LOS ANGELES, Calif. (May 5, 2010) - In response to the heavy rains and devastating floods in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi over the weekend, ConstructionDeal.com is opening a special toll free hotline to help homeowners in affected areas find home restoration help. As the flood waters receded, and the evacuated return home, people are going to need to rebuild and ConstructionDeal.com wants to make it easy for them to find flood damage professionals at no cost.

“ConstructionDeal.com matches homeowners to home improvement and repair contractors online, but our concern was that people in the flood areas may not have access to their computers. Many might still be without power, so our goal was to help them find a water damage repair service over the phone,” said Aaron Rose, the Vice President of Marketing for ConstructionDeal.com. “People in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky can call 1-866-832-578 and talk to a specialist who can help them get in touch with a local contractor to help get their lives back to normal.”

The governor of Tennessee recently declared 52 of 95 counties as disaster areas and damage estimates in the tens of millions of dollars are starting to roll in. More than 13 inches of water fell in the region in only 2 days more than doubling the previous rainfall record, according to the National Weather Service. The Cumberland River, in Nashville, finally crested Monday night at 12 feet over the flood stage, reaching its highest point since 1937.

“We’re told that the water swelled from rivers, lakes, creeks, and tributaries across the area and into people’s homes. Bridges have been washed out. The damage is going to be severe,” Rose added. “One of our big worries for the homeowners in the region will be that many won’t have flood insurance to help get their lives back on track.” Very few homeowners’ insurance policies cover flood damage. People are expected to purchase additional flood insurance and most do not have the coverage they need.

“By setting up this toll free number specifically for these affected states, we wanted to make sure we were able to answer questions and get them the help they need. We have a variety of home repair and restoration contractors in the area and homeowners can use our service - for free - to help get in touch with them. When these disasters strike, it can be very hard to find a quality pro to help meet their needs,” said Aaron Rose.

Homeowners in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi who had their homes damaged by the flood waters can call 1-866-832-578 (Mon-Fri, 11am-8pm EST) to talk to a specialist who will assist them in finding local contractors and water damage restoration services.

LOS ANGELES, CA, August 26th, 2009, Construction Deal, Inc., the site that matches home improvement experts with homeowners, announces a new free leads program for contractors and service professionals. After a long period of falling home prices and poor employment news, ConstructionDeal.com is doing their part to help small businesses through the economy. 61% of consumers have become value seekers, according to The Nielsen Company, and with this still uncertain outlook for businesses, ConstructionDeal.com is offering free exposure to home improvement professionals with a free leads program.

With consumers spending the majority of their time at home, to save money, there has been a 27% increase in TV viewing and 25% increase in Internet usage according to the global consulting firm Booz & Company. With many companies forced to slash their advertising budgets in an effort to stay afloat over the past year, resulting in global advertising falling 8.5% in 2009. Online advertising is expected to lose the least, at 3.2%, according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

ConstructionDeal.com will help contractors lower their advertising budgets as well. The fastest growing online job lead provider is giving these service professionals free access to homeowners who need to complete repair and renovation projects. Contractors now have a free way to promote their business and expertise in front of interested and motivated clients. Once they have completed their profiles, they will be listed in the contractor directory where project owners can directly post a project via their business cards resulting in a free lead. Watch the step-by-step instructional video here: Free Lead Tutorial. ConstructionDeal.com is the only lead generation company offering an easy and free way to help contractors grow their reputation, receive feedback, and even blog about their profession.

About Construction Deal, Inc.

Construction Deal, Inc. has been helping homeowners and business owners complete their building, remodeling, and repair projects since 2004 through the website ConstructionDeal.com. They have a nationwide network of quality contractors and service professionals waiting to bid on jobs that are posted online. Property owners post residential or commercial projects for free and are matched to local experts, usually within 48 hours. Construction Deal, Inc., a trusted member of the Better Business Bureau, is the fastest growing construction referral service in the industry.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 26, 2009) - On October 31, many parents will send their children out into the street to beg for candy from strangers. ConstructionDeal.com completed a survey of their members to learn more about parents' greatest fears on Halloween. Over 2,400 responded with what worries them the most when their children are out Trick or Treating.

The number one concern by parents was the fear that the Halloween candy would be poisoned. This myth has been circulating through neighborhoods every year since 1950's. However, there has never been a single case of anyone having received poisoned candy from a stranger. One man did poison his own son's candy back in 1974 but never candy from a neighbor's house.

