Tips On Cooling Your Home This Summer

According to Clark Public Utilities:
As the weather continues to get warmer and warmer, we start to consider ways of staying cool in our homes. Whether you're looking to purchase room air conditioners or a central air conditioning unit, think about the most efficient solution for your home.

Room Air Conditioners cool rooms rather than the entire home. If they provide adequate cooling where needed, room air conditioners are less expensive to operate than central air units. If you call Clark Public Utilities at 360-992-3355 and ask to speak to one of the energy counselors, they can discuss with you the "BTU" range of your home, which will help you purchase the correct size room air conditioner. *"BTU" range explained at the bottom of the page.

Central Air Conditioners circulate cool air through a system of supply and return ducts. Supply ducts and registers (i.e. openings in the walls, floors or ceilings covered by grills) carry cooled air from the air conditioner throughout the home. These systems are designed to cool or condition the air circulating throughout the entire home.

Additional Cooling Tips:

• Always look for the energy star label and buy air conditioning units with the highest Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. (SEER)
• For the best efficiency, install air conditioner units on the North or East side of your home or in a shaded area if possible.
• Close fireplace dampers.
• Raise your cooling temperature set-point just a few degrees to reduce the amount of energy required to operate your air conditioning system, lower the overall demand for energy and save money.
• Have your air conditioning unit serviced annually by a professional.
• Check your furnace filter monthly and clean it if necessary.

*The British Thermal Unit, BTU, is a precise measure of energy. It is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit when the water is near 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit.

For questions or comments, contact Gabriel Pratoussy at 360-772-1854 or e-mail at gpratoussy@comcast.net

Invest In Energy Efficiency

According to the Clark Public Utilities monthly news letter:
One way to lighten the load of electric and water bills is to reduce your consumption by investing in energy efficient products and services.
Beginning this month, many of us will receive a tax rebate check as part of the economic stimulus package that passed Congress earlier this year. As you think about ways to use this money, consider investing some or all of it in energy efficient products and services to save energy and lower your monthly energy bills.
Things to consider include compact fluorescent light bulbs, sealing air leaks in your home, adding insulation, or installing a programmable thermostat. If your in the market for a refrigerator or clothes washing machine or want to install a solar water heater, check out rebates for energy conservation measures Clark Public Utilities is offering in 2008.
Here are some examples:

• Energy Star Refrigerators-The incentive is $25 dollars for Energy Star refrigerators purchased from a participating Clark County retailer. This is a point of purchase rebate and is contingent on recycling your old refrigerator.


• Energy Star Clothes Clothes Washing Machine-Energy Star washing machines with the modified energy factor of 1.72 have a $50 dollar rebate when purchased from a participating Clark County retailer. This is a point of purchase rebate.


• Solar Water Heaters-Clark Public Utilities offers a $500 dollar rebate for solar water heaters that are "Brightway to Heat Water" compliant.


• Energy Star Heat Pumps-Install an Energy Star heat pump to performance tested comfort system standards and receive a $500 dollar rebate.


• Energy Star Light Fixtures-CPU continues to offer a $10 dollar incentive on Energy Star complying light fixtures purchased from a participating Clark County retailer.

*Rebate programs may be amended at anytime and additional rebates or promotional offers may be added during the year. For complete details on these rebates or other conservation programs at Clark Public Utilities, call them at 360-992-3355.

Contact Gabriel Pratoussy at 360-772-1854 or e-mail at gpratoussy@comcast.net for comments.

Quick tips on getting the most out of your heating or cooling system

According to the Clark Public Utilities monthly newsletter:

How efficiently heated or cooled air enters your house will depend on your heating or air conditioning system. Make sure it is "tuned" up occasionally and filters are clean. A good rule of thumb is to hold the filter up to the light and if you can't see the light through it, then it's time for a clean one.

Next, make sure duct work is checked during your tune-up or check the ducts yourself. Leaky or disconnected ducts waste a lot of heat and cool air. If you don't want to crawl under your home, check the air flowing from registers in two adjacent rooms. The amount of air flow should be about equal. If it is radically different, there may be a problem.

Finally, add insulation and seal air leaks around doors and windows to keep conditioned air in the house. Insulation affects how hard you furnace must work as well as what size of heating/cooling system your home needs. For more energy efficient tips, visit the Clark Public Utilities website.

Contact Gabriel Pratoussy at 360-772-1854 or gpratoussy@comcast.net for comments.

Need vs. Want

Ah, the age old question when considering a purchase of just about anything, "Do I really need this?" I believe that the problem now days is that not enough folks ask that question and until several months ago, that included myself. I recently had a discussion with my lovely wife about the need versus want issue. The fact of the matter is that I grew up in a poor to lower middle to middle class family through the years and my wife grew up in a upper middle class family for nearly her entire life. We have been married for almost 3 years and I am realizing that we are still learning why we do the things we do. Money is, at times, an issue for our family, as I assume most families in America deal with this issue at some point. I come from the train of thought that if you don't have the money for it, you don't get it, credit card or not. If you really want it that badly, save your money for it and purchase it with cash. My wife on the other hand believes that using credit is okay at times with moderation, so she says... It is perfectly understandable to have a mortgage for a home or loans out on cars. Let's face it, for most people, these things are simply a part of everyday life. What gets me is the equity lines and the credit cards. I think part of why our housing market has slumped of late is because of folks making "want" purchases on credit. The two biggest problems with this issue in my opinion is, 1. Making "want" purchases and 2. using credit to finance the "want" purchases. I could go on and on about this but I will save everyone that babbling and close with this thought.

This is REALLY simple... If you don't have cash to purchase a "want" item, then you don't buy it



Contact Gabriel Pratoussy at 360-772-1854 or gpratoussy@comcast.net for comments.

