08 Nov Create A More Energy-Efficient Home Without Breaking The Bank
Many homeowners would love to invest in making their property more energy-efficient. Going green can save you a lot of money over time and is great for the environment, but the up-front costs can be significant. Fortunately, there are some energy-efficient changes you can make to your home without draining too much of your bank account.
Seal air leaks: As much as 20 percent of the energy used to regulate temperature in a home can be lost to air leaks. You can seal doors and windows with weather stripping and the project will usually cost less than $200.
Smart thermostats: Older thermostats are usually inefficient because they only have a few settings. A smart thermostat like Nest can be programmed to reduce heating/cooling when you’re not at home or during the hours when you’re asleep. The energy savings you will see usually equal the cost of the thermostat after a year or two.
Change your light bulbs: LED light bulbs are expensive, but require just a small percentage of the energy incandescent bulbs require. A cheap incandescent bulb uses about $15 of electricity a year (if it lasts that long). An LED bulb costs $25, but uses less than $5 worth of electricity per year and will last up to 11 years.
*About Windermere Homes & Estates*
Windermere Homes & Estates has always focused on three basic principles: hire the best people, give them the best tools, create thriving communities. Collaboration not competition and building relationships with agents, clients and community partners has helped Windermere Homes & Estates become one of the top 5 brokerages in California. Backed by Windermere Real Estate, the largest regional real estate company in the Western U.S., including over 300 offices and 6,500 agents serving communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Mexico. Last year, Windermere closed 87,000 home sales for more than $36.7 billion in dollar volume.
Windermere Homes & Estates donates a portion of the proceeds from every home purchased or sold to the Windermere Foundation, which supports low-income and homeless families in the community. What started in 1989 as a grassroots foundation serving families in need in Washington state has grown to encompass eleven states and has raised over $38 million for programs and organizations that provide shelter, clothing, children’s programs, emergency assistance and other services to those who need our help the most.
Windermere Homes & Estates was founded by Rich Johnson in 2013 and has been setting the standard ever since. The forward-thinking company has opened 17 offices and hired more than 500 agents with awards such as the Brokerage Achievement of Excellence and the Standards of Ethics, awarded by the San Diego Association of Realtors® (SDAR). Creating a “3rd place” for agents to collaborate and connect on a daily basis both virtually and in person has been a key factor in Windermere Homes & Estates’ success.
One of the more challenging parts of being a homeowner is when something goes wrong or breaks, you’re in charge of fixing it. And unfortunately, one of the most common issues can be the hardest to detect — a plumbing leak. Here are 5 tips for catching a leak.
Before you dive into replacing your windows, the first step is to carefully evaluate the pros and cons. Replacing your windows is no small investment. The average cost to replace the windows in a home is in the five-figure range. Even if replacing your windows results in huge energy savings, it can take years and years for the investment to pay off.
Windermere Homes & Estates (WHE), announces a strategic partnership with 1parkplace, Inc, to bring an exclusive version of its latest innovation, TheGenie.ai to WHE’s southern California operation.
More and more people are cutting the cord and going without television service, but for many—especially those who watch a lot of live programming— cable is still a necessity. Cable and satellite companies love to sign customers to a two-year contract, but will dramatically raise your bill when a promotional period ends after one year. Suddenly, you’re paying $50 or more per month for the same services.
Nancy Layne, a longtime member of Windermere Homes & Estates’ Risk Management Team, has been promoted to Assistant Head Broker and Senior Risk Management Specialist. Having served the company for several years in various capacities, Nancy has proven herself a valuable asset. In addition to being awarded NSDCAR’s “Volunteer of the Year” award in 2018, Nancy is a C.A.R. Director, on the Board of Directors of the NSDCAR Professional Standards Committee, and as a Mediator for NSDCAR, holds a Risk Mitigation Specialist certification.
Katie Wyatt has been with Windermere Homes & Estates for a number of years. Since joining the company in 2015, Katie has been instrumental in assisting agents in the San Diego and Desert regions with their marketing needs. Katie brings to the table years of marketing experience, including her studies at Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) with a focus in Graphic Design.
Courtney Smith came to Windermere Homes & Estates in 2017 as Rich Johnson’s Executive Assistant, and in her time with the company, has worked in various capacities serving its staff and agents. With experience in Operations, Human Resources, and Risk Management, she has a deep understanding of company operations and how to carryout initiatives set forth by the executive team with the intention of setting the brokerage apart from the competition.
Unfortunately our homes don’t always grow with us. What may have initially worked fine for a single person, a young couple’s starter home, or a family with a newborn can quickly become too small as families expand and multiple generations live under one roof.
When you put your home up for sale, one of the best ways to determine the asking price is to look at comparable sales. There’s rarely a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, so a pricing decision often relies on comparisons to several recent sales in the area. Here are five criteria to look for in a sales comparison.
When you’re house hunting, focus on the things that will improve your quality of life.
Renovations never seem to go as planned. There’s always a cost you didn’t anticipate, or a problem that didn’t reveal itself until the project was underway. Here are five common costs to look out for.
