When going on vacation somewhere you have never been it can be hard to find a good quality Hotel working on a budget. So here is a guide to help you find a good place cheap, so you don't have to worry about where you will stay.
In my life I have done a great deal of traveling, and I have many nightmare stories about the things that have happened to me in some of the cheap hotels I have stayed in. I remember once I was ok a ski trip and half the floor in my room actually dropped about 6 inches. I woke up and my head was lower then the rest of me and was confused for several seconds before I managed to come to my senses. Lucky for me the room was on the first floor. On another trip, the police raided the hotel looking for illegal immigrants, and there was noise all night long. It was probably quiet the next night, but I did not stick around to see.
Finding a good inexpensive hotel should not be a gamble. The best way to find a good hotel is to go to a place you have been before, but assuming that is not an option the next best thing is from someone who has been there.
If you know someone who has been to the same vacation spot as you are planning on going, ask them about the place they stayed, the worst that can happen is they tell you they hated it or that it was too expensive.
But what if no one you know has ever been to where you are going to be? Unless you like to gamble, you can't just make reservations anywhere, if you are looking to gamble on something play blackjack or poker in a casino, but don't roll the dice with the place you are going to use as your home base for your vacation.
Use the internet to look for hotel reviews. There are many websites that have reviews from people who have stayed in the hotel. Now one mans hell may be another mans heaven, but at least this way you can see that 5 people stayed there and said it was fine and two said it was not good maybe these 2 people were the exception.
Or maybe the two that did not like the hotel were in town for business in an area popular with tourists. This can be an annoying situation when everyone around you is partying and you are trying to sleep, this is one of the reason why no business is conducted in Daytona Beech during Spring Break.
Talking with a travel agent is always a great way to assure your happiness with your lodgings, and helps keep the gambling in the casinos and out of your room.
A good thing to do is to make sure to ask lots of question on the phone with any hotels you are considering staying in.
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Monday, June 20, 2011
Read The Warranty, It Will Save Some Money.
When consumers buy a car, the seller or manufacturer pledges to vouch for the car. This is a warranty. Federal law enforces warranties to be always available to buyers. It should be made clear to the consumer even when they are just searching for what car to buy or if they are just browsing the internet.
Coverage differs. Therefore, warranties should be checked together with the design, value, quality and other car characteristics.
Warrantees and guarantees often confuse people that are trying to differentiate the two. These two words, although quite similar, have distinct differences in the area of home improvement.
First, the basic terminologies are somewhat different. Warranty is usually attributed to manufacturers while guarantees refer to the labor.
Warrantees are usually pro-rated. This means that the coverage agreements could change as time goes on. Guarantees from the labor sector mostly are inclusive.
Here are some examples:
1. Siding should have a warranty not to crack, sag or buckle.
2. The intensity of colors will not diminish for 3 points or more.
3. Warrantees are transferable to different owners and then changed to 5 years.
4. Require registration.
5. Effects of stains brought about by chemicals or too much mildew due to need for cleaning is not under the warranty.
Warrantees usually offer satisfactory coverage but are not one hundred percent.
What is the coverage of guarantee under one year labor?
Example, a product or service falters in just the first year. It will be changed or fixed without charge. To sum it up, if a high priced product is purchased, the coverage will be 100%. As product price decreases, so does the value of the coverage. It is not the manufacturer's fault that less coverage is given for cheap products.
Product information and warranty or guarantee inclusions should be thoroughly understood by the potential buyers before signing anything. Always be on the lookout for contractors that adhere to specific brands for a long time. Chances are they have valid reasons why they remain loyal.
Everyone is like a faithful contractor who looks for good service. These contractors are always on stand by to give service. Warranties and product quality concerns also keep good contractors on their toes. On the other hand, bad contractors do not care at all for product quality and warranty. They are always scouting for the cheapest product on sale and totally disregarding the warrantees and services that it could entail in the future.
What are written warranties?
Written warranties are not compulsory under the law but are commonly found in major purchases. Here are some tips to consider in looking for warranties.
• What is the amount of time provided by the warranty?
Always make sure to take note of the beginning and expiration of warranties and also the terms that may nullify it.
• Who is the person in charge of providing the warranty?
The coverage will be provided either by the manufacturer or seller so it should be made sure which of these two.
• What are the specific steps to be undertaken when there is a product failure?
Check if the company, provider or seller will fix the product, change it with a new one or give the money back.
• What are the parts and specific product failures covered by the warranty?
