Flat Fee MLS Blog

   Why not reupholster your old and worn furniture instead of tossing it out? Bring new life to your style and cut down on waste and further resource use.

Many antiques dealers would kill to get their hands on the bones of much of the furniture that is thrown away or even burned as firewood. Between 1960 and 2001, discarded furniture and furnishings ballooned from 2.2 million tons a year to 8.1 million tons, reports the EPA. Furniture is bulky stuff that takes up a lot of landfill space.

Extend the life of your furniture and save money by getting it reupholstered. Be crafty and do the job yourself or support local artisans who specialize in the time-honored trade. You have an  unlimited range of colors, textures and styles. Style is really limitless, from ancient aesthetic to uber-modern. 

Get the freshest look to match your changing decor tastes without contributing to the removal of more trees or the mining of more metals. Every day can be Earth Day, when you think about it.

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         The simple act of planting trees can decrease the energy you need to cool your space…as well as provide a place to hang a   tire swing!

According to research by the Department of Energy and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, shade trees can reduce the need for air conditioning by 7% to 40%. Shaded walls are 9 to 36 degrees F cooler at peak temperatures.

Trees raise property values and provide many other benefits, according to the U. S. Forest Service. A 1985 study estimated the values of an average 50-year old shade tree as:

1. Air conditioning worth $73.

2. Soil erosion and stormwater management worth $75.

3. Wildlife shelter worth $75.

4. Air pollution control worth $50. 

5. This totalled $273.

In 1989, a total value of $57,151 was estimated for the life of a typical tree.

You can get the best results by planting trees to the west and southwest of buildings. Deciduous plants work well in temperate zones, because they block sunlight in summer but let it in during chilly months. Spring and fall are the best times to plant them.

Check with your local garden center to find the best plants and trees for your zone.  Shady spaces are some of the best joys of summer and the swing is fun, too!

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              Spring is the time that most homeowners get to work and it’s also the time that shady contractors come of out the woodwork to prey on innocent homeowners. “Some are actual scam artists, while others are just incompetent or unethical,” say Ellis Levinson, a consumer reporter and the author of the book “Hiring Contractors Without Going Through Hell.” 

The good news is that you can protect yourself against these scams. In fact, many scams are easy to detect if you take the time to become an educated, savvy consumer. You need to  compare prices, call references and research the project in advance.

Here are some tips on how to smell a suspicious deal:

1. ‘I just happen to be working in your neighborhood’-reputable contractors work through referrals, not going door to door to attract customers.

2. ‘I have materials left over’-Good contractors order just enough suplies to meet the needs of each job, as often the price for supplies is included in the contract.

3. ‘I need cash upfront’-Don’t ever pay in full for a project before any work has been done. Never. Never. Never! Usually one-third is the industry average.

4. ‘I have a special offer that’s good for today only’-If a contractor is offering a “special deal,” ask him to legitimize what he is offering. You can ask for documentation of this bargain…a flyer, for example, that the contractor has mailed or delivered in the past.

5. ‘I can help you finance the project’-this could indicate a home-improvement loan scam, as the contractor may be getting kickbacks from the lender that he knows. Never finance through you contractor without shopping around and comparing loan terms.

6. ‘I want to use your home as a model’-the scam centers on the idea of using your home as a vehicle, or “show home,” to advertise their services for a hefty discount. Established contractors should have completed enough previous projects that they won’t need your job as a demo.

Still more scams-though any part of your home could be a target, many scams tend to center around driveways, roofs, chimneys and furnaces.

Beware, and remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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                                          The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched an appealing, user-friendly new internet feature that provides tips to consumers on how to make smart energy choices. These days, consumers are looking for ways to save money around the house, and energy conservation is one of the best win-wins around. Unfortunately, so many don’t have as much education on this issue as they could.

Now, the DOE’s interactive web page gives easy info on how to use less energy in such areas as electronics, lighting, appliances and even with vehicles, according to expert Brian Clark Howard.

The DOE’s extensive web presence also highlights some of its ongoing research and support of research on cleaner energy. Hopefully, Congress and a new President will give the department more of a mandate to go further in these vital areas, and lead the country into a greener, more productive future. Make everyday Earth Day by making smart energy choices to save money while protecting the environment. 

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                      Sears’ Kenmore appliance brand is rolling out some new fridges this month according to Ruth Katz. Just in time for Earth Day! Unveiled this past winter at the International Builders Show, Sears’ Kenmore state-of-the-art refrigerators are now featuring Microban antimicrobial technology, which allows the crisper drawers to remain fresh for longer periods in between cleanings; moreover, this innovatiove technology inhibits the growth of stain-and odor-causing bacteria.

Another plus -the Kenmore PUR Ultimate II water filter with two-stage filtration, which removes impurities from drinking water. This can produce a real savings on the purchase of bottled water, resulting in less plastic emanating from your house. Perhaps best of all, check out the Sears web site to see which Kenmore models not only meet-but exceed-Energy Star standards. The new Microban antimicrobial technology can be found in a variety of Kenmore refrigerators, in white, stainless steel, biscuit, satina and black. Prices range from $1,099 to $1,399.

