Summer is just around the corner and the weather is starting to heat up. When things get warmer, spending time outside hiking, biking, and simply lounging around become the norm. What also becomes typical is flipping on the air conditioning to help keep your home cool and comfortable. There are many factors that go into passively keeping your home cooler to reduce your electric bills. Saving cash is what it's all about these days.
Everyone knows replacing your old single pane and aluminum windows with Low E, Argon and Kryton gas filled panes helps to reduce infiltration of the ultraviolet light from the sun which in turn reduces the heat absorbed by your home. One element most people don't think about is the amount of heat absorbed by their roof. We all know dark objects get extremely hot when placed in the sun. This occurs because dark objects absorb heat (up to 80% of solar enery) rather than reflect the heat light a light colored roof (which reflect 75% of the solar energy). Prior to some advances in recent technology, the only way to reduce absorption of heat by your roof was to install a light colored roof which many people find less attractive. Well that is all changing.
New materials and techniques are being fabricated to allow for a dark roof to reflect solar energy by reflecting a high percentage of the solar radition as well as releasing more thermal emittance, which is a measurement of solar energy that bounces back into the atmosphere after being initially absorbed. The products available make it extremely likely you can find one to match your needs.
What does this mean to you? Cash in your pocket with lower cooling costs as less energy will be required to help keep your home cool in the dog days of summer. To learn more about this, visit: http://www.coolroofs.org/HomeandBuildingOwnersInfo.html
- Design is what you make it.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Is the economy recovery here?
Many economists have specified that the U.S. economy is a real estate driven machine. When housing it hot, so is our growth and when it's not; we fall into recession. Well it's safe to say at this point in time that the housing market for the past 3-4 years has been cooling off considerably. Most of this can be attributed to the financial lending landscape. It wasn't that long ago, in order to borrow money from a bank or financial institution, you needed to prove that you were able to pay that money back. Then the roaring '00s changed all that. The banks weren't looking at the long term implications of HOW one might repay a loan, and instead were focused on the HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE NOW.
In today's real estate market, it has become much more difficult to obtain a loan or even re-finance an existing loan. Many loans taken out in 2005-2008 were ARMs and they're coming to a head where the interest rates are going to jump creating a problem for many home owners that maxed out their limits to purchase said home. To make matters worse, some of those home owners lost their jobs when the economy slowed down taking a maxed out (2) income home and making it a stressed out (1) income home. Luckily for everyone involved, home owners, home buyers, and developers; June 1st is the date they should all have on their calendar as legislation has been passed to make the Short Sale process much faster allowing many home owners to get out from under upside down mortgages and new home buyers and developers to get some great deals.
To learn more about this click on the link and see how this process can be a turning point for the real estate market and possibly our economical outlook.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/19/real_estate/short-sales/index.htm
- Design is what you make it.
In today's real estate market, it has become much more difficult to obtain a loan or even re-finance an existing loan. Many loans taken out in 2005-2008 were ARMs and they're coming to a head where the interest rates are going to jump creating a problem for many home owners that maxed out their limits to purchase said home. To make matters worse, some of those home owners lost their jobs when the economy slowed down taking a maxed out (2) income home and making it a stressed out (1) income home. Luckily for everyone involved, home owners, home buyers, and developers; June 1st is the date they should all have on their calendar as legislation has been passed to make the Short Sale process much faster allowing many home owners to get out from under upside down mortgages and new home buyers and developers to get some great deals.
To learn more about this click on the link and see how this process can be a turning point for the real estate market and possibly our economical outlook.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/19/real_estate/short-sales/index.htm
- Design is what you make it.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Affordable Housing, is it a good idea?
The Story:
Union Square in Somerville, MA is struggling with a common issue in today's societal and political world. How do we appease the voters on both sides of the story while allowing private companies to create jobs and help boost the economy? The Somerville Community Corporation purchased an unused Boy & Girls Club building and want to renovate the space into 40 affordable apartments, some of which will be Section 8 housing. Section 8 housing is designated for those individuals / families that can not otherwise afford housing due to low income and thus receive government assistance. Affordable units is an industry term in real estate to describe reduced rent apartments to allow families with an opportunity to support themselves by paying a reduced rent compared to the open market.
The battle going on in this story is a struggle between those who would like to allow the project to move forward, provide housing to low income families that need a place to live, as well as provide additional jobs to perform the construction renovation. This project would also help workers across the country because a single construction project of this size can directly or indirectly affect thousands of workers. From factory workers producing the thousands of materials needed in order to complete the project, to the truckers who are essential to delivering the construction materials to the stores and job site, to the food vendors that make their living selling break and lunch time food to the workers. It's a big deal even for a small project like this one.
