Save On Your Utilities

Lower thermostats to 65-68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night.
Have your furnace serviced once a year.
Consider the advantages of a clock thermostat which will automatically turn the heat down at a regular hour before you retire and turn it up just before you awake.
Dust and vacuum radiators & ducts frequently.
Keep drapes and shades open in sunny windows; close at night.
For comfort in cooler indoor temperatures, use best insulation of all - warm clothing.
Caulk and weatherstrip doors & windows.
Install storm windows & doors.
Insulate attic & walls.
Use bath and kitchen ventilating fans only as needed.
Be sure the fireplace damper is closed except when in use.
Repair all leaky hot water faucets as quickly as possible.
Insulate hot water pipes.
Use less hot water reduce temperature to 120 degrees.
Close doors and registers of rooms which are seldom used.
If you are going away for a weekend trip, lower the thermostat to 55 degrees.
Turn off electric lights and other appliances when not in use.
Check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT5HZnQV2dQ&feature=channel_page
If you need additional info contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

FHA Update for Lehigh County

New Changes in FHA loan guidelines have created exiting new opportunities for qualified buyers who have been waiting for the right time to buy. These opportunities include:

Loans up to $402,500.00

Down payment as low as 3.5%

Gift funds allowed

Flexible qualifying guidelines

Fixed or adjustable-rate loans

Low, competitive rates (Source: Countrywide Homes Loans) for more info contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Save some dollars

All of look for ways of saving energy in our homes. When it comes to replace existing appliances, try to find appliances that have ENERGY STAR label. These appliances meet EPA & Department of energy efficiancy standards. In 2007 alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved enough energy to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars. Use modern controls to help systems consume less energy. A programmable thermostat puts your heating and cooling systems on a schedule that reduces energy use by as much as 10 percent a year. Your heating system can gain even more efficiency with an advanced burner control that matches the burner's performance more closely to the home's actual heat loss. Energy use will decrease up to 10 percent, and there will be less wear and tear on your system. I hope you found this of value. Feel free to drop me a line on a subject you would like more info on at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Start Packing The Correct Way

You found the perfect home, signed on the dotted line and are daydreaming about life in your new home. As moving day looms, it is also time to think about packing up your belongings. Have you found enough boxes? How to handle those precious family heirlooms and other breakables? Here are a few tips for making your big day go as smoothly as possible:
Before you start

• Prioritize your packing list. Consider what you do not need to take with you, what will you need extra packing care and how to best organize your things.
• Estimate how many boxes you will need and get them well in advance of moving day. Save newspapers to line boxes.
• Consider investing in moving insurance, which covers any damages or breakages during the move.
• Start early. Packing always takes longer than you think.
• Begin at the top of the house first and work your way down. Attics are a great place to start sorting.
• Move from room to room, packing and labeling carefully as you go. Clearly mark boxes that contain breakable objects. Be sure to keep all boxes that belong to a certain room together. It will make it easier when you unpack.
• Newspaper can sometimes leave marks, so wrap your valuables in bubble wrap, blankets or pillows to avoid messy newsprint.
• Keep all of your important documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, in the same place for easy reference.
• You likely won't want to shuffle through boxes on your first night in your new home, or you might be traveling a long distance and have your household items show up after you have arrived. Either way, pack an essential box containing a change of clothes and toiletries as well as coffee, tea, snacks, cups, plates etc. A small tool kit, first-aid supplies, pen and paper are also important to have on hand. If you like additional info feel free to email me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com
  

Do this quick check!

Now that old man winter is approaching, it would be a good idea to check your plumbing vents on your roof. As you can see these are new repalcement units. You are looking at a radon and a plumbing vent. After about 10 years in service the rubber gaskets/seals deteriorate, dry out and crack. This will lead to leaks into the living area of the house. This is something that few homeowners ever look at until moisture enters the home. You may want to have your roofer or handyman evaluate yours before the weather turns. If you have any questions contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

I Want to Sell My Home

This is music to my ears. With today's market, the Seller needs to take a proactive approach. Let me explain, today's Buyers are more demanding in what they are looking for, The common threads are value & condition. Sellers need to listen and act on pricing & directives from their Realtor to be successful in this market. Let me give you some worthy tips. Albeit it may not be what you want to hear. I would think almost 26 years of experience accounts quite a bit. Lets start with pricing , what your neighbor received on their home 9 months ago is ancient history. The correct placement of value on your home is paramount in closing on your home. A well prepared (CMA) Comparative Market Analysis should be your guide. Forget about adding X amount of dollars to the suggested list price for bargaining room. This is old school and it will reduce the amount of prospects viewing your home. What it will do is extend the marketing of your home, hence additional costs to you, ie. mortgage payments, taxes, insurance etc. Let's delve in house preparation in one word "NEUTRAL". Sure, you paid a lot of money for that specialty floral wallpaper. But guess what, more often then not.. the prospect will not like it. Your first thought is, they can remove it after they move in. "NOT". They will keep looking till they find what they want. This goes for carpeting , paint and beyond. To make this work for you, you need to prepare your home before it hits the market. You only have one time for first impression. A blank canvas will go a long way. Fresh, Bright & Clean is what today's Buyer is demanding for. I have many other tips & suggestions, feel free to email me for more info at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Timing Is Everything

