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Five Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

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A good credit score is, of course, important when buying a home, but your credit score can impact many more avenues of life besides obtaining a loan such as insurance rates, employment, and more.

If you are trying to improve your credit score, here are five tips to keep in mind.  Improving your credit score isn’t something that happens overnight, but these tips can help boost your credit score over time.

If you already have an excellent credit score, these tips are still a great reminder on how to stay on track and keep your score high.

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Home Energy Upgrades Loading Order

March 4, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Home Energy Upgrades Loading Order

When asked, “What is one of the best ways to ‘go green’ and upgrade your home’s energy efficiency?,” many homeowners might answer with, “Install solar panels.”  While solar panels certainly are an excellent technology with the potential to drastically reduce your home’s energy dependence, they are not necessarily the best or first upgrade to consider.

There is a saying among many green energy experts that you have to earn solar.  What this means is that if your home is inefficient in energy use due to old, poor-performing appliances,  lack of proper insulation, or air sealing, then the energy created from solar is going to largely be wasted.

This pyramid diagram is a useful tool to show the loading order of home energy upgrades.  It all begins with the base of the pyramid with an increased general understanding and knowledge.  A homeowner can be educated by having a home energy audit, or by reading about various methods, tools, and practices to help make a home more energy efficient.  From there, the homeowner can move up the pyramid to items that are more complex and/or require more of an investment.  Not every upgrade is going to be appropriate for each home.  This is why it is important to work with experts in home energy efficiency to maximize your specific results.

If you are interested in obtaining a home energy assessment or learning how you might be able to increase your home’s energy efficiency, thereby potentially lowering utility bills, increasing perceived comfort and making your home a more green space, please contact me below.  I would love to help you by being a resource to information!

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FREE Voucher for $400 Off A Home Energy Assessment

February 5, 2013 By 2 Comments

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If you are curious to learn your home energy rating, ways to upgrade and improve your home’s energy efficiency, and possibly receive rebates of up to $4,000 for upgrades, then the very first step  is to have a home energy assessment completed.

Currently, through Energy Upgrade California and the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), homeowners can receive a voucher for $400 off the cost of a home energy assessment.  This is a great opportunity, especially because as of April 2013, the voucher amount has been increased from $300 to $400.  To obtain a voucher, follow these instructions by using my personalized promo code:

  1. Go to:     www.energycenter.org/voucher
  2. Enter your info and the following promo code:       dged
  3. Follow the instructions to find a participating energy rater.
  4. Print out the voucher, give it to your rater and they will reduce their fee by $400.

Depending on the house, this voucher* could pay for all or most of the assessment cost.  An Energy Rater and the California Center for Sustainable Energy can help with finding rebates for completed upgrades.  Energy upgrades can potentially help improve comfort of the home, save money on utilities, and conserve resources.

Currently, the California Association of REALTORS® also has a separate program for a $250 rebate for the energy assessment if completed within 60 days of the close of escrow.  The great news is these vouchers can be stacked!

If you would like more information or are interested in having an energy assessment of your home, please contact me below.  I would love to assist you by being a resource of information!

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*Vouchers are available in a limited quantity until funds for the program run out, or the program is ended.  Energy Raters are independent parties and set their own prices.  On average, most raters seem to charge between $300 – $600 for a home energy assessment.  In many cases, the voucher amount will cover the majority, or entire cost of the assessment.  The cost is determined by the size of the home and systems in place.

 

 

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Rebates Available for Energy Efficient Upgrades

January 20, 2013 By 2 Comments

Does your home have any of the following characteristics?

  • Costly Utility Bills
  • Rooms that are hotter or colder than either the outside temperature, or the rest of the house
  • Drafts that may or may not have a known origin
  • Issues with air quality or odors
  • Moisture issues
  • Plumbing or general water leaks
  • Issues with windows or doors

If so, unfortunately, these are all characteristics of low performance homes.  The good news is there are specifics ways to address these issues and your home may benefit from energy efficiency upgrades!

A large number of existing homes in California score average to poorly on the home energy rating system, so there can definitely be room for improvements.  Currently, Energy Upgrade California is able to offer incentives in the form of rebates up to $4,000* for qualifying energy upgrades.

green-money

There are different rebate structures depending on your specific home and needs and the rebate amount is tied to the amount of  improvements made.  Some examples of possible energy upgrades may include:

  • Duct Sealing
  • Attic & Wall Insulation
  • Insulation of Hot Water Piping
  • Air Sealing
  • Combustion Safety
  • Thermostatic Shower Valve
  • HVAC Upgrades
  • Domestic Hot Water Upgrades
  • Lighting Upgrades
  • Appliance Upgrades
  • Low-flow water fixtures
  • Many more options…

The first step before having work done and receiving the rebates is to have an initial Home Energy Assessment by a certified energy rater.  The rater will assess the property and provide a certificate with an energy rating – a similar concept to how a car is rated for fuel economy.  This is the Test-In rating, which establishes the baseline score for comparison after the upgrades have been done.  After the rater gives recommendations, the homeowner can elect to proceed with the improvements.  Once completed, the rater then does a Test-Out assessment of the property to compare the results and improved efficiency of the home.

It is very important to work with a certified energy rater to ensure valid information is being obtained.  Also, the rater will be able to guide the homeowner to any possible rebates available.

