If you are looking to upgrade your home please consider upgrading with energy efficient items. These upgrades will save you money on your utility bills and give you a few tax breaks. Homes that are energy efficient can possibly even get you discounts at your local utility companies. This could be different from company to company. The tax credits however are listed below.
Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500 total, in 2009 & 2010 (ONLY for existing homes, NOT new construction, that are your principle residence) for:
· Windows and Doors
· Insulation
· Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)
· HVAC
· Water Heaters (non-solar)
· Biomass Stoves
Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit, through 2016 (for existing homes & new construction - it does not have to be your principle residence, vacation homes are eligible).
· Geothermal Heat Pumps
· Solar Panels
· Solar Water Heater
· Small Wind Energy Systems
Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $500 per .5 kW of power capacity, through 2016 (for your existing principle residence or new construction that will be your principle residence, DOES NOT include vacation homes) for:
Fuel Cells
Renters are not eligible for any of the tax credits.
See energystar.gov/taxcredits for details.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Don't Let Your Valuables Go Down The Drain!
Now I’m sure you’ve seen the old sitcoms where someone loses a ring or something down the sink and the hilarious antics of trying to retrieve it. Well I’m here to tell you it doesn’t just happen in comedy shows; it happens in real-life too and I saw it this weekend. So here’s what happened…Someone dropped their ring down the drain.
So the ring goes down where you have a little goose-neck catch; anything heavy falls in this area and does not get flushed all the way down the drain. This assumes that the water is not running, so make sure you have turned the water off. Now if your ring ends up all the way down the drain, well you are going to be getting a new ring, right? But as long as it is in the little goose-neck catch, you can get it out. Here is what you do: Get out a Shop-Vac. Everyone has a Shop-Vac right? If you don’t, your neighbor does. Get a ladies stocking and put it over the hose of the Shop-Vac. In other words, the hose part that does the vacuuming has pantyhose over the top. Then take the hose and put it in the sink right over the drain and turn the vacuum on for about 30 seconds. In this case, the ring, which was caught in the goose-neck trap, was then sucked up. Very clever little trick. I hope you never have to use it, but at least you know what to do if it ever happens to you and 99 chances out of 100, the ring or whatever you dropped is going to be right there on the pantyhose from the vacuum cleaner. I love this trick. This one would be a good one to share with friends and family.
The point of me telling you this story is to let you know that there are always solutions to what you are going through. I know that it is a challenging time right now for some people, but keep in mind it is an opportunity for others.
And this is a great time to be buying houses right now guys, I’m telling you there are some real good deals out there. For those of you looking to sell - houses are starting to move and the market has definitely turned. We are seeing a lot of activity right now. So give us a call or shoot us an email. Thanks for joining us today and we will talk to you when you call in.
So the ring goes down where you have a little goose-neck catch; anything heavy falls in this area and does not get flushed all the way down the drain. This assumes that the water is not running, so make sure you have turned the water off. Now if your ring ends up all the way down the drain, well you are going to be getting a new ring, right? But as long as it is in the little goose-neck catch, you can get it out. Here is what you do: Get out a Shop-Vac. Everyone has a Shop-Vac right? If you don’t, your neighbor does. Get a ladies stocking and put it over the hose of the Shop-Vac. In other words, the hose part that does the vacuuming has pantyhose over the top. Then take the hose and put it in the sink right over the drain and turn the vacuum on for about 30 seconds. In this case, the ring, which was caught in the goose-neck trap, was then sucked up. Very clever little trick. I hope you never have to use it, but at least you know what to do if it ever happens to you and 99 chances out of 100, the ring or whatever you dropped is going to be right there on the pantyhose from the vacuum cleaner. I love this trick. This one would be a good one to share with friends and family.
The point of me telling you this story is to let you know that there are always solutions to what you are going through. I know that it is a challenging time right now for some people, but keep in mind it is an opportunity for others.
And this is a great time to be buying houses right now guys, I’m telling you there are some real good deals out there. For those of you looking to sell - houses are starting to move and the market has definitely turned. We are seeing a lot of activity right now. So give us a call or shoot us an email. Thanks for joining us today and we will talk to you when you call in.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Green Apples Can Help Sell Your Home
We just had a staff meeting and one of our team members brought in a report that was written by the Smell And Taste Treatment Research Foundation of Chicago – whew that’s a mouthful. They specialize in how smells and tastes affect us as human beings. In this report it said that the smell of apples, of green apples to be exact, is a great cure for claustrophobia.