Buyers should thoroughly examine if there are product parts or kinds that are not part of the warranty coverage. Examples are warranties that ask for payment for work done during the repair process. Be wary of inclusions that could be potentially costly or inconvenient. An example of this is transporting a heavy or huge product to a factory for repair or the product should be given back with its original case intact.
• Are "consequential damages" covered by the warranty?
There are warranties that do not include damages affected by the product or based on the time and money spent in repairing the damages. An example of this is when a newly bought freezer bogs down and the food is spoiled. The seller or manufacturer is not compelled to pay for the food.
• What are the warranty limitations?
There are warranties that only give the warranty coverage if the status of the product is maintained as cited in the condition. Certain warranties specify products like washing machines to be used for home use only. If the washing machine is used in a commercial enterprise and breaks down, no warranty will be given.
Buyers should always read the warranty or guarantee terms before purchasing any product if they want to make the most out of their hard earned money.
Please Share You Can Sign up here. Subscribe to Best Buying Tips by Email Tell your friends about us.
Coverage differs. Therefore, warranties should be checked together with the design, value, quality and other car characteristics.
Warrantees and guarantees often confuse people that are trying to differentiate the two. These two words, although quite similar, have distinct differences in the area of home improvement.
First, the basic terminologies are somewhat different. Warranty is usually attributed to manufacturers while guarantees refer to the labor.
Warrantees are usually pro-rated. This means that the coverage agreements could change as time goes on. Guarantees from the labor sector mostly are inclusive.
Here are some examples:
1. Siding should have a warranty not to crack, sag or buckle.
2. The intensity of colors will not diminish for 3 points or more.
3. Warrantees are transferable to different owners and then changed to 5 years.
4. Require registration.
5. Effects of stains brought about by chemicals or too much mildew due to need for cleaning is not under the warranty.
Warrantees usually offer satisfactory coverage but are not one hundred percent.
What is the coverage of guarantee under one year labor?
Example, a product or service falters in just the first year. It will be changed or fixed without charge. To sum it up, if a high priced product is purchased, the coverage will be 100%. As product price decreases, so does the value of the coverage. It is not the manufacturer's fault that less coverage is given for cheap products.
Product information and warranty or guarantee inclusions should be thoroughly understood by the potential buyers before signing anything. Always be on the lookout for contractors that adhere to specific brands for a long time. Chances are they have valid reasons why they remain loyal.
Everyone is like a faithful contractor who looks for good service. These contractors are always on stand by to give service. Warranties and product quality concerns also keep good contractors on their toes. On the other hand, bad contractors do not care at all for product quality and warranty. They are always scouting for the cheapest product on sale and totally disregarding the warrantees and services that it could entail in the future.
What are written warranties?
Written warranties are not compulsory under the law but are commonly found in major purchases. Here are some tips to consider in looking for warranties.
• What is the amount of time provided by the warranty?
Always make sure to take note of the beginning and expiration of warranties and also the terms that may nullify it.
• Who is the person in charge of providing the warranty?
The coverage will be provided either by the manufacturer or seller so it should be made sure which of these two.
• What are the specific steps to be undertaken when there is a product failure?
Check if the company, provider or seller will fix the product, change it with a new one or give the money back.
• What are the parts and specific product failures covered by the warranty?
Buyers should thoroughly examine if there are product parts or kinds that are not part of the warranty coverage. Examples are warranties that ask for payment for work done during the repair process. Be wary of inclusions that could be potentially costly or inconvenient. An example of this is transporting a heavy or huge product to a factory for repair or the product should be given back with its original case intact.
• Are "consequential damages" covered by the warranty?
There are warranties that do not include damages affected by the product or based on the time and money spent in repairing the damages. An example of this is when a newly bought freezer bogs down and the food is spoiled. The seller or manufacturer is not compelled to pay for the food.
• What are the warranty limitations?
There are warranties that only give the warranty coverage if the status of the product is maintained as cited in the condition. Certain warranties specify products like washing machines to be used for home use only. If the washing machine is used in a commercial enterprise and breaks down, no warranty will be given.
Buyers should always read the warranty or guarantee terms before purchasing any product if they want to make the most out of their hard earned money.
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Magnet 4 power - New technology - New wave of energy
The average electric bill has more than doubled for the average household in the past 10 years, far outpacing inflation and eating into your disposable income!
Unlike past generations who had to choose between paying the electric company or not having any lights, WE HAVE A CHOICE!
