Home repair contractor Kaile Warren had a rags-to-riches story that was enviable. The former homeless home improver credits "divine intervention" with giving him the idea for a home improvement company and brand name that would ultimately place him on a national stage that included appearances on Oprah, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the CBS Early Show, to name a few.

But according to an investigative report by USA Today, Warren has all but crashed and burned taking more than a dozen investors with him who poured an estimated $4.5 million into his Rent-A-Husband chain of home improvement franchises.

Today, Warren is reportedly more than $3 million in debt with assets of just $145,000, faces investor complaints, one lawsuit, and investigation by the Maine Division of Securities.

Here's a video by USA Today on the story:

Can green consumers be trusted? Maybe not.

A new study to be published in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science has found that just being around green products can make consumers behave more altruistically. But buying those same products can have the opposite effect.

Researchers found that while consumers who were simply exposed to green products tended to act more altruistically, consumers who actually purchased green products were more likely to "cheat and steal" than those who purchased conventional products.

The research found buying products that claim to be made with low environmental impact can set up "moral credentials" in people's minds that give license to selfish or questionable behavior.

"This was not done to point the finger at consumers who buy green products. The message is bigger," says Nina Mazar, a marketing professor at University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and a self-admitted green consumer. "At the end of the day, if we do one moral thing, it doesn't necessarily mean we will be morally better in other things as well."

Because purchasing green products affirms individuals' values of social responsibility and ethical consciousness, the study predicts that "purchasing green products will establish moral credentials, ironically licensing selfish and morally questionable behavior."

What's next, a burgeoning black market for compact florescent light bulbs and low flow toilets?

Tom Kraeutler is the AOL'S Home Improvement Editor and co-author of "My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure." He delivers green home improvement tips each week as host of The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated home improvement radio program. He has never been known to so much as steal an organic carrot.

October is Energy Awareness Month and if you are like most, you're about to get pretty "aware" of just how un-energy inefficient your home may be. As temperatures start to drop and heating systems kick on, receiving that first heating bill is likely to grab your attention pretty quick.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical home loses more than 25% of its heat through windows. So, here are a few ways to lock down energy loss from leaky windows before that first big bill show's up:

Test your windows
The first step towards sealing out drafty, inefficient windows is to figure out where the problems lie. Look for condensation inside the glass on double- or triple-glazed windows. This could indicate seal failure. If this is the case, you might need to replace the glass or the entire window.

A new report from the non-profit National Center for Healthy Housing reveals as many as one out of every three homes in a metro area may have a home repair problem that exposes residents to significant health risks.

Created by the non-profit National Center for Healthy Housing, this first-ever national healthy housing indicator used US Census data to identify 20 key housing problems that relate to occupant health.

In a story ripe for fright matching Alfred Hitchcock's famous shower scene, researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have discovered that taking a shower can deliver a face full of potentially dangerous bacteria.

Researchers analyzed roughly 50 showerheads from nine cities in seven states that included New York City, Chicago and Denver. The result? Thirty percent of the devices harbored significant levels of Mycobacterium avium, a bacteria linked to pulmonary disease that most often infects people with compromised immune systems but which can occasionally infect healthy people, said Professor Norman Pace, who lead the study.

If you are still reeling from high electric bills driven by summer cooling costs, you may finally be of the mind-set to do something about it.

Many local utility companies actually want to help you spend less on electricity, and are introducing new ways help lower electric bills.

With consumer incentives and smart technologies, consumers can be rewarded for conservation efforts in tangible ways for efforts to live green and protect the planet:

With summer storms upon us and hurricane season well underway, it's a good time to think about the homeowner's insurance coverage you have and what you might need to do should you ever need it. Insurance coverage is a financial necessity should a major disaster hit, but damage caused by many smaller weather events could also trigger a claim.

For example, on my home improvement radio show, I'll frequently get calls from listeners who had a stiff storm role though and needed help fix a skylight that now leaks. If it didn't leak before the storm, my advice is to always turn towards the insurance coverage you have, as weather damage is covered.

Filing a homeowner's insurance claim however, is never a pleasant process. And frankly, I'm one who believes that all too often insurance companies design a certain level of aggravation into the process hoping to wear you down. But while you may hope you'll never need to call upon the coverage of your homeowners insurance policy, in the event that you do it is important to properly file your claim.

According to a news report by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the clock is running down on the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers. With less than four months to go, builders are urging qualified prospective buyers to start the sales process long before the Nov. 30 deadline.

Builders are also warning that faulty appraisals, completed using foreclosed properties as comparables for new homes, have been slowing down the sales process, creating hiccups in the financing stage that can often push the closing date much later than originally expected.

First-time buyers should also anticipate tighter lending standards that generally don't allow 100% financing, making buyers responsible for coming up with enough money prior to their purchase to meet required downpayment and closing costs.

Not every room has instant architectural interest, but you can create a dynamic look with the reasonably priced, paintable moldings and trims offered at any home improvement center. Here are just a few of the many affordable ways to give a space an expensive look.

1. Add crown molding to a room, and you also add pedigree. Profiles range from simple to elaborate, and some can create the illusion of a sculpted ceiling.
2. Install a chair rail to add elegance and definition to a space. This element also creates the opportunity to marry two complementary colors or a solid color and pattern for additional visual interest.
3. Use a small crown molding and parallel trim piece to make a frieze along the top perimeter of a room, and paint a border design or apply texture or an allover pattern between the boundaries.
4. Apply beautiful pieces of wallpaper directly to a wall and then trim out with decorative molding for a pretty framed-art effect. Or swap in solid color as a backdrop to a collection of framed photos or other keepsakes.
5. Change a room's mood by painting trim and molding with colors from a tone-on-tone palette or by using contrasting colors for dramatic effect.

Installing these molding is also becoming simpler as smart manufacturing ratchets down the skill levels required. For example, So Simple Crown Molding is made out of foam and can be help in place with just caulk.

Plus, all corners are pre-cut which eliminates the most difficult crown molding installation step, cutting a compound-miter corner.

Tom Kraeutler is the AOL'S Home Improvement Editor and co-author of "My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure." He delivers home improvement tips each week as host of The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated home improvement radio program.

By balancing the cost of home improvement projects against the return on investment those projects can bring in real home value at the time of sale, you can make the most of a conservative amount of cash while enhanciing home value and enjoyment.

Rally your do-it-yourself skills for a project or two from among the following under $1,000 upgrades.

1. Replace kitchen counter tops. Cook up a new look by upgrading kitchen work surfaces with one of the many sleek, budget-friendly materials available. Great green options include stainless steel, cast concrete, and solid surfacing and terrazzo composites made from recycled materials. Also revise counter-top collections for a clean, clear view and easy access to work zones.
2. Accessorize the bathroom for comfort and safety. If you plan to stay in your home for many years to come, start making small changes that create easy access for family members of all ages and abilities. AARP's Bathroom Checklist can help you assess the current state of your bath and select smart installations like a wider entry door, easy-to-grasp door and cabinet hardware, rocker light switches, grab bars, and a shower fixture with a removable, hand-held head.