Have Breakfast with Santa in Johns Creek

Breakfast with Santa
Join Recreation & Parks for "Breakfast with Santa" on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 at the Newtown Park Community Clubhouse.

Enjoy music, gingerbread cookie decorating, holiday crafts, and have the opportunity to write a letter and hand-deliver it to Santa. Parents have an opportunity to take photos of their children with Santa.

Registration deadline is December 6, 2010.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010
1st Seating: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
2nd Seating: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Newtown Park Community Clubhouse in North Fulton
Cost: $15 per child
Directions: http://bit.ly/Directions-NewtownPark

Foreclosure Process Under Review

There has not been much good news lately. This latest wrinkle in the foreclosure mess had got us talking to ourselves.

"A top federal bank regulator said Thursday that he has directed seven of the nation's largest lenders to review their foreclosure processes after learning about the widespread mishandling of homeowner evictions by the industry." [Washington Post]

These are some of the banks contacted by regulators. J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, HSBC, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo. GMAC put a hold on foreclosures in 23 states.

We heard news stories last week where bank employees signed off on documents without reading them. They were likely told by the boss that they had to keep it moving along and are buried under a pile of what they call "files" and what we call peoples homes.

Foreclosures are on the rise again. The foreclosures that have been in the pipeline are starting to hit the local market which is bad news for most but bargains for some. We're sure when the smoke clears it will be found that some mortgages were foreclosed upon unlawfully. Ponder this: what will happen to the people who now own the homes if they were taken back by the bank and then sold again. Title insurance is likely to offer protection.

"Old Republic National Title Insurance told agents Friday it would stop insuring homes foreclosed by JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), The New York Times reported Saturday, citing a company memo." [Rueters News]

With all that has happened in the last few years involving mortgages and foreclosures nothing surprises us. We have worked fairly closely with some banks these past years. When we see it all up close and personal our impression is that no matter how much it costs the bank their preference is to foreclose on the delinquent mortgage! We would not have sais this two years ago but it must be so because we have seen several cases where both banks and home owners would have come out ahead with a short sale or a loan modification....and the lender still foreclosed.

We can't prove it with numbers other than our own and those of our fellow associates at this point, but loan modifications are almost unheard of and there are far too few short sales that actually result in a closed sale. The programs set up to help distressed home owners don't seem to help any of them, hardly ever. They may provide some counseling and maybe give money management advice to struggling home owners but in most cases people will not be able to pay their mortgages with advice or counseling they will need more money. (reposted from the St. Paul Register)

Bridge Repairs in Johns Creek

Bridge repairs mean
quicker Fire Department
responses, strengthening
spans could shave off minutes
posted on 10/5/2010






Johns Creek has bolstered eight of its bridges so that fire trucks can cross them, speeding response times in emergencies.

"This is really good news," said Fire Chief Joseph Daniels. "This could cut response times in some parts of the city by one to three minutes. This work by the Public Works Department could make a real difference in making people safer."

A survey by the state last year showed that eight bridges in the city were potentially unsafe for fire trucks. The Fire Department re-routed some of its trucks to be on the safe side.

In dire situations, fire officials would use some of the bridges but make the fire engines stop, halt traffic, and then creep across. Ladder trucks had to avoid the bridges altogether. Pumper trucks can weigh up to 19 tons and ladder trucks can weigh 39 tons. A World War II Sherman tank weighs about 33 tons.

Now, pumpers can roll across the bridges without worry.

In all, 10 bridges received various improvements at a cost of about $641,000. All of the bridges pre-date the incorporation of the City in December, 2006.

In repairing four spans on Bell and Old Alabama roads, crews this summer scraped off up to six inches of excess asphalt layered over the years. The asphalt weighed tons, which limited how much more weight the bridges could handle.

Repairs to bridges also included tightening and adding bracing to beam-supports, fixing guardrails, removing debris from the streams, and placing rip rap to prevent erosion.

The bridges are now refurbished, stronger and safer.
Repaired Bridge Locations:

1.Bell Road over Cauley Creek
2.Bell Road over Chattahoochee River Tributary
3.Old Alabama Road over Johns Creek Tributary
4.Old Alabama Road over Johns Creek
5.McGinnis Ferry Road over Caney Creek
6.Barnwell Road over Hogan Creek
7.Parsons Road over Johns Creek
8.Brumbelow Road over Chattahoochee River Tributary
9.Buice Road over Johns Creek
10.State Bridge Road over Chattahoochee River (Westbound approach slab only)

Facing Foreclosure? What to Do Right Now

A record high 2.8 million properties were hit with foreclosure notices in 2009. That’s the bad news. The good news: About two-thirds of notices don’t result in actual foreclosures, says Doug Robinson of NeighborWorks, a nonprofit group that offers foreclosure counseling.
Many homeowners find alternatives to foreclosure by negotiating with lenders, often with the help of foreclosure counselors. If you’re facing foreclosure, call your lender right now to determine your options, which can include loan modification, forbearance, or a short sale.


Foreclosure process takes time
The entire foreclosure process can take anywhere from two to 12 months, depending on how fast your lender acts and where you live. Some states allow a nonjudicial process that’s speedier, while others require time-consuming judicial proceedings.

Once you miss at least one mortgage payment, the steps leading up to an actual foreclosure sale can include demand letters, notices of default, a recorded notice of foreclosure, publication of the debt, and the scheduling of a foreclosure auction. Even when an auction is scheduled, however, it may never occur, or it may occur but a qualified buyer doesn’t materialize.

Bottom line: Foreclosure can be a long slog, which gives you enough time to come up with an alternative. Meantime, if your goal is to salvage your home, think about keeping up with payments for homeowners insurance and property taxes. Otherwise, you could compound your problems by getting hit with an uncovered casualty loss or liability suit, or tax liens.

Read the fine print
Start by reviewing all correspondence you’ve received from your lender. The letters—and phone calls—probably began once you were 30 days past due. Also review your mortgage documents, which should outline what steps your lender can take. For instance, is there a “power of sale” clause that authorizes the sale of your home to pay off a mortgage after you miss payments?

Determine the specific foreclosure laws for your state. What’s the timeline? Do you have “right of redemption,” essentially a grace period in which you can reverse a foreclosure? Are deficiency judgments that hold you responsible for the difference between what your home sells for and your loan’s outstanding balance allowed? Get answers.

Pick up the phone
Don’t give up because you missed a mortgage payment or two and received a notice of default. Foreclosure isn’t a foregone conclusion, but it’s heading in that direction if you don’t call your lender. Dial the number on your mortgage statement, and ask for the Loss Mitigation Department. You might stay on hold for a while, but don’t hang up. Once you do get someone on the line, take notes and record names.

The next call should be to a foreclosure avoidance counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. One of these counselors can, free of charge, explain your state’s foreclosure laws, discuss alternatives to foreclosure, help you organize financial documents, and even represent you in negotiations with your lender. Be wary of unsolicited offers of help, since foreclosure rescue scams are common.

Be sure to let your lender know that you’re working with a counselor. Not only does it demonstrate your resolve, but according to NeighborWorks, homeowners who receive foreclosure counseling are 1.6 times more likely to avoid losing their homes than those who don’t. Homeowners who receive loan modifications with the help of a counselor also reduce monthly mortgage payments by $454 more than homeowners who receive a modification without the aid of a counselor.