On the flip side, there are homeowners that are concerned about the societal impact from 40 new apartments entering the market, designated to families of lesser means. They're concerned the already dense living situation in Somerville (the most densely occupied city in Massachusetts), will become even more dense without any relief to assist in transporting all these new tenants. The city was promised (nearly 30 years ago) the state would extend the T line and improve bus routes, to date, there is talk about cancelling the T plans due to costs and transportation deficits as well as cutting back on bus routes and leaving the city without many options.
The concerned residents in this community are the voice for many towns and cities throughout the country. They are villified, made out to be heartless cruel individuals that think of themselves first before helping those that may be in need. The politicians are caught between helping the project move forward and risk upsetting the existing base, or help the project and upset those in favor of the project. Keep in mind, while all this is going on, there is a private corporation that just wants to use it's right to make money and build the project.
Where do you stand? Is this an easy answer? Do we need to reinvestigate how housing is provided for those who can not afford it? Should we close the door to them and say, "if you can't afford living here, move elsewhere; that's what I have to do if I want to better my situation"? Let me here your thoughts. This isn't a problem that's going to go away soon...and may be coming to your town next!
For more on this, follow the link to the original article.
http://somerville.patch.com/articles/affordable-housing-proposal-in-union-square-causes-conflict
- Design is what you make it.
Union Square in Somerville, MA is struggling with a common issue in today's societal and political world. How do we appease the voters on both sides of the story while allowing private companies to create jobs and help boost the economy? The Somerville Community Corporation purchased an unused Boy & Girls Club building and want to renovate the space into 40 affordable apartments, some of which will be Section 8 housing. Section 8 housing is designated for those individuals / families that can not otherwise afford housing due to low income and thus receive government assistance. Affordable units is an industry term in real estate to describe reduced rent apartments to allow families with an opportunity to support themselves by paying a reduced rent compared to the open market.
The battle going on in this story is a struggle between those who would like to allow the project to move forward, provide housing to low income families that need a place to live, as well as provide additional jobs to perform the construction renovation. This project would also help workers across the country because a single construction project of this size can directly or indirectly affect thousands of workers. From factory workers producing the thousands of materials needed in order to complete the project, to the truckers who are essential to delivering the construction materials to the stores and job site, to the food vendors that make their living selling break and lunch time food to the workers. It's a big deal even for a small project like this one.
On the flip side, there are homeowners that are concerned about the societal impact from 40 new apartments entering the market, designated to families of lesser means. They're concerned the already dense living situation in Somerville (the most densely occupied city in Massachusetts), will become even more dense without any relief to assist in transporting all these new tenants. The city was promised (nearly 30 years ago) the state would extend the T line and improve bus routes, to date, there is talk about cancelling the T plans due to costs and transportation deficits as well as cutting back on bus routes and leaving the city without many options.
The concerned residents in this community are the voice for many towns and cities throughout the country. They are villified, made out to be heartless cruel individuals that think of themselves first before helping those that may be in need. The politicians are caught between helping the project move forward and risk upsetting the existing base, or help the project and upset those in favor of the project. Keep in mind, while all this is going on, there is a private corporation that just wants to use it's right to make money and build the project.
Where do you stand? Is this an easy answer? Do we need to reinvestigate how housing is provided for those who can not afford it? Should we close the door to them and say, "if you can't afford living here, move elsewhere; that's what I have to do if I want to better my situation"? Let me here your thoughts. This isn't a problem that's going to go away soon...and may be coming to your town next!
For more on this, follow the link to the original article.
http://somerville.patch.com/articles/affordable-housing-proposal-in-union-square-causes-conflict
- Design is what you make it.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
GOT JOBS....A Must Read
What is the best way to create jobs? I'm not an economist and even I know that an economy based around manufacturing provides jobs. In simple, if you can create products that people want to consume, then you will need people to produce those products and thus create jobs. Why am I, an architect, discussing this topic? The United States economy is struggling and has shifted away from producing consumer products as many items purchased today are shipped in from overseas. There is a movement to change this line of thinking in the construction industry.
A report on ABC News recently highlighted a home built entirely out of construction materials made in the USA. The cost of this home was only 1% higher than if every product had been purchased from another country. The old argument that buying foreign will dramatically save you money no long holds water.