That’s right, we do have a choice and the power companies hate this fact and they will try and do everything in their power to discredit this proven and inexpensive technology! Why would anyone possibly want to discourage people from being responsible stewards of the planet and actually generating their own safe, dependable energy??
Actually, if you produce more electricity than you use, the electric company is obligated by law to buy it from you at current market price! So imagine it instead of mailing a check to the electric company each month they could be sending YOU a check each month! And no you DO NOT need to invest $1,000’s in costly solar panels or windmills to transform your home into an energy producing “green home”!
Seriously, the power company wants (and has always had) lifetime customers who send in their checks each month. The power companies have known the only way for someone to “break free” from those monthly payments was to invest $1,000’s in solar panels or personalized windmills, UNTIL NOW!
To get this report Click Here
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Unlike past generations who had to choose between paying the electric company or not having any lights, WE HAVE A CHOICE!
That’s right, we do have a choice and the power companies hate this fact and they will try and do everything in their power to discredit this proven and inexpensive technology! Why would anyone possibly want to discourage people from being responsible stewards of the planet and actually generating their own safe, dependable energy??
Actually, if you produce more electricity than you use, the electric company is obligated by law to buy it from you at current market price! So imagine it instead of mailing a check to the electric company each month they could be sending YOU a check each month! And no you DO NOT need to invest $1,000’s in costly solar panels or windmills to transform your home into an energy producing “green home”!
Seriously, the power company wants (and has always had) lifetime customers who send in their checks each month. The power companies have known the only way for someone to “break free” from those monthly payments was to invest $1,000’s in solar panels or personalized windmills, UNTIL NOW!
To get this report Click Here
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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Send Earnings - Make Money Online
If you have alot of free time and enjoy being on the computer, then I highly recommend this for you. I have heared a lot of great things about this company and have used them and YES they pay so don't hesitate to sign up.
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Buy Gold the right way
After 20 years on the “inside”...seeing what I've seen ( it's really bad )...
I don't want you to suffer the same fate...
And have your financial future flushed down the toilet by bad advice!
That's why I wrote this guide “Buy Gold Safely”.
I want to do my part to make sure that people quit getting ripped off, misinformed, and misled about gold investing. I also want to make sure that people know the full and real truth about gold investing, then show them a complete blueprint for investing in gold the right way.
You might be thinking to yourself...
“Well then Doug, why do I need your guide to know that?
Can't I just buy gold through the many companies that sell those coins and stuff?
How about through one of those gold investment companies?
My own financial advisor?”
Doug says: Sure... you can do any of the above...but my advice is to wait until you read page XX of my guide first.
I have prepared that special section in my “Buy Gold Safely” guide to expose quite a few “white lies” and misinformation circulating in most of the financial investment circles.
At least that's my advice. Read that page, and the following section...or end up like countless others...making critical mistakes with their financial futures.
I do understand though, if like my Dad, you are more comfortable going the “other” route that most people do.
I understand if you want to trust “them”...
“They” follow the rules...
The same rules that will cost you thousands of dollars...
Click here for Rest of Article
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I don't want you to suffer the same fate...
And have your financial future flushed down the toilet by bad advice!
That's why I wrote this guide “Buy Gold Safely”.
I want to do my part to make sure that people quit getting ripped off, misinformed, and misled about gold investing. I also want to make sure that people know the full and real truth about gold investing, then show them a complete blueprint for investing in gold the right way.
You might be thinking to yourself...
“Well then Doug, why do I need your guide to know that?
Can't I just buy gold through the many companies that sell those coins and stuff?
How about through one of those gold investment companies?
My own financial advisor?”
Doug says: Sure... you can do any of the above...but my advice is to wait until you read page XX of my guide first.
I have prepared that special section in my “Buy Gold Safely” guide to expose quite a few “white lies” and misinformation circulating in most of the financial investment circles.
At least that's my advice. Read that page, and the following section...or end up like countless others...making critical mistakes with their financial futures.
I do understand though, if like my Dad, you are more comfortable going the “other” route that most people do.
I understand if you want to trust “them”...
“They” follow the rules...
The same rules that will cost you thousands of dollars...
Click here for Rest of Article
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Sunday, July 5, 2009
Get Access to making money completely free.
Take advantage of online industry and make Real Money
Generate leads
Generate traffic
Have your own mailing list
Build your own site
Support by your own product or service
If you don't have one, No Worries
Welcome to Your Gold Vine
We Can help you, First Sign up for a free lifetime membership with Yourgoldvine.com. which is a gate way or portal to help all onliners make the best of their time and efforts in order to make or save $$$.
