Attention Northern Virginia Homeowners:
We found this great article of the challenges homeowners encounter due to not being familiar with the coverage stated in their homeowner's insurance policy. This is a must read!
http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20070612_doesinsure.htm
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Home Energy Practices
With the Northern Virginia weather change this fall, here are some key tips to remember on your energy practices in your home:
Be careful not to overheat or overcool rooms. In the cooler months, try to set your thermostat at 68 degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. A programmable thermostat may be a wise investment. In the warmer months, try to stabilize your thermostat at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter could save up to 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.
Try to clean or replace air filters as recommended. Advice we offer in the PIM/PDA age is to put a reminder on your electronic calendar for the day/week to change your filter. Energy is lost when air conditioners and furnaces/heat pumps have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Cleaning a dirty air filter can save up to 5 percent of the energy used. That could save 175 pounds of CO2 per year.
Saving CO2 emissions is just a start - it also will save you on energy expenses!
Be careful not to overheat or overcool rooms. In the cooler months, try to set your thermostat at 68 degrees in daytime, and 55 degrees at night. A programmable thermostat may be a wise investment. In the warmer months, try to stabilize your thermostat at 78. Lowering your thermostat just two degrees during winter could save up to 6 percent of heating-related CO2 emissions. That's a reduction of 420 pounds of CO2 per year for a typical home.
Try to clean or replace air filters as recommended. Advice we offer in the PIM/PDA age is to put a reminder on your electronic calendar for the day/week to change your filter. Energy is lost when air conditioners and furnaces/heat pumps have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. Cleaning a dirty air filter can save up to 5 percent of the energy used. That could save 175 pounds of CO2 per year.
Saving CO2 emissions is just a start - it also will save you on energy expenses!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Key points in this real estate market.
Greetings to Virginia Buyers and Property Owners,
The current upheaval in the market has given rise to significant opportunities to help our clients make informed decisions. Tom Sherman, President of Mortgage Services Unlimited in Dallas, emphasizes the importance of educating clients and customers. Therefore, please allow me to share these points.
For sellers, the following points are key:
* Home values will stay stagnant or potentially decrease.
* Qualified borrowers are looking for deals.
* Fewer borrowers are qualifying for home loans.
* Rising foreclosures tend to negatively affect home values.
* Increased “days on the market” (DOMs) increases the likelihood that buyers will aggressively negotiate prices down.
* Continued stress in the financial markets will affect consumer confidence.
* Loans may take longer to close.
* Appraisals are becoming more difficult to obtain.
* Properties should be funded before contract contingencies are removed.
It’s critical to price homes to sell -- and sell quickly -- decreasing the need for price reductions. If you are thinking of selling in the near future, please contact us so that we can discuss the market and what is best for your particular situation.
Hope everyone is having a great week!
The current upheaval in the market has given rise to significant opportunities to help our clients make informed decisions. Tom Sherman, President of Mortgage Services Unlimited in Dallas, emphasizes the importance of educating clients and customers. Therefore, please allow me to share these points.
For sellers, the following points are key:
* Home values will stay stagnant or potentially decrease.
* Qualified borrowers are looking for deals.
* Fewer borrowers are qualifying for home loans.
* Rising foreclosures tend to negatively affect home values.
* Increased “days on the market” (DOMs) increases the likelihood that buyers will aggressively negotiate prices down.
* Continued stress in the financial markets will affect consumer confidence.
* Loans may take longer to close.
* Appraisals are becoming more difficult to obtain.
* Properties should be funded before contract contingencies are removed.
It’s critical to price homes to sell -- and sell quickly -- decreasing the need for price reductions. If you are thinking of selling in the near future, please contact us so that we can discuss the market and what is best for your particular situation.
Hope everyone is having a great week!
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