Let's walk through an energy audit of a typical home.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT: 5 Ways to Green Up Your Neighborhood
Once you’ve made your home more environmentally friendly, it’s time to extend your mission of sustainable development to the rest of your community.
You’ve swapped out your home’s light bulbs, strung a laundry line, and installed a programmable thermostat. Maybe you’ve even replaced your drafty windows. Now you’re ready for more. You’re thinking about reaching out to like-minded souls to see what you can do together to make your community more sustainable. You aren’t alone.
Around the country, loosely organized alliances of green-leaning friends and neighbors are comparing notes and sharing resources. Nobody knows just how many of these eco-coalitions are out there, but they all have something in common: Committed, enthusiastic people who want to make a difference.
Start by finding allies. Consider organizing a block party. Ask your local government if you can close off the street for an afternoon. Share food, drink, and music. Pass around a clipboard and collect emails from attendees who might be interested in working together. Then consider putting one of these ideas into action.
Share your soil
Satisfy your conscience as well as your green thumb by tending a patch of neglected earth. Condo or townhome owners might elect to join a community garden, but wait lists for these plots can easily stretch on for years. Enter groups like Urban Garden Share, which match up property owners with would-be sharecroppers. “It is kind of like online dating for gardeners,” says Amy Pennington, head of the program that currently boasts 240 active members in Seattle.
Property owners list offers of space and water on the website, and interested gardeners typically supply seeds, tools, and labor. Gardener and garden owner can share the bounty. Pennington says that costs and labor usually come out about even for both parties. Depending on plot size, gardeners can expect to spend two to five hours a week weeding, watering, and harvesting during the growing season.
(Un)Forbidden Fruits
Groups are popping up that promote the gleaning of fruit from neglected or overlooked urban fruit trees. One such group is Fallen Fruit in Los Angeles, which offers online maps showing the locations of publicly accessible fruit trees. Fallen Fruit urges others to post maps of their neighborhoods to the website.
You’ve swapped out your home’s light bulbs, strung a laundry line, and installed a programmable thermostat. Maybe you’ve even replaced your drafty windows. Now you’re ready for more. You’re thinking about reaching out to like-minded souls to see what you can do together to make your community more sustainable. You aren’t alone.
Around the country, loosely organized alliances of green-leaning friends and neighbors are comparing notes and sharing resources. Nobody knows just how many of these eco-coalitions are out there, but they all have something in common: Committed, enthusiastic people who want to make a difference.
Start by finding allies. Consider organizing a block party. Ask your local government if you can close off the street for an afternoon. Share food, drink, and music. Pass around a clipboard and collect emails from attendees who might be interested in working together. Then consider putting one of these ideas into action.
Share your soil
Satisfy your conscience as well as your green thumb by tending a patch of neglected earth. Condo or townhome owners might elect to join a community garden, but wait lists for these plots can easily stretch on for years. Enter groups like Urban Garden Share, which match up property owners with would-be sharecroppers. “It is kind of like online dating for gardeners,” says Amy Pennington, head of the program that currently boasts 240 active members in Seattle.
Property owners list offers of space and water on the website, and interested gardeners typically supply seeds, tools, and labor. Gardener and garden owner can share the bounty. Pennington says that costs and labor usually come out about even for both parties. Depending on plot size, gardeners can expect to spend two to five hours a week weeding, watering, and harvesting during the growing season.
(Un)Forbidden Fruits
Groups are popping up that promote the gleaning of fruit from neglected or overlooked urban fruit trees. One such group is Fallen Fruit in Los Angeles, which offers online maps showing the locations of publicly accessible fruit trees. Fallen Fruit urges others to post maps of their neighborhoods to the website.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
NEWS: Administration Plans New Efforts on Foreclosures
With the foreclosure crisis showing no signs of relenting, the Obama administration plans to expand a program aimed at helping people remain in their homes.
The goal of the announcement, expected Monday, is to increase the rate at which troubled home loans are converted into new loans with lower monthly payments, Treasury spokeswoman Meg Reilly said over the weekend.
Industry officials said the new effort would include increased pressure on mortgage companies to accelerate loan modifications by highlighting firms that are lagging in that area.
The Treasury is also expected to announce that it will wait until the loan modifications are permanent before paying cash incentives to mortgage companies that lower loan payments.
Under a $75 billion Treasury program, companies that agree to lower payments for troubled borrowers collect $1,000 initially from the government for each loan, followed by $1,000 annually for up to three years.
The government support, which is provided from the $700 billion financial bailout program, is aimed at providing cash incentives for mortgage providers to accept smaller mortgage payments rather than foreclosing on homes.
The program has come under heavy criticism for failing to do enough to attack a tidal wave of foreclosures. Analysts said the foreclosure crisis is likely to persist well into next year as high unemployment pushes more people out of their homes.
The goal of the announcement, expected Monday, is to increase the rate at which troubled home loans are converted into new loans with lower monthly payments, Treasury spokeswoman Meg Reilly said over the weekend.
Industry officials said the new effort would include increased pressure on mortgage companies to accelerate loan modifications by highlighting firms that are lagging in that area.
The Treasury is also expected to announce that it will wait until the loan modifications are permanent before paying cash incentives to mortgage companies that lower loan payments.
