Summer is here, the grill is fired up, and your family is itching to get outdoors for a summer evening barbeque, but there's one itch you don't want to scratch and it's keeping you indoors -- mosquito bites. Pests seem to be winning the battle for the backyard.

This week, local residents will benefit from a national Healthy Homes Tour, which brings together volunteers and professional Champions Tour golfers to restore the homes of low-income families. For the second year, Georgia-Pacific Corp., the Champions Tour and Rebuilding Together are partnering on a $140,000 effort to provide dozens of families in need with safe, healthy living environments. In Boston, families to benefit from the initiative include a West Roxbury resident.

Standard Federal Bank will hold free home buying seminars at four locations this summer to teach potential buyers how to select and finance a home.

AuraOne Systems, Inc., a young upstart in the home digital networking market, announced today that it would be releasing its first major products by the end of 2005. In only one short year following this release, the company promises to revolutionize the concept of home entertainment.

School's out for summer! The familiar rumble of the last days of the school year echoes across the region, signaling that summer break is here and fun in the sun is just around the bend. As summer sets in, parents cannot follow their children everywhere; however, a few electrical safety basics can follow them wherever the fun takes them -- the backyard patio, the pool or the park.

Cooking with kids doesn't have to turn your kitchen into a zoo, but it can be more fun than a barrel of monkeys. It also provides a great opportunity for learning, talking, and creativity.

Potentially thousands of working families will be able to use financial assistance, including unsecured loans, from their employers in connection with conforming, conventional mortgages thanks to a major policy change from Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) . The new change is expected to make tens of millions of dollars in additional conventional mortgages available to working families across the country.

The days of the plunger occupying space near toilets may soon be a thing of the past. S&K Manufacturing, Inc., a St. Louis-based company, has redesigned what we've known as a toilet plunger and made it sleek, efficient, and easy to clean.

Gardeners and horticulturalists are becoming increasingly prepared to employ the latest hi-tech methods of stopping slugs & snails eating their way through valuable plants. Probably the most innovative method to surface recently is SnailAway; described as a "totally effective solution" it is in fact a miniature electric fence.

HouseRaising, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: HRAI) ("HRI" or the "Company") today announced that it has released an introduction to its proprietary application service program ("System C"), for public viewing. The Company believes that System C will revolutionize the design/build segment of the homebuilding industry. HRI's HouseRaisingAcademy ("HRA") subsidiary has developed this proprietary application service program and a design/build support process that links craftsmen builders and homebuyers with a management process that enables quality homes to be designed and built better and more cost efficiently.

Homeowners can learn more about how to create a safe and secure home environment -- as well as what types of home safety products are available -- at free safety clinics offered at Lowe's stores nationwide on Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m

A new national survey commissioned by the Home Safety Council reveals that nearly 6 out of 10 American parents know that there are actions that should be taken to reduce the risk of a family member suffering a home-related injury. Further evidence of the need for education about home safety is found in the Home Safety Council's State of Home Safety in America(TM) which shows that nearly 21 million medical visits and 20,000 deaths result from home injuries each year. June is Home Safety Month, and the Home Safety Council is launching the Hands on Home Safety campaign to urge families to take actions to create a safer home environment.

The Home Depot(R), the world's largest home improvement retailer, will match the savings its Florida customers realize when they purchase hurricane-related products selected by the state during its 12-day, sales tax holiday that starts tomorrow.

Cleveland Botanical Garden Flower Show, one of the Midwest's top horticultural attractions and the largest outdoor flower show in the United States, returns this Friday, May 27th through Monday, May 30th. The Show is open 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day, and it is presented by National City Private Client Group. Cleveland Botanical Garden is located in the heart of University Circle, Cleveland's cultural district, at 11030 East Boulevard.

When thinking about selling a home, establishing a reasonable and, ultimately, profitable listing price is perhaps the biggest challenge that every homeowner faces. Go too high and risk getting priced out of the market. Setting it too low is an even bigger gamble. The professionals at Coldwell Banker(R) recommend taking the following steps before settling on an asking figure.