Friday, April 29, 2011

Your Spring Maintenance Checklist


Excerpt from Your Spring Maintenance Checklist
Taken from Kiplinger.com (Real Estate)


In addition to your annual spring-cleaning ritual, take some steps to save money on energy bills this summer and ward off big-ticket repairs later on. Here are 10 things for you (or the handyman) to tackle now to Summer-ize your home and keep it in top shape.

1. Inspect the AC.
For about $75 to $200, a technician will tune up your cooling system to manufacturer-rated efficiency. Look for a heating and air-conditioning contractor that belongs to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, employs technicians certified by the North American Technician Excellence (NATE) program, and follows the protocol for the ACCA’s “national standard for residential maintenance”, says Wes Davis, manager of technical services at ACCA. Call your electric utility to see whether it offers incentives. Also note that dirty filters make air conditioning work harder, increasing energy costs and possibly damaging your equipment.

2. Put the temperature on autopilot.
Set the hold or vacation feature for a constant, efficient temperature when you’re away for the weekend or on vacation. In summer, you can make those settings more tolerable if you install ceiling fans. Just remember that a ceiling fan cools people, not a room, so turn it off when you leave the room.

3. Caulk the cracks.
If the gap around a door or window is wider than a nickel, you need to reapply exterior caulk, says Bill Richardson, past president of the American Society of Home Inspectors. Check window-glazing putty, too, which seals glass into the window frame. Add weatherstripping around doors, making sure that you can’t see any daylight from inside your home. You’ll save money on air conditioning and avoid having to repeat this task this fall.

4. Clean out the gutters.
Gutter cleaning generally costs $90 to $225 for a 2,000-square-foot home. Add extensions to downspouts to carry water at least 3 to 4 feet away from your home’s foundation. You can use 4-inch corrugated plastic pipe (about $7 for 10 feet).

5. Repair your roof.
An easy way to inspect the roof to find damaged, loose or missing shingles without risking life and limb is to use a pair of binoculars. If need be, hire a handyman to repair a few shingles. If the damaged section is more extensive, you’ll need a roofer. Check and repair breaks in the flashing seals around vent stacks and chimneys, too. If your home has a flat roof with a parapet (a short wall around the perimeter), check the flashing that seals the joint between them. Heavy snow can split the flashing, resulting in leaks.

6. Keep your basement dry.
If you have a sump pump, make sure it’s operating properly. If water seeps through the foundation walls (does your basement smell musty? are the walls stained?), the best solution is probably to excavate the exterior wall and apply sealant, says professional engineer Kenneth Fraine, of Leesburg, Virginia. Fraine says that if your home is on a slope, a floor drain (about $800) is better than a sump pump. “Gravity never fails,” he says.

7. Deal with your deck.
Resealing is always a good idea to protect the wood. But more important, make sure your deck can handle the load. The North American Deck and Railing Association says that deck components inevitably age, but that salt air can hasten deterioration and heavy snow can cause stress damage. At a minimum, test several areas of the deck, especially those that tend to stay damp, for decay. Two signs: The wood is soft and spongy, and if you poke it with an ice pick or screwdriver, it doesn’t splinter.

8. Call a chimney sweep.
Look for chimney sweeps certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. The sweep will make sure that the chimney cap is in place and the damper is working properly. With a wood-burning fireplace, you can close the damper whenever the fireplace is not in use. In summer, you’ll save energy and reduce unpleasant odors carried by the inflow of air and aggravated by humidity. For the greatest energy savings, insert a fireplace “draft stopper” in the flue.

9. Don't overwater.
If you have an irrigation system, you may be overwatering (and wasting money on water bills) because a controller isn’t properly set for your yard’s needs or because of broken or leaky components.

10. Lose the lint.
Even if you clean your clothes dryer’s lint trap before every use, the vent accumulates lint over time, like plaque in your arteries, says Richardson. That’s especially likely if snow covered the exterior backdraft damper for a while last winter. A clogged vent can reduce your dryer’s efficiency and create a fire hazard.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

10 Tips to Lower Gas Costs


Excerpt from 10 Tips to Lower Gas
By Cameron Huddleston, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com


With gasoline prices at $3.84 per gallon, on average, and likely to hit $4 by summer, you're probably feeling the pain at the pump. However, there are ways to keep gas costs under control. Chris Faulkner, CEO of Texas-based Breitling Oil and Gas Co., offers these ten tips:

1. Download a gas app to find cheaper prices.
You can use your smart phone to comparison shop for the lowest gas prices in your zip code with a free app such as GasBuddy. You can also check gas prices online at GasBuddy.com or gasprices.mapquest.com before you leave home or the office.

2. Don't buy gas near the highway.
Gas stations near the highway charge 10 cents to 15 cents a gallon more, Faulkner says. Gas up in a rural town rather than a large city because prices will be lower.

