Got two for the game? Getting great seats can be a challenge.

If you’re looking for premium seats or waited until the last minute to buy tickets, a ticket broker can be a great resource. Their tickets are sold at above market value, so they will cost you more, but brokers tend to have premium seating that is always hard to find at the box office.

As with any industry, there are good and bad brokers. Buying from a reputable broker is the safest and most reliable way to get tickets if the box-office is sold out. Check Angie's List consumer reviews for top-rated ticket brokers in your area.

Angie’s List, with input from industry experts, has compiled 10 shortcuts to the best seat:

1. Know the law. Some states have laws that specifically forbid a ticket broker to do business. Check with your state laws before you begin.
2. Check the National Association of Ticket Brokers’ website to make sure your broker is a member.
3. Deal only with brokers who have an office with an 800 number and where real people can be reached.
4. Find out how many tickets the broker has on hand for the event to decide if it’s worth the risk to wait a few days for the price to go down.
5. Develop a relationship with your broker and sign up for e-news alerts for your favorite performers/teams. Local brokers can also help secure tickets for out of town shows so keep them in mind when you're planning trips.
6. Negotiate. Ticket brokers often purchase tickets for below face value. Don’t be afraid to ask for a better deal.
7. Never pay for a ticket with cash or a money order. Always use a credit card so you have recourse in case the ticket is invalid.
8. Shop around. Check ticket auction websites to gauge market value.
9. Look at the venue’s seating chart before buying any tickets. This will help you avoid buying counterfeit tickets.
10. Down in front. If you’re paying a premium expecting to have a birds-eye-view, make sure you’re not buying a seat with an obstructed view (OV).

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and toxic gas. It is produced as the by-product of all combustion processes, so any fuel-fired appliance, vehicle, tool or other device has the potential to produce dangerous levels of CO.

When appliances are kept in good working condition, they produce little CO. But improperly maintained or operated appliances or backdrafting appliances can produce fatal CO concentrations in the home.

Here are Angie's tips to minimizing CO risks:

• Never burn charcoal inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent.

• Never use unvented fuel-burning camping equipment inside a home, garage, vehicle or tent.

• Never leave a vehicle running in an attached garage. And minimize the amount of time the vehicle is in the garage when you start it each morning, even with the garage door open. Move the vehicle out as soon as possible after starting.

• Have a competent contractor service your fuel-fired appliances on a regular basis (every one to two years).

• Never use gas appliances such as ranges, ovens or clothes dryers for heating your home.

• Be sure never to operate unvented fuel-burning appliances in any room without adequate ventilation or in any room where people are sleeping.

• Do not use, or service, gasoline-powered tools and engines indoors or in attached garage.

Living in a small space can be quite challenging, but there are ways to make any home feel more spacious. You can live comfortably in a small area and stretch the square footage by making the space work for you.

11 tips to help make the most of small spaces:

1. Be cool: Light and airy colors will help small spaces feel just a bit larger. Stick to cool colors like blue and green.
2. Go monochromatic: Think soothing tone-on-tone for paint techniques, fabrics, and patterns. Cream and white, icy blues, pale greens, and butter yellows are just a few of the combinations that can open up a small room.
3. Keep it open: Whenever possible, arrange furnishings to open up areas of floor and avoid blocking views to windows and doors. The farther you can see into, and through, a space, the larger and more open it will seem.
4. Make a match: Consider painting or staining some of your furniture to match your walls. Even large chests and armoires will seem to melt into the background when finished in a color that's close to the wall tone. Add tone-on-tone stencil details to doors for added interest.
5. Lighten up: Uncover windows and add additional light fixtures to avoid dark, dreary corners. Brighter spaces will automatically make the room feel larger.
6. Clear the table: Bring in some see-through style by using glass tables. They'll provide useful surfaces as dining or end tables, yet practically disappear in a visual perception of the room.
7. Find two-in-ones: Maximize space with furniture that serves multiple functions. Some headboards double as bookshelves, for example – or try an ottoman with built-in storage space, which can also function as a coffee table.
8. Live large: A few larger pieces of furniture will reduce the visual clutter that can result from several smaller items. Stick with simple lines and shapes to create a sense of calm and space. Avoid small artwork. Larger pieces can make the space feel larger.
9. Keep it simple: Cover sofas and chairs with plain or textured upholstery rather than vibrant prints. Neutral tones in lighter colors will usually make a room feel larger.
10. Reflect your style: Add sparkle and reflection to your space with mirrors. Place mirrors on a wall opposite the windows to increase light and reflect outside scenery.
11. Go to great heights: Take advantage of the height in your room. Install shelves all the way up to the ceiling.

