November is here with many parts of the country are already feeling the chill. This weekend, a nor’easter dropped up to 20 inches of snow in cities along the eastern seaboard – a reminder that winter is coming.
No matter where you live, though, the seasonal change in temperature throughout Arlington, ma serves as an excellent reminder to reset the blades on your home’s ceiling fans.
Ceiling fans don’t warm or cool air, specifically. Instead, they circulate air which can have the effect of making a room feel warmer in the winter months, and cooler in the summer months.
When it’s cold outside, ceiling fans push warm air down from the ceiling, balancing the heat within a room. This can make a room feel 4-6 degrees warmer. Then, during warmer months, ceiling fans push a room’s cold air back into circulation, which creates a windchill effect, of sorts.
This, too, can change a room’s temperate 4-6 degrees.
The secret to a ceiling fan is in the rotation direction of its blades.
When fan blades rotate clockwise, the fan makes a room feel warmed
When fan blades rotate counter-clockwise, the fan make a room feel cooler.
If your home is without ceiling fans, consider installing one (or more). Ceiling fans are economical and “green”, using the equivalent energy of a 100-watt light bulb, while lowering your home’s energy costs.
Plus, they’re relatively simple to install.
Tutorial videos are available online for the do-it-yourselfers, or just call a qualified electrician for assistance.
Home builders continue to sell homes and work through inventory.
According to data from the Census Bureau, the number of new homes sold in September jumped 6 percent from the month prior, beating analyst expectations. On a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis, buyers in Massachusetts and nationwide closed on 313,000 newly-built homes last month.
It’s the highest reading since April and a major reason why the available number of new homes for sale is shrinking.
As compared to September 2010, there are 19% fewer homes for sale nationwide. At today’s sales pace, the complete new home inventory would be “sold out” in 6.2 months – the quickest sell-out pace since the April 2010 federal home buyer tax credit expiration.
It’s no wonder builder confidence is rising.
After averaging 15 through the first 9 months of the year, homebuilder confidence jumped 4 points for October, carried by low mortgage rates and the expectation for a strong winter/spring selling season.
For buyers in Lexington , this could be construed as a housing market-shifting signal. As builder confidence rises, it becomes more difficult to negotiate for upgrades and price reductions on a new home. “Great deals” get scarce.
Furthermore, it’s unlikely that mortgage rates will sustain their current, ultra-low levels into 2012. Rising rates lead to higher housing payments on a month-to-month basis.
If you’re in the market for a newly-built home, in other words, today’s homes may represent your best value of the year.
When we move into a home, we make changes. Appliances get replaced, rooms get painted, and floors get refinished or recarpeted. It part of how we make a home “ours”.
One item we tend to skip, though, is the changing of the doorbell. In most Arlington homes, the existing doorbell is “good enough”.
Well, if you’ve ever had a mind to change your home’s hard-wired doorbell system, the good news is that changing your doorbell is a simple, do-it-yourself project. Whether you want chimes, songs, or the traditional ding-dong, all you need is a screwdriver, some tape, and the new doorbell system.
This 2-minute video from Lowe’s maps it out :
Cut the power to your doorbell from your circuit breaker
Unscrew the doorbell face plate
Replace the face plate with your new doorbell
Locate your in-home receiver and remove the chime system
Replace the chime system with your new system
The video also includes helpful tips such as how to use tape to prevent “losing” wires in your walls, and how to label your wires for faster re-wiring.
Changing a doorbell is a quick, 1-hour project. Use the video’s guidance to make you don’t miss a step.
Headlines in newspapers can be misleading — especially with respect to housing figures. Media coverage of the most recent Housing Starts data serves as an excellent illustration.
Wednesday, the Census Bureau released its September Housing Starts report. In it, the government said that national Housing Starts rose 15 percent in September as compared to August 2011, tallying 658,000 units on a seasonally-adjusted annualized basis.
The September reading is the highest monthly reading since April 2010, the last month of last year’s home buyer tax credit.
The sudden surge in starts is big news for a housing market that has struggled of late, and the press was eager to carry the story. Here is a sampling of some headlines:
U.S. Housing Starts Rise 15%, Hit 17-Month High (MarketWatch)
These headlines are each accurate. However, they’re also misleading.
Yes, Housing Starts did surge in September, but if we remove the “5 or more units” grouping from the Census Bureau data — the catgory that includes apartment buildings and condominium structures — we’re left with Single-Family Housing Starts and Single-Family Housing Starts rose just 1.7 percent last month.
