1.  Watch the Waterworks–Check your gutters by watching them work during a steady rain. 

• Are they properly connected and functioning?
• Does the water flow away from the foundation?  This is very important.  Water that collects next to / near your foundation can be absorbed into the soil’s clay, causing it to expand.  Over time expanding soils can crack the concrete walls of your foundation. 

2.  Use a rainy day to test your:

• Smoke detectors
• Alarms
• Carbon Monoxide detectors

3.  Clean your dryer vents.  Take some time to also inspect the venting ductwork for lint.  Excessive lint can block air flow, cause heat to build up in the dryer.  Heat blocked into the dryer will do 1 of 3 things, either:

• Nothing,
• Increase the wear / tear on the dryer’s heating element, and shortening its life
• Cause a fire

4.  Look for leaks.  It’s a great time to see if it exists and where it’s coming from.

• Water penetration through the roof into the attic

5.  Fix drips–The only drips you should hear during a rain are located outside.  Check faucets and valves for drips and leaks.  Replace washers in dripping faucets and address other leaks as necessary.

6.  Check Grout and Caulk–One way to extedn the life of your bathroom is to regularly check tile joints, tub grout and calulking.  Replace and repair the grouting and caulking as necessary.  Consider replacing bad grouting / caulking with mildew resistant caulk.

7.  Maintain your refrigerator–

• Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight.  Test them by closing the door over a dollar bill.  If you can pull it out easily, the seal needs to be replaced.  Test this in several place around your door.
• Vacuum the coils at least twice each year.  Your refrigerator will run more efficiently with clean coils
• Stock up your refrigerator.  A full refrigerator runs more efficiently than an empty one.

8.  Get organized–

• Locate all of your appliance manuals and note the recommended maintenance for each.  Do what’s recommended.

9.  Take inventory–

• In the event of a fire an itemized list of your valuables will be crucial for any insurance claims.  Using inventory software can be very helpful for this.

10. Test your GFCI outlets–

• Are your GFCI outlets working properly?  Press the ‘Test’ button.  The circuit should ‘pop’ at the outlet shutting off the power to anything plugged into it.  Pressing ‘Reset’ will restore power to the outlet.

2.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle–recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods.  Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused.  In addition, when going to the store consider bagging them in reusable bags.

3.  Fix leaks–faucets that liak flow at a rate of 1 drip per second and can waste 3,000 gallons in a year.   A leaky toilet, if it runs steadily, can waste 200 gallons a day!

4.  Turn off the water!  The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute.  Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth and shaving.  Making this change can save 8 gallons each day and 240 gallons in a month.

5.  Use a broom when you clean your driveway and sidewalk, instead of hosing it down.  You’ll save a huge amount of water every time you would do this.

6.  Use your dishwasher and washing maching only when they are full.  If your washing machine has settings for smaller loads you can save water and money.

7.  Heat and Cool Efficiently–Heating and cooling account for as much as 1/2 of you home’s energy use.  You can do a couple things to reduce your energy usage here.  First, change the air filter in your furnace monthly during the late Fall, Winter and early Spring.  A filter that has trapped much lint and dirt makes the furnace blower work much harder which draws more power.  Second, set the thermostat to be a bit cooler in the Winter and a bit warmer in the Summer. 

8.  Install a programmable thermostat.  Using one of these can save you money as soon as you install it–as much as $180 per year.

9.  Consider replacing your appliances with ENERGY STAR qualified appliances.  ENERGY STAR appliances use 10-15% less energy than standard appliances.

10. Water Heater Settings–basically, lower the temperature in your water heater.  Heating water is the most energy intensive need a home has.  I have set my water heater temperature to be as low as the heater can be set, and it heats plenty of water for our normal usage. 

11. Ceiling Fans–When you run these at high speed you will create the breeze you desire and for a far lower cost than the cost of running an air conditioner.

12. Water your lawn during the cool times of day.  Denver Water makes this demand anyhow, but it’s good advice.  Watering during the heat of the day encourages evaporation which wastes both water and money.

As for the housing market itself, home prices surged in April ahead of the expiration of the $8,000 tax credit.  The total number of homes sold was also solidly up.  April’s results were on top a similarly strong showing in March.  No question that the tax credit had much to do with this.  Going forward over the next few months fewer houses will sell, but in Colorado we are entering a ‘normal’ market.  Normal here is defined as simply as one that is governed by supply and demand, without panic and without artificial  incentives.  Both are absent.  The market will become progressively more stable and rational.

Colorado is nicely positioned.  Nationally it ranks #3 among all states for a 1-year price appreciation (+2.76%).  Significantly the top 19 states for price appreciation are in positive territory for the year.   For all 50 Stated combined the average loss was 1.21% for the year.  Not bad for what we’ve been through.

 In the 1st paragraph I said that we’ve made great progress toward working our way through the crisis caused by the collapse of the housing market and that the stimulus programs aimed at repairing it worked.  Consider this: Interest rates are low and banks are lending again.  Refinancing to get a lower rate can save homeowners lots of money–several hundreds of dollars per month in many cases.  That then becomes money that the most credit worthy people are able to spend on other goods and services.  THAT should be a solid, long term stimulus for the larger economy. 

GW

1.  Induction Cooking  Trend: 30% more efficient than gas or electric

Similar to microwave cooking, but special pan used in the oven stays cooler to the touch.  Special cookware has to be used and prices range from $1,500 to $4,400.  Check out: http://www.bosch-home.com/us/search.html?q=induction  to get an introduction.

2.  Environmentally Friendly Cabinetry: Trend: Popular with the Green Movement

Products built from sustainable materials are becoming important to consumers.  People are considering: where materials come from, how they are manufactured, and whether they are finished without pollutants.  For example, bamboo grows quickly and is renewable, but it’s also transported half way around the globe to get here.  Many people will weigh the relative amount of ‘green-ness’ of using bamboo (in this example) products.  The likely trend here will be toward greater usage of indigenous walnut and cherry, and less endangered mahogany and rosewood.

