Make your home smarter and more efficient this winter

Published: Thursday, November 15, 2012 4:26 AM CST

(BPT) - The coldest time of the year can also be the busiest. With holiday entertaining, overnight guests and winter getaways, it can be hard to ensure your home heating and other systems are performing for optimal comfort and efficiency. In addition, the Department of Energy reports that no matter what energy source you use, heating this winter will cost more, an important consideration since heating and cooling typically makes up about 54 percent of your utility bill.

Now, thanks to new home automation technologies, you can run your home in a smarter and more cost-effective manner than ever before - from wherever life takes you - even from a smartphone, tablet or Web connection.

For example, the Nexia(TM) Home Intelligence system from Trane(R) and Schlage(R) allows you to remotely manage multiple systems throughout your home, including heating and cooling, door locks, video surveillance, lights, shades and energy usage via any Web-enabled computer and most smartphones. Designed for today’s mobile lifestyles, it helps you make everything in your home speak one simple language. Visit www.nexiahome.com for more information.

Such technologies are growing rapidly in popularity as they become more affordable and easier to use. According to ABI Research, the number of home automation systems sold in North America is expected to grow to about 6 million by 2016, a six-fold increase since 2011.

Smart temperature control for better comfort    

Comfort and efficiency starts with smart temperature control for many homeowners. Picking up relatives at the airport? Kick on the heat in the guest bedroom from your smartphone while waiting at the baggage claim. Does one of your guests have allergies? Activate your system’s allergy clean cycle to temporarily boost air filtration and clean air output. Need to adjust home temperatures from your office if a sudden cold snap is predicted? It's all possible with an automated system.

For example, the Trane ComfortLink II Control works as an up-to-the-minute weather station inside your home. It can provide you with access to weather information, temperature control and air quality from afar via your smartphone, computer or tablet. In addition, you can create automated heating and cooling schedules to save energy while no one is home, an added advantage if you’re trying to better control winter utility costs. Visit www.trane.com for more information.

Smart security for peace of mind

With all of the family’s comings and goings this winter, home automation can help keep your property secure while you’re away. Planning a weekend at your second home during the holidays? Technology can help you monitor and manage security at your primary home while you’re gone. Need to let a pet sitter inside while you’re on vacation, or open a locked door for a family member who lost a key? Now you can.

Schlage, for instance, offers indoor and outdoor cameras that let you view activity around the home or yard. It also offers keypad deadbolts and levers that let you grant access to your home via scheduled codes when you’re not there. You can even receive a text or email alert when there is activity around the home, for greater peace of mind.

Smart connectivity to fit your lifestyle

When it comes to home automation systems, you can often pick and choose which devices you wish to control, for smart and efficient use of your budget, too. For example Nexia users pay a monthly subscription fee and then select from up to 200 different devices that can be purchased separately or bundled together, making it easy to expand the level of control as lifestyle needs change.  

Home safety is more than locked doors and alarms

Home safety is more than locked doors and alarms
When it comes to home security, most homeowners think about door locks
and alarms. These are, of course, very important. However, there is also a
lot you can do around your property to prevent the possibility of a break-in.
One important part of home security is outdoor lighting. Your home doesn't
need to be lit up like a baseball diamond at night, but your exterior lighting
should illuminate your yard enough to be a deterrent to burglars.
Some burglars hide around the property and wait for someone to arrive and
open the door so they can use that opportunity to force their way into your
home.
Security experts suggest that you walk around your property and look for
areas where someone could hide, such as behind tall shrubbery like a cedar
hedge or behind a tool shed. Make sure these areas are well lit.
Pay particular attention to lighting around exterior doors, especially the back
door.
Home security experts also recommend that exterior lighting be installed
with a timed dimmer. The lights can then be set to cast a bright light in the
early evening, and then a dimmer light throughout the rest of the night.
Lights installed with motion detectors can also be effective in certain areas.
The sensors will cause the light to turn on or brighten when someone comes
onto that part of your property. Generally, thieves will flee as soon as they
see a light turn on.
Do you hide a spare key under the front door mat or in a flower pot? No
matter how clever you think you are, experienced thieves know all the
common hiding places. So, if you need to have a spare key available, put it
in a small combination lock box and hide the box. That way, if a burglar
finds the box, he still won't be able to open it and access the key.