Lender alternatives to foreclosure
Hope Now, an alliance of mortgage companies and housing counselors, can aid homeowners facing foreclosure. A self-assessment tool will give you an idea whether you might be eligible for help from your lender, and there are direct links to HUD-approved counseling agencies and lenders’ foreclosure-prevention programs.

There are alternatives to foreclosure that your lender might accept. The most attractive option that’ll allow you to keep your home is a loan modification that reduces your monthly payment. A modification can entail lowering the interest rate, changing a loan from an adjustable rate to a fixed rate, extending the term of a loan, or eliminating past-due balances. Another option, forbearance, can temporarily suspend payments, though the amount will likely be tacked on to the end of the loan.

If you’re unable to make even reduced payments, and assuming a conventional sale isn’t possible, then it may be best to turn your home over to your lender before a foreclosure is completed. A completed foreclosure can decimate a credit score, which will make it hard not only to purchase another home someday, but also to rent a home in the immediate future.

Your lender can approve a short sale, in which the proceeds are less than what’s still owed on your mortgage. A deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, which amounts to handing over your keys to your lender, is another possibility. The earlier you begin talks with your lender, the more likelihood of success.

Explore government programs
The federal government’s Making Home Affordable program offers two options: loan modification and refinancing. A self-assessment will indicate which option might be right for you, but you need to apply for the program through your lender. A Making Home Affordable loan modification requires a three-month trial period before it can become permanent.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have their own foreclosure-prevention programs as well. Check to determine if either Fannie or Freddie owns your mortgage. Present this information to your lender and your counselor. Fannie and Freddie also have rental programs under which former owners can remain in recently foreclosed homes on a month-to-month basis.

The federal Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program, which takes full effect in April 2010, offers lenders financial incentives to approve short sales and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure. It also provides $3,000 in relocation assistance to borrowers. Again, talk to your lender and counselor

See Foreclosure homes in Metro Atlanta: http://bit.ly/TodaysForeclosures

12 Tips for Saving Energy in your Home Office

With roughly 34 million telecommuting adults in America—a number slated to double by 2016, according to Forrester Research—adjustments to your home office power consumption, lighting, and heating and cooling can impact the environment and your wallet—up to about $200 per year in energy costs.

Down-shift your power consumption
1. Activate power-management settings.
Home office electronics have multiple power modes: active (or “on”), active standby (“on” but consuming less than 100% power), and passive standby (or “off”), according to the nonprofit American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, which promotes energy efficiency to consumers and government policy makers.

You can instruct your computer to move into lower-consumption modes automatically when you’ve stopped using it temporarily—during a lunch hour or phone call, for instance—yet also wake up when you’re ready to resume working. Such tactics can reduce your computer-related electricity costs by $25 to $75 per machine annually, says Energy Star.

Energy Star-rated power management features are available on Macintosh and Windows platforms (XP, Vista, 2000). Energy Star offers tips for how to adjust settings on different platforms.

Other providers offer help, too: Software vendor Verdiem offers a power management set-up tool called Edison and EnergyStar offers a similar tool called EZ Wizard, both of which guide you through the process of setting up power management.

If you’re uneasy launching power management protocols yourself, you can pay software companies’ IT pros to log on to your computer remotely and adjust your settings. Symantec, for instance, charges about $20 for its “Green PC” service.

2. Use a power strip for your computer, printer, copier, and other peripherals.
If you plug office electronics into a power strip, you can switch all of them fully off (versus leaving them in “standby” mode) with one button. Power strips cost around $3 to $12 from online retailers. Standby power—the energy that’s wasted by electronic devices that are plugged in, but not in use—represents about $100 per year in the average household’s electricity costs, says Energy Star. Assuming your home office equipment represents about 4% of your electricity bill, you could save up to $4 a year.

3. Be Energy Minded when you buy.
If you’re investing in new computer equipment, look for Energy Star-rated computers, small servers, copiers, fax machines, and adapters. Energy Star estimates that using these rated electronics in your home office can save $115 over the products’ lifetimes.

4. Consider a laptop over a desktop. Laptops use one-third the power (22 watts) of a typical desktop (68 watts) when in active mode, according to ACEEE. Annually, a laptop could save you about $19 compared with a desktop.

5. Opt for a flat-panel vs. CRT monitor. A cathode-ray tube monitor consumes about 70 watts of power, while an LCD or flat-panel eats only 27, according to ACEEE data. That’s about $1 in savings over year.

Reduce lighting costs
6. Replace traditional bulbs with compact fluorescents. By replacing one 60-watt incandescent bulb with an equivalent compact fluorescent in a home office where lights are on for eight hours per day, you could save up to $15 per year, according to Energy Star.

7. Buy CFL versions of halogen lights. If you like the look or brightness of halogen or torchiere lamps, the The Edison Electric Institute recommends buying compact fluorescent versions that consume less than 25% of the power (55 to 65 watts) of conventional versions (300 watts) and cost about the same.

8. Consider task lighting. Opting for a desk lamp versus whole-room lighting lets you use fewer bulbs concurrently, according to The Institute.

9. Locate lamps in corners. The adjoining walls will magnify the light across the room.

10. Turn off lights when leaving a room.

Keep heating and cooling costs at bay
11. Lower thermostats 10% during the day (to 62, for instance, from 68). This can save up to 10% on annual heating and cooling bills, according to the DOE, or about $100 per year. Supplement with thick slippers and sweaters in winter and keep windows open in summer, with shades down in the afternoon.

12. Use a space heater in winter and a portable or ceiling fan in summer. Both room-specific solutions cost far less than running whole-house systems at maximum capacity. Using fans or space heaters will eat into your savings for lowering the thermostat, but not nearly as much as using a central heating or cooling system throughout the house. Fans can run $25-$150; space heaters, $10-$80 at online retailers.

If your office is one-third the size of your house or smaller, you can safely estimate that space heating will be more cost-effective than heating the entire home just for the sake of the office, according to NYSEG, a utility company in Rochester, N.Y.

Optimizing your home office for maximum energy efficiency requires little effort, but can help lower your home’s overall energy consumption and annual utility bill without hampering productivity.

To see all the homes with home offices that are available in the Atlanta area go to: http://www.anzianorealestate.com/

Save Energy in the Family Room

Reduce your electricity bills by systematically purging your family room of wasteful energy practices.

The fun—a video game console, TV, DVR, DVD, and stereo system—that your family room provides comes with a price. By reducing standby power, using rechargeable batteries in remotes, and replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, you could save up to $130 a year in energy costs.

And if you’re in the market for a new TV, you can save even more energy by being flexible on the type you buy.

1. Reconsider that plasma TV. The three biggest energy hogs in the family room are the plasma television, DVR/Tivo box, and digital cable box, says the nonprofit American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, which promotes energy efficiency to consumers and government policymakers.

A typical plasma TV (less than 40 inches) consumes 441 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, according to ACEEE. That translates into about $50 (based on 11.3 cents per kilowatt hour). Next up are TiVo devices at $41 annually, followed by digital cable boxes at $27. Both devices are always fully on because they constantly receive and download data.

Opting for an LCD (liquid crystal display) TV will cost about $8 to operate annually—for an annual savings of about $42 over the plasma. Of course, weigh your decision against the cost of a new TV.

