Increasing Home Energy Efficiency in Your Connecticut Home

There are many adjustments that homeowners can make to reduce the amount of energy required by their homes. InterNACHI advises that energy-efficient homes require less energy to perform household functions than homes that are less energy-efficient.

Interesting facts about energy consumption in the United States and Canada:

    The United States is the world’s largest consumer of energy, and the world’s seventh largest consumer of energy per capita.
    Canada consumes more energy per capita than the United States.
    Buildings account for 72% of all energy consumed in the United States.
    18% of all emissions in the United States comes from operating homes.
    In the average household, the TV is left on stand-by for 17 hours per day.

Why make your home more energy-efficient?

    Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions' financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous in most parts of the U.S.
    It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
    It increases indoor comfort levels.
    It reduces our contributions to climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming. Programmable thermostat
    It reduces pollution. Conventional power production introduces pollutants into the air that find their way into the soil and water supplies.

Heating and Cooling

As much as half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. The following are a few ways that energy bills can be reduced through adjustments to the heating and cooling systems:

    Add insulation to the building envelope (walls, floors and ceiling) to bring the home up to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-recommended limits for the climate zone in which the home is located.
    Insulate heating ducts. Up to 40% of energy can be lost in uninsulated heating ducts routed through unheated space. This means that up to 45 cents of every dollar spent on heating can be wasted.
    Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can be used in place of air conditioners, which require large amounts of energy.
    Periodically replace air filters in air conditioners and heaters.
    Set thermostats to an appropriate temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75°F to 70°F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.
    Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat saves money by allowing heating and cooling appliances to be automatically turned down during times at which no one is home and at night. Programmable thermostats contain no mercury and, in some climate zones, can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
    Install a wood stoves or a pellet stove. These are more efficient sources of heat than furnaces.
    At night, curtains drawn over windows will better insulate the room.

Appliances and Electronics

Appliances and electronics are responsible for about 20% of household energy bills in a typical U.S. home. The following are tips that will reduce the required energy of electronics and appliances:

    Refrigerators and freezers should not be located near the stove, dishwasher or heat vents, or exposed to direct sunlight. Exposure to warm areas will force them to use more energy to remain cool.  
    Computers should be shut off when not in use. If unattended computers must be left on, their monitors should be shut off. According to some studies, computers account for approximately 3% of all energy consumption in the United States.
    Use efficient “Energy Star” -ated appliances and electronics. These devices, approved by the DOE and the EPA’s Energy Star program, range from TVs, home theater systems, DVD players, CD players, receivers, speakers and more. According to the EPA, if just 10% of homes used energy-efficient appliances, it would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1.7 million acres of trees.
    Chargers, such as those for laptops and cell phones, consume energy when they are plugged in. When they are not connected to electronics, chargers should be unplugged.
    Philips LED bulbLaptop computers consume considerably less electricity than desktop computers.

Electric Lighting

The average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Traditional incandescent lights convert approximately only 10% of the energy that they consume into light, while the rest becomes heat. The use of new lighting technologies, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), can reduce energy use required by lighting by 50% to 75%. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time lights are on but not being used. Here are some facts about CFLs and LEDs:

    CFLs use 75% less energy and last about 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
    LEDs last even longer than CFLs and consume less energy.
    LEDs have no moving parts and, unlike CFLs, they contain no mercury

Daylighting

Daylighting is the practice of using natural light to illuminate the home's interior. It can be achieved using the following approaches:

    skylights. It’s important that they be double-pane or they may not be cost-effective. Flashing skylights correctly is key to avoiding leaks.
    light shelves. Light shelves are passive devices designed to bounce light deep into a building. They may be interior or exterior. Light shelves can introduce light into a space up to 2½ times the distance from the floor to the top of the window, and advanced light shelves may introduce four times that amount.
    clerestory windows.  Clerestory windows are short, wide windows set high on the wall.  Protected from the summer sun by the roof overhang, they allow winter sun to shine through for natural lighting and warmth.
    light tubes.  Light tubes use a special lens designed to amplify low-level light and reduce light intensity from the midday sun.  Sunlight is channeled through a tube coated with a highly relective material, then enters the living space through a diffuser designed to distribute light evenly.