That’s a good number, but hardly a great one. And for home buyers and sellers throughout Arlington and nationwide, it’s the Single-Family Housing Starts that matter most. Individuals like you and I don’t buy entire apartment buildings. Most often, we buy single-family homes. Therefore, that’s the data for which we should watch.
The good news is that media tales work in both directions.
Building Permits dropped 5 percent last month when the volatile 5-unit-or-more-units category was included from the math. Isolating for single-family homes, we find that permits were unchanged.
This is good housing because 82% of homes begin construction within 60 days of permit-issuance, hinting at a steady, late-fall housing market.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, water heating can account for 25% of a home’s energy use. This is a substantial percentage, representing thousands of dollars per year in energy costs.
The good news is there are multiple ways to increase your home’s energy-efficiency with respect to heated water.
The Department of Energy provides a list.
Reduce hot water usage : Fix leaks, install low-flow fixtures, and use high-efficiency clothes washers and dishwashers.
Lower the hot water temperature : 120ºF is ideal. Each 10ºF drop in temperature saves up to 5% and slows corrosion.
Some of the above items are costly to implement, and others are inexpensive. Most can be handled without hiring a plumber, especially those items at the top of the list.
As a Arlington homeowner, take control. Apply these energy-saving, water-heating strategies and you’ll not only save money each month, but you’ll lengthen the useful life of your home’s appliances and plumbing.
Did you remember to handle the most basic safety precaution for your new home?
When people buy homes — in Lexington or wherever — , there’s a tendency to think “Big Picture” on home improvements. Flooring, painting and furniture are common “just-moved-in” purchases, as are cable television and utilities packages.
The most important move-in purchase, though, may also be the least expensive — deadbolts for your doors.
Every home has at least one — and sometimes up to dozen — keyed points of entry. And until you change those locks, there’s no telling just how many people may have access to your home.
For example, your home’s prior owners may have shared house keys with any/all of the following people :
Real estate agents
Neighbors and friends
Parents, brothers and sisters
Home cleaning service
Dog walkers and pet sitters
Those keys will still gain entry into your home until you change the locks. This is why your first act homeowner should be to replace all your home’s keyed entries with new locks and/or deadbolts.
Locks and deadbolts come in a variety of designs and finises, with varying price points. A basic single-cylinder, keyed deadbolt costs less than $15, and a powerful digital-entry, keyless system sells for $200-plus. There are a bevy of models at prices in between, too.
Regardless of which lock system you choose, don’t procrastinate on installation. Ideally, your locks should be changed on the same day of purchase, as close to closing’s completion as possible.
Hardware stores carry most deadbolt varieties and many can be installed with just a screwdriver. For complicated installations, talk to a locksmith.
A good Real Estate Consultant will give you the basics, a fantastic Real Estate Consultant will give you the details. When selling your home, consider the competition!
It’s October and the fall season has officially started. For homeowners throughout Massachusetts and nationwide, the change of season is a well-timed, “preventative maintenance” reminder.
As temperatures cool, there are a handful of do-it-yourself projects you should undertake in order to keep your home in tip-top shape through the winter. This 4-minute piece from NBC’s The Today Show highlights just a few of them.
Calling it a “Fall Fix-Up Checklist”, The Today Show’s interview is fast-paced and wide-ranging. Some of the topics covered include :
Pick up all fallen leaves to limit damage to grass and “critter” invasions
Unclog gutters to protect windows and foundations
Turn off outside water sources and remove water from pipes and hoses
The home-tip video also shares how to find air leaks in your home, and how to fix them. Reducing air leaks can lower your home’s heating and cooling bills by thousands of dollars annually.
Although the highlighted projects are DIYs, you may feel more comfortable hiring a professional. Know your “handyman limits”, and remain safe at all times.
November is here with many parts of the country are already feeling the chill. This weekend, a nor’easter dropped up to 20 inches of snow in cities along the eastern seaboard – a reminder that winter is coming.
Home builders continue to sell homes and work through inventory.
Headlines in newspapers can be misleading — especially with respect to housing figures. Media coverage of the most recent Housing Starts data serves as an excellent illustration.
How much energy is your home wasting on water?
Did you remember to handle the most basic safety precaution for your new home?
Mark Lesses & Carole Falcone