2. Reduce standby power. Vampire power—the energy that’s wasted by electronic devices that are plugged in, but not in use—represents about $100 per year in the average household’s electricity costs, says Energy Star. Assuming the family room represents about 15% of your electricity bill, you could save about $15 per year with smart standby practices.

Unplug rarely used electronics (like that karaoke machine) altogether and cluster other appliances, even adapters for cell phones and digital cameras, onto power strips ($3-$12 for a six-outlet strip). Then you can fully turn off all attached electronics with one switch.

Unfortunately, some family room electronics, such as set-top boxes and downloading devices like TiVo, can’t be turned off, because that would disrupt the digital data-gathering you’ve programmed them to do. But with a so-called smart power strip (about $20 to $40 through online retailers), you can completely turn off your TV while leaving the always-on DVR plugged in.

3. Opt for Energy Star-rated electronics. They’re anywhere from 6% (audio products) to 75% (DVD players) more efficient than non-rated electronics. Take Energy Star-rated television sets. They use about one-third less energy than their nonrated counterparts.

If you can’t live without plasma, consider an Energy Star model for which you’ll pay $18 less per year in operating costs than for a nonrated one. If you use an Energy Star-rated digital cable box (ask your provider if any are available for no charge), you could pay 30% less for energy—an annual savings of about $8.50. Energy Star hasn’t yet published data on swapping out a DVR or Tivo device.

4. Invest in rechargeable batteries. No, they won’t help you save on your electric bill. But you’ll save on the cost of batteries for your video game system and other entertainment remotes, according to PJ Stafford, founder of Green Irene, an eco-consulting company that provides energy and environmental makeovers to homeowners. You’ll help the environment, too. For every rechargeable battery you buy, you prevent at least 500 single-use batteries from entering the waste stream, Stafford says.

Consider a game system charger station, which runs about $25, or outfit your media room with 10 rechargeable batteries and two chargers for $55 to $65. (Rechargeable AA and AAA batteries cost $3 to 3.50 apiece, versus 75 cents to $1 for disposables; a charger costs $25 to $30.) That investment in rechargeable batteries and chargers, in lieu of 500 batteries over four years, adds up to about $310 to $445 in savings. Buying a charging system for your video game system eliminates the need to buy batteries for the controllers.

Call your local trash collection service to find out which batteries can be recycled or taken to a transfer station versus being thrown away. If you’re doing a major sweep-out of old batteries and appliances, consider Big Green Box, which lets you send your devices and batteries to a sustainable processing facility. Recycle old rechargeable batteries for free via programs like Call 2 Recycle.

5. Replace bulbs with compact fluorescents. By replacing one 60-watt incandescent bulb with the equivalent compact fluorescent in a family room where lights are on for four hours per day, you could save $7 per year. CFLs cost between $2 and $15.

See all the energy efficient homes in Metro Atlanta.

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Improve Curb Appeal and Safety with Inexpensive Outdoor Lighting

Think about it: Most of your guests (and if your home is on the market, many would-be buyers) see your home only in the evening, when its best features may be lost in the shadows. Well-executed outdoor lighting enhances architectural detail and plays up landscape features, casting your home in the best possible light and adding an abundance of curb appeal.

Outdoor lighting also adds value. Judith Patriski, an appraiser and owner of Quad Realty Co. near Cleveland, estimates that for upper-bracket homes, an investment in outdoor lighting can yield a 50% return. “When you pull into a driveway and see a gorgeous home, you’re going to pay more for it,” says Patriski.

And she emphasizes that it’s not only about aesthetics: “In all price ranges, lighting for security is important”—both to protect against intruders and falls. Here are the elements of successful outdoor lighting.

Mimicking moonlight
Much of the success of exterior lighting hinges on its design. Hang around lighting designers long enough and you’ll hear a lot of talk about “moonlight effect.” That’s a naturalistic look that features light no more intense than that of a full moon, but still strong enough to make beautiful shadows and intense highlights.

Other techniques outdoor lighting designers use:

Highlight trees: Whether illumined from below or given presence by a light mounted in the tree itself, trees make stunning features.

Use uplights: Uplighting is dramatic because we expect light to shine downward. Used in moderation, it’s a great way to highlight architectural and landscaping features.

Have a focus: The entryway is often center stage, a way of saying, “Welcome, this way in.”
Combine beauty and function: For example, adding lighting to plantings along a pathway breaks up the “runway” look of too many lights strung alongside a walk.

Vary the fixtures: While the workhorses are spots and floods, designers turn to a wide range of fixtures, area lights, step lights, and bollards or post lights.

Stick to warm light: A rainbow of colors are possible, but most designers avoid anything but warm white light, preferring to showcase the house and its landscape rather than create a light show.

Orchestrate: A timer, with confirmation from a photocell, brings the display to life as the sun sets. At midnight it shuts shut down everything but security lighting. Some homeowners even set the timer to light things up an hour or so before dawn.

Adding safety and security
Falls are the foremost cause of home injury, according to the Home Safety Council. Outdoors, stair and pathway lighting help eliminate such hazards.

Often safety and security can be combined. For example, motion-detecting security lighting mounted near the garage provides illumination when you get out of your car at night; the same function deters intruders. Motion detecting switches can also be applied to landscape lighting to illumine shadowy areas should anyone walk nearby.

Even the moonlight effect has a security function: Soft, overall landscape lighting eliminates dark areas that might hide an intruder, exposing any movement on your property. Overly bright lights actually have a negative effect, creating undesirable pockets of deep shadow.

Switching to LEDs
Once disparaged for their high cost and cold bluish glow, LEDs are now the light source of choice for lighting designers. “They’ve come down in price and now have that warm light people love in incandescent bulbs,” says Paul Gosselin, owner of Night Scenes Landscape Lighting Professionals in Kingsland, Texas. “We haven’t installed anything but LEDs for the last year.”

Although LED fixtures remain twice as expensive as incandescents, installation is simpler because they use low-voltage wiring. “All in all, LEDs cost only about 25% more to install,” Gosselin says. “And they’ll save about 75% on your electricity bill.”

Another advantage is long life. LEDs last at least 40,000 hours, or about 18 years of nighttime service. With that kind of longevity, “why should a fixture have only a two-year warranty?” asks Gosselin. He advises buying only fixtures with a 15-year warranty, proof that the fixture’s housing is designed to live as long as the LED bulbs inside.

Innovations
The growing popularity of exterior lighting has led to innovative fixtures. Here are some bright new ideas:

Solar lighting: When first introduced, solar pathway lights produced a dull glow that rarely made it through the night. They do much better now that they are equipped with electricity-sipping LEDs, more efficient photovoltaic cells, and better batteries. Still, they have yet to measure up to hard-wired systems.

Hybrids: Porch lights now come equipped with LED lighting for all night use, and a motion sensor that clicks on an incandescent bulb to provide extra illumination as you approach the front door. Hybrids use about 5% of the power a solely incandescent fixture requires.

Barbecue light: Tired of grilling steaks by flash light? Now you can buy a gooseneck outdoor light, ideal for an outdoor kitchen.

Estimating the cost
Total outdoor lighting costs will vary according to the size of your home and the complexity of your lighting scheme. Expect to pay about $325 for each installed LED fixture. LEDs also require a transformer to step the power down from 120 volts to 12 volts, running about $400 installed.

