IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN MANY ARE THINKING ABOUT HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, BUT MONEY IS TIGHT AND THE IDEA OF RENOVATIONS MAY ONLY BE IN THE CARDS IF IT CAN BE DONE AT THE RIGHT PRICE ... TRADITIONALLY, WE'D LOOK IN THE PAPER, ASK A NEIGHBOR OR RESPOND TO SOMETHING HANGING ON OUR DOOR. WHAT'S OUR NEW MOVE? WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IT ON TV & RADIO. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST ....

Old way: Traditionally, homeowners looking to hire a contractor would respond to a door hanger, or maybe call a number on a yard sign, maybe ask a neighbor for a recommendation.

New way: ServiceMagic.com has a database of 52,000 prescreened contractors and other types of home service professionals, such as plumbers, electricians, landscapers, maids, on and on. With a few clicks of the mouse you have multiple (qualified/screened) contractors competing for your business.

What does "prescreened" mean? ServiceMagic has a 10 point contractor screening system – they do things like verify the contractor is state licensed, verify the contractor has the appropriate liability insurance, run criminal background checks and more. For their part, contractors pay to be listed on the site ... they pay on a per lead basis. Anywhere from $6.00 per lead, on up to $50.00, depending on how exact the customer requests match the services they provide. Contractors we talked with say the leads are usually pretty solid and using the service is cheaper than advertising in the newspaper.

Finding your contractor: It takes only 2 or 3 minutes to submit a request. Click on the type of job you are interested in, anything from room additions to landscape design or housekeeping service – there are 500 different services homeowners can choose from.

Successive screens narrow the specifics of a particular job request ... For example, if you're hiring a landscape company – do you need a new beds installed? Are you interested in a patio, a walkway, etc.? This is all working toward matching you with companies who are qualified to perform the work you need done. Then, they ask: Are you ready to hire now? Are you just in the planning/budgeting stage?

After you submit your request, the site uses proprietary technology to narrow down to a handful of local businesses (3 or 4) that best match the your needs. Then, an alert goes out via e-mail or an automated telephone call to those qualified businesses in the ServiceMagic network. The businesses respond directly to the lead and can be patched through to the consumer immediately.

From there, it is up to the homeowner to choose from among the responding businesses. Consumers should still take all the usual smart steps: Meet with more than one service provider and get written estimates before awarding the job ... But at least you know you're dealing with contractors who have all met certain criteria. Consumers also have the benefit of viewing profiles of the businesses with whom they've been matched, including promotional offers, photos of previous work, licensing and insurance information.

Because many people are operating on tighter home-improvement budgets ... It's important that your contractor does the job right the first time. The last thing you want to do is have to shell out money for a do-over.

As discussing on WPIX Channel 11 in NYC today, there are 130,000 registered e-jurors. Virtual jurors get paid approx $5 to $10 per verdict depending on the complexity of the case. Cases are assigned by county, so the more lawyers in your area using a service like eJury, the more cases available to you. This is cash you can't count on, but it's interesting work if & when it comes your way.

Behind this is a shift in pre-trial research with virtual juries becoming one of the newest tools. They're helping lawyers develop their courtroom presentations and make strategic decisions around selecting jurors and calculating settlements . Makes perfect sense to tap into collective intelligence.

After registering on the site & accepting an "oath," eJurors are assigned cases. The facts of each case are presented online, along with any visuals (i.e. diagrams, video, etc.) or other relevant information. eJurors read the "Plaintiff's" and "Defendants" perspectives and ultimately answer a series of "Jury Questions," designed to gauge how the case may play out in court.

The company tells me approx. 90% of the cases are "Civil," such as product liability, medical malpractice, personal injury, auto collisions, employment claims, family law (divorce & custody issues), civil rights & business litigation. Only 10% are "criminal" cases such as capital murder, sexual assault. Either way, your inner Judge-Judy should be well satisfied.

www.ejury.com//

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "haggle" as "to annoy or exhaust with wrangling." Makes it sounds a little harsh, but hey if it nets you a bargain ... game on.

With the economy on shaky ground, more Americans are pulling out all the stops to stretch their dollars further. This includes haggling for lower prices on everything from cars, to new flat screen TVs, furniture, home improvement products ... even clothing. But did you know, your mouse may be one of the best bargaining chips of all? It's called "e-Haggling."'

THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ALL OF US ... WE BUY AN ITEM AND THE VERY NEXT WEEK THE PRICE DROPS OR IT GOES ON SALE . BUT IT'S NOT GAME OVER?

www.priceprotectr.com

Most retailers offer what are called "price protection" policies, where they promise to refund a portion of your purchase price, if the product you bought drops in price within a certain time frame after you buy it. A typical period of time is 30 days. At PriceProtectr.com, they watch prices so you don't have to; if an item drops in price after you purchase it, they'll notify you by email so you can get a refund of the difference. To use the service, just enter the URL for the item you purchased.

AND THERE'S A SITE THAT WORKS IN SIMILAR FASHION FOR AIRFARES?
www.yapta.com – "Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant"
All major airlines offer what is called the "guaranteed airfare policy," which means you're eligible for a refund if the fare price decreases. Plug your email address and itinerary into Yapta.com (before or after you book) and it will alert you if/when prices drop. Even after deducting any change fee that may be levied by the airline, if the $400 round trip ticket you purchased is suddenly $200, you might have $150+ bucks headed your way – usually the money comes by way of a travel voucher you can use on a future trip.