Many Buyers as of late are on the fence, if they should purchase a home now. I know they have pause for concern. Let me give you some facts, yes credit did tighten up. But it is mostly found in the population that have a low credit score. For the most part you can achieve financing with as little as 3% down payment with FHA or no down with VA financing. These programs are backed by the government and can be achieved with minimum amount of headaches. As a Buyer you may say, I want to wait to see what happens to the market....You can but lets looks at what is going on now. "ROBUST inventory, LOWEST interest rates in years, and MINIMAL competition." So I ask you this if you wait till the market flips, you will be competing against all the others like you waiting on the side lines. So now you can start looking or upgrading to your dream home. It is very seldom that a market has ample inventory, low interest rates and little Buyer competition. Even if the current market slips, Real Estate does always recover. You can now start enjoying your new home and also take advantage of the tax benefits and your future. If you are a 1st. time home buyer, you can take advantage of up to $7,500.00 tax credit for homes purchased before July 1st. 2009. This program is the Housing and Economic Recovery Act 2008. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com .

Hanna makes an unwanted visit to Allentown

Our hearts and prayers go out to our East Allentown friends who were affected from tropical storm Hanna which may have sparked a tornado that cut through the neighborhood around Dieruff High School. Pictured are two homes that were damaged on the 800 block of N. Kearney St. Roofs, siding, fencing and numerous tree damage in this area. Dieruff High School was indeed damaged with its flat roofing material tore from its decking. Many numerous mature trees around the school have been damaged and crews are on site to assist on the clean up and repairs. On the 800 block of N. Irving street, some homes also were also damaged with roofs blown off. The damages were estimated around 1.5 million dollars. Thankfully, with all the destruction no one was injured or killed during this storm.

Great News From Veterans Affairs

The department of Veterans Affairs will use a locality based approach in raising ceilings on its n0-down payment home loans from $417,000.00 to as much as $729,000.00. The increase are effective immediately under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The increased limits for veterans are based on local housing costs, tied to the similar locality adjustments of the Federal House Loan mortgage Corporation., Freddie Mac. More information about VA home loans is available at www.homeloans.va.gov. Source: Department of Veterans Affairs. Feel free to contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Mortgage News!

Buyers flock to FHA, government-backed loans Borrowers are flocking to government-insured loans, particularly those offered by the Federal Housing Administration, as they seek to refinance out of costly adjustable-rate mortgages or take out purchase loans with low down payments. The Mortgage Bankers Association says applications for government-insured loans were up 133.9 percent in July from a year ago, while applications for conventional loans like those purchased and guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell 50.2 percent. The FHA loan limit increases signed into law earlier this year, coupled with the permanent increases included in the recent Housing Bill can be credited with increased applications for these loans.Source: Inman News, 8.18.08

Feel free to contact me at findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Enviromental Home Hazards

Although homeowners say they are concerned about common environmental health risks, they often do little to protect themselves. A recent survey by pest control company Orkin, Inc., with the assistance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), found that 70 percent of owners have never had their homes tested or inspected for lead, radon, carbon monoxide or mold even though they are concerned that environmental hazards could affect their health. While nearly all (95 percent) are aware that pests, such as ticks, mosquitoes, roaches and rodents can spread disease, nearly 70 percent reported that they do not consult a pest control professional. The CDC, NCHH and Orkin have launched a public awareness campaign to educate consumers on how to protect themselves against harmful environmental health hazards and close the gap between awareness and action. If you have any questions contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com Have a great day.

Energy Star Info

This is an interesting site to help you find energy efficient products. Figure out how much you would save by using an Energy Star fan at http://www.energystar.gov/ Click the "heating and coling" link through to ceiling fans, where you will find a Savings Calculator worksheet as well as lists of energy efficient fans. The site goes into quite of few different areas like making your HVAC more efficent. If you like more info contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Did You Know?

Running a sprinkler for two hours can use up to 500 gallons of water. To figure out the right amount to water, put an empty tuna can on your lawn. When it's full, you've water about the right amount. For more info on how to save around the house contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Reverse Mortages

In a survey by the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta, 26% of homeowners who have reverse mortgages said their #1 reason for getting such a loan is to pay for daily living expenses. Only 3% said they used funds from a reverse mortgage to pay for a vacation. Other reasons cited for obtaining a reverse mortgage:

• Budget too tight 19%
• Need more liquid assets 16%
• Home repairs and maintenance 15%
• Provide care for dependents, pay medical bills 8%
• Pay property taxes and homeowners insurance 7%
• Falling behind on monthly payments 6%
• If you additional information contact me at: findit@LehighValleyRealty.com

Cut, Don't Run

Pools, sprinklers, hoses - there are many ways to use water outdoors in the summertime, and there are also countless and easy ways to conserve it. Check out the follwing tips for developing good H20 habits:

• Water your lawn only when necessary; if you leave footprints when you walk across it, it's time to water (usually once every three days).
• Minimize evaporation by watering your lawn during the early morning hours,when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.
• Divide your watering cycle into shorter periods to reduce unoff and allow for better absorption.
• Periodically check your pool for leaks if you have an automatic refilling device.
• Weed your lawn and garden regularly; weeds compete with other plants for nutrients, light and water. for more info contact me at findit@LehighValleyRealty.com