We mostly refer free services to join and participate in. It's wise not to toss money out if you can put a little effort to get started, you might start rolling and with the right effort you can then advertise or simply hire companies to do what you need for money that will be paid for by what you are generating alr eady therefore not touching what you have and your only investment, would be your time and efforts. Which we are here to make sure you don't waste that valuable time. Your Gold Vine wants to be your guide to onlinesucces
Learn Secrets the gurus charge for at Your Gold Vine 4 free.
Sign up today.
Subscribe to Best Buying Tips by Email
Tell your friends about us.
Generate leads
Generate traffic
Have your own mailing list
Build your own site
Support by your own product or service
If you don't have one, No Worries
Welcome to Your Gold Vine
We Can help you, First Sign up for a free lifetime membership with Yourgoldvine.com. which is a gate way or portal to help all onliners make the best of their time and efforts in order to make or save $$$.
We mostly refer free services to join and participate in. It's wise not to toss money out if you can put a little effort to get started, you might start rolling and with the right effort you can then advertise or simply hire companies to do what you need for money that will be paid for by what you are generating alr eady therefore not touching what you have and your only investment, would be your time and efforts. Which we are here to make sure you don't waste that valuable time. Your Gold Vine wants to be your guide to onlinesucces
Learn Secrets the gurus charge for at Your Gold Vine 4 free.
Sign up today.
Subscribe to Best Buying Tips by Email
Tell your friends about us.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
How To Buy Home Furniture
We are working on a furniture site to compliment this site, which should be ready by July, 2003. We have this short chapter here to get you started in the meantime. We added this in response to many visitors who wanted tips on furniture buying, and also to answer all the whining car salespeople who email me and moan "how come you never talk about furniture stores with their high markups, why do you pick on us poor car salespeople?" Well, by popular request, here you have it.
Never will you find such advertising deceit, trickery, Jedi mind tricks, and outright lies by uninformed salespeople. Or, one of my favorite lines from Star Wars: "You'll never find a more retched hive of scum and villainy". Now don't get me wrong, many furniture stores are honest, and fairly priced, but many are not, and have "customer service" that is far below their boasted levels. Even worse, the epidemic of misleading ads has gotten way out of hand. This is one industry that needs federal policing. The whole MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) pricing game on furniture is such a joke. Manufacturers set these meaningless over inflated MSRP prices so that when stores actually sell the furniture at their normal "everyday" prices, they can claim they are giving you a huge discount, especially with 50% off sales.
Don't be cheap, buy a good guide to buying home furniture from outlets
Today with the internet, and armed with a couple of good furniture buying books, you can do all your shopping at home. We bought 2 excellent books to help us save hundreds of dollars. These books more than paid for themselves hundreds of times over, what a great investment. One of these books reviews the top furniture discounters in the Carolinas, as well as many online internet sites. That was a godsend that helped us to choose a reliable company to deliver our furniture at a price that made us happy, yet still provided them with a fair profit. The other book dealt with what to look for in quality furniture, that was most helpful. Without these 2 books, I can guarantee that we would have paid way too much, for substandard furniture. Thanks to this book, we were much better educated about quality of furniture, and knew which furniture to avoid. We may be smart shoppers, but we knew nothing about how wood furniture was made, nor did we know what type of furniture construction to avoid. That book saved us a lot of aggravation. You must get these 2 furniture books to save you the most amount of money. This is what we used: Full Report here
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Subscribe to Best Buying Tips by Email
Tell your friends about us.
Never will you find such advertising deceit, trickery, Jedi mind tricks, and outright lies by uninformed salespeople. Or, one of my favorite lines from Star Wars: "You'll never find a more retched hive of scum and villainy". Now don't get me wrong, many furniture stores are honest, and fairly priced, but many are not, and have "customer service" that is far below their boasted levels. Even worse, the epidemic of misleading ads has gotten way out of hand. This is one industry that needs federal policing. The whole MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) pricing game on furniture is such a joke. Manufacturers set these meaningless over inflated MSRP prices so that when stores actually sell the furniture at their normal "everyday" prices, they can claim they are giving you a huge discount, especially with 50% off sales.