ONE OF THE LATEST WAYS TO E-HAGGLE IS WITH OUR CELL PHONE?
Wireless E-Haggling: At wap.aol.com/shopping there's a mobile comparison shopping tool where you can compare prices on nearly 12 million products right on your cell phone, while you're in the store. Try showing that to the salesperson ... it could move the needle in your direction.

SHOPPING FOR A NEW OR USED CAR ... ALSO POPULAR ONLINE ... SOME TIPS THERE FOR GETTING THE BEST DEAL?

75% of car shoppers start their search online ... and spring/summer is a popular time to buy a new set of wheels. Your best bet is to start out on a major autos site like autos.aol.com ... Once you find the make/model you're after, your next move should be to email the dealer for an anonymous no obligation price quote. Chances are, they're going to give you a competitive price ... after all, they want you to show up to the lot on Saturday. On the other hand, if their price seems a little high to you, email back and let them know ... Tell them you're also waiting on quotes from other dealers. If they want your business, they'll likely respond with their best price.

We were back talking cars this weekend ... It was really nice to to catch up in-person with the extremely talented Clayton Morris. You're hard-pressed not to like the guy .... www.ClaytonMorris.com. We compared iPhone habits & got Rich Reichmuth to admit he's a blackberry addict.

When was there, Rich hid Courtney Friel's shoe ... Hey, you've got to humor yourself off-camera ...:)

We played ALL-things Wii ALL weekend at my sister's house. From tennis, to bowling to Guitar Hero it was NON-Stop action with an audience (we're a big family).

Looking ahead, here's what we'll all probably be playing when the holidays come around ... Can almost see my sister mastering her center of gravity with the new Wii Fit available now in Europe and on the ground here in the U.S. on May 19.

Soon you'll be able to start doing muscle workouts, yoga poses and balance games, like ski racing and jumps. Check out this downhill run & blocked shots on soccer goal. Total Score! The winner: Nintendo!

There's some talk on message boards re: what mats you do & don't need + what is & isn't included bundled Wii offers. Those can be tricky. Sometimes significantly cheaper, but only if you need/want everything included. If you're a gamer, you might actually find some of the things listed in this article remotely doable: 10 EASY WAYS TO GET MORE FROM YOUR WII

Having seen the demand in my sister's living room & remembering the trouble Santa went to for Guitar Hero this year, am getting in on this early & pre-order. The trick will be resisting breaking them out on a rainy day ...

RELATED: This parody is kind of a riot. And, of course, the Internet wouldn't be complete without a baby laughing video. This little guy's giggle is contagious!:)

Gotta admit, this was news to me ... it's called peer to peer lending -- People turning to perfect strangers vs banks for loans on a site called Prosper.com. Thousands of people are looking for loans and thousands of individuals are willing and able to serve as lenders. Often they lend small amounts to many different people, spreading the risk. Here's a terrific local news story with Laura Rillos explaining how the site works.

My brother-in-law is totally intrigued by this site. Hard not to be.

Prosper.com, reported that its lending volume totaled $80 million in 2007, nearly triple the $28 million it totaled in 2006. Other similar sites include Facebook's Lending Club.

Sat in traffic all morning. All could think about was home much time & gas was being wasted. Ironically, every story on the radio was about gas prices and area road planning. Turns out, there are some new online applications might prove useful on this front. You can even find out where construction is underway, as lots of orange hardhats & one lane, can be a huge factor with summer road trips. Plus, in my world, if you're due at a TV Bureau at a certain time, being punctual is make or break ... Here's hoping we all find these 3 SITES TO AVOID TRAFFIC useful.

Nobody likes to sit in traffic. Searches for the word "traffic" are up 44% on AOL Search so drivers are clearly looking for help.

TrafficLand: You really can do just about everything from your Facebook page these days, and getting live video feeds of the roads on your daily commute is no longer an exception. Just go to Facebook and search for "TrafficLand" to add the application to your profile.

MapQuest Traffic: MapQuest just announced a new feature called Current Traffic that lets users overlay traffic conditions, including crashes, construction and slow speeds, on top of their route map with one click. Perfect for travel on new routes when you want to be sure to arrive on time.

TrafficGauge: If you're traveling to a new city and not sure of the traffic patterns check out TrafficGuage. This one's not free – it's as low as about $1.99 a month – but this one uses real-time data to guide you around traffic in 20 major cities right on your phone.

But, man, would love to say I did & really want to commend all of you who did ... Including colleagues & neighbors;) In the old days, you got a photo. Now, there's streaming video. Check it out, HERE.

Got this email from MapMyFitness.com. Am really grateful someone brought this site to my attention as the Spring fitness season gets underway ... Start selecting events, HERE. Note to self: If you don't run, you have nothing to map!

MapMyFitness would like to offer its congratulations to all of our members who competed in the Boston Marathon (view course map) yesterday!

MapMyFitness wants to encourage Boston Marathon runners and runners of any races to post their race stories in our new MapMyFitness Stories Page. The stories page allows MapMyFitness members to submit stories of their favorite routes, fitness achievements, training experiences, inspirational moments, etc. to share with other members. MapMyFitness will award the authors of its favorite stories $100 for the rights to re-use their submissions in its future online and print publications.

Submit Your Story to MapMyFitness today!

Thanks for being loyal members and congratulations, again, to all of our runners in the Boston and all the other races this past weekend!

Sincerely,
The MapMyFitness Team