3. Use a discount gift card.
Discount gift card sites, such as Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny, sell cards at less than face value for gas stations, such as BP and Shell. Look for discounted gift cards for Walmart or grocery stores that have gas stations.

4. Keep car windows closed on the highway.
Open windows add drag and reduce your car's gas mileage by as much as 10%. In stop-and-go traffic, lower your windows to reduce air-conditioning use, which will drain your gas tank.

5. Develop good driving habits.
You can improve a vehicle's gas mileage by up to 5% by avoiding quick starts and stops. Gas mileage also decreases as you accelerate beyond 55 mph.

6. Don't carry unnecessary items in your car.
Every 200 pounds to 250 pounds lowers your car's fuel efficiency by 1 mile per gallon.

7. Keep your tires properly inflated.
Faulkner says you can add up to 7% to your gas mileage by keeping your tires properly inflated.

8. Fill 'er up with regular.
Most cars don't need the premium-grade gasoline, which cost 24 cents a gallon more, on average.

9. Combine errands with other driving you're going to do.
This way, you aren't making multiple trips and using more gas.

10. Don't overfill your tank.
If you top off, you're just wasting money on the gas that inevitably sloshes out of the tank.

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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Curbing Closing Costs


Excerpt from Curbing Closing Costs
By Lynnley Browning, The New York Times Real Estate


Borrowers have some weapons for keeping closing costs down, the result of recent guidelines requiring lenders to disclose certain fees, but perhaps the most underutilized consumer tool simply involves old-fashioned haggling.

Good-faith estimate rules, part of a tougher Truth in Lending Act that emerged from the mortgage crisis, mean that lenders must provide a clear picture of the costs involved in buying or refinancing a home. Yet consumers may not realize that some of those numbers are actually negotiable, mortgage experts say.

“There’s a lot of room for negotiation in the costs of closing,” said Barry Zigas, the director of housing policy at the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy group, “and consumers should examine every charge and not hesitate to challenge them and try to bring them down.”

The standard good-faith-estimate form used by lenders makes it easier to compare the terms offered by lenders, and it lists the services a borrower can shop around for, versus those selected by the lender.

John T. Mechem, the vice president for public affairs of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said borrowers should “simply ask the lender which fees are negotiable and which are fixed.”

Mr. Zigas agreed. “Ask, ‘Who is getting paid this fee, and why am I being asked to pay it?’ ” he said.

The good-faith-estimate rules say that certain charges cannot increase at closing, including those for loan origination and points paid to the lender to reduce a locked interest rate, with 1 point equal to 1 percent of the loan amount. But borrowers can negotiate those charges.

Borrowers should understand that “it’s not a time to be polite,” said Kathleen Day, a spokeswoman for the Center for Responsible Lending, an advocacy group. “You have to have a strong stomach and a stiff spine and not bow to pressure from the other side of the table to close the deal,” she said, even in this tight credit environment.

For a refinancing of your primary residence, you can generally cancel your mortgage application for up to three days after closing, with fees refunded.

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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Club at Clove Lakes Mural Project by Nycartscypher

What started out as something ordinary, turned out to be something absolutely amazing - much like a caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly if you think about it.

On Sunday, April 3, 2011, the Nyc Arts Cypher team painted the bland 200-foot-long, 8-foot-high plywood fence around the construction site for the Club at Clove Lakes, and turned it into a gorgeous mural - displaying a variety of plants, flowers, and most importantly, butterflies.

This event showcased the many artistic talents of these young teens, and the carefree lifestyle one can enjoy by living at the Club. Watch the following video to see how the Nyc Arts Cypher created the mural for the Club at Clove Lakes.

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Friday, April 8, 2011

Housing Will Add to the Economy's Growth This Year


Excerpt from Housing Will Add to the Economy's Growth This Year
By Jerome Idaszak, Associate Editor, The Kiplinger Letter


It’s another small sign that the economy is improving: Flickers of life in the housing industry. True, it’s nowhere near the usual pattern, in which housing soars as a recession ends. But look for the industry to make a small contribution to GDP growth this year instead of subtracting from it, as it has in 17 of the past 20 quarters.

The industry will also add jobs this year -- a small gain of about 125,000, after shedding 1.44 million since 2006. Housing starts are slowly inching up, getting a big boost from apartment construction in January.

Starts of single-family houses will be up a smidge this year, climbing to about 650,000 from about 590,000 last year. That’s about one-third of the total racked up each year from 2004 to 2006.

New-home sales will linger near historical lows, around 350,000 this year. Traffic at model homes is on the rise, but sales will take a while to materialize.

Sales of existing homes will creep higher, to just over 5 million this year from just under that mark last year. Mortgage rates remain attractive, with the 30-year fixed rate loan near 5%, about where it was one year ago.