Increasing jobs will provide more confidence in our economy and as history serves us, that confidence translates into an increase in home ownership. Increased home ownership will provide many additional jobs as more homes will need to be constructed and renovated to accommodate the desires of owning. If more homes are being built and renovated, there will be a demand for construction materials. If the amount of construction materials being used are manufactured in America, there will be an increase in jobs to keep up with demand stimulating the economy even further. If you don't believe me, the non-economist, simply watch the ABC News report on the following link which DOES speak with economists based on this theory. The other old adage, "Buy American and Americans work" is a beautiful thing when put into motion and it's more than just a saying,
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2011/10/how-to-build-a-made-in-america-home/
- Design is what you make it.
A report on ABC News recently highlighted a home built entirely out of construction materials made in the USA. The cost of this home was only 1% higher than if every product had been purchased from another country. The old argument that buying foreign will dramatically save you money no long holds water.
Increasing jobs will provide more confidence in our economy and as history serves us, that confidence translates into an increase in home ownership. Increased home ownership will provide many additional jobs as more homes will need to be constructed and renovated to accommodate the desires of owning. If more homes are being built and renovated, there will be a demand for construction materials. If the amount of construction materials being used are manufactured in America, there will be an increase in jobs to keep up with demand stimulating the economy even further. If you don't believe me, the non-economist, simply watch the ABC News report on the following link which DOES speak with economists based on this theory. The other old adage, "Buy American and Americans work" is a beautiful thing when put into motion and it's more than just a saying,
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2011/10/how-to-build-a-made-in-america-home/
- Design is what you make it.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Crunch Time
You're sitting in front of your computer reading this, probably haven't moved out of that seat for the past 2-3 hours. This type of sedentary lifestyle pushed onto us through mandatory workloads has helped to make the United States of America an out-of-shape, overweight mess. If you have a long commute you spend even less time being active and reduce any time to work out. What's the solution to keep you from becoming the size of a small SUV? New office furniture! Wait, was a change in office furniture really suggested rather than dieting or hitting the gym? Yes, it was...check out this link for some fun ideas to stay the slender svelte self you want to be.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/gallery/6_healthy_workstations/
- Design is what you make it.
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/gallery/6_healthy_workstations/
- Design is what you make it.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Hitting Close to Home....or Previous Home
Well it's back after a long sabbatical; the weekly blog posts shall return.
This week in the news: Somerville, MA secured $2.3million from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and will receive federal tax credits to the tune of $619,000 in order to build 31 new affordable housing units at a cost of $97,000 per unit, allowing the city to complete Phase III of Saint Polycarp Village. Somerville also will receive an additional $1million in Federal subsidies to create 8 affordable housing units on Cross Street at a cost of $125,000 per unit.
Now you know...what will YOU do with that knowledge?
- Design is what you make it.
This week in the news: Somerville, MA secured $2.3million from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development and will receive federal tax credits to the tune of $619,000 in order to build 31 new affordable housing units at a cost of $97,000 per unit, allowing the city to complete Phase III of Saint Polycarp Village. Somerville also will receive an additional $1million in Federal subsidies to create 8 affordable housing units on Cross Street at a cost of $125,000 per unit.
Now you know...what will YOU do with that knowledge?
- Design is what you make it.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Government vs. Economy
The administrations great Going Green Initiative. Like so many policies created by our legislature designed to improve our environment and enrich our lives, money was spent but not much had changed. Millions has been given to people to replace their old appliances which weren't as energy efficient (without regrading the fact that they'd be going into our landfills, not a very green concept...buy new to throw away something that was functioning). Other recent mandates included eliminating Incandescent light bulbs for more efficient Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs), again the lack of foresight missed out on our increasing the amount of mercury in our every day environment by producing all these CFLs and having them plugged in only inches from us on a regular basis. I once heard the phrase, "Let government govern, and the economy solve problems." Through all the millions spent by our government recently, very little has changed for the better or changed for the greener. The economy however has been much more successful of late with creating a green society. Due to rising cost of oil, many manufacturers have done away with or reduced the amount of plastic created to house their products while some retails pushed for smaller packaging, less plastic, and to be more "eco-friendly". Mandate and force a belief system down our throats all you want Government, until the private citizens request the desire for something or big business feels it would be more profitable to move in that direction, all that will occur is more of our tax dollars spent without much to show. Thank you economy for staying true and being the main decision maker within our free society.
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112852/retailers-greener-packaging-nyt
- Design is what you make it.
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112852/retailers-greener-packaging-nyt
- Design is what you make it.
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