Another major concern that parents have is the fear that the Halloween candy will contain razor blades or infected needles. This one is not as much as a myth - it has happened in the past, but only once by a stranger and no one was ever hurt. The other times it has been reported to have happened ended up always by friends or family members pulling a prank.

Parents have also worried that children will be molested or kidnapped when they go to a stranger's house. Like the poisoned candy myth, there have never been any cases reported of child molestation or abduction during a night of Trick or Treating.

In the survey, a surprising number of parents feared their children would be harmed by bloodthirsty vampires, eaten alive by werewolves, or has their flesh torn away by mindless zombies. Interestingly, studies have shown there are numerous cases like these reported every year. Halloween is a night were magic is more powerful and the evil creatures walk the Earth in search of delicate little morsels known as children. Parents have every right to worry about the undead.

ConstructionDeal.com recommends that parents go out with kids for Trick or Treating whenever possible. Give the kids flashlights and reflective tape to help them be seen by the real dangers of cars and trucks traveling at night. Parents should inspect the candy and throw away anything that is suspicious because there is no reason to take any chances. Kids should not wear costumes that restrict their vision, no matter how cool it is. And costumes should not be too long or cumbersome where they might trip and fall.

Halfway through 2009, ConstructionDeal.com surveyed approximately 5,000 project owners, primarily homeowners and discovered that nearly 40% were not planning on taking advantage of the $1,500 Tax Credit for energy efficient home improvements. 25% were completely unaware of this tax credit while a small 10% did say they had made energy efficient home improvements. ConstructionDeal.com has evaluated the trends regarding awareness and usage of this stimulus plan.

ENERGY STAR has noticed an increasing trend of awareness as the popularity for their tax credit page and website has dramatically increased since February 2009. ENERY STAR representative Karen Schneider said, "Traffic to our tax credit page is up about 500% and overall, traffic to energystar.gov is up about 50% in the past 5 months." ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy with the purpose to help consumers save money and protect the environment.

For large remodeling or addition projects, senior editor of Remodeling magazine, Nina Patel says, "during the project planning phase, a homeowner might ask about the tax credit and how it could affect their project. In terms of usage, I'd say that our full-service remodelers are not seeing an increase in business because of the tax credit." Homeowners are more likely to select small home improvements that qualify.

This tax credit came into effect February 17th, 2009 when the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed. The official name is "Non-business Energy Property Tax Credit" and qualified home improvements that are ready and available to use between 2009 and Dec. 31st 2010 can receive a federal tax credit for 30% of the purchase price - up to a maximum of $1,500. Improvements made during a remodel or addition also can qualify.

All the home improvements have energy-efficiency requirements. For example, replacement windows must have a U-factor at .30 or below and SHGC at .30 or below to earn the tax credit. To learn more about various requirements, visit the ENERGY STAR website for more information.

Some of the qualified home improvements include:

• Windows
• Insulation
• Water Heaters
• Doors
• Metal & Asphalt Shingle Roofs
• Central Air Conditioners
• Heat Pumps, Furnaces & Boilers

These improvements can only be made to the primary residence and homeowners will need to keep manufacturer efficiency certifications from products they have installed and the receipt from their contractor. The IRS tax form 5695 will be available in late 2009 or early 2010.

Popular home improvements are air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces and new windows. The tax credit will offset the cost of the energy efficient products and in the long run, result in savings through decreased energy bills.

Large green improvements or additions may be eligible for another provision - the "Residential Energy Efficient Property Tax Credit" which also is a 30% tax credit but has no dollar cap, second homes qualify and this provision is available until December 31st 2016!

Some of these qualified home improvements include:

• Geothermal Heat Pumps
• Wind Turbines
• Solar Water Heatng Systems
• Solar Photovoltaic Panels

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products, new homes, and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $19 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 29 million vehicles.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has helpful provisions for the American homeowner.

On February 17th, 2009, the President signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and there are great ways for the American homeowner to save money. ConstructionDeal.com helps homeowners find contractors to complete home improvement projects and we have evaluated the benefits of this new plan.

These tax credits are designed to increase demand for green products, create more American jobs, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and give homeowners more disposable income with lower utility bills. Homeowners will be able to save 30%, up to $1,500, on energy efficient windows, doors, appliances, heating systems or alternative energy products if they are installed within the next two years. The installations must be for the homeowner's primary residence.

