Instead of Burning All That Cash, SAVE It With These Great Energy Conservation Tips!

When your home is poorly insulated, running on faulty ground or operating on less-than-efficient standards, rest assured, you WILL at some point have to empty those pockets and suffer some serious damages. It’s not just a matter of being ‘green’, though that is always a great way to live, it’s actually more a matter of finding the best and most efficient ways to live in your home so that you and your family aren’t losing out. It doesn’t have to be this way forever. By following just a few straightforward adjustments you can conserve energy and live comfortably. Here’s how:

Close the Gaps

The biggest lost opportunity to save energy is when people don’t make sure all seals are properly closed. This holds true for all areas that lead from one environment to the next – even indoor climate changes apply here. So if you don’t heat your basement in the wintertime by placing a draft roll at the base of the door that leads from the basement to the heated area, you are doing yourself a huge financial favor. A lot of times, homeowners are simply not aware of how much energy is lost through these gaps. You can save several hundred dollars per year if you make sure there are no drafts coming through your windows, doors and other similar closures. Making sure there are no gaps left unclosed will also keep the heat out or cool in depending on the season.

If it’s Broken, Fix It

Few people actually realize just how much a broken or inefficiently running appliance can become an energy-monger. Take a dishwasher, for instance. When a dishwasher is run at a less-than optimal level, it uses up more electricity, tends to run in a way that requires more than the usual cycles because the dishes don’t end up as clean as they should be. If the electrical systems are not working properly, for example, the appliance will run on a lower voltage, for a longer period. All these things are examples of things that go wrong when a machine is not working 100% properly. The same philosophy applies to heating/cooling systems, bathroom fixtures (imagine how much water wastage occurs with leaking faucets or toilets!), faulty security devices or even bad window and doors installation.

Light Up With Sky Lights

In the dark ages it was literally dark. Ok, so maybe not all the time but the basic concept of daylight and twilight remained, leaving activities that required light to be done after dawn. Since the advent of electricity, however, all that has changed. But it doesn’t mean that just because we can have ‘daylight’ around the clock, that we should. By seizing the energy opportunities availed to us by the sun, you can save a lot of money on unused (and unnecessary) wasted electricity. A skylight is an excellent solution because depending on the design, not only does it light up a large area of space in your home, it is also stylish, modern and green. Skylights were around long before everyone starting ‘going green’ but they have significantly evolved and they are definitely here to stay.

Plant Roots on the Roof

Plants are a surprisingly good insulator against the elements – and they look great too! Most people think of plants as an aesthetic addition to their home, to liven it up and add that greenery that is loved so much. But did you know that plants are also a great way to naturally clean the air and block irritants like dust and insects by acting as barriers if placed strategically in your home? The most unknown benefit of greenery from an energy conservation standpoint, however, is the insulation effect it offers when used on rooftops. The phenomenon of rooftop gardening for this purpose is very prevalent in Europe and other parts of the world and extends beyond household real estate to commercial real estate as well. As an excellent way to seal in the cool (or warmth) inside a space and of course ideal for flat rooftops, if yours is an outside space that you can cover with greenery, you will start seeing the savings pile up with less energy costs.

Use the Sun

Install solar energy panels wherever possible so you can generate electricity using the natural power of our sun, rather than the energy company with constantly rising costs. With so many options, sizes and styles of solar panels, you can even go one step further and purchase things like solar-powered outdoor lamps, heating and cooling and air conditioning too. The choices and price ranges are limitless.

Whether you decide to go on a maintenance spree, invite the sun right inside your home or go green on your roof, you are sure to save enough to return any investments made to conserve the energy in the first place. It doesn’t take much but if you and your family are consciously aware of making these few changes to your home and lifestyle, before you know it, you will be able to take a vacation with all that money you save!

What to Look for in 2011

My Video Blogging Promise to You in 2011

I started video blogging last year to help you make better decisions in real estate. Now, in 2011, I'd like to help you improve and maintain the value of your home so you keep a strong financial asset. So, instead of buying and selling topics, I'd like to share with you tips and tricks to keep the most value in your property. I made a short video with what you can expect from my blog in the coming months, as I want my email updates to be valuable for you.  If you have any special request for topics, reply and let me know, otherwise watch the video I made just for you!