Don't be cheap, buy a good guide to buying home furniture from outlets
Today with the internet, and armed with a couple of good furniture buying books, you can do all your shopping at home. We bought 2 excellent books to help us save hundreds of dollars. These books more than paid for themselves hundreds of times over, what a great investment. One of these books reviews the top furniture discounters in the Carolinas, as well as many online internet sites. That was a godsend that helped us to choose a reliable company to deliver our furniture at a price that made us happy, yet still provided them with a fair profit. The other book dealt with what to look for in quality furniture, that was most helpful. Without these 2 books, I can guarantee that we would have paid way too much, for substandard furniture. Thanks to this book, we were much better educated about quality of furniture, and knew which furniture to avoid. We may be smart shoppers, but we knew nothing about how wood furniture was made, nor did we know what type of furniture construction to avoid. That book saved us a lot of aggravation. You must get these 2 furniture books to save you the most amount of money. This is what we used: Full Report here
Sign up today.
Subscribe to Best Buying Tips by Email
Tell your friends about us.
Top Green Home Buying Tips
Get good help
Not long ago, if you’d have told your realtor that you were looking for a green house, they'd have handed you a gallon or two of emerald-hued paint. Nowadays, with increased eco-awareness and energy prices going through the roof, it's not just us TreeHuggers that are worried about things like indoor air quality and energy efficiency. When screening potential realtors, ask them how much they know about home energy performance and other environmental issues that matter to you. Alternately, services like EcoBroker, Modern Green Living, and other green residential tips can help you seek out a green real estate pro. Learn more about what to look for in a green realtor in our post on Verdant Vocations: A Real Estate Agent?
Conduct an energy audit
If your green realtor is on their game, this one will go without saying, but it's not an automatic. You can tell a lot just by taking a careful look around. Check out the heating and cooling systems carefully and make sure they are in good working order and sized appropriately. Take a gander at the windows, and check if they're single or double-paned, and at the doors, to see if you feel a draft coming through around the edges. Be on the lookout for missing or inadequate insulation, or signs of mold. To get really good info, though, we recommend hiring a professional for your audit. They'll use things like infrared cameras and special fans to pressurize your house and determine how leaky it is; this will help you determine if your potential new house needs any big efficiency upgrades, and if something like new insulation will make sense. Sister site Planet Green has more info on the benefits of a home energy audit.
Remember: location, location, location
New Yorkers have the some of the lowest ecological footprints in the United States, and it's not because they are all amazingly eco-conscientious. Rather, it's because they tend to live close to shops, entertainment, and places of work. If they don't live close to all those things, they live close to a subway or a bus line that will take them to these locations. The lesson here? Choose your location carefully. Even if the countryside is definitely for you, it's worth thinking about commuting distances, proximity of local facilities, and how you are going to get around. How to begin? Visit Walk Score to locate restaurants, parks, grocers and other businesses and amenities within walking distance of your possible future home.
Buy small, live large
It's the closest thing TreeHugger has to a mantra: small really is the new big, and less is the new more. The smaller your living space, the less energy is needed to heat and light it, and the less you have to spend on utilities too. With some thoughtful, careful interior design, you can create beautiful living environments out of some surprisingly small spaces; we recommend multi-functional and transformer furniture to help you get the most out of your space.
Kick the tires
Unless you really luck out, your new home will almost certainly require a few aesthetic and maybe even a few structural changes. Slapping on a fresh coat of low-VOC paint is easy, affordable, and won't contribute to poor indoor air quality; ripping up old, off-gassing, difficult-to-recycle wall-to-wall carpeting to refinish the hardwood underneath is tougher on you and on the planet; replacing leaky, rusty, lead-leaching plumbing is a taller order yet, so be sure to "kick the tires" of the houses you're looking at, so you can get an idea of the changes you'll want or need to make to create a greener, healthier home.
Reuse, renovate, recycle
If a LEED-certified, solar-powered penthouse downtown remains just out of reach, consider looking for place that will benefit from a upgraded green kitchen or bathroom -- the two rooms where you typically get the best return for your renovating dollar. As long as it doesn't need major structural repairs, or you don't have to gut the place to get the rooms and layout you want, you can renovate according to your ecological principles and get a double bonus: a greener, more efficient home and a higher resale value (market-willing) upon your departure. Just be aware of the work involved, prioritize to get the best bang for your buck, and don't get carried away with romantic notions of a grand marble staircase, an all-red billiard room with a giant stuffed camel and a disco room with your own disco dancers. Renovating is hard work -- get more tips on green renovation before you get going -- but the rewards can be substantial; you might even achieve LEED Proactinium.