Too many consumers are disappointed in the services their contractor provides, or worse, ripped off by the person they trusted to help improve their home. Some states have no licensing requirements, which can make it difficult for homeowners to check up on companies before they hire. Here are some tips to protect yourself:

• Clearly define your project. Before you begin talking with contractors, pick up remodeling magazines, search the Internet for information on designs and materials and put your ideas on paper. Even rough ideas on paper are better than nothing at all. It will give a potential contractor a better sense of what your expectations are and what you are hoping to accomplish.

• Do you need a general contractor? Once you know what you want done, consider what you realistically can accomplish on your own. Watch Angie talk about avoiding shady contractors.

• Consider an architect. If you are eliminating walls, adding rooms or doing anything that impacts the structure of your home, an architect or structural engineer may be a good idea.

• Check consumer reviews on Angie's List to read about our member's experiences with local contractors.Get the names of subcontractors and ask if they work with the contractor often and whether he pays on time.

• Contractor licensing laws vary by city, state and township. Check the contractor's licensing information on Angie's List and appropriate agencies; don’t rely on the contractor’s word to know whether his or her license is valid. Check the status of the contractor’s bonding and liability insurance coverage too.

• Know your budget. Remember that even the most careful budget will change. Experts warn to expect an increase of 10 or 15 percent on top of the proposal — more if your project includes hidden problems.

• Review all aspects of the contract before you sign. Often, homeowners assume certain specifics are included, such as appliance installation. Know the details of the contract, as well as how any change orders will be handled. Check that your contract includes a lien waiver, covering payments to all subcontractors who worked on the project.

• Be wary of contractors who want large deposits up front. As a general rule, don’t pay more than half.

• Confirm the “punch list” procedure. Basically, this is how the contractor will deal with the list of small items remaining to be completed at the end of the job. A good rule of thumb is to determine the cost of those items, double it, then withhold that amount from the final payment, until the list is complete.

By Angie's List Magazine Staff

Angie’s List interviewed 200 contractors who regularly disturb lead paint during the course of their work. One-third of the respondents, even when prompted with specific questions about lead-based paint, gave advice that could put individuals, especially young children, in danger.

Alarmed by these findings, Angie’s List launched a lead-awareness campaign.

Things to know about lead:

• When was your home built? If your house was built before 1978, it may have lead-based paint; if it was built before 1960, it almost certainly does.

• Children are at risk: If your home does have lead in it, your child and other children who visit your home are at risk for lead poisoning. Children most at risk are those younger than age 7.

• Effects of lead: Lead poisoning can cause brain damage, loss of IQ, learning disabilities and an increase in violent tendencies. The damage caused by lead poisoning is permanent.

• What are the symptoms? The symptoms of lead poisoning are subtle. The only way to tell if your child has lead poisoning is to have a blood test. Check with your local health department or your child’s physician to get your child tested.

• How does one get lead poisoning? Lead dust in your home and lead in bare soil are the most common ways kids get lead poisoning. Children playing on the floor get lead dust or contaminated soil on their toys, blankets, clothes and on their hands, which then gets into their mouths. The lead dust may be invisible. The amount of dust the EPA considers unsafe for kids is equal to a small packet of sweetener sprinkled over an area one third the size of a football field.

• What are the sources of dust? The main sources of dust are deteriorated paint, paint in high friction areas (such as windows and doors), and lead-contaminated soil tracked in from outdoors. Remodeling activities that disturb paint will create dust that will create a hazard for young children.

• Does my home have lead? The only way to know for sure if your house has lead hazards is to have a lead risk assessment performed by a trained and licensed professional, or a clearance examination after work has been done on your home. Otherwise, assume old paint contains lead and take precautions accordingly.

• Be upfront about lead: If you are selling or renting your home, you must give information on what you have done about lead in the home to potential buyers or tenants.

