Energy Savings TIps - Home Star Retrofit Rebate
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Homeowners need to be proactive in making energy-efficient home renovations in order to receive the rebates outlined in President Obama’s new “Home Star Retrofit Rebate” program that was recently introduced in Congress. If passed, the proposed $6 billion program could reduce energy costs for middle-class families by hundreds of dollars a year.
HouseMaster, a home inspection company, provides the following easy projects most every homeowner can do to optimize the energy efficiency of their home:
Windows and Doors
Holes in windows and doors allow conditioned air to leak from your home and allow outdoor air to infiltrate, which can tax your heating and cooling systems and raise your energy bills. Caulk around windows and doors where there are gaps. Also caulk areas where plumbing lines or electrical wiring penetrate exterior walls
Floor and Wall Insulation
Insulation acts as a barrier to heat movement and helps keep any home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter…all while using less energy. Making sure insulation is used at potential gaps such as around an attic stairway or over the attic access door is important as well.
Shedding a Little Light on a Simple Solution
By replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, you can use up to 75% less energy on lighting alone. A wide assortment of CFLs are now available for almost any type fixture found in a home.
Appliances and HVAC Systems
Your major household appliances are a good place to focus on to make your home more eco-friendly. Start by changing the filters of your HVAC systems regularly and consider upgrading older appliances to take advantage of newer, more efficient designs.
Buy a Programmable Thermostat
This energy-saving step can have a positive and noticeable impact right away. Programmable thermostats are fairly easy to install and once they are set up a homeowner can adjust them as the weather changes. For every degree that a thermostat is set back, you may realize a savings between 1 and 3% on your heating and cooling bills.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
A Three+ Year Study - the Average Sales Price of Atlanta Condominiums
Friday, May 21, 2010
Here we show the average price of those condominiums that sold, as reported by First Multiple Listing Service, over the past three years (plus the first quarter of 2010)
AREA 2007 2008 2009 1st QTR, 2010
Between I-75 & I-85 261,013 252,915 231,271 258,095
North of the connector
and in Atlanta City limits
West of I-75 227,660 213,188 150,619 145,322
North of I-20
and in Atlanta City limits
East of I-85 243,938 217,133 196,985 187,596
North of I-20
and in Atlanta City limits
Portions of 225,246 208,427 185,485 211,179
Dekalb County
and in Atlanta City limits
Dekalb County 254,523 243,176 211,742 203,351
North of I-85
and inside Hwy 285
Dekalb County 193,159 191,782 164,480 171,403
South of I-85, North of I-20
and inside Hwy 285
Dunwoody 215,062 206,972 197,469 207,129
In Dekalb County
Sandy Springs 154,791 135,739 132,558 133,141
North of Hwy 285
Sandy Springs 210,526 248,437 234,421 251,318
Inside Hwy 285
High Price for Area indicated in Bold Low Price for Area is underlined
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
A Three+ Year Study - the Average Sales Price of Atlanta Houses:
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Here we show the average price of those Single Family houses that sold, as reported by First Multiple Listing Service, over the past three years (plus the first quarter of 2010)
AREA 2007 2008 2009 1st QTR 2010
Between I-75 & I-85 914,514 921,688 800, 411 750,190
North of the connector
and in Atlanta City limits
West of I-75 140,300 72,078 91,970 98,372
North of I-20
and in Atlanta City limits
East of I-85 550,671 506,841 451,212 435,184
North of I-20
and in Atlanta City limits
Portions of 285,889 263,352 225,739 224,234
Dekalb County
and in Atlanta City limits
Dekalb County 443,742 419,974 366,000 358,287
North of I-85
and inside Hwy 285
Dekalb County 306,621 269,487 219,668 218,389
South of I-85, North of I-20
and inside Hwy 285
Dunwoody 495,244 464,055 453,485 423,469
In Dekalb County
Sandy Springs 548,787 538,465 431,827 419,631
North of Hwy 285
Sandy Springs 907,396 893,885 798,738 836,538
Inside Hwy 285
High Price for Area indicated in Bold Low Price for Area is underlined
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
Military Personnel Have An Extension Of Federal Tax Credits!
Thursday, May 06, 2010
The good ol’ U.S.of A. tries to take care of its brave soldiers, a tradition that Congress has now continued in little-known sections of the recently expired home buyer tax credit legislation.
Under the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act, which was signed into law in November 2009, a little known or talked about clause was added that allows military personnel and certain other federal employees serving outside the country to have an extra year to qualify for the $8,000 tax credit offered to first-time buyers and the $6,500 credit available to repeat buyers.
So, servicemen and women get an extra 12 months to sign a binding Agreement, (by April 30, 2011), and close no more than 90 days later!
The rule applies to individuals or their spouses who serve on qualified official extended-duty service outside the country for at least 90 days between January 1, 2009, and April 30, 2010. According to the IRS, only one spouse needs to be overseas on official extended duty for the requisite time to qualify.
Also… while for most buyers who went Under Contract by April 30, 2010, and if the home is sold or otherwise ceases to be used as a principal residence within three years of the initial purchase, the credit must be repaid, for an eligible member of the armed services, intelligence community or Foreign Service, that provision is waived if the house is sold in connection with orders sending the taxpayer to a new duty station at least 50 miles away. The new post can be either inside or outside the U.S., but the change must occur because the taxpayer is under orders to move for a period in excess of 90 days or indefinitely.
Members of the military also may be eligible for help if they are forced to sell their homes for less than what they owe on their mortgages because of a mandatory, permanent duty transfer!
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
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