A motion detector security light costs about $150 installed. Porch lights and sconces range from $100 to $250 installed, depending the fixture and whether running new cable is necessary.

Contractor-installed outdoor lighting for an average, two-story, 2,200 sq. ft. house might add up as follows:

7 fixtures to cover 100 feet of LED pathway lighting: $2,275
Transformer: $400
4 LED uplights to dramatize the front of the house: $1,300
2 LED area lights for plantings: $650
2 motion detector security lights: $300

Total cost: $4,925

Author Dave Toht has written or edited more than 60 books on home repair and remodeling, including titles for The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Better Homes & Gardens, Sunset, and Reader’s Digest. A former contractor, Dave was editor of Remodeling Ideas magazine and continues to contribute to numerous how-to publications.

Please share this article and this blog with your friends; then, see all the pretty (and well lit homes) in your favorite Atlanta area: www.AnzianoRealEstate.com

Working From Home...What's Deductable?

If you work from home, even on a part-time basis, you can probably save a few dollars come tax time.

That’s because if you itemize your deductions on your federal tax return, you can write off as a business expense part of the cost of owning and operating your home. Everything from electric bills to property taxes may be fair game.

Those tax deductions can add up, thus lowering your taxable income and reducing the amount you owe Uncle Sam. Before you start spending that refund, however, there are a few rules you need to understand and heed. It’s a good idea to consult a tax adviser to be sure that you’re filing the right schedules and maximizing your deductions.

Passing the IRS litmus test
To meet IRS guidelines, your home office must be your principal place of business, or the place you see clients in the normal course of business. Parts of your home you use to store products or equipment for your business also count. That doesn’t mean that all your work has to be done from home. If you’re an outside salesperson, you probably spend most of your work time elsewhere. But if you do you billing and return customer calls primarily from your home, your home office should qualify.

You can also qualify for the deduction if your employer requires you to work from home, as long as you don’t charge your employer rent. One big catch is that you can’t deduct expenses for your home office if you choose to work at home even though your employer provides you with an office. IRS Form 8829 can be used by self-employed workers to calculate the home office deduction, which should be reported on Schedule C.

Measuring your home office
The amount you can deduct for your home office depends on the percentage of your home used for business. Your work space doesn’t need to be a separate room—a table in a corner qualifies. But it has to be an area that’s used solely for business. The tax break also covers separate structures on your property, like a detached garage you’ve converted to an office. Unlike an office inside your home, a separate structure doesn’t have to be your main place of business to qualify for a deduction. That’s because the IRS believes your family is less likely to use a separate structure as a part-time play area or den, says Mark Luscombe, principal analyst for tax and consulting at CCH.

To calculate what percentage of your house the home office occupies, divide your home office’s square footage by the total square footage of your home. If your home is 3,000 square feet and your office is 150 square feet, for example, you’d use 5% to calculate your deductions. Not sure how big your house is? Check the documents you received when you bought your home—there’s probably a detailed rendering—or measure the outside of your home and multiply length times width.

What can you deduct?
Once you’ve figured out what percentage of your home you use for business, you can apply that percentage to different home expenses. These include:

• Mortgage interest


• Real estate taxes


• Utilities (heating, cooling, lights)


• Home repairs and maintenance (painting, cleaning service)


• Homeowners insurance premiums

Just take each expense and multiply it by your home office percentage (the 5% mentioned above). That’s the amount you can deduct as a business expense. So if you spend $150 a month on electricity, you can deduct $7.50 as a business expense. That adds up to a $90 deduction per tax year. If your annual business expenses total $10,000, your deduction is $500. In 2009, lowering your taxable income by $500 to $99,500 would’ve cut your tax bill by $113.

Save bills or cancelled checks to prove what you spent in case of an IRS audit. Take an hour a week to file them away. Also, only repairs can be expensed; improvements must be depreciated. One catch: You can only deduct expenses if your business generates income. Expense deductions are limited if they exceed your gross business income, says Mark Steber, chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Service.

Don’t forget depreciation
Depreciation is based on the idea that everything—even something like a home—wears out eventually. To figure home office depreciation, start by calculating the tax basis of your home: generally the purchase price plus the cost of improvements, minus the value of the land it sits on. Next, multiply the tax basis by the percentage of your home used for work. This gives you the tax basis for you home office. Finally, multiply that by a depreciation percentage that’s set periodically by the IRS. There are caveats. For a crash course, read IRS Publication 946 or talk to a tax professional.

One reason to think twice before taking depreciation on your home office is that it reduces the capital gains deduction you can get when you sell a home. If you’ve deducted depreciation, you have reduced your capital gains exemption ($250,000 of profit if you’re a single filer, $500,000 for joint filers) by the depreciated amount. That could mean you’ll owe taxes when you sell, especially if you’ve lived in your home for a while.

This article was written by Donna Fuscaldo who has written about personal finance for more then a decade for Dow Jones Newswites, the Wall Street Journal and Fox Business Newsprovides; she caveats that this is general information about tax laws and consequences, but is not intended to be relied upon by readers as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Readers should consult a tax professional for such advice, and are reminded that tax laws may vary by jurisdiction.

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Toilets...Now There's a Catchy Blog Topic

Replacing an old water-guzzler with a new low-flow toilet can shave as much as $90 off your water bill and send thousands fewer gallons down the drain.

A lot has changed since 1994, when low-flow toilets became the law of the land. Early versions created a bit of a stink, because while they were good at saving water—using only 1.6 gallons per flush versus as many as 7 gallons—they weren’t necessarily good at doing a toilet’s main job.

Today’s low-flow models don’t have those problems. Not only are they much better performers, some also use even less water than the federal standard. So if you’re in the market for a new throne, it pays to consider a high-efficiency toilet (HET). You’ll save a bundle: According to the EPA, replacing pre-1994 guzzlers with new HETs will shave more than $90 off your annual utility bills. Plus, you’ll be sending thousands fewer gallons a year down the drain.

Look for high performers
The EPA’s WaterSense label on the box identifies HETs that have been certified by independent laboratories. They’re rated according to Maximum Performance (MaP) testing protocols, which measure the toilets’ ability to remove waste. MaP scores range from 250 to 1,000, based on the number of grams completely evacuated in a single flush. The EPA has adopted 350 grams as its minimum performance threshold, and “anything over 500 is very good,” says Terry Love, a plumber in Washington state who conducts his own thorough testing of low-flow toilets.

Choose a flush mechanism
Like standard low-flow toilets, HETs come with different flush options. The one you choose depends on how “green” you want to be, how much you’re willing to spend, and your tolerance for noise. Most residential toilets in the U.S. are gravity-flush, which, as the term implies, relies on the weight of water flowing into the bowl to help remove waste. Pressure-assist toilets compress air at the top of the tank to increase flush velocity, so they can do the job with as little as 0.8 gallons of water. While this turbocharged action makes for a powerful flush, the loud whoosh! may cause small children to jump out of their socks. (Somewhat counterintuitively, these also require good household water pressure to work properly.)

Some low-flow designs, like the minimalist Kohler Hatbox—so streamlined that it doesn’t even have a tank—flush with the aid of an electric pump. While that delivers a powerful flush without the noise, unlike a standard toilet it requires electricity, which can make for more complicated installation and costlier maintenance.