Cooking

An enormous amount of energy is wasted while cooking. The following recommendations and statistics illustrate less wasteful ways of cooking:

    Convection ovens are more efficient that conventional ovens. They use fans to force hot air to circulate more evenly, thereby allowing food to be cooked at a lower temperature. Convection ovens use approximately 20% less electricity than conventional ovens.
    Microwave ovens consume approximately 80% less energy than conventional ovens.
    Pans should be placed on the correctly-sized heating element or flame.
    Lids make food heat more quickly than pans that do not have lids.
    Pressure cookers reduce cooking time dramatically.
    When using conventional ovens, food should be placed on the top rack. The top rack is hotter and will cook food faster. 

Leakage Through the Building Envelope

Sealing holes and cracks in the home’s envelope helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen and noise. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills. Tightening the home reduces the number of air changes per hour. The following are some common places where leakage may occur:

    electrical outlets;
    mail slots;
    around pipes and wires;
    wall- or window-mounted air conditioners;
    attic hatches;
    fireplace dampers;
    weatherstripping around doors;
    baseboards;
    window frames; and
    switch plates.

Strategies for filling cracks:

    Caulk can be used to fill small gaps. Caulk can be obtained at hardware stores.
    Expandable foam can be used to fill larger gaps.
    Foam gaskets can be used to seal electrical outlets.

Windows and Doors

About one-third of the home's total heat loss usually occurs through windows and doors. The following are ways to reduce energy lost through doors and windows.

    Seal all window edges and cracks with rope caulk. This is the cheapest and simplest option.
    Windows can be weatherstripped with a special lining that is inserted between the window and the frame. For doors, weatherstrip around the whole perimeter to ensure a tight seal when closed. Install quality door sweeps on the bottom of the doors, if they aren't already in place.
    Install storm windows at windows with only single panes. A removable glass frame can be installed over an existing window.
    If existing windows have rotted or damaged wood, cracked glass, missing putty, poorly fitting sashes, or locks that don't work, they should be repaired or replaced.

Indoor Water Conservation

The following systems can be installed to conserve water usage in homes:

    low-flow shower heads. They are available in different flow rates, and some have a pause button which shuts off the water while the bather lathers up.
    low-flow toilets. Toilets consume 30% to 40% of the total water used in homes, making them the biggest water users. Replacing an older 3.5-gallon toilet with a modern, low-flow 1.6-gallon toilet can reduce usage an average of two gallons-per-flush (GPF), saving 12,000 gallons of water per year. Low-flow toilets usually have "1.6 GPF" marked on the bowl behind the seat or inside the tank.
    vacuum-assist toilets. These types of toilets have a vacuum chamber, which uses a siphon action to suck air from the trap beneath the bowl, allowing it to quickly fill with wFlat-plate solar collector ater to clear waste. Vacuum toilets are relatively quiet.
    dual-flush toilets. Dual-flush toilets have been used in Europe and Australia for years, and are now gaining in popularity in the U.S. Dual-flush toilets let you choose between a 1-gallon (or less) flush for liquid waste, and a 1.6-gallon flush for solid waste. Dual-flush 1.6-GPF toilets reduce water consumption by an additional 30%.

Solar-Thermal Heating

Solar water heating first became popular in the 1970s when federal, state and utility incentives encouraged their installation, as is happening again now. Inspectors will see many of these older systems still in place but no longer working. In practice, inspectors will encounter a wide variety of system configurations and components, and recommending a specialist inspection is a good idea in order to pass on liability. These systems can be expensive. The idea is fairly simple. Solar insolation heats a circulating fluid which transfers its heat to a storage tank from which home hot water can be drawn, either directly to plumbing fixtures, or to supply pre-heated water to boilers or hot water heaters.


Various types of solar-thermal heating can be installed, such as:

    evacuated tube collectors;
    flat-plate collectors; and
    parabolic through-collectors.

In summary, there are a variety of adjustments to the home that homeowners can make to increase the energy-efficiency of their homes.

by Nick Gromicko, Rob London and Kenton Shepard

Nick Gromicko, FOUNDER. http://www.nachi.org
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) is the world's most elite, non-profit inspection association.
President, ComInspect, www.cominspect.com
Director, Master Inspector Certification Board, www.certifiedmasterinspector.org
Author, 15 books and Co-Host of  http://www.NACHI.TV

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What NOT to do Before Buying A Home: WORST Moves for Homebuyers

There are a number of things that could either hurt your chances of buying a home, or severely hinder them, but just a few very smart preparations  on your part can make the process exponentially easier. When you decide that you are ready to buy a home, or sell your existing home and buy another home, remember these important tips:

1. First things first, get your finances in order.

2. As a rule, do not deposit a large sum of money into your bank account within three months of purchasing a home without being able to explain in detail and prove exactly where the money came from.