5 Questions you should ask your contractor:

1. Does my home have lead-based paint? Although they can’t answer this question legally unless they are a licensed lead inspector or risk assessor, they should know that if the house is older than 1978, it very likely does have lead-based paint. In fact, contractors working in pre-1978 homes are required by law to provide you with EPA’s informational pamphlet “How to Protect Your Family from Lead-based Paint” – even before you ask.
2. How will you protect my family from lead dust? Be weary of any contractor who says it won’t be a problem. The Contractor should tell you that he will use “lead-safe work practices,” including isolating the area where lead paint will be disturbed with plastic sheeting, posting warning signs, cleaning up thoroughly every day, and avoiding certain paint removal techniques that will create a lot of dust or vapors (dry sanding or scraping, open flame burning or torching, high temperature heat guns, abrasive blasting or sandblasting without high efficiency particulate exhaust control).
3. Are your employees trained to know how to work with lead-based paint safely? Currently, training is only required for lead paint “abatement” projects – projects whose main purpose is to permanently remove lead-based paint and certain HUD funded projects. Remodelers and renovators working on non-federal jobs are not required to be trained. However, HUD and EPA-approved training in lead-safe work practices is available for contractors. A contractor whose employees have been trained in these practices, who supervises his workers to make sure that they follow those practices, and has a clearance examination by an independent inspector will do a better job of protecting your family from exposure to lead.
4. What will you do to make sure my house is free of lead dust after the job is done? Lead dust can be invisible and it doesn’t take much to make your child sick. The only way to be sure that the house is safe, even after thorough cleaning, is to have a “clearance exam.” That’s when a trained professional who doesn’t work for the contractor actually takes dust wipe samples from floors and window sills to see how much lead dust remains. If the contractor says he will have a clearance exam done, check to make sure he will use a person with the proper licensing and training.
5. What laws or regulations apply to the work you will do in my home and how will you comply with them? Contractors are required by state and federal law to notify owners and tenants that they may be disturbing lead-based paint if the home is 1978 or older and must provide the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home.” (Check to see if your state requires steps beyond this current federal requirement.) For more information about lead paint go to http://www.epa.gov/lead/

Regular maintenance such as tune-ups, oil changes and tire rotations go a long way toward preventing breakdowns before they happen. Routine maintenance will not only boost your vehicle’s reliability and resale value but also save fuel.”

Pay attention to the little things:

• A car wash does more than just clean your car. Regular washing, especially the underbody makes an enormous difference in a car’s longevity. Brake-fluid and fuel lines run along a car’s underbody and are highly susceptible to dirt, water, salt and, therefore, rust.
• Take note if your car starts to sputter, stall or have other strange symptoms. Auto repair shops advise that you keep a detailed log of any problems and the conditions under which they occur – such as the weather or speed at which you were traveling. This detail will help your mechanic diagnose the problem.
• Monitor tire inflation and mileage to save money at the gas pump and in the repair shop. Proper tire inflation helps you get better gas mileage. In addition, fuel efficiency is often the first warning sign of a problem, so monitoring your mileage can catch a problem before it gets too big (and expensive).
• If your engine light flashes, stop the car as soon as possible. Driving even a few miles with an engine problem can wreak havoc on your car. A tow shop will almost always cost less than fixing the damage caused by driving with a faulty engine.

Never underestimate the value of regular maintenance:

• Have your car checked by a professional before extended road trips. Have the mechanic look at the belts, hoses, filters, tires, fluid levels, wiper blades, lights and battery.
• Never ignore regular oil changes – which should be done every 3,000 – 4,000 miles on most cars. Check your owner’s manual to see if you car has a specific oil type, and make sure your mechanic uses that type.
• Follow the manufacturer’s service schedule. Annual, biannual and mileage-based preventative maintenance is intended to give technicians the chance to uncover any problems in the early stages. As well, if a technician tries to pressure you into buying a service your manufacturer doesn’t recommend, chances are you don’t need it.

Develop responsible habits:

• Drive smoothly. Cars that are driven gently last longer and experience fewer problems. Don’t race from red light to red light. Avoid sharp turns, slamming on the brakes and other habits that put stress on your car.
• Avoid driving on a low tank of gas. Your fuel pump is located in the gas tank. Sediment from gasoline can settle in the bottom of your tank. When you run your car on low fuel, the pump can pick up the sediment and become damaged.

The daily reminder that now is not the time to sell your house is prompting many homeowners to take a fresh look at their surroundings and remodel instead. According to a nationwide, commissioned poll of Angie's List members, 50 percent say now is a good time to invest in their current home.

And in a recent poll of 150 highly rated service providers on Angie’s List, three out of four said they’re lowering prices, some as much as 30 percent to 40 percent.

A little negotiation can go a long way in getting the best price possible for your remodel. And while the current market is great for bargain hunters, it's critical that your focus be on more than just cost. Finding the right remodeling contractor for your particular job is still the most important decision you’ll make as a homeowner.

5 repairs you can’t afford to put off
Hiring tips to weed out bad contractors
How to survive a remodel

Angie's List members plan to take advantage of deals made possible by the economic downturn by investing more in their homes this year compared to last, according to a nationwide, commissioned poll of members.

