2008 Energy efficient home remodeling project ideas!

The Partnership For Advancing Technology In Housing, (PATH), released it’s annual top ten remodeling suggestions for 2008. As consumers and homeowners alike become more aware of energy efficiency, and the need to be “green”, more attention has been given to reports such as these.

Interested in what these top ten items are? Well, here you go: air sealing, Smartvent Ventilation, HVAC sizing, high efficiency toilets, compact fluorescent lighting, high performance windows, wireless lighting thermostats, solar hot water, recycled/renewable flooring and tubular skylights.

As the world we know grows and changes, we too need to adapt and change. Some small energy efficient changes in our daily lives can go a long way. If we all do our part in taking the extra steps to use less water and electricity, or even try to create less waste altogether, the possibilities are endless – we all just need to come together and do our part.

For more information, visit the PATH website at http://pathnet.org

SPRING IS IN . . . AND MOTORCYCLES ARE OUT!

Spring is officially here in the Duluth/Superior area. This week we have seen temperatures in the upper 60s which we have only seen one day this year before this week. All of the local Northlanders are out enjoying the weather in their own way – and motorcycling is one of those ways for many.

Our area offers many fun things to do for entertainment such as fishing, hunting, hiking, walking the boardwalk around Lake Superior, visiting the Aerial Lift Bridge and enjoying the sights, tastes and smells of historic Canal Park. However, within the city itself are many motorcycle enthusiasts – and I am one. The Duluth/Superior area offers beautiful curvy roads that follow the shoreline of Lake Superior and the rolling hills of Duluth offer a rollercoaster like ride while testing your clutch skills!

If you have a motorcycle yourself, or enjoy riding on the back with your favorite two-wheel friend, make Duluth and Superior a getaway of yours. You will not only enjoy the scenery this beautiful area has to offer, but the friendly smiles of the local people.

Spring Fever!

Writing a blog today is one of the worst days I could have chosen! It is finally 40 degrees outside, my coat is sitting at home, and I’m inside writing a blog entry! It’s that time of year when we all get that itch; that feeling of excitement and unrest waiting for the snow to really be done, and to get outside for barbeques and camping. This new year has brought about more new events in a couple months than I experience in most years!

                To start out, our wedding is creeping closer and closer! June, 7^th is about 2 months away and I can’t believe it!  I never thought it would come! Lining up dress fittings, food testing appointments, planning showers and bachelorette parties-it has all been such a wonderful time. If it wasn’t already difficult enough to write this entry, my first bridal shower is this weekend! And, to follow that evening is my bachelorette party! Nothing too bold; I’m already a grandma so there will be no traditional hazing games with phallic pieces and embarrassing games! The theme is a little black dress theme and it is a perfect excuse to dress up with my closet girls and head out for a night on the town.

                Through all this planning, my fiancé and I were searching the area for a place to live. Finding something affordable for recent college graduates just starting out in life is not always easy. And, to make sure we were in something before the wedding was a load of pressure that was not fun! We ended up finding a wonderful apartment that suits our needs and fits us just great! Of course we would love to own, but this opportunity suited us for this time in our lives. It is our first time living together and our very first place; needless to say it could be a one room shack and we would be just as excited!  We move in next weekend. One busy weekend to the next!

                After our wedding we have at least 10 weddings already lined up this summer! We are that age when weddings and babies are popping up all over! My summer is full of weddings, my fiancés baseball tournaments, and an aspiring busy summer for real estate.

                One would think that I would be burnt out by now but just the opposite. I find I work best when I am busy and on top of it, I am having the time of my life!

First Time Home Buyers– THE TIME IS NOW!

First time home buyers are finding the market is extremely favorable for them right now. With summer just around the corner, many homes are starting to once again come on the market in full swing. This is more than normal for this time of year, however, with home prices being lower than the past few years, and interest rates remaining extremely competitive, first time home buyers are finding themselves in the midst of a market of a lifetime.

Buyers are finding this market is not all “doom and gloom” as the media is reporting – especially if you are a first time buyer. When you couple low rates with low home prices, the payments and options you create can be pretty affordable . . . and surprising. These buyers are realizing they can purchase a home for themselves for the same amount they pay in rent. With most markets seeing significant amounts of homes listed for sale that are in Foreclosure, buyers are creating deals with these Lenders that have found themselves in that type of position. 

Although many buyers are still wondering if now is truly the right time to buy, the buyers that are willing and able to give it a try are finding out they are qualifying for mortgages with affordable payments and they also have the money needed to close on the homes! These are the buyers that will prosper in the end by jumping at the right time to secure a home that will not only grow in value and provide the first step to financial opportunity, but a new freedom they once thought was further down the road of life.

 

Duluth Home Show

Do you have specific insurance questions?

Come and see me at the Duluth Home Show at the DECC April 2nd-April 6th.  Farmers Agents will be there live and in person to answer your deep burning insurance questions.  We can explain how a course of construction policy works on that new home your building.

We will also be offering free replacement cost estimates to help you check to make sure you are carrying the proper amount of coverage on your home!  If you’re not insured for replacement, you probably won’t be happy with your coverage if you have a claim.  You should review this if you have made, or are planning on making, changes to your home.