Greening Your Appliances

Choosing the right appliances for a new home or a remodel is easy if you apply a few simple steps. Do you know how you use the appliances you currently have? How many loads of laundry do you do a week? What kinds of laundry loads- mostly utilitarian clothing on normal cycles or would you benefit from a machine that accomadated handwashing and delicates? There are machines designed for energy efficiency like front loaders as well as top loaders that act as front loaders. Do y0u do a lot of dry cleaning? One way to help the environment and your wallet is to buy a washer that will handwash and a dryer unit that will dry flat items and those on hangers. How many dishwasher loads do you do? Are you often running a half full machine or do you have trouble fitting everything in one load? There are dishwashers that have 2 drawers you can run seperately as well as considering adding a second drawer type dishwasher in addition to a standard unit. How about the oven? Large family and lots of casseroles? There are a variety of double ovens available from 2 unit wall ovens to stoves that are double. If you are a gourmet, consider dual fuel which allows gas cooktop and electric oven for maximum efficiency. And keep in mind adding a convection oven for quicker cooking, energy efficiency and improved baked goods. Microwaves come with this option as well which can be a huge energy savings. The refridgerator needs special consideration. If you entertain a lot you might appreciate a armoire style which gives maximum shelf space to accomodate large platters. The freezer on the bottom of these units can also be larger and more efficient use of space. Remember to look for the energy star certification. Appliances use an estimated 20% of your total energy use for your home so energy efficient appliances can make a huge impact on your costs and the environment.

Where's the bottom?

It is common to hear buyers in this fluid real estate market expressing concerns about the optimum time to buy. " Where's the bottom?" is a question a lot of realtors in bubble markets are being asked. No one knows where the bottom is except for the one they are sitting on. By the time a concensus is reached on the low point of pricing in a market, it has already passed and prices have begun to climb. Fear of overpaying has kept buyers from jumping in and perhaps landing the perfect deal. One must remember that it is not only the price of the home but the payment that matters. Interest rates have crept up a little but they are still considered low. The home you could not have qualified for a year or two ago is now a nice comfortable payment. And the beauty part is that it is inevitable that prices will go up and equity will build in that home. Traditionally, real estate is not a liquid asset with quick turn arounds; it's like the stock market where trends predict the benefits of having and holding. What goes down must come up!