Rate sheets for June 25, 2012

Informed Buyers and Sellers

Rates are steady and strong right now. Check out my blog weekly for any changes to the rates, I also have the rate ticker on the front page of my website at www.paulsensells.com .

Do You Know the Basics of Home Security?

Do You Know the Basics of Home Security?

Most people feel confident about the basics of home security. For example:
Keep all doors locked. Have a light on in the house while away. Never hide
a key outside in an obvious place, like under the mat.

• Yet, almost a million and a half properties get burglarized in
North America each year. So how can you prevent that from
happening to your home? Here are a few less known home
security basics:

• Actually, never hide a key outside. Thieves know all the hiding
places. Instead, make sure all family members have a key.

• Two-thirds of home burglaries occur during the day. So be
extra vigilant about making sure doors and windows are
locked while you're away during the day.

• Surprisingly, most thieves are not daring. They are 2.7 times
more likely to target a home without an alarm system.

• Thieves will attempt to force entry through sliding-style doors
and windows first. So make sure these have a locking bar or
extra bolt lock.

• Surprising, 40% of household burglaries do not involve forced
entry. The thief is able to slip in through an unlocked window
or door.

• Don't show off possessions! An imported racing bike parked
next to the garage, or expensive audio equipment clearly seen
through a window, is an invitation to burglars.

• Take a look at the lighting and landscaping around your
property. Are there spots where a thief could easily hide? If so,
make some changes.

• When planning a trip, have a trusted neighbor pick up
newspapers, flyers and anything else that may accumulate at
your door.

Your local police department may have more tips and special programs for
keeping your home secure. Give them a call.

How to decide if you should replace your windows

How to decide if you should replace your windows

One of the most prominent features of any home is the windows. When they are well maintained they have a positive impact on the impression people (such as potential buyers) will have of your property. The opposite occurs, of course, when your windows look old and worn. So does that mean you should replace your windows? That depends on a number of factors. Window replacement can be an expensive renovation. Here are a few things to consider before making your decision.

 • Do your windows get frost or condensation build-up on the interior side? This could be a sign that the windows are not keeping out the cold as well as they should.

 • Do you see water infiltration or mildew on the interior sides of any of the window sills? This means that moisture is creeping in from the outside, and you need to get those windows repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

• If your windows are double-paned – (two panes of glass) – check for any signs of moisture in between the glass panes. Moisture indicates that the thermal seal is broken and at a minimum, the glass will need to be replaced.

 • Take a look at your windows from the outside. Is the trim rotted or cracked anywhere? Are there dark spots or any signs of rotting on the wood frames? Repairs or replacement may be required.

 • Check the operation of your windows. Do they open and close easily? This is important because some windows, such as those in bedrooms, are often designed to be big enough to use as an exit in case of a fire. 

• Finally, are you happy with how your windows look? Do you feel that your property will look significantly better with new windows? Although they are expensive, replacing windows has a lot of advantages. Depending on the efficiency of your current windows, replacing them could cut your energy costs by 10-20%. In addition, new windows block out more exterior noise, making your home quieter.

Want more tips on increasing the value, and enjoyment, of your property? Call today.

Mortgage Rates for the week of May 1, 2012

Hi everyone,  here are this weeks best rates.  Rates have not moved much from last week as far as I can tell.  It is still a great time to buy or refinance and the housing market is really starting to pick up!

To use a REALTOR or not...

I found this very interesting Blog post from Don Campbell of the REIN Group and I wanted to share.  There are all kinds of strategies for selling your home and now more than ever people will question if they need a Realtor or not, this is some food for thought.