Check out these new chilly “ice boxes,” as our Granny used to call them, in case you want to buy an Earth Day gift for your home. www.Sears.com

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        Look for the new label from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called WaterSense, it addresses the need to be water smart as well as dollar smart. This program’s mission is to protect the future of the water supply by promoting water-efficient products and services.

You will find the label on a variety of plumbing equipment scheduled to roll out this year and next. WaterSense partners for high-efficiency plumbing equipment include some of the biggest manufacturers in the business- Kohler, Delta Faucet, Hansgrohe, American Standard and Crane. Kohler and its  sister brand, Sterling, already have eight toilets that have earned the WaterSense label, meaning that they use at least 20% less water than standard toilets.

According to the EPA, the average American home uses more water for flushing the toilet than running the shower. A family of four could save 16,000 gallons of water a year by replacing a traditional toilet with a high-efficiency model. This is a big savings in dollars as well as droplets.

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                     The “bursting of the real estate bubble” appears to have become a soft landing for the real estate market.  In most     markets around the country, prices are dropping but they’re not plummeting. Homeowners with years’ worth    of equity will still hold onto much of that equity and buyers are finding that they have a chance to buy a home again. In the business, we call this a “correction.” It’s normal and even desirable.

However,  a cooling market demands some different strategies for both buyers and sellers. Sellers have to avoid the pricing “hangover” from the boom market, when they could throw a  For Sale sign in the yard, slap any outrageous price they liked on their house and get twenty offers in as many hours. And buyers must lose their desperation, understand that they are more in control and realize that the current market is one of shopping for a deal, not throwing money in panic to avoid “losing the house.”

Here are some tips for sellers in a cooling market:

1. If you must sell, focus your money and effort into creating curb appeal. Curb appeal alone can sell a house. The number one feature of a home in terms of cost versus effect on salability is front yard landscaping. Lay down sod, plant flowers, paint and put in a flagstone path.

2. Be realistic with your goals for price and timeline to sell. Houses in much of the country are NOT selling at asking price and are staying on the market longer than in recent years. Many sellers have not yet come to grips with this new reality.

3. Don’t set yourself up to fail, set your price aggressively compared to your competition and come up with creative incentives to attract a buyer, such as sharing some closing costs or including some high-quality furnishings in the sale.

In general, the common sense rules apply whether you’re buying or selling and whether the market is hot or cool: Educate yourself about the market, have specific goals in mind, understand what  your financial resources are,  and don’t make any deal for the short term. In the long term, real estate is always the best investment around.

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Environmental concerns are becoming increasingly important in consumers decision making process and bamboo flooring is a perfect choice for the environmentally conscious consumer according to expert Mark Western.

Bamboo is actually a grass. A harvested bamboo plantation can regenerate without replanting within 3 years whereas traditonal hardwood plantations can take up to 75 years to regenerate. Bamboo has been known to grow as much a 1 metre in 24 hours. It is often grown in areas which have been previously damaged by soil erosion, overgrazing and commercial agriculture and its extensive root system helps restore the stability of these areas and removes nitrogen, phosphorus and heavy metals from the soil. Bamboo is a sustainable resource.

Bamboo offers multiple benefits:

1. With bamboo flooring you can creat a stylish and homey environment-bamboo provides warmth like wood.

2. Bamboo works well with any decor- bamboo   offers several design options because it has a very rich visual texture and a unique pattern. It is naturally blonde in color but some varieties are stained to provide different color choices.  Example: Bamboo can undergo a smoking process to give it an amber hue.

3. Bamboo can be treated to prevent damage-most bamboo flooring is pre-finished and ready for installation. Maintenance is usually the same as pre-finished wood products, so be sure to follow manufacturer instructions.

4. Bamboo flooring offers unparalleled strength, durability and moisture resistance when compared to traditional hardwood floorings. It is ideal for kitchen areas where normal timber flooring is not recommended and does not wear as quickly as any other timber flooring.

For more information on alternative floorings check out Lumber Liquidators at www.lumberliquidators.com

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              More than ever before, going green is about how we live our daily life and make small improvements that have a big impact on the earth. Going green in the home is no exception.

Here’s some simple tips to make your home more eco-friendly:

1. Start by making your kitchen greener by upgrading to energy efficient ENERGY STAR appliances. These will provide savings of up to 30% in greenhouse gas emissions and will save energy costs.

2. Go green with style-install a kitchen faucet that has sustainable features and turn it off when you step away from the sink. The Muirfield with ChoiceFlo filtering kitchen faucet is a great eco-friendly addition. It provides both filtered and tap water from one spout. The  activated carbon block filter reduces many impurities, such as lead and chlorine. This also allows you to eliminate the environmental strain associated with bottled water packaging and delivery. Muirfield with ChoiceFlo is available at Lowe’s stores nationwide.

3. Incorporate more green fixtures in your bath. After  toilets and washing machines, showers are next in line as residential water hogs.  Low flow showerheads  offer a 30%  water savings from the industry standard showerheads.

You don’t have to go to extremes to be green,  just make some small changes and you can make a big impact today.

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