Homeowners in Cobb and Cherokee counties now have a new service to help locate certified and reputable contractors to meet their home repair needs quickly and efficiently.

Home Owner's Club of America, or HOCOA, is a home repair referral service that matches a member's requested service with the best qualified contractor available. Jerry and Brenda Lingerfelt operate the service out of Canton, Georgia.

"We're a concierge-type of service," said Jerry Lingerfelt. "HOCOA takes the stress and worry out of home repair and maintenance. Our members can rest easy knowing that we will find a contractor who gets the job done correctly, on time, and for an effective cost."

When members need a service performed, they place one call to HOCOA. The member will then receive a service call from an HOCOA-approved contractor, usually within the hour. Once the work is complete, HOCOA follows up with the member to verify the work was completed and the member is satisfied.

HOCOA contractors perform a variety of services including carpentry, roofing, painting, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, remodeling, flooring, appliance repair and many others. The company can even refer members to maid services, exterminators, landscapers, and locksmiths.

Lingerfelt notes that HOCOA is different from many other home repair lists or Internet networks because HOCOA is local and in the same community as their members and contractors. Also, HOCOA's contractors endure a rigorous screening process. Before HOCOA refers a contractor to a member, the contractor must complete an application, provide references, give proof of required licenses and insurance, and complete a personal interview. A contractor who misses appointments or receives complaints is immediately dropped from the HOCOA database.

Although the company is new to the area, HOCOA has been in operation for more than fifteen years. The company was started in 1993 in Charlotte, North Carolina, by President and CEO Craig Madans.

"Helping people overcome the problems of owning a home renders a positive result for everyone," Madans said. "We help make the connection between homeowners and carefully selected, quality craftsmen, which saves money and time."

HOCOA has since expanded, including hundreds of thousands of members across nine states.

For more information, visit http://www.HOCOAAtlanta.com.

1. Start It Up Properly
"Most of the wear on an engine happens when you start the car," says Edmunds.com's automotive expert Karl Brauer. "If you can get the starter stuff down, you'll find cars will wear much less over time." How do you do that? Make sure any extra accessories, such as headlights or climate control, aren't on when you turn the ignition. If you do, you're asking the engine to work harder than necessary right off the bat.

An even more destructive habit: revving the engine. Believe it or not, this won't help warm up the car. In fact, revving can do serious damage to the engine and significantly shorten its life. Engines need oil to run smoothly. But right after you turn over the ignition, the oil is still sitting in the pan. When you floor the gas pedal, you're asking the engine to work overtime without lubricant, putting metal to metal. Wear out this most important drive train component and you can expect to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for a new one.

Check back in about a week for another Tip on How to Keep Your Car out of the Shop!

For more information, call Leo Huggins at 404-435-8495 or go to Smart Choices