The Short Sale Market

Ah, the short sale... As a Realtor in today's market, the short sale is a "hot" topic of conversation in the office these days. It seems like every Realtor I talk to has a short sale listing or is representing a buyer in a short sale transaction. You may ask yourself, "What is a short sale?" Well, the short answer is a situation where a property seller needs to sell and the sale proceeds (money made on the sale) are not sufficient to pay off the existing mortgage or mortgages. In most cases, the short sale is a much better alternative than having a foreclosure on your credit record. The term "Short Sale" refers to a process in which the mortgage company must agree to a reduced payoff for the transaction to move forward. At the end of the transaction, the seller receives nothing, with the exception of not having a foreclosure on their credit and a lot less debt.

There are many things to be aware of when purchasing a short sale property. One of the main points is to make all the time tables in regards to a home inspection, closing date, financing contingency, etc. subject to mutual acceptance or 3rd party approval. What this means is you are waiting to see if the mortgage company(s) will accept the terms of the current contract. Just because the seller accepts them doesn't mean that you have a deal. Mutual acceptance in a short sale transaction is when you receive approval from the mortgage company(s) as well as buyer and seller. You may say, then how can I put a closing date in the contract. Well, you don't. For example, you put in your contract to close the transaction 30 days after mutual acceptance or after 3rd party approval. This will protect you from spending hundreds and even thousands of dollars on a home inspection, earnest money, appraisal and other related costs.

Times are tough for seller's currently. A lot of folks who didn't take all of the equity out of their home who are trying to sell are competing with the short sale transaction. For example, you have two close to identical homes and one is a short sale and the other isn't. The short sale will be substantially cheaper than the other. Any good buyer will obviously take the cheaper home. Another thing to think about is if you have a 1st mortgage and a 2nd mtg. This complicates things as well. A lot of times, your 1st mtg. will be paid off, or close to it, because this mortgage company is in first position while your second will take the majority of the loss.

My advice, if you don't have to sell currently, don't. Wait until the market gets stronger. That may even mean waiting a couple of years. If you have to sell, contact your short sale department of your mortgage company and have them send you the appropriate paper work. Then contact a Realtor that has experience with the short sale process. Better yet, give me a call and I should be able to answer most of your questions whether your buying or selling. Gabriel Pratoussy, gpratoussy@comcast.net, 360-772-1854.

P.S.-I am taking another class this week on short sales and will be blogging on this subject again.

What does "Green" mean?

As we look to the future of new construction, we all know that here in Vancouver, Washington we are taking strides to make a "Green Home" more common place. You may ask yourself, what is a Green Home/Green Building? It is all pretty confusing. Lots of questions and to be honest, the industry does not provide a lot of answers.
Here’s the problem, there is a pure definition, that can be found in a dictionary or in an encyclopedia for Green Building. And to further complicate the issue, you will find that different organizations, stores and manufactures all define "Green" concepts in a different way.
First, what is the actual definition of Green Building? Based on my research, Green Building is the practice of:
1. increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials, and
2. reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better site planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle.
But Green Building is also sometimes known as "sustainable building", “environmental building", “green home building” or just simply “green” which also leads to additional confusion. The U.S. Green Building Council’s definition of Green is "a high performing home that's energy and water efficient, has good indoor air quality, uses environmentally sustainable materials and also uses the building lot or site in a sustainable manner."
So, as I see it, the definition of Green Building is the practice of designing, planning, and constructing buildings where the priority and emphasis is placed on the current and future environmental impact of the building.
So, we have a clear definition of Green Building. But what is “environmental impact"? Environmental impact is a beneficial or negative change in the environment that has come about as a direct result of any part of the building process from start to finish. Including any possible future impacts the process or the building may have due to emissions or other unanticipated outcomes on the environment.
Here are the Key Elements of a Green Building:
• Energy efficient- a generally tight house with energy efficient use of water, energy efficient appliances, windows, Cooling and Heating units and HVAC and ventilation systems.
• Recycled content used in the building process
• Uses environmentally sustainable materials
• Uses the building lot or site in a sustainable manner
• Use of locally manufactured goods
• Indoor environmental air quality
The bottom line is that the main focus of building a Green Home (“sustainable building", “environmental building", “green home building” or just simply “green“) is the environment. As to a definition of "Green Home", that is constantly changing. Please feel free to contact me with any feedback. Gabriel Pratoussy, 360-772-1854, gpratoussy@comcast.net

BUYERS...Have we hit bottom yet?

As folks look to buy in today's market, most are waiting for the bottom of the market to begin their search for a home. Some people tell you to buy now because you don't know how long these cheaper prices will last as others are waiting for even cheaper prices to come, but all are wondering, "What is best today?" At a local level, Clark County in particular, the Real Estate market has gotten busier and I have seen the amount of listings subside as well as pending and closed transactions rise slightly. In comparing January to February of this year, if we had the same amount of sales in January and had no listings come onto the market, we would have 14.6 months of listings available compared to a whopping 17 months in the month of January of this year, according to the RMLS Market Action. It is still a strong buyers market with many good "deals" out there. One great way to find those deals are to look at areas that have appreciation levels that are currently in the negative. Where as the areas with a positive appreciation rate will be a bit more firm on the price because the location is strong.
So, have we hit bottom yet? The short term answer is yes, let me explain. In the short term, the next 9 months, you will see the local market pick up slightly due to time of year. It is just a natural for folks to want to look for a home in better weather and when the kids are out of school for the summer, it will pick even more. Then in September, October the market will begin to slow due to weather and Holidays. These are the year to year typical times that the market picks up and slows down. All of this combined with good interest rates makes for a short term good buyers market.
As for the long term market, I wish I had a crystal ball!! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an e-mail! Gabriel Pratoussy, 360-772-1854 & gpratoussy@comcast.net