 To read this article in full click Here

So you’ve decided to sell your home or investment property and you’re looking at different options and their related expenses for your exit strategy. With closing costs, marketing the property and everything in between, the additional cost of hiring a professional realtor seems like an unnecessary expense. And of course you’ve likely had this questions run through your mind: “How much is a realtor going to take out of my pocket?”This is one of the biggest mistakes people make when deciding to sell their property and often is a decision that COSTS money rather than saves it. If you have the right realtor on your side, the chance to attract buyers willing to pay more for your property is much higher than if you chose to sell/list the property yourself. You might be paying a commission to your realtor in the end, but what if that saves you an extra $10,000 overall? Seems like something for serious consideration.

 I know having a full time, full service Realtor is a great benefit when selling a home!  

Mortgage Rates for the week of April 16th

This weeks mortgage rates

Hers are the latest mortgage rates for this week.

Here is the latest Rate sheet for the week of April 2-9th, 2012, rates have gone up slightly from last week but still very low!  Now is a great time to mortgage a home who knows how long these rates will last but it seems lately that they rise then fall, but who knows if or when they will fall again.  If you have questions please feel free to give me a call or Contact Me  for more information



Cheers Susan

Mortgage News and Rates

I was sent a very interesting article on Mortgages and lending rules. I often find that new home buyers are not sure how all of this works, So over the next couple of weeks I will be posting some information on how mortgages work and how the Mortgage brokers work with you. There is a lot of varying opinions on whether to use a mortgage professional or a bank to mortgage your new purchase. I would say that it is personal preference.

There are a couple of things to consider though. If you are more comfortable with your bank then make sure that you research what the best rates are available and make sure that your bank can match these rates. I can help with this as I always have a current rate sheet with me and I will be posting a current rate sheet here and on my Facebook page for you to see. I will update these every week so that my followers can have a better idea of what is going on in the mortgage market. This article in general caught my eye and it could mean changes to the lending rules in Canada.

March 22, 2012   Flaherty Tells Banks: Do Your Jobs

Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, says it’s “a bit odd” that banks are asking the government to tighten mortgage rules.

Banks ultimately control who they lend to and shouldn’t require babysitting, or so one would think.

In comments made today, Flaherty hinted that we might not see further mortgage regulations in the near future.

These were his quotes from earlier, some of which were semi-amusing and certainly refreshing from a common sense standpoint:

read more here

I have also attached the latest rate sheet here.  If you have any questions please contact me, I am always here to answer all of your questions.



Cheers

Susan!

I thought I would put together some information on Understanding the Real Estate Market better if you are selling your home and a guide to feedback.  This is all very valuable information when listing your home and how feedback and when and how many times it is being shown comes into play.  I hope that you find this helpful.  If you have any questions about this please let me know, I would be happy to answer all and any of them!

Cheers Susan

RBC Housing Affordability Index March 2012

Check out the latest housing affordability index for Canada.  Edmonton is still one of the most reasonable and affordable places to live according to the March 2012 report.  This is great to see and should mean that Edmonton should stay on top in Economic Growth and the housing market.

I found a great Garage Storage Idea

I was browsing the web and I came across a great Website with a wonderful idea for storage in thew garage. Create a Sliding Storage System On the Garage Ceiling | The Family Handyman

What a  great idea to save space!

Alberta Outlook from CMHC

http://www.box.com/s/ecefqvi5b8xuu1z1zsgo

February Housing Prices Rise with Sales - REALTORS®

February Housing Prices Rise with Sales - REALTORS®

Edmonton, March 2, 2012: The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton reports that housing prices were up in all housing categories in February in the Edmonton area. The all-residential average1 price, at $329,911, was up 3.7% from January and up 5.7% when compared to the same month last year.

“Average prices in February were higher than the year-long average price for last year,” said REALTORS® Association of Edmonton President Doug Singleton. “Buyers seem to have confidence and REALTOR® offices are reporting solid traffic. This is lifting prices up and they are already higher than at the same time in the past two years.”