Calculate your savings
Toilets account for about 27% of a household’s indoor water usage, so trading up to a high-efficiency toilet can yield big savings. According to the EPA, a family of four that replaces its home’s older toilets with WaterSense-labeled models will, on average, save more than $90 per year in reduced water bills and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilets. You can pocket even more by taking advantage of rebates and vouchers offered by many states and municipalities. The city of Austin, Texas, for example, gives residents up to three HETs for free, though there is a modest fee for certain design features, such as an elongated bowl or a seat that meets the ADA-required height of 17 inches.

And, of course, you’ll be saving a lot of water. Pre-1994 toilets send between 3.5 and 7 gallons down the drain with every flush. For a family of four, that adds up to about 76 gallons a day. And if the toilet leaks—that is, if it continues to run after you’ve flushed or sometimes trickles mysteriously on its own—it could be chugging up to 200 extra gallons daily.

To maximize water savings, consider a dual-flush HET. The tank has two buttons that let you choose between a half flush and a full flush, depending on whether liquid or solid waste needs to go down. Caroma, a brand made in Australia (where dual-flush is mandatory), started selling these in the U.S. about a decade ago and offers nearly a dozen dual-flush lines.

Do some comparison shopping
The good news is that all this efficiency comes at a reasonable price—about $200 on average, no more than a conventional low-flow toilet. Keep in mind that price doesn’t always guarantee quality or correlate to MaP score. Before you make a purchase, check consumer reviews for specific models, noting track records for maintenance and common gripes that crop up about specific brands. Once you find a model you like, it’s easy to compare prices at Web sites such as pricegrabber.com, shopzilla.com, and nextag.com (be sure to factor in shipping and return policies). Certain features, such as elongated bowls and high-tech finishes like Toto’s SanaGloss, might add 20% to the price, but considering how long it will be until you buy your next toilet, that extra bit of ease and comfort is quickly amortized.

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Using rain barrels to harvest rainwater from your roof is a simple, low-expense solution for conserving water and saving on your water bill.

Why pay to pour thousands of gallons of municipally treated tap water on your lawn and garden every summer if you can irrigate for free? That’s the thinking behind the growing interest in rain barrels, which let you conserve water, protect the environment, and save money at the same time.

Considering that an inch of rain dumps 500 gallons on the roof of a typical 2,000-square-foot house, it’s possible in most parts of the country to collect more than enough runoff for basic landscape irrigation needs. A rain barrel will save about 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer months, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In a national survey by DC Urban Gardeners, a rain barrel lowered water bills by about $35 a month in the summer. For as little as $100 for the barrel and downspout fittings, a rain-harvesting system can pay for itself in just a couple of seasons.

How much rain can you collect?
The first step is to figure out the potential runoff amount from your roof. Multiply your area’s average annual rainfall in inches by the square footage of your roof. If you don’t know exact roof area, it’s fine to use the dimensions of your house’s footprint. Then multiply that number by 0.623—the amount of water in gallons needed to fill one square foot of space to a depth of one inch. The result is the number of gallons you can harvest. (Keep in mind, though, that most rain barrel systems are set up to collect only a portion of that, depending on irrigation needs.)

If your main goal is to water flower beds or run soaker hoses during dry spells, one or two 55-gallon barrels will suffice. If you want to turn off the garden tap all together, you’ll need multiple barrels or a cistern, a large tank that stores from 300 to 3,000 gallons. But cisterns cost considerably more (up to $2,500) and are more complicated to install and use, which makes them best suited for larger-scale rain harvesting systems that include such indoor uses as flushing toilets.
The cost to set up a rain barrel system
Commercial barrels cost between $50 and $200, though you can also make one yourself from castoff food-grade containers. One couple linked together five 55-gallon syrup drums they bought for $10 apiece from the local Coca-Cola bottling plant. Their blog is an amusing and instructive rain-harvesting primer.

A typical system consisting of one or two barrels and off-the-shelf parts such as spigots, downspout extensions, mesh screens, and soaker hoses costs between $35 and $600. Cobbling it all together might take a weekend or two, but it’s not rocket science. The Maryland Environmental Design Program offers easy step-by-step instructions for building your own barrel with about $15 worth of supplies.

Unfortunately, most rain barrels are not very handsome, and it’s not always easy to camouflage them. Some people like the folksy wooden water barrel look, but generally speaking, the more water you’re trying to capture, the bulkier the containers—and the harder they are to make inconspicuous or tuck behind bushes, especially since they need to be located near a downspout on your house.

Safety requirements and caveats
Rain barrels work via gravity, so the barrel must be level, stable, and elevated to allow water to move out of the tank. You’ll want two spigots, one at the bottom to connect a hose and the other about two-thirds of the way down to fit a watering can or bucket underneath. If you want to move water to a higher level, you’ll have to add a small pump ($50 to $150, depending on type).

You’ll also need to take a few other precautions for safety:
Covers and screens:
A secure cover keeps children, pets, and wildlife out. Fine mesh screens prevent mosquitoes from breeding (a mosquito dunk, which kills mosquito larvae but is non-toxic to plants or other animals, is also not a bad idea) and block leaves and twigs from clogging the works.

Organic growth:
Water that sits for days or weeks, especially in hot weather, can start to grow algae. Try adding a capful or two of bleach to the tank and letting it stand for a few days before using. If that doesn’t work, you may have to drain and scrub the inside periodically.

Overflow:
A 55-gallon barrel (or even two) will quickly fill up, especially during intense downpours. An overflow system that diverts water to a storm drain or into a moisture-tolerant part of the garden is essential.

Restricted uses:
Although good for plants and perfectly fine for washing cars or garden tools, water that comes off the roof is far from pure. It may be contaminated with dust, insects, bird droppings, pine needles, pollen, and other pollutants. Be sure to clearly label all rainwater-supplied fixtures as “Non-potable—Do Not Drink.” Nor is it safe to mix fertilizer or garden chemicals in the barrel, even for garden use.

Benefits that go beyond saving money
Collecting rainwater has numerous benefits apart from low-cost irrigation. Free of chlorine and sodium, naturally soft rainwater is superior for plants. Capturing roof runoff also lowers the risk of flooding and reduces the burden on storm sewers and local watersheds.

That’s one reason why a number of local and state governments are offering tax breaks or rebates for rainwater harvesting systems. A few, such as Washington, D.C., San Antonio, Texas, and San Jose, California, will even conduct a rainwater audit of your property, make recommendations, and implement rain barrels or other storm-water runoff strategies at a subsidized rate.

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The not so ugly rain barrel (thecrunchychicken.com)

Best Things About a Rain Barrel (hedbergrocks.blogspot.com)

Build a Gutterless Rain Barrel [DIY] (lifehacker.com)

And, when looking for a home in the Johns Creek, Duluth, North Fulton or Forsyth County area you need look no further than:

www.AnzianoRealEstate.com

Water Saving Irrigation Strategies

Simple, low-cost watering systems help you save water and money but still have a great-looking yard.
Almost one-third of the water your family uses—some 100 gallons a day on average—ends up on your yard and garden, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Nationwide, more than 7 billion gallons a day go to landscape irrigation. If that weren’t problem enough, as much as half that water is wasted. It falls on sidewalks or evaporates into the air before it ever reaches the ground. With a few simple changes to the way you water, you can save a precious resource and lower your bills at the same time. To remember the steps to take, just use our handy acronym: DIRTS, which stands for drip irrigation, recapture, timers, and sensors.

