The ball has dropped on Times Square 115 times! Every year since 1907 (except for 1942 and 1943 when ceremony was suspended due to WWII dim out lighting restrictions. Crowds still gathered and there was a moment of silence for the fallen. 1 million people gather in Times Square to watch the ball drop and close to 1 billion will watch it worldwide on television. The ball is adorned with 2,688 crystals and lit by 32,256 Philip’s Luxeon LED’s (that is enough to power two

Hear what title pros say to do — and not do — before closing on a house. Ever notice that when you’re unprepared, it heats up stressful situations? Take the preclosing stage of the home buying process. You may keep thinking about the money at stake, while forms, disclosures, and reports fly at you. It’s enough to overwhelm anyone. Anyone who isn’t well prepared, that is. You can get a head start, though, by following advice from three title professionals: Cynthia Durham

Plumbing is also a large contributor to energy usage. Plumbing systems use pipes, valves, fixtures, tanks, and water heaters that consume energy to function. Here are specific plumbing maintenance or upgrades that homeowners should consider to help make their homes more energy-efficient: Fix any leaks: A leaking or damaged pipe means your system must work harder to do the same job. Fixing leaks immediately is important to ensure your system is operating properly. If you

You could be noseblind. Here’s how to find and eliminate the funk you can’t smell. Stand in your kitchen and take a deep breath. Smell that? From last night’s fish to your son’s nasty lacrosse pads (why did he leave them on the table?), you probably can’t detect any of your home’s rankest odors. You’ve got nose blindness. “You adapt to the smells around you,” says Dr. Richard Doty, the director of the Smell and Taste Center at the University of Pennsylvania. On a sensory