For example, If you are getting any money as a gift for the downpayment, get it now and put into your bank account. As a safeguard, also have whomever is "gifting" you this money maintain the prior three and following three months statements on the account from which the money came from. This may be a requirement from the bank.  The bank may also require a signed "Gift Letter".

3. Do not change banks, or move money around from bank to bank. Your future lender will require to see proof of your  source of funds for your down payment and closing costs. Most banks request statements for the last two or three months on any of your liquid assets. This includes checking accounts, savings accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit, stock statements, mutual funds, and even your company 401K and retirement accounts.

4. Do not apply for any credit cards, and if you have balances on your credit cards, PAY THEM OFF. It is not uncommon for a credit card balance to hurt your buying power. There are guidelines on the amount of debt that you can have without cutting into your ability to obtain a mortage at the desired amount. Going to a store and  obtaining a credit card for just that store for a purchase you intend to make is just as bad. Just wait.

5. Do not co-sign a loan for anyone, period.

6. Do not make any major purchases. That means wait to buy the car until after you have closed on your home, and wait to buy any furniture or appliances as well. If you have to make a major purchase, speak with your loan officer.

7. If you haven't already contacted a loan officer or a real estate agent, do so now.

8. Don’t change jobs, especially in today's teetering economy. A lengthy employment history with one company shows stability in your life and in your work. Believe me, that counts significantly.  A number of recent job changes even if they are in the same field does not look good on an application. Likewise, if you have only been at your current job for less than a year, it is not ideal as far as lenders are concerned.  Wait until aftter you close on your new home.

9. None of the above should change AT ALL until you actually have the keys to your new home in your hands. Do not apply for any credit between the time your loan is approved and the time that you close on your home, either. The bank will do a final credit check, and any inquiries at all are red flags. You will also be asked AT THE CLOSING to verify your original application and whether or not everything is correct on your original application. Heaven forbid something changed, and you didn't disclose it to the bank and major repercussions ensued. Just don't do it.

10. If you happen to be buying a home direct through the owner, NEVER give a deposit or  earnest money directly to that seller.

Lastly, and most importantly, don’t go through the process without the professionals that you need. That means an attorney, a real estate agent (that would be me!), a loan officer, and a building inspector.

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Founder of ForSaleByOwner Company Hires Realtor to sell his home.

Now that's a kick. Here's a man who earned quite a bit of money as the CEO of a company that promotes  and makes a lot of money from FSBO's (For Sale By Owners),  how easy it is do yourself, and when it came time to sell his own house, what did he do?

He hired a Realtor.

The company he founded, by the way is ForSaleByOwner.com

You know what happened? The Realtor felt that the seller's asking price was the wrong strategy, and urged the founder and former CEO to raise the price by a whopping $150,000. There were multiple offers, and then.. it sold! So not only was this particular owner underpricing his home,  he will net MORE out of the sale after the real estate  commission is paid. If you want to know, his home sold for  $2.15 million and it was in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.

This just seems so incredibly comical that someone in that position would go against his own grain, and it should speak volumes to the many sellers with no real knowledge of selling real estate as to what they should do when it comes time to sell their home.

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Connecticut Mortgage Rates and Financing Update October 28, 2011

The market reaction to events in Europe over the past few days and the very poor  seven year bond sale on Thursday sent  Mortgage Rates higher this week.  Rarely do we get a Fed Rate Decisions and an Employment Situation Report in the same week, but both are next week. IF things move in the wrong direction, that could quickly move rates higher very fast.

The mortgage banking industry greeted President Obama's announcement of changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) with a diversity of opinions. Richard Rydstrom, chairman of the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Mortgage Industry Solutions, experienced a sense of deja vu in this week's news.

“Here we go again!" says Rydstrom.  "The original restructuring and HARP goals were 7 million to 9 million. As part of this plan, the Treasury Department announced a national modification program aimed at helping 3 million to 4 million at-risk homeowners - both those who are in default and those who are at imminent risk of default - by reducing monthly payments to sustainable levels. We will never reach those levels unless we actually relax the requirements to meet the new reality: many more people are either in default, underwater, suffering from lower FICO scores and have experienced lower incomes than originally estimated. The HARP-eligibility pie, in terms of the actual market consumer, has become smaller and smaller over the course of this recession."