3.  Energy Efficient Refrigerators  Trend: Reduces energy consumption

Better insulation reduces energy costs.  The challenge is to improve insulation without reducing the interior space.  Check out Miele refrigerator / freezers  www.miele.com

4.  Integrated Stone Composite Sinks    Trend: Blend seemelessly into a countertop for a cleaner look, and they’re more durable and easier to clean.  Also available in colors 

These are coming on strong.

5.  Color palettes for your home’s interior   Trend: Less intense, less nerve rattling

Softer backdrops are everywhere. 

Look for:

• Whites and beiges that use bright colors as accents.
• Water-inspired blues adn greens
• Earth tones

6.  Condo Home Offices    Trend: maximizing small spaces, and obtain tax deduction (be careful with this 2nd part)

7.  Interior Wall Treatments Other Than Paint    Trend: Easier to install, and more personal

Think: wallpapers–some come in shiny metallics and textured leathers, and photos

8.  Do-it-yourself Projects    Trend: less costly, more personal. 

This trend began in the 1970’s and remains popular for the same reasons it’s popular today.  People save money this way AND have a product that looks just the way they want it to.  The Taunton Press (http://www.taunton.com/index.asp) publishes a number of excellent books on the subject.

9.  Outdoor Curtians   Trend: Maximizing space in the backyard

A well-designed yard is designed with ‘rooms.’  Outdoor curtains provide privacy for those rooms.  Great idea!!

10.  Dual Flush Toilets    Trend: liquid and solid waste have different water requirements

’nuff said.  See www.totouse.com

11.  HDTV and 3D HDTV    Trend: Watch one and no further explanation will be necessary

12.  Relaxation Retreats   Trend: Increased need to unwind

Separate areas in the home that promote relaxation.  Features can include: natural materials, thoughtful color combinations, programmable LED lighting, aromatherapy, sound-blocking machines, flat panel TV’s. 

Suggestion from George: A number of these ideas can be done for relatively little money.  If you plan to be in your current home for the next few years, consider updating your home in some of these ways.  Your future buyer will likely be as attracted to the things you provided for yourself as you were when you installed or purchased it.

The rankings:

1. Portland, OR
2. San Francisco, CA
3. Honolulu, HI
4. Austin, TX
5. Boston, MA
6. Seattle-Tacoma, WA
7. Denver, Aurora, Broomfield, CO
8. Pittsburgh, PA
9. Albuquerque, NM
10. Albany, NY

Denver ranks highest in the number of:

• LEED professionals (3rd),
• LEED architects per capita (4th)
• Lack of sprawl (6th)
• Number of Energy Star facilities (8th)

Denver is lowest for:

• Travel delays (31st)
• Travel time (31st)
• Traffic congestion (30th)

Denver is also home to one of the largest wind turbine facilities in the world.  Denmark’s Vestus makes turbine blades in Weld County.  Associated with the turbine blades manufacturing are numerous other manufacturers that make equipment related to wind generated electricity. 

(LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system developed by the U. S. Green Building Council).

Point #1:

Properties that are currently Under Contract are at a 5 year high.  Did the $8,000 tax credit work?

All figures are “End of April’ for the year indicated (vertical blue bar)

From the 2009 value (7077) to the 2010 value (8592) there was a jump by 1,500 in the number of properties under contract.  Additionally, and the graph doesn’t show this detail, but the jump in properties under contract during April itself jumped by 1,100: Yes, the tax credit worked. 

Point #2:

More properties closed during April 2010 than in either April 2009 or April 2008:

This increase is also the result of the $8,000 tax credit

Point #3: Inventories of homes for sale are near the 5 year low:

Inventories vary by price range, but as a general rule, reduced inventories suggest higher sales prices going forward.  This is a very good sign for Metro Denver’s future property values.

What should sellers do in today’s market?

• Consider an Extension of the Tax Credit on your home by offering $8,000 worth of points or concessions.
• Change the dynamics of the inventory in your price range by entering the market as the first home in your neighborhood on the pricing ladder.
• Be the best conditioned property in all price ranges.  Foreclosed properties will be priced better, but will never be in better condition.  This is a very important point.

What should buyers do in today’s market?

• Enter the market now while rates are ridiculously low.  Take advantage of these historically low rates.
• Ask for seller concession in upper price ranges to make the transaction more attractive to you.
• When buying a foreclosed property ask your real estate professional about the FHA Rehabilitation Loan program

We now know that PV panels last much longer, which changes their economics.  Recent tests by the Energy Institute show that

I’ll write more about this soon (it’s very interesting really), but in the meantime Denver Water has issued the following  statement regarding watering times for your yard–their goal is to keep you yard alive (even if it’s just alive in the hottest months):

• Watering 2 days a week should be sufficient for most of the summer
• Water a third day, if necessary
• Water trees and shrubs as needed (their needs are usually much less)
• Do not water between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm (too much of the water you try to put on your lawn during those hours will only evaporate.  Even if Denver Water allowed it, watering between those times would have you paying for water that only evaporated and did you lawn no good.  You would be wasting your money.)  
• There are no watering days at this point

The schedule:

                                          Fixed Sprinkler Heads                               Rotor Heads                                 Manual Sprinklers

May:                                                 13 minutes                                        29 minutes                                              20 minutes

June:                                                        20                                                        43                                                                   30

July:                                                         23                                                        50                                                                   35

August:                                                   20                                                       43                                                                   30

September:                                            13                                                          29                                                                   20

for more information visti: www.denverwater.org/Lawn