely busy season, with 19 named storms and 12 hurricanes. Yet no hurricane and only one tropical storm made landfall in the US that year.

Hurricane Season 2019 Prediction
Long-range forecasters are predicting a hurricane season that is close to normal, which means 12 to 14 named storms will likely develop in the Atlantic between early June and late November. Of those storms, five to seven are forecast to become hurricanes and two to four are forecast to become major hurricanes. Of course, it only takes one hurricane in the right place to cause widespread damage and death. To focus predictions on a small area like the Georgia coast is impossible until a hurricane actually starts moving in the direction of the state.

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