Now I know you’re saying, “Wait a minute! What does this have to do with buying and selling houses?” I will tell you in just a second. But if you ever find yourself in a tight spot and feeling a little claustrophobic, make sure you have enough room to carry an extra green apple in your pocket! Smell it before you go into a small space. They say it works amazingly.
Now the good stuff – they took a group of people and brought them into rooms. They asked them to estimate the size of the rooms. Then, they did nothing but add the smell of green apples to those rooms, and consistently the subjects estimated the rooms bigger than they really were. It was absolutely amazing. Something in the smell messes with our concept of space, making things seem bigger and more spacious.
So what does this mean for you? If any of you are looking to sell a house, put the smell of green apples in it. You can use actual apples or go to the store and get a room deodorizer with the smell of green apple. By getting the smell of green apples, it gives a spaciousness feel to the home. That is great news.
Now I know you’re saying, “Wait a minute! What does this have to do with buying and selling houses?” I will tell you in just a second. But if you ever find yourself in a tight spot and feeling a little claustrophobic, make sure you have enough room to carry an extra green apple in your pocket! Smell it before you go into a small space. They say it works amazingly.
Now the good stuff – they took a group of people and brought them into rooms. They asked them to estimate the size of the rooms. Then, they did nothing but add the smell of green apples to those rooms, and consistently the subjects estimated the rooms bigger than they really were. It was absolutely amazing. Something in the smell messes with our concept of space, making things seem bigger and more spacious.
So what does this mean for you? If any of you are looking to sell a house, put the smell of green apples in it. You can use actual apples or go to the store and get a room deodorizer with the smell of green apple. By getting the smell of green apples, it gives a spaciousness feel to the home. That is great news.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Things You Need to Know About Your Septic System!!!
If you live or are looking to purchase a property in the county, then you need to know a little bit about septic systems. When buying or selling a home you need to make sure that your home has a large enough septic system. If your home has 4 bedrooms and a septic system that is only functional for 2 bedrooms, then you cannot sell your home as a 4 bedroom house, which can drastically reduce the price of your home.
Here are some other things you need to know about your septic system:
1) What type of septic system do you have?
2) Where is it located?
3) Where is the repair area located?
4) Is the septic system working properly?
5) Has it been maintained in the past?
6) How do you recognize a failing septic system?
7) What maintenance is needed in the future?
Here are some signs of possible septic system problems:
1) Sewage backing up into your toilets, tubs, or sinks.
2) Slowly draining fixtures; particularly after it has rained.
3) The smell of raw sewage accompanied by extremely soggy soil over the drainfield.
4) Sewage discharged over the ground or in nearby ditches or woods. Note, in the LPP system
sewage may come to the ground surface when the pump is turned on and then disappear
after the pump turns off.
5) Broken or cracked white pipes that stick out of the ground in a LPP system.
6) An alarm flashing (red light) or beeping in the house, garage, crawl space, or in the yard
indicating a pump is not working properly.
7) An increase in infections or illnesses associated with swimming in lakes or rivers next to the
system.
8) Water test results indicating the presence of biological contamination or organic chemical
contamination in the groundwater under the system.
More information can be found by contacting your county's Department of Public Health or Environmental Health Division.
Here are some other things you need to know about your septic system:
1) What type of septic system do you have?
2) Where is it located?
3) Where is the repair area located?
4) Is the septic system working properly?
5) Has it been maintained in the past?
6) How do you recognize a failing septic system?
7) What maintenance is needed in the future?
Here are some signs of possible septic system problems:
1) Sewage backing up into your toilets, tubs, or sinks.
2) Slowly draining fixtures; particularly after it has rained.
3) The smell of raw sewage accompanied by extremely soggy soil over the drainfield.
4) Sewage discharged over the ground or in nearby ditches or woods. Note, in the LPP system
sewage may come to the ground surface when the pump is turned on and then disappear
after the pump turns off.
5) Broken or cracked white pipes that stick out of the ground in a LPP system.
6) An alarm flashing (red light) or beeping in the house, garage, crawl space, or in the yard
indicating a pump is not working properly.
7) An increase in infections or illnesses associated with swimming in lakes or rivers next to the
system.
8) Water test results indicating the presence of biological contamination or organic chemical
contamination in the groundwater under the system.
More information can be found by contacting your county's Department of Public Health or Environmental Health Division.
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