So...you have decided to join the fast-growing trend of eco-friendly living and want to purchase a green home. As with so many "Green" products currently available, from organic milk to hybrid cars, it's tough to know if the house you'dl ike to buy is good for the environment. So how do you determine what makes a house green? Going Green-Where to start: The first step is ensuring that the house is built to standard. Find out if the builder is a member of his or her local home-building association's green building program.
A good resource for this information is the National Association of Home Builders website http://www.nahb.org/ the site also features an outline of new home building green standards, which include: energy, water, and resource efficiency; lot and site developement; indoor air quality; global impact; and homeowner education.
Another source of good information is Home Depot's eco-friendly product guide http://www.homedepot.com/ecooptions Buying eco-friendly products is a growing trend with no end in site.
For more information on this, and any other Home buying or selling topic, contact:
Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI
Broker Associate/Connect Realty
Director of the California Association of Realtors
Toll Free 866-333-6333
wendmae@wendimae.com
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Home Alone?
Vacationing should be relaxing time, but preparing your home for your departure can be stressful.
Whether you're leaving your home for a week or a month, you can rest easy with these tips for keeping your home safe while you are away:
-Arrange for someone to do seasonal maintenance, like mowing, raking and the like...
-Have mail or packages picked up by a friend or neighbor, or held by the post office.
-Stop Newspaper deliveries.
-Lower your telephone ringer. And never leave an OGM that says you are away...
-Use timers for your lights. also consider connecting a radio to a timer.
-Leave blinds open, in their usual position.
-If you live in a cold climate, keep the heat on just enough so that the pipes don't freeze.
-Ask neighbors to park their car in your driveway.
-If you leave your car in the driveway-be sure to take your garage door opener out of the car, or at least keep it out of eye view.
-Double check all doors and windows, that they are locked.
-Tell a trusted friend or neighbor where you'll be...
Have a great vacation!!!
Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI
Broker Associate/Connct Realty
Director of the California Association of Realtors
Toll Free: 866-333-6333
http://www.wendimae.com
Whether you're leaving your home for a week or a month, you can rest easy with these tips for keeping your home safe while you are away:
-Arrange for someone to do seasonal maintenance, like mowing, raking and the like...
-Have mail or packages picked up by a friend or neighbor, or held by the post office.
-Stop Newspaper deliveries.
-Lower your telephone ringer. And never leave an OGM that says you are away...
-Use timers for your lights. also consider connecting a radio to a timer.
-Leave blinds open, in their usual position.
-If you live in a cold climate, keep the heat on just enough so that the pipes don't freeze.
-Ask neighbors to park their car in your driveway.
-If you leave your car in the driveway-be sure to take your garage door opener out of the car, or at least keep it out of eye view.
-Double check all doors and windows, that they are locked.
-Tell a trusted friend or neighbor where you'll be...
Have a great vacation!!!
Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI
Broker Associate/Connct Realty
Director of the California Association of Realtors
Toll Free: 866-333-6333
http://www.wendimae.com
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Energy Efficiency-Learn to be GREEN!
It is easier than you think to be Green...Home improvements don’t have to be epic to relieve utility costs. Here are ideas to start you off-thinking GREEN!
Some things you can do, that cost little to no money-AND over time, will actually save you lots of cash:
-If you have a home office-buy an “All-in-one” FAX, Scanner, and Copier...saves A LOT of energy, and costs you less to operate.
-When you go to bed at night, or out of town-or even during the day when not using your TV or VCR-turn off the power strip...keep in mind, when your appliances are off, but still plugged in-they pull and use power. This will save you anywhere from $60.-$100. a year on your Electric bill.
-Recycling, in general, is huge. It is so much better to buy a re-usable beverage bottle-than to buy bottled water...just think of how much you will save-using filtered water, over buying bottled water.
-Turn up the air conditioner thermostat.
-Change filters often.
-Plant trees on the South and West sides of the home to provide shade and reduce interior temperatures.
-Landscape with drought-resistant or indigenous plants, which retain more water.
-Add motion sensor lights, to save electricity.
-Install a gas fireplace in an addition, such as a den or sunroom, which will extend heat to that room.
-Replace appliances with Energy Star-rated versions. They exceed Government energy-efficiency standards by 10-25%.
-Invest in new, more energy efficient heating and cooling systems.
-Paint your home’s exterior a light color-as darker colors retain more heat.
-Plug up air leaks, which are equivalent of leaving a window open all year.
This can save up to 10% of your energy bill.
-Install double-glazed windows with low-emisson glass, which allow maximum light while keeping out heat and cold.
-When replacing roofing, install light-colored shingles made of material or tile to reflect heat.
-Add insulation in walls.
This is just a start! Feel free to email me-should you like more information or links to helpful energy saving “GREEN” websites!
check it out! http://www.epa.org
Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI
Broker Associate
Connect Realty
Director of the California Association of Realtors
Toll free 866-333-6333
http://www.wendimae.com
Some things you can do, that cost little to no money-AND over time, will actually save you lots of cash:
-If you have a home office-buy an “All-in-one” FAX, Scanner, and Copier...saves A LOT of energy, and costs you less to operate.
-When you go to bed at night, or out of town-or even during the day when not using your TV or VCR-turn off the power strip...keep in mind, when your appliances are off, but still plugged in-they pull and use power. This will save you anywhere from $60.-$100. a year on your Electric bill.
-Recycling, in general, is huge. It is so much better to buy a re-usable beverage bottle-than to buy bottled water...just think of how much you will save-using filtered water, over buying bottled water.
-Turn up the air conditioner thermostat.
-Change filters often.
-Plant trees on the South and West sides of the home to provide shade and reduce interior temperatures.
-Landscape with drought-resistant or indigenous plants, which retain more water.
-Add motion sensor lights, to save electricity.
-Install a gas fireplace in an addition, such as a den or sunroom, which will extend heat to that room.
-Replace appliances with Energy Star-rated versions. They exceed Government energy-efficiency standards by 10-25%.
-Invest in new, more energy efficient heating and cooling systems.
-Paint your home’s exterior a light color-as darker colors retain more heat.
-Plug up air leaks, which are equivalent of leaving a window open all year.
This can save up to 10% of your energy bill.
-Install double-glazed windows with low-emisson glass, which allow maximum light while keeping out heat and cold.
-When replacing roofing, install light-colored shingles made of material or tile to reflect heat.
-Add insulation in walls.
This is just a start! Feel free to email me-should you like more information or links to helpful energy saving “GREEN” websites!
check it out! http://www.epa.org
Wendi-Mae Davis, CRS, GRI
Broker Associate
Connect Realty
Director of the California Association of Realtors
Toll free 866-333-6333
http://www.wendimae.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