"The program should base its criteria on verifiable 'ability to pay' rather than FICO scores, equity, or strict definitions of 'current,'" he adds. "Borrowers with a verified 'ability to pay' who are granted principal reduction/forgiveness with claw-backs and public/private insurance guarantees can satisfy risk- and loss-based standards."

Today's Mortgage Rates

30 year fixed - 3.99% + .250% cost points for rate
20 year fixed - 3.875% + .50% points for rate
15 year fixed - 3.375% + .50 points for rate
10 year fixed - 3.250%  .50% cost points for rate
5/1 ARM - 2.625% -0 points for rate
7/1 ARM - 2.875%  + 0 points for rate

FHA/VA
30 year fixed - 3.875% with .50% points for rate
5/1 ARM - 3.00 with 0 points for rate
7/1 ARM - 3.25 with 0 point for rate

Jumbo - over 635,000 to 2,000,000
30 year fixed - 4.875 % with 0 points  for rate
15 year fixed - 4.375% with +.50% points for rate
5/1 ARM - 3.50% - 0 points for rate
7/1 ARM - 3.875 % - 0 points for rate

10/1 ARM - 4.625% with 0 points for rate

Jennifer Buchanan,  Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist at MetLife Loans is a seasoned veteran of the Mortgage, Banking and Broker Industry and specializes in mortgage loans throughout Fairfield County, Connecticut.
   Her attention to detail is unsurpassed, and her understanding of the marketplace makes it easy to find the right loan to fit her clients specific needs .  Jennifer's local processing and closing team are also known for their exemplary service.
   Understanding that the vast majority of mortgage brokers never discuss the long or short term  financial needs or goals with their clients, she set herself apart from the rest by obtaining the coveted CMPS  designation. (Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist)
    She is a member of the National Association of Responsible Loan Officers, and her commitment to ethics, understanding of the marketplace, and business acumen have earned her the respect of her peers and clients alike.

Jennifer Buchanan
Metlife Loans
203-341-6949

Jennifer Buchanan- Your certified expert
 on mortgages offering Free Unbiased
recommendations based on your needs.

The Top Five Mistakes that Sellers make- The Fairfield County CT Version

Here it is. It offer my own version of the Top Five Mistakes that Sellers Make.  You may have seen a littany of articles on those "top five mistakes". Go ahead if you want, and look at all of the articles on this subject-  there are quite a lot, I can assure you. As a matter of fact, I typed in "top five mistakes that sellers make" in Google and it returned about 415,000,000 results in just 0.32 seconds.

With that, I offer you my original Top Five, which may not necessarily agree with the other Top Five Lists, but I can pretty much guarantee you that all of these are appropriate for our area,  and actually..... anywhere you want to sell your home. Here they are, in order of importance.

1. Hire the Right Realtor
2. Hire the Right Realtor
3, 4 and 5. Hire the Right Realtor!

All of the reasons that your home doesn't sell is because the wrong Realtor is representing you, period- end of story.

Hiring the wrong Realtor is the worst thing that you could possibly do. All four hundred some-odd million of these lists could have stopped right there, because all of the other items that are on those lists  are agent related.

The bottom line is that it rests with your Realtor, so your top five priorities in selling your home should truly be focused on just one thing. That is, Hire the Right Realtor.  There is  only one answer to the number of "mistakes"  that I saw, and continue to see in the marketplace. Here  are some of them, and as you can see, the common denominator has to be your agent.
 
1. Overpricing Your Home- wouldn't your Realtor tell you the right price?
2. Not staging your home? Doesn't your Realtor assist you with this as part of their service?
3. Under-marketing or OVER-marketing your home including misrepresenting your home's features, condition or square footage? Your Realtor is the professional he/she should know exactly how to market your home. Shame on your Realtor for this one, period.
4. Sticking around during Showings, and/or not making your home readily accessible for showings? Hasn't your Realtor advised you how this can adversely affect your home sale?
5. Picking the wrong buyer- Shouldn't your Realtor be helping you on this?

Keep it simple and get it sold. Hire the Right Realtor.  These people did.

......and the right Realtor? That's me! :)

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