For homeowners, Angie's List offers a few tips to help them keep their sanity both before and during a remodeling project:

• Map out your routine. Every home remodeling project will likely affect your routine in one way or another. If it’s a kitchen or bathroom remodel, determine how you are going to re-route the family during mealtimes, as well as the “getting the kids out the door in the morning” routine.
• Set limits. Before the work begins, talk with your contactor about the areas of your home that are off limits, as well as agree on the hours the crew will actually be onsite. Another important point is to establish whether the crew will have access to a bathroom in your home, for their use. If not, you need to discuss whether or not a portable toilet will be leased, and how that cost will be covered.
• Designate storage space. Agree with the contractor on where supplies and tools will be stored. You don’t want to constantly be walking over or moving supplies to get to things you need on a regular basis. As well, it will help ensure that supplies and tools don’t come up missing or lost.
• Agree on the meaning of clean. Expect a significant amount of dust and dirt throughout any remodeling project. However, you should establish with your contractor what the ground rules for cleaning up the worksite at the end of each day. Just because the crew will be back “first thing in the morning,” it’s not OK to leave out trash and supplies.
• Protect your children. Talk to your contractor to make sure workers act and dress appropriately. As well, a construction site can be a fascinating place for your children. Let them watch from a safe distance, but prohibit them from playing in the work site and let them know that tools and supplies aren’t toys. A pile of dirt can make for fun playtime adventures for your kids, but if it’s spread across your yard, it’s not very useful to your contractors.
• Think of your pets. It’s not unusual for homeowners to acquaint their dogs with the crew at the beginning of a project. If the remodeling project is going to be especially noisy or stir up a lot of dirt and dust, you may consider boarding your pet for at least a few days during the heavy work period.
• Get out of town. Some homeowners suggest planning a vacation during your remodeling project. However, only do this if you trust your contractor and the details of the project have been specifically laid out and agreed upon. You’ll want to make sure your contractor knows how to reach you in case any problems arise. As well, you’ll want to check in with the contractor frequently by phone on the status of the project.
• Create a united front. Don’t let the stress of remodeling drive a wedge in your family relationships. Think of yourself as a team. If big issues come up on the project site, discuss them later, when you have a chance to reach an agreement without “airing” your dirty laundry in front of the work crew.

Most hybrid components do not require advanced repair training. The big exception is the electrical system.

In a hybrid, it's built into the drivetrain and the unique, high-voltage battery can be deadly to work on. The most expensive repair often associated with hybrids is replacing the battery, which can cost between $3,000 - $5,000. However, batteries generally last several years, and often for the life of the vehicle.

Overall, Angie’s List service providers agreed that maintenance and repair costs for hybrids cost less on average than that of traditional fuel vehicles.The big reason is because most components don't require regular maintenance, like a standard transmission or power steering. The regenerative braking system in hybrids also requires fewer brake pad changes.

• Find a technician who specializes in hybrid repair before you need one: Right now the easiest way to find a hybrid-certified mechanic is in the hybrid dealership's service department. These mechanics at are required to undergo extensive hybrid training that some independent mechanics may not have gotten yet.

• If you prefer to use a local repair shop, ask in advance if its mechanics have been certified. Many of these shops are sending their top mechanics back to school. Independent hybrid service centers are also popping up to accommodate the growing trend, and many are environmentally-friendly garages that use recycled materials and rely on solar energy.

• Check licensing & certification: Most mechanics are ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified, whereas not all, but the majority of independent mechanics are not certified in hybrid repair. Hybrid dealership technicians, on the other hand, are required to complete the monthly and yearly certification courses and are up-to-speed on the latest innovations.

• Never work on the electrical system yourself: Unless you are a hybrid-certified mechanic, leave the electrical and battery repairs to the professionals who are trained to work with those deadly, high-voltage components.

• Don't be late with tire rotations: The electric engine creates more torque than a gasoline engine and can wear out tires faster.

• Charge that battery: Regularly charge your 12-volt battery if your hybrid has plug-in capability. Hybrids that don’t plug in use regenerative braking energy to self charge.

• Stay up on routine maintenance: As with traditional fuel vehicles, staying current on your regular maintenance will extend the life and preserve the resale value of your hybrid.

• Warranty work: Most hybrid warranties cover eight years or 100,000 miles. Determine if your warranty requires you to use a specific repair center. If you use another source, keep all receipts in case your warranty coverage is questioned.