Drip irrigation sends water only where you need it
Drip irrigation systems can be a great way to save because they put water only where you want it. Unlike a soaker hose, which emits water all along its length, a drip system delivers water directly to plants’ roots, which cuts down on waste and also reduces weeds.

A drip system is basically a long, thin plastic tube sitting on the ground or, less often, buried right below the surface. Small fittings, called emitters, release water at rates of one-half to four gallons an hour. The tubing is attached to your outside faucet with a valve. You can turn on the drip manually or put it on a timer. Some systems also let you adjust the water flow, which can help prevent overwatering.

Installing a drip system is pretty easy.

Attach the valve, run the tubing, and insert the emitters where you want water. The number of emitters you need depends on what you’re watering. A 10-foot tree that soaks up 60 gallons of water a week might need several emitters, while a small plant that only requires a couple of gallons would need just one.

A new drip system will cost about anywhere from $50 for about 20 plants to $200 or more for a whole yard. You can also convert your existing in-ground sprinkler system. Companies like RainBird make adapters that let you replace sprinkler heads with connectors for drip tubing. Going from sprinklers to drip irrigation can cut lawn water use by up to 50%, saving you about $70 off the average annual household water bill of $475.

Recapturing rainwater lets you irrigate for free
Plants love the purity of rainwater, and you can’t beat the price. One inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof provides 600 gallons of runoff. Depending on your local rainfall, that could be enough to water your plants all summer.

All you need to harvest rainwater is a simple plastic or wooden drum with a spigot near the bottom where you can attach your hose. A 60-gallon model will set you back $75 to $150.

Just put the barrel underneath a downspout to catch rainwater coming off the roof. You’ll need to attach a flexible elbow to the downspout so it feeds into the barrel. In areas of heavy rainfall, you can expand your storage capacity with $10 connectors that let water flow from one barrel to another.

A few cautions. Roofs made of asbestos shingles, treated cedar shakes, or old tar and gravel aren’t good candidates for rainwater collection because the runoff may contain high levels of contaminants. To keep debris out and pests away, especially mosquitoes, cover your barrel with a fine mesh screen or lid. If you have kids, clamp the lid down to keep them from falling in.

Timers and sensors keep water waste to a minimum
Whatever watering system you choose, putting a timer on it will make your watering more efficient. Plus, if you live in a drought-prone area where watering schedules are restricted, a timer can keep you from getting a ticket.

Timer kits range from simple $20 dial models that screw onto the faucet and let you set on and off times manually to electronic controllers that let you program multiple on-off times and different watering schedules for different days of the week. If you want to track your water use, you can add a garden water meter for less than $10.

For even greater water savings, you need a sensor ($20-$30) that adjusts the water flow depending on how much rain you’ve had. These sensors measure either actual rainfall or the moisture in the soil, then automatically subtract that amount from the next watering cycle. Savings can be significant: A University of Florida study showed that soil moisture monitors can cut water use by more than 50%.

You can even give your water monitoring a high-tech spin with an ET (evapotranspiration) controller. These “smart” controllers use real-time satellite weather data to make watering adjustments. They can also be programmed to adjust for soil type, weather conditions, and slope. Installation requires a professional, but savings can be 20% to 40%, according to the Irrigation Association. Many water agencies in the West give rebates to customers who install “smart” systems; in southern California, installing an ET controller qualifies you for a $200 rebate.

10 Tips for Saving Energy in the Kitchen

Spending less money on utility bills doesn’t mean you need to rush out and purchase a whole new suite of Energy Star appliances. With occasional light maintenance and good habits, you can greatly improve the energy efficiency of your large kitchen appliances—up to about $120 annually—without sacrificing convenience.

Refrigerator/freezer
Energy-efficiency experts tell us to focus our efforts on the biggest energy hogs in the house, and that definitely includes the fridge. Because it cycles on and off all day, every day, the refrigerator consumes more electricity than nearly every appliance in the home save for the HVAC systems. The average refrigerator costs about $90 per year to operate, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The good news is that a few simple adjustments can trim roughly $38 to $45 off those utility bills.

1. Adjust the thermostat. By setting the thermostat colder than it needs to be, you might increase your fridge’s energy consumption by as much as 25% on average. Adjust the refrigerator so that it stays in the 37-40 degrees F range. For the freezer, shoot for between 0-5 degrees F. You could save up to $22 per year. If your model doesn’t display the current temps, invest in two appliance thermometers (one for the fridge, one for the freezer). They cost roughly $3-$20 apiece at online retailers.

2. Clean the coils. As dust accumulates on the condenser coils on the rear or bottom of the fridge, it restricts cool-air flow and forces the unit to work harder and longer than necessary. Every six months, vacuum away the dust that accumulates on the mechanism. Also, check to see that there is at least a 3-inch clearance at the rear of the fridge for proper ventilation. This routine maintenance can trim up to 5% off the unit’s operating cost, says energy savings expert Michael Bluejay, saving you about $4.50 a year.

3. Use an ice tray. Automatic ice makers are a nice convenience, to be sure, but it turns out the mechanisms are energy hogs. An automatic ice maker can increase a refrigerator’s energy consumption by 14% to 20%, according to Energy Star. By switching off the ice maker and using trays, you can save about $12 to $18 off your annual electricity bill. Most units require little more than a lift of the sensor arm to switch them off. To reclaim the space remove the entire unit, a simple DIY job on many models.

4. Unplug the “beer fridge.” Many homes have an extra fridge that runs year round even though it’s used sparingly. Worse, these fridges tend to be older, more inefficient models. By consolidating the contents to the main fridge and unplugging the additional unit, you eliminate the entire operating cost of a fridge. The second-best solution is to make sure the extra fridge remains three-quarters full at all times. The mass helps maintain steady internal temps and lets the fridge recover more quickly after the door is opened and closed, according to the California Energy Commission.

Ovens and ranges
“Green” cooking all comes down to proper time and space management. By using gas and electric stoves more effectively, you can painlessly save a few dollars a year.

5. Cut the power early. As anybody who’s ever bumped a burner on an electric stove can attest, those heating elements stay hot long after they’ve been switched off. Put that residual heat to work by shutting off the burner several minutes before the end of the cook time. The same technique can be applied to the oven. The savings can add up to a couple bucks every month.

6. Match the burner to pan. When a small pan is placed on a big burner you can practically see the money disappearing into thin air. By matching the burner to the pan, electricity won’t be squandered heating the kitchen rather than the food. The reverse is true, too. A small burner will take considerably longer to heat a large pan than would an appropriately sized burner. For gas stoves, don’t let the flames lick the sides of the pot. Follow these tips and watch the utility bills shrink by a few dollars a month.

7. Do away with preheating. You can save about $2 a month by not preheating your oven (20 cents per hour to operate electric oven; eliminate 20 30-minute preheats a month). Many cooks agree that the practice is wholly unnecessary for all but a few recipes, namely baking breads and cakes. This approach may add a few minutes to the overall cooking time, but it eliminates all that wait time on the front end.

Dishwasher
As with washing machines, most of a dishwasher’s energy needs go to heating the water. Still, says Lane Burt, an energy policy analyst with The Natural Resources Defense Council, a 10-year-old dishwasher can be made nearly as efficient as a newer model simply by knowing when and how to run it. Follow a few simple tips, and you can reduce your annual utility costs by roughly $35-$54. Also, check out this buying guide.