Under a $75 billion Treasury program, companies that agree to lower payments for troubled borrowers collect $1,000 initially from the government for each loan, followed by $1,000 annually for up to three years.
The government support, which is provided from the $700 billion financial bailout program, is aimed at providing cash incentives for mortgage providers to accept smaller mortgage payments rather than foreclosing on homes.
The program has come under heavy criticism for failing to do enough to attack a tidal wave of foreclosures. Analysts said the foreclosure crisis is likely to persist well into next year as high unemployment pushes more people out of their homes.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
VIDEO: Evaluating The Market
Bill Raveis shares important information for buyers and sellers on how to evaluate facts and figures to assist with the home buying and selling process. He summarizes key data points for both buyers and sellers.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
HOME MAINTENANCE: Fall & Winter Seasonal Maintenance Guide For Living In The Northeast
Certain home maintenance tasks should be completed each season to prevent structural damage, save energy, and keep all your home’s systems running properly. These maintenance tasks are most important for the Northeast in fall and winter. For a comprehensive list of tasks, refer to the to-do list at the end of this article.
As cold weather approaches in the Northeast, it’s important to prepare your home for freezing temperatures, ice, and snow, says Steve Gladstone of Stonehollow Home Inspections in Stamford, Conn.
Key maintenance tasks to perform
• Clean your gutters. Leaving debris in your gutters is an invitation for trouble. Not only can it freeze and damage the gutters themselves, but it also can force freezing water up under your shingles and damage the roof. Gladstone says that many homes in the Northeast now have covered gutter systems, which fools many homeowners into thinking gutter cleaning is unnecessary. “Gutter covers keep leaves out,” he says, “but not fine organic material or grit from the roof.” It’s important to remove the covers and clean just as you would regular gutters.
• Clean and put away lawn and garden equipment. Do a visual inspection of the yard to identify anything lying around — garden tools, hoses and nozzles, patio furniture and accessories — that might be damaged by snow and ice and should be brought in for the winter.
Run your lawn mower until the gas tank is empty; if you leave gas in the tank over the winter, it can degrade and lose some of its combustion ability. Worse, gas can react with the air in the tank and oxidize, forming deposits that affect the machine’s performance; worse still, moisture can condense inside the tank and cause rust that blocks the fuel lines.
If you know you’re going to leave gas in the tank over the winter, add a stabilizer to the last gallon you put in (mix it in the gas can, not the mower tank, so that you get the mixing ratio correct).
• Disconnect hoses and winterize lawn irrigation systems. Leaving water in any exterior hoses or pipes can cause them to freeze and burst. If your exterior faucets aren’t self-draining, be sure to turn off the water manually at the shutoff valve inside the house so water doesn’t stand in the wall pipes.
If you have a lawn irrigation system, it’s important to make sure all the water has drained from the system before the first freeze. Depending on the type of system you’ve installed, this may require the assistance of a professional. A pro charges $50 to $150 to winterize an irrigation system.
• Schedule a furnace tune-up. Follow your HVAC professional as he works and ask questions about what he’s doing, says Gladstone. The technician should be working his way through a checklist of items such as inspecting filters, checking the chimney exhaust, and examining the blower and fuel connections. Expect to pay $50 to $100 for a furnace tune-up.
As cold weather approaches in the Northeast, it’s important to prepare your home for freezing temperatures, ice, and snow, says Steve Gladstone of Stonehollow Home Inspections in Stamford, Conn.
Key maintenance tasks to perform
• Clean your gutters. Leaving debris in your gutters is an invitation for trouble. Not only can it freeze and damage the gutters themselves, but it also can force freezing water up under your shingles and damage the roof. Gladstone says that many homes in the Northeast now have covered gutter systems, which fools many homeowners into thinking gutter cleaning is unnecessary. “Gutter covers keep leaves out,” he says, “but not fine organic material or grit from the roof.” It’s important to remove the covers and clean just as you would regular gutters.
• Clean and put away lawn and garden equipment. Do a visual inspection of the yard to identify anything lying around — garden tools, hoses and nozzles, patio furniture and accessories — that might be damaged by snow and ice and should be brought in for the winter.
Run your lawn mower until the gas tank is empty; if you leave gas in the tank over the winter, it can degrade and lose some of its combustion ability. Worse, gas can react with the air in the tank and oxidize, forming deposits that affect the machine’s performance; worse still, moisture can condense inside the tank and cause rust that blocks the fuel lines.
If you know you’re going to leave gas in the tank over the winter, add a stabilizer to the last gallon you put in (mix it in the gas can, not the mower tank, so that you get the mixing ratio correct).
• Disconnect hoses and winterize lawn irrigation systems. Leaving water in any exterior hoses or pipes can cause them to freeze and burst. If your exterior faucets aren’t self-draining, be sure to turn off the water manually at the shutoff valve inside the house so water doesn’t stand in the wall pipes.
If you have a lawn irrigation system, it’s important to make sure all the water has drained from the system before the first freeze. Depending on the type of system you’ve installed, this may require the assistance of a professional. A pro charges $50 to $150 to winterize an irrigation system.
• Schedule a furnace tune-up. Follow your HVAC professional as he works and ask questions about what he’s doing, says Gladstone. The technician should be working his way through a checklist of items such as inspecting filters, checking the chimney exhaust, and examining the blower and fuel connections. Expect to pay $50 to $100 for a furnace tune-up.
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