Determine if the "Neighborhood Value" Is There!

"Neighborhood value" is the atmosphere of a particular area - the look and feel of the homes and yards and so forth. But, more importantly, it's the "vibe" you receive from the neighbors.

Let's be honest: You can buy the finest home on the planet, but obnoxious neighbors can spoil the whole living experience for you.

Or, it could be the opposite - the neighbors aren't obnoxious; the current owners are. They may have had disputes with their neighbors and created an unhappy climate.

Depending on the nature of the disputes, the neighbors may be glad to see you, or they may be so negative toward the current owners that their attitude may spill over onto you, even though you had nothing to do with the situation! If that's true, then you may want to look at homes in a different area.

I'll give you an extreme example that happened to a friend of mine in a different city. We'll call him "Dave." He was interested in a home in a nice central-city neighborhood. The price seemed high, but the owner was trying to sell the house by himself so that didn't seem unusual since a "For Sale By Owner" often asks for a price above the estimated market value. As I'd advised him to do, Dave did his "due diligence" and talked to the neighbors.

Boy, did he get an earful! Turns out everyone hated "Ted," the owner of the property. As far as Dave could tell, this man had gone out of his way to offend everyone he possibly could in the neighborhood.

"Ted" played loud music at all hours of the night…shot a BB gun at pets that weren't in his yard…disputed suggested changes at neighborhood meetings…and had even tried to prevent a current neighbor (a nice family with two well-behaved children) from buying his present home because…well…no one was quite sure why. "Ted" simply seemed to have "mean" in his circulatory system, instead of blood.
Needless to say, this was a strange situation for Dave! On the one hand, the neighbors were practically begging him to buy the home simply to get rid of "Ted."

On the other, "Ted" was every bit as obnoxious with him in the bargaining process. He was loud, verbally abusive, and ridiculed every offer Dave made.

Well, you can guess the result. Dave felt sorry for the neighbors, but walked away because he didn't need the grief! Let me emphasize once again that this is an extreme case; however, as you can see, it never hurts to investigate a neighborhood thoroughly before buying a home!

But there's also another important reason for you to talk with neighbors; good neighbors can alert you to problems you may not be aware of; for example, basement flooding, termites, leaky roofs, etc.

When that happens, you can either look at a different house or negotiate with the seller to lower the price of the property!

The Best Way to Evaluate a Neighborhood and Its Value

The best way to evaluate a particular neighborhood is write up a checklist of desirable aspects before you ever enter that neighborhood!

Below, I provide you with typical features (in alphabetical order) to check out. However, you should add as much detail as possible to that list since everyone has different needs and wants.
• Association fees (if applicable)
• Closeness to parks and recreation for the kids
• Crime rate
• Length of commute to work 
• Noisy pets (barking dogs, etc.) 
• Property taxes.
• Proximity to busy streets or main thoroughfares.
• Proximity to mall, shops, restaurants, etc.
• Reputation of school district
 • Sidewalks and running trails throughout the neighborhood.
• Type of families in the neighborhood, etc.

The list above has all the "objective" features of a neighborhood; that is, you can measure them, for the most part, by facts and figures.

Assuming a neighborhood meets these objective criteria, then it's time to analyze the "subjective" features by visiting the area.

Drive through the neighborhood to get an initial look. Do this at different times and on several different days to get a real feel for the area.

Assuming you like what you see, you should also get out and walk the neighborhood. You may well see things you missed from the car.

As I suggested earlier, talk to the neighbors to get their opinions of the neighborhood and the property you're considering.

I'd recommend you select a time when they're likely to be outside walking or in their yards (gardening, watering, mowing, etc.). That way, you don't have to knock on their doors and interrupt their personal time.

Since buying a home is such an important decision, you can see that it's vitally important to check both the objective and subjective features of a neighborhood. And, since it's my business to know every one of those aspects, I encourage you to contact me so I can fill you in on the "neighborhood value" of an area you're interested in! Contact me today!