8. Manage the load. Most dishwashers use the same amount of water and energy whether they’re run full or half-full. You can cut your operating costs by one-third or one-half by running the machine only when it’s full. It costs about $54 to run a pre-2000 model dishwasher per year, based on government data. Proper load management can save up to $27 each year.

9. Activate energy-saving features. A dishwasher’s heated dry cycle can add 15% to 50% to the appliance’s operating cost. Most machines allow the feature to be switched off (or not turned on), which can save $8-$27 per year, assuming an operating cost of $54 annually. If your dishwasher doesn’t have that flexibility, simply turn the appliance off after the final rinse and open the door.

10. Use the machine. Many homeowners believe they can save water and energy by hand washing dishes. The truth is that a dishwasher requires less than one-third the water it would take to do those same dishes in the sink. By running the machine (when full), you can cut down the operating time of the hot water heater, your home’s largest energy hog. Not only will you save a buck per month, you won’t have to do the dishes.

Green Kitchen Remodeling

If you’re ready to remodel your kitchen and want to go green, here’s how to create the healthy, energy-efficient, eco-friendly kitchen of your dreams.

Going green with your kitchen remodeling project means making choices based on your lifestyle and your budget. The decisions aren’t always simple. For example, a certain green product may outlast and use less energy but cost more than a similar product that performs equally well. Fortunately, an expanding marketplace for smart, stylish green products is helping to lower costs—making it easier to have a green kitchen and love it, too.

If products you’d like to add to your project aren’t readily available, schedule visits to showrooms or green home improvement expos to examine materials first-hand before making decisions. To help you plan, here are key products, ideas, and tips to put the green in your kitchen.

Major components:
• Sustainable kitchen cabinets are made from wood and wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to be produced using sustainable forest management practices. They feature formaldehyde-free glues and finishes with low volatile organic compounds that give off little or no toxic fumes. Check product literature closely to ensure the cabinets you choose meet these criteria.

When shopping for cabinets, ask if the cabinet boxes are built with wheat board or straw board. These products are made from agricultural waste, such as the chaff left over from farmers’ wheat crops. As a rule, they feature formaldehyde-free binders. They’re strong and rated to exceed the standards set by the American National Standards Institute for medium density particleboard—the material commonly used to make cabinet boxes.

• Green countertops offer variety but all share similar characteristics: recycled or sustainable content, low-toxicity binders, and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. In addition, they’re highly durable. Examples: Squak Mountain Stone is made from recycled paper, recycled glass, reclaimed fly ash, and cement. The finished countertop slabs resemble limestone and soapstone. Eco-top counters consist of renewable bamboo fiber, post-consumer recycled paper, and water-based resin glue. Vetrazzo makes countertops that are 85% recycled glass—almost all the glass comes from curbside recycling programs. Craft-Art includes a line of wood countertops made of reclaimed wood from older barns, warehouses, and commercial buildings.

• Eco-friendly flooring includes linoleum and cork. Both are made with renewable resources that make them sustainable choices. They’re good-looking and durable, but require periodic maintenance.

Linoleum is made from renewable, biodegradable materials including linseed oil and cork. It produces no harmful vapors and comes in many patterns and colors. Linoleum stands up well to traffic and offers some cushioning underfoot. It’s resistant to moisture but susceptible to staining, so some manufacturers add a coating to protect against spills and scratches. Without this protection, linoleum must be cleaned and polished every two years. Cost: $2 to $4 per sq.ft.; installation adds $5 to $7 per sq.ft.

Cork is a sustainable flooring product made from tree bark; the bark grows back and can be harvested repeatedly. Harvesting practices are carefully regulated to ensure future supplies, reducing environmental impact. Cork is waterproof and slightly soft underfoot, which makes it both moisture-resistant and comfortable. It’s made in 12x12-inch tiles and 1x3-foot planks, each with a distinctive grain pattern. The surface is slightly textured and slip-resistant.

Treat cork flooring with a sealant every 3 to 4 years to prevent scratches and stop moisture from penetrating seams between tiles. Natural wax and water-based polyurethane work well. Cost: $2-$6 per sq.ft.; installation, $5-$10 per sq.ft.

Appliances
• Choosing Energy Star products reduces energy consumption and saves utility costs. Energy Star appliances are tested and rated to be the most energy-efficient models in any product category. In addition, some states and regional utility companies offer rebates for buying Energy Star appliances.

• Dishwashers go green when they feature an energy-saving or quick-wash cycle. These cycles operate for shorter periods of time, saving water and energy. Also, look for dishwashers that include an air-dry option, which dries dishes with circulation fans rather than energy-draining heating elements. Or, simply open up the dishwasher door when the wash cycle is complete and let dishes air dry.

Energy Star models are 25% more energy efficient than the federal standards for energy consumption. If you replace your pre-1994 dishwasher with an Energy Star model, you’ll save as much as $40 a year on energy costs.

• Buy a new refrigerator and you’ll save on energy costs. That’s because manufacturers are constantly improving technology and insulating techniques. In fact, today’s new models are 75% more energy efficient than those manufactured just 20 years ago, saving about $100 per year on energy costs. An Energy Star-rated model will save an additional $20-$30 per year.

Choose models featuring the freezer on top and use 10% to 25% less energy than a same-sized model with a side-by-side configuration.

Green essentials
• An under-the-counter water purifier cleans water of contaminants before it reaches the kitchen tap; it has about 10 times the filtering capacity of a faucet-mounted purifier. A model with a top-quality activated carbon filter will remove heavy metals, bacteria, and pesticides. In addition, it removes odors and bad tastes. Expect to pay $150-$200 for an activated charcoal purifier with a replaceable cartridge.

• Energy-efficient lighting includes fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps that use 50% to 90% less energy than comparable incandescent lamps. In fact, according to EnergyStar.gov, a single compact fluorescent bulb will save $30-$40 during its expected lifespan of 10,000 hours over conventional incandescent bulbs of similar luminosity. However, consider the correct quality of light, such as an efficient halogen and LED lighting sources, for task areas.

• Being an active recycler is one way to ensure your kitchen is green. Most cabinet manufacturers offer options for lower cabinets that include pull-out recycling bins that keep contents organized and out of sight. In some instances, these bins are designed to be positioned conveniently beneath holes in countertops so that you can sweep food scraps into them. You can also retrofit existing cabinets with recycling bins—rotating lazy Susan-type recycling centers feature multiple bins and are designed to fit in lower corner cabinets.

Is Bigger Always Better? Times are Changing

In an era where size is slowly fading as a symbol of luxury, American builders have a long way to go until our size or efficiency matches those of other countries abroad.

This spring, we reported that the average American home shrank to 2,438 square feet, nearly 100 square feet smaller than its peak in 2007.

Although we typically pride ourselves in being the best of the best, if the measure is who has the largest average living space, we win, but if the measure is efficient living spaces, we have some work to do before we’re competitive. The good news is that sizes are shrinking, even in the Northeast whose square footage spiked more rapidly in recent years than other American regions:
Here’s how we stack up against other nations:
Other nations’ average size is dwarfed by America which is good news because more supplies are bought from suppliers which helps their businesses, employment, and local economy, but it’s bad news because of the negative environmental impact.