Hybrid vehicles appear to be here to stay. Ten percent of Angie’s List members already own one and in a 2008 poll, nearly half said they have a hybrid in mind for their next purchase. Hybrids range from full hybrids, which operate under electric power alone, to partial or motor-assist hybrids, but they're not the only new kind of vehicle hitting the road. Other options include alternative fuel vehicles that use diesel or dual types of fuel. Traditional cars can also be converted to flex fuel.

Related articles:

Mechanics offer more options for hybrid repair

Sounds of service: hybrid vehicle maintenance

Insurance companies offer green policies

*3,352 Angie’s List members took our poll. Responses are representative of Angie’s List members, but not the general public.

Buying or selling a house at auction can be a quick and easy alternative to traditional realty sales, but it’s not for everyone. Here’s a guide to help you decide if it’s right for you.

Selling a home

• Are you carrying two mortgages? Do you own a unique or trophy home that isn’t easily valued? Are you selling a house and personal property a deceased relative left behind? Is time more important than money? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, an auction might be the way to go. “The ideal seller is anyone who needs to sell their property quickly,” says Bill Giannini of Roebuck Auctions in Memphis, Tenn.
• Search for a reputable auction company in your area by clicking on the Find an Auctioneer section of the National Auctioneers Association website. Only 30 states and the District of Columbia require auctioneers to hold a license, but it’s a good idea to look for one if you can. You may also want an auctioneer who holds a real estate license, which allows him or her to take you through the closing.
• After meeting, your auctioneer will prepare an estimated valuation of your home along with estimates of advertising costs, which can run between 1 percent and 5 percent of the property’s value. Sellers often pay marketing costs out of pocket, but that can be negotiable. If the auctioneers estimate for your home’s value falls below what you need to make, the auctioneer will likely bow out. “We pass on more deals than we take,” says Mike Loftin of Re/Max Group Auctioneers in Cartersville, Ga.
• You’ll sign a contract outlining costs and the date and terms of the auction. You’ll decide whether it will be an absolute auction, where the house sells to the highest bidder on the day of the auction regardless of price, or one with a reserve price where you review the highest bid before agreeing to sell. You’ll also want to know if you or the buyer will pay a premium for the auctioneers commission.
• In the next four to eight weeks, your auctioneers will carry out a marketing blitz, advertising in local papers and on the multiple listing service. They may hold two or three open houses; often these are the only times potential buyers can see the property.
• The auction is typically held one to two months after the contract is signed. You’ll be there, a silent participant as bidders duke it out. Unless you’ve chosen a reserve auction, the high bidder will immediately hand over a nonrefundable deposit and sign paperwork.
• About 30 days later, your sale will close. No hassles about whether the patio furniture stays and no last-minute financing snags — auction sales have no contingencies.

Buying a home

• Experienced homeowners who can easily secure a loan, have a 10-percent deposit at the ready and like the idea of a quick close are the best candidates for buying a home at auction.
• If you fall into any of these categories, the next step is to get familiar with the auction companies in your area. Again, check out auctioneers.org and put your name on mailing lists for nearby auction houses. Some companies advertise on the MLS, but not all, so a real estate agent might not be on top of all the opportunities in your region.
• Go for a trial run. Most auction companies are happy to have you sit in on an auction, giving you a chance to watch the process and understand how quickly it can happen — sometimes in less than 10 minutes.
• Once you’ve identified the property you’re interested in, find out everything you can about it before the auction. If an auction company doesn’t allow you to inspect the home prior to the auction, “Don’t walk, run away from that,” says John Nicholls, an auctioneer in Fredericksburg, Va.
• Understand the contract terms — and review them with your lawyer — before the auction. Once the gavel falls, there’s no more negotiating, and the same terms apply to every bidder. Also, you’ll need to have your financing ready the day of the auction, so make sure your lender can deliver quickly. You should be prepared to hand over 10 percent of the purchase price if you’re the winning bidder.
• Keep in mind that although you might get a property at a lower price than through a traditional real estate transaction, you won’t necessarily get a bargain. You’ll also likely need to add a 5-percent to 10-percent buyers premium to your high bid. Settle on a maximum bid before the auction and stick to it. “The adrenaline that flows in a real estate auction is contagious and people become overzealous,” says NAA president Bill Sheridan.
• On the day of the auction, you’ll probably need to register to bid and possibly show proof that you have deposit funds available. If you’re the high bidder and your bid is accepted, you’ll hand over your nonrefundable deposit and sign paperwork agreeing that you are buying the property as is and will close the deal in 30 days.

By Angie's List Magazine Staff