Right now, a voucher** for $400 off the Home Energy Assessment is available to homeowners wishing to begin the process of improving their homes energy efficiency.  Depending on the house, this voucher could pay for all or most of the assessment cost.

If you would like more information on this subject or have any questions, please contact me below.  I will be happy to be a resource and to help in any way I am able!

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*Matching rebate programs are sometimes available in some parts of San Diego County to potentially increase the incentive amount to greater than $4,000. The rebate amount of up to $4,000 is tied to the amount of efficiency improvement.

**Rebate vouchers are available in a limited quantity until the funds for the program run out.  Rebates and vouchers are available until the funds are used, or the program is ended.

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Dream of Homeownership [Infographic]

January 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Here is a great infographic showing the results of a study on homeownership.  Study participants included both current homeowners as well as those wishing to purchase a home in the future.

Have you been dreaming of homeownership?  If so, contact me so we may discuss your present situation.  If you are tired of renting, you may be surprised at what type of property you could get for the same amount you pay in rent each month!
Dream of Homeownership

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Home Energy Rating Certificate

January 4, 2013 By 3 Comments

Would you buy a car without knowing its MPG?

Most people would probably not feel comfortable making such a large purchase as a vehicle without knowing its fuel economy, yet for those same people when buying a home–a much larger purchase–the topic of the home’s energy consumption rarely is addressed.

Example of Home Energy Rating Certificate

Example of Home Energy Rating Certificate

The California Energy Commission is working to change this by getting homeowners to become more aware of and care about their home’s energy rating.  As one of the first steps, it is now possible to have a certified home energy rater conduct a home energy assessment of a home in order to give it a rating between 250 (poor energy performance) to 0 (best energy performance).  The best score is 0, signifying a home that is “net zero energy,” meaning on an annual basis, it creates the same amount of energy onsite that it uses.

According to Energy Upgrade California, a majority of existing homes in California, typically score around 101-250.  So even if you think your home’s energy usage is manageable or reasonable, chances are there is still plenty of room to improve!

The home energy rating, however, is more than just a score. In addition to the overall score, a homeowner can learn the estimated operating costs, which features or systems of the home use the most energy, and recommendations for improvements and upgrades.

 

If you would like more information on this subject, or are interested in having a home energy assessment, please contact me below.  I will be happy to help by being a resource to you!

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Stress-Free Holiday Party To-Do List

December 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Are you planning a holiday party this weekend, or before the New Year?

While spending time with friends, family, or co-workers at a party can be a lot of fun and a great place to make memories, the preparation can be stressful!

With a little planning and prioritization, however, parties could be stress-free for everyone involved.  But where do you start?

Click the image in this post to view a great to-do list of party planning tasks broken down into the weeks, days, and day of the party.  By following this list this month, or for any party in the future, you are bound to cut out some of the stress associated with party planning so that you can enjoy the party just as much as your guests!

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Certified Green Real Estate Professional

December 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I am very happy to be able to say, last month, I earned my Certified Green Real Estate Professional (CG-REP) designation after completing a course through Build It Green.

Build It Green is a great organization doing some excellent work.  They train, educate, and help promote green building practices both in new construction as well as remodels and renovations.

The following is some information about the organization and their mission:

Our organization works with building and real estate professionals, local and state governments, and homeowners to increase awareness and adoption of green building practices. Our mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices in California through outreach and education.

Our vision is for a more sustainable world where all homes are built to support the health and vitality of people and the natural environment. We believe that changing how homes are designed, built, and remodeled is essential to preventing climate change, minimizing pollution, and protecting natural resources for future generations.  [Source: BuildItGreen.org]

With this certification, I further my own education while continuing my focus on helping my clients as a resource in buying or selling a home.  There are many reasons to consider existing green features, or to add green features to a home.  Green features in a home may have the potential to lower utility bills, conserve resources, and improve comfort.

I believe often, green features can be daunting to homeowners or prospective homeowners, because they believe “going green” is too expensive, or too much work.  There are actually many simple and smaller-scale ways to include green features in a home that still have a lasting impact.  That is why I am so excited to have earned the CG-REP designation and am looking forward to sharing knowledge and sources with others.

If you have any questions about buying or selling a home with green features, or going green in your existing home, please contact me and I will be pleased to speak with you!

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Show Gratitude Through Community Service

November 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Although we just had Thanksgiving 2012, nothing should stop us from feeling a sense of gratitude all year long.  One great avenue to exhibiting gratitude is through community service.

Community service does not have to necessarily be a major time or energy commitment.  A little effort can really go a long way in helping others, while at the same time making you feel more grateful in your own life, and who knows, you may even have fun doing it!

There are many ways to get involved in community service and so here, I am sharing 5 ways to take part.  Click the image to view the list, which will help give you some inspiration and ideas!

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Tips to Help Minimize Indoor Allergies

October 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Although it may not always feel like it in Southern California recently, we are officially in the Fall season.  Colder temperatures are coming though and parts of the country are already experiencing the changing climate.

With colder temperatures, we stay inside more and an unfortunate symptom can occur and that is indoor allergies.  To keep you feeling your best and to help avoid indoor allergies as much as possible, here are some helpful tips and pieces of information to consider.  Click the image to view and download a PDF reference sheet and then go enjoy the Fall season!

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