Research your renewable-energy potential
Until recently, generating your own power was out-of-the-question expensive for most of us. As the costs of alternative technologies like solar, wind, or geo-thermal power come down, they're becoming easier to find and easier to afford. If your dream home isn't already plugged in to off-grid technology, don't fret; you can discover your renewable energy potential to see if it makes sense to generate some or all of your own power, and then check in with DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to see what sort of rebates and deals are available in your state.
Certifiable!
LEED-H, or LEED for Homes, just released final guidelines for their residential green building certification in January, which means there aren't a ton out there right now (we spotted the first one in the western US), though about 400 builders representing 10,000 homes across the U.S. participated in the LEED for Homes pilot program (you can find your local LEED for Homes provider here). And, if you're looking in New England, Energy Star Homes certify that homes meet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) performance guidelines for energy efficiency. They're two programs on the rise, so be on the lookout for more green homes from both of them (and read more below in the "Getting Techie" section). For now, there's lots of best practices to glean from both programs' guidelines and principles.
Shade grown?
Trees are good for a lot more than hugging, so take a peek outside your potential new digs to check out the foliage the comes with the place. Big deciduous (leafy) trees are great natural climate controllers; in the summer, their leafy branches block the sun and can help keep your home cooler (reducing cooling costs), and, in the winter, the bare branches let more natural light and heat through to your home (reducing heating costs). Big old trees also offer potential homes for our fine feathered friends, who can be helpful in maintaining your organic garden. Your neighborhood's biodiversity will benefit, too.
More great outdoors
Ask yourself a couple more questions: Is there is big lawn that requires care (and lots of water) to maintain? (Remember, this isn't always up to you; some neighborhoods have homeowners' association rules that requires a certain level of lawn manicuring.) Is there a good, sunny place for a garden, to grow your own food, or is there a good space for some good container gardening? Will you have room for a compost pile, or just a small compost bin? Read up on How to Green Your Gardening and match your potential homes with the size of your green thumb. Go to Source of this great article.
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Not long ago, if you’d have told your realtor that you were looking for a green house, they'd have handed you a gallon or two of emerald-hued paint. Nowadays, with increased eco-awareness and energy prices going through the roof, it's not just us TreeHuggers that are worried about things like indoor air quality and energy efficiency. When screening potential realtors, ask them how much they know about home energy performance and other environmental issues that matter to you. Alternately, services like EcoBroker, Modern Green Living, and other green residential tips can help you seek out a green real estate pro. Learn more about what to look for in a green realtor in our post on Verdant Vocations: A Real Estate Agent?
Conduct an energy audit
If your green realtor is on their game, this one will go without saying, but it's not an automatic. You can tell a lot just by taking a careful look around. Check out the heating and cooling systems carefully and make sure they are in good working order and sized appropriately. Take a gander at the windows, and check if they're single or double-paned, and at the doors, to see if you feel a draft coming through around the edges. Be on the lookout for missing or inadequate insulation, or signs of mold. To get really good info, though, we recommend hiring a professional for your audit. They'll use things like infrared cameras and special fans to pressurize your house and determine how leaky it is; this will help you determine if your potential new house needs any big efficiency upgrades, and if something like new insulation will make sense. Sister site Planet Green has more info on the benefits of a home energy audit.
Remember: location, location, location
New Yorkers have the some of the lowest ecological footprints in the United States, and it's not because they are all amazingly eco-conscientious. Rather, it's because they tend to live close to shops, entertainment, and places of work. If they don't live close to all those things, they live close to a subway or a bus line that will take them to these locations. The lesson here? Choose your location carefully. Even if the countryside is definitely for you, it's worth thinking about commuting distances, proximity of local facilities, and how you are going to get around. How to begin? Visit Walk Score to locate restaurants, parks, grocers and other businesses and amenities within walking distance of your possible future home.
Buy small, live large
It's the closest thing TreeHugger has to a mantra: small really is the new big, and less is the new more. The smaller your living space, the less energy is needed to heat and light it, and the less you have to spend on utilities too. With some thoughtful, careful interior design, you can create beautiful living environments out of some surprisingly small spaces; we recommend multi-functional and transformer furniture to help you get the most out of your space.