Sour economy or not...most Americans seem to think that bigger is better. Though the author of this piece feels that this mentality is nearing its end. What do you think?

Homes in Atlanta, large or small: http://www.anzianorealestate.com

While you’d like to get the best price for your home, consider our six reasons to reduce your home price.

If you don't receive any offers for a few weeks, check out other comparable houses on the market and what they're going for.

Home not selling? That could happen for a number of reasons you can’t control, like a unique home layout or having one of the few homes in the neighborhood without a garage. There is one factor you can control: your home price.

These six signs may be telling you it’s time to lower your price.

1. You’re drawing few lookers
You get the most interest in your home right after you put it on the market because buyers want to catch a great new home before anybody else takes it. If your real estate agent reports there have been fewer buyers calling about and asking to tour your home than there have been for other homes in your area, that may be a sign buyers think it’s overpriced and are waiting for the price to fall before viewing it.

2. You’re drawing lots of lookers but have no offers
If you’ve had 30 sets of potential buyers come through your home and not a single one has made an offer, something is off. What are other agents telling your agent about your home? An overly high price may be discouraging buyers from making an offer.

3. Your home’s been on the market longer than similar homes
Ask your real estate agent about the average number of days it takes to sell a home in your market. If the answer is 30 and you’re pushing 45, your price may be affecting buyer interest. When a home sits on the market, buyers can begin to wonder if there’s something wrong with it, which can delay a sale even further. At least consider lowering your asking price.

4. You have a deadline
If you’ve got to sell soon because of a job transfer or you’ve already purchased another home, it may be necessary to generate buyer interest by dropping your price so your home is a little lower priced than comparable homes in your area. Remember: It’s not how much money you need that determines the sale price of your home, it’s how much money a buyer is willing to spend.

5. You can’t make upgrades
Maybe you’re plum out of cash and don’t have the funds to put fresh paint on the walls, clean the carpets, and add curb appeal. But the feedback your agent is reporting from buyers is that your home isn’t as well-appointed as similarly priced homes. When your home has been on the market longer than comparable homes in better condition, it’s time to accept that buyers expect to pay less for a home that doesn’t show as well as others.

6. The competition has changed
If weeks go by with no offers, continue to check out the competition. What have comparable homes sold for and what’s still on the market? What new listings have been added since you listed your home for sale? In a hot piece of competion has come onto the market at an attractive price. Or, if comparable home sales or new listings show your price is too steep, consider a price reduction.

Please feel free to share this article and our blog with your friends and associates.

Tips to Keep the Sale Together

After finding a buyer, all you have to do to make it to closing is to avoid these five traps.

If something falls apart before a home sells, the sellers are responsible for fixing it.

Finding a buyer for your home is just the first step on the homeselling path. Tread carefully in the weeks ahead because if you make one of these common seller mistakes, your deal may not close.

Mistake #1: Ignore contingencies
If your contract requires you to do something before the sale, do it. If the buyers make the sale contingent on certain repairs, don’t do cheap patch-jobs and expect the buyers not to notice the fixes weren’t done properly.

Mistake #2: Don’t bother to fix things that break
The last thing any seller needs is for the buyers to notice on the pre-closing walk-through that the home isn’t in the same condition as when they made their offer. When things fall apart in a home about to be purchased, sellers must make the repairs. If the furnace fails, get a professional to fix it, and inform the buyers that the work was done. When you fail to maintain the home, the buyers may lose confidence in your integrity and the condition of the home and back out of the sale.

Mistake #3: Get lax about deadlines
Treat deadlines as sacrosanct. If you have three days to accept or reject the home inspection, make your decision within three days. If you’re selling, move out a few days early, so you can turn over the keys at closing.

Mistake #4: Refuse to negotiate any further
Once you’ve negotiated a price, it’s natural to calculate how much you’ll walk away with from the closing table. However, problems uncovered during inspections will have to be fixed. The appraisal may come in at a price below what the buyers offered to pay. Be prepared to negotiate with the buyers over these bottom-line-influencing issues.

Mistake #5: Hide liens from buyers
Did you neglect to mention that Uncle Sam has placed a tax lien on your home or you owe six months of homeowners association fees? The title search is going to turn up any liens filed on your house. To sell your house, you have to pay off the lien (or get the borrower to agree to pay it off). If you can do that with the sales proceeds, great. If not, the sale isn’t going to close.

You've worked hard for the sale in these times so, after all is said and done, treat yourself to a new or resale home that fits your adjusted lifestyle. Find it easy at: http://www.anzianorealestate.com/. As my friend says, it's 'easy peasy'!

Low Ball Offer? Make it work for you.

Consider before you ignore or outright refuse a very low purchase offer for your home.
A well thought out counteroffer and negotiation could turn that low purchase offer into a sale.

When you receive a low offer on your house, the best response is to counter with a price you're willing to accept.

You just received a purchase offer from someone who wants to buy your home. You’re excited and relieved, until you realize the purchase offer is much lower than your asking price. How should you respond? Set aside your emotions, focus on the facts, and prepare a counteroffer that keeps the buyers involved in the deal.

Check your emotions
A purchase offer, even a very low one, means someone wants to purchase your home. Unless the offer is laughably low, it deserves a cordial response, whether that’s a counteroffer or an outright rejection. Remain calm and discuss with your real estate agent the many ways you can respond to a lowball purchase offer.

Counter the purchase offer
Unless you’ve received multiple purchase offers, the best response is to counter the low offer with a price and terms you’re willing to accept. Some buyers make a low offer because they think that’s customary, they’re afraid they’ll overpay, or they want to test your limits.

A counteroffer signals that you’re willing to negotiate. One strategy for your counteroffer is to lower your price, but remove any concessions such as seller assistance with closing costs, or features such as kitchen appliances that you’d like to take with you.

Consider the terms
Price is paramount for most buyers and sellers, but it’s not the only deal point. A low purchase offer might make sense if the contingencies are reasonable, the closing date meets your needs, and the buyer is preapproved for a mortgage. Consider what terms you might change in a counteroffer to make the deal work.

Review your comps
Ask your REALTOR® whether any homes that are comparable to yours (known as “comps”) have been sold or put on the market since your home was listed for sale. If those new comps are at lower prices, you might have to lower your price to match them if you want to sell.

Consider the buyer’s comps
Buyers sometimes attach comps to a low offer to try to convince the seller to accept a lower purchase offer. Take a look at those comps. Are the homes similar to yours? If so, your asking price might be unrealistic. If not, you might want to include in your counteroffer information about those homes and your own comps that justify your asking price.

If the buyers don’t include comps to justify their low purchase offer, have your real estate agent ask the buyers’ agent for those comps.

Get the agents together
If the purchase offer is too low to counter, but you don’t have a better option, ask your real estate agent to call the buyer’s agent and try to narrow the price gap so that a counteroffer would make sense. Also, ask your real estate agent whether the buyer (or buyer’s agent) has a reputation for lowball purchase offers. If that’s the case, you might feel freer to reject the offer.

Don’t signal desperation
Buyers are sensitive to signs that a seller may be receptive to a low purchase offer. If your home is vacant or your home’s listing describes you as a “motivated” seller, you’re signaling you’re open to a low offer.

If you can remedy the situation, maybe by renting furniture or asking your agent not to mention in your home listing that you’re motivated, the next purchase offer you get might be more to your liking.

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