What Homeowners Will Need To Do

Homeowners will need to keep efficiency certifications (or Energy Star labels) from products they have installed and the receipt for the work from their contractor. The IRS tax form 5695 should be available in late 2009 or early 2010.

Types of Products Covered:

All the home improvement products have energy-efficiency requirements. For example, replacement windows must have a u-factor at 0.30 or below and SHGC at 0.30 or below to earn the tax credit. The type of products eligible for these tax credits include, but are not limited to:

• Replacement Windows & Skylights
• Insulation (excluding Exterior Siding)
• Energy Star Appliances
• Solar Water Heating Systems
• Exterior Doors
• Metal & Asphalt Shingle Roofs
• Central Air Condition
• Heat Pumps, Furnaces & Boilers
• Water Heaters
• Wind Turbines
• Geothermal Heat Pumps
• Solar Photovoltaic Panels

The solar energy panels, solar water heating systems, wind turbines, and the geothermal heat pumps are not limited to $1,500 and are good for 30% of the cost.

How to Find Contractors

If you need help finding service professionals to install these energy-saving systems in your home, you can submit your request to ConstructionDeal.com - at no cost. You'll get quotes from local contractors ready to help improve the value of your home, save you money, and improve your quality of life.

ENCINO, Calif. (January 12, 2007) - Construction Deal, Inc., a top-rated online service that matches contractors to commercial and residential remodeling and construction projects, announced their economic outlook for the construction industry in 2007. After an extended housing boom, the real estate and building industries have slowed to a crawl over the past few quarters. Many experts are predicting the general economic outlook depends heavily on the short term future of the housing market.

While the economy has remained steady, interest rates have been held in check, and unemployment is low, there are still concerns about the effects of the shaky housing market. The Federal Reserve fears an interest rate reduction, which could help real estate sales and boost consumer confidence, could spark runaway inflation. Consumers are worried, as home prices drop and equity diminishes, that they have less money to build, upgrade and relocate, or remodel their existing home.

Despite a healthy economy, consumer confidence is the biggest obstacle to the construction industry. As home prices jumped in the recent housing boom, personal incomes did not keep pace. Unemployment is low but fewer high-paying and quality jobs were added across the board within that same frame. Overall, the current U.S. workforce is more productive than previous generations. But a productive workforce can be bad news for the real estate market; fewer workers mean fewer houses are needed.

The Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, could be the deciding factor on how the U.S. economy performs over the next two years. Bernanke's focus will likely remain on stifling inflation. If the housing market doesn't show signs of life on its own, his policy could create a serious recession by the third and fourth quarters of 2007. If he lowers interest rates to stimulate the housing market, he'll let the economy grow again and inflation could skyrocket. This could hurt the industry as higher prices on materials and labor could have the effect of lowering construction demand.

What has many experts concerned is the U.S. bond market. Bond market pricing has been showing a very high, very flat yield rate, with little or no difference between the 3-month T-Bill and the 10-year bond. Every time this has happened in the past (the early 70's, 1975, the early 80's, early 90's and 2001) the economy has ground to a halt and we were mired in a recession

In most areas, 2007 housing prices will not drop dramatically but will not appreciate for a minimum of two years. The question is how many people will be hurt by a loss of equity in their homes or a rise in their interest rates? The rash of questionable mortgages and a rise in foreclosure rates will further dampen the housing market. Many jobs are tied to the real estate and construction industries and the loss of jobs could continue to push down economic growth. A low savings rate, higher debt, rising fuel costs, and lowered home equity should keep consumer confidence bogged down. 2007 could be a rough year not only in construction and real estate, but for the country as a whole.

Commercial real estate is the brightest spot in the industry outlook. Commercial vacancy rates are at an all-time low and demand is growing. Office construction and multi-family unit construction should grow in 2007 and 2008. Retail unit demand might suffer if there is an overall economic recession. Because many apartments were converted to condominiums during the real estate boom, there should be an increased demand for apartment construction. If interest rates rise, it will become more affordable to rent than own.

About Construction Deal, Inc.

Construction Deal, Inc. has been helping homeowners and business owners complete their building, remodeling, and repair projects since 2004 through the website ConstructionDeal.com. They have a nationwide network of quality contractors and service professionals waiting to bid on jobs that are posted online. Property owners post residential or commercial projects for free and are matched to local experts, usually within 48 hours. Construction Deal, Inc., a trusted member of the Better Business Bureau, is the fastest growing construction referral service in the industry.