Kick the tires
Unless you really luck out, your new home will almost certainly require a few aesthetic and maybe even a few structural changes. Slapping on a fresh coat of low-VOC paint is easy, affordable, and won't contribute to poor indoor air quality; ripping up old, off-gassing, difficult-to-recycle wall-to-wall carpeting to refinish the hardwood underneath is tougher on you and on the planet; replacing leaky, rusty, lead-leaching plumbing is a taller order yet, so be sure to "kick the tires" of the houses you're looking at, so you can get an idea of the changes you'll want or need to make to create a greener, healthier home.
Reuse, renovate, recycle
If a LEED-certified, solar-powered penthouse downtown remains just out of reach, consider looking for place that will benefit from a upgraded green kitchen or bathroom -- the two rooms where you typically get the best return for your renovating dollar. As long as it doesn't need major structural repairs, or you don't have to gut the place to get the rooms and layout you want, you can renovate according to your ecological principles and get a double bonus: a greener, more efficient home and a higher resale value (market-willing) upon your departure. Just be aware of the work involved, prioritize to get the best bang for your buck, and don't get carried away with romantic notions of a grand marble staircase, an all-red billiard room with a giant stuffed camel and a disco room with your own disco dancers. Renovating is hard work -- get more tips on green renovation before you get going -- but the rewards can be substantial; you might even achieve LEED Proactinium.
Research your renewable-energy potential
Until recently, generating your own power was out-of-the-question expensive for most of us. As the costs of alternative technologies like solar, wind, or geo-thermal power come down, they're becoming easier to find and easier to afford. If your dream home isn't already plugged in to off-grid technology, don't fret; you can discover your renewable energy potential to see if it makes sense to generate some or all of your own power, and then check in with DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to see what sort of rebates and deals are available in your state.
Certifiable!
LEED-H, or LEED for Homes, just released final guidelines for their residential green building certification in January, which means there aren't a ton out there right now (we spotted the first one in the western US), though about 400 builders representing 10,000 homes across the U.S. participated in the LEED for Homes pilot program (you can find your local LEED for Homes provider here). And, if you're looking in New England, Energy Star Homes certify that homes meet the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) performance guidelines for energy efficiency. They're two programs on the rise, so be on the lookout for more green homes from both of them (and read more below in the "Getting Techie" section). For now, there's lots of best practices to glean from both programs' guidelines and principles.
Shade grown?
Trees are good for a lot more than hugging, so take a peek outside your potential new digs to check out the foliage the comes with the place. Big deciduous (leafy) trees are great natural climate controllers; in the summer, their leafy branches block the sun and can help keep your home cooler (reducing cooling costs), and, in the winter, the bare branches let more natural light and heat through to your home (reducing heating costs). Big old trees also offer potential homes for our fine feathered friends, who can be helpful in maintaining your organic garden. Your neighborhood's biodiversity will benefit, too.
More great outdoors
Ask yourself a couple more questions: Is there is big lawn that requires care (and lots of water) to maintain? (Remember, this isn't always up to you; some neighborhoods have homeowners' association rules that requires a certain level of lawn manicuring.) Is there a good, sunny place for a garden, to grow your own food, or is there a good space for some good container gardening? Will you have room for a compost pile, or just a small compost bin? Read up on How to Green Your Gardening and match your potential homes with the size of your green thumb. Go to Source of this great article.
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PC World-Laptop Buying Guide
PC World - From petite netbooks to massive desktop replacements, laptops are made for different needs. Follow the tips in this buying guide, and you can meet the notebook of your dreams.
Of course, to find your ideal travel companion, you have to be honest about your personality. So here's a little quiz--what kind of laptop user are you?
Q. Do you want to write a few e-mail messages or surf the Web while listening to some music? Figure out the family budget? Watch a DVD movie or two?
A. You're an average Joe. Read our recommendations for all-purpose laptops.
Q. Are you on the lookout for a no-compromise laptop that will power through the day while staying true to the bottom line?
A. Mr. or Ms. Corporate Raider, your meeting with the perfect business laptop starts now.
Q. Regardless of whether you're on permanent vacation or traveling for work, do you want power and a light load? Above all, must it be stylish?
A. Jet-setter, your ultraportable laptop is ready for takeoff.
Q. Late to class? Again? Are you faced with overstuffed bags and an understuffed wallet?
A. Student, it's time to do your homework and learn about netbooks.
Q. Forum know-it-all? Multimedia junkie? Action addict? Do you want only the best of the best? Is "Nerd" printed on your business card?
A. Gamer, find out more about desktop replacements that are prepared to play.
Q. Do you want a tough portable that can work well outdoors and handle unusual conditions? Are you searching for a convertible PC that can offer a stylus- or touch-based interface for taking notes?
