First order of business is to check for air leaks. Break out the incense you have left over from college and light a stick near your window and door frames. Pay close attention to where the smoke goes to see if there are air leaks that might need to be addressed. First, let’s address those windows. If you’ve got old windows, caulking and weather stripping can go a long way towards keeping the heat in and the cold weather out. Your best bet is to use adhesive backed EPDM rubber ($8 for ten feet), which will last at least ten years. Pulley seals ($9 pair) can block cold air from seeping in where the cords on your windows disappear into the frames. Once your windows are taken care of, it’s time to move on to your doors.

Check for air leaks, and replace your old weather stripping with new. For ease of installation and budget considerations, your best bet is to go with adhesive backed foam tape. If you have a draft coming through the bottom of your doors, check the condition of the threshold gaskets, and replace ones that are worn. If you can see daylight through the bottom of your doors, it’s time to install a new threshold with a taller gasket ($25 for a 36-inch door), or install a weather-resistant door sweep designed for exterior doors ($9). Once your home has been protected from pesky winter drafts, it’s time to plop down on the couch, pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa, and prepare to enjoy the Winter months from the warmth of your draft-free home!

Cincinnati Energy Efficiency Loans

If own Cincinnati real estate and have been thinking about energy efficiency upgrades to you property there is a new option for financing the upgrades. For a limited time, homeowners in the Greater Cincinnati region can utilize both the GC-HELP Loan and incentives from the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance to complete energy efficiency projects in their homes!

There are a number of different project that homeowners can undertake and finance with this loan. All of the projects will improve both the energy efficiency of your home but also increase comfort and attractiveness to potential buyers. New windows, modern furnaces, and green appliances are on most buyer’s ‘I would like’ list when shopping for a new home. Below is a list of approved improvement projects and additional program information about the loan program.

Approved Real Estate Improvements

1. Air sealing & Insulation
2. Efficient heating and cooling systems
3. Windows and doors
4. Lighting and appliances
5. Solar Hot Water

Cincinnati Energy Efficiency Loan Details

1. To begin the process you must do an Energy Audit through GCEA
2. There is a quick and easy application process
3. The loan has a preferred rate unsecured financing
4. Loans from $2,500 to $20,000
5. 100% financing available
6. Low fixed rate, fixed monthly payments
7. No home equity required, so it will work for new homeowners
8. No fees to consumer or contractor
9. Up to 10 years to repay the loan
10. No prepayment penalty for early payment
11. Work must be done by an approved contractor

If you are interested in a energy efficiency loan contact GCEA today.

Phone 513-621-GCEA (4232)

Email info@greatercea.org

But the reality is that this situation has its advantages. The families that stay in the home post-foreclosure tend to keep the utilities on and maintain the property. They keep the A/C running which dehumidifies the house inhibiting mold growth and they winterize the pipes preventing costly leaks. In addition an occupied home is less likely to be vandalized (broken windows, copper theft) than a vacant home.

The backlog is one factor contributing the situation, the second is the volume of foreclosed properties on the market already. ForeclosureRadar says it now takes an average of 229 days for a bank to foreclose on a home in California after sending a notice of default, up from 146 days in August 2008.  In addition releasing more cheap inventory into the market will only further diminish the value of the bank;s asset. It pays for the bank to have a family living in the home until a point when the market stabilizes and they can recoup their investment in a sale.

Although the family’s credit now has a foreclosure on it, living rent free has give some people the opportunity to use their mortgage money to pay off other debts, and in some cases even save a little bit of money so that when they move to an apartment or other living situation they have the ability to restart their lives with a small financial cushion.

The report was published by the  National Association of Home Builders/Bank of America Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components. As a baseline it is important to understand the age of major appliances (and when they are expected to give out) when you purchase a home.  To protect yourself against premature appliance failure i always recommend that my buyers take out a home warranty. For the price of an annual premium, and a reasonable deductible, the homeowner can get protection from mechanical failures that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars to replace.

Keep in mind that the life expectancy listed are  just a general guideline—depending on the model and brand of appliances you buy and how well you treat them, your gear might last longer or might need replacing even sooner. Thanks to Consumer Reports for the chart.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® statistics show that home prices have fallen by an average of 7 percent nationally in the past year. But the value of home owners’ investment in remodeling projects has declined only 3.86 percent on average between 2007 and 2008, according to Remodeling’s 2008–2009 Cost vs. Value Report.

Remodeling produces the Cost vs. Value Report each year in cooperation with REALTOR® magazine. REALTORS® responding to a survey in midsummer said home owners could expect to recoup a national average of 67.3 percent of their investment in 30 different home improvement projects. At the height of the housing boom in 2005, home owners could expect to recoup a national average of 86.7 percent on projects.

For more specific information on how much you can recoup on select home improvement projects.  Please click here.

Energyque spends one to two hours doing a thermal scan of your home and can provide you with some in depth knowledge about how you can improve your home’s energy efficiency. Making certain can save significant amounts of money over the long term. Their pricing starts at $95 for homes up to 1,500 square feet, $145 for home up to 3,000 square feet, and $195 for home up to 4,500. 

Allegations that granite countertops may emit dangerous levels of radon and radiation have been raised periodically over the past decade, mostly by makers and distributors of competing countertop materials. The Marble Institute of America has said such claims are “ludicrous” because although granite is known to contain uranium and other radioactive materials like thorium and potassium, the amounts in countertops are not enough to pose a health threat.

The Environmental Protection Agency has received many calls from concerned homeowners and radon inspectors looking for guidance on this issue. The end result is that there are over 900 different types of granite available in the United States from around the world.  While it is still unknown what levels of radon exposure cause cancer, the EPA standard since 20034 pCi/L in indoor air.

When so many people have access to the home keys over the course of the numerous transaction it is important for the new home owner’s security. Moreover, some institutions have been known to key all of their properties the same to simplify their property manager’s job. One key – many homes.

So if you are planning on buying a bank owned or foreclosed house use some of the money you save buy new locks. We have done business in Cincinnati with Larry’s Lock and Acme Lock.

It’s not too early to create a support plan for your house foundation. Remember how dry it was last summer? Foundations and footers cracked and failed because of dry clay soil conditions. Watering your basement foundation (keeping the soil damp) is a good way to help reduce foundation/footer movement during dry conditions. Foundations with shallow footers, such as garages and crawl spaces can settle and crack first. Placing a soaker hose about a foot or so away from the foundation and letting the water trickle for several hours helps keep the soil damp. Remember, if you wait too long, it may take almost a day of watering for the moisture to reach down deep to the basement wall footer. Be aware that normal foundation wall cracks can seep or leak if the water is applied too fast or too close to the walls.