In February, the average price of a single family detached (SFD) home was $375,268, up 3.1% from the previous month. The average price of a condominium in February was $234,973, up 8.5% from the January price. This is higher than all months except May of last year. Duplex and rowhouse properties sold on average for $306,491; a 1.4% improvement from the previous month.

Year-over-year prices were also up in all categories. Single family properties were up 4.8%; condos were up 1.7% and duplex/rowhouses were up 0.2% from the same month last year.

Sales and listings by REALTORS® on the Multiple Listing Service® System in February were both up from January and the sales-to-listing ratio recovered from 36% in January to 46% in February. This indicates that less than half of the residential properties listed were sold and provides fresh property options for buyers who may have been looking for several months. Sellers should be pleased to see that the average days-on-market in February was 54; down from 65 in January.

There were 5,976 residential properties in the local MLS® System at the end of January. Although the inventory was up from last month, it is lower than a year ago when there were 6,389 properties available for sale on the MLS® System.

“Nationally the housing still appears to be soft,” said Singleton. “But the local market is much more robust. Consult your local REALTOR® for the most comprehensive local market information. REALTORS® are here when life happens.”

Edmonton Real Estate Stats for the Month of December

Edmonton, January 4, 2012: The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton reported that the all-residential average price for real estate sales through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in December was up 1.7% ($316,415) from a year ago. The average price of a single family detached home was also up 2.0% to $364,803 from December 2010. Relative to last December housing prices were up overall as well. As typical for December when sales usually fall off, month over month sales were down 27% and prices dipped 1.5% as compared to the November figures.

“With economic uncertainty impacting Europe and depressed housing markets in parts of the United States, it is a relief to report on the stability and health of the local real estate market,” said REALTORS® Association of Edmonton President (2011) Chris Mooney. “With prices and sales varying within a small range there is a solid base going forward into the 2012 market.”

In November the average price of a single family detached home was $364,924 and dipped just 0.3% in December. A year ago the average price was $357,636. That stability was reflected in condo pricing as well. In November the average price of a condo was $228,689 and the December price of $227,679 was down just 0.4%. A year ago the average condo price was $225,641. Duplex and rowhouse properties sold on average for $282,620, a 9.7% drop from a year ago.

The average residential price (including all SFD, condo, duplex, townhouse properties sold in the Greater Edmonton Area) was $316,415: down from November by 1.5%. There were 1,085 properties listed and 827 sold in December. There were 1,088 listings and 829 sales in December 2010. With slower sales the Days-on-market was 65 and the sales-to-listing ratio was a high for the year of 76.2%.

Looking back over the year, Mooney was content. “Last January, I forecast a 3% increase in single family prices and no movement in condo prices when comparing December to December. We ended up with a change of about half that overall and condo prices up. Homeowners generally saw an equity increase in the value of their homes in 2011.”

The all-residential average price for the entire year was $325,457 as compared to $329,019 in 2010. There were 10,962 SFD sales (up 5.5%) in 2011 and 4,638 (down 0.4%) condo sales. Total residential sales were 16,893 units (up 3.8%) on listings of 30,906 units (down 2.0%).

Total MLS® sales (including residential, rural, recreational and commercial properties) were valued at $6.29 billion and represented 39,350 listings and 18,986 sales transactions. “REALTORS® were involved in almost 60,000 real estate transactions in 2011 and advised on thousands more that never materialized. There were tens of thousands of business people, families and individuals who met with one of our 3,200 REALTOR® members this year, and I am proud of their service to the community and the local economy,” said Mooney.

REALTORS® also provided funding of $300,000 to 44 community groups this year through the REALTORS® Community Foundation and supported arts, heritage and community events through marketing and individual contributions. The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton printed over 2.5 million copies of the Real Estate Weekly in 51 issues and 1,061 members participated in professional development courses including 225 new members and 20 new broker/managers.

To see the latest Stats please click link here