I was sad to hear that a friend’s husband was recently taken for a ride by some guys wandering their neighborhood selling pressure washing services. All the red flags were there. Read more

It’s amazing how some consumer complaints can easily be resolved when a responsive provider does something a little extra and unexpected. That was my experience on our first family vacation since the pandemic began. Read more

Have you received your free copy of the 2021 Summer Diamond Certified Directory Update in the mail? It provides instant access to hundreds of local, top rated Diamond Certified companies across a wide range of service industries, from auto repair and real estate to optometry and dentistry. Read more

I’ve rented a lot of cars over the years, but I’ve never seen what I’m seeing today. Prices are high due to low inventories, and in some cases, no cars are available at any price. The strategies I’ve used in the past to save money have been upended by unanticipated consumer demand. The rental car industry sold off large numbers of vehicles during the pandemic to stay afloat, and those same companies are now having trouble ramping up with new cars due to manufacturing delays. This shortage in some popular destinations could last through the summer. Read more

For reasons I won’t go into here, my husband and I recently found ourselves in possession and taking care of five automobiles. For a while, my nickname in the family was “Fleet Manager.” One of the vehicles was sent to the East Coast by transport to our son, but that still left us with two extra used cars. We decided it was time to sell my 2015 Honda Fit and my husband’s beloved ’69 Volkswagen Beetle. (He was the original owner!) Read more

Since the beginning of April, the 2021 Diamond Certified Directory has been arriving at the homes and businesses of consumers throughout the Greater Bay Area. We mailed more than 800,000 directories and we’ve been thrilled with the response! (If you didn’t get your FREE copy, click here.) Read more

During the shelter-in-place orders, so many of us are spending more time at home than ever before. This has brought on a home improvement and decorating boom, along with another rather mixed blessing: the opportunity to uncover hidden problems. In my case, it was a slow water leak from a skylight.

For months, I’ve been ignoring some cracks and small bubbles in my bathroom ceiling near the skylight. After one of the recent rainstorms, the problem became more noticeable. I decided to poke a broom handle around the area and it was spongy. As my husband and I tore out the ceiling, we discovered mold in an area that extended several feet in all directions. Read more