A. You have specialized needs. See our advice about ruggedized laptops and tablet PCs.
Go directly to PCworld
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Subscribe to Best Buying Tips by Email
Tell your friends about us.
Of course, to find your ideal travel companion, you have to be honest about your personality. So here's a little quiz--what kind of laptop user are you?
Q. Do you want to write a few e-mail messages or surf the Web while listening to some music? Figure out the family budget? Watch a DVD movie or two?
A. You're an average Joe. Read our recommendations for all-purpose laptops.
Q. Are you on the lookout for a no-compromise laptop that will power through the day while staying true to the bottom line?
A. Mr. or Ms. Corporate Raider, your meeting with the perfect business laptop starts now.
Q. Regardless of whether you're on permanent vacation or traveling for work, do you want power and a light load? Above all, must it be stylish?
A. Jet-setter, your ultraportable laptop is ready for takeoff.
Q. Late to class? Again? Are you faced with overstuffed bags and an understuffed wallet?
A. Student, it's time to do your homework and learn about netbooks.
Q. Forum know-it-all? Multimedia junkie? Action addict? Do you want only the best of the best? Is "Nerd" printed on your business card?
A. Gamer, find out more about desktop replacements that are prepared to play.
Q. Do you want a tough portable that can work well outdoors and handle unusual conditions? Are you searching for a convertible PC that can offer a stylus- or touch-based interface for taking notes?
A. You have specialized needs. See our advice about ruggedized laptops and tablet PCs.
Go directly to PCworld
Sign up today.
Subscribe to Best Buying Tips by Email
Tell your friends about us.
Plasma & Flat Screen TV Buying Tips
If you're looking for a flat screen TV picture that provides excellent picture quality with low picture distortion then a Plasma Screen TV monitor is the solution you have been seeking.
There are currently a large number of Plasma Televisions available on the market which can be used for a number of different applications including presentations, home video and computer uses. Below are some features that can help you differentiate between the different plasma tv models. Please select from the following options: Click Here
There are currently a large number of Plasma Televisions available on the market which can be used for a number of different applications including presentations, home video and computer uses. Below are some features that can help you differentiate between the different plasma tv models. Please select from the following options: Click Here
Home Buying
Follow our six step home buying guide: a roadmap that takes the first time home buyer from "how much can you afford" to "Buying the home and moving in."
Before you start your hunt to buy a new home, review your monthly income, expenses and total savings. No savings? ..find a relative, friend or employer who might help with a loan for home buying. More on how much you can pay for a new home.
The secret to buying a home is finding a house in a neighborhood you love: that includes low crime rate, great schools and increasing home value. More on buying a home in the right neighborhood.
Selling a home without an agent? Get FREE step by step instructions.Get the right mortgage loan and be a happy first time home buyer: buy the new or pre-owned home you love. More on getting a morgage loan to buy a home.
Buying a new home means as much, or more inspection than buying a pre-owned home. Consider hiring a professional home inspector. More on selecting the best home to buy.
Found the house you love?
Find the selling price of similar homes in the neighborhood and don't pay much more. More on buying a home at the right price..
The final details of buying a new or pre-owned home take place on closing day when the purchase price is paid and title is transferred from the seller to the buyer. In most states the mortgage lender's attorney or a title agent will handle the closing details and protect buyer and seller rights as a neutral 3rd party. More on closing details..
The best source on the net for home tips
Before you start your hunt to buy a new home, review your monthly income, expenses and total savings. No savings? ..find a relative, friend or employer who might help with a loan for home buying. More on how much you can pay for a new home.
The secret to buying a home is finding a house in a neighborhood you love: that includes low crime rate, great schools and increasing home value. More on buying a home in the right neighborhood.
Selling a home without an agent? Get FREE step by step instructions.Get the right mortgage loan and be a happy first time home buyer: buy the new or pre-owned home you love. More on getting a morgage loan to buy a home.
Buying a new home means as much, or more inspection than buying a pre-owned home. Consider hiring a professional home inspector. More on selecting the best home to buy.
Found the house you love?
Find the selling price of similar homes in the neighborhood and don't pay much more. More on buying a home at the right price..
The final details of buying a new or pre-owned home take place on closing day when the purchase price is paid and title is transferred from the seller to the buyer. In most states the mortgage lender's attorney or a title agent will handle the closing details and protect buyer and seller rights as a neutral 3rd party. More on closing details..
The best source on the net for home tips
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