Now that summer has passed and the weather is turning cold, it’s time to think about patio heaters.  Many parts of the country stay warm enough in the fall and winter to allow patio use, and a patio heater can take the chill off.  Patio heaters have become an important patio accessory and there are a variety of styles and price ranges available. 

These are some of the most popular type of patio heaters:

Check out this YouTube video about Outdoor Propane Patio Heaters.

As the prices of homes continue to drop, even the ultra-rich are feeling the pinch. According to Forbes.com, the prices of some of the most expensive home properties in the world are also being reduced. For example a 22,000-square foot Connecticut home that was the second highest priced home for sale in the world last year at $125 million now has a $60 million price tag.

The current top-priced home is Candy Spelling’s mansion in Los Angeles, which is priced at $150 million. The 45,000 square foot house has 100 rooms and is modeled after the palace at Versailles. Candy Spelling, widow of famed television producer Aaron Spelling, plans to keep the house on the market at that price and has no plans to cut the price. It remains to be seen whether she’ll get the price she wants for the property.  Read complete details and see a slideshow of the world’s most expensive houses at Forbes.com.

The home building industry is still experiencing a slow down as a result of the current recessionary climate. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, construction of new homes in October dropped to its lowest point since April. Contributing to the slowdown in new home construction is an abundance of unsold new homes already on the market and the record-high number of recent home foreclosures. A contributing factor in the lack of new home starts is uncertainty about the extension of tax credits for homebuyers. The low construction level in turn contributes to the high level of unemployment currently being experienced in the construction industry.

In an interview with Fox News, President Barack Obama said the government is considering tax breaks to encourage job growth, but added that continued deficit spending through tax cuts and stimulus funding could in turn diminish people’s confidence in the economy and “lead to a double-dip recession.”