Another good sign: Fresh loan delinquencies are waning. These track the job market -- specifically, the filing of initial claims for unemployment benefits. Prices will continue to slide lower through midyear or so -- an additional 4% on average, a bit more in once-hot markets.

Signs of improvement, then, indicate that the depression in housing is nearly over. But major gains remain in the distance. Supply and demand are still out of whack, and balance will come only with substantial job creation and a renewed appetite among consumers.

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Staten Island Youths Use Graffiti Talent To Beautify Construction Site



NY1 VIDEO: NY1's Aaron Dickens reports on several young Staten Islanders who are using their artistic ability to beautify a construction site in West Brighton. Click here to view the video.

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Big Jump in Private Jobs Bolsters Recovery Hopes


Excerpt from Big Jump in Private Jobs Bolsters Recovery Hopes
By Catherine Rampell, NY Times


The economic waiting game may soon be over, as businesses signal that they are finally willing to resume widespread hiring.

In all, the nation added 192,000 jobs in February, a big jump from the 63,000 added the previous month, the Labor Department reported on Friday.

Economists say they are hopeful the pace will soon pick up further.

“Economic recoveries can be like a snowball rolling down a hill, in that it takes time to get some momentum,” said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics. “People hesitate until they feel that the recovery’s durable enough, and then they have a tendency to jump in. Maybe we’re finally getting to that jumping-in moment.”

Economists say the unemployment rate could rise temporarily in the next few months, as stronger job growth lures some discouraged workers to look for jobs again. Right now, just 64.2 percent of adults are actively involved in the work force, meaning they are either in a job or actively looking for one. That is the lowest participation rate in 25 years, an indication that many Americans are either staying home, going back to school, raising children or otherwise waiting for better conditions before applying for work.

Job gains appeared in nearly every industry last month. Among the biggest winners were the manufacturing, construction, and professional and business services industries. Construction payrolls bounced back from a very low level in January, when severe snowstorms hindered activity.

Rising prices for energy and food also remain a risk to job growth, economists say, as they leave less money for consumers and businesses to spend on other purchases that could potentially spur hiring.

Many economists forecast that job growth will pick up later this year to a rate of more than 200,000 a month. While that would be a welcome development compared with the modest growth in January and the bloodletting during the recession, it still is not fast enough to recover much of the ground lost.

Men and women have also been affected differently by the recovery.

While men bore the brunt of job losses in the recession, requiring more women to serve as their family breadwinners, that has since changed. In the last year the share of men with jobs has risen and the share of women with jobs has fallen. In fact, the portion of women working declined to 53.2 percent in February, the lowest share since 1988.

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Monday, April 4, 2011

Teens who Graduated from Graffiti Ready Mural for High-End Staten Island Condos


Excerpt from Teens who Graduated from Graffiti Ready Mural for High-End Staten Island Condos
By Jodi Lee Reifer, Staten Island Advance



At the outset, it was just an ordinary 200-foot-long, 8-foot-high plywood fence ringing a construction site.

But investors in the site’s future are hoping it will be much more: A billboard for an active-adult community; a platform for changing public perception about legal graffiti art and, ultimately, a canvas that bridges generations.

Teens involved with the NYC Arts Cypher are designing an approved mural on the fence encircling the future Club at Clove Lakes Park, a 55-and-older boutique condominium that’s rising in Sunnyside.

"We’re taking the creative talent and the creative energies that young people have and directing and focusing them into something positive, to show them there’s a commercial market for their artistic expression," says Wayne Miller, vice president of sales and marketing for the Club.

Miller, artistic director of the Staten Island Shakespearean Theatre Company, met Charlie Balducci, founder of the Cypher, at a city Department of Cultural Affairs seminar for nonprofits. A partnership seemed a natural when Miller was hired to promote the retiree community, which is a project by developer R. Randy Lee.

The 24-apartment gated complex, where one-bed-room apartments will be in the $575,000 range and two-bedroom units will start around $750,000, will have a rooftop terrace, health and fitness facilities, a lap pool, electronic security, a concierge available by telephone and a full-time resident assistant who can help with chores like carrying groceries or clearing snow from a car.

The marketing slogan? "The lifestyle you earned."

For this mural, Balducci selected five teens, each of whom had been through the Cypher’s M.U.R.A.L. —Motivating Understanding Realizing Artists Learn — program, a series of workshops that connects teens with professional urban artists. Each had shown a particular aptitude for art.

During a planning session at the Cypher’s headquarters earlier this week, the teens mapped out their schematic. Markers and pencils scattered across a long table, the artists — all boys between the ages of 15 and 21 — carefully sketched chunky butterflies, roses and daisies. The design invokes a flower-power motif and should appeal to the baby-boomer generation the condo community targets, explained Geoff Rawling, 49, president of the Rockaway Artists Alliance, a nonprofit in Queens that mentors youth in artistic endeavors to beautify various neighborhoods in the city.

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